The Level 5 spell was slicker than my Level 2 version had been. Instead of thick hexagons of glass-like material, the upgraded Force Barrier was more like a thick, clear liquid. It flowed and rippled around the entire vehicle as I ran the car at full speed down the road toward the barrier.

I might have been wrong, but it felt like the explosion of magic from Astrid’s kiss had boosted the engine’s power too. It no longer protested; instead it purred and then roared as we hit 70, then 80, then 90mph.

As we came into view, the men at the blockade opened fire. Spheres of lightning and balls of flame poured down the slight slope toward us from their spell rifles.

A sudden blast of thunderous noise came from the mounted machine gun on the armored vehicle as it poured a barrage of heavy caliber gunfire down on us.

The arcane blasts and the heavy machine gun rounds smashed into the Force Barrier that surrounded my car, but none were able to penetrate the Level 5 barrier. Since the barrier was connected to my personal chi, I felt it deep in my chest as the Force Barrier took the strain and held.

It felt amazing.

I let out a whoop, forgetting all my doubts. Fuck these guys!

I floored the gas pedal. As we hit 120mph, I aimed the car straight for the center of the blockade, right into the teeth of the hail of bullets and magic.

”Whatever you do, don’t slow down,” Belinda said into my ear, leaning forward from the passenger’s seat behind me.

I glanced momentarily into the rearview mirror. Belinda’s body was transforming, melting into a writhing cloud of living shadows. There was a scent like expensive cigar smoke, and Belinda was gone.

The cloud that had been the tentacled Outworlder woman slid through the open window and took up a position right beside the car. Together, we raced at full speed toward the enemies who blocked the road ahead.

“Now!” yelled Astrid.

A second before my car was about to crash into the barricade, Astrid kicked open her door, grabbed me by the shirt, and hauled me out. One moment we were flying through the air, the next Astrid’s lycan speed and agility kicked in. Still holding me, she hit the ground running and brought us to a standstill unhurt, just in time to see my Nissan Pulsar slam into the blockade like a sledgehammer into ripe cheese.

Cinder blocks were pulverized as the Level 5 Force Barrier smashed into them. Limbs of dismembered PentaTech goons flew through the air, and their armored vehicles seemed to crumble like ashes.

My Nissan was flung into the air by the force of the impact. It soared over the destroyed roadblock before it crashed down into the midst of the mess. There was a massive explosion, and a ball of orange flame engulfed the entire blockade.