Sylas stands aside, half-bowing, and gestures to me to step forward first. Grabbing the items I took from class out of my jacket’s pockets, seeing how my last ones burned up when my shield failed, I perform the charm on the fan like before, and then set them all down accordingly before reciting my incantation.
The shield blooms as before, but something’s wrong. Up close, I notice the barrier isn’t stable. It’s trembling, as if it’s struggling to decide if it’s going to form or not. Tracing its edge with my fingertips, I feel a thin, restless pulse beneath my palm. Sylas steps to the opposite side and presses his palm against the shield.
“Either you’re not focused, or you’re holding back,” he says easily, pushing his hand through, causing the shield to collapse into a fog. “What’s got yo
