Page 52

M emories of that day fill my head as we run toward the smoke and scent of blood. I know what the chimeras are capable of; I know how scary they are, but right now I don’t have the luxury of being afraid.

These people need us.

Ryker and Lyle need us, even if they won’t fucking admit it.

I turn the corner, and the scene before me is enough to stop me in my tracks.

Everything is on fire.

People run in every direction while others scream from inside burning houses or lie dead in the street. Men, women, children, elderly, all walks of people—all heartbreaking.

Some have shifted and attempted to help, others try to use their magic, but the fire refuses to go out.

“Chimera magic is different. It’s rooted in darkness, which is the strongest of the elements. Normal elemental magic can’t affect it.” Ryker’s right next to me. I can feel him, but I can’t make myself look away from the carnage in front of me.

“We have to help them.”

“I’ll do what I can.” It’s more than I should ask for, selfish really.

I’m putting him in danger. What happens if Draven shows up and sees he’s helping us?

The thought makes my skin crawl, and it’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him to leave, to go back to the cabin.

But even after only knowing him for a short time, I know that will never happen.

Ryker won’t leave me here.

“Which one of them has the strongest control of water?” Ryker asks me, and this time I manage to look away as he moves behind me toward the guys, only to pause, waiting for my answer.

“The twins,” I say without hesitation. Back in the other realm, that had been their only element. “Why?”

Ryker doesn’t answer, instead grabbing my wrist and pulling me toward Storm.

I’m more than a little confused, but I decide to trust him. The same can’t be said for Storm, who is currently glaring at the place where Ryker’s fingers wrap around my wrist. A growl vibrating from him in warning.

Ryker ignores him as he walks up beside Storm, dropping my hand to his head and placing his on top of it.

“Tell your cat to make it rain,” he says in a rush as he looks back at the still-burning village, and it’s impossible to miss the way his eyes shine with concern for these people.

Ryker cares; I can see it. Hell, I’ve been on the receiving end of it a few times now. He’s a good person, or he would be if he got a choice in who he was.

The first drop of water falls from the sky and lands on my cheek, rolling down my face a lot like a tear would. I didn’t even have to tell Storm, which is a good thing because my mind is currently going about a million miles an hour, but nothing is happening.

Everything is overwhelming, and I feel like I’m not enough.

These people need more, need better than me.

Thunder rumbles in the sky, and purple lightning lights up the sky as the rain begins to fall harder and faster, soaking into my clothes and, more importantly, beginning to put out the fire.

My eyes go wide as I watch. At this rate, it will still take a little while, but it’s doing more than anyone else could do.

It’s not perfect. People are still hurt, dead, or dying, but it’s a start.

It’s hope.

I turn to Ryker, my lips pulled up in a smile that hurts my cheeks. It feels strange to be happy right now with so much sadness surrounding me, but I am. I have to hold on to the little things, the wins we do have, or I’ll lose myself.

He’s already looking at me, his gaze roaming over my face, the tender look in his eyes enough to make me feel like something is fluttering around in my stomach.

Our hands still rest together on the back of Storm’s head, and I don’t dare move, afraid the rain will stop.

The others are all moving now that the fire is being handled.

They run into buildings, pulling anyone alive to safety and steering those who can walk toward the forest with the others.

Garrett is healing people left, right, and center, and I wish I could help him; I wish there was more I could do.

Warmth on my cheek pulls me from my thoughts, and I turn my gaze back to Ryker. His thumb rests on my cheek, brushing away the raindrop that felt like a tear as he continues to look at me so intensely that I have to fight the urge to look away.

“Thank you.” I force the word out around the lump in my throat from his proximity, and I know he feels the way my cheeks heat. How could he miss it?

“I wish I could do more,” he says, and I know he means it.

Fuck, I hate his father.

“One day I’ll save you from him, I promise.” I don’t know what makes me say it now, with everything else going on around us, but I know it’s true.

I need him to know it too, to believe I see the good in him.

“You already did.” He ghosts his thumb over my lower lip, and it’s all I can do not to throw myself at him and press my lips to his. The memory of our kiss lives rent-free in my mind, and while I know he wouldn’t push me away, I also know now is not the time.

Before I can think of a good response, a roar vibrates through the air. The sound has all of us turning as Lyle comes charging full speed right toward us with at least half a dozen other chimeras at his back.

“Move!” Ryker shouts.

I do the exact opposite and freeze.

Thankfully, it seems like he was talking to Storm more than me.

His arm wraps around my waist, and I feel the shift in the air as his wings unfold behind him.

A moment later, we shoot up into the sky enough that it steals the air from my lungs.

Storm leaps out of the way, moving to where the others are helping people, ready to defend them.

Lyle’s bear slows to a stop where we’d just been standing as his eyes move to the sky, finding me as if drawn by a magnetic force.

Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I hold his gaze instead of looking away the way I so desperately want to.

I hate his white eyes, how lifeless they are compared to his usual hazel color. Fuck, I’d take a screaming match right about now. A lecture about my schoolwork or some other dumb argument we used to have that feels pointless now.

We’d fought about so many pointless things, but his soul isn’t one of them.

I’ll never give up on him. So long as he’s here, I’ll continue to fight for him. I can’t even imagine a world where I don’t; it’s not possible.

Lyle opens his mouth, and the sound that comes out of him is enough to turn my stomach. He’s always been big and loud, his growls and roars loud enough to hurt my ears even a mile away, but this hurt more than my ears with the broken, monstrous gurgle mixed in.

“You need to leave. We’ve saved who we can, but if you stay, I’m not sure you and your mates won’t end up hurt, and I can’t see you go through that again,” Ryker tells me, his mouth close enough to my ear that I can feel the heat of it.

Now is not the time to be turned on, but I can’t control the way my body reacts to him.

“I’m not leaving them,” I tell him, pushing my inappropriate thoughts aside to deal with later, or maybe never.

He groans, and I can picture his face, feel his glare on the back of my head.

“Why did I know you were going to say that?”

I’m pretty sure it’s a rhetorical question, but I roll my eyes, anyway. Why even try to make me leave if he knows better? Clearly, he doesn’t yet, but he will.

We watch as the other chimeras spread out. I count eight of them, nine with Lyle.

Thankfully, the guys seem to have gotten most people out now that the fire is out.

There are only a few houses left where I can hear anything other than wood shifting and embers smoldering.

The chimeras don’t seem to have a destination, instead mindlessly wandering, tearing apart anything that gets in their way, which is mostly half-destroyed houses.

It’s loud and sad to watch, but we can rebuild a village.

“Can you make them leave?” I ask Ryker, trying to rack my brain for a way to handle this even as my body screams in protest. All I want is to curl up into a ball and sleep. Using my powers so much is exhausting.

“What?” Ryker snaps like I asked the stupidest question he’s ever heard.

Rude.

“Can-you-make-them-leave?” I repeat slowly, like he’s the stupid one, turning to look over my shoulder at him.

He looks down at me, and I can see the smart-ass comment he wants to spit at me.

I guess that’s good; he’s definitely starting to understand conversation better.

The easy way we argue reminds me of our first meeting in the woods before we knew who each other were, and I realize I’d been doomed from that first meeting.

“I can try.” He finally settles on, and I can’t stop the smile that pulls at my lips.

One point for Serena.

“Don’t look so smug, it’s not going to work, so start thinking of a Plan B. One that preferably doesn’t end with you passed out cold again.”

I pull a face but can’t say much. Last time we went against his father, that’s exactly what happened, and I’d been out for days. I’d really rather that not happen again, but if it’s all I can do, then so be it.

Ryker flies us to one of the taller houses, and I feel Lyle’s eyes tracking our every move even if I don’t dare look his way. Right now, I have shit to do, and I won’t be able to think straight if I continue looking into those terrible white eyes, feeling sorry for myself.

Landing is a little rough, and I stumble, but Ryker keeps a hold on me until I’m steady.

“Sorry, I’m not used to extra weight. I’ve only ever flown myself,” he explains, still holding me despite me being steady on my feet now.

I don’t mind, though.

“It’s okay. You don’t need to apologize for saving me.” I take a small step back, and his hand falls away. His lips pull down in a frown that he quickly masks, giving me a jerky nod. I swear he’s adorable.