“You can do it, Skeeve,” Tanda said.
I wasn’t so sure. Each place had power lines, invisible things that all magicians got their energy from. Some places, like the area of the cabin in Vortex #6 were jam-packed with power. Back at the cabin I could have flown fifty people, but here there wasn’t much magik power. In fact, it seemed almost empty.
I stretched out my mind, holding onto the power that I could feel, and then concentrating on bringing it in and using it to lift all three of us. A moment later we all were off the ground and into the hot air.
“Not too high,” Aahz warned. “Keep us just three or four paces off the ground.”
I was glad to do that, because it was easier. And much safer to boot. I lowered all three of us back to a position just above the top of the boulders and held us there for a few moments to make sure I could do it, then I lowered us back to where we had started.
When I let us go I could feel the energy drain away. I was sweating and short of breath and needed a drink of water, but at least I had done it.
“Nice job,” Tanda said, handing me a canister of water. “How long do you think you could keep that up?” Aahz asked, watching me with a look that I knew meant he could see through any extra bragging I might try.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I said after I took a long drink of the wonderfully cold liquid. “With rests, and touching each of you as I do it, maybe fifteen minutes at a time. The lines of power are weak in this area. They may be stronger in other areas and then I could last longer.”