The Storm Runner (The Storm Runner 1)

“What’re you doing?” I asked.

“Old World rules. If you call for sudden death, the opposing team has to grant it to you. I needed to buy us some time.”

“For what?”

“Thirty seconds!” Jordan called out.

“Never mind.” Brooks’s shoulders slumped as her eyes searched the sky. “It’s too late.”

“What?” I asked.

“I may not be able to shift, but I’m still part hawk and…”

“And what?”

“I picked up his scent.”

“His?”

Three seconds later, the world trembled. Fireworks exploded in reds and golds, splitting the sky with every pop and crackle. At first the crowd laughed and clapped like this was all part of the show. I knew it wasn’t.

Then slowly, ever so slowly, the sky began to fall bit by bit, like ash. No, not ash—broken glass. People screamed as shards stabbed them. The crowd scattered, shrieking and cowering. The skyscrapers in the distance began to tremble, threatening to collapse any second. But on the court, nothing touched us.

Hondo grabbed my arm. “Is this real?”

“It’s real.”

Then I saw her. Muwan, in owl form, flying straight toward us. Her legs were stretched in front of her, talons open wide.

The twins stared up at the shattering sky in shock.

I kept my eyes on Muwan. She was fearsome, but not as fearsome as who I knew had to be right behind her. The air vibrated. The arena shook with so much force my teeth rattled in my head.

Jordan watched in horror as the panicked crowd emptied the stadium. “It can’t be!”

Hondo crumpled to the ground, and I lunged in time to break his fall. Brooks knelt next to us and whispered, “He’s asleep now.”

“You mean he’s in hell,” I said through gritted teeth. A cold shiver ran through me. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be happening. Something…everything was wrong.

A swirl of black smoke rose from the pieces of sky at our feet, solidifying into a dark column. It formed shoulders, a head, arms, and legs. The eyes came last—filled with shadows coiled like snakes. Finally Ah-Puch looked exactly like he had at the volcano, with his elegant dark suit and his sinister gaze. Except he seemed even stronger now.

Muwan landed on his shoulder. She smiled at the twins. “It’s been too long, boys.”

They didn’t say anything—just stood there frozen.

Brooks whispered, “We need to get out of here.”

I looked back at Hondo. His pale skin, his barely rising chest. Where was he now? And how was I supposed to move him? He weighed like 180.

Bird lifted a hand and the world stopped shaking. The sky stopped falling. “You think you can destroy our magic?” he said to Ah-Puch.

But Ah-Puch wasn’t paying attention to Bird. He kept his dark eyes on me. With a grin he said, “Thank you, Zane.”

The tattoo on my wrist burned as if a flame were searing it into my skin. I grabbed it and grimaced.

Bird’s gaze fell on the mark. His whole face went pale.

And that’s when I understood.