My Tethered Soul: Volume 2 (Reaper's Rite) by Dorothy Dreyer Read Free Book Online Page B

slept in my car before for worse reasons.”
    Chase cleared his throat. “Well, until we talk to Lilura to find out what we’re dealing with exactly, we can’t really make concrete plans. How about we finish practice until Lilura’s up?”
     
    ***
     
    I wasn’t sure how it all started, but the next phase of my practice session involved an obstacle course. And water balloons. Chase swore it was Lilura’s idea.
    “You’re kidding, right?” I narrowed my eyes at Chase and Gavin. “What is it with you guys today? First a blindfold, and now a water balloon fight? It’s like I’m at a birthday party for a five-year-old.”
    “Just run the course, Zadie.” Chase’s smirk was all too obvious. “And try not to get hit.”
    Naomi jumped up and down, clapping. “This is going to be awesome! I should come to your training sessions more often.”
    With a growl, I stood at what Chase called the starting line and readied myself. Chase and Gavin had a bucket of water balloons between them and smiles on their faces. At Chase’s signal, I began running, slaloming through folding chairs. The first water balloon exploded on the grass in front of me. It didn’t hit me, but my shoes were wet. The second balloon pinned me on the shoulder. Cold water drenched my shirt, causing me to gasp, but I continued to run the course.
    “Nice shot!” Chase said.
    Gavin laughed. “Thanks.”
    “Bet you can’t do that again.”
    “You’re on.”
    I growled as I dropped to all fours and crawled beneath the picnic table, digging into the grass with my nails to pull myself forward. A balloon burst against the leg of the table, splashing my face.
    “I got her,” Gavin cheered.
    “Not really. You hit the table.”
    “Let me try again.”
    I jumped to my feet when I cleared the table. “Wait a minute! You guys!”
    Arms crossed, Chase adopted a straight face. “Control the water in the balloons, Zadie.”
    “Was this really Lilura’s idea?”
    “Can you control the water or not?”
    Hissing, I sprinted off to the next section of the obstacle course. As I hopped over the stacked planks of wood Chase had spaced out in the yard, I sensed a balloon coming my way. Control the water. Control the water. A gush of cold water spread over my neck and down my back as I was pelted with a balloon. Come on, Zadie! Control the water! Another balloon was flung at me. Mustering my power, I imagined an energy pushing the water in the balloon in the opposite direction. At the last moment, I managed to get the balloon to veer off before hitting me.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Chase and Gavin whispering to each other. Climbing the tree in the middle of the yard was the next part of the obstacle course. I cringed when Chase and Gavin each picked up handfuls of balloons and prepared to throw them my way. A raised brow accompanied Chase’s devilish grin. Gavin looked like he could barely hold in his laughter.
    Then I got mad. The guys threw their balloons as I hopped down from the tree. But the balloons only made it halfway toward me before boomeranging back toward Gavin and Chase. I giggled when they gasped. The sound of the splash as the balloons hit them in their faces was like music to my ears.
    Teach you to mess with a Vila.
    I sprinted across the finish line, smiling as the guys grumbled at their misgivings. Naomi held her hand up as I approached, and I smacked it in a high five, feeling smug. I was soaked more than they were, but I felt satisfaction laughing in their wet faces.
    “Good one, Zadie.” Naomi patted me on the back as we headed for the house.
    “Yeah,” Chase said, sarcasm lining his tone. “Great use of your power.”
    I shrugged. “I thought so.”
    The four of us went inside to find Mara sitting at the dining room table, reading a journal. She looked at us questioningly, but with a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
    “Um, why are you dripping?”
    I shook my head. “You don’t want to know.”
    Sable approached