A dark pallor of old smoke hung in the air, visible for miles away. The plume of black smoke no longer billowed from a burning fire but hung in the air as an artifact from one recently extinguished.
None of the four spoke as they skimmed over the rooftops of the houses in White Halls but they shared a sense of foreboding. Xander wanted to vomit. Despite telling himself that there was still hope, something deep in his mind knew the truth. His limbs felt heavy despite not exerting his own powers on the flight. Giovanni must have been exhausted from carrying the group over the thousands of miles but he still seemed determined as they rushed toward the smoke.
When they reached the road leading to Xander’s parent’s house, Giovanni glided down to the street. As soon as his feet touched the asphalt, Xander sprinted toward his house.
He could smell the stinging smoke long before he reached the house. The acrid smoke filled the street, burning his lungs as he ran. He didn’t know if the tears streaking down his cheeks were from smoke irritation or fear.
He knew the others were following as quickly as they could but Xander swiftly left them far behind. The asphalt at his feet became dark with water. Puddles pooled in the pockmarks in the road and flowed like a stream against the curbs on either side of the street. The fire trucks were long gone and their hoses retracted but Xander could still see the cover left off from the fire hydrant across the street from his parent’s home.
Xander’s foot caught on the asphalt and he sprawled onto the road. His hands and knees scraped across the ground and skinned away the flesh. He wanted to climb back to his feet but his body felt weak. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked at the house.
Bright yellow police tape cordoned off the house. The roof had collapsed from the heat. Charred support beams were all that remained—now exposed to the afternoon sun. The front porch he had sat on so many nights, talking with his parents or grandfather, was buried underneath rubble from the second floor. The house had been gutted by flames, leaving blackened, hollow eyes where windows once stood. Nothing survived the destruction.
Xander pushed himself to his feet before the others caught up to him and walked unsteadily toward the house. Reaching out, he grasped the police tape in both hands and tore it in half.
His tennis shoes sunk into the muddy ground that was still saturated from hundreds of gallons of water. Beneath the smell of charred wood and broiled paint, he could smell a faint underlying scent of sulfur. He had only smelled something that pungent once before, when Sammy had cornered him in the abandoned house.
Xander clutched his chest as a wave of anguish washed over him. The Fire Warriors had been here—this was their fault. The sulfur smell was their calling card, left there for the Wind Warriors to find.
“Hey, you can’t be here,” a police officer called out as he approached the house. “It’s not safe.”
Xander turned toward the officer and wiped away the tears with the back of his sleeve. Seeing the sorrow in his eyes, the police officer relaxed and dropped his hand from the pistol on his belt.
“Are you okay?” the officer asked as he stepped onto the sidewalk. “Did you know the family that lived here?”
“They’re my parents,” Xander replied, unwilling to use the past tense when talking about them despite his burgeoning fears. “Where are they? What happened?”
“Oh, son, I’m so sorry. I’m not sure I’m the right person to be talking to you about this.”
“Please,” he said, pleading. “Please tell me what happened.”
The officer sighed. “A fire started in the kitchen. Both your parents were asleep upstairs.”
Xander swallowed a threatening sob. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the other warriors approaching.
“What happened to them?” he said softly.
“There was a lot of smoke in the house. They… they never woke up. It was painless—they went in their sleep.”
His knees grew weak and his grandfather materialized by his side. Xander’s deep loss was reflected in his grandfather’s face but the elder man kept a stoic visage in front of the police officer.
“I’m here,” his grandfather whispered into his ear. “I’m here.”
“I’m really sorry to be the one to tell you,” the officer said as he removed his hat and ran a nervous hand over his scalp.
“Thank you, Officer,” Giovanni said, shaking the man’s hand. “We appreciate your help.”
The officer nodded at the men before walking back to his patrol car. The engine roared as the officer turned the key.
Xander felt a chill wash over him as the engine rumbled to life. It felt like electricity pouring through the muddy ground under his feet, coursing up through his legs before spreading through his core. Goose bumps rose on his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as though statically charged.
He had felt something similar once before, seconds before the Fire Warriors ambushed him and his grandfather on the park bench.
His grandfather clenched his arms around Xander tighter, holding him closer. “Not now. Not while the police officer is still here.”
Xander’s tears quickly dried while he glanced from side to side, scanning for the Fire Warrior. He could sense Bart’s palpable fear, having faced this warrior before. The fear Xander thought he’d felt was gone, replaced instead by an overwhelming need for revenge.
The police car pulled away from the curb and rolled down the road. Giovanni waved politely with a smile painted on his face. As it turned at the end of the otherwise empty road, the Italian dropped his hand. His grandfather released Xander, who staggered away from the older man before finding his balance.
The trees around them bent as the wind kicked up furiously. Xander’s hair blew first into his face before the wind shifted directions chaotically, knocking the loose strands of hair back over his forehead.
From the side of the house, a single figure emerged. General Abraxas’ shaven head glistened in the afternoon sun. His dark tattoos traced patterns down his cheeks before disappearing beneath his thick armor and fur-lined cloak.
“So these are the mighty Wind Warriors?” the General mocked. “I’m not impressed.”
“You did this,” Xander growled. “You killed my parents. I’ll kill you!”
The power washed over and through him, coalescing in his hand in an orb of maddeningly swirling air. The wind was raw and untamed. When it launched from his hand, it surged through the air with a primal force rather than the disciplined technique he’d been practicing. The orb rocketed across the front lawn, aimed directly at the warrior’s chest.
Abraxas’ arm ignited in flames as he laughed. With a wave of his hand, he batted the orb harmlessly aside.
“You can’t hope to defeat me. Wind feeds the flames, or have you forgotten so soon?”
Xander closed his eyes and tears squeezed from the corners of his eyes. He heard a concerned yell behind him but he ignored their warnings. This Fire Warrior killed his parents for no other reason than to draw him out of hiding. That sort of senseless brutality deserved the punishment Xander had in mind.
The wind built around him in a swirling vortex. He could hear his grandfather yelling at him from a great distance away but the roar of the growing tornado made his words inaudible.
Chunks of grass and mud were pulled from the ground by the swirling winds. He heard the fabric of his shirt tear as the howling winds pulled at his body from all angles. With a cry of anguish, Xander drove the tornado forward.
General Abraxas stood his ground with a wicked smile that revealed his pointed teeth. He crossed his arms in front of his face and both burst into flames.
The tornado struck him with a deafening crash. Shingles from the house’s ruined roof cascaded onto the yard. A support beam, weakened from the fire, cracked on the porch.
Exhausted, Xander dropped to his knees. The swirling grass and mud slowed until it seemed to freeze in the air. At once, the debris collapsed into the yard in large, d
irty piles.
In the center of the chaos, General Abraxas laughed again. He lowered his arms and Xander realized the man was completely unscathed. He wanted to cry again. The Fire Warrior was taking everything he had and brushing it aside. Xander’s hopes of vengeance for his family were growing further and further away.
He forced himself back to a standing position and let the wind build around him again.
“Xander, don’t,” his grandfather said from behind him. “He’s too strong.”
“Listen to the old man, boy! There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
“Then I’ll die trying!” Xander yelled. He concentrated again and the winds grew stronger around him. The energy pulled at his very essence, drawing its strength from his core. It felt like he was draining his life to fuel another assault.
“I wouldn’t do that, if I were you,” the General said. “Not if you want to keep your girlfriend alive.”
Xander froze. The winds still swirled around him but the power ebbed from him.
Abraxas reached around the corner of the house and his hand closed around someone concealed there. With a tug, he pulled Sammy to the front yard. Her hands were tied in front of her with a leather thong. The General had the other end tied to his belt, keeping her tethered to him. His hand was clamped firmly around the back of her neck and she whimpered as the General squeezed against her throat.
“It’s a trick,” Bart said. “She’s a Fire Warrior too. He wouldn’t harm her.”
Xander looked at the stern reservation on the General’s face and panned to the pained fear on Sammy’s. He knew instantly that this wasn’t a bluff. The General was more than willing to kill her as a way to the Wind Warriors.
“Don’t hurt her,” Xander said. The wind around him died away.
“Xander,” his grandfather said harshly. “Don’t be a fool. He’ll kill you.”
“Let her go,” Xander said, ignoring the protests. “Let her go and you can have me.”
“No,” Sammy said sternly. The fear faded away on her face. “Your grandfather’s right. He’ll kill you.”
“Shut up, girl,” Abraxas hissed.
“I screwed up with you,” she said. A small flame appeared in front of her bound hands, burning through the leather thong. “I know that. But I can’t stop thinking about you and I won’t let you throw your life away for me.”
“I told you to…” the General began before Sammy drove her elbow into his gut.
He doubled over in pain but kept his grip on her neck. As he righted himself, he jerked his arm backward. Sammy was pulled from her feet and launched through the air. She slammed painfully into a tree and slid down to the ground.
From where he stood, Xander couldn’t see her moving. His worry turned to a searing rage. His eyes turned white and the wind roared around him. The power came from somewhere beyond him, like he was tapping into the fundamental nature of the elemental power.
“Sammy!” he yelled.
“Enough of this!” Abraxas said.
He raised his hands and the ground around Xander erupted in a cyclone of flames. They built into a pillar, swirling madly around him. The heat was oppressive, stealing the very oxygen from the air. Xander’s clothes smoked as they threatened to ignite.
A bullish figure broke through the side of the burning pillar and knocked Xander free of the flames. He and Bart both coughed as they collapsed onto the ground, their skin blackened from the soot.
Bart rolled off him as Xander climbed to his feet. His grandfather and Giovanni had already engaged the General. Giovanni flew by the Fire Warrior, buffeting him with gusts of wind. His grandfather shot wind at him like spears, trying to pierce through his thick armor.
The General brushed the assaults aside. As Giovanni passed by again, Abraxas’ hand shot up and grabbed the Italian’s shirt. He flung the Wind Warrior aside and Giovanni crashed into the ground before rolling out of sight around the side of the building.
Seeing Xander back on his feet, Abraxas turned his attention back to the young warrior. A flaming sphere grew in his hand, burning from blue to green to red to virtually white. When the orb was practically too bright to look at any longer, the General pulled back his arm to throw.
Something triggered deep inside Xander, something primal and powerful. The wind surged within him far stronger than he had felt before. It saturated his body with energy until he felt unable to contain its purity. His eyes flashed a blinding white as he lost himself in its enveloping embrace.
The General launched his flaming orb and the wind leapt from Xander’s body in response. The two elemental forces collided with enough strength to shake the ground. Sparks mixed with driving wind, sending shards of flames in all directions—like a firework exploding between them.
With the fireball destroyed, the power withdrew from Xander, leaving him weakened. His breath was ragged and his limbs felt heavy. His head sagged toward his chest. With an effort, he looked up in time to see the General throw a second orb of flame.
Xander raised his hand to deflect it but lacked the energy. He could do nothing as it spiraled toward him.
Just before the flame struck him, Bart threw himself in between Xander and the assault. The orb struck him in the chest and he fell limply to the ground.
The ground beneath Xander’s feet shook as an earthquake rocked White Halls. He dropped to his knee for support as the shaking threatened to knock him from his feet.
The house shook violently. Wood creaked and shattered. Broken glass rattled in the ruined home. With a thunderous crack, the foundation split and the house caved in on itself. Clouds of dust and debris spewed across the front yard, engulfing the warriors.
“No!” he heard his grandfather yell from somewhere in the concealing smoke.
A bright red beam filled the air, illuminating the dust like lightning within a cloud. A single scream split the air before falling silent.
Xander was overwhelmingly exhausted. He lacked the energy to push himself up from his knee. Bart lay on the ground in front of him, smoke still rising from the wound on his chest. He couldn’t see any of the others, though he strained to find a silhouette through the choking dust.
“Grandpa!” he yelled before being overwhelmed with a coughing fit. “Giovanni!”
A figure stepped through the smoke. Xander looked up hopefully but his hopes were crushed as he saw the dark armor and tattooed face of General Abraxas.
“They won’t answer your calls,” he said. “No one’s left to rescue you.”
Xander was crestfallen. He rocked back on his knees until he sat on his feet. He placed his hands on his lap, knowing that he had nothing left that could harm the General.
“Get it over with,” he muttered.
“With pleasure.”
The General raised his hands and a swirling maelstrom of fire grew between his palms. The ball grew beyond the size of his hand, expanding until it was over a foot across. Xander could feel the intense heat and he flinched involuntarily away from the flames.
“Your time is over, Wind Warrior. Long live the flame.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Sammy said from behind him.
She placed her outstretched hand on the back of his cloak and the garment caught fire. He spun around in a panic, trying to control the growing flames but Sammy wouldn’t release the cloak. She slid her other hand to his pants leg and set it on fire as well.
General Abraxas screamed as the fire quickly spread across his pants and up into his armor. It spread unnaturally quick as Sammy fed the flames with her power. Her beautiful blue eyes turned vibrant red as she focused, pushing her body to its limit.
The General finally broke free from her grip as she grew dizzy from exertion. Fully engulfed in flames, he turned away from the warriors and fled into the woods.
Sammy dropped beside Xander and cradled his face in her hands. Her hands were painfully hot but he didn’t push her away. Blood trickled from a gash at her hairline and a fai
nt bruise was growing along her cheek.
“Xander, I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “I tried to stop him. I tried.”
“I know,” he said weakly. He slid his arms around her neck and pulled her into a tight embrace.
They held each other for a long moment until they both felt strong enough to stand again.
As they stood, tears filled Sammy’s eyes. “Xander, I’m so sorry. I didn’t…”
Her words were lost as he kissed her. He could feel the heat radiating from her body and could taste the saltiness of the tears on her lips. The tension fled from her as she melted into his arms. Sammy slid her arms around his neck as he cradled her close to him.
As their lips parted, Xander felt at least some of the weight of the last few days’ events lifted from his shoulders.
Sammy rested her head on his chest and nuzzled under his chin. Glancing past her, Xander looked over at Bart, who hadn’t moved since the attack. Reaching up softly, he pulled Sammy’s hands free from his neck and walked over and knelt beside him. His hands shook as he reached out and put his fingers against Bart’s wrist, searching for a pulse.
“Is he…?” she asked.
Xander shook his head sadly and gently placed Bart’s hand over his chest. Though he was tired, Xander summoned a wind and blew away the rest of the clinging dust cloud that blanketed the area.
With the air clear, he saw Giovanni crouched over his grandfather. The Italian was shirtless and his long hair was coated with mud and dirt. As the wind cleared away the rest of the dust, Giovanni looked over and saw the younger warrior.
“Xander!” Giovanni said, relieved. “Hurry here!”
Xander rushed over and froze short of his grandfather. The old man’s face was painted with anguish and sweat mixed with the tears in his eyes. Giovanni’s shirt was draped over his grandfather but Xander could still see the burnt arm jutting from underneath. He feared to pull the shirt aside and see what other damage had been done.
“Grandfather,” Xander whispered.
“Hush,” his grandfather said. “Don’t you worry about this. I’ll be back on my feet in no time.”
Xander smiled politely but didn’t believe the elder man. “I’m sure you will.”
“We Siroccos are stubborn.”
“To a fault,” Xander joked with a strained laugh.
“Is Bart…?”
Xander shook his head. His grandfather let out an exasperated sigh, closed his eyes, and fell silent. For a moment, Xander feared he was going to lose his grandfather as well.
His grandfather opened his eyes again and looked at Sammy standing by Xander’s side. “Is this her? Is this the Fire Warrior that you won’t stop talking about?”
Sammy blushed and Xander nodded. “This is Sammy.”
His grandfather smiled. “She’s just as beautiful as you described.”
Sammy slid her hand into Xander’s and he clenched it tightly, for fear of ever letting her go.
“We need to leave here,” Giovanni offered. “People will be coming soon. We can’t let them find us here.”
“Can you carry my grandfather and… and Bart?” Xander asked, fearing that Giovanni was too exhausted to make the trip back.
“I will make it happen.”
He turned toward Sammy and looked into her blue eyes. Reaching up, he brushed aside some of the blonde hair that had matted in the blood on her forehead.
“Come with us,” he said. “I don’t know what it’ll mean for us. I don’t know where we’ll go or what we’ll do but at least we’ll be together.”
“Yes! But you have to know they’ll come for us,” she said. “They won’t stop coming for all of you.”
“Then we’ll face them together,” he said, squeezing her hand.
She slipped her hands around his neck and he created a buffer of wind beneath them. Giovanni cradled his grandfather carefully in his arms before pushing off from the ground and joining the other two in the air. Bart’s body floated gently behind him, wrapped lovingly in the wind that held Giovanni aloft. As a family, they flew back to the island.
Wind Warrior Page 18