The Dark Wind

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I was barely myself when Wind arrived. Inside, I was still shivering and quailing and though the Hunter’s warmth hugged me in a tight embrace, my hands were still trembling in my pockets. I wasn’t sure if the cold was hitting at me from the outside, or chewing at me from the inside. Yet, despite the almost-freezing condition, wind gusted, announcing the arrival of my Master.

As opposed to his normally dramatic entrance, Wind out-of-characteristically appeared a good distance away from us, keeping a tight hold on my brother. Anneson seemed fine, though looking slightly disorientated after Wind’s teleportation.

“Dru.” For the first time since I’d known him, he called me simply by the name I’d chosen.

“Wind.” I replied with hostility icing my voice, struggling for my eyes to stay on Wind, instead of straying to Anneson.

The cool, flat green eyes registered the hunter beside me with a sudden, sharp focusing. Then, after assessing Xavier carefully, his gaze moved over to Vin who –plainly said –looked a totally wreck. I still wasn’t sure what exactly Kote had done to this nightstalker, but it was more than obvious that Vin was broken in the worse way. The nightstalker spoke no words, reacted to nothing and shuffled slowly when pulled by his leash. His expression had always been haunted; his eyes as if he was kept entirely in a nightmare he would never be able to escape from.

“When I requested for a deal, seeing him like this was not quite what I had in mind.” Wind pointed out blandly, his eyes going dull dangerously. Had I once been the weak Lorna Reyzon I once was, I would have groveled at his feet for apology immediately.

“This was all Kote’s doing. I have not heard him talk a single word, much less get a response.” I defended myself fiercely, but stopped myself from plain jumping at him.

Anneson was keeping himself thankfully quiet and still, though his eyes were still tinged with intense fear. My poor brother; there was so much that I owed him. For leaving him, for lying to him, only to allow him to get the words of truth from his captive, who used his life for nothing but leverage over me. I knew I had hurt Anneson, but it was all I could do. The least I could do was to save Anneson back from Wind.

“And why exactly is he,” Wind pointed at the Hunter, “here?”

Before my reply was formed, Xavier interrupted my stumbling excuse.

“You called on for your servant Vin to murder my family. Should I not have reason to face you? Furthermore, Anneson is one of the Reyzon. I will not allow another of the Families to die. Mina and Stephan were the last straws.” Xavier declared with a stronger voice that I somehow wasn’t able to vocalize.

For a moment, Wind’s reply was a blank face. Then he laughed; a cold chilling laughter that was even more icing than the Antarctic situation that was around us. I was reminded painfully of the same cold, humorless laughter I’d given today.

“Are you, Xavier Valentino, declaring war against the nightstalker community, in your name as one of the Families?” Wind asked; his voice as if barely repressing laughter.

Slowly, deliberately, Xavier shook his head; his face nothing but a blank slate.

“No. In my name of the Master of Magic Manipulation, I am declaring war against you, Wind.”

There was a distinct hardening in the lynx green eyes and Wind began to glower, a frown pulling at his tight lips.

“You are the Master of Magic Manipulation? The one who is supposed to be the second half of Dru’s power? You?” Wind’s voice was almost disbelieving as if he couldn’t believe his ears. He cocked his head to the side; a move that would have normally been comical, if not for the dangerous glowering glints in his eyes.