On the other side of the wall, Magdala asked her roommate, “Now are you really glad we didn’t change clothes?”

  “You did not know this would happen.” Francesca flung her tytumber beads away. “You just wanted to hurry.”

  “Well, yes.”

  “You two should have stayed buried.” Delma’s hands were curled into fists. “It would have gone kinder for you.”

  “You ambushed us,” said Magdala.

  Which the four of them had handled very well, although Detonate had had far too much punch; it should not have be able to crack castle walls.

  “I suppose pointing out who our mothers are won’t work here?” asked Francesca in a low voice.

  “We could try.”

  Magdala spat blood, Delma’s kick had made her teeth cut the inside of her cheek, then slid on her bracer and its collection of potion vials. “Hey, how about surrendering? We promise we’ll convince the Water Sage and the Maestra of the Lucchesi to go easy on you.”

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  Delma hesitated. Then her face lit up with fervor. “I will welcome their rage.”

  That had been a long shot anyway. “Fly!”

  As Francesca lifted off, Magdala charged Delma, whose response was a bellowed “‘otlo!”

  Tracing Delma’s eyeline, Magdala leapt and intercepted the wind dancer’s spell with her bracer before it cut into her roommate. Weathering the resulting impact sent Magdala rolling, but her training had her back on her feet and charging in no time.

  Unfortunately for her, Talbot decided to get involved. “Qesheffuf!”

  “No! Qetesmilo!”

  Francesca’s magic shoved Magdala out of the way of Talbot’s, dropping her in front of him and Delma. While Magdala quickly dispatched Talbot with a sleep vial, Delma escaped into the sky with a “‘kerolia!”

  Unfortunately for the wind dancer, Magdala had trained for this exact scenario. “Qechimisubersem!”

  An invisible column of air slammed down onto Delma, knocking her out of the sky. Somehow, the wind dancer landed on her feet and, rising, slashed the air with her hand. “‘otlo!”

  Magdala took the spell on her bracer and advanced.

  “Mags, look out!”

  Out of the forest, a cenobite and his heavy spear came charging out of the undergrowth. Cursing, Magdala stepped back to pull him and Delma into her field of view. Should she keep fighting Delma or should she try to take down this new threat?

  She was still pondering this when someone behind her shouted “Hey!” and the world went magenta.