Amy whispered back. “I don't know. Why is everyone staring at us?"

Daniel folded his arms across his chest. A dangerous position to be in should the brothers do something. He felt he expressed bravado but hoped he expressed confidence.

He decided to try talking to them. “Had enough?"

The brothers scowled at him. The slightly taller one, Reggie, decided to speak for them. “Idiot. We're waiting for your shield to expire."

"Expire?" asked Daniel before he could stop himself.

"Yes, expire. What are you...?" He turned to his brother. “How does he not know about shields expiring?"

Ronnie kept his eyes on Daniel. "I don't know. Ask him."

Reggie turned back to Daniel. “Well? How come you don't know?"

"Um, this shield won't expire."

He heard the collected gasp from the audience.

Reggie snorted. "Idiot. All shields expire. You can only provide them with so much magic. You should already be feeling drained."

“I feel perfectly normal. Girls? How do you feel?"

“Perfectly normal, love," responded the girls together, except Amber.

The audience moved a little closer, muttering to one another. Reggie and Ronald noticed and scowled even deeper, if that was possible.

Reggie was getting bright red in the face. "Bullshit! There is no way you can maintain that!"

Fifteen minutes later, Daniel was getting bored. Jasmine said she had to pee. The crowd had grown.

“Listen, we can do this all day. I'm bored, and we were just heading out to check out a bit of the city. Do some shopping. Can we do this another time?"

Reggie screamed in rage and ran right at Daniel. Daniel stepped forward, cocked his fist, and punched him once in the face as soon as he crossed the shield threshold, making his nose burst like a ripe melon. Reggie collapsed straight down onto his knees, raised his hands to his face, skidded across the grass, and cried out in pain.

Daniel crouched down slightly to the right and lifted his upper torso and swung his right fist straight up and decked Reggie under the chin. He was unconscious before he even fell backward, to lie awkwardly over his own lower legs. He didn't look comfortable. Blood poured freely from his shattered nose.

There was a long silence and then the audience broke out into loud cheers.

Daniel monitored Ronnie. Ronnie looked a little off kilter. A little overwhelmed by the events. Daniel figured they had thought this was going to be easy.

"Ronnie, right?" Daniel didn't wait for a reply. "Listen. We really do have to go. So, we're going to walk over that way and into the Academy. As soon as my shield is clear of your brother, you can help him, okay?"

Amy leaned forward and whispered in Daniel's ear.

"Oh, wait. Amy is gonna help your brother. One second."