Flutter (The Discover Series) (66 page)

Twenty Three

Somebody Call 911

It took a second for me to react.

             
I jumped back as the glass of the French doors shattered sending glass in every direction. Jumping onto my bed, I stumbled, falling into the door as I scrambled to jump off.  I fumbled with the door handle; my attention focused on the fire as it destroyed the foundation of my room.

             
I finally managed to pull open the door and staggered down the hall into the kitchen, which was being engulfed in flames. I stared in horror as bright, angry, flames blazed up the walls, spreading across the ceiling, demolished everything in its path. The whole side of the kitchen wall had completely disintegrated, leaving behind a bitter, burning, smell, smoldering to pieces of what was once our kitchen.

             
I squinted as a movement in the backyard caught my attention through the flames. I could see the black fog coating the trees of the forest and I watched as dark figures, one by one, emerged from the darkness and surrounded the exterior of the yard. I realized they were standing guard, they were waiting for me. I took one more depressing look at the kitchen before twisting around, running for the front door.

             
I was more coordinated this time as I pulled open the front door, flinging myself through the door and staggered down the stairs, nearly tripping in my haste. Turning around, I watched as the flames devoured the front of the house, licking up the wall furiously. The heat was so intense I took another couple of steps back, escaping the harsh blaze.

             
I looked around the front yard. There was no sign of the shadowed figures or of Adan and Andres. My heart skipped a beat as I realized that Andres could still be trapped inside. I hadn’t even searched for him. I ran back up the stairs, stopping just outside the front door. If I went back in I would be trapped. There was no way I would get out again. I could feel the tears as they slipped down my face. The need to go back was a raw ache inside my throat, nearly choking me, as the tears burned hotter than the flames consuming the house.

             
“Sara!”

             
My head snapped around, as I recognized Andres’s voice coming from the side of the house. The relief I felt hearing his voice made my knees buckle and a whimper to rush from my lips. I ran down the steps toward the side of the house where his voice had come from. I stopped suddenly before turning the corner. My excitement had distracted me from the ambush that awaited me in the backyard and I hesitated now, trying to decide if Andres’s yell had been an actual call for help, or a ploy to draw me out.

             
“Sara, RUN!” Andres’s voice boomed again, a warning this time.

             
I hesitated a second too long.

             
For the second time, I was caught off guard and grabbed from behind. Thin, strong, arms lifted me off the ground, holding my failing body tightly against their side, positioned so my arms and legs couldn’t do any damage.

             
“Let me go!” I screamed, trying to claw at the arms that held me captive.

             
“Chill out Princess. You’re not going anywhere,” he said, unaffected by my attempts to get free.

             
“What have you done with Andres?” I demanded. “Where is Adan?”

             
“You’re Watcher is fine, and your dog is gone.”

             
My
dog?
I thought to myself, confused.

             
I could see the dark figures spread out in a line, the inky black fog, looming toward the sky behind them. They were smart this time, they brought reinforcements. I spotted Andres on the ground, kneeling in front of one of them, his arms bound behind his back. There had been too many for him to fight alone. He looked up at me, his face twisted in apology.

             
That made me angry.

             
Once again, I could feel the heat forming, but before I could shape it, I heard a tsking sound.

             
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you Princess.” My hands were still gripping his arm, and I knew he had felt the scorch of my palms. “We have abilities too, dark, dangerous, abilities. If you don’t want to see what they are, I suggest you cool-”

             
Before he could finish a gust of wind hit us, knocking us both to the ground. I had still been clutched to his side and I landed on top of him, the breath knocked from me as I slammed against the stone wall of his chest. I reacted quickly and the minute he let me go, I rolled away, rose to my hands and knees, coughing and gasping for air. Everything happened so fast after that.

             
I heard a growl from the side of me and my head whipped around toward the sound. I watched as My Wolf tackled the guy was trying to get up, back to the ground. I nearly slumped to the ground in relief at the sight of him. Turning away from My Wolf and the gruesome scene of the attack, I searched for Andres. He was busy, fighting two of the guys that had tried to secure him.

             
The rest were coming after me.

             
The fire had completely devoured the house, and the flames of the house were dancing flickers of light against the black smog across from me. I could see the intense glow on each side of me. I could feel the heat of the blaze against my back. My head was twisting in the wind around me. I stood there my hands at my side, I wouldn’t be able to take them all, but I would take as many as I could. I was mentally taking count of how many there were when their movements became sluggish.

             
Frowning, I stopped counting and I could feel my body reacting, waiting for a trap. Finally they stopped, and I watched the glassy look take over and their pupils expanded, becoming a golden glow. I recognized that look and I looked down at my body, my breath catching.

             
The light of the flames was twirling around my skin, making the shimmer of my skin, reflect and whirl from the cast of light. It was magically hypnotizing, even to me and I realized, somehow, my skin was the cause for their trance-like state. I didn’t know how long the daze was going, so I moved quickly. I focused hard, until I could feel my body absorbing the energy from the fire, my body was burning, but I felt no pain. My palms were infused with a soft glow, my palms closed tightly for a second and when I opened them, a ball of light was there. Without a second thought, I threw the light at one and then another. They went flying back and before their body’s could hit the ground, they burst into a cloud of black mist.

             
Two more flew back as a gust of wind flew past me and than another, knocking them down as if they were bowling pins. Turning my head in the direction of the wind, my eyes went wide as I tried to register what I was looking at.

             
Two…I didn’t even know what to call them… figures came from the direction of the burning house. I watched as they walked past me, using their hands to throw more bursts of air at the enemy, sending each one of them flying. The daze was gone, and every time they attempted to stand, they were knocked back down.

             
I couldn’t get over the markings on their bodies and the way the light reflected off the iridescent patterns on their bodies.

             
An agonized growl erupted from behind me, distracting me from the two figures and I turned around to see my wolf being attacked by two more dark figures. How many were there? Turning on my feet, my fingers flickered open, light emitting from my palms with no effort. It flashed brightly before I threw a burst at one of the attackers, sending him flying. Another flip of my wrist sent another burst of light winging through the air, throwing off the other attacker.

             
Looking at the black fog, I watched as more of the dark figures emerged from the other side of the wall. For everyone we took down, two more replaced him. Clasping my hands together, I pulled them apart forming a giant ball of light. I didn’t know how I knew how to do these things, but my body automatically knew what needed to be done. I threw the light at the wall, and it exploded, sending the light to spread across the fog. It was a collide of good and evil, light verses dark and
the wall was destroyed, by the
intense luster.

             
I heard the soft whine behind me and turned to see My wolf laying there, unmoving. I rushed to him, my steps faltered mid-way as I watched his body contort and disfigure in front of me, taking on a whole new shape of bones, muscle and…
skin
. Walking around his body, I knelt down in front of him, trying to see his face. He rolled partially over, and my hand flew to my mouth covering the gasp.

             
“Adan?” I asked, stunned.

My shaky fingers reached out and touched his arm. He groaned and I snatched my hand back.

“Adan… are you… okay?” I asked, wanting to help him.

He grinned through gritted teeth, “I’m fine Spitfire,” he managed to get out.

He was holding his stomach, and his knees were drawn up high. I tried to keep my eyes aimed at the top half of his body when I realized he wasn’t wearing any clothes.

             
“I wish I had some clothes right about now,” he said. “Did we get them all?”

             
I glanced up briefly, and realized that we had. Andres was with the other two guys, across the yard, but I was no longer engaged by them

             
“Yes,” I said looking back at him. “Is there anything I can do?” I asked, my hands hovering just above his body.

I was still trying to get past the shock of realization that Adan was my
wolf
.

             
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

             
“You sure are full of surprises,” I said, feeling tongue tied.

             
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted to, but-”

             
“You couldn’t. The time wasn’t right. I don’t understand, and there are rules to be followed. Did I get them all?” I felt numb.

             
“Sara-” he started, but Andres interrupted him.

             
“Are you guys all right?”

             
Andres approached us, and following close behind him were the other two guys. I had never been surrounded by so many naked guys in my life, and I wasn’t quite sure where to look, so I looked down. I heard a thump and realized Andres had thrown down a pair of jeans to Adan. I didn’t even attempt to ask where he had gotten them from.

             
“Sara, are you okay?” Andres asked.

             
I got to my feet, and looked directly at Andres. “I’m fine. Are you?”

             
“Yes, I’m fine.”

             
I could feel the blaze of heat against my back, the crackle and popping noise from

things exploding inside the house starting to get louder. Any minute now fire trucks would be blaring to life.

             
“What are we going to say about the fire? And all the dead and injured…” I trailed off as I looked around, not seeing a single body. “Where did they go?” I asked.

             
“They’re not here anymore,” Andres said.

             
“But…how?”

             
“Don’t worry about that right now Sara,” he said as he turned to one of the guys. “We need to get this fire under control, and you out of here before the fire department arrives.” he said, turning back to me and Adan.

             
“I’ve got it.” one said, and walked over to the house.

             
I watched him as he lifted his hands and pulled them apart over and over, like he was stretching out dough. Water formed between his hands and he began to extend it out. Then with a spin of his wrist, little water tornados formed around his fist. He pointed his fist in the direction of the house, the tornadoes dousing the fire, bringing it under some measure of control.