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"Your injury wasn't planned," he replied evenly.

"However, the outcome is favorable. You confronted the fear. You healed despite the panic. Repetition will improve response time." A faint pause.

"You also gained a level." Oh. Oh, did he think I was going to thank him? Time's hands slid from my shoulders. When I looked at him, his face was blank in a way I had never seen before. Not calm. Not irritated. Empty.

"You used me as bait to force this into motion…" Dominicus frowned faintly.

"Yes. I believe that has already been establi-." He didn't finish. Time moved. One second he was still, the next he was a blur. The staff whistled through the air and cracked against Dominicus's skull with a resounding thud. The batfolk staggered backward, boots tearing through dirt to catch his balance. Silence fell. A thin line of blood traced down from his forehead, dark against pale skin. For a moment, none of us moved. Through the lingering shock, one absurd thought floated up.

Looks like the staff draws blood just fine. Dominicus recovered quickly. He shook off the daze, blood streaking down his temple, and snarled as his hand drifted toward the hilt of his sword.

"Have you lost your wits?" Time didn't so much as flinch. The staff remained steady in his grip, stance grounded, gaze glacial.

"I was about to ask you the same." His voice had gone razor-thin.

"He is barely steady after your first 'lesson,' and you intend to continue?" His lip curled.

"No. I was mistaken to believe you capable of handling this. Your approach will worsen the problem, not solve it. We are returning to camp. Dura and I will manage this." He leaned in slightly, eyes colder than I'd ever seen them.

"And enjoy your thumbs while you have them. Once Karma hears of this, she will personally see you turned into a cockroach. I will savor the spectacle." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Dominicus rolled his eyes like this was all tedious theatrics.

"Her chosen lacks all basic knowledge of the world we live in, is low leveled, refuses to pick up a blade, and flinches at the sight of blood." His gaze slid to me, assessing and dismissive.

"It is remarkable she chose him at all. What self-respecting spirit would? Fate has always found Karma lacking, but now I begin to see why-." Time coiled. I felt it, felt the gathering of something vast and furious beneath his skin. He never got the chance to unleash it, because that last line hit something in me first. It was one thing to tear into me. He wasn't wrong. I was under-leveled and clueless half the time.

I'd nearly folded at the sight of my own blood and I had more issues than a clearance rack at a comic shop. Point it out, fine. Whatever. But Karma? No. She was off-limits. I reached inward before I could second-guess it, clawing at the mana still humming weakly in my veins. It answered, thin but willing. The staff ripped from Time's hands before he could react. I stepped past him and swung.

"Karma's Bite!" Mana surged down my arms and burst outward. Midair, translucent jaws formed, vast and mist-laced, teeth curving in a crescent of divine mockery. They snapped shut just as the staff connected. The impact hit like a battering ram. Dominicus was thrown backward, boots skidding through dirt as he crashed to the ground. Mana pulsed around him in fading ripples as he pushed himself up, one hand cradling his head.

"What did you-?" He froze, one hand on his head and eyes wide. Two long antennae had sprouted from his scalp, twitching faintly in the night air. No other transformation followed. The spectral jaws dissolved, leaving behind a distinct mark on his cheek, a crescent indentation where the spell had 'bit.' Silence thickened. A full minute stretched between us. When no one moved to break it and Dominicus continued to stare at me, dumbstruck, I spat.

"You can hate me all you want," I said, voice low and steady despite the way my hands trembled.

"But don't ever insult Karma in front of me again. Or the antenna will be the least of your worries." Turning sharply on my heel, I stormed back toward camp, hooking an arm through Time's on the way and dragging him with me. He didn't resist, matching stride quickly and putting some much needed distance between us and Dominicus. Thankfully, he didn't follow. Camp came into view at last, firelight flickering between the trees.

My legs felt like they were filled with sand, rage draining out and leaving only bone-deep exhaustion. After a few quiet steps, Time spoke.

"It is… refreshing," he admitted, "to have someone else defend Karma against slander." There was a faint note of satisfaction in his voice.

"Though I must confess," he added, "I find your method more entertaining than my own." I grunted.

"Something tells me I'm going to use that spell a lot." And I didn't regret a second of it. Though if I planned on turning people into partially decorative insects with any regularity, I was going to need a much bigger mana pool.