The figure leaned in close. And whispered.
"Nothing personal, boy. You shouldn't have seen us." Her voice was almost apologetic.
Then suddenly, Alaric's grip tightened on her wrist.
His other hand found her forearm.
Blood filled his mouth, but swallowed it down.
"Same here," he rasped.
Heat erupted in his palms.
Fire crackled across his fingers, spreading up his forearms. The air around his hands shimmered with heat.
The woman's eyes widened. She tried to pull back.
But—
[Flame Burst!]
BOOM!
The explosion tore through the space between them. A sphere of fire expanding outward in all directions. The woman was thrown backward, her blade ripping free from Alaric's stomach as she flew. She hit a tree trunk hard enough to crack the bark.
The other three staggered, thrown off balance by the shockwave. Heat scorched their cloaks.
