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I squelched a bubble of panic. The second had screwed up, not failed. My fault for jumping aside when I should have been concentrating.
I raced into a dark corner, cast a cover spell, and felt the mental click of a successful cast. As for whether I was hidden, that remained to be seen. Hence the really dark corner.
Tiffany's cautious steps sounded on the stairs. I forced myself to relax and focus. Stick to simple spells for now. Defensive magic.
At the bottom of the steps, Tiffany created a light ball, sending it into every corner, including the one I was in. The cover spell worked fine.
When she turned her back on me, I hit her with a knockback that slammed her into the wall. That was more like it.
As I advanced on her, she flipped over and started her binding spell again. I smacked her down with another knockback.
"Your choice of spells leaves a lot to be desired," I said. "In a pinch, skip the binding and go for the knockback. Efficient, effective, fast launching ... But I'm going to guess you don't know sorcerer magic."
She sat up and her hands shot down. An energy bolt sizzled past me as I stepped aside. It hit the wall with a faint pop, leaving a charred circle the size of a dime.
"Huh, I stand corrected. But that's really more of a party trick. What you need is one of these." I slammed a high-voltage energy bolt into the wall inches from her head. It left a hole the size of my fist.
Still sitting, she started to cast a binding spell. I smacked her with a smaller energy bolt, making her jump.
"You really are a one-trick pony, aren't you?" I said. "Well, two, I guess, if you include that pathetic energy bolt." I leaned down and whispered. "It's really kind of embarrassing."
She lunged. I grabbed her by the front of her shirt and threw her into an ancient printing press.
/> "Not expecting that?" I said. "Lesson two. Learn some self-defense tricks as well as spellcasting."
Tiffany rose and touched the back of her shoulder. Her fingers came away bloody.
"You bitch," she whispered.
She launched an energy bolt. I darted to the side, but not fast enough. It caught me in the elbow, jolting me enough to make me bite my tongue. Rage rushed through me. My hands flew up. The energy bolt hit her in the shoulder and scorched through her blouse. She screamed, and I smelled burning flesh.
When her hands rose again, I hit her with a spell Paige and Lucas hadn't taught me, one they didn't know. It pinned her to the wall, her guts on fire, her face contorting in agony.
As I held her there, blood roared in my ears. Seeing her writhing, hearing her mewling ... I amped it up, just a notch, watching her face, seeing and feeling her terror and--
"Enough, Savannah." Paige's voice, deep in my head. "You have her. You won. That's enough."
The rush evaporated and when I looked at Tiffany again, I saw her terror and panic. I released the spell.
"Now you know what I can do," I said as I stepped toward her. "If you cast any more spells you'll get another taste of that one. Got it?"
"Bitch," she said.
"You keep calling me that. I have a name, you know, though it seems you don't know exactly who I am, so let's try a proper introduction. I'm Savannah--"
"I know who you are." Her lips twisted as she got to her feet. "Daughter of Eve Levine and Kristof Nast. Foster daughter of Paige Winterbourne and Lucas Cortez. The golden girl of the supernatural world. Under the protection of two Cabals and the interracial council."
"Actually, one Cabal. Thomas Nast refuses to recognize me. That'll change when my brother takes over, but in the meantime, I've got the werewolf Pack. For protection, I'll take them over the Nasts any day."
"I suppose you think that makes you special."
"Uh, yeah...."
"Well, it doesn't. It makes you privileged. You get your spell power from your parents and your political power from your connections. Take that away, and you're just a smart-ass little girl who thinks she's all grown up. Thinks she can sail into town, intimidate me, stalk me--"
"Stalk you ? You're the one who keeps coming after me."
"Bullshit. Did you think I wouldn't notice I was being followed? Wouldn't cast perimeter spells and know you're lurking around my house?"
