Storm by Danielle Ellison Read Free Book Online Page B

family on the other side of the room. Dr. McGervey follows my gaze, then lowers his voice.
    “She’s still in surgery, as far as I’m aware.”
    “Thank you,” Carter says. “Your service is impeccable.”
    As soon as the doctor walks away, Connie throws her hands around my neck. I stand there as she hugs me, and close my eyes. What a relief. I could’ve lost Ric today. I could’ve lost someone else who I love.
    “You can go to him first,” I tell Connie.
    She looks surprised and shakes her head. “He’s your best friend, he’ll need to see you.”
    As much as I want to go, the ground feels shaky. Carter’s hand rests on my back without me saying anything else. “I need a second,” I say. “Go, please. I don’t want him to think he’s here all alone.”
    Connie nods and heads down the hall to find Ric. Carter’s hand rubs against my back and I turn to face him. Ric could’ve died. I could’ve lost my best friend and it would’ve all been my fault. A week ago, I was so determined to save Carter from the demons I thought took him that I caused people to die. Statics have magic now and have killed people. Their blood is on my hands, and I’m horrible for being thankful that it’s not Ric’s.
    “He’s all right,” Carter says, pulling me into his arms. He holds me against his chest, and I breath in the familiar scent of him. It’s crazy how much of my life Carter has become. Sometimes I feel like I didn’t have anything good before him, and that’s a scary and strange feeling. I’m only seventeen. How can I need someone so badly?
    Carter’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out between us and makes a face. Probably his father. “Take it,” I say.
    He looks conflicted, but says, “I’ll be right back.”
    While he’s gone, I sit again and fiddle with my salt necklace so my fingers and brain have a distraction from this whole mess. I scroll through my phone and stare blankly at the seventy alerts. All of them related to Statics. How do I stop this?
    A blond woman with an oddly disproportionate body and a large red hat lowers herself into the chair beside me. She smiles at me, but I can’t focus on anything but that hat. She could seriously injure someone with it. I slide my phone back in my pocket—I can’t read any more of this—and stare out into the space of the hallway. The woman clears her throat and rests her hand on my forearm.
    “I’m Lindley Arthur. I notice you’re an Enforcer,” she says, eyes moving to the gold triangles on my shirt. Right. I’m still in uniform. I nod toward her and she clasps her hands together. “Quite a lot of ruckus going on these last couple days. My friend said her second cousin manifested yesterday.” Taylor Plum said it was two days for her, too, but she was the first report. How is spreading around our area so quickly?
    “I love your hat,” I say, changing the subject.
    “I am quite fond of it,” Lindley Arthur says with a smile. “Anyway, we are all hoping that the Triad has a plan in place for all of this. Is there any clue about which Statics are going to get magic? Or why? Or when?” Her voice drops into a whisper. “As one myself, I’m quite interested in obtaining some magic.”
    There’s no response to that. Magic isn’t acquired—you have it or you don’t. At least, that’s how it used to be. Now? Who knows. She’s staring at me like I have some secret answer to change her life. What does she expect me to say? I have no answers to any of this. “Well,” I start.
    Right on cue, Carter appears with his million-dollar smile that’s oh-so better than mine. “Hello, Mrs. Arthur,” Carter says. The woman turns to look at him and he rests a hand on her shoulder. She practically melts because he can do that to people. Even fifty-year old women. “I’m William Prescott—”
    She nods, huge smile on her face. “Victor’s boy. Your father has a dangerous situation on his hands, young man. I sure hope he can handle