Kalinda, a politician. Who would have thunk it?
Silva’s laughter cut off abruptly and she twisted around to face the door into the office.
“What is it?”
“Lennox.”
“What? They only left a week ago. They shouldn’t be back so soon.”
The powerful Level 9 mage walked into her office without a knock, though he bowed at her. “Good afternoon, Ales.”
Kalinda frowned at him. “I have a door for a reason.”
“Yeah, for knocking. Or fucking against.”
Kalinda barely refrained from sputtering at Silva’s addition. Not that she was wrong, but … “Did you find something?”
Lennox’s white hair glowed in the sun streaming in from outside, appearing almost to flicker. It was a testament to his greatest affinity to fire. Long, slender fingers danced with sparks of flame as he stepped closer.
“In a manner of speaking.”
Silva jumped to her feet. “Shields up.”
But the call came a bit too late, and a force slammed into Kalinda, tossing her away from her desk and shooting pieces of paper into the air. In slow motion, the pieces fluttered in the wind, and Silva expanded her wings. Lennox’s smile was deadly, and his gaze was focused on Kalinda.
“It’s time for things to change, Ales. You’ll excuse me if I’m a bit rough. I’m a little rusty.”
What the hell is he talking about?
There was no time. Lennox threw his hands in the air, palms facing outward, and whispered an incantation. Silva used her wings to push into the air, spinning in a circle to slam into him, but he didn’t budge. Silva was blasted away, careening into the wall with a sickening thud.
“Silva!”
“Ah, ah, ah. I think all eyes should be on me.”
The fear in Silva’s gaze as she looked at Kalinda made Kalinda’s blood run cold. Silva was pale, her violet eyes sparking with power but dancing with abject terror. No one should have been able to do that to her.
Silva forced herself to her feet again and lashed, her body a blur. Lennox dodged, slipping like water and striking out with claws. Sprinkles of blood splattered to the floor. Swinging wide, Silva used her leg to sweep at Lennox’s feet, but he leapt, twisting mid-air. Landing on her leg as if he weighed nothing, he punched her.
They went back and forth, trading blows at rapid speed until Lennox pressed one palm out in front of him. “Wynathraeda.”
Kalinda didn’t understand the word Lennox spoke, but it was decidedly not English, and not in a tone of voice she’d ever heard him use. And it sent Silva spinning back to the ground.
Silva coughed, struggling to get to her knees. “Welhuroth ren uthu?”
Lennox looked over at her, the wind picking up out of nowhere and spinning around him. Kalinda and Silva were pinned by the force. Kalinda groaned under the weight, her ribs pressed hard against the marble floor. She reached inside for her Ales gift, pulling from those spirits she carried deep in her heart.
But they were silent.
Nothing.
Just darkness.
Come to me!
No response.
“Here’s a better question, Quinuneestanay. Who are we?”
