Vihaela turned towards the right-hand corridor. “Well, fun as this has been, I’ve got places to be.”

“You aren’t going anywhere,” Slate said.

Vihaela paused, then turned her head to look back at Slate and raised an eyebrow. “Do you really want to do this?”

“You don’t want to pick a fight with Keepers, Vihaela,” Caldera said.

“Times are changing, Keeper.” Vihaela smiled. “The people you work for are going to be changing too. Might want to think about staying on their good side.”

I stared at Vihaela. “Now,” Vihaela said. “I’m going to walk away. If you’re smart, you’ll tell your captain that I was gone when you got here. If not . . .” She shrugged. “Your call.” She started towards the corridor.

Caldera stepped in her way. Vihaela kept walking, unhurried. She was ten feet away from Caldera, then five. Caldera hesitated and for a second I could tell she was thinking about backing off. I knew I should be doing something, but I found myself staring, fascinated. There was something hypnotic about Vihaela’s movements . . .

The moment broke and the futures settled. Caldera reached out to seize Vihaela as the Dark mage came into range.

“Don’t!” I shouted.

I was almost too late, but Caldera heard my warning and twisted aside at the very last second, just as Vihaela moved. Green-black light flashed, Caldera went staggering back, and Slate struck instantly, death energy lashing out.

The blast hit Vihaela and . . . something happened, then Vihaela was advancing. Slate hit her again, crackling black lightning flashing from his hands into Vihaela’s body, but the dark green light of Vihaela’s spells met Slate’s attacks and it was Slate who was driven back. Even watching it clearly, I couldn’t make out what Vihaela was doing. She was so fast, her movements flowing and precise. I’ve met a lot of battle-mages, but in all my life I’d only seen a handful who moved like that. The closest thing that Vihaela’s fighting style reminded me of was a Dark mage named Onyx, but Onyx had relied purely on speed and power. Vihaela was different; every move she made was like a step in a dance, so natural that it seemed effortless. I’d been about to join the fight, but as I looked at the futures, I realised that I was utterly outclassed. All I could do was watch.

Caldera recovered and charged Vihaela from behind. Without turning Vihaela sidestepped the rush, directed a spell into Caldera that sent the heavier woman staggering, and struck again at Slate in the same motion. Caldera sent a ranged spell of some kind: it soaked into Vihaela and slid off, and Vihaela’s next strike snapped Slate’s head back. I understood now why Vihaela had looked so relaxed. She was fighting Caldera and Slate at the same time, and she didn’t even look as though she was going all-out.

Green and black light was thrown back from the walls, mixing with the brown of Caldera’s earth magic. The floor shook with heavy blows, and deflected spells punched holes through the plaster; the air was thick with ozone and the scent of blood. Caldera stumbled over one of the bodies and Vihaela hit her in the instant she was off balance. Caldera shook it off with a snarl. Her protective spells had kept her standing through Vihaela’s attacks, but she was moving more slowly and I could tell she was being worn down. She moved right to flank Vihaela, her back to the other corridor.