Tavin was captivated by the sensation of the purest heat imaginable flowing from his arms, channeled through him, but there was something more: a contrasting chill, centered deep in his core, its calm stillness somehow only making the raging fire more incredible.

Something caught his eye—unnatural movement near his feet. One of the near-molten cobblestones less than two strides away shook violently and exploded upward, a black miasma pouring out from behind it like a river, aimed for ...