House of Leights (Secret Keepers #3)(39)

“Get down low,” Lexen growled, before he turned to face the back window.

Dark clouds washed across the previously very blue sky in a rush, and I realized that Lexen didn’t need an open window; he was fine just where he was. The rumble of thunder started competing with the roar of motorcycles, pretty much deafening all around. Callie put her hand on the back of my head then, forcing me to lean forward with them. “I thought Lexen had a dragon power,” I whispered, my chin resting on my knees. Luckily I was flexible from cheer.

“Lexen has multiple skills,” Emma murmured back, pride very evident in her tone. “He has the normal House of Darken powers, which include electrical storms, weather manipulations, and cool shit like that. And he also does the dragon thing.”

“Six more coming through the right,” Chase noted, his voice faint enough that I knew he was back out the window again.

“This is ridiculous,” Emma griped. “If we’re going to be stuck in this world, dealing with this sort of power and such, we should have been given some ourselves.” She let out a huff of air. “Well, I suppose Callie did get some, but the rest of us…”

I shifted my head around the other way to meet Callie’s eyes. “What power did you get?”

She gave a strained grin. “When Daniel tied our souls together, the bonding shared his power with me. I can shoot out a burst of flame … like the heat of a volcano.”

Unbelievable. No doubt I was going to say that a few more times before this day was over.

“So, all Daelighters have these skills, right? Differing between the houses they’re born in?”

I heard multiple noes from the car.

“All Daelighters have a very small level of power,” Emma explained. “But only those born in the overlords’ bloodlines have the strong gifts. Mostly because they’re more closely connected to the network. Able to use more of its power.”

“Yep,” Callie confirmed. “On Earth, ninety percent of Daelighters are almost as useless as humans. We’re just lucky to be in this car with some of the most powerful dudes in both worlds.”

Daniel chuckled, even though it sounded a little strained. “I love your way with words, Cal.”

She shrugged, which he couldn’t see. “Call it like I see it.”

Our car lurched, skidding across the dirt, and I had to lift my head to check on my parents. Emma and Callie followed my movements, and I wondered if they instantly regretted it as much as I did. We were surrounded on all sides by dark-helmeted, leather-clad, motorbike riding people. There were at least twenty, and that didn’t include the ones already taken out by strikes of lightning, tree branches, and bursts of fire.

The fire was sporadic, because Daniel was focusing on evasive driving, but as soon as Callie got a view of those trying to attack us, she let out a low rumble of anger and lowered her window. She took in a few deep breaths, and then the air around her started to heat. If there hadn’t been a breeze of cool air coming in from hers and Daniel’s open windows, I would have been sweating up a storm.

Flames flew from her hands. They missed the riders close by, crashing into some of the trees. Fire engulfed those trunks and branches, which startled at least three riders enough that they lost control and crashed. My heart tightened at the sight of the trees burning, and I sensed a new tension in Chase that hadn’t been there until now. He had felt it, too. The trees should not have to burn because of humans with an inability to understand that everything wasn’t theirs for the taking.

“You can hit them, Callie,” Lexen growled, turning back to focus on his storm in the dark sky above. Lightning was zapping Daelighters. “They’re trying to kill and kidnap you.”

She shook her head, words bursting from her. “I can’t take another life, not unless there is no other choice. I’m … I’m sorry, I just can’t.”

“We understand,” Emma soothed. “Don’t we, Lexen?” That was muttered through gritted teeth. He didn’t say anything, but he did reach forward and pat Callie on the shoulder.

My parents’ car was rocketing along behind us, but it looked like there was only one black vehicle behind it. Had we lost the other one somewhere along the way? “Do you think Laous is on one of the motorbikes?” Callie yelled as she blasted another patch of trees.

“Are you guys going to start a huge forest fire?” I cut in before anyone could answer her. I just couldn’t handle the trees suffering any longer.

Chase swung around then, his gaze so intense that I couldn’t breathe. I wasn’t sure what that look meant, but whatever it was, the emotion was strong. “I won’t let the fire spread,” he told me, and I acknowledged that with a nod.

Callie had her hands back in the car now, staring down at them. “I don’t want to kill people, but I should have realized, after being in House of Leights, that trees are as important as people.”

“Aim for their bikes,” I suggested. “Light them up enough that they have time to jump off before it blows up.”

She tilted her head in my direction, her eyes a stormier gray than I had ever seen them. “I think I better just keep my power to myself until I can figure out what my hard lines are. Hesitating in these situations can get us all killed, and right now, I’m unsure of everything.”