Author: Shannon Messenger

But I swear the wind took part of me with it. It definitely stole my warmth. I can’t stop shivering—even though I’m sure it has to be at least a hundred degrees. The noodle legs aren’t cool either. And my head feels like the soccer team used it for practice.

The worst part is the hollowness. I know what Audra meant by “caught between two worlds” now. The wind made parts of me feel freer, fuller, happier than I’ve ever been. Without them I feel lost and empty. I’m glad to be back, though. The sky may call to me, but I want my feet firmly on the ground. Preferably without the Jell-O legs.

Speaking of which—how am I going to explain my current condition to my parents? Knowing my mom, she’ll probably worry I’m drunk or high or both. She watches too many news reports on troubled teens.

And it looks like they’ll get to meet Audra, because unless I slither into the house, there’s no way I’m walking in there on my own. Audra’s basically carrying all my weight right now—which is pretty impressive, considering how slender she is.

The sun-bleached walls of my house come into view, and my stomach tightens. Audra tenses too, so I have a feeling she’s thinking the same thing I am: What the hell are we going to do now?

She slows to a stop at the edge of the tree line. “I need you to lean on a palm for a second,” she says, already wrapping my arm around a rough trunk. I shift my weight, leaning at an awkward angle, but I manage to stay upright as Audra starts unbuttoning her jacket.

Man, I hope whatever she has under there is thin and lacy.

When she undoes the last of the shiny gold buttons—her jacket reminds me of something an eighties pop star would wear—she slips the heavy coat off her shoulders, revealing a plain black tank and a whole lot of creamy skin. Not the sexy bra I’d been hoping for, but at least it’s tight and cut low. A blue necklace with a silver feather hangs just below the lines of her collarbone, drawing my eyes right where they probably shouldn’t go.

She tosses the jacket in the general direction of her house. “Hopefully this looks close enough to a workout outfit to fool your parents. We’ll tell them we were training and you ran too hard and got leg cramps. That should sufficiently explain your condition.”

I can’t think of anything better, and I’m getting pretty tired from holding myself up, so I let her wrap my arm back around her shoulders. A million lightning bolts zing as my skin meets hers. My shivering vanishes. Without her thick uniform-coat thing, her touch is a thousand times more electric. Not to mention how smooth and soft her bare skin feels against mine.

Note to self: Steal and destroy her jacket as soon as possible.

I try not to trip as we start moving again, but my useless legs refuse to cooperate, and I nearly knock us over. She shifts her weight in front of me and pulls me back to my feet. Leaving us face to face, her body pressed so tightly against mine I can feel her heartbeat through her thin shirt.

I swear the air around us is seconds away from catching fire.

Audra shuffles me back to her side. “Once we get inside, I’ll lay you down in your room and see myself out. Try not to get up. Eat something. Eat a lot, actually. Your body could use a few more ties to the earth. And stay away from the wind. Close your window tight—turn off your fan. You’re too vulnerable right now.”

“Vulnerable how? Like . . . I could get swept away again if I stand too close to an AC vent?”

“Probably not. But I’m trying to be cautious. I’ve never heard of anyone being as tempted by the wind as you were. Maybe it’s a Westerly thing. Or maybe you’ve been so wind-deprived these last ten years your body doesn’t know how to handle it. Either way, you need to stay grounded, so it’s safer to stay away from temptation.”

The only temptation I’m feeling is to run my hands along the sliver of midriff peeking from the bottom of her tank top. Now, that would motivate me to stay grounded.

I’m ready to tell her that, but we’ve reached my house’s ugly blue front door.

“Should I . . . knock?” Audra asks.

I’ve never heard her voice crack before. “Nervous to meet the parents?”

“I just haven’t had a lot of contact with groundlings.”

“You realize they’re going to think you’re my girlfriend, right?”

She pales. “Whatever it takes to protect the truth.”

Does she have to sound like having me for a boyfriend is some exhausting assignment she wants to get rid of?

“It should be unlocked,” I tell her.

She takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders, and pulls the door open.

“I’m home,” I call, loud enough to be heard over the TV. “And don’t freak out—but I kinda wore out my legs, so I needed help inside.”

Before I even finish my sentence, my mom shrieks, “What?” and both her and my dad stampede down the hall. So much for not freaking out. They stop dead when they spot Audra.

Audra turns rigid and stares at the ground.

The awkwardness would be awesome if I weren’t suddenly overwhelmed by nerves of my own.

“What happened?” my dad asks, gesturing to my rather pathetic, slumped position.

“I got shin splints pretty bad, so Audra had to help me in. I must have pushed myself too hard while we ran.”

My dad laughs—one of those huge belly laughs you’d expect to come from some six-foot-five guy with a beer gut, not a five-foot-nine skinny guy who wears preppy golf shirts every day. “That’s what you get for showing off.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

My mom snaps out of her Audra-staring stupor. “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve really been introduced. I’m Carrie.”

She extends a hand for Audra to shake. Audra trips over my feet as she moves to take it.

“We should probably let him lie down,” she says when she recovers. Her cheeks are bright pink. “Which way to his room?”

I have to give her credit. Acting like she doesn’t know exactly which room is mine is a nice touch.

“Oh, um, I don’t know—Jack, maybe you should take him,” my mom says, biting her lip like she’s worried we might feel the uncontrollable urge to rip each other’s clothes off the second we get near a bed.

My dad laughs, runs a hand over the shiny part of his head—he proudly rocks the cul-de-sac of hair curving around his bald spot—and says, “Relax, Carrie.” He points down the hall. “It’s that way.”

“Thank you.” Audra flashes her half smile and drags me away.

“It’s the door on the left,” my mom adds, hot on our heels, determined to play chaperone every step of the way.

“I can lead her to my own bedroom,” I mutter.

Audra ignores us, kicking my half-closed door open and leading me to the unmade bed. She plops me down—not as gently as I’d like—and helps me lift my legs up, all while my mom “supervises” from the doorway.

Sheesh, one hot girl walks into the house and all trust vanishes.

“You okay?” Audra asks as I attempt to scoot into a more comfortable position. Mostly I just flail.

“Yeah.”

I want to say more, but my dad’s joined my mom at my bedroom door, and while he doesn’t have her look of nervous terror, he looks like when he’s watching the Discovery Channel.

Aren’t the mating habits of teenagers fascinating, honey?

I sigh.

“So, tell me again how this happened,” my mom says, adding to the awkwardness.

Her tone’s light—but I know she’s really saying, “I don’t believe your story. Let me pick holes in it.”

Audra answers before I can send her any sort of warning about the dangerous ground we’re on. “I’m teaching Vane to run faster. But I guess I pushed him too hard in the heat, because his legs cramped and he passed out.”

I think that sounds reasonable enough. It doesn’t satisfy my mom, though.

“Are you on the cross-country team?” She smiles when Audra nods. “Me too—when I was your age. What’s your best event?”

Uh-oh.

I try to think of something so I can jump in and answer for Audra, but for the life of me I can’t think of a single track event. Aren’t they all just . . . running?

But Audra doesn’t even blink as she says, “I’m equally good at them all.”

“She is,” I say. “She’s amazing.”

That comes out a bit gooier than I mean it to, and my cheeks burn. My whole head practically bursts into flames when I notice my parents. My mom’s grinning her my little boy is growing up smile and my dad looks like he wants to pat me on the back and call me “slugger.”

Parents: perfecting ways to humiliate their children since the dawn of time.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you,” my mom whispers, her voice thick.

If she starts crying, I’m going to smother myself with my pillow.

Audra steps forward, offering a sturdy hand to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, too. Vane talks about you guys all the time.”

My parents beam and I can’t help grinning. She sure knows how to charm the parental units.

“I wish I could say the same,” my mom says, shooting me a glare. “He told us he had a date, but you’re the first girl he’s brought home. He must really like you.”

“Mom,” I complain, ready to bean her with my pillow. Or maybe the bedside lamp. Especially when Audra blushes bright red.

“Well,” my dad jumps in, “thank you for bringing him home. And thank you for getting him outside. The only exercise Vane gets these days is with his thumbs on those video game controllers.”

“Dad,” I whine.

“I have no doubt you’ll whip him into shape in no time,” he adds, ignoring me.

“I certainly hope so,” Audra says quietly.

I’m sure my parents don’t catch the way her shoulders slump, or the hint of doubt that snuck into her tone. My eyes dart to the window. Watching for the storm.

The sky’s bright red and orange. A vivid desert sunset. But after all I’ve learned, I can’t help thinking it looks violent.

“Well, come on, I’ll show you out,” my dad says, draping his arm across Audra’s shoulders like she’s already part of the family.

Audra accepts his lead but glances at me before she leaves. “Get some rest.”

I nod, not missing the way she flicks off my fan on her way out.

The air goes still and my body calms. I hadn’t noticed the way my skin was straining toward the breeze.

Audra’s right. I am vulnerable. In more ways than I can count.

And I’m sick of it.

Tomorrow I take control.

Time to find out how strong I am. Before it’s too late.

CHAPTER 24

AUDRA

My legs barely manage to carry me from Vane’s house to my hideout. I sink to the floor and lean against the rough wall, wondering how I’ll find the strength to get up again.

I don’t have much left to give. Not to mention an overpowering hunger churns inside me. The air in Vane’s house was laced with the scent of whatever dinner he’ll be enjoying tonight. I can still taste the rich, salty aroma on my tongue.

What would it be like to take an actual bite, let the flavors explode in my mouth, let my body be full for the first time in years?

That isn’t why I feel so overwhelmingly empty, though.

The way Vane’s father wrapped his arm around my shoulders—for a second I thought I’d turn my head and see my dad’s dimpled smile beaming back at me. Then he’d laugh and twirl me and it would be like the last ten years never happened.

But he wasn’t there when I glanced over.

Just Vane’s perfect, happy family.

I punch the ground, releasing the rising resentment before it can choke me.