"Strike down its source," his father said crisply, and pointed one arm through the broken window. "Like this."

A ring on his pointing hand pulsed into sudden life, and the wizard who'd created the blue fire began howling and staggering in agony, his head blazing like a torch. Aldimar's sons looked at their father in fresh amazement. What else had their have-nothing-to-do-with-such-nonsense-as-magic father happened to acquire in secret through the passing years?

"Father," Thamalon asked quietly, "isn't this your last chance to let us know secrets like these battle magics?"

Aldimar gave him a long look. "I expect to die before morning, but gods take me if I'll plan on it."

"We can't have more than a handful of guardsmen left," Thamalon said urgently. "The three of us may stand alone!"

His father shrugged. "What of it? While we stand, we'll fight-until there's but one of you left to flee. House Talendar has so many mages up its sleeves that I don't want one of you trying to get away a-clanking with magic… you'd be spell-traced and hunted down."

He turned back to the window again-just as it erupted inward in a storm of daggerlike glass shards and reaching tongues of purple and white flame.

Aldimar flung himself over onto his back and let the blast tumble him across the room, shouting, "Get down!"

Perivel hesitated for only a moment before following Thamalon in a dive to the floor. He was bare inches from landing when something dazzling surged over the balcony like a huge wave crashing over a beach and racing across the land beyond. The room exploded in light.

The floor rose to meet Perivel's chin, rattling his teeth as he fell, and air so hot that it blistered his cheek howled over him.

When he could see again, the air was full of a sharp scorched smell, and little fires were dancing in many places along the walls and ceiling. Somewhere in front of him his father made a horrible wet groaning sound.