Chapter 4

          Daine ran to catch up with Numair. Their romantic date had taken an unexpected turn after Numair saw Alexander dining with Estelle in the restaurant above the garden. Now, here she was, with her mind blank as Numair gathered a storm, presumably to use on Alexander.

          It was going all so well, she thought sadly. She looked up to see Numair barely visible underneath heavy fog and dark, cloudly skies.

          "Fool," he hissed at Alexander. "You've had your chance, and now, and now, you will pay!"

          Thunder clashed, and Estelle looked up in time to see white hot lightning hover above Alexander. It was steadily shining brighter, getting larger, sparkling louder with the millions of volts of electricity inside. Alexander looked up in shock and horror. He raised his hands to gather the reserves of his Gift, but found he couldn't.

          Daine was reminded of a small animal before its death at the hands of a predator. She called to the animals of the woods, Stay away. They didn't need her to tell them that to know Numair was dangerous.

          Estelle concentrated and hurled a ball of baby blue magic towards the lightning above. It shattered and rained upon them, the glistening drops soaking into their skin and their clothes.

          "Stop it!" she said to Numair, trying to steady her voice. "Are you out of your mind?"

          "It's for your own good, so you won't be tricked by that weasel again, little lass," he replied superiorly.

          Estelle had enough. It was time to show those boneheads who she was. She tossed off her riding cloak of baby blue to reveal the black robe of the 8 most accomplished mages in the world.

          "Do not underestimate me, Numair Salmalin," she whispered coldly, every world full of poison. She stalked towards him. She reached her hand  toward him stiffly. He rose in the air and dropped to the ground like a stone. She stepped next to him. The air around her was glowing light blue. She reached out again, and suddenly he was only 5 feet tall.

          Is that safe?  wondered Daine nervously.

          Don't worry, thought Estelle, her thoughts even full of venom. I've done it before, with people even less intelligent than him, if that's possible.

          Numair tried to get up, but Estelle seemed to tie him down with invisible ropes. "Do I make myself clear?" she asked slowly, each word enunciated in a merciless tone.

          "Yes," he managed to say. Estelle waved her hand, and Numair was flipped to his feet. Amazingly, his hair and clothes were undamaged, and he was back to his original height. He bowed to her. "My deepest apologies, Master Mage," he murmured.

          "That's more like it," she said sharply. She turned on her heel and went to Alexander. Numair chose a good moment to take Daine and run.

          Alexander was lying on the ground, his eyes closed. She saw a tiny bit of a scorch mark on his clothes. It seemed that a little bit of Numair's deadly lightning had reached him, but even that was enough to knock someone unconcious.

          "Alexander?" she whispered softly. He stirred, and tried to speak. She opened up his shirt, checking his chest for lightning wounds. Sure enough, she found one, near his neck. Not good, she thought. The neck was one of the most magically sensitive parts of the body. She conjured up some blue fire, her most delicate kind: the healing fire. She gathered it slowly and placed it next to Alexander's wound. It hissed slightly, then closed up. Alexander opened his eyes. He looked up into Estelle's large blue eyes and was immediately more relaxed. He touched her cheek numbly.

          "Thank you..." he whispered. Then his hand fell to the ground.  She bent over him and kissed his cheek.