Audra doesn’t seem like the Peeping Tom type—and I’m not sure I mind if she is. But I’m not going out there without brushing my teeth. No way I want her to get a whiff of my wicked morning breath.
Two minutes later I hop out my window minty fresh and with a scowl that hopefully says You’d better have a darn good reason for waking me up this early. If she catches my meaning, she doesn’t seem to care. She just shushes me as I start to ask what the plan is and motions for me to follow her deep into the date grove.
We stop walking when we reach the burned-down house she’s been squatting in. “What time do your parents wake up?” she asks.
“I don’t know. Seven or eight.” I wave a swarm of gnats away from my eyes, mentally cursing the stupid desert. It’s already hot enough to make my back sweat. “But they know I’m never up before nine.”
I emphasize the word “never,” hoping she’ll get the hint.
“Good. We can get four hours of training in every morning. Though it’d be better if you can give your parents some excuse for where you are, preferably something that will explain where you go at night, so we don’t have to worry about them catching you sneaking out.”
“Whoa whoa whoa. There’s no way I’m waking up at five every morning—especially if you’ll also be keeping me out at night. I need my beauty sleep.”
Not only is it my summer vacation, but I need at least eight hours of sleep to function, and no way I’m going to walk around like a zombie just because her “new plan” doesn’t involve calling for backup. What if I want her to call for backup?
Audra cocks her head. “You’ll train when I tell you to train, whether it’s early in the morning or the middle of the night.”
I cross my arms and give her the same Are you serious? look I perfected when Mr. Gunter used to lecture me on how I’ll be using advanced algebra in everyday life.
Yeah, right.
She’s lucky I’m willing to train at all. I could just as easily hop in my car and head out of town, leave her to deal with whatever’s coming on her own. I still haven’t ruled that out as a possibility.
Clearly, it’s time to lay down the ground rules and let her know she can’t order me around. This is my life, and I’m going to be in control of it.
“I can train with you in the afternoons, as long as we go somewhere with air-conditioning. But before we do that, you’re explaining everything. Got it?”
Personally I’m pretty proud of the line I just drew in the sand.
But Audra’s eyes narrow and her jaw sets, turning her face into a series of hard lines. “You seem to be under the misimpression that you’re in charge here, so let me correct that right now.” She whips her arms in front of her and whispers, “Rush.”
A blast of wind slams against my chest and sends me flying backward. I grunt as my back crashes into one of the remaining walls of the fire-scarred house. The wind pins me to the scratchy stucco and my eyes water from the racing air.
Audra steps toward me, the glare in her eyes leaving no doubt that she can end me right here, right now.
“Let’s get a few things straight,” she says, her voice deadly serious. “We’re in a tremendous amount of danger, and I am responsible for keeping everyone in this valley alive—including you. No one will be making greater sacrifices than I will, so you will do what I say when I say it—and you will do it without complaint. Is. That. Understood?”
“I thought you said you’d answer my questions today,” I shout over the roaring winds. I distinctly remember her promising that last night. Right around the time she promised to get help. What brought on the change of plans?
“I will, Vane. But we have to train when no one’s around to see us, so you’ll have to wait a few more hours. I’ll answer your questions this evening, and then you’ll understand how serious the situation is. Deal?”
I don’t want to cooperate—she slammed me into the wall hard enough to leave the mother of all bruises. But I can tell she’s more than willing to continue to beat the crap out of me with her voodoo wind control, and I’m not in the mood for any further humiliation.
“Fine.”
“Good.” Her hands return to her sides and she whispers, “Release.”
The winds whisk away. I slump to the ground, hacking and coughing from all the dust she stirred.
She looks a little guilty as I rub my throbbing shoulders. “Did I hurt you?”
I shrug and stand, swiping the sand off my shorts and legs. I’m not about to admit I got beat up by a skinny girl.
She stalks inside her dilapidated house and I follow, intentionally dragging my feet to take as long as possible.
She may think she can push me around—but one of these days I’ll be strong enough to take her on. And as soon as I am, wind girl is going down.
CHAPTER 12
AUDRA
Vane doesn’t seem to be grasping the gravity of our situation. Either that or he truly is the most annoying boy on the planet.
Probably both.