Page 152 of Storm Caller

Then the line disconnects, and I stare at the phone.

Rook’s brother is dead.

The Shield attacked an entire sanctuary full of innocent Keepers and killed them in cold blood.

The Veil is coming for us.

How will I get a message to Rook?

Then I have an idea.

I know a place we can meet where no one will see us. A place only he knows about.

I send a message.

me: I often think about that night you first told me about Andromeda. Someone told me it means princess. Now I understand why you said it reminded you of someone. I wish we could go back.

There. Hopefully he understands that this is an emergency.

Now I just have to wait for the next storm to arrive.

54

A few nights later, I wait behind the rock wall as the sky tumbles with amethyst clouds, waiting to see if Rook saw my message and understood.

I need to see him. I need to tell him what’s going on.

My anxiety isn’t helped by the fact that I’m desperate to touch the storm.

With my legs tucked up and my arms wrapped around them, I watch the sky as the breeze tugs my hair. I imagine that I can smell the universe on the wind. All those people and cities and worlds. The undiscovered places I’ll probably never get to see. I wonder if there’s a girl just like me out there, wondering where she belongs, waiting for Spark.

Every few seconds, I check behind me, hoping he’ll appear.

The storm draws closer, drifting toward the city in billowing waves that bloom across the sky. I think about that night on the Tower, how powerful it was. I’ve always understood the storms are deadly, but that night was a reminder of how much of our existence is tied to their mercy.

When the first burst explodes in the distance, I stand up, trying to get closer.

I don’t call to it yet. I’m waiting for him.

Tingles spread over my scalp and down my back, ending at my fingertips.

Again, I check for Rook. If he were coming, surely he’d be here by now?

More explosions flash against the horizon as my heart begins to sink.

He’s gone. I’m certain of it now.

He’s on his way back home. Soon, he’ll return to his parents, and they’ll welcome him with open arms.

I vow to finish this. I’ll get the cure to them somehow. It’s the least I can do after they allowed me into the Veil as an outsider and an enemy. I couldn’t stop The Shield from killing those people, but I can try to help those who still need it. I don’t know what any of this means for me, but all I can do is take it one day at a time.

The storm circles over the city, and I tip my face toward the clouds.

I thought we’d do this together, but maybe we’ll never touch another storm hand in hand.

I think about something my mother said once. About how a parent never knows the last time they’ll tuck in their child at night. Or carry them in their arms. One day, they’re asking to be lifted for a cuddle, and the next, they’ve outgrown it.

I guess in the end, we never really know when our last cherished moment with someone will be.