gardener.
Shelton roared a word, and a jagged beam of light speared from his wand even as he held his staff and its glowing shield to the side. His shot missed the missile. I scrambled for purchase, clawing my way back to my feet. But it was too late. An invisible force yanked my feet out from under me, reversing my course as though someone had lassoed my feet and pulled me with a horse. An instant later, the ground where I'd been exploded in a shower of hot mud and grass.
I screamed as the hot blast lifted me off the ground. The force hurled me away from the explosion, tumbling end over end. When I hit the ground, it felt like my spleen ricocheted off my liver and plowed into my stomach.
"Resistance is futile," the robot said. "Please submit to your doom."
"Screw you," Shelton said as a sphere of boiling light the size of his head gathered at the tip of his staff. He swung his staff like a golf club, catapulting the ball of energy toward the metal monstrosity. The robot swiveled, dodging with uncanny grace, though not quite fast enough, and the projectile boiled through the robot's left arm, melting the metal to useless slag.
The robot staggered to the side, reoriented, and fired a missile at Shelton.
By now, I'd regained my feet, watching in horror as my friend looked death in the eye. He brought his shield up, but I knew the explosion would probably fling him like a rag doll and break every bone in his body. I grabbed the tree toppled by the robot's death beams and wrenched it the rest of the way out of the ground. With a grunt of effort, I flung it like a spear. But my aim was off—way off—and it missed the missile by a mile. I saw Shelton running toward a large stone statue. I knew he'd never make it in time.
In an instant, the thought of my fight with Amanda, one of Maximus's evil minions flashed into my head. Something instinctual in me had reacted when Amanda had tossed a pack of explosives at Adam Nosti's feet, allowing me to protect him from the brunt of the killing force. Somewhere, lurking inside me, I knew I had the power. I had only seconds to figure it out.
Letting go of my surroundings, I withdrew into myself. My incubus senses took over my vision, and the glow of magical energy suffused the scene like an impressionist painting. Shelton's aura glowed like a beacon, white flames encircling him. The robot, I noticed, also had a glow around it. My friend's eyes looked to me as he stopped running, planted his staff in the ground, and reinforced his shield. I knew it was a look of hopelessness. Focusing on the air in front of his shield, I imagined it as solid as a wall. Nothing happened.
I clenched my fist and shouted, "Barrier!"
Something blurry appeared in the air, several feet in front of Shelton's own shield. I'd done it! I was about to shout with jubilation when the missile went right through it. It slammed against Shelton's shield.
"No!" I shouted in unison with Shelton.
I waited for the BOOM.
The missile plunked to the ground, fizzling like a dud bottle rocket. Shelton stared at it with confusion for a moment before using the chance to run his butt off toward the large statue of a man surrounded by shrubbery, diving behind it like a frightened squirrel.
"How odd," the robot said. It fired another missile at Shelton's position, swiveled, and fired one at me.
I'd had enough. Fury growled in my chest like a ravenous bear awakening after hibernation. Icy cold tendrils swarmed up my leg, and my knee buckled. I fell to the ground. Throwing up my hand in a last-ditch effort I tried to raise the barrier I'd managed a minute ago. But nothing happened this time.
Pain pierced my skull like ice picks, and I felt the demon shift coming over me. My skin pressed tight against my clothing, and a snarl of rage roared from my throat.
"No!" I shouted, my voice sounding monstrous. "Stop it!" I fought the rage, somehow darting from the missile path on all fours as it whizzed past at terminal velocity. If I
Shelton roared a word, and a jagged beam of light speared from his wand even as he held his staff and its glowing shield to the side. His shot missed the missile. I scrambled for purchase, clawing my way back to my feet. But it was too late. An invisible force yanked my feet out from under me, reversing my course as though someone had lassoed my feet and pulled me with a horse. An instant later, the ground where I'd been exploded in a shower of hot mud and grass.
I screamed as the hot blast lifted me off the ground. The force hurled me away from the explosion, tumbling end over end. When I hit the ground, it felt like my spleen ricocheted off my liver and plowed into my stomach.
"Resistance is futile," the robot said. "Please submit to your doom."
"Screw you," Shelton said as a sphere of boiling light the size of his head gathered at the tip of his staff. He swung his staff like a golf club, catapulting the ball of energy toward the metal monstrosity. The robot swiveled, dodging with uncanny grace, though not quite fast enough, and the projectile boiled through the robot's left arm, melting the metal to useless slag.
The robot staggered to the side, reoriented, and fired a missile at Shelton.
By now, I'd regained my feet, watching in horror as my friend looked death in the eye. He brought his shield up, but I knew the explosion would probably fling him like a rag doll and break every bone in his body. I grabbed the tree toppled by the robot's death beams and wrenched it the rest of the way out of the ground. With a grunt of effort, I flung it like a spear. But my aim was off—way off—and it missed the missile by a mile. I saw Shelton running toward a large stone statue. I knew he'd never make it in time.
In an instant, the thought of my fight with Amanda, one of Maximus's evil minions flashed into my head. Something instinctual in me had reacted when Amanda had tossed a pack of explosives at Adam Nosti's feet, allowing me to protect him from the brunt of the killing force. Somewhere, lurking inside me, I knew I had the power. I had only seconds to figure it out.
Letting go of my surroundings, I withdrew into myself. My incubus senses took over my vision, and the glow of magical energy suffused the scene like an impressionist painting. Shelton's aura glowed like a beacon, white flames encircling him. The robot, I noticed, also had a glow around it. My friend's eyes looked to me as he stopped running, planted his staff in the ground, and reinforced his shield. I knew it was a look of hopelessness. Focusing on the air in front of his shield, I imagined it as solid as a wall. Nothing happened.
I clenched my fist and shouted, "Barrier!"
Something blurry appeared in the air, several feet in front of Shelton's own shield. I'd done it! I was about to shout with jubilation when the missile went right through it. It slammed against Shelton's shield.
"No!" I shouted in unison with Shelton.
I waited for the BOOM.
The missile plunked to the ground, fizzling like a dud bottle rocket. Shelton stared at it with confusion for a moment before using the chance to run his butt off toward the large statue of a man surrounded by shrubbery, diving behind it like a frightened squirrel.
"How odd," the robot said. It fired another missile at Shelton's position, swiveled, and fired one at me.
I'd had enough. Fury growled in my chest like a ravenous bear awakening after hibernation. Icy cold tendrils swarmed up my leg, and my knee buckled. I fell to the ground. Throwing up my hand in a last-ditch effort I tried to raise the barrier I'd managed a minute ago. But nothing happened this time.
Pain pierced my skull like ice picks, and I felt the demon shift coming over me. My skin pressed tight against my clothing, and a snarl of rage roared from my throat.
"No!" I shouted, my voice sounding monstrous. "Stop it!" I fought the rage, somehow darting from the missile path on all fours as it whizzed past at terminal velocity. If I
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