"You will have to get in line," Seraphine said calmly, not even bothering to look at the lightning gathering in Aliana's hand.
Aliana screamed. The sound was raw, feral. It wasn't the scream of a noblewoman; it was the scream of a monster who had finally been denied.
"Die!"
She thrust her hand forward.
CRACK-BOOM.
A bolt of purple lightning, thick as a man's arm, erupted from her palm. It tore through the air, scorching the carpet, aimed directly at Seraphine's face. It was a kill shot. A strike meant to vaporize flesh and bone instantly.
Seraphine didn't move. She didn't flinch. She just took another sip of her tea.
The lightning hit.
Or rather, it tried to.
Two inches from Seraphine's nose, the bolt slammed into an invisible wall.
FIZZ.
