Page 81 of A Sky of Storms
We stalked through, my heart pumping so loud I wondered if it would alert anyone to our presence. Panic fluttered in my chest. If Noah wasn’t in the next room, so help me…
I almost cried out when I caught a glimpse of a body on the floor, blood splashed over the ground. It took everything in me not to dart forward, forcing myself to be cautious in case we gave ourselves away.
When it was clear he was unguarded, I bolted in and dropped to my knees. “Noah,” I whispered, feeling suspiciously emotional as I looked at his crumpled body. He’d been beaten brutally, his gorgeous face near unrecognisable. One eye was swollen so badly it was closed and his nose appeared to be broken. His cheeks and lips were an ugly purple-yellow, and his jumpsuit was wet with blood on his thigh.
If we didn’t get him patched up, he’d be in serious trouble. I swore under my breath, running to a threadbare blanket in the corner and tearing a strip up to wrap around his leg. He winced, whimpering slightly in his sleep as I bound the wound, tightening it to stop the blood flow.
His breathing was shallow, which meant he probably had a few broken ribs. I just had to hope he had no internal bleeding and that his organs were okay. Fuck. My vision went red, rage overcoming all else as I thought of the person responsible for this mess.
I was finding more and more reasons to destroy Victoria. Family bonds only went so far and dammit I had tried so fucking hard for too long to make up excuses for her. To pretend it was because our parents had made her this way. Maybe that was partially true, but the real honest truth was that she was in full control of her actions.
She had done this of her own agenda, and I knew she’d enjoyed it.
“Noah, man, you gotta get up,” Zane said softly. “It’s Zane and Fallon, we’re here to rescue you.”
Noah didn’t answer and my stomach tied in knots as Zane continued to try and rouse him. Zane looked at me hopelessly, and I swallowed. “Noah,” I tried. “Wake up. We’re getting you out of here.”
He cracked an eyelid, his one good brown eye widening in surprise. “You came,” he breathed, reaching out to stroke my cheek. Then he seemed to realise his situation, his voice becoming gravelly. “Wait, you shouldn’t have. You need to leave. Go!”
“I—”
Shouts sounded from the stairs and outside. I stiffened, looking at Zane fearfully.
“Get him out, Starfish,” he ordered. “I’ll buy you some time.”
“No.” I shook my head, refusing for this to play out. He was not going to be some freaking hero while we ran with our tails between our legs. Not today. “No fucking way am I letting you stay behind. We’re all going, and I don’t care what it takes.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but at the sharp look I gave him, he must have thought better of it because he nodded and got to his feet. “You take the ramparts. I’ve got the stairs.”
I turned, tightening my hold on my knife as one guy came running in, roaring as he charged. I slipped beneath his guard and ran at him with all my strength, wrapping my arms around him and taking to the sky. He screamed as I flapped mid-air, shoving him off me so he fell to his death.
Fuck this. I was so done with being attacked and having to fight off these assholes. I missed my magic. If I had access to my telekinesis, things would be so much easier. I could control the situation, use my surroundings, but the block on my power was like a wall I couldn’t crumble.
So here I was, flinging people from freaking rooftops and swinging swords. I just wanted it to beover.
I zoomed back to the rampart, landing in front of the guard who was standing like a stunned mullet—ugh, Zane, he was rubbing off on me too hard.The guard looked at me with hatred swirling in his dark gaze. “You fucking bitch,” he spat. “You’re going to pay for that.”
“You’re probably right,” I said, lowering into a crouch. “Guess I’ll see you in hell.”
He roared, slashing at me like a madman, but his form sucked balls and he clearly had no skill with a sword, so I punched his armpit and finished by angling my blade into his heart. His eyes widened, mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out before I removed the knife and kicked him over the edge.
There went my plan to get Noah out quietly with no casualties. Death and misery followed me everywhere. Why would it stop now?
The sound of scuffling greeted my ears, and a cry made me rush back into the building.
“Zane!”
He was fending off two Potentials, his sword locked with one while the other came up to stab him in the back. Nope. Not on my watch.
I lunged, stabbing him in his side at the last second. Blood spilled over my hand, warm and sticky, and I shoved the guy away from me. Zane finished his opponent off with a savage thrust of his sword, and I looked at his blood-flecked face.
He was breathing heavily, his eyes wild, but he seemed to be unhurt. I sighed in relief. “We need to get out of here. Now.”
He nodded. I grabbed Noah as gently as possible and bundled him into my arms. I don’t know how I found the strength, but I managed to carry him easier, putting all my weight on my back foot. Noah was muscly, but he was slimmer than Zane, so I’d manage.
I turned towards the ramparts, but a feminine voice curled into my ear, making my blood run cold. “Going so soon? But I was just getting started. Don’t you want to stay and join the party?”
The thing with villains is they always like to talk. And the heroinealwaysindulges them. Well, I had no interest in standing around and listening to that viper spit her venom. Victoria wouldn’t have much to gloat about when we escaped. I’d deal with her later, one on one, like it was always meant to be.
