Isaac stares at me for a second. Then backs away.
“Dude, you don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m still the same guy you know.”
“Uh, the Vane I know could barely control his farts, much less the wind. And he didn’t bang on my window at the crack of dawn covered in mysterious bruises, telling me to get out of town.”
“Okay, so maybe a few things have changed.”
I glance around his bedroom, which has stayed pretty much the same since I met Isaac when I was eight. Some of the football and video game junk has been shoved aside to make room for pictures of his girlfriend Shelby, and all the papers on his desk look like college applications. But he’s still the same guy who went out of his way to talk to the weird new kid at school.
If he knew what I was way back then, I doubt he would’ve bothered. And maybe that would’ve been better, because now he’s in a crapload of danger.
“So, like, how did you find all this out?” Isaac asks quietly. “Did you just wake up one day and start talking to the wind?”
“No. Audra had to show me.”
“Is that the hot chick who ruined your date with Hannah?” “Yeah.” I grin, remembering the way she stormed into the Cheesecake Factory and told Hannah she was my girlfriend. One of the most awkward—and awesome—moments ever.
“And you and her are . . . together?”
I nod, deciding not to get into the whole bonding thing. I’m sure Isaac’s had all the weird he can take.
“Niiiiiice,” he tells me, though he frowns. “Is she a sylph too?”
“Yep. There are a lot of us, actually. Well, not a lot compared to, like, humans but—”
“Wait. You’re not human?”
I nod and he takes another step away.
“Come on, don’t act surprised. I told you, I’m a sylph.”
“I know, but I thought that was like a title or something. Like Hawkeye or Batman or—”
“I’m not a superhero.”
“I guess not. Which is good. If you start wearing spandex, I’m ditching you.”
“This from the guy in tighty-whities.”
He glances down and blushes before finally slipping on his pants.
“Thank God.”
“Shut up—you’re just jealous of my sexy.”
I’m tempted to shove him across the room with another draft. But I’ve already wasted too much time.
“You have to listen to me, Isaac. You need to get out of town.”
“Why? What does any of this have to do with me? I haven’t even talked to you for weeks.”
“I know—I was trying to keep you out of this. But I can’t anymore. It’s a really long story, but there’s this super scary guy who’s coming here to get me, and he’d be happy to get his hands on my best friend, too.”
“You’re telling me you have an arch nemesis?”
“I guess you could put it that way—except I’m being serious, Isaac. I hope you get that. Raiden’s tortured and killed hundreds of people. Maybe thousands. And he’s extra pissed at me right now.” I lift my shirt again and point to my bruise. “He did this right before I got away. No one gets away from him. So he doesn’t just want to catch me again, he wants to destroy this whole freaking valley.”
Isaac rubs his temples as he processes that. “Wait—the whole valley? How are you going to warn everyone?”
“I can’t—there’s not enough time. And do you really think they’d believe me?”
“But . . . there’s a lot of people here.”
“I know.”
He starts mumbling in Spanish again as he turns and paces his room.
“So what are you going to do?” he asks after a few seconds. “Fight.”
“Uh, no offense, man, but my kid brother is tougher than you.”
“Hey—I’ve been training for weeks. And I won’t be fighting alone. My army—”
“You have an army?”
“I told you, it’s a really really really really long story. And someday I promise to tell you anything you want to know. But I don’t have time right now. I’m not even supposed to be here, but I couldn’t let things start without warning you. So please. Grab your family, get Shelby, and head south, before it’s too late, okay?”
“I don’t know, man,” he mumbles. “I don’t know what do with any of this.”
“I get that. But will you be able to live with yourself if something happens to anyone you love?”
That seems to snap him out of it, at least enough to ask, “What the hell am I supposed to tell them? They’re not going to believe this sylph crap.”
“I don’t know—but I know you’re awesome at getting people to do things they don’t want to do. How else did you drag me on so many blind dates?”
He grins at the memory, and I feel myself smile too.
“So just . . . work that same magic. And don’t waste any time. As it is . . .” I glance at the sky and feel my heart freeze.
A few minutes ago it was a clear, vivid blue. But the western horizon is now dark and gray. And now that I’m paying attention, I notice the air has a chill. Way too cold for the desert in August.