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Before Geoffrey could reach the west hall, a metal wall appeared in his path. He leapt away from Hector’s sword, bounding over the reception desk and rushing for the east hall, but another sudden barrier cut him off. Even the chamber’s windows clapped shut with iron.

“I see you are determined to end this now.” Geoffrey swerved out of Hector’s reach. “Then I might as well oblige.” Metal blocked his vision again, but Geoffrey was prepared. The shadow tore it off while two other streaks shot toward Hector from separate directions.

Hector rolled to the side and took one streak with his shield. The other swirled back around, and he slashed horizontally but missed. The shade caught him under the arm. He had a thin coat of metal there, but the impact still knocked him off his feet, and he felt a rib snap. The shadow coiled around his torso, making him groan as it tightened, and he could see several more red snakes gunning for him.

He again resorted to full defense. Spikes jutted out all across his body, reaching even farther than before and shredding every shadow that got too close. He could hear Geoffrey snickering as they shrunk back to him.

“Good! Don’t make it too easy for me!” The shadow spread out around him, gathering into a swirling cluster like some sort of hydra. He sent them all at once.

Hector made a wall in front of himself. The shadows slammed into it, leaving dents and pushing the whole mass of iron backward. Scowling against the wall, Hector slapped his hand on the largest dent. A pillar shot out from the other side and tore a path straight through the red.

Geoffrey avoided it easily enough and then circled around to Hector’s side.