Page 84 of Sparks Flying

Someone screamed as we skidded into the room.

“Are there any Grimes or Pierces here? I need water and air ASAP.”

“Dean, you’re going to contaminate us all.”

“Mother, I’m fine. You come, too. I know we can stop this if we work together.”

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

“Ravenden is under attack.”

The room went quiet and then they all started talking at once.

“We have to act fast. Please, just do as you’re asked. If you wield the powers of water or air, follow me,” Bailey said.

I squeezed her hand and nodded.

“Whatever you have in mind beyond putting out that fire, do it,” she told me.

I pulled her to me and kissed her for all to see, claiming in her in a whole new way.

“Go,” I said.

“Start talking to me. What powers am I working with? Because right now, we’re counting on you to save Ravenden,” Bailey said as they ran back upstairs.

There was no way for her to know just how much her words would mean to them. My chest puffed out with pride before I turned back to the rest of the room.

“Here’s the situation.” I gave a quick rundown of what I knew and the immediate threat outside.

“They’re here?” Mom asked.

“Yes.”

“Oh, hell no.”

“Language mother,” I teased.

“Bailey’s working with the Grimes and Pierce witches to try to keep them from starting this fire. The rest of us need to capture and detain. They are masked and probably armed. Their best chance was the element of surprise. They’ve lost that. I have no idea how many areas they’ve already managed to attack, but it’s time for us to rise up and take our town back.”

“We’ve got this,” Mom said.

She walked over to our hidden safe room and started pulling out masks and oxygen tanks to distribute.

“Why the hell do you have all this?” I asked her.

“Now you watch your language,” she warned.

I chuckled.

“And to answer your question, your father thinks I’m paranoid, but humors me anyway.”

Suited up, and devising a quick plan of action, some left through an escape tunnel my ancestors had built that led to the back of the house. The rest of us headed upstairs for an aerial view.

I had to pry open the shutters covering my balcony doors. The men below didn’t seem to notice anything. They were too busy deflecting water bombs and holding on for dear life to trees as the Grimes and Pierce witches attacked them, doing whatever they could to keep that fire from being lit.

“Too easy,” Mom said.

She called upon her powers and grew thick vines that wrapped around one of them, securing him to the tree he was holding on to.