The man in white's breathing turned ragged as his hand reached down again for the snow-white stone by his feet.
Right as he was about to force more power out of it, a bolt of white lightning detonated on his shoulder.
Crack—!
The arc slammed straight into the shoulder that was already injured. From the stump where his arm had been severed came a rapid chain of ear-splitting pops.
His body jerked. His face drained of color, and even the earth-vein energy under his feet stuttered out of rhythm for a beat.
Pure instinct took over. He snatched up another snow-white stone and whipped it toward his shoulder, trying to smash Ethan out of wherever he was hiding.
But he'd already been hit hard. The strength he could call up now was nowhere near what it had been a moment ago.
The instant the stone left his fingers, Ethan appeared at his side.
