“My turn.”
Damien shaped a golden gauntlet around his right fist, then covered his arm and shoulder in more golden armor.
He pumped a third of his power into the construct.
Little sparks and jagged mini-lightning bolts sparked off the armor.
Excess power caused the floor and walls to vibrate and dust to fall from the ceiling. It seemed like the whole fortress was shaking.
He drew his fist back.
Dirk and Donk ran back the way they’d come as fast as their soul-force-enhanced legs could carry them. The assembled students and Jen all stared at him with wide eyes. Damien reabsorbed the power and the vibrations stopped.
He glanced up at his sister. “Ready?”
Chapter 18
Damien and Jen walked out the doors together and turned toward the stables. He couldn’t stop grinning about the way Dirk and Donk had run off. That made his visit home even sweeter.
“What would have happened if you’d hit one of those idiots with that thing you made?”
Damien had been pretty confident the cousins would run at the sight of his construct, so he hadn’t given it much thought. “It probably would have blasted them into a fine red mist. Don’t worry, if they hadn’t run I would have pulled the power back enough to only break a few bones.”
“You scared me half to death when you let them hit you. I guess you don’t need me to protect you anymore.”
Damien reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’ll always need you to protect me. That’s what big sisters are for.”
She squeezed back. “Thanks.”
Damien winced when the familiar stink of the stables reached them. The Citadel kept fifty horses on site for the masters and students to use in their training and on missions. The stable itself was a long narrow building with an exit on either end. Four men stood beside five horses near the door. They had the horses saddled and ready to go. When they spotted Jen they snapped to attention. Good discipline, Dad would approve.
“Guys, this is my brother, Damien. Damien, this is my squad.” She named them one after another. The tall one with the maul on his shoulder was Edward Mark. He had come to fetch Jen the night before.
Next came Talon Wrath. He wore a pair of swords belted at his waist and had a fit, but not bulky build. Talon regarded Damien with cool, appraising eyes.
Standing beside Talon was a grizzled, scarred veteran who looked older than Dad, named Rhys. He carried a mace in a loop on his belt and wore a shield on his back.
Last was a whip-thin kid Damien’s age with a staff, named Alec Wright. The way he looked at Jen told Damien everything he needed to know about Mr. Wright. He’d fallen head over heels for his lovely sister.
“Why’d you bring the kid?” Talon asked.
“Damien just finished his training at Sorcery. He’s going to help us find the goblins.”
“More likely he’ll slow us down,” Edward said.
Damien hadn’t expected a warm welcome, but he figured at least they’d give him a chance. “If you guys think you can find the goblins on your own that’s fine, but so far all you’ve done is make my sister look bad.”
Edward’s hand tightened on his maul and soul force coursed through his body. Damien sighed. None of them had enough power to concern him. He could lay them all out without breaking a sweat, but that wouldn’t help Jen deal with the goblins.
“Kid’s got a point,” Rhys said. “I don’t fancy spending another day thrashing through the woods with my thumb up my ass. If he can find them I’m glad to have him along.”
Jen grabbed Edward’s leather shirt and yanked his head down so his eyes were level with hers. “Damien’s coming. We’re not having a debate or a vote, clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Damien forced himself not to smile. She had a way of getting her point across.
“I’ll saddle another horse,” Alec said.
“No need.” Damien concentrated and a golden horse appeared beside him. He spent another moment turning it black to match his sister’s then leapt up into the saddle. “Ready when you are.”
The others mounted up and Jen led the way through The Citadel’s main gate. She guided them north along a well-worn dirt road. The horses went at an easy canter and Damien matched their pace. His construct’s hooves never touched the ground, instead he glided along just above the road. It made for a smooth ride, certainly better than bouncing along on a living horse.
He eased up beside his sister. “Where are we going?”
“The thicket where we lost the trail.”
“It’ll be better if we go to the site of the attack so I can track them from the beginning. If they are using sorcery they might have led you down a false trail.”
She looked over at him. “Can you do that?”
He nodded. “Easily. Make some fake goblins the way I did my horse, send them off through the nastiest patch of forest around, and laugh while you guys got shredded by thorns.”
“You think that’s what happened?”
“Maybe. Best not to take chances.”
They reached the still-smoldering farmhouse an hour later. Blackened timbers stuck out of the basement and three shrouded bodies lay on the ground a few feet away awaiting burial. It was a mess. Damien studied the ground. Small tracks covered the soft dirt. A strange black energy swirled around the bodies; not much, more like the remnants of a casting.
Damien had never seen the soul force of a goblin and had no idea if that’s what the energy was. He circled the ruins and soon found wisps of the same power leading toward the distant woods. He guided his mount in that direction, following the wisps. When he reached the edge of the trees, thicker blobs of dark energy went left while fainter flecks went straight ahead.
He turned to his sister. “Which way did you guys go?”
She pointed left and Damien nodded. “They laid a false trail for you. The real path goes straight ahead, deeper into
