Shot in the Dark (book 2 of the Storm Chasers series)

Part 1

"When you take risks, you could lose someone you love. I took the wrong risk." -Chameleon

Prologue

The house was warm, giving young Crow a feeling of joy. He was happily playing with his mom in the kitchen, trying to beat her at a deck of cards. He viciously put down a play where he thought he'd win, but he immediately was defeated by his mother.

"Haha, mi hijo! I won!" His mother laughed.

"Aye, come on mom! How do you do that every time?" Crow complained.

"Mi poco tormento! I just know. Besides, your face is easy to read."

"Mom!"

"Te amo, mi hijo."

"I know, mom. When will we have dinner? Estoy famélico!"

"It's cooking, it's cooking. Calm down, my little tempest."

His mom went to the stove where she was cooking dinner. Crow went to his room to pull out his guitar, a beautiful light brown with a golden lining. He plucked random strings, piecing the notes together. He wrote down whatever he figured out to give the notes names. He then heard the front door open, so he ran to look at who came.

A well built man with a deep cut on his chin and light brown hair was at the door. He was slick from the rain, and was speaking low to his mom. Crow went to his mom.

"What are you here for, Seńor?" Crow asked, afraid to speak up.

"Boy, I'm afraid to tell you this, but...Your dad isn't coming back," the man said.

"What? Por qué? Is dad ok?"

"I'm so sorry," The man's voice quivered. "He was a good man."

Crow's mom fell to the floor, sobbing. The man comforted her, giving her a few pats on the back and saying comforting words. Crow could only stand there, helpless.

"No. You're lying! You have rust behind your teeth! He isn't dead! He can't be! My dad can't die! He can't..." Crow backed off, shaken.

"Son, look. There's nothing we could do. He joined the job knowing he could die. Your father was a brave man. In the end, it was the lightning that took him."

"Then I'll kill the lightning! I'll avenge my father!"

"You can't kill lightning, kid. Besides, with the illness you've got, I'd be surprised if you could even be a Storm Catcher."

"I will be! Just to prove you wrong, hombre! My dad isn't dead anyway. He'll come home."

"Don't hold your breath," with that, the man stood up.

"Who even are you?!" Crow screamed.

"You might know me as Felidae." The man left, leaving no trace. Crow hugged his mom, comforting her. She sat, sobbing.

"Mi amor...No..." She cried.

"I'll be here. I'll do dad's stuff now. I'm big and strong like him," Crow tried to comfort her.

"I'm glad you want to help, hijo, pero...He's-He's gone."

"Mom, I-"

"Te amo, mi hijo. We can get through this together, ok?"

"Yes, mom. I just don't-"

"I don't expect you to understand. I don't understand how this could happen either. It's so hard."

"You did always say that he'd go to fight the god of storms."

"Aye, I guess he is now. Barak better be scared."