“Caldera!” I shouted, but Caldera was already reacting. Her punch caught the icecat in midair, sent it flying into the wall. But she’d had to step back to do it, and the second icecat came around the corner . . . and as soon as it saw Leo it locked onto him, too.

They’re not after us. They’re after him—

The icecat lunged, and this time Caldera couldn’t block it. Constructs are strong, but they’re predictable. I plotted its course and managed to get my leg up in time; my heel met its head and the force of the construct’s leap crushed its head into my shoe. Pain shot up my leg and I thumped back against the wall, but the impact twisted the construct’s body around; it would have broken any normal animal’s neck, and it was actually enough to stagger it for a second.

Caldera grabbed it before it could recover. As it struggled she lifted it in both hands, then broke it over her knee. It twisted and went still.

I felt a flare of space magic from the back garden.

A gate formed just outside the gate wards of the house, and something came through, massive and heavy. I felt the floor shift, trembling, first once and then again. I switched perspective, viewing the future in which I moved right to peer around the corner—

A giant hulking shape was right outside the picture window, nearly eight feet tall, ambient light gleaming off a polished body. It was shaped like an insect but moved with the precision of well-oiled machinery. Light caught on its eyes and on the blades and weapons in its arms, and as a triple-jointed leg came down through the broken window, the floor shook, first in the future and a second later in the present. The window frame shattered as it came through without slowing, its head taking out a chunk of plaster where the frame met the wall.

Mantis golem.

Oh, fuck.

Caldera was already facing the thing, and I felt her eyes go wide as it came around the corner. It swivelled towards her, the two of them facing each other in the darkened living room. Caldera is big, muscle and earth magic giving her the strength of stone, but compared to the construct towering over her she looked like a child. Mage and golem looked at each other, less than five feet apart.

Caldera hesitated, just briefly.

“Run!” I shouted.

The kind of magic you can use isn’t something separate from you; it’s a part of who you are. It affects your thoughts, your desires . . . your instincts. Air mages, when they’re hurt or in danger, their first reaction is to break away, create space. Ice mages try to control the threat, lock it down. Fire mages attack. Earth mages . . . they defend and stand their ground.

Caldera stood her ground.

The golem struck, swords flashing out. Caldera ducked under the first swing and was about to punch when the golem’s second hand came up, holding some kind of cylindrical device; Caldera twisted aside as a beam of golden light shot down, burning a glowing line along the floor, then had to dodge again as a sword blow nearly took her head off.