It does her good, I know, to see her daughter so loved when she’s not around to do it.My dad inhales sharply through his nose when we step close and I shift my gaze to him.“Things are complicated, Ariel, but we need to –“He gasps mid-sentence – we all do – as a huge sound breaks through the air,
I slowly exhale as I concentrate on the little stack of wood at the center of the empty space between the tents that my mother lead us to. A little anxious, I glance around at all of the very flammable canvas fabric around us.“Steady,” Jacks murmurs, smirking down at me from his place at my side, s
“Sweetheart,” mom whispers, glancing back at the fire. “Baby…try it again, okay? Can you…can you pull on the wind? Like you did before when…Luca was here too?”I frown at her and shake my head. “Mom, it needs physical contact,” I say. “That’s how it’s always been. And he’s…not here.”She looks at me
Then I look up at Jacks, incredibly anxious about how he’s going to react to the news.“It’s okay,” he says, quite soft, looking down at me like we’re the only two people standing in this clearing. He lifts his hand to my face, softly stroking my cheek with his thumb. “Doesn’t change anything for me
It is so, so short a time later when I’m in the back of a transport, racing to the front line of the battle with Jackson and Rafe and Roger by my side. My hands tremble a little as I watch Roger fasten on the earpiece that my father gave him, so that he can use to communicate back to the base.Becau
Roger nods once and the four of us fall into a line, moving out towards the front to join the fight.“Here’s the deal,” Roger murmurs, glancing down at me from my right. “Cora’s got a storm coming in from behind the Atalaxian front that should do a great deal of work towards distracting them. Plus,
I glance to the left even as my fire sweeps through the enemy line, consuming everything in sight, realizing that even though I’m raining destruction on our foe there’s still…so, so much more work to be done. There are just so much of the Atalaxians. And they’re starting to respond, to turn on my wh
“No,” I say, shaking my head, a little frantic.“Ari!” Jackson bites out, and I snap my head back to the front ahead of me, realizing that I got distracted – that two of my whirlwinds are faltering.“Shit shit,” I murmur, more curses rushing through my mind as I force more power into the original wh
Ariel bursts out laughing and gestures out to the rest of the roof. “Of all the interference to our plans, you’re going to point out this tiny, adorable, sleeping infant pup as the problem!?” Both boys look down at the little dark-haired baby, whose amber eyes flicker open to betray her mother’s w
Jesse sighs, glancing at his watch and then looking to the door, an undrunk glass of champagne in his hand. “Where the hell is your damn sister?” “Your damn cousin,” Rafe murmurs, draining his glass and then pouring himself another. “You’d better stop that,” Jesse says, turning his head to Rafe
She goes still for a moment and then laces her fingers with his, squeezes his hand. “We’re not dating or anything,” she snaps. “Just…because you got all rejected and stuff. I didn’t come running up here just because you’re single – I thought you were going to die –“ “Sure, you didn’t,” Jesse says,
“I love you, Jesse,” Midnight whispers, watching him, her little mouth trembling, her entire body feeling weak. “I love you too, Mids,” he replies. “Always.” She nods once. And then disappears. Midnight fights hard against her emotions as she flits through the castle, moving back and forth bet
“I’m saying,” Midnight says, freely crying now, cupping Jesse’s face in her tiny hands. “That I – I don’t want to have your pups, Jesse. Ever. Ever. I don’t want them.” She shakes her head, vehement. “I think I’d be a bad mom. I’d leave them at the grocery store and forget they were there. I – I jus
She has to admit though…the stars are a pleasant addition. Midnight’s wolf gives a little worried howl, sprawled out in her soul, her little legs too weak to carry her much or far these days. But Midnight smiles a little and strokes a mental hand over her wolf’s fur, pleased to see her free and cl
“What,” Jackson asks, frowning down at the little rectangular stone in his hands. “Is it like, special?” “Jackson!” Midnight hisses, standing on her toes to smack him on the chest. “They’re invaluable! This is only the second I’ve ever seen in the world! And I only know of one besides that other o
I laugh, pointing at the big plate of apple pie on the table. “Well, I’m glad to see that you’re feeling cheerful,” I say, grinning at her. “I am!” she says, happily plopping down next to Jesse and reaching for the pie, pulling it all onto her lap and digging in with a fork. “I don’t think that an
Jesse’s eyes open first, and then Midnight’s, slow and sleepy. “How do you feel?” I ask quietly, leaning towards her, able to see her better now in the dawn light that streams through the windows. “What happened?” Jackson asks. I turn to see him standing at the door and I smile, reaching out a h