Magical senses

“He’s one of mine!” I shouted, slamming my own staff down, and fire sizzled out where it struck the ground, a flashing circle of flame that left a black ring scorched on the concrete.
The old man glowered at me and thrust out his jaw. “Boy, tell me you ain’t dumb enough to try this.”
The Winter mantle immediately bayed for blood, for defiance, for violence.
I started drawing in power.
The old man sensed it and did the same.
The universe yawed slightly in his direction as he did, a subtle bending of light, a minor wobble of gravity, a shudder in the very ground as Ebenezar drank power from the earth itself. That’s how much more juice the old man was taking in than me.
In my head, all I could hear was Maggie screaming. She had a lot of nightmares, of when the Red Court had come for her foster family. And he wanted to put the interests of the Council ahead of that? Of her?
“Oh, I’m more than dumb enough,” I said through clenched teeth.


Peace Talks Chapter 11, Page 88