Page 59 of Contested Crown

The tall one moved first, throwing out both hands. Dark gray magic flowed from his fingers, the color of storm clouds. It wound together, creating a net, and I knew how those worked. It was massive, spreading across the entire practice circle.

But it moved slowly, and it gave me a chance. I touched my arm, dragging Cade’s line of knives off my skin. Both mages gaped, and the second one hesitated. I didn’t give them a chance to recover, using the knives like a whip, slashing them through the enormous net closing in around me.

The tall mage screamed, grabbing at his arm, drawing the magic back to himself. I saw half of it turned to smoke, pigment drifting to the ground like ash. I moved forward, swiping out with the line of blades. Both mages stepped backward, but the shorter one recovered first, tapping his chest once, murmuring as he pulled something loose, then pressed his palms together.

A ball formed, swirling, pulling air and dust, bits of dead grass into it. He threw the ball onto the ground, and it was like releasing a black hole into the center of the playing field. Everything began being dragged forward. Everything except the mage. He reached out with his arm, pressing his hand to his companion.

I stumbled, the ground around me tilting toward the spinning ball. I dug my heels in, then slammed the line of knives into the ground, wrapping one end around my arm.

The blades pierced my skin, digging deep, but it was only a stopgap. There was no way I was getting around the black hole of magic in order to fight the mages. Which left me at their mercy. I was on my back foot, waiting for them to attack.

The tall one threw his gray magic again, a lance heading straight toward me. I dodged, and it buried deep in the ground. The magic disintegrated, sliding back toward the tall mage. But it got caught up in the black hole.

The tall mage screamed again, pale and sweating. Two spells destroyed, one right after the other. That would be losing one hand, then the other, the pain unbearable.

The shorter mage turned, but Elizabeth shouted from the sidelines. “Again!”

This time, the taller mage drew three weapons from his chest, launching them, one after the other. I dodged the first two, but I was at the end of the line of knives anchoring me when the third one pierced through my leg, pinning me to the ground.

I swallowed my scream, biting down on my lips so hard I tasted blood. Infuriated, I reached with my free hand, grabbing hold of the tall mage’s magic and pulling it out of my leg.

I stared at the lance for a half second. It was gray, the same storm cloud color as the rest of his magic, but the core was pink, veins of it laced through the gray.

“Miles!” Cade’s voice was a sharp reprimand. To everyone else, it sounded like an order, but I heard the terror underlying his command.

I launched the lance back across the circle. It wobbled midair, and I thought it wasn’t going to make it. Then, the black hole of magic sucked it up.

For a second, the black hole screamed, a long stick stabbed through machinery. I had a half second to brace myself.

“The other spell!” Cade shouted.

Without hesitating, I touched my other shoulder, bringing the spell to life, throwing it up in front of me.

The black hole of magic wobbled, tilting unsteadily. Then it shattered, exploding like a land mine, leaving a massive crater in the ground.

My ears rang, and I heard Cade’s voice distantly, as though through water. He crouched down in front of me, grabbing my face between his hands, looking as though he was the one who had just survived the explosion.

Angrily, he swiped at the magic shield, bringing it back to himself, his eyes widening. He grabbed at my arm, prying loose the blades that had kept me from sliding into the black hole of magic. He wasn’t gentle, and I hissed, my arm bleeding freely.

Then he was up, shouting.

He’s scared, something hissed, a familiar whisper in my ear.

I blinked, suddenly seeing two of Cade. “Basil?”

It hadn’t even been a whisper, just a half breath of sound. Silence answered me.

ChapterTwenty

Igot to my feet unsteadily, the two Cades slowly becoming one. His voice came back to me, no longer underwater.

“Thatwas your training?” Cade’s voice lowered from a shout, more dangerous now that he was gaining back his control. “That was an attempt atmurder.Anyassault on my consort is an assault on me, Lady Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth looked at him coolly, her gaze barely flicking to me. “I was told that consorts could take the same attacks as their masters.”

“What my consort can and cannot take in battle is not up for discussion.” Cade pulled his lips back. “In a real battle, he would never be fighting without me. In friendly training, I expect the common courtesy to not do permanent damage to him.”

“Permanent damage to awerewolf?” Elizabeth sounded doubtful. “He’s barely bleeding.”