Raine
I link Max, signalling north.
Dark figures move in the dust—just shadows to most, but I see them.
Max’s hand closes over mine, and I pull him away from the shelter, out of sight from the children. I focus on the storm, feeling the grit sting my cheeks. Max pulls me into his chest and our light flares between us, steady and bright.
“Push it away from the kids. Drive it back toward the threat,” I murmur.
We concentrate, our combined energy weaving into a single force. The wind resists us—wild, heavy—but we push harder.
“You’re stronger than I thought,” a deep, unfamiliar voice cuts through the roar, “but no match for me. This is your warning. I’m coming.”
And just like that, the winds vanish, the clouds rolling back as though pulled by invisible hands.
Max bolts toward the spot
