CHAPTER TWENTY
The groaning escalated to an earsplitting whine. There was an almighty tearing explosion as metal burst asunder and threw lethal shards in all directions. One of the main doors twisted and buckled as its hinges tore from the wall. Hot water and steam cascaded onto the floor and broke against their shield in a hissing wave. Scalding globs of copper and water showered down from above. Monks screamed and fell, burnt by water and pierced by shrapnel. Jade watched in sickened horror as men fell and died around them.
Hot copper speared into her shield. Some bounced off but the spell was weakening so some shards simply slowed and hung suspended in air. Her concentration faltered as her strength slipped away. The shield thinned.
A second explosion rent the air, this time
