Let the Sky Fall (Sky Fall #1)(93)

I’m afraid to know how far it spread.

“Vane?” I ask, barely able to form the word. “Tell me exactly what you saw.”

He frowns, like he’s reliving the memory. “I saw the Stormer attack your mom. At first she was losing, but then she flicked her wrist and knocked him over with the wind somehow. Then he made himself an indestructible shell of winds, so she flicked her arm and attacked the other Stormer. That’s when he got pissed and launched her away so he could go help his friend.”

Spots dance behind my eyes and I don’t want to hear any more. But I have to know. “Why did you think there was another Stormer?”

“I heard a guy cry out somewhere in the distance after she flicked her arm. Who else would it be?”

I wobble on my feet, wishing I could drop to the ground and never get up again. Anything to not have to tell Vane the truth.

“There was only one Stormer,” I say, forcing myself to look at my mother. She’s staring me down, like she knows what I’m thinking and is ordering me not to say it. But she can’t hide her secret anymore.

I’ve always wondered how things went so wrong that day—how two trees could accidentally impale Vane’s parents after they’d been captured. The Stormer never would have let anything happen to Raiden’s precious cargo.

But with a flick of her wrist my mother could’ve sent those jagged boughs anywhere she pleased.

“You killed the Westons, didn’t you?” I whisper.

Vane sucks in a breath.

My mother doesn’t even flinch before she responds. “I betrayed Raiden the same way he betrayed me.”

Her words form a storm in my head, twisting and pounding as I fight them, block them—refuse to accept them. But truth always finds a way to sink in.

I search my mother’s face for any sign of guilt or regret—or even madness brought on by her poisonous gift.

But she looks . . . blank.

And her voice is unashamed when she adds, “They never would have survived Raiden’s interrogation. They were as good as dead anyway.”

“That’s only because you helped them get captured!” Vane screams.

“They didn’t deserve my protection,” she snaps back. “They were weak—and weak by choice. I was done worrying about them. All I wanted was to get my family out of there. And that’s what I tried to do. But my husband wouldn’t leave you. He sacrificed himself to save a worthless little boy.” She lunges for Vane.

I yank him out of her reach and shove her back, clawing her skin as I do.

My mother laughs as she stares at the bloody trails I’ve left on her bare arms.

Laughs.

The cold, empty sound shatters the last of the illusions she’s wrapped around herself, showing me who she really is—or has become.

A murderer.

She must see the realization on my face because her eyes narrow and she reaches up, tearing out the knots of her braid and letting her hair fall free. “I guess this means we’re done pretending. And I’m done protecting you.”

“Protecting me? You’ve done nothing but belittle and ignore—”

“Not you, Audra—you’ve already gotten more than you deserved when you inhaled your father’s gift. But I have been protecting him.”

Vane barks a laugh, sounding very close to unraveling. I grip his arm to stop him as he advances toward her.

“Why did you protect him?” I ask.

“Raiden wanted me dead. I couldn’t risk losing the support of the Gales. Besides, Vane has what Raiden wants. So I erased his memories in case he saw too much and hid him away. Let you watch over him so you’d stay out of my sight—and voted against you being a guardian so you’d push him as hard as possible to prove me wrong. Waited for his Westerly breakthrough. And now it’s finally happened. I can finally take my revenge against Raiden.”

“I’ll never help you,” Vane growls, reaching for the wind.

“Oh, I think you will,” she tells him. “I know how to get through to you.”

My mother’s a blur of motion as a jagged piece of windmill launches at me, missing my skull by inches.

It takes me about two seconds to process the fact that my mother just tried to kill me. Then I shove Vane out of the way and launch a crusher.

The thick funnel slams into her, squeezing her at the waist—making her eyes bulge. But my mother weaves a wind spike and stabs the winds, breaking free.

She launches the spike at Vane.

I tackle him and the spike streaks over our heads as we crash to the sandy ground. Dirt and debris rain around us.

“You okay?” I ask, scanning him for wounds.

“Yeah. You?”

I hear the next wind spike coming and roll us out of the way. Sand explodes everywhere.

“You’re just as hopelessly in love as he is, aren’t you?” She blurs again as she launches another spike. Vane barely scrambles away in time. “Maybe you should have to feel what it’s like to lose what you care about most!”

Vane starts to call the wind to our side, but I place my hand over his lips to silence him.

I don’t want him fighting anymore.

Besides—this is my battle.

I jump to my feet, launching another crusher at my mother in the same motion.

She dodges the funnel with unnatural grace and speed.