Let the Storm Break (Sky Fall #2)(66)

“So . . . what? You’re going to chain me up and torture my bond out of me?” I feel dizzy just saying it—and he can bet I’ll go all power of four on him if he tries.

Os looks away. “If you leave us no other choice.”

“Whoa,” Gus breathes.

“Is there a problem, Guardian Gusty?” Os asks.

Gus swallows, looking like he wishes he hadn’t said that out loud. “That just sounds . . . kind of cruel, sir.”

“Cruel?”

“Yeah. Torturing two of our own because they fell in love sounds more like something Raiden would do.”

“The pain only lasts a few minutes.”

I snort. “Right—because that makes it better.”

Os ignores me. “Have you ever broken a bone, Gus?”

Gus nods. “My left ankle, when I was first learning to windwalk.”

“Ah, yes, I remember. That was quite a fall. And tell me this, did it hurt when they set the bone?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And yet, it made your ankle heal properly, didn’t it? Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to walk now, right?”

“Yes, but”—Gus shifts his weight—“that’s not the same as what you’re saying.”

“But it is, Gus. Sometimes pain is necessary to fix a problem that cannot otherwise be corrected. It’s unpleasant and unfortunate, but then it’s over and everything is set right.”

“Do you hear yourself?” I shout. “I bet that’s the kind of crap Raiden spews out to his Stormers to try and justify the evil things he does.”

Os stalks toward me. “Raiden cares only for his own selfish needs. I am thinking about the good of our people. Trying to bring together the shattered pieces of our world.”

“And who put you in charge?”

“Nobody.” He steps back, clutching his blue guardian pendant. “This matter will be brought to the full force of the Gales, and they will decide. I’ll simply be one vote. However, they’re a very reasonable group of soldiers. I have no doubt they’ll decide what will benefit everyone.”

“Everyone except me and Audra.’”

“With time you’ll see that isn’t the case. You two were not meant to be.”

“Can I say something?” Solana asks, her voice shaking as much as her legs as she steps forward. “I don’t want to bond with someone who’s being forced to do it. If Vane loved me”—she clears her throat—“or if there were a way to keep my family’s heritage without us having to be together, well . . . that would be different. But if Vane really needs to be the king and I’m not who he wants to be with, then . . . I guess that’s how it has to be.”

Her eyes dart to mine, so sad and broken that a part of me can’t help wishing I could love her.

But I just can’t feel that way. Not when I know what real love feels like.

“Another young person thinking they have a choice in all this,” Os says through a sigh. “Though I notice you’re being awfully quiet, Audra. Feeling guilty now that you’re seeing the consequences of your selfish actions?”

“Actually, I’m trying to figure out how you know about the power of pain. Aston gave me the impression it was one of Raiden’s tricks, and not something the Gales knew anything about.”

Os steps closer, pointing to the scar under his eye. “It’s no secret that I know Raiden better than others. Back when we were friends, he used to share some of his theories with me—it was partly how I knew to distance myself from him. And when he started attacking us with shattered winds, I knew it meant he’d proven at least one of his theories correct.”

“And now you want to use it—knowing it’s one of his tricks?” Audra asks, standing up to face him. “Don’t you realize how it will affect you?”

“Affect me?”

She steps closer. “Aston told me the power corrupts anyone who uses it. It becomes an addiction you can’t cure, can’t fight, can’t satisfy except to break and destroy more—and after seeing how he behaved, I believe him.”

“Sounds like someone with a guilty conscience trying to blame his wickedness on another.”

“Or perhaps you’re just tempted by a greater power than you understand.”

“Watch yourself,” Os says, his scar twisting with his scowl so it looks more like an X. “Given your recent crimes, you would do well to be as polite and obedient as possible.”

“Why?” I ask, stepping between them. “You already threatened to break our bond—what’s next? Lock us underground in your Maelstrom?”

The word makes Os freeze, and for a second his mouth just hangs there, begging for a fly to zip in.

I’m just as stunned when I realize the mess I’ve walked into.

I turn to Audra, feeling my heart sink when I see the horror in her eyes.

“Do you mean the Maelstrom in Death Valley?” she asks me.

“No,” I say slowly, trying to choose my answer carefully. “Os built one in Desert Center.”

I don’t mention who he’s keeping there, hoping she won’t guess. But her whole body starts shaking.

“You built a Maelstrom?” she asks Os, leaning on me to stay standing.