Chapter 269
Magus closed his hand. "Explode."
The inferno folded in on itself and detonated. The air split. The ground shuddered. For a long heartbeat everything was white light.
When the glare thinned, a figure knelt at the storm's center. Ronan, face bowed, chest heaving. He sucked in air like a drowning man. Breath by ragged breath he pushed himself up. His eyes locked on Magus. The purple in them flared hard. His grip on the sword tightened until his fingers ached.
"That won't finish me," he spat. He took a step forward, ready to charge.
Magus shook his head, calm as a grave. "You're wrong. Surviving that was only phase one. Get ready for phase two."
He raised his hands. The stray sparks from the blast began to gather. They pulled together, twined, and formed into tiny orbs
.... fist-sized balls of concentrated flame. Dozens. Hundreds. Thousands. The air filled with red heat.
