The Keepers: Ethan. Rae Rivers

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      Of course. It was the foundation of her friendship with Ethan. He understood their world and what it took to protect their witches. Like her, he lived for being a Keeper, but knew it came with a mammoth responsibility and continuous worry that often shrouded everything else.

      Jenna inhaled noisily and straightened, shelving the conversation. “Enough doom and gloom. I’ll handle Declan.”

      His eyes followed her movements, studying her, like he always did. “Of course you can.”

      She watched him walk away, his swagger different from the men she’d watched in New Orleans. He radiated confidence, but in a quiet way. The kind that made you underestimate him. He was an air warrior, connected to an element of nature that many people underrated.

      But she’d seen him in action. With the ability to manipulate air, he was able to wield the wind and weather to his will. The man could whip up a storm that would put the New Orleans’ floods to shame.

      Not that he would. But he could.

      As for her stunt a moment ago … touching him had been inappropriate but it had snagged her a win – one she’d been desperate for. She couldn’t tell him where she’d been the night before. Or why.

      Seeing him flustered – if only for a split second – had been a bonus.

      There was a rustle of trees behind her. She turned around to see a single black crow squawk twice on a nearby branch before taking flight.

      Ethan leapt across the river, landing with ease on the opposite side of the riverbank, the jump effortless and agile. He was tall and muscular without being bulky. His toned muscles bulged beneath the black t-shirt he wore. Whistling softly, he straightened and waded through bushes in search of the arrows they’d lost.

      Realising she was gawking like an idiot, Jenna shook her head to get her brain moving again.

      The sudden squawk of a second crow startled her. The bird circled above before nose-diving to the ground. It landed silently and tucked away its wings.

      The setting sun had tinted the sky and mountains in pink, the river a glow of beauty. The town nestled amongst vineyards and greenery in the distance. A peaceful, close-knit town where everyone was up in everyone’s business and things like home-baked pie, honesty, and solid friendships still existed.

      She hadn’t grown up in Rapid Falls like Ethan and his family. She’d met his sister, Sarah, at the academy and frequently travelled home with her during the holidays.

      Two women from different backgrounds. Sarah had three older brothers and came from a prestigious family who owned a wine estate. They’d lost their parents in a fire when they were younger. Jenna had once had a family until the night their city had been raided, their homes attacked. Her parents had sent her away, urged her to seek shelter at the academy until they could come for her.

      She was still waiting.

      But through her darkest moments, she’d never given up hope that her parents were still alive. That they’d still come for her.

      She’d never told anyone, not even Sarah. Her death had left a void inside Jenna that could never be filled. She’d never found friendship like that again – had never bothered searching for it.

      Not that she’d met many friends in the last two years. Hazel and her people had used bullying and violence as a means of gaining – and maintaining – friendships. She’d soon mastered the art of feigning whatever was needed in order to stay under their radar.

      A means of survival few people would understand.

      Several excited squawks from the tree above brought her attention back to the present. Five more crows had arrived.

      The arrival of a dozen more sent a ripple of unease down Jenna’s spine.

      The sky in the distance had darkened, the pretty pink dissolved by a black cloud of doom that moved toward them at a rapid rate. It looked like a thunderstorm rolling in, destroying all traces of the beauty she’d previously admired.

      “Ethan?” He’d seen it too and stood with his back to her, staring off into the distance. “Please tell me that storm’s yours?”

      “It’s not. And I don’t think it’s a storm.”

      The crows above her took flight, circling, their high-pitched shrieks soon joined by numerous others. Uneasy, she gaped at the blackness creeping in.

      A plague of crows. Thousands and thousands of squawking birds, sucking everything joyful out of their surroundings.

      Shit.

      Wings flapping, nose-diving, shrieking with excitement, the birds engulfed them.

      Jenna crouched low, swatting them away as they circled from all directions. Pecking, scratching, screeching. Her desperate attempts to swat them away were wasted on the sheer number of birds.

      “ETHAN!”

      He’d already jumped to her side of the river, waving his arms to fend off the invasive attack. “Jenna!”

      She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe, engulfed within the stench of wild madness. Her foot caught on a tree root and she cried out as she collided with the rocks. Pain arrowed through her, along with the vile taste of panic.

      A hand closed over hers, a lifeline through the chaos.

      “Jenna!” Ethan squeezed her hand. “Close your eyes!”

      She felt the flutter of wind, gasping in relief when several crows relinquished their grip.

      Ethan crawled closer. He covered her body with his, tucking her head against his chest. “Close your eyes. NOW!”

      She did and pushed her face into his shirt.

      Heat fired beneath her cheek as energy swirled through him, erupting in a vigorous whirlwind around them. The crows flapped furiously for control, squawking in protest.

      Ethan held her, shielding her body with his.

      The whirlwind turned into a small tornado, sweeping the birds across the river, gathering water and other forest debris.

      Everything fell quiet.

      Blissful stillness tinged with choppy breathing as they struggled to catch their breaths. In the distance, the tornado faded, the sky still marked with a few lurking crows lucky enough to have avoided the turmoil.

      Blowing out air, she shifted her gaze to Ethan’s. He was scratched and bloodied. A quiet fury burned in his eyes.

      He ran his fingers through her tangled hair. “Are you hurt?”

      “I’m fine.” She leaned back on her knees and exhaled. “They came out of nowhere!”

      “That was the biggest damn infestation of crows I’ve ever seen.”

      She shook her head. “That wasn’t an infestation, Ethan. It was an attack.”

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