Steam

by Lynn Tyler

  Sunny watched as he hit the number one on the phone’s keypad and raised it to his ear. “Who are you calling?” she asked as they hurried to Matthew’s car.

  “Raven,” he said as he cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder and unlocked the car, shoving her inside.

  Apparently, Raven picked up right away because Matthew started talking almost immediately. “Rave, I’m pretty sure Sunny and I ran into a Takahashi witch at the pub. We’re coming home right now.”

  He tossed the phone to Sunny. “Here, keep Raven on the line until we get to the castle,” he ordered as he stuck the key in the ignition.

  Sunny raised the phone to her ear. “Raven?” she asked. She wasn’t really sure what else to say. She was nervous but then again, maybe Matthew had made a mistake.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Raven crooned, clearly trying to keep her calm. “Matthew will get you here fast and we’ll get everything sorted out.”

  Of course, the car would have to start in order for them to get anywhere. “Shit,” Matthew muttered.

  Sunny glanced over and saw his hands shaking so badly, he could barely grip the key, let alone turn it in the ignition. “Maybe I should drive,” she said, already halfway over the seat.

  Matthew ignored her and finally succeeded in starting the car. “Raven,” he called out, even though Sunny was still holding the phone against her ear. “I remembered where I saw the Takahashi before. He was in the picture you showed me from thirty years ago. The one you said was probably a Takahashi handler.”

  “Fuck,” Raven breathed. “Get out of there now.”

  Before Sunny could relay the message, there was a deafening thump from behind and the car lurched.

  Sunny dropped the phone on the seat and looked over her shoulder. The Asian from the pub crouched on the trunk, staring in with a wicked smile.

  “Fuck,” Matthew shouted. “Raven, get people here now. We’re about to become involved in a confrontation.”

  Sunny reached over and locked the car doors automatically, not that it really mattered. If the guy wanted to get in, he would break the window. “Drive,” she screamed at Matthew.

  The car shot forward, but a loud screeching sound caused Matthew to jam the brakes, nearly throwing her through the windshield. Sunny hit the window headfirst but luckily, she stayed inside the car. She shook her head, trying desperately to stop it from spinning. “Fucking hell,” Matthew shouted. “It’s definitely a Takahashi handler.”

  Still dizzy, she fought to understand what was going on. Ravenʼs voice was screaming from the phone, which was on the floor. He hollered about how he, Anna, Sloan, and Leith were on their way.

  The loud screeching started again and Sunny clutched her head as the sound drove into her brain like a knife. Matthew put his face in front of her. “We have to get out of the car,” he screamed.

  She scrambled after him, ignoring the nausea the sudden movement caused, and slid through the opening where the door used to be.

  Wait. The entire side of the car was missing, peeled off like the rind of an orange. And if she wasn’t mistaken, it took her feet a few seconds longer to meet solid ground than she had expected.

  She blinked hard, trying to focus on what was going on but her brain refused to accept the fact that the car was hovering nearly a foot in the air. A chunk of metal flew past her, narrowly missing her head. She heard Matthew’s pained cry behind her and spun around to see the twisted piece of metal pin his leg to the ground.

  It suddenly hit her that Matthew had no magic and it was completely up to her to protect them.

  A protectiveness like she’d never known before welled through her. Matthew was her friend, a real friend. She was sure he wouldn’t abandon her, unlike all her other so called friends in her life. She would protect this man to her very last breath, if it came down to it.

  Her mind cleared, all pain forgotten. Moving so Matthew was directly behind her, Sunny eyed the other handler. He’d stopped throwing things at them and eyed her suspiciously. “You look a little small to be the new handler,” he called.

  She would show him. The ball of fire she summoned was hotter and bigger than anything she’d ever summoned before. She threw it toward the other handler and it collided with a metal shield, presumably the side of Matthew’s car.

  The feedback from her magic colliding with the other handler’s sent vibrations up her arms and the pain in her head, which she’d managed to forget, came back with a vengeance. Still, she held the magic, forcing the flames higher and hotter until the makeshift shield melted.

  The magic flowed through her, unchecked, and started to flare out of control. She could hear Sloan’s voice behind her, screaming at her to pull the magic back but it was too late. The other handler’s eyes widened and he ceased his magic, disappearing from view.

  “I have to hold the illusion,” Raven shouted.

  Sunny was confused. What illusion?

  Sloan was suddenly at her side. “Sunny,” he said urgently. “Concentrate. Pull back on the flames a little. Raven can only hold the illusion the other handler set up for so long.”

  She had no idea what everyone was talking about but she did what they’d trained her to do. She emptied her mind of everything but the flames and calmly called it back.

  The fire seemed to laugh in her face and instead of extinguishing, it flared even higher. Several cars that lined the streets were completely engulfed and some of the buildings were starting to burn. No matter how much she calmed herself and tried to call the magic back into her being, it ignored her.

  “Sloan,” Raven croaked. “I can’t hold it much longer.”

  “Anna,” Sloan shouted. “We need to call up a rainstorm.”

  It took a few seconds but Sunny felt the first drops of rain sizzle off her skin. Soon, it was pouring and the flames were slowly diminishing.

  With the fire dying out, Sunny was able to take control of her magic again and pulled back on some of the flames. She was sweating and ready to vomit within thirty seconds. Her head felt like it was going to explode and the pressure, which she’d come to associate with a buildup of magic, was staggering.

  Next to her, Raven finally collapsed. “Sunny, relax and sit down,” he ordered weakly. “Let Sloan and Anna hold the rainstorm until the firefighters get here.”

  She did as he directed, collapsing next to him and laying her aching head in his lap. People started streaming out of buildings, screaming and calling for the fire department. She finally realized Raven had been holding some sort of magical illusion in order to keep the ruckus under wraps. “You have some explaining to do,” she said. “Like why the fuck was that handler able to make things fly around.”

  Raven looked contrite. “We may have forgotten to mention…different clans have control of different things. The Takahashi clan has control of things like telekinesis and mind reading.”

  Sunny sighed but didn’t say anything. Her head hurt too much to process that information right then. She’d figure it out and give the appropriate person hell for not telling her later.

  Sirens wailed in the distance, and Sunny managed to push up enough to look for Matthew. Leith was behind him, supporting him even as the younger man clutched his leg. She tried to drag herself over to them, but Raven grabbed her wrist and forced her back to his lap. “Leith will take care of him. You need to stay still and wait for the paramedics yourself.”

  “Paramedics?” she asked.

  “You’re bleeding,” Raven said, wiping some moisture off her face she’d thought was sweat and rain, and showing her the red liquid on his fingers.

  Tears filled her eyes. Now that the initial adrenaline rush was wearing off, Sunny was feeling the effects of the battle. Every part of her body hurt. She didn’t want to go to the hospital. All she wanted to do was find a bed, snuggle up with Sloan and sleep for the next two days.

  The noise around her increased and two strangers bent over her. “Let’s see what we have here,” one said.
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br />   Sunny tensed but Raven stroked her hair. “It’s just the paramedics. Relax.”

  She knew Raven wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. She really did. But everything in her called out for Sloan.

  A bright light was flashed in her eyes and she groaned when a shaft of pain streaked through her brain. She could hear the paramedic saying something about a concussion and for her to hold tight while they checked on the other victim.

  Finally, Sloan dropped down next to her. He was covered in soot, soaking wet and mad as hell. He was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Her heart skipped a beat as she reached for him. He would shelter her. He would support her. He would take her home and sleep beside her until she felt better.

  “What the hell was that?” Sloan whispered furiously.

  Sunny blinked. It was not exactly the response she’d been expecting.

  “Sloan,” Raven said softly.

  Sloan’s brown eyes snapped with anger. “Your little display of magic nearly killed all of us. Stop playing and grow up, little girl.”

  “Sloan,” Raven said again and this time, it was a clear warning.

  She pulled herself up so she sat back against Raven.

  “No. Listen up, Sunny. You are a handler. You hold an immense amount of power you clearly aren’t ready for. I don’t know what to do about you anymore. You need to try harder before you kill yourself. God, I can’t even be around you right now.”

  The water handler stormed off, leaving her reeling in Raven’s arms. Sunny turned her face into his chest and started to sob.

  Funny how she hadn’t realized she’d fallen in love with Sloan until the man had broken her heart.

  Chapter 18

  Sloan paced the waiting room, trying desperately to stop his hands from shaking. He hated hospitals with a passion. The only thing worse than the white walls of the room were the pale green, lumpy couches. How was one supposed to sit comfortably while waiting for news of their loved one? Maybe that was the point. He wasn’t supposed to be comfortable while Sunny and Matthew were suffering.

  Anna was curled up in a corner of one of those couches, picking at a string sticking out of the hem of her T-shirt. “They’ll be okay,” she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

  Sloan nodded but didn’t stop his pacing. He needed to move if he was going to have to be confined in this room. He still hadn’t gotten over the sight of Sunny, pale and bleeding, fending off the Takahashi handler all by herself. She’d been surrounded by flames and for one second, it had been magnificent.

  When the Takahashi handler had taken off into the night, he had been torn between chasing the man and going to Sunny.

  Then the fire had roared out of control and not even the fire handler could survive being engulfed in flames. He’d called down the rain so fast, it had made him dizzy and still, it hadn’t been enough. Anna had had to stir the currents, creating a massive storm, in order to even control half of the flames.

  Sunny had eventually gotten a hold of the fire and called it back into her, a process he knew could be painful if the magic had gotten too big. He’d just about lost it when she’d collapsed but had enough presence of mind to make sure any fire near his loved ones was extinguished before he’d rushed over to her.

  She’d been so still for a moment, he thought she’d passed away and his heart had died right there with her. The pain was immeasurable, more acute than anything he’d ever experienced. His capability to function had been stripped from him, and he knew Raven or Leith would have to take him down, to kill him, because without Sunny, Sloan would go rogue in a matter of days. The destruction he would have caused on his rampage would have been catastrophic.

  Then she’d moved, trying to pull herself up. And he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. Instead of confessing his love for her like he should have, he’d let his rage at himself, at his inability to protect her when she’d needed it most, come leeching out, and the words had been out of his mouth before he could stop them.

  The look on her face had confirmed it wasn’t his brightest move ever, but he hadn’t known how to fix it. Before he could even attempt to apologize, the paramedics had come back and loaded her into the back of an ambulance. Raven had shot him a deadly look and climbed in the back with her, leaving him to follow behind with Anna.

  Raven had met them in the waiting room, and other than confirming he hadn’t been hurt, hadn’t spoken a word to Sloan since.

  The door swung open, and all three of them looked up hopefully. Leith staggered in, looking like he’d been through a war. His long hair was loose around his shoulders and there were lines of stress around his eyes that hadn’t been there a few hours ago. No one had been able to pry him from Matthew’s side.

  Raven shot to his feet and rushed to Leith. “Matthew?”

  Leith covered his face with his hands for a few seconds. “His leg is broken badly,” he answered with a thick brogue. “He’s goin’ into surgery now. But the doctors assure me he’ll be fine.”

  Raven slumped suddenly and Leith caught him. “Raven,” Leith gasped as he bore Raven’s weight.

  Sloan rushed over and supported his leader from behind. “Rave, are you hurt?”

  The leader slowly straightened. “Sorry, I’m just relieved. Matthew means a lot to me.”

  A low growl ripped through the room, but everyone ignored it. Leith bowed slightly. “I’m sorry for the outburst, Raven. I know ye’r quite fond of Matthew.”

  Leith strode away to the window and stared outside. Raven sat back down, and Anna moved closer, patting his hand. Sloan resumed his pacing.

  Another half an hour passed and there was still no news about Sunny. Sloan was starting to think he was going to go mad. No one had said a word since Leith had come in and the silence was starting to get to him. “Raven, we need to put a push on Sunny’s training,” he said to break the silence.

  Leith didn’t say a word, not that Sloan had expected them too. Anna nodded and started pulling on her shirt’s loose string. It was Raven’s silence that surprised him. “Raven?”

  The leader didn’t even look at him. “Now’s not the time,” he answered.

  Sloan stopped his pacing and stared at Raven. “I thought we might want to make use of our time.”

  Again, Raven didn’t answer.

  “What, are you not talking to me or something?” he spat, trying desperately to figure out what his leader was thinking.

  Raven finally looked up at him and there was murder in his eyes. “I’m too angry with you to say anything right now.”

  Apparently Raven had been paying attention when Sloan had gone off on Sunny.

  The awkward silence settled over the room again and this time, it was Raven who started pacing.

  Finally, a nurse entered the room. “Are you all here for Sunny Kerrigan and Matthew Samuels?”

  “Yes,” Raven said, coming to a stop in front of her.

  Sloan’s mouth dried and his heart attempted to beat its way out of his chest. He stood up and hurried to stand next to Raven. Even Leith joined them, his mouth drawn in a tight line.

  The nurse flipped through her notes. “Right. Mr. Samuels is leaving the recovery room now. He came through the surgery just fine. You’ll have to wait until he’s sufficiently awake, and then the doctor can give you more details on exactly what was done.”

  Leith’s quick exhale was audible through the entire room, and Sloan glanced at the man he’d known all his life. It was clear the man was relieved, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Leith didn’t return Matthew’s feelings, even a little.

  His attention was dragged back to the nurse when she started talking about Sunny. “Ms. Kerrigan is just finishing up with her MRI.”

  Eventually, they were allowed to go to the rooms. Leith and Anna went to Matthew’s room while Sloan went with Raven to Sunny’s.

  Sunny looked so small and fragile lying in the hospital bed. All Sloan wanted to do was carry her home, drape her in bubble wrap so she couldn’t get h
urt again, and never let her out of his sight.

  Raven approached the bed. “Sunny? Love? How are you feeling?”

  A small, pale hand reached for Raven’s and Sloan was struck by how tiny she actually was. Her personality and strength always made her seem so much bigger. He edged a little closer to hear her answer. “My head really hurts and I’m pretty nauseous, but I’m alive, so that’s all that matters, right?”

  Raven leaned over her and stroked her hair. “I’m so glad you’re okay. You’ve gotten under my skin, love, and I would be sad if something happened to you.”

  For a moment, Sloan wondered if it was possible to actually turn green from envy, because jealousy buffeted him so hard, he wanted to smack the other man around.

  And then, his heart broke with her next words. “Can someone else train me?”

  For the first time since his first wife’s death, Sloan wanted to cry, but he understood her request.

  Sighing, Raven stroked her hair again. “Sorry, Sunny, but Sloan is still the best person to help you train.” Raven’s silent “even if he’s a prick” rang in the quite room.

  “Okay,” she said softly. “How’s Matthew?”

  If Raven was surprised by her easy agreement, he didn’t show it. “He’s got a broken leg, but he’ll be fine.”

  She nodded and then winced, grabbing her head as if it was about to roll off her shoulders. Sloan flinched himself. He wished he could take the pain for her, but that was impossible. So was crawling into bed with her, if the looks Raven was shooting him were to be trusted.

  “I’m glad,” she whispered. “Tell him I’m sorry about his car. It was a really nice one.”

  Raven’s laugh was a little watery. “I’ll buy him a new one, don’t worry. Just get better. I’m going to check in on Matthew now. Will you be okay by yourself?”

  What the hell was Raven talking about? She wouldn’t be by herself. Sloan was going to stick to her like glue from now on. “I’ll stay,” he clarified.

  Of course, both of them ignored his statement. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’m just going to sleep.”