We can mash together spells to some degree - In the gameplay trailer, you see a mage stomping the ground, creating a fireblast that shoots out in all directions. It's been confirmed that this is done with fire in one hand and shockwave in the other.
I was under the impression todd said this was just one of the ways you could use the fire spell, not a combo.(i could be completely wrong though) I remember in an interview he said you would have your fire spell or w/e andddd you could use it in a specific way i think his examples were
a) shoot a fireball at range
b)area of effect blast radius
c)i remember him saying you could also place a circle of fire or something on the ground and when someone walked over it it acted as a trap and burst into flames.
edit: Ajwol below explained it better hah