"Here's the traitor!" the bald-headed man shouted as he lunged forward.
Dust and debris kicked up beneath his boots as the ground seemed to quiver with the sheer force of his steps. His eyes locked onto Seraphine, and a cruel grin twisted across his scarred face.
Two of Edward's Shadow Warriors reacted instantly.
They intercepted the attacker before he could reach her, forming a moving wall of shadow against the man's deadly advance.
But the attacker was fast, unnaturally so, and the earth itself seemed to obey him. Cracks split the floor beneath the Shadow Warriors' feet, uneven stone forcing them to stumble, and jagged protrusions erupted to block their movements. Each swing of the bald man's blade was augmented by precise manipulations of earth magic, creating openings for attacks and forcing the shadow soldiers to stumble into his strikes.
