The Fire Keeper (The Storm Runner 2)

“I let you. Big difference.”

Ren tugged off her boots and wet socks and started to pace around barefoot. “Am I the first godborn to show up?”

“So far.” First? Oh man, how many were out there?

Ren said, “That means, if there are others, then they haven’t heard the call yet, or maybe…”

Wasn’t this supposed to be my interrogation? “Let’s just stick to you. Tell me everything, and don’t leave out any details.”

She cleared her throat and said, “After I finished the book—which was really good, by the way—I closed it and waited. I mean, not that I believe everything I read, but I totally know magic when I see it. Except nothing happened. I thought it was all a joke, and that was super depressing. But then tonight…I opened the book again and reread the last page—out loud this time—and within like five minutes, this song started to play. My dad’s favorite.” She sounded a little sad. “The music was far away, but then it got closer and closer. I could feel it pulling me like invisible hands. That’s when I heard little feet scratching on my roof. At first I thought it was some cats or birds or something, but to be honest, the screeching freaked me out. I was going to wake my abuelo, but I thought, what could he do? So, I put on my boots and went to check things out. That’s when the sky cracked open and these things…”

“Things?”

“Some kind of little flying creatures. I think they were hairy, but it was pretty dark.” She said this so matter-of-factly you’d think she was used to bizarre happenings.

My mouth went dry. If some supernatural creatures had found her, then did the gods know about her? But how could they?

Ren went on. “I thought I was having another one of my nightmares, but these dudes were definitely real, because…they didn’t leave when I told them to.”

“Yeah,” I grunted. “Monsters don’t usually leave just because you ask.”

She studied me for a second, then went on. “That’s when my abuelo woke up and told me ‘It’s happening, and those beasts want to stop you.’”

“What…what was happening?”

“My destiny.”

“Destiny.”

“Are you going to let me tell this or not?”

“Right. Go on.”

/>

“We got in the car and raced through town, following the music,” she said. “I didn’t know my abuelo could drive like that. I kept asking him what I was supposed to do, and all he said was ‘Follow the magic and don’t look back.’ So, I told him which way to drive. That’s when we got to Sievers Cove.”

“Where’s that?”

“In Galveston.” Her words came in a rush. “I got to the water, and an empty boat was waiting there. My abuelo gave me a blessing and told me to hurry. It was awful. I didn’t want to leave him—I was scared those things would hurt him, but he said they weren’t there for him. They were there for my magic. So, I got in the boat and promised I’d call when I got to wherever.” She waved her hand through the air. “But then there were no oars and no way to get moving and those things were coming, and they had glowing eyes, and all I could think was, I do not want to die in my pajamas.”

“That’s what you were worried about?”

She rolled her eyes. “Thankfully, that didn’t happen, because the boat started to move all by itself. And when I looked back to wave at my grandfather, a thick fog surrounded me, and I couldn’t see anything. I was thinking this could be bad, but the music—my dad’s music—calmed me. That’s when I…” She hesitated for the first time. “I had an episode.” Before I could even ask, she added, “The docs call them ‘absence seizures,’ but none of their medicine works. I totally zone out, lose all track of time, and I don’t know what’s going on around me. I’ve had them ever since I can remember. They don’t hurt or anything. But they usually happen when I’m super stressed.”

So that was her version of my bum leg—her supposed “weakness,” which was really the key to her godborn power.

Rosie got to her feet and shook her massive body, sending flecks of sand flying everywhere. Then she took off down the beach like she’d spotted something to eat. I called after her, but she didn’t listen. Typical.

I wanted to make sure I was following Ren’s story. “You said your grandpa believes in magic, and he helped you get to the water, where the music was leading you, and—”

“He doesn’t just believe it—he says our family is magic. That it’s part of our heritage.”

“Because of the Maya gods?”

“No, my dad’s side is magic as in brujo. I had no idea my mom was a goddess!” Her face fell. “What…what do you think that makes me?”

“A witchy godborn?” Was there such a thing?