Rafael's hand shot out with the last of his strength, fingers clawing at Leo's wrist. His magnetic field spat and screamed around him like torn wire. "Don't—don't hurt him," he choked, voice breaking into ragged sobs. "Please… stop this."
For a heartbeat the battlefield holds its breath. Leo feels the desperate, trembling weight of Rafael's plea and freezes, then a slow, cruel grin spreads across his face. He gives one short, disgusted laugh.
"You pathetic thing," Leo hisses, and with a sudden, savage motion he shoves Julian's limp body away. Julian carts across the scorched surface, skidding in a spray of ash and blood. Leo's palm unfurls and he thrusts both hands forward, a tight sphere of terrible blue energy snaps into being and slams into Julian's chest. The impact detonates in a shock of light, Julian is thrown high, spinning, and slams down hard, the ground bucking where he lands. He coughs, blood at the corner of his mouth, breath ragged but still alive.
