Cole vs gate

A colossal iron gate appeared to be the only entrance. It was shut tight. With small windows and little decoration, the solid building looked more like a fortress than a temple.

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  “That gate is reinforced with a host of enchantments,” Callista said. “We won’t enter by force. Use your power, Cole. Let’s see that raw shaping in action.”

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  Cole focused on the gate until he felt connected to it. The sheer bulk of it was intimidating. He could feel slippery tendrils of power coursing through it.

  “Send out all your prisoners, and we’ll pass you by,” Cole called.

  The voice laughed. “Move along. If you’re not careful, we might just open the gate, boy.”

  “Don’t bother,” Cole said.

  It was the final motivation he needed. That sneering voice represented people who had hunted him. People who had captured his friends. People who were willing to unleash evil forces that they had no power to control. People who had driven Winston to the Other.

  Cole forced his power into the gate and sensed the defensive weavings melting away. He crushed the iron monstrosity with everything he had. Metal shrieked and crumpled. Hinges burst from their moorings. The gate tore apart and crashed down amid a hail of shattered stone.

  Cole connected to the base of the wall at either side of the gateway and pulverized it. A landslide of stone blocks came roaring down. Gritty clouds of dust plumed outward. Voices cried out in alarm.

Chapters 33-34