Chapter 10

TETH LEFT WORK late and stopped to grab some rolls for Pyra, looking forward to eating some dinner before bed. He turned a corner and paused when he saw the shack. Normally the lights inside would be on, even this close to midnight, as Pyra refused to sleep until he returned home each day. Instead, the shack was pitch-black, its only window curtained and still.

Teth approached the shack carefully, the bag of rolls dangling loosely from his fingers. He clenched his free hand into a fist, ready to throw a lightning bolt if the need arose. He pushed open the door, scanning the main room, nearly shouting when a dark shape rushed forward and embraced him.

"Whatª" Teth began, but Pyra was already talking over him.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice wavering. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't know!"

"Hey," Teth said, closing the door behind him. "Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

"There was a doctor. He gave me a test and I think he found out I was Altered because they tried to take me andª"

"Wait," Teth said. "Who tried to take you?"

"Hunter Guards," Pyra said. "There were two of them with the doctor."

"Shit."

"They tried to take me, but I shocked them and got away. I've been hiding here since then."

"Why didn't you try to call me?" Teth asked. "The work site has a public TeleCommunicator."

"I didn't know if the Hunter Guards could listen in," Pyra said. "I'm sorry."

"No," Teth hugged her closer. "You did the right thing. We need to leave now. Pack everything you need in one bag. We'll go in five minutes."

Teth let Pyra go and retrieved his lockbox from within one of the shack's walls, pocketing his rainy-day stash of about 1500 Currency. He threw some clothes into a backpack, then turned to face Pyra.

"Okay," he said, "nowª"

Teth was interrupted by a small, circular object bursting through the shack's window, spraying the room with shards of glass. Teth glanced at the object and leaped onto Pyra, shielding her with his body. He waited for an explosion that would reduce his body to ribbons, but instead the grenade popped its lid and started spewing smoke which stung Teth's lungs and eyes.

"Come on," Teth gasped, guiding Pyra as he pushed open the front door. He had no time to react as the butt of a rifle slammed into the bridge of his nose and Pyra was yanked from his hands.

"Don't move," said a muffled, metallic voice from above him. Even through the haze of tears in his eyes, Teth could make out the crimson armor of a Hunter Guard.

"Pyra!" Teth moaned, and the Hunter Guard rammed the butt of his rifle into Teth's stomach.

"Teth!" Pyra cried, and Teth turned his head to see her struggling in the grip of another Hunter Guard. "Teth! Teª" She was cut short when the Hunter Guard hit her firmly on the back of the head, either dazing her or knocking her out.

The ocean clouding Teth's vision turned scarlet and he willed a sheath of electricity into existence across his arms. He threw a bolt of lightning into the nearer Hunter Guard's chest, turning his armor to slag and sending him flying backward.

The other Hunter Guard let go of Pyra, who slumped to the ground. He fired several shots at Teth, one of which grazed his right shoulder. Teth dove behind the shack as the Hunter Guard continued to fire, cutting through the shack's opposite wall and tearing apart the room inside.

Teth panted, his distorted senses threatening to overwhelm him. He threw a bolt blindly in the direction of the gunfire, but the shots continued. He risked a peek around the side of the shack and spotted two more Hunter Guards approaching behind the first, rifles brought to bear on the shack. He slumped back into cover, electricity still thrumming over his torso. He took a deep, shuddering breath and clenched his fists.

These Hunter Guards had hurt Teth, destroyed his home, and even now they were attempting to take his life. To Teth's surprise, he found none of that mattered. They were trying to take Pyra away from him, to be Contained in some prison far away. He pushed himself to his feet, willing more electricity onto his person until the air crackled in his presence.

Teth stepped out of cover wielding the rage of a storm.