Gale Ashwood's massive frame had gone rigid.
His hands, which normally underwent their obsessive clenching and unclenching pattern, had frozen completely. His fingers were extended in a gesture of shock, his entire body locked in the moment of recognition.
He had felt the dark magic. His senses, despite being warrior-focused rather than mage-focused, had registered something fundamental about that explosion.
The predominant dark element demonstrated a comprehensive, highly sophisticated operational capacity that only masters could achieve after centuries of refinement.
"Dark magic," he said flatly, his voice carrying the hollow tone of someone watching their entire worldview undergo catastrophic revision. "He used dark magic..."
The implications cascaded across his consciousness.
According to every official report they had received, Jack Kaiser possessed only two elements: lightning and fire.
