SpellShocked (SpellShocked Saga: Book 1)

Chapter 32 - Charlie VS Adalrik

Every part of my body was tense and trembling. Adalrik has walked across the field but I had frozen in place just a few steps out of the door. I was staring into the crowd, and all of them were staring back at me. This was my worst nightmare.

A single desperate thought pervaded my mind, telling me to look for my friends and family. I scanned the faces frantically until my eyes rested on a familiar set of people, all of them yelling and clapping and grinning down at me. Zac was even standing up and had unzipped his sweater to reveal a T-shirt that read 'Team Charlie' in bright pink font.

I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of that shirt and that seemed to snap me out of my stupor. Sure, I was still scared as hell, but at least my feet were moving again.

I somehow managed to meet Adalrik in the middle of the arena and raised a shaking hand to grip his when prompted by the arbitrator. I looked into his cold, blue eyes; I could read no emotion from him aside from anger, his frown deep set. His grip was firm and brief.

The arbitrator then activated our warding spells – which made me shiver as a cold, liquid-textured substance coated my skin – and he gestured for us to take up our starting positions. I dizzily walked to my side and started to focus on channelling my magic. This had become like second nature to me over the last few months but, and while it was difficult to concentrate, I was relieved to feel my magic respond to my call.

I had just a second to take one final glance up towards my friends and parents – their smiles a little tighter now – before the raised and dropped his hand once again and the match began.

The first thing Adalrik did was shimmer like a mirage and somehow split himself into two identical copies of himself. I momentarily panicked, thinking he had cloned himself, until I remembered his Focus was illusion magic. The only problem was that I couldn't tell which was the real one, and they we're both advancing on me already.

A couple of small fire balls flickered into life in my hands as I tried to watch both Adalrik's at the same time. Adalrik paused for a second and then the two versions of himself split up until one was standing in front of me, and one behind me. My head darted back and forth between them as they continued towards me. My only option was to take a gamble and throw the fireball at one of them.

I chose the one behind me, spun around, took aim and watched as the fireball soar straight through the illusion, which wavered and warped before fully reforming. I spun back around, intending to throw my other fireball at the real Adalrik, only to see that he was right next to me. I didn't have time to react before I felt the impact of his fist over my stomach and I went soared through the air. I hit the ground with a thud and skidded across the gravel.

It didn't actually hurt when Adalrik hit me, or when I hit the ground, but I could feel the shield around my skin crackling, tiny fissure appearing across the shimmering surface. There must have been something else behind that punch to have sent me flying across the arena like that. My best guess was that he had imbued his punch with force magic.

I got to my feet, and to my horror realised that the two Adalrik's had become four, all of which were smirking. They began to separate, and I knew I couldn't let them surround me like that again. Another couple of hits like the last and I'd be done for.

I needed to figure out quickly who the real Adalrik was, but I had no idea how I was supposed to do that. I tried to spot any differences between the four of them, but they were completely identical; Adalrik really was a talented illusionist.

I could try to throw fireballs at them all before they could split but I didn't think I could hit all four of them before the real one got another punch in. It's only when I took a step back that and idea struck me. I heard the crunching under my feet and looked down. The arena floor was covered with a loose grey gravel.