Patrick launched a ball of pressurized air at Xander. The younger man easily sidestepped and created a gust that sent the ball flying back at the Irishman. Patrick dove aside, narrowly avoiding being struck. As he tried to climb back to his feet, Xander slammed a downdraft on top of him, driving him onto the mosaic floor. Patrick groaned and managed to lift a hand just far enough to tap on the floor, ending the sparring match.
Xander released the driving wind and stepped back, his chest heaving with exertion. He was exhausted from day after day of training but he had never felt more alive. Everywhere he went, the wind whispered to him. He felt connected to every inch of the island.
The aunts and uncles clapped from the seats around the open courtyard.
“He’s getting better,” Alicia said.
“I taught him all he knows, you know,” Giovanni added with a wink.
Thea guffawed. “Then it’s your fault he still has so far to go.”
Giovanni laughed heartily. “You know you are impressed, principessa. You do not have to be coy with Giovanni.”
Xander walked over, beaming with pride. Patrick walked up behind him and patted him firmly on the back. “You did good, lad.”
“Did you see the match, Grandpa?” Xander asked as the elder man walked out of the central building.
“I saw the important part. I watched you beat up that poor old man.”
Everyone laughed as Patrick’s jaw dropped in mock indignation. “You know I’m not the only old man around here, right?”
His grandfather opened his mouth to respond but froze with his mouth partly agape. The others stopped laughing as well. Even Xander sensed it—a subtle shift in the drifting of the island. It was so subtle that its meaning would have normally been lost but those gathered in the courtyard knew its meaning all too well. Robert was warning them that someone was approaching the island!
The group scattered, taking refuge behind or inside the nearby buildings. Xander could sense the mixture of excitement and fear in the air. If the Fire Warriors had found them already, then this very well could be a fight for their very existence.
Behind him, Alicia drew the air to her like a vacuum, creating a small vortex around her body. Xander could hear the hum of building air pockets around the perimeter of the courtyard. They were going to be prepared for whatever was coming.
Nearly thirty feet up the wall of water, the swirling waterspout parted and a single, round-faced man emerged. His flight was unsteady and he dipped dangerously close to one of the red-roofed buildings. At the last possible moment, his angle changed and he shot upward again. Near the peak of his ascent, the man lost his concentration and plummeted back toward the island’s surface.
Giovanni broke from his hiding spot and shot skyward, catching the man only a few feet before he struck the tiled mosaic floor. The Italian drifted to the floor with the man cradled in his arms.
The other aunts and uncles retreated from their cover and rushed to Giovanni’s side as he touched down on solid ground. Xander saw his grandfather hurry over as well and followed the old man’s lead.
The Wind Warriors formed a circle around the plump man. His full cheeks were rose colored from exposure to intense winds. He had clearly been flying at an incredible pace to reach the island as quickly as he had. It wasn’t the man’s labored breathing or wind-swept face that concerned Xander. The side of his shirt had been burnt black and the soft skin beneath was blistered and scorched.
“Give him some air,” his grandfather demanded.
The aunts and uncles took a reserved step back but their worried expressions didn’t leave his face.
“Who is that?” Xander asked as his heart sank in his chest. He knew only one other Wind Warrior existed that he hadn’t met before but he had been on a special assignment, guarding Xander’s parents. If he was here, and burnt as he was, it could only mean bad news for his family.
“Who is that?” he repeated when no one responded.
“It is Bart,” Giovanni answered, placing a comforting arm around Xander’s shoulders. “It’s your Uncle Bart.”
Bart slowly opened his eyes and coughed hoarsely. Every breath seemed to cause pain through his body but he forced himself into a seated position. He looked up through red-rimmed eyes and stared at Xander’s grandfather.
“I’m sorry,” he said over and over again. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry,” his grandfather said. “Just tell me what happened.”
Bart took a deep breath and grimaced. With a slow exhale, he continued. “I was watching your son and daughter-in-law when I was ambushed by a Fire Warrior. He was far stronger than anything I’d seen before. I tried to hold him off but he burned me right through my strongest defenses. I wanted to stay, I really did, but I couldn’t.”
Tears streaked down his face. “I couldn’t fight him so I came here as quickly as I could to warn you.”
Xander staggered before collapsing onto a marble bench. The Fire Warriors clearly knew where Xander and his grandfather lived. Without Bart to defend them, there was no telling what damage someone like that would do to his parents.
“You did the right thing, Bart,” his grandfather said. “You wouldn’t have done any good staying there getting yourself killed.”
“I’m sorry,” Bart muttered again.
Xander’s sorrow turned to a burning anger. He pushed away from the bench and wiped the threatening tears from his eyes with the back of his sleeve.
“It’s a trap,” Thea said. “You know it is. There’s no possible way that a Fire Warrior defeats Bart so handily and then lets him live. He wants to draw you out.”
“Let him try,” Xander said to the gathered warriors.
His grandfather frowned. “I know you’re worried but Thea’s right.” He shook his head before Xander could reply. “But so are you. We can’t leave your parents undefended. I’ll go and check on them.”
“I’m going too.”
“Take a look at Bart. He is far stronger than you are and this Fire Warrior easily defeated him. We’re not dealing with the cannon fodder you and I fought in the park. Whoever this man is, he’s dangerous.”
Xander stepped forward, clenching and unclenching his fists. “That’s all the more reason why we should go with numbers on our side. They’re my parents. You can’t stop me from going.”
“He’s right,” Giovanni said. “I am the fastest of the flyers, no? I will go with the boy. If there is danger, no one will get you to safety faster than me.”
“I’m going too,” Bart said, pushing himself up from the ground.
“You can barely walk, Bart,” Thea said. “Don’t fool yourself.”
“Lay back down, sweetie,” Alicia said, patting Bart on the shoulder.
“It’s my fault his family’s in trouble,” Bart bellowed, his voice suddenly strong. “This happened on my watch and I’m going to make it right. End of discussion.”
“Then we all go,” Patrick said. “The whole bloody lot of us.”
“No,” his grandfather said quickly. “No, Thea’s right. This feels like a trap. If it is, I’d rather we not all be caught together. If something happens to us, we have to ensure some of the Wind Caste survives.
“You three will stay here on the island and protect Robert,” he continued. “If the Fire Warriors are moving against us, they may know about the island as well. Stay alert.”
His grandfather stepped away from the others and walked to Xander’s side. “Whatever happens, whatever we find, promise me you’ll stay alive.”
“If something has happened to them,” Xander said, “there won’t be a single Fire Warrior strong enough to stand in my way.”
They nodded to Giovanni, who created a strong gust of wind beneath their feet. The quartet lifted off the ground and launched into the air, passing smoothly through the wall of water and emerging out over the vast ocean. They accelerated faster and faster, quickly exceeding the speed he and his grandfather ha
d flown on their way to the island.
The wind whipped in Xander’s face, blowing his dark hair behind him and stinging his eyes. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the landmass quickly approaching. His family was in danger and he was coming to their rescue. He clenched his fist and prayed Giovanni could get them to White Halls before it was too late.
Wind Warrior Page 17
