Storm Born

by Amy Braun

  Thick arms wrapped around my stomach and yanked me back. We both stumbled and fell onto the ground. I landed hard, crushing the body beneath me. I thrashed and screamed, unable to see where he was. Yet I could feel him, he was so close, his sweet, warm life mere inches from me. But I couldn’t see it. If there was a more cruel torture, I didn’t know what it was.

  I slammed my elbows back into his stomach, kicked his legs, dashed my skull against his head, clawed his arms until they bled. I wanted the life from his very veins, but I couldn’t take it by making him bleed. I had to drink it. All I had to do was turn and take it–

  Cold steel pressed flat against my skull. A sharp bite of pain sliced my skin. I yelped and felt a vicious, cold yank in my chest.

  The tether.

  Hadrian’s tether.

  I went still. Rain doused me and my head throbbed. The world was spinning again. Hadrian’s breathing was rapid beneath me. Something warm trickled down my temples. Tears pricked my eyes.

  Zephys and Piper rushed toward us. My best friend choked on a scream, covering her mouth with her hands to keep it at bay. Zephys set his jaw and extended his hand.

  I cringed at the sight of it.

  “No,” I whimpered. “No… can’t hurt you.”

  His hand remained extended. “That will not happen, Ava. Stand if you can.”

  Hadrian’s arm loosened from my stomach. “It is all right, Ava. You cannot hurt us. It is over.”

  I shivered. A sob strangled me. Zephys knelt down and pushed his hand closer to me. Hadrian’s hands were on my shoulders to either comfort me or push me off.

  My arm was heavy as lead when I set it in Zephys’s hand. His grip was sturdy and he had no problem standing and pulling me to my feet. The horizon tilted, but Hadrian had risen with me. His hands never left my shoulders. I looked back at him.

  Hadrian had a bloody– but intact– nose. I felt woozy, but I lifted my hand and let my fingers wipe the blood away from the space between his nose and upper lip.

  “Red’s not your color,” I mumbled. “You’re definitely a winter.”

  Hadrian’s jaw tightened until I thought it would shatter. One of his arms slipped around my back to hold me upright. His other hand swiped under my nose.

  It came away bloody. The horizon tilted again.

  “Oh boy,” I murmured. “Looks like we’re a pair of winters.”

  The sentence was barely past my lips before my legs gave out and I collapsed into blackness.

  Chapter 12

  “I leave for three hours. Three hours. And your training exercises nearly kill one of your charges.”

  Yikes. Vitae did not sound pleased. Though she was right.

  I was lying in a familiar bed. Probably the infirmary bed again. My clothes were dry– so either Vitae or Piper had changed me as I slept– and a blanket was pulled up to my chest. A bandage was taped to my head. It stung, but no worse than a paper cut.

  Not that I was going to let anyone know I was awake just yet. I wanted to hear what was going on without being fussed over.

  Though I wasn’t going to let go of the strong hand holding mine any time soon.

  “I am to blame,” Zephys said with a heavy voice. “I aggravated Piper instead of training her. I thought a strong arm would curb her anxiety. But I was wrong. I am so sorry.”

  “It’s not only your fault,” Piper added. She sounded far away, like she was hiding in a corner. “I shouldn’t have let him get to me. I just… I lost control. I had no idea what would happen. I didn’t want Ava to get hurt.”

  Piper’s voice broke on the last word, thick sobs dragging out of her throat. I couldn’t bear the sound of it. I cracked my eyes open and followed the sound of her voice.

  “No worries, Pipe. It could have been worse.”

  Like I’d guessed, she was in the corner across from my bed, hiding her head in her hands. The sound of my voice caused her to look up and unthread her hands from her hair. Piper’s eyes widened and another sob choked her. She sprinted out of her corner and rushed to the bed in a flash. She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tight.

  “Oh, thank God, Ava, I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry.”

  I laughed a little, silently glad she wasn’t afraid of me after the way I’d looked at her when I was under that weird trance. Thinking about it took away the joy I felt, so I closed the memories away and focused on my friend.

  “Piper, you’re choking me.”

  She dropped me like I was on fire. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

  I waved my free hand through the air. “It’s okay. I’m not mad. Sore, but not pissed off.” My humor thinned. “Are you okay?”

  Piper nodded. “Yeah. I… I never expected that to happen. I wasn’t able to control it. I saw you and you were giving off this energy…”

  She wrapped her arms around her body. Zephys took a step closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Amazingly, she didn’t push him away. Progress was being made.

  I looked down. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”

  Finally, I slid my eyes to Hadrian. Brooding blue eyes pierced me. A few days ago, I would have shied away from them. But I slowly understood what was behind them. I could see the anxiety he was trying to hide. The guilt over hurting me, and the fear that he would have to do it again.

  I could feel it in the way he gripped my hand, like it would take the Jaws of Life to pry him away from me.

  “How is your head?” he asked. The words were strained.

  I prodded the bandage. It was about half the size of my palm, but still didn’t hurt more than a sting.

  “Fine,” I admitted. “What did you do?”

  Hadrian’s jaw clenched. His free hand gripped my wrist and pulled it down from my forehead.

  “I used one of the tempest-blades. We gain control of Stormkind by…” he looked at my hands, so small and pale in his, “by cutting them. If they are our charge, they will feel the tether and become subdued. In truth, they have the same vulnerable areas as a human. Though cuts to the head are often the most efficient.” Hadrian squeezed my hands. “It was the only thing I could think of.”

  Pain and regret laced his deep, gorgeous voice. I sat up– which took way more grunting and effort than I want to willingly admit– and tilted my head until I could see the hints of blue that always sent welcome shivers through me.

  “You didn’t scar me, did you?”

  His head snapped up, hurt I would even suggest it.

  “No, of course not. I would never forgive myself if I saw the mark every time I looked at you.”

  I smiled, and for a minute, I could imagine his concern for me was actually about me, not about my capabilities as his student. For now, I was willing to look past our fights and imagine that we could get back to at least a comfortable understanding or a level truce. I could pretend it was just the two of us alone in this room, and maybe I could guilt him into kissing me.

  But I knew better. Guilty kissing was the worst kind. It only left a trail of regret and pain behind. I curled my fingers around his wrist as he squeezed my hand. I smiled, though my chest was tight with longing.

  “Then you can forgive yourself. I’m okay.”

  Hadrian acted like he’d lost control of his arms. I had to set his wrist down on the bed next to my hip– maybe not the best idea, in hindsight, because he was oh so tempting– and he still wouldn’t let go of my hand.

  I didn’t mind. He drove me crazy, but the simple truth was that I enjoyed the comfort of his hand in mine. The warmth of his skin, the calluses that spoke of strength, the gentle security when he tightened his grip.

  Turning away from Hadrian before the fantasies could start, I looked at Vitae, Zephys, and Piper. “What kind of damage did we do to the building?” I asked.

  Vitae stared me down with her arms folded over her chest. “None. At least not to the main prison complex. The prison yard has been entirely obliterated.”

  I cringed. Obliteration was now one of my least favo
rite words.

  “Both Hadrian and Zephys have told me what happened. I believe that your desire for life force will only come to light when you are lost in the rush of your powers.”

  I shifted awkwardly. “Can you not make me sound like a bloodthirsty vampire, please?”

  Vitae’s lips quirked, but her smile was sad. “I apologize, Ava. But it is the most obvious answer, is it not?”

  I nodded grudgingly.

  “Then you will also need to forgive me for this next statement, but I believe that Mortis designed you– all of these false Stormkind– to be his weapons against us.”

  My stomach dropped. Hadrian’s hand tightened over mine.

  “But… But why would he choose humans?” Piper whispered. Zephys remained behind her, his hand still secure around her shoulder. “Doesn’t he have his own soldiers and Stormkind?”

  “He does. But they are hardly an army. If he wishes to avenge the Primordials, he will require a much more potent weapon.” Vitae’s eyes lingered on me for a beat too long. “Which leads me to our next challenges. First, we must determine if Piper has only one gift, or if she is like you, and capable of holding more.”

  Piper sputtered. “What? How are you going to determine that?”

  “By turning his weapons against him.”

  Zephys stiffened. Hadrian squeezed my hand a little too hard.

  “What do you mean?” my Guardian asked. Nobody could miss the subtle danger in his voice.

  “While I was obtaining supplies, I overheard rumors of dust storms on the island of Cayo Costa. Apparently, they can be seen from the mainland, and wisely, no one is attempting to see what is causing them. They have no desire to encounter another Stormkind.”

  “Sounds like Ferno could be maintaining his practice,” Zephys said bitterly. I wiggled in the bed so my shiver wouldn’t be so noticeable. In my head, all I could hear was Ferno’s disregard for me as Mortis filled me with power that made me feel like I was disintegrating cell by cell.

  “That is my assumption, yes,” she agreed. “If more of Mortis’s false Stormkind exist, it is best we engage them. If we cannot convince them to abandon the Mistrals, the least we can do is subdue them.”

  I blinked at her. “What do you mean by subdue?” I asked cautiously.

  Vitae’s eyes were colder than any ice I could ever control. “I mean subdue. By any means necessary.”

  Anger boiled through my blood. “It’s not our fault that we’re like this,” I barked. “Mortis did this to us. We didn’t ask for it.”

  “Yet it does not change the fact that you are equally as dangerous and more unpredictable than any Stormkind we have faced before,” she countered. “You are beyond our control, and so we must–”

  “We’re not slaves,” I shouted. “We’re human beings!”

  Vitae’s eyes flared. “Do not rail against me, Ava. Not when you sought to devour two of my friends, your own best friend, and drained your body to the point of exhaustion.”

  Her words were a kick to the chest after a punch in the gut and a shot to the face. I searched for air to refute her, but my lungs were breathless. She was right, but so was I. The things I had done– and nearly done– were terrible beyond words.

  But it wasn’t my fault.

  “When will we leave, Vitae?” Hadrian rumbled.

  I snapped my head at him, shock rushing through me. Hadrian didn’t meet my eyes. He simply gazed at his leader.

  “At dawn,” she informed. “The false Stormkind will need to recuperate.”

  “Whoa, I’m not going anywhere,” Piper said. “Not unless you’re taking me and Ava home.”

  Vitae looked at her. “That is not an option. Mortis remains at large. While he is loose, none of your loved ones are safe. Alone, we are not enough to stop him. If he obtains either of you, the world you know and love will be destroyed forever.”

  Piper’s eyes welled with tears. “I can’t– I can’t use these gifts. If I get another one, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  “We will protect you,” Zephys soothed, squeezing her shoulder. “We are your Guardians, and it is our duty to–”

  She threw his hand off her shoulder and whirled on him. “I don’t care about that,” she yelled. She spun again and pointed her finger at Vitae’s chest. “You have no right to keep us here.”

  Vitae was unmoved. “Perhaps not. But if you leave, I guarantee that your life is forfeit. Mortis cares little for experiments that do not serve him well.”

  Piper’s breath hitched. She was a tumult of rage and fear.

  “We will be prepared by dawn,” Hadrian confirmed. I looked at him again. This time I needed to get his attention.

  “What if this is a trap? The exact thing that Mortis wants?”

  Hadrian’s beautiful eyes were blank. I couldn’t read him when he didn’t want me to. “If it is, it will not be strong enough.”

  His gall astounded me. So much so, that I yanked my hand from his. He didn’t look away, but he didn’t react either.

  This was when I realized I needed to stop thinking he would.

  Over and over, I had to remind myself that Hadrian didn’t care about me half as much as he cared about getting revenge on Mortis, something he had wanted for centuries. The concept might be the only thing he could care about.

  And I had been a fool to think any different.

  Hadrian’s stony expression cracked a little. He took a breath, as if he was going to say something, but I turned away. I had no desire to hear it. I was tired of making myself hurt over him.

  “So we’re going to run around an abandoned island and hope we don’t get swallowed in either a dust storm or a sociopath’s trap?” I asked bitterly.

  Vitae didn’t flinch at the barb. “Essentially.”

  “Ava,” Piper pleaded. “You can’t agree with this.”

  My eyes rose to hers, heavily. “Of course not. But they will keep their word about protecting us, just like they’ll keep their word about holding us here until Mortis is stopped. This is one of those ‘it’s for the greater good’ scenarios, Pipe.”

  Her shoulders slumped. I felt like slapping myself, or at least someone.

  Hadrian was still sitting close, so the thought seriously crossed my mind.

  But like whatever romantic fantasies and hopes I had about him, it wasn’t meant to be. Vitae told us all to rest for the next six hours. Traveling the way Guardians traveled was going to be an experience, she said ominously.

  Whoopie. I looked forward to it like I looked forward to a needle in the eye.

  Zephys helped a stunned Piper leave the room. I imagined he was going to have his hands full when everything that just happened sank into her.

  Which left me alone with my Guardian. The man I couldn’t stand to look at right now, because I wouldn’t be able to look away when I did.

  “Ava, this is important not just for us, but for your whole world,” he tried. “I know you are upset, but you have to–”

  “Get some sleep.” I interrupted. “That’s what Vitae said, right? Get six hours? She would know, Queen of Forward Thinking, and all.”

  I turned my back to him and rested on my side. I grunted and shuffled, trying to get comfortable. The mattress was too hard, but it was better than the mattress in the cell.

  I could feel Hadrian’s eyes on me. I pulled the blanket up to my neck so he would get the message. I could still feel him.

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” he asked, as if uncertain of himself.

  “No point. All I’m going to do is sleep. No thrilling magic shows or near-death experiences. I’ll save those for tomorrow.”

  Inside my chest, the tether constricted, like cold fingers clenching on reflex. I closed my eyes and bit my lip. I didn’t want to feel him in there. He was already in my head. Wasn’t that enough?

  It was a long time before he spoke again.

  “It has never been my intention to hurt you, Ava.”

  The softness, the sincerity
, the pain in his voice… It almost broke me. It sounded like he was pleading, begging for me to listen to him and forgive him.

  Except there was no point. He was already breaking my heart, and he probably didn’t even know he was doing it.

  Maybe it was time to return the favor.

  “Then go.”

  It was a whisper, two words that barely made it past my lips thanks to my heart’s ache and demand to let him stay, but I got them out.

  It was the right thing to do. It had to be. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have felt like shit.

  Hadrian remained seated for a long time while I pretended to sleep. Maybe fifteen minutes passed before I heard him rise from his chair and walk around the bed. I concentrated on yoga-breaths so he would truly think I was asleep. That whatever I felt for him was nothing more than respect and a grudging allegiance.

  Then he lowered his hand. I felt it hover above my face, like he was going to brush away some of my hair or stroke my cheek. The thought of him doing that made my heart pinch. If he touched me, I might be able to at least partially forgive him. I would know that he cared.

  But then the presence of his hand disappeared. His footsteps started again. The door opened. It closed. The room fell silent.

  And the hole in my chest grew wider.

  Chapter 13

  Mornings without coffee are not mornings. They’re a sign that the end is on its way, and we should all be running for the nearest shelter.

  Getting up at the crack of dawn after a measly four hours of rest was pure torture. I made a mental note never to brood before bed again.

  At least the bandage was gone from my head, so it no longer looked like I’d had a brain operation that took away my reason and stuck me with a bunch of superhuman warriors that spent all their time hunting beings that could create and control storms that sucked out human life-force like energy drinks.

  Nope. That was just my reality.