Rage of Storms Read online

  Carefully, I released the call broiling inside me by heating my lips ever so slightly, just enough to break us apart. He’d only feel the warmth from my kiss, nothing more, and would never know how close he had me to losing all control.

  At first, he stiffened when he must have felt the call, but then cupped my face in his hands and really kissed me. The heat in my call intensified until the feeling moved beyond my lips and engulfed my neck, and then my torso. Still, Leo didn’t pull back.

  My skin had to be close to catching fire and yet he didn’t pull away. If anything, he held me closer, his passion igniting from the heat. We held each other, lost in our craze to taste and touch each other, until the fire inside me, which had since died down, began to build again.

  And then, just as quickly as the kiss started, it ended. Leo pulled back and licked me from his lips, his breathing labored. What I saw robbed me of what little breath I’d managed to draw into my lungs.

  Flames—literal tiny flickers of fire—burned in his blazing blue eyes. I’d never seen anything like it. His gaze, so sharp, so keen as he raked it over me, was so foreign coming from my soothing water elemental. I’d expect a heated, dark look from my fire elemental, or even my air elemental since he also had the power to control fire. But not Leo.

  And then, without warning, he collapsed.

  “Leo!” I dropped next to him as he blinked his eyes wide and glanced around. “What happened?”

  “Just got a little dizzy there.” He rested the heel of his hand against his temple.

  “Your kiss literally knocked him senseless,” Clay mused. “That’s freakin’ awesome. You’re a fire-breathing, shapeshifting, vengeful dragon with a killer kiss. I knew I fell in love with the coolest chick on the planet. You gingers are definitely mystical.”

  My heart skipped at his declaration. He’d never dropped the mother of all L words before. I’d jump up and into his arms if I didn’t currently have a half-conscious guy already in my lap. I wanted to hear it again. “What did you just say?”

  Clay scratched his beard, his grin sending his emerald gaze into a brilliant dance. “That you’re mystical.”

  “Before that.”

  “You’re a vengeful dragon.” He smiled so wide, his back teeth showed.

  “After that.”

  Lifting his face to the sky, he took his own sweet time coming up with the answer. “Oh, I don’t know. Something about a killer kiss. There may have been mention of a cool chick maybe?”

  Jerk. I ignored him and helped Leo to his feet. He swayed before catching himself, staggering back.

  “You’re in no shape to test today.” I grasped his arm to lead him back to his dorm.

  He moved out of my reach. “No. I have to.” Clay jumped in, grasping his other arm. “Stop. I’m fine, you guys.”

  “I’m with Montana. You look like shit.”

  “I never said that!”

  “Stop.” Leo pushed us both away with more strength than I’d expect from someone who’d just collapsed. “I need to do this. Today. It’s my only window until the Council is through exposing all the enhanced elementals. It has to be today.”

  “Why is it so important you do this today?”

  “It just is.”

  “Wait a second.” Clay narrowed his eyes as he scratched at his beard. He did a quick Bieber flip and nodded, then did another flip to send his wild brown hair off his forehead again. “I know what’s going on.”

  Leo and Clay exchanged looks. I bounced my attention between the two of them. When neither spoke, I did. “What?”

  “Never mind.” Leo took several steps back. Then, to both Clay’s and my shock, he teleported out.

  “I never thought I’d see the day Leo Jackson teleported to avoid a conversation. I mean, I do it all the time, but that’s me. This is Leo we’re talking about. The only guy I know more straitlaced than him is Bry.”

  “What the hell is going on, Clay? Why is he acting so weird?”

  “How much time do you have?”

  “Clay!”

  He brought up his hands. “Okay, okay. Don’t ginger snap on me. It’s the last day of August, the day Leo’s parents finally lost all touch with reality and his grandparents had to take him in. Every year leading up to this this day, he gets a little more unstable as the date approaches. Then, on the thirty-first of August, he tends to freak out. That’s what’s going on. He doesn’t have a fever. He’s not sick. He’s processing that loss. Every year.”

  Sweet bejebus. What a terrible thing to have to live through. What a terrible thing to relive year after year. I needed to build a bridge and get over myself. The shit storm I called my life was nothing but a poop pile compared to what Leo went through each and every year. Returning to Clearwater only aggravated the horrifying memory since it had happened while his parents had been on their way to the academy. I’d want out too.

  “Come on.” I grabbed Clay’s hand and dragged him toward the training field. “We need to be there for him when he goes through this. You and I both know he’s not magically enhanced, but he’s nervous, distracted, and might wind up calling the wrong element.”

  “What do you think we can do about it?”

  “We can help from the sidelines.”

  Clay slowed. “That’s not permitted, Montana. Interfering in a tribunal could get you kicked out.”

  “It’s better than standing back and doing nothing while he goes through this alone.”

  “No.” He jerked his hand back. “That’s exactly what tribunal is. He has to go through this alone. That’s the only way they know he’s ready. This is his right of passage.”

  I hated the fact he was right and, reluctantly and grumbling—okay, bitching—I followed him down to the field.

  8

  “Leo Jackson, take the field.” One of the Council members, a brunette with a pixie cut and a unibrow that cast a shadow and a black suit that didn’t quite fit right, like she had to borrow it from her big sister or maybe her mom, stepped out of the crowd of Council members, each one in their own black suit.

  Leo proudly took to the field, his trim shoulders squared, his head held high, his crazy blond curls all over the place, courtesy of the slight warm breeze keeping the temperature tolerable. Then again, it was only nine in the morning. He buttoned his blue blazer as he approached the Council member, stopping once he reached her.

  “In an effort to speed up the process, we will be assessing you for both magically enhanced elements and carrying out your first test in your final tribunal. Are you ready?” She faced him and brought up her hands.

  He did the same.

  And then it began.

  Unibrow’s hands caught fire. She pulled back her arms and sent two steady streams of flames at Leo, who countered with a wall of water. The elements battled, hissing and spitting at each other, until both calls died. She hurled a fireball at him with lightning speed. He created an airfield, protecting him from the opposing element.

  She killed her fire call and switched to air, shattering Leo’s airfield with a blast so strong, it not only sent him flying, it knocked back several of the students standing too close on the sidelines.

  I hurried over to the students to make sure no one was hurt, doing my job as a healer while keeping my eye on the test. By the time I made it to the students, they’d all gotten back up and were once again engrossed in the show.

  “Wait, can they do that?” one student asked.

  Unibrow was now joined by Rob. They teamed up and battled Leo together. Not only was it unfair to have two Council members attacking him, but to have one of his best friends battling him, a best friend who knew every one of his weaknesses, was un-fucking-fair.

  Rob hurled fire at Leo, who deflected it with his primary. Unibrow called air, blasting a hole in Leo’s wall of water and leaving him wide open for what happened next. Rob sent a huge fireball through the opening. Leo dove out of the way just in time, rolled, and came back up, hitting Unibrow with a wave of wa
ter she didn’t see coming. It slammed into her, knocking her ass over teakettle. She pushed to her feet and wiped the excess water from her face, shaking her hands and sending drops flying.

  She leaned forward and took off at a sprint, running faster than humanly possible, which meant her air call must be powering her Bionic Woman impression. What was she going to do, body slam him? Was physical contact even allowed?

  Apparently it was, because that was exactly what she did. With her shoulder, she slammed into Leo’s midsection and sent them both flying. When they landed, she got back up. Leo stayed down.

  “Leo!” I shouted and ran out onto the field.

  Syd appeared out of nowhere and blocked me, shaking his head. “Healers do not take the field unless called.”

  “But he’s hurt!” I tried to get around him, but he continued to block my path. I could always teleport around him, but, knowing my luck, I’d wind up landing on the other side of the island.

  “Katy, I said no. The rules are there for a reason.”

  “I don’t care about the rules. He’s hurt.”

  The crowd clapped when Rob helped Leo to his feet. My fire elemental placed his hand on my water elemental’s shoulder, said a few words that earned him a nod, and backed up.

  Time for round two.

  Unibrow stepped up next to Rob. While she called fire, Rob switched to water. I smiled inwardly. Water was his weakest call and Leo’s primary. No way would he be able to take down my blue-eyed guy with his own primary, and I’m pretty sure he’d planned it that way.

  The two Council members fired at the same time, which I didn’t understand. Their calls canceled each other out. Leo used air to block the attack, which was exactly what I would have done.

  But then he did something I wouldn’t have done. He used air to send the water at Unibrow and the fire at Rob. The elements collided with the elementals and sent them both flying back. That was very cool.

  The audience erupted into cheers. He grinned weakly and glanced into the stands.

  “Leo, look out!” I cried.

  He turned just in time to catch the fireball Unibrow hurled at him right in the chest. He went down and rolled, but the fire wouldn’t go out. It grew in intensity and turned blue, much like my fire when it turned purple. Leo hollered and writhed.

  And then he stopped moving. Unibrow killed her call.

  Oh no. Oh God, no! I pushed past Syd and rushed to Leo’s side, dropping to my knees.

  “Who called for the healer?” Unibrow demanded.

  I ignored her and reached for him. He had blisters all over his beautiful face, his uniform had been charred beyond recognition, and his crazy curls were singed. I laid my hands on his chest and called water, pushing my control to him. He stirred and cringed, weakly trying to push me away.

  “No one called for you, healer.” Unibrow just wouldn’t let it go and grabbed me by the shoulder.

  Big mistake, unibrow pixie bitch.

  I sent her flying with a giant fireball. She wanted to play rough, I’d play rough. She wanted to fight with fire, she could fight me with fire, not my water elemental. I called more fire, keeping it dancing on her, intensifying it to purple, until she didn’t look much different than Leo. Blisters. Charred clothes. Singed hair.

  You’re welcome.

  “Stand down, Reed.” Rob grasped my wrist and called water, killing my fire call. I dropped my hand and returned my attention to Leo.

  It was then I realized I’d had my other hand on him the entire time I’d called fire. He no longer moved. “Leo?”

  No answer.

  I placed both hands on him and called water. He still didn’t move.

  “Leo? Leo! Answer me. Leo!” I called more water, which had no reaction. I switched to light and sent it through my palms, centering it in Leo’s core.

  Still, he didn’t move.

  “No,” I whimpered, horrified at what I’d done. “No, no, no. Leo. Come on. Come on!” I increased the strength of my light, pushing everything I had to him.

  “Katy,” Syd said from somewhere behind me. “Back away. Let me do this.”

  “No. I’ve got this.” I had to save him. I did this to him. I had to undo it.

  “Back away. That’s an order.”

  “Reed.” Rob hooked me around the waist and forced me back. I kicked. I dug my nails into his hands. I even tried headbutting his chin, but he’d expected every move.

  “He’s got a pulse, but it’s weak. Let’s get him to the infirmary.” Syd stood and nodded for a Council member to approach. Brooks, the tattooed hulk, gave me a look conveying exactly how I felt. Appalled. Frustrated. Defeated. He knelt next to Leo, placed his hands on his shoulders, and teleported them out.

  “I’m going with you.”

  Syd faced me and adjusted his rimless glasses as he squared his shoulders and shook his head. “You’ve done enough. Stay here and stand watch over the rest of the tribunals. Only enter the field when signaled. Is that clear?”

  “But—”

  “Katy.” He cut me off, his hand up. “Is that clear?”

  “Crystal.”

  He nodded to Unibrow. “You. Teleport us to the infirmary. I need to be sure you didn’t suffer any permanent damage from my assistant’s attack.”

  Attack? That wasn’t an attack. That was me defending my boyfriend. Way to turn this on me, Doc.

  “First years, take the field.” Dean Carter’s voice sounded above the chaos.

  “You’d better get to the sidelines,” Rob said and released his hold on me. “And when this is over, you and I are going to have words, Reed.”

  “I didn’t mean for him to get hurt. I was only trying to help. It wasn’t fair that two Council members ganged up on him like that.”

  “You don’t think that was by design? You heard Trina. This was two tests rolled into one. That requires two attackers. Leo agreed to it.”

  I didn’t realize any of that until he’d just pointed it out. Now I felt like an idiot. Humiliation burned my cheeks that I hadn’t put it all together. Then again, Leo was the master of the obvious. I was…not. Clearly.

  “We already had a plan. Leo knew he’d be battling two of us because I told him. When I found out they planned a double assault to speed up the testing, I volunteered as the second attacker. That’s why the guys were at the cabin last night. We were working out the plan and just finished when you texted me. Knowing you’d freak out if we told you, we covered it with that stupid board game.”

  “Y-you lied to me?”

  “No, we didn’t tell you everything. That’s not the same thing.”

  That made about as much sense as calling a huge guy Tiny or naming a Chihuahua Killer. “You kept it from me. That’s the same thing in my book.” I stormed off as betrayal burned behind my eyes.

  The rest of the day went by in a blur. The remaining first years were tested, most passing without issue, those discovered to have dark magic enhancing their powers escorted off. It was brutal, inhumane, and I wanted to cut every last member of the Council for putting these poor kids through it.

  I also just wanted it to be over so I could go to the infirmary and check on Leo.

  “Tomorrow,” Dean Carter announced, “we begin with second years.” He then regarded me. “Katy Reed, join me.” Cautiously, I did, glancing around at all the stares and whispered comments. When I reached the headmaster, he turned me to face the crowd. “We will begin with our most famous second year.”

  Wait. What? “You’re testing me?”

  “You are a second year,” he pointed out. At least he no longer broadcast his voice for the entire arena to hear.

  “But I’m also the prophecy—well, I was.”

  “No one is above reproach, Ms. Reed.”

  “The fact I saved us from dark elementals trying to destroy our world not once but twice doesn’t earn me a pass?”

  “Not this time. Besides, with the rumors circulating about you turning dark and attacking students, this will put e
veryone’s mind at ease when you prove to them you aren’t magically enhanced.”

  I held my hand against my side, hiding my palm in case it decided now, of all times, to glow. The throbbing, although faint, was there, the darkness pulsing through me. Shit and shinola. When they tested me, they’d find the magically enhanced element inside me for sure.

  I was so screwed.

  9

  By the time the sun had set on day two of the tribunals, I barely remained upright. Calling element after element, deciphering an elemental’s primary so I didn’t have to use light and short out everyone, took a lot of juice. How did Syd do this day in and day out?

  My mom had already disappeared with the rest of the Council members, leaving me feeling just as rejected and confused as I had when she’d disappeared, well…just about every other time in my life. Last night. Six years ago. I wanted to talk to her about how we’d fulfill the prophecy together as she’d said. I wanted to ask her why she’d vanished while I’d talked to Stace. But, most of all, I just wanted to spend time with her.

  That wasn’t happening tonight.

  I shuffled off the field and made a beeline for the infirmary to check on Leo, to make sure I didn’t do any permanent damage.

  “How’d today go?” Bryan asked, catching up to me.

  “It sucked.” I didn’t slow.

  “Where’s the fire?” He flashed a sideways grin when I glared at his choice of words.

  “Very funny.”

  Clay popped in, blocking me from moving. I pushed him out of my way. Of course, Rob teleported in right after him. I finally stopped and glared. “Do you guys mind?”

  “Not at all.” He hooked me around the waist and, in a flash of black, we popped out. The nothing swallowed me as we floated through some level of the void. It freaked the shit out of me. I flailed. I thrashed. I windmilled my arms and tried to run on air. All at the same time.

  We landed outside the ruins. The shell of stones that used to make up one of the watchtowers of the original academy usually drew me in when I was by myself. It was where Cressida Clearwater had the strongest presence and connected with me the best.