Page 134 of Firestorm
Usually it was just a pic of Skye trying to push the camera out of her face, or a random mirror pic at the gym. Today, it was a video from the gym. Skye held the camera, sitting cross-legged on Aiden’s back while he did several push-ups without breaking a sweat. He even smiled and laughed when he caught her recording him.
Ugh.
“At least she’s happy,” I muttered.
Rafe rolled his eyes before striding out of the alley and into the street. The noise from the crowd grew louder as we drew closer. I stayed close behind Rafe, not wanting us to get separated. I trusted hisability to shield our minds well enough that we’d be able to speak even far from each other, but this was not a good place to be. There were powerful affinates here, I could feel it.
Not for the first time, I wondered if I had a Sensor somewhere in my bloodline. Before my father had forced me out of attending a proper university, I’d wanted to study different affinities and family Chains. I wanted to see how affinities went down the genetic line, and which genes brought out which affinities in children.
There were few things Richard Craig turned his nose up more than academia.
Civil disobedience was high up there.
Which is why the fact that Rafe and I were snaking our way through a protest against his parents’ government was hilarious, in an ironic way.
Rafe and I had argued before we even got here. He wanted to hide us in the shadows, but I didn’t like that idea. It was too sunny of a day, there were too many powerful people here, and if his face was seen, even by a monarchist, we’d have a shitstorm on our hands.
Rafe insisted on coming here to find out more about this organization his father was taking interest in, and I was here to offer my support. After finding Skye cornered in the hall with Alex looming over her…
I still couldn’t believe I hadn’t cut him in half. I’d taken the smarter approach, playing word games with him and giving Skye an out to leave, which she took, but I couldn’t let her get far once Alex had left the hall immediately after her.
My poor office wall had suffered another punch from Rafe soon after. After stalking Skye for weeks, he’d somehow missed the entire interaction between her and his father. I wasn’t sure which made Rafe more upset, being blindsided by his father or the fact that his father had met Skye before him.
Rafe adjusted his face mask again, shooting me a pointed look, pulling his sweatshirt up higher around his neck, and I scowled at him as I brought my zipper all the way up to my chin.
My neck was bruised, and though I’d managed to heal a good portion of it, there were still some yellow and green splotches that werebeing stubborn. Rafe was angry Skye had used her affinity on me, since that meant I’d startled and scared her. I felt guilty about that, too.
She’d said she trusted me, but that only broke my heart further. Keys weren’t supposed to be able to hurt their Links. The only reason she’d hurt me was because she truly didn’t trust me.
Or at least…I cringed. I was slowly accepting what Skye was. Her affinity wasn’t like ours.Sheprobably trusted me. But her affinity sure as fuck didn’t.
Rafe sped up in front of me, forcing me to practically jog after him. We made our way to the edge of the crowd, me on Rafe’s heels, and we settled near a brick wall.
A woman near us held a massive poster that read:I believe in religious freedom.
I blew out a breath.
What do you think this is about?I thought.
Rafe eyed me carefully before he nudged a man next to him.
“What’s that about?” he asked, nodding toward the lady’s poster. I cursed softly. Fucking Rafe. Speaking to someone risked his fucking accent being recognized. It was very slight, worse when he was emotional, but the possibility was still there. And he was definitely being an ass because he was still mad at me.
“Everyone here is a pilgrim of the Crusader,” the man replied.
“Pilgrims? Like that terror group?” Rafe asked. I could practically feel his apprehension vibrating against me. My eyes flicked down to the asphalt beneath our feet, relieved not to see any shadows.
The man scoffed. “It’s not a terror group. That was just a rogue.”
What a load of bullshit, I thought.
Rafe nodded slowly. “Who’s this Crusader?”
“The Crusader? He’s the God among us. Word on the street is he’s planning to come here, soon. Every person you see here loves someone who’s suffering. The Crusader can help them, we just need to get him here. We’re gathering to let him know people here support him, even if that fucking royal family doesn’t.”
“Those pretentious fucks?” Rafe asked easily, surprising me. “What did they do?”
“They don’t like that we’re exercising our right to freedom ofreligion. We can follow whoever we want. Why doesn’t the Palace allow their Healers to help others in the world? They call the Crusader a con man, but I say, their days are fucking numbered.”
