Page 78 of When Storms Ruin

Lightning struck out haphazardly around us, the ground sizzling and flaming where it had struck. Fletcher’s expression was wild as he backed away.

“Your eyes…” he uttered, scrambling backwards over the rubble.

My eyes?

I found the lightning in the cloud again…and this time I would not miss. Fletcher had killed Tyr, likely the only blood family I had left. The council had accused him of betraying the resistance, and they had thrown him into the dungeon for crimes they couldn’t prove he committed.

In the end, hehadbeen on our side. Hegave his lifeto save mine.

At some point, the blood had stopped pooling on my tunic, and the pain had drained away to leave nothing but raw, unfettered vengeance and rage.

I watched as I released the lightning and it struck out again, violently stinging the ground around us. Several Nightshade soldiers fell to the ground, including Fletcher.

His body was motionless against the cobblestones, his eyes wide. I stepped forwards slowly, one foot after the other, the sound of Nik’s voice fading in my ears.

“Tess! Tess, I need you!” I could hear Nik yell out behind me. “I can’t bring her back. She can’t hear me!”

I stalked forwards, kneeling next to Fletcher’s limp body as thunder crackled loudly overhead once more. Fletcher’s eyes were trained on the sky, unblinking. His chest was sliced open, the cut blue around the edges and seeping with bright red blood.

It was as if my lightning hadcut him down the middle.My eyes traveled to the others around him, and I realized I had taken down at least a dozen other Nightshade soldiers with my lightning strike, but the battle raged on.

But not for long.

I stood again, pulling on more of the magic the storm had left, letting it well up inside of me once more. I threw my head back, turning my face to the storm above with a smile on my lips.

“Diana! Listen to me, Diana!” It was Tess’ voice in my ears this time, and a voice deep down told me to look at her.

My face turned, my eyes meeting hers.

“Your eyes…” She backed up a step, her hand flying to her throat. “They’re…glowing, swirling with storm magic. Diana, come back to us.”

“Why?” I asked, my voice sounding foreign in my own ears.

Darker. Colder.

It was Isaac’s voice that rang out this time. “Diana, you need to focus on letting the stormgo. It has no more energy for you to take.”

I turned to him, my brow creasing in confusion. “Why would I do that? I killed over a dozen enemies in one fell swoop. I could end this battle right here and now.”

“But at what price?” Isaac asked, his voice raised over the storm that surged around us. I must have said those words out loud, I realized. “Diana,there is a price to this kind of magic.”

The storm thundered around us, out of control. Lightning struck against the rubble, rocks flying into the air and hitting those unfortunate enough to be standing within strikingdistance. The rain was falling so hard it stung against my skin, pools of rain and blood forming around the battlefield.

My eyes searched once again for Donika, but she wasn’t here.

She had sent her minions to capture me, not wanting to face me herself. Was Corian here? Who else had she sent after me?

I would take them all down. Every last one.

“Diana, please let the storm go,” Tess pleaded.

She took a tentative step forwards, then another. Lightning struck between us, and she jumped back. My eyes moved from her frightened expression to that of Nik, who stood over her shoulder. His jaw was set, his eyes pleading.

“I can’t,” I choked out, my feet rooted in place.

The storm raged around me, and the same as last time, I had lost control. I hadwantedto kill those witches, and the thought made my stomach twist. What was happening to me? Wasthisthe price of this kind of magic?

Bloodlust?

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