Page 123 of Enchanted Kingdom
“There’s a big log over there,” Owen said while gesturing with a hand. “Let’s go sit by it.”
I followed him, and seeing him opt to sit on the ground with his back against the giant log, I followed suit. The moon in the clearing provided enough light to see where each prince stood in the meadow, just not enough to see their faces.
I hadn’t really realized I had been rubbing my hands on my dress until Owen nudged me with an elbow. “It’s okay, Jorah.”
“Is it?” I whispered. “I’m nervous.”
He nudged me again. “They’ll just practice throwing magic at each other for a while, working on being able to deflect fast, and then they’ll work on their combining too.”
I turned to look at him. “You’re up late again with me. I’m sorry.”
He smirked. “I’m not. Today was fun.”
I took a deep breath and nodded, glad that at least he wasn’t miserable being stuck babysitting me. “What did you normally do? Before all this?”
Owen looked toward the brothers taking to the field a good thirty feet apart. “I work for Krew. I’m kind of his shadow when I’m not yours. When he isn’t sending me on random missions.”
“I see.” I paused. “And it wasn’t unusual for the king to see you switched to my services?”
Owen shook his head. “Not when I got ordered by him to run guard duties and help. He’s had to pull a lot of officers in to cover Assemblage security. Our king demanded Krew’s men help.”
“Oh.”
He nudged me again. “Don’t worry, you’re more fun to be around. More fun to track at all the fancy balls as well.”
I was watching the brothers before me, scared for whatever was about to go down. “It’s because I have breasts, isn’t it?”
Owen busted out laughing so hard, both princes turned our way.
“Having a good time over there?” Keir called out, amused.
Owen laughed. “Yep. We’re good.”
And then while Keir had his back to Krew, both of Krew’s palms lit up as I could see his navy magic snap to life and head toward Keir.
My breath caught, but Keir spun, and his own blue magic lit the night as the lightning-looking power seemed to slice at Krew’s and stop it in its tracks.
“Such a typical move, Krew,” Keir stated.
And then they were both moving. I had never seen so much magic pour out of someone’s hands. It was like they were dancing within a giant bubble of magic, their silhouettes flashing in and out of focus around bursts of it. A blast of what felt like wind hit the trees. It was strong enough that Owen put up a shield of sorts in front of him just before it hit, while I of course felt nothing.
Keir and Krew were standing in the middle of the meadow now, strands of magic webbing and weaving around them. There was enough magic being used now that I was better able to see the crown princes. At one point, it looked like one of them threw a brick of it at the other. Neither spoke a word either, as if they needed all their focus.
Keir sent his magic hurtling toward Krew in what looked like fire, just for Krew to send out a wave of his own magic to dissolve it.
It was all happening so fast, I could barely keep up. At one point, I was pretty sure this massive practice session between the princes turned into a snowball fight, but with lightning-infused looking snowballs and not actual snow. And instead of it being one snowball at a time, it was multiple attacks. They were raining down magic on each other. Krew got knocked down with one while Keir got hit in the leg.
“Is a magical snowball fight going to help them take down the king?” I whispered to Owen.
Owen didn’t laugh at my question or the princes either. With sincerity in his voice he answered, “We have to will our magic to the targets. Our magic mimics the four elements, so we use that to inspire us, in how to form and use our magic. But to think that quickly, to decide what to do and how fast to send it, takes considerable concentration. Add in having to deflect another’s magic at the same time, and it gets pretty intense.” He paused. “So yes, yes their magic snowball fight is helping them. It’s working on their reaction time and also teaching them how to shield every angle.”
I couldn’t help the “wow” that slipped out of my mouth.
Back on the field, the brothers had moved on from magical snowballs. It looked as if they were standing on blue ice, while they tried to cage one another.
“If you can cage an Enchanted,” Owen added, “You can get to their hands, the single most important thing we have.”
“To tie them down?”
