The Apprentice's Apprentice

Part 35

The lightning splashed along the solid wall of a shield that had just appeared in front of Zoe. It licked up and down the bubble of protection as Zoe just stared at it, her hair rising as the electricity charged the air but was otherwise unharmed. Warren had told her that doing magic was just willing your power into a form. Cora believed him now.

As the rogue broke off her attack on Zoe to face her again, something in Cora snapped. It was something inside of her that she'd never really noticed and she couldn't really identify at the moment. All she knew was once it broke she became flooded with heat as her emotions exploded within her.

She crossed the distance between her and the other mage in heartbeats, the last minute attack the rogue sent at her slipping right off her. Cora watched as the stranger's eyes widened when she reached her. Before the other woman could react, Cora sank one fist into her stomach with all the force of her anger behind it.

The rogue dropped, doubled over and retching. Cora knew further physical attacks would do nothing, the feeling of the air around the woman familiar enough to let her know she'd managed a shield even as she still gasped on the ground. She'd been told she'd eventually be able to create the kind of shield that would stop a physical attack but hadn't been taught yet.

Cora had a few seconds maybe before the woman would recover. She turned to the still staring Zoe. She swallowed hard, but Cora couldn't waste any time on explaining this. She needed help, fast. "Call Warren," she shouted, her attention back on the stranger on the ground. "Tell him the rogue's here and he and Selena need to get over here right now!"

"W-what? Cora, what's-"

"Just call him Zo!" she cried. The rogue's breathing was beginning to even out, which meant she was almost out of time. Cora had to keep her here, trap her. Her mind raced as she tried to think of what to do. Her shields were only good for keeping stuff out, not in. Something the rogue had said twigged in her mind. Sticks and stones. If Cora was rubber and she was glue then...

Cora didn't have time to second guess herself. She took a step back and let her power flow out until it circled the rogue. She changed its feeling, leaving the outside her usual magic fence while the inside she made as reflective as possible while still being strong and physical so the woman couldn't run. Like a mirror in her mind. She could only hope that it would work, and any attack the rogue made would bounce off and hit her, not break the shield.

She bit her lip and took another step back. Slowly, the woman got to her feet, green eyes blazing as they looked at Cora, one arm still held around her stomach. Her free hand was a fist that was already gathering energy. "I'm going to kill you," the rogue growled.

"He-He says he's on his way," Zoe called, her eyes looking enormous in her pale, pinched face. "Cora, what on earth is happening?"

The rogue attacked her shield which drew Cora's focus. The blue-white ball of light hit the inside of the shield and bounced back into the stranger's chest. She was flung back against the other side of the shield, the force of it throwing her to the ground. While she hoped that the rogue wasn't dead, Cora was satisfied. Both that her shield was so far holding and that the bitch was going to be hurting after that. No one tried to hurt her best friend and got away with it. No one.

"What was that?" Zoe cried.

Cora risked a glance at her, a surge of guilt over the fear written clearly across her friend's features making her wince. "I'm so sorry," she said. "This shouldn't have happened. You shouldn't have seen any of this."

"But what is it?"

Cora sighed. "It's magic."