And then . . . I see a flash of light.
I can’t tell which vent it came from, but I’m guessing it’s some sort of signal for a bunch of Stormers to attack from every direction. They probably followed our trail through the maze—or maybe this turbine is sending our trace through the fortress.
Solana pulls me behind her. “I’ll get us out of this, but I need you to let me fight my way.”
“You’re not using the power of pain—”
“We don’t have time to argue.” She snarls a garbled command and two yellowed drafts seep out of her skin and coil around her hands like sickly gloves.
“How is that supposed to help?” I ask.
“The need will tell me.”
Her voice sounds flat and far away and her eyes look glazed, like she’s turned into a zombie—which definitely isn’t selling me on the power of pain.
Then again, it’s probably a good thing we have it. The light just flashed again, and this time I saw where it came from. One of the vents way up high looks like its bending, and I swear I saw a quick glimpse of something gray.
“They’re coming,” Solana says, still in that faraway voice. “Stay back and let me fight.”
“You can’t take them all by yourself.”
“I only feel two. It will be easy.”
I’d be a lot more excited about this plan if she didn’t sound like a possessed kid in a horror movie.
But two Stormers is good.
We’ve already done that and won before—surely we can pull it off again.
“We have to keep this quick,” Solana says. “The air here is too turbulent. As soon as they land I’ll use the need to end them. Cover eyes so you don’t have to see.”
I want to tell her I can handle it, but I’m not sure if I can. I’m getting flashbacks to the bloody carnage after our last battle, and the dead Stormer we left in the storage room, and—
Don’t think about it.
My legs shake as I watch the last of the vents’ metal slats get ripped apart by a seriously scary-looking Stormer.
He’s too high up to see details, but I can tell he’s bloody.
He shouts something I can’t understand, and he and another Stormer dive for us.
Solana starts murmuring a creepy command, and I beg my Westerly to come up with something useful. But as the Stormers drop closer, I notice the bloody one’s a guy with long blond hair. And the other—
“Solana, STOP!”
I shake her out of her frenzy right as she releases the drafts and they spiral away from her hands, barely missing the two figures as they land.
“Why would you . . .”
Solana’s question trails off when she takes a closer look at the “Stormers.”
Meanwhile five million emotions have taken up the epic battle of What Should I Feel Right Now? as I ask, “Audra?”
CHAPTER 28
AUDRA
Vane won’t look at me.
He did when he first said my name. But then his eyes moved to Gus, and they haven’t strayed.
I can’t fault him—even I haven’t gotten used to Gus’s altered appearance.
But every fiber of my being is screaming, Why won’t he look at me?
That first quick glance—those brief seconds he gave.
It wasn’t enough.
The craving is both new and familiar. Hot and cold. Terrifying and exhilarating.
I want him to see me. Talk to me. Reach for me.
But I also want to run away.
I’m not ready for this—any of it.
Vane clears his throat, his eyes still focused on Gus. “Gus, I . . .”
His voice breaks.
“It’s okay,” Gus tells him, limping closer.
“No it’s not.” Vane wipes his eyes with shaking hands. “You . . . I can’t . . .”
“I know,” Gus tells him. “But I’ll heal. Don’t worry about it, all right?”
“I can’t believe you’re comforting me.” Vane shakes his head hard, tearing his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry—I don’t know how to do this.”
He smears away more tears as he finally turns my way, meeting my eyes for barely a second before shifting his full attention to my nose.
His eaglelike focus helps me understand what he’s really avoiding.
“I’m fine,” I promise. “Just a few cuts and bruises.”
“Her Westerly’s been protecting her,” Gus adds.
Vane’s whole expression shifts to something heartbreakingly tender. “You still have your shield?”
“She does,” Gus says when I forget that I’m supposed to answer. “The winds have done some amazing things—but we’ll get to that later. Do you know where the Stormers are?”
Vane shakes his head. “We’ve barely run into any. What about you guys?”
“We saw a few, but not as many as we should have,” Gus says, “so I’m pretty sure they’re setting up an ambush somewhere.”
“Sounds about right,” Vane grumbles.
“How did you guys get out of your cell?” Solana asks.
“Kinda a long story,” Gus says. “Right now, we should keep moving.”
“We should,” Vane agrees.