Page 124 of Alpha Power

"Oh,mia signora,"Thaddeus breathed in shock. "If you wanted to get physical, all you had to do was ask," he winked, tightening his arms around her.

She scoffed and pushed him onto his butt. "I know it's hard for your chatty mouth, but shhhh. We're being sneaky."

"Oh sneaky? Why didn't you say so? I love being sneaky." He moved onto his hands and knees and shuffled forward, excitement written all over his face.

All three of them poked their heads around the corner of the dirty, smelly bin, watching what was going on with curious eyes.

"You gonna tell me who this guy is?" Thaddeus asked, eying the man up and down with interest. "He's a mage."

"Yes, he's a mage. He's a mage with something to hide and I wanna find out what that is," Zamorra said sternly. She was getting a little sick and tired of explaining herself.

The mage stood to his full height, running a hand down his front while he took a deep, calming breath. He called on his dark magic, opening a transportation portal right behind him.

No! He's leaving. Quick, stop him!Her werewolf commanded angrily. The idea of her prey slipping through her fingers enraged her and a snarl ripped from Zamorra's lips before she could stop it.

He's all the way at the end of the alley. We'll never get to him in time.

"Wait a min-" Thaddeus frowned, standing to his full height. "I know that signature." He burst out from his hiding spot and quickly darted forward, running towards the mage.

"Thad-stop!" Zamorra called out, trying to chase after him but he ignored her.

"Hey!" Thaddeus yelled, sprinting ahead with determination. He slapped his palms together, releasing a sonic wave of pure, undiluted power. It washed over the mage like a tidal wave, cancelling out his magic and making the portal behind him crumble away.

The mage faltered, losing his footing momentarily and swaying to the side, completely unprepared for the blast of powerful magic that just hit him. He turned and his eyes widened at Thaddeus heading his way. He took a step back, as if preparing to run and then narrowed his eyes menacingly.

Dark magic surged in the air and the young mage raised both of his hands, shooting red lightning from his fingertips. With a snarl he curved a hand, commanding the lightning to target all three of them with deadly force.

Thaddeus growled and squatted down, slapping his palms on the ground. A pulse of magic blasted out of him and he raised them high, bringing them up quickly over his head and making a shield of powerful red magic appear before him, running from one side of the alley to the other.

The lightning crashed against the barrier a second after the shield went up with a thunderous boom and Zamorra braced, instinctively raising her hands to cover her face.

Thaddeus thrust his arm out, calling on his own dark magic to come and do his bidding. A rope of pure red energy coiled down his forearm, winding around his wrist, through his thin fingers and onto the ground. With a flick, he whipped the energy rope and it curled around the mage’s ankle, locking securely into place.

Thaddeus tugged sharply, knocking him off his feet and making him grunt in pain. Gripping it tightly with both hands Thaddeus pulled, dragging the mage along the shattered concrete and over to him.

Snapping his eyes to the rope curled around his ankle, the mage snarled and power flared all around them. Red and black flames erupted from his hands and with gritted teeth he latched onto the energy rope, wincing from the clash of magic.

He channelled his magic and the red and black fire raced down the rope, heading straight for Thaddeus like a missile zooming towards its target.

Cursing, Thaddeus dropped his magic and the energy rope vanished instantly, along with the burning hot flames.

Finally free, the mage rolled backwards and landed on his haunches, snapping his head up and baring his teeth like a wild animal. Power cracked in the air and a thunderous boom echoed throughout the alley, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

He stood to his full height, more and more power pulsing from his body as the red and black flames roared to life, flaring all the way up his arms to his shoulders.

Zamorra back-pedalled, stunned by the amazing display of power from such a young mage. His level of power was astonishing, higher than anything she'd ever felt before, even from Thaddeus andthatwas definitely saying something.

Thaddeus hesitated, concern flashing on his face while he stared at the red and black fire travelling up the mages arms. He eyed it cautiously and took a step forward, raising his palms slowly into the air. He stepped through the force field with no resistance, his magic allowing him to pass unhindered.

"Alright let's just take it easy, young one." Thaddeus took slow, cautious steps, keeping his hands in the air and showing no signs of aggression. "You're holding onto a lot of power there and I'm a little bit concerned."

The young mage trembled, his teeth chattering and body shaking like a crackhead needing his next fix. His magic roared to life again and the flames flared brightly, destroying everything in its vicinity. "Step back! J-just go away! L-leave me alone!"

Thaddeus tsked, pursing his lips. "Now I can't do that, not with all that power you're throwing around. I'm worried about what could happen if you lose control."

Judging by the way his power kept flaring, Zamorra didn't think that was far away. Not at all. If he exploded with all that power, would the shield in front of her protect her?

Void stepped up to her side, watching with worried eyes. "We should get out of here, Zo. This is getting dangerous."

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