Page 75 of Before We Burn

Constantine looks outside, the once-bright and sunny sky from the hours that have passed is turning cloudy and tense. The wind begins to pick up, whistling through the cracks in the window. The pressure is almost unbearable in my ears. A loud crack of thunder sounds, making me pull Constantine down for cover.

Slowly the sky turns dark, the blues and bright yellow of the sun disappearing completely. Lightning strikes and thunder rolls. Rain begins to pour, and I feel a surge. My fist tightens as something pulls me outside. I need to feel the rain on my skin.

It isn’t just me, either. Constantine and Nadiya subconsciously move toward the back door. I follow closely behind them as Ciro, Malcolm, and Gray follow behind me. Once we are outside, I close my eyes. The rain is caressing. It feels like the heaviness on my soul is being lifted and power is mine again.

I open my eyes to see lightning crack again, bold and defined. I feel the power as if it was my own. “Come on!” I scream, and another roll of thunder sounds.

Nadiya steps forward with a smile on her face. “That’s a very pissed off anchor. She’s giving her children a wake up call. It’s time for war.”

I look at Constantine who is holding her hands against her chest, relief evident on her face as the rain soaks her. A drop falls on her face just under her eye, making it seem like she’s generating her own tears. She has confirmation her friend is alive, and I have confirmation that she is in this fight not only for herself, but for all of us. I can’t contain my excitement.

“I’m with you!” I scream. “I’m with you, Marzana!” Lightning cracks again and the wind

becomes heavier.

Soon I can hear the cheers from others who know what this means. Their screams on the wind carry from places far away. I’ve been through one war before and barely made it out. This war might make that hole in my heart a little bigger, but it’s worth it if it means my brothers and sisters—the witches in hiding—are able to receive the freedom they so desperately deserve.

“I’m with you ‘til the end, Marzana.”

33

WE’RE COUSINS

EVERETT

My body hurts, and my mind feels like scrambled eggs. I could open my eyes, but I don’t want to. Here in the deepest parts of my mind, Marz consumes me. We were in The Red Room, the Council of Five staring her down, but she watched me.

I can hear the Premier Leader’s voice right next to me, but I don’t care to look at him. I want to keep looking at Marz. It may be the last time I ever get the chance to bask in her beauty. Her face suddenly shifts, worry coating her features, and my body instantly reacts. The Premier Leader is about to kill her. I have to stop him.

Benny swings as hard as he can, and I take that moment to try grabbing the detonator. It’s too late. The bomb goes off, blinding white light filling the room, and suddenly I’m gone.

I wake up in a cold sweat, my lungs aching as I try to breathe. Shock must riddle my features, because at the end of my bed sits the Premier Leader. His reddish-brown hair is shaved down, his piercing blue eyes watching me closely, and I freeze.

“Welcome back, cousin!” he exclaims as he leans forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “Where should we begin?”

TO BE CONTINUED