Page 40 of Only Rogue Actions
This was going to befun.
My telempathy might have revealed Roderick’s presence, but it didn’t tell me exactly where he was.I didn’t just have my own psionic abilities to rely on, though—I also had Vesper’s power.
I didn’t often try to use Vesper’s seer magic, as I never knew what awful memories or horrific futures it might show me.But right now, her power was the key to spotting my enemy, so I curled my fingers around the velvety ribbon of her in my mind.
In an instant, everything became brighter and more vivid.The brilliant colors and the tiny veins of the swirling leaves, the rough, knotted bark on the trees, even the thin bits of straw sticking out of the scarecrow like blackened needles.I could see all that and more, as though I was staring at my surroundings through a microscope in super-sharp focus.The visual bombardment made my brain pound and threatened to overwhelm me, but I curled my fingers a little more tightly around the velvety ribbon of Vesper like it was a life raft keeping me from being swept out into a churning sea of sensation.
My grip on her power steadied, and the world dimmed, like I had dialed back the color saturation on a hologram.My intense headache eased, and I exhaled with relief.
Still holding on to Vesper’s seer magic, I reached out with my telempathy, once again focusing on Roderick’s emotions, and I finally spotted the Erzton lord crouching behind a tree.I couldn’t tell if he was planning to ambush me or hoping I would move on to another section of the maze so he could avoid me completely.It didn’t matter either way.He wasn’t leaving here alive.
Roderick might be panicking, but he still had a weapon, and I didn’t, so I tightened my grip on Vesper’s power and scanned the rest of the biodome.A bright silver flare appeared, drawing my gaze to the short, thick stake that was propping up the scarecrow.That would do quite nicely.
I studied Roderick a moment longer, as well as everything around him.Then I released Vesper’s seer magic, along with my own telempathy, and spoke to her again.
I’m going to flush him out in the open.You make sure he can’t escape the biodome.
You got it, Vesper replied.
I squared my shoulders and stepped through the energy shield.The maze itself was cool, but the air inside the Temperate biodome was cooler still, mimicking a crisp fall day.It would have been a pleasant place to train, but it was going to make an even better graveyard.
“Roderick ...”I called out in the same annoying singsong tone he had used earlier.“Oh, Roderick ...Where are you ...”
My telempathy let me sense the exact moment the coward flinched.
I moved deeper into the biodome, my boots sending up sprays of leaves, twigs, and dirt.I followed a path that curved away from Roderick and headed toward the scarecrow display, although I kept peering at him out of the corners of my eyes.I stopped at the end of the path, like I was thinking about leaving the biodome and moving on to the next section.
The second I turned my back, he moved.
I whirled around.Instead of racing forward to attack me, Roderick was sprinting in the opposite direction, trying to escape the biodome and plunge back into the maze.
Whoosh!
A jet of water spewed out of a nozzle hidden in a tree trunk and slammed into Roderick’s side.He grunted, but he kept going, still heading toward the exit.
Bzzt!
The energy shield that covered the biodome shimmered and started crackling with electricity.Roderick skidded to a halt right before he crossed the threshold.Pity.It would have been amusing to watch him slam into the shield and be zapped like a bug in his armored shell.
Roderick growled and slammed his hammer into the shield.More electricity crackled, and a shower of orange sparks fell over him, but the air kept shimmering, indicating the shield was still firmly in place.
“Vesper has control of the maze, remember?”I called out.“You can’t escape me now.”
Roderick growled again, then whirled around to face me.“You think you’re such a great warrior,” he hissed.“But I still have a suit of armor and a weapon, and you don’t, Kyrion.”
I crooked my right index finger at him in a clear challenge.
Roderick hesitated and glanced over his shoulder, as though he was thinking about whirling around and trying to force his way through the energy shield.That would have been the smart thing to do, despite the dangerous electrical charge that would shock and burn him to within an inch of his life, if not kill him outright.
Roderick looked at me.He hissed again, a bit of spittle flying out of his mouth like he was a rabid animal.Then he raised his hammer and charged at me.
This time, without the threat of bubbling lava all around, I was able to move freely.I easily sidestepped his blow, then used my telekinesis to wrench the stake I’d noticed earlier out of the ground.The scarecrow dropped away, and the stake zipped through the air and settled into my right hand.
A few splinters dug into my palm, but I ignored the discomfort and curled my fingers around the wood.The stake was a bit unwieldy, especially since I could only use it with my uninjured right hand, but it was heavy and substantial enough to do some damage.
Roderick spun around, reversed direction, and swung his hammer out in a vicious arc, trying to cave in my head with one deadly strike.I twisted to the side, avoiding the blow.He snarled and lifted his weapon again.
The instant Roderick raised the hammer over his head, I darted forward.
