Let The Wind Rise (Sky Fall, #3)(99)

I want one day.

One day with Vane, when we’re not Easterlies or Westerlies or guardians or groundlings or kings and queens.

One day when I can give him a small sliver of the normal I know he craves.

His parents returned not long ago, thanks to a lucky fluke of timing. I’d been resting in his room when I was woken by the twittering sound of his phone ringing. It took me several tries to figure out how to answer—and I’m sure the conversation on my end was lacking—but I managed to convince them it was safe to come home.

They rushed here straightaway.

I’d expected our reunion to feel stilted.

Complicated.

Two worlds struggling to find a common place.

I’d had speeches prepared—most of them apologies.

But they weren’t needed.

The second they walked through the door, they wrapped me in their arms and thanked me. There were questions of course. But mostly laughter and tears.

They keep telling me I’m part of the family—which I guess I am.

Sort of.

Bonding is a complicated thing.

There’s still one more step to seal our commitment—but we’ll get to that when we’re ready.

In the meantime his mom flutters around me, trying to stay busy.

They’d stocked up on bandages and other supplies preparing for this moment, and she insists on helping me dress my wounds.

I can see the fury in her eyes when she finds the marks Raiden left. And she cries all over again when I tell her about Gus.

“Vane should be fine,” I add, because I know she must be worrying. “When I left him, he only had minor injuries. And if he’d suffered anything more serious, I think I’d be able to tell.”

Still, I know she’ll feel better when she can see him herself.

As will I.

Soon.

I can feel he’s closer, but still not quite close enough.

I ask if I can borrow one of Vane’s shirts, since my other clothes were ruined, and his mom blushes and tells me she bought me a dress.

“I don’t know if this is a weird gift—and it’s not as fancy as the other one I saw you wearing—but as soon as I saw it, I thought of you.”

The pale blue fabric is the softest, smoothest thing I’ve ever felt. And it’s printed with tiny soaring birds.

“It’s perfect.”

She leaves me to change, and I stare at myself for far longer than I probably should, trying to recognize the girl staring back at me.

She carries more scars than my other self.

And yet, she carries fewer shadows.

She looks . . . happy.

His mother’s eyes get misty when I emerge from the bathroom, and even his father looks moved.

“You’re welcome to wait for him in his room,” he tells me, earning himself an elbow from Vane’s mother and starting a hushed debate about sleeping arrangements.

Yet another complicated thing we’ll have to figure out.

But right now, I have other plans.

“Actually, I was wondering if you could do me one more favor,” I tell his mom.

Of course she immediately agrees.

She smiles even wider when I tell her what I’m thinking.

“Leave it to me.”





CHAPTER 53


VANE


The sun is just starting to rise as I crest the San Gorgonio Mountains and fly the familiar path through the pass.

The windmills of the wind farm spin slow and steady, their signal lights winking at me as I follow the line of the freeway into my valley.

I’d been dreading seeing all the damage again, but honestly?

Things don’t look nearly as bad as I remember. Either the cleanup crews have been busy, or I’ve seen too much other destruction.

I hope it’s the first option.

It took me longer to get home than I planned, but I had to make sure Solana had somewhere to go. I’d offered to let her stay with me, but she chose to go back to Aston’s cave. She wanted to be around someone else who understood the power of pain. I’m hoping that doesn’t mean the battle took a big toll.

Her eyes weren’t glinting with any sort of craving, but I’m not sure if that’s because we’re both too exhausted.

Coming home felt like the longest journey ever.

We could’ve blasted here with pipelines—trusted our lives to the wind one final time. But we both chose the safe path, to fly and clear our heads.

I’m doing okay with all the violence.

Definitely no remorse over killing Raiden.

It’s just a lot to process.

We kinda changed our entire world—in a good way, of course.

But still.

Change.

And responsibility.

And all kinds of other things I’m so not ready for.

All I really want to do is collapse on the couch and binge watch TV—unless Audra’s around, then . . . all the making out!

The thought gives me a final burst of energy, and within minutes I’m back at my parents’ house.

I didn’t expect them to be home yet, but there’s their car, parked in the driveway. I’m equal parts excited and exhausted.

I’m wondering if it’d make me a jerk if I snuck in through my bedroom window and did the whole big dramatic reunion thing once I’d gotten a little sleep.