Brandt grimaced. Kye’s clothing smoked, but he was otherwise unharmed. “Clever,” the governor observed.
Brandt kept pulling. He couldn’t have sustained a wall of fire like that for more than a heartbeat on his own. But he used Kye’s strength. Perhaps he could find the bottom of this endless well and freeze Kye in place. But lacking that, he would steal every scrap of power he could.
Brandt focused the wall of energy, creating two balls of flame. He sent one overhead while another flew straight at Kye.
Kye responded by moving the slabs, walls of stone as tall as he was. He lifted one overhead while the other blocked the ball of flame coming at him.
Fire was one of the strongest elements, but it wasn’t enough to destroy such a massive amount of stone. Given enough time and focus, Brandt could melt those slabs, but he didn’t think he would have that much time.
His guess was confirmed when Kye threw the slab of stone that had been hovering above him. Brandt’s only option was to dive, rolling to the side.
The slab crashed into the spot where Brandt had stood, a thunderous crack that shook the surrounding area. Brandt hit the ground hard, another wave of agony emanating from his chest.
Brandt held onto his focus, barely. But it required all his attention.
He slammed the second ball of fire down, but the first stone slab snapped overhead, faster than Brandt could believe. The fireball broke apart, and Brandt desperately seized at one of the flaming chunks, funneling all the stolen energy he could into it, building yet another fireball.
He couldn’t comprehend Kye’s strength. Even as he pulled, Kye had enough power to hold enormous stones in the air using only his will. It was so far beyond anything that should be possible he didn’t even try to find an explanation. He just kept pulling, building another fireball, growing it in the sky as fast as he could.
He would reach a limit soon. Fire could be sustained with energy, but the bigger it became, the more energy it required. Brandt was still the weak link. The heat had to pass through him, and there was only so much his body could handle.
But he wouldn’t allow Kye to win this fight.
He was so distracted by the creation of his fireball that it took him a few heartbeats to realize a stone blade was held at his neck.
Kye’s voice was soft. “Stop this, now.”
“I’m going to kill you.”
“No, you won’t. All you’ll do is set the forest on fire and endanger the town. You can’t control a blast that size. You’re already near your limit.”
Brandt screamed. The amount of heat coursing through his body was all he could think about. It was so much.
But some part of him knew Kye was right. He had been doomed from the start.
He stared at the fire, a huge inferno raging high above the tree tops. If it came down, Kye’s prediction would certainly come true. He might avenge his friends, but they wouldn’t welcome him if it came at the cost of the town.
He hated himself, but he let go.
The raging fire, suddenly deprived of the energy it used as fuel, vanished in the blink of an eye, casting them into darkness. Brandt slumped over, defeated in more ways than one.
He was surprised when Kye lit Brandt’s torch without a fire starter. That was a fire affinity, and a fairly advanced one at that.
Kye sat down beside the defeated warrior, placing the torch between them. The governor studied Brandt, as though deciding something. Brandt couldn’t imagine what. The stone knife remained pressed against his neck, his death one sudden movement away.
Something had changed in the governor’s demeanor. He’d been ready to kill Brandt a moment ago, but now, something stayed his hand.
“Which one of Bayt’s apprentices helped you?”
Brandt couldn’t hide the surprise on his face.
Kye sighed. “It’s the only explanation. The man was better at gathering information than anyone I’ve ever met. I’ve hired his services on occasion myself. It makes sense he would have trained some or all of the apprentices. It’s the only way you could have figured out as much as you did so quickly.”
Brandt opened his mouth to answer, then shut it. He frowned. For a moment, he had wanted to answer. Why would he? “Leave them out of this. They made a mistake they don’t deserve punishment for.”
An unreadable expression passed over Kye’s face. “My secrets can’t be allowed to escape. Not yet. Who is it? I’ll find out soon enough.”
More than anything, Brandt wanted to tell Kye everything. He wanted to explain how Alena was innocent enough, and how she wouldn’t tell anyone if she was just given the chance. Kye seemed terribly understanding, and there wasn’t any doubt he would accept Brandt’s word on the matter.
He grimaced, shaking his head. That didn’t make sense, either. If he gave Kye Alena’s name she would be dead before the sun rose. What was he thinking? “I won’t tell you.”
Kye’s eyes narrowed at that. “You have an impressive will.”
Kye pulled a stone from his pocket.
The diamond.
It was so close, but Brandt had no desire for it.
“These are remarkable, you know. Do you even know what it is?”
Brandt shook his head.
“A pity. They’re going to change the world someday. They’ll burn the empire, but the nation that rises from the ashes will be so much stronger, so much better prepared for the future.”
Brandt was suddenly tired, a bone-deep exhaustion far beyond the rigors of the battle he’d just endured. Kye sat next to him, but Brandt couldn’t even summon the energy to draw his sword and send them both to the gates. He didn’t want to.
Kye put the stone back. “It’s taught me, too. More is possible than we even dream.”
Kye stood up and brushed off his clothes. “The guard will be here soon, no doubt drawn by your impressive display.” He gave Brandt a curious look. “I’ve heard you once
