Zephyr held his hands out in surrender, and then his eyes went far away as he replayed what’d happened to Skye.
“I spoke with a few other people,” Rafe said with a heavy sigh when they were done. “They think this storm was some act of God.”
“Because it was,” Aiden said, shocking all of us. “He’stheir God, that’s what Landon told you, right? Something must have happened here, and they think he’s punishing them.”
Rafe and I turned to stone.
“What,” Rafe said slowly. “The fuckis he talking about?”
Skye gulped, and Aiden looked apologetic.
“Landon says the cult calls Crusader their God, he thinks Skye is a Goddess because of her Telekinesis, Landon asked her to kill him because he couldn’t kill himself, Skye said no and then did it anyway during the battle. Did I miss anything?” Zephyr looked to Skye, and she rubbed her eyes miserably while shaking her head.
“Sorry, baby.” Aiden murmured.
Skye only hugged her shoulders.
Rafe scrubbed a hand down his face, but thankfully didn’t say anything that would lead to digging his own grave.
As for me, I wasn’t exactly shocked. I’d heard Landon call hergoddess, I’d just convinced myself I’d misunderstood him. The only other option was that he was involved with her sexually in the same way as Aiden, and I that idea made me more than a little murderous.
“What if the stormwasan act of God?” I said slowly after several seconds of tense silence.
Rafe looked at me like I was insane, but I held up my hand.
“The woman with the little girl said something…about atempest. That’s another word for storm.” I said.
“So?” Zephyr scoffed.
“The storm,” Skye said, her gaze far away. “Landon was trying totell me something about a storm. I thought maybe he meant the fire, but…”
“You think he meant the storm in the Gulf?” Zephyr sat up straighter. “But why? What would that mean?”
Rafe chewed his lip. “The man who attacked Aiden also mentioned a tempest.”
“That’s not a coincidence,” Aiden said.
“No, it’s not.” Rafe agreed, huffing in frustration.
“What if…it was Wilson? They were clearly together when I saw them. What if…what if the Crusader…wields her like a weapon? Isn’t that what he does with all his collected affinates anyway?” I said slowly, my mind racing.
“That’s why he’s after me, isn’t it?” Skye said slowly. “He’s going to make me…do something for him?”
“Landon told you that you and the Crusader had the same affinities, though.” Zephyr said. “What would he need you for?”
“To hone something,” Aiden said. “Like how you can’t always…use yourthirdaffinity.”
My brain screeched to a halt, and Rafe spoke first, his voice a little harsh.
“Whatdoes that mean?”
“None of your business,” Zephyr said darkly, his friendly switch having been flipped.
I’d never seen someone so night and day before. It would’ve been irrefutably annoying if it weren’t in defense of his sister.
Skye’s cheeks were red, and she crossed her arms defensively. “Come on, Zephyr. They’re going to find out eventually.”
She looked to Aiden, who tilted his head to Rafe. Rafe opened up their minds, then blinked several times before looking to me.
