Chapter 144: Collision in the Dark
Regulus didn't stop moving. His wand flicked toward the corroded hem of his sleeve, a flash of light, and the decay halted. But the drain on his reserves was real.
He fired a silent Expelliarmus. The red light slipped through the thinning edge of the mist, concealed, aimed at Orion's chest.
Orion sidestepped and brought his wand down in the same motion.
Blue light streaked toward him. Regulus triggered the Side-Shift Spell and blinked aside. The curse struck the wooden training dummy behind him, which crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
His feet hit stone and his wand snapped upward. "Reducto!"
The curse tore toward Orion's upper body. Orion arched backward, letting it scream overhead and slam into the ceiling. Runes blazed white where it struck.
He exploited the fractional pause after Regulus's cast, wand jabbing forward. "Petrificus Totalus!"
The Body-Bind came fast. Regulus managed half a Side-Shift, and the spell grazed his left shoulder.
His arm locked rigid. He forced raw magic through the frozen muscles, breaking the petrification from the inside, but the effort cost him half a beat.