Defying the North Wind by Anna Hackett Read Free Book Online Page B

and vicious punches.
    Their winds rose up, swirling around them, like spectators egging on a fight. Luca didn’t hold anything back. He had to protect Rayne, Venice and her people, his brothers. It was his duty to use all his strength to end the Tempest Wind.
    A brutal side kick sent Caecius stumbling back. His face was grim. You have him. Drive him down.
    “I won’t stop until Venice is a bloodbath. I love the color red.” Caecius’s smile was nasty.
    Luca advanced, power singing through him. He thumped a blow into Caecius’s face, causing the Tempest Wind to curl in on himself. Yes . His anger was alive, a writhing beast that wanted prey.
    Caecius laughed, his teeth covered in blood. “I won’t kill your lovely Aurae though. I have special plans for her.”
    The words enraged Luca. He kept punching Caecius and it felt so good.
    The North Wind, charged with power, swirled into a funnel, creating a large tornado above them.
    Caecius’s laughter ran out. “That’s it, WindKeeper. More, give me more.”
    Luca’s fist paused in the air, his knuckles torn and bloody. He arched his head, staring at his out-of-control wind. The anger in his gut churned, making him feel sick. What had he done?
    His fingers curled. It was too late to worry. He needed to finish this.
    He slammed another blow into Caecius’s smiling face.

Chapter Seven
    Rayne saw the slowly spinning funnel of wind rising high above the campo. Beautiful, deadly and out-of-control.
    Luca. She sprinted toward it. She leaped over fallen bodies and slammed through fighters. As she neared, she saw Luca and Caecius in fierce combat. Luca had knocked the Tempest Wind down and was pummeling him.
    Rayne didn’t pause. She continued her headlong rush and rammed into Luca’s back.
    They sailed over Caecius and hit the ground. The fall forced the air out of her lungs. Luca flipped, baring his teeth like a wild animal caught in hunting lust. As he raised his arm, his elbow slammed into her face.
    Pain exploded across her cheekbone. Luca reared above her, his hand clenched into a tight fist.
    Time slowed. A million old memories rushed through her head and fear filled her belly. On instinct, she flinched away from him.
    Like a man waking from a dream, Luca shook his head. Horror dawned. “Rayne…I’m so sorry…I…” he lifted his hands, staring at them.
    Rayne pulled in a shaky breath and focused on Luca’s eyes. She touched a hand to her cheek and forced herself to stay in the present, not the past.
    He shook his head viciously. “For a second, I wanted to hit you. Caecius is right. There is only the anger. One push and it rears up.”
    In his eyes she saw no glee, no sickening spark of pleasure. She shook off the past. For too long, Rayne had let her mother’s mistakes, her stepfather’s terror and her own sense of failure dictate her actions.
    She jumped up, wanted to touch Luca, but his edgy stance told her he wouldn’t let her. “Caecius is a liar. You’re much, much more.”
    Luca’s hands clenched before he slowly uncurled them. “I hurt you.” His gaze went to her cheek.
    She felt the throb, it would bruise, and he would never forgive himself. “Did you take pleasure in hitting me?”
    “No!”
    “Do you want to do it again? Do you want to hurt people because it makes you feel good?”
    “Of course not.” Luca’s voice was a raspy whisper, his gaze on the ground.
    “Look at me.” She injected all the command she possessed into her voice.
    He lifted his gaze and met hers. His eyes were covered in frost and aggression still pumped off his body.
    “I’ve seen that there’s more to you. And I want to see what else you have.” She cupped his face. “I’d like to see what movies make you laugh, what books you like to read, if you’re any good at cooking me breakfast.”
    He grabbed her now, holding her tight. “I don’t deserve you.”
    “Maybe not, WindKeeper, but you’ve got me. The Aurae were wrong to deny their heritage. It