“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
The entire ground shakes as the first bomb hits before our line of troops and explodes. It’s far – far away from me – but still, the way the earth trembles beneath my feet makes me moan.Jackson is there immediately, keeping my hand held tight in his but wrapping his arm around me, using it to press
Chaos erupts the moment that they touch, exploding all around us.Roger screams my name, reaching for me as I reach for Jackson, wanting his touch – wanting his power – because I know I can help it – I know I can fix this –“Ariel!” Rafe screams, reaching for me too.“Rafe, she’ll fucking burn you!”