Rafe barked a loud laugh, and Skye winced, causing her to bump into me. I steadied her, and her silver eyes flashed to mine in a mixed look of shock and horror. She quickly pulled away from me, crossing her arms defensively as Rafe began to speak. It’d happened so fast, only Aiden seemed to have noticed, and he only narrowed his eyes at me.
“You’re implying that this woman has a hidden affinity for storms? And somehow no one’s ever noticed this before? In theGulf?”
Rafe was good. It did sound crazy. The Gulf was forever scarred from the massacre. They’d have burnt a storm affinate at the stake the moment that affinity awakened.
“You think I started the storm?!” Skye cried. “Our parents were killed in the massacre, you dick!”
Stevens realized the hole in his logic, and he shook his head. “I don’t think she has a storm affinity. But I do think the two of you took advantage of the storm. My neighbors piss me off, too–”
“I’ve heard enough,” Zephyr snapped. “I didn’t do shit to my neighbors, and neither did my sister. We were here, spreading sandbags just like we did for the last storm.”
Stevens ignored him, then began scribbling on a pad of paper.
Was he…writing a fucking ticket?
My gaze desperately darted to Rafe, who looked like he was about to enter another orbit. Shadows began to waft up from under the floorboards, slithering along the wood like snakes on the prowl.
Aiden didn’t react, but Zephyr stifled a gasp, stepping away quickly like the shadows were quicksand.
Stevens shook his head, trying to appear nonchalant even as his expression turned fearful. “Everyone relax. I’m only ordering she undergo another round of affinity testing.”
“You’re kidding,” Skye snapped,againmaking my dick perk up. “Ijusthad my testing done!”
“I’m overriding it,” Rafe said. “She’s my Key. As stated, she was just tested.”
Stevens had the audacity to scoff. “I don’t care what she is to who. You can’t override anything. I have full authority of the Gulf’s governor.”
Rafe’s gaze darkened, but he only gave a curt nod.
“You’re kidding,” Zephyr said, his jaw slack as he looked back and forth between them. “He’s thePrince.”
“Of the mainland, technically.” Stevens said. “This is the Gulf. We have different laws.”
He wasn’t wrong. Rafe could have called in the bigger guns,aka: his mother, but he wasn’t quite ready for the public backlash related to this Chain.
“Fine,” Skye said, exasperated. “I’m not hiding anything. I’ll just get tested again. Sign me up to see that old guy. Shafer?”
“Shafer no longer works for the Crown,” Stevens said with a shrug. “He’s off the grid. You’ll have to find another Sensor.”
“What?” Zephyr looked at his sister, and she gave a barely imperceptible shake of the head.
The siblings were weirder than twins. They were always on the same wavelength, always following the same train of thought. I was sure they hadn’t even spoken telepathically just now, they just knew what the other was thinking instinctively.
It made me wish Willow wasn’t so…Willow.
Although actually…maybe it was me who was too…me.
“We’ll find one,” Rafe said, not missing a beat. “Give me the ticket and move on.”
Stevens shook his head like Rafe was just a punk, then held the ticket out to Skye. She stared him down, then in another bitchy move, tightened her crossed arms before turning her head sharply to the side, dismissing him.
God, she had no business turning me on this much when things were so stupid between us.
Rafe swiped the ticket, then read over it quickly as if he didn’t already know what it’d say.
“Thanks for that,” Zephyr said breezily. “Now get the fuck out of my shop.”
Stevens shook his head in disapproval, but he headed for the door.
