You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen a mage-ling angry. Maybe this is what the ancient gods were like- all boiling cauldrons of power ready to create- or destroy, in an instant.

I’d seen an angry mage-ling plenty of times because I traveled with one. See, Galford and me, we’re a team. I’m the brains and he’s the talent. This time, even I was taken back.

His face had gone from red to purple and his eyes were frozen wide. Energy flowed out of him in visible waves of yellow, orange and red. The air felt hotter; charged. I knew strong emotions affected magic but I had never seen this. When he had leveled the last inn he had only been mildly irritated. I shuddered to think about the kind of destruction fury could provoke. It could be the end of the goddamned world.

“Galford-” I began.

“SHUT UP!” he roared. He surveyed the room again, taking in the drawers that had been left half-open, their contents a mess on the bed. He raised his eyes to mine. I tried not to flinch.

“WHERE IS SHE?”

I gulped.