Part 39 (2/2)

I've given everything-suffered anything.

Why must I lose the one thing I've taken for myself?

Protection, the Easterly whispers, and the word is like fog, thick and numbing as it clouds my resistance and cools my rage.

This will break my heart-and likely break me.

But I know it has to be done.

I give myself one final second to cling to the only thing that's ever brought any joy or hope to my life. Then I close my eyes and whisper the command to rip it all away.

”Sacrifice.”

The draft inside me splits into a million blades-slicing and slas.h.i.+ng and shredding every part of me until there's nothing but splinters.

The warm, calm shards slip with my ragged breath and vanish like wisps of smoke. The cold, angry pieces cling, hardening into a wall that holds in all the emptiness inside me.

”Stop!” Raiden shouts, snarling something in his wicked language and drowning me in a flood of arctic winds.

They shove and beat and batter my body, trying to force back together what's already lost.

But it's gone.

It's all gone.

Everything that matters is gone.

CHAPTER 43.VANE.

P.

ain crashes into my heart, so sharp and sudden I clutch my chest expecting to find a windslicer sticking out of it. Nothing's there.

No wound.

No weapon.

It's like the pain is coming from inside me instead of . . . Oh G.o.d.

Audra.

I have to-I never should've-I- The crack of a whip way too close to my head yanks me back to reality, and I barely manage to fly out of the way as the Living Storm tries to swat me out of the sky.

I steer east, gathering any winds that are willing to listen to me and tangling them around me to fuel my speed.

But Solana's scream stops me cold.

I turn back just in time to see one of the Storms toss her to the other. Playing with her like some sick toy.

If I leave, she dies.

But Audra needs me.

The pain in my heart cuts deeper, and I know it means she's in serious danger.

But I can't leave.

I can't fly away and let Solana die.

I can't have another death on my head.

Audra has Gus and the power of four and years of training to make her strong enough to hold her own for a few more minutes.

I'll be there as fast as I can.

”Come!” I shout, calling one of the broken wind spikes Os made.

The Westerly s.h.i.+elding me changes its tune, singing about traitors as it whisks away.

”What else do you want me to do?”I shout, flailing to strengthen my hold on the other drafts. ”Do you want them to die?”

The Westerly doesn't respond, disappearing into the clouds.

I feel like I'm turning my back on my heritage-but I've tried fighting with my own wind spike and it did nothing. And the Westerlies told me themselves that they couldn't stop the Storms.

So, seriously, what am I supposed to do?

I order the winds still holding me to hover, and I test my swing, aiming for the Storm that's carrying Solana. I check my swing twice to steady my nerves, and on the third sweep I let it fly.

The freaking Storm ducks.

I shout commands to adjust the spike's trajectory as it pa.s.ses, but the angle's too sharp and the spike swishes across the Storm's shoulder, making such a small slice, the wound doesn't even leak any fog.

But it does still p.i.s.s the Storm off, and I turn to flee as it tosses Solana back to the other Storm and takes off after me.

”Hang on,” I shout as I duck the crack of a whip and call the broken wind spike back to my hand.

I race straight toward Solana, knowing this is probably the stupidest strategy I've ever come up with. But I don't have time to play Keep Away with the evil Storms anymore.

”Take my hand,” I shout, stretching out my wounded arm as I duck another blow from the whip. I know it's going to hurt like h.e.l.l when she grabs on, but I need my good arm for other, even crazier things.

Before she can reach me, the Storm yanks her away, tossing her back to the other Storm and swatting its ma.s.sive hand at me.

”Get down, Vane!” Os shouts from somewhere behind me, and I decide not to question him, dropping toward the ground as fast as I can.

I glance up just in time to see a spike streak above me, nailing the Storm in the head and making the monster explode.

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