Unleash the Storm by Annette Marie Read Free Book Online Page B

tension. “Hurry.”
    She trotted back up to the gazebo, annoyed by the steam obscuring her path. Darting across the gazebo floor, she yanked the blanket off the railing; they didn’t have enough supplies that they could abandon perfectly good blankets for no reason. As she swung the blanket around herself like a towel and turned to leave, a small flash of motion caught her eye. She looked back at the pool with the vista of mountains beyond it. Something dark was floating atop the water. Glancing at the empty sky, she hopped down two steps into knee-deep water for a closer look.
    It was a black feather. A huge black feather as long as her arm and twice as thick. Holy crap, Ash hadn’t been kidding about big birds. Her skin prickled with fear and she spun around, intending to duck back into the shelter of the gazebo.
    In a rush of massive wings, something grabbed her and wrenched her into the air.
    The world spun and the steam of the springs swirled crazily as the bird launched back into the sky, Piper trapped in its grasp. The blanket around her had tangled up the deadly, curved talons, saving her from what might have been instant death. Her eyes flashed over the humungous raptor with its hooked beak the size of her head, massive feathered wings, and a long snake-like tail with feathers fanning out on each side.
    The wind whipped at her. The mountainside was already a deadly fall away. Holy shit.
    “Ash!” she screamed.
    The raptor shrieked, seemingly irritated to realize she was still alive and being noisy. Its talons clenched around her, digging into her body through the blanket.
    “Ow!” she yelled, frantically wiggling her arm out of the blanket straightjacket. She raised her freed hand, ready to cast a nice blast of magic into the bird’s face. Looking around, she strained to spot Ash.
    A whistle cut through the air. Halfway between her and the rocky slope, Ash flew after her, his wings beating hard to catch up to the bird. Close enough.
    She summoned her magic, the sucking sensation in her head warning her that she was running low on power. Ignoring it, she drew her hand back and hurled the swirling blue and purple fire into the bird’s beak.
    It shrieked in pain—but didn’t drop her.
    “Goddamn it, bird!” she snarled. She didn’t have much magic to work with here! Fear pounded in her head. She lifted her hand and pictured a band of interwoven blue and purple light—a spell she’d first used while shaded and had since practiced with limited success. Desperate measures.
    She slashed her hand through the air and the ribbon of magic snapped out in a perfect arc, slicing across the bird’s legs and underbelly. Hot blood sprayed in her face. The raptor’s cry of agony nearly burst her eardrums, and then she was falling.
    The blanket fluttered away while she plummeted at top speed. Enraged raptor cries erupted all around them, filling the sky with noise.
    A whoosh of wings, and hands snatched her from her free fall. She clamped her arms around Ash’s neck, looking over his shoulder. In a flurry of black feathers, the rest of the raptor flock swept over the nearest mountain and dove with murderous intent for her and Ash.
    “They’re coming!” she cried.
    He folded his wings. They plunged downward, gaining speed by the second. His wings opened again and they banked sharp and fast, zooming past a rocky outcrop and out over the valley beyond—away from the hot springs. Confusion cut through her fear as the furious flock sped after him, the thunder of their wings as loud as a storm. Then she realized he was leading them away from the others. She imagined that raging mass of beaks and talons descending on the spring with the helpless women and children and fully agreed with his decision.
    Thankfully, the birds followed them away from the springs, focused on revenge.
    “Do you have a plan?” she asked urgently, raising her voice over the wind.
    “Nope,” he replied tersely, wings beating rapidly.
    She