Storm (Blood Haze: Book Two) A Paranormal Romance (24 page)

effective outdoors,” Liam said. “It would

dissipate quickly without an enclosed area. But

they may have other magic we don’t know

about.”

“Can’t we just go back into the bunker?” Max

suggested.

“Again, we’d be sitting ducks. They could

figure out a way in, or wait and try to starve us

out. There’s only enough food in there for a few

weeks at most,” Alexi asserted.

“Maybe someone would come for us before

then,” Kai said.

“That’s a big risk to take,” Alexi argued. “At

least right now we know what the situation is on

this side of the bunker door. If we went back in,

that would no longer be true.”

“Alexi’s right,” Liam admitted. “I don’t think

we have any other option.”

Alexi suddenly looked fragile and helpless.

His lips were parted as if we wanted to say

something, but his shoulders slouched forward in

defeat. I only wished I could look into his violet

eyes, which I knew would speak volumes that he

could not. Alas, his cloak hid them perfectly –

deep within the shadows of its hood.

“I… I don’t know what to do,” Alexi

admitted, throwing his hands helplessly into the

air.

“Let’s just go,” I suggested.

“Alice, if anything happens to you…” Alexi

started to say.

“It won’t,” I tried to reassure him.

“But if it did…”

“It
won’t
,” I repeated.

“I could never forgive myself,” he whispered.

“Nor could I,” Kai said.

“Me, either,” Max added.

Even Liam nodded in agreement.

“Look,” I said. “We have no other choice. We

have to get out of here. We can’t worry about

‘what ifs’. The sooner we go, the less chance

there is for them to come back. So we can either

stand around here bickering about it, or we can

make a run for it.”

“Yes, you’re right, of course,” Alexi said.

“The longer we wait, the likelier it is we won’t

make it.”

“Then let’s stop standing around and just go,”

I insisted.

“Alright, I’m in front,” Alexi ordered. “Liam,

you walk behind her. Kai and Max on either side.

Follow me, and stick together. Never more than

two feet from Alice. Got it?”

Everyone agreed, and we headed outside. As

soon as we walked out the door, I got hit with a

chilling breeze, but I noticed no one else seemed

affected by it. I paused, and everyone else

automatically stopped with me.

“Alice, what’s wrong?” Alexi asked quickly.

“They’re here,” I whispered.

“How do you know?” Alexi questioned.

“I feel them,” I said.

“Should we go back to the bunker?” Liam

suggested. “While we’re still close enough to

make it?”

“No, we have to get out of here,” I insisted.

“Trust me.”

“We trust you, Alice,” Alexi said.

We followed Alexi as a group, sticking

closely together as he’d suggested. We headed

around the Council House and spilled out into

the large, grassy field behind it. I felt a knot

growing in the pit of my stomach, and I shivered.

“They’re close,” I whispered.

I felt the group instinctively press in closer to

me, and we moved as one. We were approaching

the middle of the field, and I could see the

helipad in the distance. We were getting so close.

Suddenly, I heard a vague whirling whisper. I

recognized it. It was the combined voices of

several wraiths speaking somewhere nearby.

“Alexi!” I gasped. “I hear them!”

“Stay close,” Alexi barked to everyone. “Pay

attention!”

We moved a little closer to the helipad, and in

a flash, we were surrounded. Wraiths – more

than a dozen. They formed a tight perimeter

around us, and slowly began closing in. I could

hear their whispery voices, carried on the

mysterious wind that swirled around me, but

touched no one else.

“Wraiths!” I gasped. “At least a dozen, maybe

more.”

The knot in my stomach swelled until I felt

like my belly would burst. It pushed up into my

throat, and threatened to make me sick. I couldn’t

stand the thought of something happening to any

of them – gentle Kai, protective Max, caring

Liam, and Alexi – dear Alexi. I couldn’t allow it.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Liam said. “We

can’t hurt them if we can’t see them.”

“I see them,” I reminded him. “They’re closing

in slowly.”

Then I saw it – the white, dense fog rolled in

toward us. Despite the openness of the setting,

they were attempting to gas us. Everyone I loved

outside my family was about to die. The thick

fog slowly crept closer, and the circle of wraiths

stopped and waited, watching in anticipation.

They thought they’d already won.

“No…” I whispered.

My pulse raced, and my throat ached. My body

began to tremble, and I saw the familiar blurry

red of haze begin to cloud my vision. I shook so

violently my teeth chattered, and I clenched my

jaw to silence them. My hands balled into fists,

and my eyes narrowed.

I felt the wind pick up, but this time it was

affecting everyone else, too. The sky began to

darken, and the wind began to howl ferociously,

whipping my hair wildly and causing it to sting

the skin on my face and neck. Lightning streaked

across the sky, and thunder rumbled ominously. I

saw the wraiths back off ever so slightly, and

their ghostly voices seemed to grow anxious.

The fog still continued to inch closer. It was

only a few feet away, now, and I could see a

vision in my mind of all my loved ones slumping

to the ground, surrounded by the dusty aftermath.

“No!” I shouted!

My skin began to burn as though I were on

fire, and a low snarl escaped my lips. I had to get

that fog away from them. I concentrated with all

the focus I could muster, and I imagined the fog

being pushed away by the wind.

“Alice…”

I

heard Alexi

whisper

in

wonderment.

I heard a wild roar somewhere above my head,

and I looked upward. A black, swirling vortex

slowly descended from the clouds. I lifted my

hands, and it conformed to their shape. I pulled

my hands downward, and the vortex closed

around us, forming a wall between the wraiths

and us.

I pushed outward, and the vortex flew out like

a shockwave. The fog dissipated immediately,

and the wraiths were blown back several hundred

feet. This was our chance.

“Run!” I shouted, and the group immediately

complied.

We raced toward the helicopter, the wraiths

now following closely on our heels. I felt several

hands on me, touching me protectively as they

tried to shield me. Alexi reached the helicopter

first, and he threw open the door.

“Alice, get in!” he shouted.

I jumped in, and the others quickly followed.

“So who can fly this thing?” Kai asked.

“I’ve logged a few hours of practice time,”

Liam said.

“Then you’re flying,” Alexi agreed.

Liam hopped into the pilot’s seat and flipped

some switches. In a moment, the helicopter

blades slowly began to roar to life. Over our

heads, I heard them begin to whoosh-whoosh-

whoosh. The whooshing got louder, and the

tempo increased. I saw the wraiths just a few

yards away.

“Hurry, Liam!” I shouted over the combined

noise of the storm and the blades. “They’re right

outside!”

“Hold on!” Liam yelled, and the helicopter

began to lift.

The wraiths were just outside.

“They’re here!” I shouted over the deafening

roar. “I can’t blow them away, or I could crash

the helicopter!”

The bulky machine lifted off the ground just

as they reached the helipad, and they stood and

watched solemnly as we flew higher and higher

above their heads. As I began to calm down, the

blood red haze slowly faded from my field of

vision, and the clouds broke away. The sun

peeked through the darkness, and the wind

calmed.

“Alice, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Alexi

said in amazement. “I’ve never even
heard
of

anything like it. How did you do that?”

“I honestly don’t know,” I admitted. “I just

knew I couldn’t let them hurt any of you.”

“I see now why Father often spoke of her

importance,” Liam told Alexi. “She is truly

unique. We’ve
never
had a more powerful

Elder.”

“Elder?” I gasped. “But I…”

“We’re the only Elders left, now,” Alexi said,

referring to himself, Liam, and me. “The only

ones in this area, anyway.”

It was a huge burden. I didn’t even know

exactly what the Elders’ jobs entailed, and now I

was one of them. My head spun as I tried to

absorb the gravity of the situation.

“I’ll think about that later,” I insisted. “For

now, we have to worry about Dmitri’s next

move. He’s not going to give up so easily.”

“That’s true,” Alexi agreed. “Once the wraiths

report back to him with what you’ve done today,

he’ll be even more determined than ever before.

He’ll never give up, now.”

Alexi frowned, his mouth turning downward.

“I’m going to take us to Thaddeus’

compound,” Liam said. “It’s the closest one, and

I don’t think we have time to make it anywhere

else.”

“That’s the first place they’ll look,” Alexi

argued.

“We don’t have a choice,” Liam said. “There’s

not enough fuel to make it elsewhere.”

“Radio ahead, and let them know we’re

coming,” Alexi barked. “Tell them to have a car

waiting for us.”

“I’m on it,” Liam said, picking up the radio

handset.

“What are we going to do?” Kai worried.

I clenched my teeth, and narrowed my eyes. I

was fed up with running. I was fed up with

people trying to hurt those I held so dear. And I

was fed up with being the victim.

“We’re going to take the fight to him,” I said

determinedly.

*****

*****

Book three in the
Blood Haze
series is due to

be released in the summer of 2011.

*****