Storm Gods - G. Bailey Page 0,15
eleven in the morning, and no one even came to wake me up! What the hell is this world coming to? Hit with a wave of exhaustion even as I stand up, I let out an unladylike groan, stretch, and set about getting dressed. It’s a relief to be out of that ball gown Neritous stuck me in to activate the sphere, and having access to all my old clothes is more of a comfort than I ever would have expected. Hell, just being here, in my room, surrounded by memories of a simpler time… It’s depressing, but also surprisingly soothing, considering the last time I was here, I had yet to kill—or rather attempt to kill—Neritous, discover my powers, or meet the guys. How could I have possibly known what I was getting into when I went to that nightclub? It feels like half a lifetime ago, even if it was really just a matter of weeks.
I purse my lips, parsing through my selection of clothes and shoes—the shoes, it’s shameful how much I’ve missed those—before selecting a pair of skinny jeans and a torn T-shirt. Not the most glamorous look, but considering what I’ve been through, the fashion police are just going to have to forgive me. I stop in the bathroom to brush my teeth and my hair, trying futilely to make myself feel somewhat human again before making my way down the hallway in the direction of the stairs. I pass the jumping painting on my way down, ducking out of the way just in time to narrowly miss the hand that comes clawing out of the canvas, and begin to tromp downstairs, the sounds of quiet conversation drawing my attention to the kitchen. Pausing at the base of the stairs, I tilt my head to one side and listen, my stomach sinking the instant I realise they’re talking about me. “...I didn’t know this kind of thing was possible,” mum is saying in that low, concerned tone of voice she always used when I got sick as a kid.
“It’s not,” Peyton responds, and there’s an edge of fear in his voice. “At least, it shouldn’t be. But considering what they…what they did to Mads…” His voice cracks, and for a beat, the room goes quiet. “We can’t let the same thing happen to Karma,” he finishes finally. “We can’t.”
“And we won’t,” Storm replies a little harshly. “We’re going to find some way to stop this.” I can hear the doubt in his tone even without seeing his face, and it doesn’t exactly fill me with hope. I may be safe for the moment, but I’m sure as hell not out of the woods yet. Maybe I never will be.
“Karma is still herself,” one of the twins speaks up, although I can’t tell whether it’s Seth or Killian. “We all saw her last night. Whatever Neritous did to her, it’s not the same as what he did to Madison. Her memories are there, and she’s killing herself over what happened.”
A fresh wave of tears threatens to well up in my eyes, but I give them an aggressive wipe with my wrist before squaring my shoulders, forcing a smile onto my face, and walking into the kitchen. Mum, Peyton, Killian, Storm, and Seth are all seated around the table, the remains of their finished breakfast laid out in front of them. It’s clear they’ve been down here for a while, discussing what’s happened, and the guilty look on Peyton’s face the instant his eyes meet mine tells me what exactly they’ve spent all this time talking about. “Hey,” I say, hoping my tone comes across as upbeat. “You guys didn’t wake me up. It’s almost noon.”
The justice twins look at each other. “It was my idea,” Storm speaks up, meeting my gaze. “You were exhausted. You needed rest.”
Mum nods in agreement. “You can eat now, if you like. There’s plenty left over.”
I give her a weak nod and go pick up a dry piece of toast, biting it without really tasting it. I can feel Seth’s eyes on me from across the room, and I can tell he’s thinking about my breakdown last night. He’s worried about me, they all are, and the worst part is that I can’t think of a damn thing to say to make them feel better. The silence mounts in the kitchen until it becomes almost unbearable, and finally mum sighs, biting her lip. “Karma,” she says gently, “do you want to