He hated the fact that they were here. The thought that half his family could be wiped out terrified him. And there was also Maya. If he ever got off this damn boat, he was going to burn Gregor to a crisp.
“If we fight back anymore than we are, we risk creating an even bigger storm, one that could upset the entire balance of nature,” someone said.
“And if we don’t, this boat is going to the bottom of the ocean,” Jace bit out through the wind. He took Terra’s hand. “If we can get a more precise location of Gregor’s ships we can take them down, one by one.”
Arguments ensued. They were never going anywhere unless someone made a decision.
Josh created a large ball of fire above to get people’s attention.
When all eyes were on him, he yelled through the wind, “We need everyone at the port side, with the water talent. We need to stop this storm. Now.”
The Clan Council president, a barrel-chested man, pointed a finger at him. “We don’t take orders from you. We need to present a plan, take a vote-”
“For fuck’s sake, Zachery! There’s no time.” Josh’s temper flared, and with it, flames shot out of his palms.
Jace and Terra joined him, both with their fire power primed. Orange light lit the enclosure, the threat unsaid.
He knew he would probably be in shit for it later, but right now he didn’t care.
“We go, now. Everyone.” Josh began pushing them all out the door. Most went eagerly. Those that lingered were pushed forward by the rest.
“There will be a price to pay for this insubordination,” Zachary shouted as he stepped into an air tunnel made by one of the Council members.
Inside the horizontal vortex, it was eerily quiet. Outside, the storm raged. Slowly, Josh followed until they reached the water leaders.
Maya, her dad, and a dozen others fought the storm, obviously losing. He recognized two Germans he’d met at a recent party in New York City, and a woman dressed in a drenched sari. The other faces were hidden under the hoods of their yellow slickers.
The air witch who held the tunnel around them, shouted, “Hang onto each other. I’m dropping the vortex.”
Maya glanced at her dad, and a kind of knowing look passed between them.
Suddenly, she raised her arms and screamed over the wind and the roar of the ocean, “We are all made of water… and by our water, our energy joins.”
She clapped her hands over her head.
Holy Fuck.
Thunder clapped, and a deluge of rain fell like a damn broke in the sky.
Mouths dropped wide.
A huge field of electric energy merged just over the ocean.
Fires snapped. Several small tornadoes spun in sparkling violet hues. Booming rocked the boat and sharp spikes of lightning snapped.
Suddenly, Josh’s ears pounded and energy flowed out of him, making his knees weak as he grabbed for the railing.
Maya shook so violently that he was afraid she might lose control, so he wrapped himself around her, acting as a kind of conduit. It was the strangest sensation, feeling current of the most powerful witches in the world, flowing through him, entering her, and exiting over the ocean.
What the hell kind of talent did she have?
Spheres of lightning sizzled, sparked, and flared.
Zoe’s violet vortex shot into the sky, creating a giant hole in the clouds.
A small hole of blue in the black sky gave him hope.
Terra, earth power, wormed in closer to Maya and gripped her hand. “Take it, Hun. Take mine, too.”
His brother Jace clasped an arm onto Josh’s shoulder. “How the hell is she doing that?”
“I don’t know, but it’s working,” Josh gritted out.
Jack and Zoe were next. Creating a football-like huddle with Maya in the middle.
Maya shook uncontrollably, muscles tense and strained.
Josh wondered how much more she could take before she might explode. “Sweetheart, you got to release it. Break the storm now.”
“I c-c-can’t.”
Her father shouted, “Now Maya. Now.”
She shivered uncontrollably and her eyes rolled back in her head.
Josh spoke into her ear, “Maya. Free it to break the storm. Damn it. Do it now.”
Her eyes fluttered, and then she nodded.
“We are one.” Her voice rose, carried by the wind. “The water in our bodies the conduit. Fire dry the clouds, water calm the seas, wind control the storm. The rest add your energies to the mass. One…Two… Three.”
With that, a deafening boom exploded just off the stern. The two storms came alive, fighting for control. One was laced with violet and sparkles, the other a deep green and brown.
Suddenly a tornado, at least a nautical mile in diameter, approached from the portside. It dwarfed their barge as it gathered speed.
For a millisecond, the whole Clan Council stood watching, stunned.
“Maya. Daniel. Drown it,” Josh shouted. “Only you can do it.”
Maya recovered first, the sea opened, and the water shot up miles into the sky. When Daniel added his power, the vortex was trapped within. They dragged it down deep into the ocean, water crashing over it.
The barge tipped on its side, and Josh was sure it would capsize. He and the rest tumbled to the railing.
The tidal wave rolled over the top of his head, and his fingers let go of the railing. Head over heels, the water dragged him down. Not having had time to take a breath, he swallowed mouthful after mouthful of salt water and then stopped fighting.
His last thought was, if he could do it all over again, he would’ve asked her to marry him.
Chapter 18
Maya’s chest tightened as the wave washed over them. Her harness kept her from being swept overboard.
Exhausted, she cleared the water away as the boat righted itself and the dark clouds dissipated.
Where was Josh? He’d been right there with her. She’d felt the warmth of his hands, then nothing.
After wildly searching the deck, she turned to the ocean for some sign. He had to have gone over. No. Not after all they’d gone through. She wouldn’t lose him now. She unlatched her harness and climbed to the top of the railing. Taking a deep breath, she dove.
For the longest time, air met her face. Then, at the water’s edge, she split the waves to soften the impact.
Around her, the angry ocean churned. Using the last of her energy, she calmed it, swimming deeper.
Her gut told her it was hopeless, but still she continued. He was here. Damn it. She felt him.
She swam, following nothing but a small tingling that edged her forward in the direction her heart told her to go. She used the connection to him as a beacon. When she veered off path, her heart rate increased and urgency sent her to the right or to the left.
Her chest ached, needing air. Her body was weak. But she continued into the dark depth.
A tiny island of calm in the midst of the raging sea, she searched and swam. She could feel her dad’s power in the water as well. How long she searched, she had no idea. It could have been seconds, hours, or days.
Then she felt it–his life force. He was close. The water, their channel to each other. Her ears pounded, and self-preservation almost took over but she would not allow it. She needed her mate.
A spark of his essence hit her. There. She saw him, just before a wave crashed down, making him sink below the water.
The power needed to calm the ocean had left her long ago. With no other option, she swam toward him, arms aching.
He sank, appearing as if he’d just given up.
Damn it. She grabbed him under the shoulders and kicked like mad. At the surface, she used her talent to form a bubble around them.
Pale as a ghost, he didn’t move. She put her ear to his mouth. No breath.
Not losing a second more, she turned him onto his side and whacked him on the back with both fists until he coughed and retched out seawater.
Wh
en she was convinced he was breathing normally, she fell back, totally spent. Together they lay in silence, exhausted beyond the ability to talk. They rode the tumultuous ocean waves, tossed about in the small membrane.
With every last ounce of strength, she held onto the orb, knowing her dad would find her.
Josh lit a flame, and the air in the bubble seemed to come alive, in oranges and reds.
She closed her eyes, concentrating on one thing. Staying alive.
Suddenly, she was hit with a sense of vertigo and opened her eyes. They floated high over the ocean on a draft of wind, and then dropped onto the surface of the ship.
She forced her lids open but they refused to move.
“Maya, let go of the bubble,” commanded one of Josh’s sister-in-laws. Must’ve been Zoe, the partial healer.
The bubble popped when she released her power and liquid pooled under her body.
She bathed in a soothing energy balm, then asked, “Is it over?”
Josh’s brother Jack answered, squatting close beside her. “They’re all in custody. It’s done. We have control.”
With her eyes opened a tiny slit, she reached across for Josh’s cold hand and it tingled ever so slightly. “He’s going to be okay?”
The healer said softly, “Yes. Thank you for saving him.”
The other brother’s voice cracked as his shadow blocked the sun, “We can never repay the debt to your clan, but damn it, we’ll try.”
Other hushed voices slipped in and out around her, but she ignored them and let the healer force her to sleep.
Chapter 19
Josh woke at the sound of Jack’s voice and wondered when the bedrooms at the shore house had been redecorated to steel gray. His stomached rolled as the room swayed. He was still on the barge. Slowly the events of the last few days trickled into his muddled brain.
Maya. She’d been magnificent in the fight. Then, like a mermaid, had swum to save him. In a bubble? He dismissed the thought. That part he’d probably dreamed.
She was clan leader material all the way. Someday she’d rule the water clan and take her rightful seat on the Council, with someone just as powerful at her side.
He grimaced at the thought of someone else taking what he had claimed. But she needed someone to love her, someone who could give her everything she needed, not drag her into the depths of the ocean, not someone needing to be saved.
This was a pattern with him. As the oldest of the Fialko brothers, he should’ve taken control of the family business. Instead, he’d floundered when it became obvious that Jack was the most powerful of the three. Josh was just getting it all back together when the whole nightmare with Nicole had happened.
The bed jostled and he opened his eyes. Jack hovered over him, relief flooding his eyes.
“Damn. It’s good to see you awake. We thought we lost you for a moment.”
Using both hands to steady himself, he sat up and grinned even as his throat tightened. The estrangement of the last year hung thick in the air between them.
“I’m sorry,” Josh muttered.
Jack raised an eyebrow. “About what?”
The lamest apology known to mankind tried to exit his mouth. “It wasn’t right. Taking off. Not letting you know where I was.”
“Agreed.” His brother studied the ceiling, clearly as uncomfortable as he.
Josh cleared his throat. Jack wasn’t going to make this easy.
“The past year has been one hell of a mess.”
“Yeah. It has.” Jack punched him on the shoulder, as he did when they were kids.
And just like that, Josh knew it was going to be okay between them.
With that hurdle crossed, his thoughts raced to the moments before he had lost consciousness and his heart pounded. “What about Maya? Is she okay? She was really spent.”
Jack stood and nodded. “Zoe’s with her. She says she’s doing fine.”
He relaxed somewhat. “Good. And is it done? Did we get the Russian bastard?”
“No.” Pacing, the Fialko flame centered in his eyes. “But we’ll get him.” He paused, then asked, “How the hell did you get mixed up in all of this?”
“I’m not even sure. I was staying on a remote island just off the coast near Brisbane. All to myself. Dad said Dan had always given us an open invitation so I figured, why not?”
A nod indicated he should continue.
“The first freak storm happened nearby. It was big by local standards, but probably didn’t even hit the world news. Maya was concerned, and so we investigated. That led us to Dr. Williams, a yacht party, and a bunch of lousy Russian wind clansmen. What the fuck, Jack. I thought you had a treaty with them.”
The fire in his brother’s eyes lit. “I do. When I get my hands on him, it’s going to get ugly. I will take everything he owns, legally. The Clan Council will back me.”
“Hold on. Won’t murdering other high powered witches get him the death sentence?”
“If proven in court,” Jack exhaled slowly, and the orange extinguished.
“Shit. After all this, you’re not going to kill him outright?” Josh felt his own paranormal energy ignite. This just wasn’t right.
“Only if I have to.” Jack’s brow’s furrowed, daring him to say more.
So Josh did. “Maya…”
“Maya will follow directives if she wants to keep her father’s seat on the Council.”
“What do you mean? Fuck. Dan’s gone?” Josh lay back, stunned.
His brother ran his fingers through his hair and nodded.
“Shit.” He knew how much Maya’s father meant to her and his heart broke for her. She was going to fall apart.
“She saved your sorry ass,” Jack’s somber expression softened.
“Yeah, I know. Tell me. Was there some kind of weird pink bubble?”
“Not pink. It was lit with your orange flames. Smart. That’s how we spotted you…”
A moment of awkward silence followed.
They both spoke at once, “She–”
“She–”
Jack held up his hand. “Me first. I know things have been rough for you. And I’m really sorry. The whole family is…well, obviously we want you back in Jersey. But Maya is a treasure. If you need to stay here in Australia, with her, we’ll understand.”
Josh moaned. His family always jumped in when it came to mating, and he was tired of their meddling. If he and Maya were going to take it to another level, he had to do it without them.
“It’s just sex. Nothing more.”
“Wow. Thanks for sharing.” Maya must’ve been just outside the door. She had poked her head in for only a second, face beet red. Then, she rushed away and he was sure he heard her sob.
Jack turned to him, fuming. “You’re a fucking idiot. You know that?”
“I do.” He jumped out the bed, threw on a pair of sweats nearby, and borrowed a t-shirt. Shit. He had to explain.
Chapter 20
Choking back tears, Maya fled into her father’s room on the third level. His suitcase lay open on the small bunk bed with a family picture, taken last Christmas, lying on top. Finding no sign of where he might be, she headed through the maze-like hallways. She needed to find him. Talk to him. He always knew the right thing to say.
Not wanting to run into Josh again, she found a way up that avoided the infirmary. She knew they’d made no promises, but still, when he’d spoken so crassly about their relationship, it’d made her stomach churn. She thought they meant something to each other. He could’ve said friends with benefits. That, at least, would’ve sounded a bit nicer. Instead, he made her feel used.
Once topside, she was greeted by a beautiful blue sky day with a warm breeze. It was hard to believe the deadly storm happened just yesterday. She exited onto the long runway and passed about a dozen bundles lined up along the ground, wrapped in what appeared to be black plastic with zippers and a small white tag. When it dawned on her that they were body bags, she shuddered. So many lives los
t. And there were no doubt more, taken by the sea, lost forever.
Suddenly fearful, she grabbed the arm of the next witch that passed her. “Have you seen my father, Dan O’Connor?”
The man in a white uniform pointed at one of Josh’s brothers, holding a clipboard, pen behind his ear. “Ask him.”
She raced to him, past a line of helicopters, one overturned. “You’re Jace, right?
His eyes shot up to hers, then searched the deck, looking around almost desperately. “I thought Zoe left word you weren’t to be disturbed?”
“I was feeling a lot better. She said I could get some air.” That wasn’t exactly true, but the idiot that she was, she’d wanted to find Josh and check on him.
Jace sighed and his hand rasped across the dark stubble on his chin. He was so similar to his brother that for a moment, the small gesture broke her heart.
Impatient, she grabbed his clipboard, searching the scribbles. “My dad? Have you seen him?”
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the name written in script.
“I’m so sorry, Maya. He’s gone.” Jace shook his head slowly.
Behind, Josh must’ve followed her up to the deck. His strong arms caught her as she fell.
He growled at his brother, “You couldn’t have waited?”
“She needed to know. Time doesn’t change a thing. You should know that better than anyone.” His voice held the edge of something deeper and broken between the two.
Suddenly Maya knew what she had to do. She dashed to the railing. If her father fell overboard, he could still be alive.
A flaming wall halted her dive, then firm hands circled her waist.
“He’s not there Maya.” Josh pulled her clinging fingers away from the railing.
“He’s not dead.” She cried and kicked at him as he held her.
Why was he stopping her? Didn’t he know? Her father couldn’t be gone. He wouldn’t leave her. Not now. He had to be out there.
“No Maya. He’s there.” Jace pointed to one of the horrid black bags.
“I don’t believe you.”
Her elbow caught him in the nose. He cursed and clamped her arms tight.
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