The Wind Labyrinth

I follow the direction of his gaze and notice for the first time what everyone is gawking at.

A tornado.

A fucking tornado tearing straight through the middle of the school's parking lot.

Alastair takes off running at full speed towards the terrifying spinning death trap.

"Alastair! Wait! It's dangerous!" I reluctantly follow after him. I'm fast and he's still gasping for air like a dying man, so I easily catch up to him. I wrap my arms around his waist trying to pull him away from the approaching twister.

"Let me go!" he screams. "My sister is in there!" He squirms in my grasp, bucking against my strong grip.

"Addy?!" I scream over the sound of impending doom. He kicks again and I release him. He takes off, but I grip his wrist before he can get too far. "Wait! Don't—"

"It's her labyrinth! She's in danger!"

"Please! Don't." I grip him tighter.

"I have to!" I let him go and he is off again, ignoring the certain death awaiting him if he flings himself into that wind storm.

But damn it, I can't let him go alone. I run after him, closer to the center of the wind stream. The twister is not large, but it is still fast and terrifying. Within seconds, it becomes difficult to walk, my hair whipping around my face, obstructing my vision, the force of the wind slamming against my knees, forcing them to buckle, loose rumble and dirt scratching at my exposed skin.

I feel my feet lifting slightly, and I fear I might be flung into the air, but when I am only a few inches off the ground, I come crashing back down, the full weight of gravity forcing me to my knees. The wind slows to a gentle hum and for a moment I think Alastair may have, by some miracle, gotten to her and stopped the storm. But when I brush the loose curls out of my eyes, I freeze at what I see.

No. It can't be.

I rush to where the warlock is kneeling as the last of the wind dissipates.

No. No. No.

I slow my approach. I can't close the last few feet to reach him.

His eyes meet mine and everything crumbles.

Tears are streaming down his face. They mix with blood, running in crimson rivers across his cheeks.

He clings to the lifeless body of his younger sister.

My head is pounding, my ears ringing. This can't be happening.

I can't look. Can't look at him, can't look at her. When I turn away, I hear a sob coming from him.

I taste salty liquid on my upper lip. Even through the rushing in my ears, I hear the splash of my own tears hitting the concrete. The world around me is deafeningly loud with shouting and running, but my mind is eerily quiet. The smell of iron makes my head spin, making it difficult to focus.

I risk a glance, but it is still just as horrifyingly unbelievable as before. I know these wounds. I've caused wounds like this before, when… when tearing through the flesh of live deer.

I lean over and vomit, emptying my entire dinner on the pavement. When I've emptied my stomach, I continue dry heaving. I can't seem to stop until my stomach is torn in two. I double over in pain, but someone catches me.

"Woah, steady boy. I've got you," a calm voice says, wrapping arms under mine to keep me upright.

"No!" I shove off the older man's hold. "I need— I need to go to him." I close the distance, falling to the pavement next to him. I can't look at her. Addy is— No. Shut down that thought.

"Al?" I try to say, but my voice breaks. I reach for him, but my hands are trembling.

"What happened here?" a voice behind me asks.

"I was too late," Star mutters below a cacophony of voices.

"What do you mean what happened?! Clearly this was a werewolf attack!"

"On school property?"

"Now let's not jump to conclusions. Did anyone see what happened?"

"Maybe we should call the police."

"No, don't involve the humans in this."

"Keep the kids back. Secure the area."

"I'll link with the Alpha and notify him of the situation."

"Al?" I sob. He is frozen; the only thing moving on him: the constant stream of blood-soaked tears. "It's not your fault." I reach for him again. He flinches, but won't look at me.

The voices continue floating around me.

"We need to call the girl's mother."

"You mean the High Priestess."

Alastair lets out a staggering sob. Then he starts screaming. He buries his face into the shoulder of the girl in his arms, pushing into her. I wince back and those around me pause their incessant conversation for a moment. The man with the calm voice springs towards Alastair, crouching down beside him. He places a hand on the teenager's back, rubbing circles with the flat of his palm. I wring my hands, not sure what to do.

"Shhhh…" he says. "Just focus on one thing, Al."

Alastair's screams of pain continue, muffled in the girl's long black hair, glistening red in the fading light. My skin crawls and my stomach clenches on nothing.

"Listen to the sound of my voice."

"I— I can't!" he squeezes out. "It's so loud!"

"Shhh… everything is going to be ok. Don't listen."

"It's too much. I can't— can't block it."

"Just imagine very high walls surrounding you. They keep you safe and keep everyone else out. Make a labyrinth in your mind. Can you see it?"

Alastair is still sobbing, but he nods.

"What's wrong with the kid—"

"Shut up!" Alastair simultaneously screams, venom lacing his words. "Everyone just shut up!"

"Maybe you all could give him some space?" the calming man says while another whispers:

"The High Priestess is on her way. Someone called her when they saw the gustnado."

"Mom!" Alastair snaps his head up, but his eyes remain unfocused. Panic fills his expression. He buries his head again and raw pain spills from his throat.

"Don't listen to her. Just focus on the walls and the sound of my voice. Stay with me, Al."

He takes in a staggering breath. And then another. I reach forward. And then pull back.

I'm snapped out of my horrified daze by, "Come on kid. Let's get you out of here." Rough arms try to grab me, but I push them off.

"No! I need to stay with him!" I close the distance and finally wrap my arms around him. He is stiff in my arms.

"This is no place for an omega." I feel a pull on my sleeve, urging me away. But I can't. I have to— have to make sure he is ok.

"Star, please talk to me."

"Just leave."

"What?"

"I said," Alastair meets my gaze, his eyes focusing. "LEAVE!"

"I'm not leaving you." I pull him closer.

"You're SO LOUD!" he screams. "You're all SO LOUD! AND YOU'RE THE LOUDEST!"

I flinch back, releasing my hold on him instantly.

"I can't deal with you right now! And Mom! And the whole damn coven! And everyone else! Could you all just SHUT UP?!"

"Star—"

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

I feel my entire brain freeze as his eyes spark with purple lightning. I can't breathe. I can't move. I can't think.

It only lasts a moment, but when I feel the release of his magic, I hear several gasping breaths from behind me.

The man next to us coughs only once and then resumes gently rubbing Alastair's back. "I think you should leave," he says calmly to me.

This time, I'm pulled away.