Part 19 (1/2)

I watch in a daze as it picks up a giant boulder and hurls it at the mountain.

Half the rock face crumbles away.

Holy.

Freaking.

c.r.a.p.

”What are you doing?” Gus snaps as I grab my wind spike and line up my aim.

”I'm getting rid of that-whatever that is.” I test my swing, feeling dizzy when I realize I'm about to kill something.

But it's not a person.

It's . . . well . . . I don't know what the h.e.l.l it is, but it's not human or sylph-that's for sure.

It's a force for death and evil and nothing else-and I'm not going to let Raiden use it.

”Wait,” Gus says, grabbing my elbow and stopping me midthrow.

”We don't have time to wait, Gus. Think of what that thing could do if it gets out of this valley.”

”Yeah, but you can't give away our location and use up one of our only weapons until we have my father and are ready to get out of here.”

I hate him for being right.

And I have to find Audra, too.

But we have to be quick because I have a feeling Raiden didn't just bring his new toy for Show and Tell. We have to destroy it before it's too late.

”You won't be able to find him,” Gus tells me as I close my eyes and search the air. ”Feng's trace is completely gone.”

Audra's is too.

All the winds have vanished-and our bond has faded too much for me to follow.

But there has to be a way to find her.

I force myself to focus, begging my instincts to guide me as I stretch out my hands and search with every ounce of concentration I have. My brain feels like it's going to explode, but the pain is worth it when a warm itch p.r.i.c.kles my palm, telling me there's a Westerly somewhere on the other side of the basin.

I try to call it to me, but the stubborn wind won't budge, almost like someone else is controlling it.

Could that be Audra?

Sweat drips down my face as I try to lock on to the draft's location, but all I can tell is that the pull is coming from one of the narrow cracks in the badlands.

”Where are you going?” Gus asks as I make a break for the nearest clump of rocks.

”There's someone down there in one of those crevices.” ”Do you think it's my dad?”

I hate myself for forgetting all about Feng. ”I don't know. I can't even tell which crevice it's coming from.”

”Well then, let's check them all-but we better move quick.” We both glance back to the giant storm thing, which is flinging more rocks at the mountains.

Gus draws his wind spike and races toward the next outcropping. But halfway there I freeze.

I saw something move in one of the crevices, but it was too quick to tell what it was.

I squint into the shadows and it moves again-and this time I catch a glimpse of dark hair and pale skin.

My elation lasts about .0004 of a second. Then Audra steps out onto a narrow ledge in the middle of the mountain, standing in full view of the Stormers as she raises a special wind spike and hurtles it at Raiden's beastly Storm.

CHAPTER 24.AUDRA.

T.

hrowing that wind spike was the hardest thing I've ever done.

I know Vane would rather die than serve as a mindless mercenary for Raiden-but as I watch the pale blue spear streak through the sky, I can't make myself run away like I'd planned. The dark patterns in the Living Storm look so much like eyes, watching me as I end him forever-and the ache of my bond still remains in my chest.

What if there's a small part of Vane left?

”Divert!” I scream in Westerly, holding my breath until the spike alters course. It misses Vane by inches, whisking by his head and landing on the ground a few feet away.

Right at Raiden's feet.

”Come!” I hiss at the spike, and it zips to my waiting hand. For a second Raiden and I just stare at each other, his fury obvious even from this far away.

But I can also see his hunger.

He knows the power I have.

And he wants it.

”There are two ways we can do this,” Raiden shouts up at me as his Stormers turn to him, awaiting his order. ”We both have our tricks.” He calls the Living Storm to his side. ”But I also have my army. And you?”

He waits, like he's expecting a fleet of Gales to pop out of the shadows.

”That's what I thought. So you can surrender now. Or we can see which one of us has the stronger weapon-though I get the impression you don't really want to destroy this.” He runs his hand along the funnel of the Living Storm, his voice heavy with mock sympathy as he asks, ”Was he a friend?”

I aim my spike at Raiden's head.

”Suit yourself,” he says as his Stormers launch into the mountains above me, trapping me in the canyon.

Raiden snarls a command I can't understand, and I feel my insides drop as the Living Storm swells to three times its already enormous size, looming over the valley in a tower of shadow and wind.

I duck back into the crevice I'd scaled and slide down the sides, grateful my Westerly s.h.i.+eld protects my skin from shredding against the sharp rocks. As soon as I'm back on the ground, I race for the Maelstrom, hoping the hungry, swirling drafts will s.h.i.+eld me from the Living Storm long enough to come up with a plan. But I make it only a few feet before an arm of thunderous wind tangles around me and drags me back to the open air.

”Don't do this, Vane,” I scream as I stare into the raging winds, trying to find the shadows that looked like eyes a few minutes before.