Read Online Storm by Danielle Ellison - Free Book Online Page A

side.
    There’s another comment from the back of the room. I missed it and tune in toward the end. Straining my neck to see who’s talking only reveals the top of a man’s balding head. “What if we evacuate Statics? Or Nons?”
    Sabina Stone shakes her head, not even considering the question. “Evacuation is not a solution. This phenomenon could be spread worldwide. Why the Statics have magic, or how it spread, has yet to be determined, but it is clearly dangerous. Che Lin has already died. Do not let her death be in vain, but instead, rally together in this moment. Remember that the magic is uncontrollable for them without proper training.”
    “So, what’s the solution then?” another Enforcer asks. No one chooses to admit it, but everyone is scared. Victor rises again, and Carter tenses beside me. He must see something in his father’s grim expression that I don’t.
    “The other regions are taking preventative measures, should this spread any further. Our goal is to contain this issue until we’re able to reverse it,” Victor pauses. “There is a spell that dates back many centuries and will allow us to not only contain the magic, but keep track of the Statics who have manifested. It is called a marking.”
    Murmurs spread through the crowd. I glance at Carter. “What is that?” I whisper.
    His jaw is clenched but he shakes his head. I look back toward Victor, who holds a hand up to the Enforcers again. “We are evaluating the best way to use this spell. We’ll be contacting a few of you individually after the services tomorrow for Miss Lin. Until then, be on alert. If we all work as one, we can protect our people. The best and brightest witches are on this. We thank you for your service.”

    My phone beeps from my pocket, and I pull it out. Poncho is summoning me to the library. Maybe he’s found information about the dagger.
    I look around the room for Carter. He’s talking to Jordan Stark, but when he sees me waving he nods at me, a smile spreading across his face. The rest of our world may be a mess, but at least we’re still good. That’s pretty big, considering everything.
    “Poncho,” I say, as he comes over to me.
    Carter and I head toward the library without another word.
    When we get upstairs, Poncho is sitting behind his desk with the cats. He perks up when we come in. “That was fast,” he says.
    “We were downstairs,” Carter says, stepping toward Poncho at the desk. “What’s going on?”
    Poncho puts up a finger, and leads us around to the other side of the library. I hate going into the stacks. It’s strange to be scared of a library, but they are endless, dimly-light tunnels. We stop in the middle of some row, and Poncho pulls a book of the shelf.
    “What is this?” I ask, taking the book.
    He stares at me. “The dagger led me to this book. Page 140.”
    On the page, there’s a picture of a ritual and in the drawing what looks light pours from the person’s fingers and hands. Under the picture it reads
    Image of Ryane Kahn, 1314, as depicted by an eyewitness.
    “What is this?”
    Poncho looks between us. “Destiny led you to each other. Your purpose and this dagger are connected.”
    Poncho loves to talk of destiny, but I haven’t even had lunch yet.
    “How?” Carter asks.
    Poncho reaches out and turns the page. A similar picture.
    Image of Sarah Vane, 1414, as depicted by an eyewitness.
    He turns the page again.
    1514.
    1614.
    I don’t need to see anymore.
    “These images occur every one hundred years, as far as records show, and the time is upon us for a repeat performance,” he says.
    This year.
    “But what is it?” I ask again.
    Poncho looks square at me. “Magic, Miss Grey. Magic that is stronger than any other.”
    “And it’s connected to the dagger?”
    “What is the magic?” Carter asks.
    Poncho looks between us again. “It’s both good and bad and neither. It is the greatest.”
    More riddles. I hate riddles. “Which is what,