Before the Storm

by Claire Ashgrove

  I lifted my gaze, realizing I was smiling. You make me happy came to mind, but just throwing that out there seemed weird. I shrugged. “Nothing really. Just looks so good.”

  He set a fork on both plates and pushed one to me. “Dig in then.”

  We both moved to the small dining table off the kitchen and grabbed seats across from each other. I did as instructed, and had to hold back a moan as the first bite hit my tongue. Simply put—he was a genius when it came to food. And if I ever had to cook for us, we’d probably starve, because I sure as hell couldn’t do anything that didn’t come somewhat already prepared.

  Throughout dinner, we exchanged conversation pleasantly, talking about everything but magic and my assignment for the day. But in the interludes of quiet, underlying tension stretched between us that built until I couldn’t take any longer and had to escape by taking our empty plates to the sink. I made a production of washing them and putting them in the dish dryer. And then I couldn’t procrastinate any longer.

  When I returned to the table to finish my wine, Kale swirled his glass thoughtfully. His gaze caught mine, at once serious and guarded. “Well?”

  We both knew what he meant. I squirmed uncomfortably. Unable to look at him, I focused on a whorl in the wood directly in front of me. “I read the book.”

  “What did you decide?”

  Oh, God, I didn’t want to have this conversation. Didn’t want to fight with him again. He wouldn’t understand, no matter how I tried to explain. I took a gulp of wine to buy another moment of aversion.

  “I have to try, Kale.”

  “Damn it,” he muttered beneath his breath. Then he shoved away from the table and strode to the front room. He paced for several seconds, saying nothing.

  I waited, feeling the explosion build, seeing it gather strength with each flex of his hand.

  He stopped abruptly, facing the bookcase. But the bellow never came. When he spoke, his voice was deadly calm. “We will fail, Halle.”

  A spark of anger ignited. I choked it down—fighting wouldn’t accomplish anything. Now was the time for logic. Though sadly, it had never been my strong point. I stayed in my seat, concentrated on keeping my voice level. “You don’t have to go with me, but I have to try.”

  That was evidently enough to set off the powder keg. Kale whipped around, all but bellowing, “Not go with you? Like hell I don’t. You can barely handle your magic.”

  “No, I can.” I rushed to my feet. “I learned how today. I’m not like you, Kale. Not like any of the Tolvenar.” If I could just make him understand, then he’d realize it wasn’t as futile as he believed. “I’m what Rafini is. A windwalker.”

  “Like hell you are,” he growled.

  Understanding crashed around me. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe. He wouldn’t have handed me the book if he thought the possibility was ludicrous. No, he didn’t want me to be a windwalker. Because if I chose to follow that path, he would be forced to embrace my eventual death.

  Kale cared too much about me to ever accept losing me. I swallowed hard, choked by an enormity of feeling. I really mattered to him.

  “I never thought you were stupid,” he muttered. “But right now I’m questioning whether I was wrong.”

  Oh, that was a low blow, and my pride refused to allow it, even if I did understand what drove him. Without thinking, I snatched the throw pillow and chucked it at him. It smacked him in the face. “You want to throw insults? Fine. You’re an ass. A selfish jerk who only cares about what he wants.”

  “What I want?” He caught the pillow and threw it aside. “What the hell are you talking about? I’ve spent every day working with you to help you.”

  “No you haven’t. It’s not for me. It’s for the camarilla, for your father. For you, because you don’t want to accept the leadership. If I defeat my uncle, you don’t have to.”

  “That’s insane!” Kale shouted.

  Tufty tucked his head beneath his wing, cowering where he lay in the corner of the couch. His movement drew my attention.

  “Is it? The one thing I’ve wanted, the one thing that has really mattered to me, you’ve shut down. Well damn it, so what if I fail! This is my life. And I refuse to go through it regretting having never tried to help my mother. If trying to save her, kills me, at least I tried.”

  “And what about your uncle then? What about your sister? How will you help her dead?” Hot color infused his cheeks, and his voice rose over mine.

  “Don’t play to my emotions, Kale. You’ve never cared about my sister before. You took me away from helping her.”

  “I took you away before you did something foolish that got you killed!”

  I stopped, took a deep breath, and stared him down. When he remained silent, defiantly challenging me with his eyes, I countered with a flat and level tone. “Bullshit.”

  Kale threw his hands to the side then shoved both through his hair. “You are being completely unreasonable.”

  I pursed my lips, unwilling to continue the debate.

  He held my gaze as if waiting for me to change my mind. Like if he glared at me long enough, I’d come to my senses and agree to give up the idea of going after my mother. As if he might will me to do so.

  “Damn it!” He stalked to the door. “Have it your way. We’ll leave on your suicide mission at dawn.”

  Then, as he had the night before, he jerked the door open and stalked away.

  The jarring slam as he yanked the door closed behind him, made me shudder. But my own anger sizzled in his wake. Like hell I was going to endure any more time fighting with him. He’d never understand, because he was intent on not understanding. He didn’t want to go, and damned if I’d have him tag along insulting me the entire way.

  Screw him.

  Without consciously thinking about what I was doing, I stalked to my bedroom, cursing Kale beneath my breath every step of the way. I wasn’t going to put up with his arrogance, with his superior attitude. I didn’t need him to look out for me—I’d been doing just fine for years. Maybe my magic wasn’t fine-tuned, but I understood it now. And if he’d given me the opportunity to show him, he’d have realized that too.

  But he wouldn’t give me the opportunity, because nothing would convince him this was a logical endeavor.

  I shook my pillow out of the case and shoved a pair of jeans inside, along with a T-shirt, and my heavy sweatshirt.

  Couldn’t he see I needed his support more than anything?

  I stalked to the kitchen and jerked open the cabinet doors. The rice cakes, crackers, and other inedible stuff I hadn’t touched tumbled into my bag with a sweep of my arm. Kale might care, but he didn’t get the most important thing—I needed him to believe in me. And he didn’t. He didn’t want to.

  I came to a stop in front of the book, map, and brass cuffs. Emerging from my haze of fury, I glanced down at the baggy pillow case in my hand. Was I really doing this? Striking off on my own?

  A moment of trepidation pulled my gaze to the door. Then, decisive, I nodded. Yes. I was.

  I put the map, dagger, and cuffs inside my bag and tied the open end in a knot. My gaze fell to Tufty. Should I use that spell and change him back? I probably ought to. I reached for the book that contained the binding information.

  As my fingertips grazed the spine, I changed my mind. No. If I left Tufty like he was, I’d be that much more determined to get out of the Yaksini mines.

  Letting out a sigh, I stroked his soft head. “I’ll be back, little buddy. I promise.”

  With that, I went to the door, took one last look around the little apartment that had become home, then slipped into the hall and closed the door firmly behind me.

  Twenty-four

  It wasn’t hard to orient myself outside the camarilla’s base, and I struck a determined pace in the direction Kale had pointed the night before. But the heavy overgrowth of trees quickly made twilight more like midnight, and the woods came alive with the
sounds of night. Creatures stirring in the leaves. Twigs snapping. Crickets singing, then falling eerily silent.

  My nerves began to fail, and I found myself jumping at every slight noise.

  Relax. You’ve been in the woods at night dozen times.

  Taking a deep breath, I gathered my courage and stopped at a large, flat rock to look at his map more carefully. The last thing I wanted to do was stumble into Yaksini territory unaware. And maybe it was time to put up a shield or two…just in case.

  With one more uneasy glance at the looming shadows, I closed my eyes and focused on one of the protective spells Kale had taught me early on. He used it frequently in our spars, so I figured it was strong enough for just about anything. Given no one ever knew exactly what I might summon.

  It took three attempts before I felt the energy weave around me and snap into place. Three frustrating attempts, and when it did come together, a sharp pain shot through my left side. Sharp enough to double me over and leave me wheezing. I didn’t understand—I did everything the way Rafini suggested, and yet I struggled. It couldn’t be this difficult.

  You’re just distracted. Calm down.

  Maybe it would be easier, once I managed to swallow my heebie-jeebies.

  I drew my legs up onto the rock, pulled the map out of my pillow case, and smoothed it open. One quick glance told me I was in trouble. He’d only drawn the mines, not anything leading up to them. Damn.

  Now what? I squinted at the trees, frustration mounting. Another twig snapped to my left, followed by the hasty rustling of leaves. I whipped my head toward the commotion as icy fear trickled down my spine. What spell to call? What defense would be the best?

  The rustling grew closer. My hands began to tremble. Slowly, I rose to my feet, facing whatever was rushing through the undergrowth. Too big for a mouse. Too large for a bear. Too slow for a rabbit.

  It would erupt through a tangle of vines and shrub any second now.

  One…

  Frantically, I searched my memory for something appropriate and settled on ice shards. They seemed the most likely to deal damage, without doing something crazy like setting the entire forest on fire.

  Two…

  Shit, I didn’t have time! I scrambled to focus on gathering my internal energy. Louder now—I could hear claws scraping over smaller rocks. And I still wasn’t ready, still didn’t have my shit together enough to—

  A raccoon scurried out of the shrubbery, shot across my path a few inches from my feet, and disappeared into the wilderness.

  “Jesus,” I mumbled, stumbling back. “A freaking raccoon.” I seriously needed to get hold of myself. How was I supposed to fight dangerous non-living creatures if a raccoon nearly sent me into hysterics?

  We will fail, Halle. Kale’s words came back to haunt me.

  And with them, I found new strength. Like hell I was going to fail. If for no other reason, I wouldn’t let him be right. Annoyance replaced the jangle of my nerves, and I plopped back down on the rock. I needed a plan. Something more solid than stumbling through the woods until I happened onto the mines, and then barging my way inside.

  Something that gave me the upper hand.

  Maybe invisibility—I’d have a good chance of seeing a possible threat before they saw me.

  Then again, Kale once said magic could be seen, and he certainly hadn’t had any difficulty spotting me. Invisibility might buy me a few seconds, but nowhere near enough time to pull a full spell together. Besides, I still hadn’t figured out how I’d undone that spell. No, I needed something more reliable.

  Like the ability to really blend in with the plants and trees.

  Unfortunately, I’d never read anything like that, so it was pretty much wishful thinking. Then again, if my magic came from the ancient dragons, and the spells in the camarilla I’d read didn’t, maybe I hadn’t discovered the secret to becoming a tree because regular sorcerers didn’t know how.

  Intrigued by the possibility, I cocked my head and stared at the crinkling bark on an old ash tree. It couldn’t be that impossible. I could focus on making my skin take on that appearance then consider my hair. I’d have to deal with my face, but maybe the hair part would take care of that.

  Something Rafini had written surfaced in my memory. We are limited only by the logic others impose upon us.

  That was why I was here—Kale had tried to make me believe his logic. So why shouldn’t I dare to consider I might be able to emulate a tree?

  I closed my eyes once more, concentrating on what I wanted to occur, envisioning myself as something with bark, branches, and leaves. Deep within me, something stirred the same way it did each time I tried Rafini’s method of calling on my inner powers. That flutter told me I wasn’t out of my league. This was possible. It was just a matter of making it happen.

  A long, solitary howl echoed through the wilderness.

  Whatever I’d awakened within me bolted back to slumber as my eyes snapped open, and I stared at the trees in shock. No coyote called with that much richness. They were higher, sharper, and their howls didn’t last as long.

  The last time I’d heard that sound—

  Something heavy crashed through the wilderness directly in front of me. Heavy and fast.

  Shit!

  I fell back on the methods I’d practiced with Kale for so long and opened myself completely to the flow of magic. I didn’t care what sort of defensive spell came out, so long as it blasted that creature into oblivion.

  Meanwhile, I intended to take protective measures.

  I scanned the elm I’d been studying, stood on the rock, and jumped for a low-hanging branch. My fingers grazed the bark as another heavy thump-thump pounded closer. Twenty feet away. Maybe less.

  Come on.

  I jumped again.

  Saplings toppled beneath the weight of something bearing down upon them. Leaves crumpled, the tearing sound as they shredded into bits booming like gunfire in the dark.

  I put everything I had into jumping for that branch. My knuckles jammed into the bark. Pain arced up my arm, and I fell flat on my ass, staring at the shifting foliage. Raspy breathing filled my ears.

  Pant. Pant.

  A low, menacing snarl reverberated through the forest, and fear seized me. I felt a scream build, but it caught in my throat. Two glowing red eyes glinted a scant five feet from my toes.

  I scrambled backward, desperately trying to gain footing. But it was useless. The creature burst through the vines and gnarled undergrowth, vicious white fangs snapping.

  Jadukara. The wolf’s ebony coat held the appearance of living shadows; only the very tips that were fringed with silver created a distinguishable outline. Though the rock I sat on stood a good foot above its head, it leapt on top with ease. Muzzle lowered to the flat stone, it crept forward with predatory hunger glinting in those terrifying eyes.

  I crab-crawled backward, panic lacing my lungs together. I had no spells prepared; the damned dagger was still in my pillow case. I needed to get the fuck out of here. Fast.

  Before my fingers could wrap around the edge of the rock, the beast before me blurred. A hot gust of air washed across my face, and as I blinked, a man stood before me. Long platinum hair flowed down his back, rich and luxurious. Where scarlet eyes had bored holes through me, shards of onyx glinted against his alabaster skin. His features were quite feminine, delicate nose, high arching brow, defined cheekbones. But the button-down shirt and loose trousers highlighted a masculine physique.

  My breath caught for a moment, and I stared, spellbound not only by his stunning presence but that he had transformed from that shadowy wolf.

  In the next instant, his hand shot forth so fast I caught only a blur of movement. He caught me by the ankle, his grip a steel vise locked around my flesh by claw-like ebony nails. I couldn’t help but cry out as fire seared beneath my skin. Cold fire. Like ice had melted in my veins.

  He pulled, dragging me an inch closer to him. Ro
ck cut into my hands as I gripped hard, fighting his hold. “Get the fuck off me!” With my free foot, I kicked at his hand.

  “You bleed.” His voice rasped eerily around me, and those dark haunting eyes glinted even darker. The hint of a sneer marred his beautiful mouth. In the dim light, I glimpsed the unmistakable glint of unnaturally sharp teeth.

  What the…? I glanced at where his hand held me and found no sign of blood. “Fuck off!” Again, I kicked.

  Only this time, he used my momentum against me and twisted my leg at an awkward angle. Forced to release my hold on the rock or dislocate my hip, I let go. He easily flipped me onto my back.

  Panic surged through me. My heart raced. My lungs tightened. I grabbed for another hold on the rock, but the effort was futile—my nails broke to the quick.

  Oh, God, I was going to die here.

  He yanked hard, and my shirt caught on a jagged protrusion. My bare belly scraped over the rock. I fought with all I was, bucking and writhing for freedom. My elbows connected with the stone, my knees, my ribs as well. But I felt none of the pain, only the sheer desperation to escape. I didn’t know what he intended to do, but I damn sure didn’t plan on discovering what type of damage those horrifying teeth could do.

  I don’t know what happened next. All I recall was agony tearing through my leg. The heat. Incredible heat as blood poured down my leg. A hell of a lot of blood. The strange realization that if I died here I would have proven Kale right followed on the heels of that excruciating pain.

  In rapid-fire succession, three blinding flashes of white split the darkness. The lower half of my body dropped to the rock like I’d been body-slammed. I gasped for air, waited for the felling blow that would inevitably come.

  And nothing happened.

  Slowly, the forest crept into my awareness. The rustle of a breeze. The faint chirp of crickets. A distant owl calling out to the night.

  I pulled in a short, sharp breath and glanced over my shoulder. Where the man had stood, nothing but a pile of charred clothes remained. On either side of that smoldering heap, three black singe marks scored into the rock.

  Lightning. It was me.