That left one last hope—magic.
Magic seared through my bones, my fingers burning as it burst out. I jammed my hand over my shoulder, driving my palm toward their face. A burst of magic flashed, and they cried out, but the burning, acrid scent filling my nostrils warned me that I had made a critical mistake.
My magic had ignited the fuses on the ground. Rather than merely one of them burning, every short fuse was now aflame.
My attacker shifted and dragged me with them, as if their eyes were drawn to our impending doom as well. Taking advantage of the distraction, I dug my feet into the ground and shoved backward as hard as I could. A combination of surprise and my weight suddenly flung back was enough to knock us both over.
I wheezed for air as the wire slipped free, my blood making it slick as I gave it one last yank and tossed it away. I crawledoff my attacker and looked back at the fuses, burning to the last sparks.
Too late.
I was out of time.
I flung my magic up and out, creating a shield. But not for myself. I was made of magic, in a way people should not be. If anyone had a chance of surviving a burst of magic as large as this one, it would be me.
I dropped to my knees, feeling the sharp edges of rubble and debris dig into my hands as I reached for the magic pulsing within me. My shield expanded outward, a shimmering barrier of energy that would hopefully protect the villagers from the impending danger.
My heart raced as I prepared to sacrifice myself if necessary, cursing the fool who had orchestrated this chaotic scene. The air thickened with dust and smoke, but I pushed on, determined to do whatever it took to save innocent lives.
A deafening explosion made me cry out, the flames of the wicks rising as magical fire roared outward in a riot of shimmering colors. Bright crimson filled my vision, and I half closed my eyes as I thrust my hands toward the enchantment.
The stone in my gauntlet cracked, veins webbing across the surface as the magic overloaded it. Pain seared through my palms as the light filled my body, and my scream burned in my throat. It felt like my bones were burning, the magic incinerating me from the inside out as I fought to contain it.
The brilliant light faded to blackness as my body finally gave way under the onslaught. I pitched forward, my arms too weak to catch myself, and I knew no more.
Chapter
Three
As consciousness slowly returned to me, the fire of my magic burned through every inch of my body. It crackled and surged within me, threatening to burst free from its confines.
My skin felt stretched and strained, as if it were being pulled taut over my bones. The rough material beneath me prickled like a hundred tiny knives, adding to the discomfort.
I fought the urge to move, knowing that any sudden motion could unleash the chaotic energy within. With shallow breaths, I tried to calm the riotous sensation and allow it to settle before attempting to rise again.
Finally, the magic calmed, and I took a few more deep, experimental breaths before I cracked my eyes open.
Ehuna looked over her shoulder at me from the front of her wagon, and I instinctively tried to sit up but fell back with a groan of pain. It had been a very long time since I had overloaded myself on magic so badly, although this time it hadn't been my fault.
I thought back for just a moment before my thoughts shied away from the memory. That had been when I had first metEhuna, and things had gone just as poorly for me then as they had this time.
I was lucky not to have died from overloading my own magic before, and this? Being caught in an explosion of magic the likes of which I had never seen before? I was lucky I hadn't leveled the city.
Ehuna pushed me back down with her hand to my forehead.
"Quit that," she said firmly, and my body relaxed at her command.
I had been listening to her for so long that my body knew what to do even when my mind scrambled for any explanation as to what had happened. Still, the ache in my body was unlike anything I'd felt before, even when I'd used too much of my own magic, and the barely contained riot beneath my skin certainly wasn't helping my focus any.
"What happened? Where am I?"
She looked down at me for a moment, no doubt considering how to answer, and her horse snorted, ears flicking.
I chanced moving my head to the side, trying to ignore the stab of pain it elicited.
No, wait a moment. A sharp, searing pain pulsed through my entire body from the recent use of magic. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, but there was a distinct throbbing in my forehead that drew my attention.
I brought my hands out from beneath a blanket and lifted them hesitantly to explore the source of my discomfort.
