I root my feet, hold in a breath. “And fire.” My magic flies straight for his face. His eyes widen in anticipation and he shifts aside at the last second. My magic darts past, grazing his face, leaving his cheek red-streaked.

Close, so close. We could win this. I raise my shaky hands, suck in a breath for fear if I breathe too deeply, the pressure will shatter me in a million pieces. Patrol fires back and a cloud of crackling energy streams at me overhead. I retreat back into the cover of the trees. Their magic slams into the blackened wood, lighting up the edge of the forest like a firework display.

I zip through the branches, over a stump, and book it to the farther end of the forest so I can attack them on their flank. I find the perfect spot and aim at the sides of their faces. Glass rains around us, my sliver of an advantage buckling like a dam as magic barrels from my fingertips toward the Chancellor. Hope swells in me like a balloon. I clench my fists as streaks of light zip past the trees, through the air, and slams into them like dominoes.

A few falter, their heads turning my way, now aware of my new position. The Chancellor fumes, reforming his men up. I aim for him again and heat tugs through me like live wire. I bite my lip until I taste copper, watching my magic fly through the air straight toward him. Yes, yes, that’s it. I bite into my knuckle.

“Raise,” he shouts, and Patrol raises their arms. “And fi—”

His expression widens with fear when he spots my magic barreling toward him. He jerks the man beside him in front of him as a shield. My magic slams into the man squarely in the face. The Chancellor tosses him out of the way, his jaw mean. He points in my direction, shouting at his men. The small advantage I’d had is disappearing like fresh rain on dry soil.

“Ahhh!” Desperation rips through me as I urge my magic to burn through me, firing in succession as fast as I can. I manage to hit a few Patrol who fall over and don’t move.

“Charge!” The Chancellor orders his men and their ranks break, running toward me. The cloud of dust thickens under their stampede. I blink but the haze of dust stings my eyes. The glass has stopped raining, but panic has a hold of me.