“Adair!”
Emory’s scream seemed distant, like he was below water and being pulled farther away from the world above. Throwing his weight forward, he scrambled, nails breaking as his fingers tried to find something to hold onto. Pain, hot and consuming, surged up his shoulder and down his side. Laughter cackled, and he vaguely realized that he was being dragged backward. Rolling, he looked at the leather whip cutting into his skin, the crimson blood trickling down his wrist. He looked to where the group of pirates waited for him. Their leader held the end of the whip, his smirk holding the promise of malice. His pale green hair was braided back, his deep eyes flashing as Adair stopped before him, gasping and shaking. A boy around his age peeked around his father, his emerald hair glistening like gems, his pale, freckled skin making his eyes look too big for his face. He begged with his eyes for mercy, for the boy to do something.
Jutting his chin out, the boy slightly shook his head, so fast Adair almost didn’t catch the movement. Pain flared in his chest as he felt a heavy boot crunch against his sternum, pinning him flush to the cold hallway floor. Gasping, he tried to get up, to move, and the man only pressed down harder until he was sure he was going to break his bones.
“My, my, this place is interesting, isn’t it?” The man’s voice was dry and full of authority, and he flashed Adair his gold teeth, searching his face. He leaned closer. “Now what should I do with you?”
He couldn’t breathe. The walls seemed closer, the hallway blurring. Shouts filled the space, and he looked up to those leering faces. Teeth snapping, laughter clawing at Adair’s edges. Their taunts. Their insults. And the boy standing in the middle of the throng, doing nothing but watching him as the distant words became a sharp humming in his senses. The humming becoming a madness.
And he snapped.
His ability shattered through him, and with its inky claws, he sank them deep into his victim, relishing on how fast the boy’s mind bent to his will. Flashing open his new perspective and looking at his still form still pinned on the floor, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The man paused for the briefest of seconds, looking at his lack of struggle. The boy’s voice was smooth and he started to laugh slowly, and the man looked at his son, his back stiff, only to find that his once emerald eyes were now pitch black.
“What the—?”
Adair didn’t wait. He didn’t care that he was extremely outnumbered. Snarling, he launched himself at the man, aiming low and throwing all his weight forward. The man dodged his attack easily, chuckling darkly. “Oh boys, we have a fighter. Shall we entertain his idea?” Mocking laughter rippled around the group and the leader lazily took in his son’s imposter. “You need to leave my son out of this. How about a fair fight in the body that’s yours?”
The boy’s thin lips pulled upward. “You won’t fight fair, why should I? You wouldn’t dare hurt him. Now tell me why you’re here. What do you want?” The man paused, tilting his head as he assessed him.
Adair tensed, his muscles pulling as he prepared to fly forward, to claw and bite and tear. To fight. The man bared his teeth at him, stepping forward as he flinched. Before he could say anything, a low hissing filled the hall. Spears of ice flew past Adair, lodging themselves firmly in the man’s cloak, the force throwing him back and pinning him to the wall.
“Try touching my son again and I will make sure I don’t purposefully miss.” Bresslin Stratton stalked forward, malice flashing in her eyes. The group tensed as their leader laughed, sizing her up.
Smirking, her gaze as cutting as a sword, frost spread down her fingertips and hands. “Wrong answer.” His mother was fluid as fire as ice shattered their trance.
Ducking, Adair let go of his hold on the boy. Slamming back into his own body, he scrambled to get out of the way.
“Adair!” Emory ran up to him, dropping to her knees and clutching his bloodied hands. She sputtered, “Are you okay? I went... I got...” She was gasping as she took him in with shaking hands, unable to finish her sentence.
He panted. “Em. I’m okay, it’s going to be okay.”
He faltered, adrenaline encompassing him. Her eyes flashed as he cupped her face for the briefest moment, breathing hard, before strong hands wrenched him upwards. His father’s face was contorted in anger as spittle flew from his lips. “What did he do to you? Adair, what did he do!”
Emory blanched behind them, unaware that his blood was smeared on her cheek. Cesan shoved him back, his silent rage rolled from him in waves.
“Dad, no!” Adair’s voice cracked and landed on deaf ears as his father stalked to where the intruders were now pinned by his mother’s enchanted ice. Bresslin stalked back and forth, her piercing gaze making their visitors wary and, for the first time since arriving, silent. Lurching forward, Adair found himself grappling at thin air, his vision spinning violently. One more step. One. More.
Everything happened in clips of violence. Cesan prowled up to the rover, not giving him a chance to explain before bones cracked and more blood was spilt. Fists against jaws, might against might. Adair tripped, landing hard on his knees.
Yells, protests, and the one voice who could stop his father’s wrath. “Cesan, stop.”
That one voice, and the room was immediately harnessed. Roque Fae stalked past him and Emory, not giving them a second glance. Nei followed at his heels, her expression dark and unyielding.
Dry laughter filled the hallway as Cesan spun, his dark eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Roque, I thought this is the thing we are trained to do when someone threatens our children and our home.”
Spittle
