A frantic nod has her becoming a bobblehead. “I’m here. I’m…I’m with you.”
I grab the back of her neck, pressing our foreheads together. “Good girl. Good fucking girl.” I kiss her cheek, slam her door, and focus on the car.
A part of Evan’s truck is caught under our bumper. That’s why Ruka can’t get the truck to move.
The tornado is too close for comfort. Lightning becomes louder. Thunder rolls longer. Rain falls harder, biting into my skin as if the droplets have fangs.
I plant my feet on the ground, careful to miss the cracks. Fire burns in the forest, eating away at the greenery. Settling my hands on the hood, my palms slide against the slick surface. Finding a new angle, I grip under the hood instead and push.
Human strength won’t be enough.
I have to dig deeper.
Sanguine fills my iris. My claws dig into the truck. My fangs lengthen over my lips. There’s no hiding what or who I am.
I expect Ruka to scream or yell at Nariko. He simply stares at me, mouth parted open.
Nariko is whispering to herself, “Come on, come on, come on,” she chants, watching the storm tear up the ground to get closer to us.
I push the car, dragging Evan’s truck with every step I take. The bumper groans, bending and cracking.
“Come on!” Ruka shouts, both he and his sister banging on the dash with impatience.
I’m doing the best I can.
I hunker down, sneering, and finally the piece of Evan’s truck comes free. The bumper falls with a hard clunk and teeters left, then right, the wind pulling it up and over the car, smashing into the windshield.
Nariko and Ruka rear back as if it’s going to smash through the glass. It continues to climb up and over, getting lifted into the wind rotation of the storm.
Common myth about the ‘suck zone’ of a tornado. It doesn’t suck. It lifts objects off the ground.
I waste no more time. I jump in the vehicle, and Ruka doesn’t wait for me to get strapped in. The truck launches forward, and I’m slammed into my seat again.
“Holy fuck!” Ruka roars. “She’s in the air. She’s in the fucking air!” The truck swerves to miss a giant hay bale landing in the middle of the road. “What the fuck is going on?”
“Do you really want to be introduced to the world of paranormals in this exact moment?” I ask, never taking my eyes off Nariko. I do my best to send love through the bond. I feel her soul trembling, needing the safety of my own to keep her safe.
I’m right here, Sugar. I love you.
I love you too.
Our bond must be very strong to speak to one another telepathically. Reaching over the seat, I drift my fingers up and down her arm, hoping it calms her.
“Maybe.” Ruka’s eyes are wild with panic. He’s lost some color to his face. By how fast his heart is beating, he’s on the verge of passing out. “What are you?”
I ignore him because that’s not important right now. “Did we get a chance to warn everyone at the bar? They have five minutes.”
“I told them,” Nariko says. “Everyone is as safe as they can be.” She flicks her eyes at the mirror again. “I just don’t know if it will be enough. This woman is on a mission to destroy everything in her path if she doesn’t get who she wants.”
That’s normal in my world. I’d explain, but again, now isn’t the time. It’s easy to take a few seconds to explain, and I will, when we are safe. I don’t need Ruka crashing the car when he learns about my world.
A tree falls across the road, blocking our only way out.
There’s nothing Ruka can do. There’s nowhere we can go.
A sharp intake of breath sounds from between Nariko’s lips just before we make impact.
Metal crunches against the log in our way. The scent of blood fills the cab. My brother’s face comes to view when I blink away the warm liquid impeding my vision.
