Milton swipes at the sparkles with no success. “Stop! It’s so cold, it’s burning my skin.” Instructor Thorne coated their hands with ice. Unperturbed by Milton’s reaction, Thorne tilts his head. His lazy smile brims with malice, revealing sharp teeth behind a thin veneer. “What, isn’t burning each other the point of this exercise?” “No, we’re still doing warm-ups! Not mock battles!” “Then why were you lobbing fireballs at Fledgling Axton when I walked up?” Neither Milton nor Elijah fall for Thorne’s silky-toned ruse. They both take a nervous step back.
