Page 54 of Stormbreaker

When I spot it, I exhale the breath trapped in my chest and head down the path. I’m sure it’s man-made. It’s too straight to be natural. I often think about who might have carved this and wonder if they were in a similar situation to mine.

I emerge on the other side, and from here, it feels like I’m the only person in the world. The city sits behind me, shielded by the rock at my back.

The wall curves gently to my left and right, spreading out in a subtle arch, almost like an embrace. In the center sits a single large rock, a few feet high, and I scramble onto it, staring into the darkness.

The clouds obscure everything, including the moon, making the surrounding details hard to parse out. In the distance, hot spots flash, illuminating the world around me with temporary bursts of light. For some reason, I’m reminded of Rook, and for the first time, I really consider the sprawling world stretching into the distance.

How far away did he live? Did he cross these miles alone? Was he scared? Does he miss his home? Everything I’ve ever learned about Solitudes suggests that whatever place he left was a wretched half-life, but maybe he has people who love him and he was forced to leave them behind.

A small crash overhead tells me the storm is moving closer, and I tip my face up, watching the sky. My limbs tremble as I stand, arms spread and feet wide, bracing myself against the wind.

Another crackle sends a shiver across my scalp, and I call to the Spark, willing it to find me. It always does when I give it the chance. It’s like it knows me and seeks me out. It seems silly to say out loud, but I can’t shake the sensation that it understands who I am.

Another brilliant flash bursts across the horizon, an explosion lighting up the sky. The Spark coalesces, slamming into my chest. Instantly, a plasma arc swells, encasing me inside its thin, transparent walls as bolts of energy sizzle against my skin.

Pain.

It rips into me, chewing through my lungs and heart and brain, forcing me to my knees, and I shudder at the onslaught. At the all-consuming, drowning need. I quake in a sort of stupor as it rolls through my limbs and spreads to my fingers and toes.

My hands and knees strike rock, fingers digging into stone as I cling to the shreds of myself. The hairs on my arms rise as I tear apart, my lungs expanding, contracting, filling with lead.

Seconds pass. Minutes. Entire lifetimes, maybe.

I lose myself in the moment, tumbling through time and space. Tiny flickers flash in the corners of my vision as Spark buzzes down my limbs and dances along my spine. Static crackles in the air, snapping in my ears.

I feel my hair lifting, swirling around me like my own personal whirlwind.

I want to scream. I want to cry. But I also want to sing.

Then it ends, the plasma arc winking out.

I stare at the ground, panting as the pain morphs into euphoria, like I’ve been dipped into a hot bath after coming in from the cold.

Slowly, I open my eyes and sit back on my heels to study my hands, flipping them back and forth to watch purple sparks dance over my skin.

Here in the darkness, I’m like a beacon, reflecting the power of my world.

My mind bends in on itself, and for a moment, everything turns to dust. I shake my head, waiting for the empty spaces in my brain to fill. I know this is wrong. I feel it in the way my thoughts warp and twist, suggesting a mind teetering on the edge of control.

The air around me pulses like a beating heart, and I hum to the resonance that’s become my own personal melody. It’s always strongest when I’m out here, away from the noise and bustle of the city. I roll my neck and twist my head back and forth as I shake my arms and hands.

Slowly, I look around, inhaling deep breaths as the wind tosses my hair and clothing. I almost feel like I could flap my arms and take off into the sky.

And then . . . movement at the base of the rocks catches my eye.

A shadow melting into darker shadows.

I blink and blink again, then it’s gone.

The air in my chest twists, grows claws.

I’m almost positive someone was just standing there.

19

Someone saw me. Someone is out here with me. Are they already headed to the Extinguishers to report what they saw?

“Hey!” I shout. “Who’s there?”