Today, it remains silent.
I step into the quiet center, tilt my head back, and close my eyes, waiting for the rain. It doesn’t come. Too soon, the hurricane begins to die down, the wind faltering like the rain did yesterday.
“What’s wrong, Storm?”
I wait, listening, but it doesn’t answer. Maybe there’s nothing wrong. Maybe I’m just getting stronger and that means I’m subduing it faster. I’m about to turn away from the quiet center and head through the dying hurricane again, when light suddenly streaks from above me, striking through the hurricane’s core. At the same time, the hurricane springs back into life.
A scream fills the air around me. It’s the Storm’s voice, shrieking like a wailing banshee:He’s here! He’s here and I can speak!
I crouch into a defensive position, ready for anything. “Who’s here?”
A wind tunnel splits off from the hurricane, the hissing sound forming the storm’s voice.It’s not me! It’s not my fault!
That’s what it said yesterday, but I have no idea what it’s talking about. I shout back at it, “Stop speaking to me in riddles!”
The wind tunnel whips around me, spinning from one spot to another. Somehow it avoids colliding with me while it says:I couldn’t see it before. I can only escape the Storm Vault when there’s a natural storm outside and even then, only a very small part of me can escape. I finally saw it two night’s ago, but I couldn’t tell you. I tried so hard, but I can only speak when he’s here.
A fine mist of rain washes across my face and drips to the floor where I think my jaw is located right about now. That’s the most the Storm has ever spoken to me. Much of what it said doesn’t make sense, but the fact that it’s talking to me in sentences is, well, unexpected would be an understatement.
“There was a rain shower two night’s ago,” I say, latching onto the only thing the storm said that makes sense.
A tiny part of me escaped and I saw her. She’s dying! She’s being killed for the curse.
Fear shoots through me like electricity, a thousand bolts of it. “Who’s dying? Tell me!”
The reverent one. The one before you. But it’s not my fault. I didn’t do it! I wanted to warn you, but I couldn’t speak…
Mai Reverie is dying!
I’m already running, pulling as much of the storm’s power to me as I race to the side of the Vault and yank open the door. I’ll need as much of the storm to fight whatever’s hurting Mai.
I’m so afraid for her that I make it halfway through the ante-room before I see Baelen. I never expected to see him in this place again.
I skid to a halt, my boots squeaking. I’m braced and uncertain. He’s locked in a fighting stance, eyes closed, and there’s no mistaking the ribbons of heartstone light curling around his shoulders and neck. He shudders, shaking open his eyes, finally focusing on me.
Suddenly something the storm said becomes frighteningly clear:I can only speak when he’s here.
The first time the storm ever spoke to me to warn me about the curse was the very first time Baelen Rath stepped into the ante-room to offer me his heartstone. That was also the first time it spoke to Mai. The second time it spoke to me, he was waiting for me before the first trial. He wasn’t here yesterday when it couldn’t speak, but now he is.
He shakes his head again, releasing his body from its locked stance, clears his throat, and focuses on a point past my shoulder. “I’m only here as part of my duties as Commander of the Elven Army. I need to report—”
“There’s no time.” Whatever he was going to tell me, it’s nothing compared to the urgency of saving my friend. I can’t even allow myself a small moment of wishing he’d come to see me for any reason other than duty. “I have to go. I’m sorry, Bae.”
His focus zooms in on me for the split second it takes me to reach the next door.
“Wait, Marbella.”
The shock of hearing him say my name freezes me for long enough for him to stride to my side. Concern radiates from him in waves so strong that they hit me square in the heart. “What’s wrong? Tell me.”
For a moment I pretend that the last few days never happened, that I’m not going to fight him tomorrow. This is Bae whom I trust with my life. “Mai Reverie’s in danger. I can’t explain. I have to go to her right away.”
He doesn’t ask any more questions, but instead shoves the door open for me, keeping it wide while I run through. Instead of remaining behind, he sticks to my heels. “I’m coming with you.”
There’s no time to argue. I shoot through the final door, shouting for my Storm Command to stand clear. The last thing I want is to hurt one of them while I’m full of storm.
“Reisha, take me to Mai Reverie’s quarters. She’s in danger!”
Reisha wastes no time with questions, trusting my commands, ordering two females ahead to clear the way while the others form a running wall around me. Baelen stays behind our group, but a quick glance tells me he’s close behind us.
