I looked behind me. Cody’s SUV was caught in that streambed we’d shot over.

“I’m guessing you want to take lead on this?” Adam said.

“Please.”

“Just watch out,” he said. “His truck could come free at any second.”

I twisted in my seat and cast my internal fireball, igniting it under the Lexus’s hood. A bang. The tires stopped spinning. Smoke curled from the grill.

Adam chuckled. “Or maybe not.”

I got out. At first, Cody had his head down as he tried to get the engine running again. I was a few feet away when he saw me.

He threw open his door. I slowed, knockback spell at the ready. He slammed the door and I saw that his hands were empty. I relaxed the spell, but stayed on alert.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” he called as he advanced on me.

“Unconscious, thanks to that little stunt of yours.”

Cody peered past me. When he didn’t see Adam, he gave a humor-less smile. “He needs to be a little faster getting his seat belt on.”

“Go to hell. If he’s hurt—”

“Then that’s his own damn fault for having a murdering bitch of a girlfriend. I hope he is hurt.” He advanced on me as I stood my ground. “In fact, I hope he’s dead. That won’t bring Tiffany back, but it’ll make me feel better. So will this.”

He swung so fast I didn’t see it coming until the last second. I tried to twist but his fist connected with my shoulder. I fell back, gasping in shock more than pain. Rage filled me and I lashed out with an energy bolt. As the last words left my mouth, I thought, Oh, shit!

I looked down at my fingertips, expecting to see the bolt flying from them. But they were just outstretched toward Cody, nothing happening. Launching that spell against a human had been reckless—I must have subconsciously sabotaged it.

“You want me to stop?” Cody said, looking at my outstretched fingers.

Adam had slipped through the trees, out of Cody’s sight. Now he rounded the rear of the SUV, his eyes blazing. I waved him back before Cody saw him. Cody swung again. I dodged and lifted my fingers in a knockback, but he charged and kicked my leg out from under me. As I went down, he kneed me in the stomach. Adam rushed forward.

“No,” I said, wheezing and shaking my head.

Adam hesitated. I met his gaze and he pulled back behind the SUV, hovering there, waiting.

“No?” Cody said. “You don’t like—”

Finally I was able to smack him with a knockback. He stumbled against the SUV.

“Getting clumsy?” I said.

He lunged forward. I hit him again, this one hard enough to knock him to the ground.