Let the Storm Break (Sky Fall #2)(6)

Honestly, though, my mom’s been strangely cool about the whole my-adopted-son-is-an-air-elemental thing. She didn’t scream or run away when I told her—even when I showed her how the wind obeys all my weird, hissy words. And my dad just clapped me on the back and told me to remember that this kind of power comes with extra responsibility, like he expected me to put on spandex and start calling myself Windman!

I’m surprised he didn’t buy me a cape.

Fang was the one who freaked out about them knowing. But I don’t care if the Gales have a code of secrecy. They’re my family. I may not look like them—and I may not even be the same species. But they’re the only parents I’ve ever really known, and I wasn’t going to lie to them.

Besides, how was I supposed to explain why I was suddenly surrounded by a bunch of guys with long, braided hair and black soldier uniforms? And no way was I moving to the Gales’ new base a couple of miles away. Raiden knows where I live. My family needs just as much protection as I do. Maybe more, since they can’t exactly defend themselves against wind warriors.

A cool breeze slips through my window and I know it’s a Westerly before I even listen to its song. I swear they come to find me, and I always keep my window open for them—even if it lets out all the AC and makes my bedroom feel like an oven. I need to have the wind around. It makes my heritage feel real, and like maybe the tangled-up, scattered memories of my past will unravel someday and actually make sense.

Plus, I always want Audra to have a way to reach me. I close my eyes and let the soft whispers float around me, promising myself I will not fall asleep. But it’s hard. I’ve reached that point of exhaustion where everything actually aches. If I could just nap for ten minutes—even five—I would take it.

“You up for a visitor, Vane?” my mom asks.

I yank my eyes open as she leans through my doorway. “Uh, sure.”

I’m assuming it must be Fang, come to rip me a new one. But when my mom steps aside, a Gale I’ve never seen before strides into my room.

On the left side of his face, part of his long, dark hair is twisted into a braid that’s tucked behind his ear. The rest hangs loose—a style worn only by Gale Force leaders.

Ruh-roh.

He clears his throat and stares at my mom, waiting for her to leave. I watch her jaw lock, and I know she’s about to remind them that this is her house. But I give her my best please don’t embarrass me in front of my army look and she caves, promising to be back in a few minutes with my breakfast.

When her footsteps have retreated down the hall, the Gale leader steps forward. He has two red scars on his cheek that cross and look almost like a T, and they stretch as he gives me a thin smile. “It’s nice to finally meet the king.”

I fidget when he bows. “Um, you can just call me Vane.”

“As you wish.”

He stares at my wrinkled Batman T-shirt, looking less than impressed. But he can glare all he wants, I’m not wearing their stupid uniform.

“And you are . . . ?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything.

“Captain Osmund—though you can call me Os. I’m the captain of the Gales.”

Double ruh-roh.

“I’ve been away at our Riverspan Base for the last few weeks, trying to help them hold off a band of Stormers who’ve been especially aggressive. But when I got wind of last night’s incident, well . . .” He shakes his head. “Guardian Gusty already—”

“Wait—hang on. Gus is short for Gusty?”

I laugh when he nods.

“Anyway,”Os says, clearly not as amused by this as I am.“Guardian Gusty already briefed me on what he witnessed. But I’m hoping you can shed some further light on the attack.”

It’s strange to think of it as an attack, but I guess that’s what it was.

“There’s not really much to tell,”I mumble.“I went to the mountains to get some fresh air and I’ve been so tired from not sleeping that I guess I dozed off and Raiden’s creepy wind found me.”

“Gusty told me you go up there a few times a week. He assumed you were searching for someone.” He raises the brow on the scarred side of his face.

I shrug, trying to stay calm as I search for a believable lie. “Fine. If you really want to know, I go up there to check on my friend. I like to make sure he’s still safe, and I didn’t want the Gales to know because they’ve asked me to stay away from him.”

Told me is more like it, but I’m trying not to sound bitter.

I know they’re right that being a part of my life puts Isaac in danger—but it hasn’t been fun cutting off my best friend. He bought my excuses for a few days, but eventually he figured out something was up. And when I wouldn’t—couldn’t—tell him the truth, he stopped calling.

I haven’t talked to him in almost two weeks.

Os doesn’t look as satisfied with my explanation as I’d like. But all he says is “What did Raiden’s wind do to you?”

I really don’t want to relive any of it, but Os insists. So I rush through a few details.

“A girl,” he interrupts. “You didn’t know who she was?”

“No.”

It’s not even a lie. That girl was not Audra.

“And what did the girl do?”