Read Feudlings In Smoke (Fate On Fire Short Story) for Free Online Page B

distance between them and threw herself into his arms. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him with such a fierce passion that he was surprised they didn't both spontaneously combust.
    His arms needed no prodding now, and wrapped themselves around her waist, pulling her tight against him. Voices whispered in the back of his mind, You can't do this. You have to focus on Ari. You can't be in a relationship. You can't love her .
    He told the voices to shut up.

Chapter Four
     
    He didn't know what might have happened if Ward hadn't knocked on the door several minutes later, but Will said good night to Dani, feeling more hopeful than he had in a long time. Maybe he could make it work.
    And with any luck, she had forgotten all about putting her entire family in danger to help him. He had enough guilt eating away at him. He couldn't afford any more.
    He would help Ari, somehow. He was determined. But he wouldn't put anyone else in danger to do it.
    Or so he thought.
    He didn't get to see Dani the next day because he and Ward spent from before the sun came up until way after midnight checking the invisible walls protecting them. The day after that it was Dani's turn on patrol, and after that they worked together in the gardens for twelve hours because a sudden frost was on the horizon. He was frustrated, and walking on cloud nine, all at the same time.
    Until she burst through his door like the Council itself was on her heels. “Will, Ari's in trouble.”
    He knocked his keyboard off the desk in his rush to get to his feet. “What do you mean, Ari's in trouble?”
    She shoved her hair back from her face with shaking hands. “I just talked to my parents. She's on her way to a battle in Arizona, and the Council knows it. They're going to ambush her jet.”
    He ignored the fact that he had told her not to talk to her parents. Ari was in trouble. “Where in Arizona? Do we have anyone there who can do a saldepement? ” He turned to the maps they'd been slaving over, tracing the Arizona state with his finger. There were a lot of battles there — usually ending in Carules victory. This was bad. So bad.
    “Yeah, but you can't go, Will. The Edrens on her jet will kill you!” Dani's face was paler than Will had ever seen it, and she shook so violently her teeth chattered.
    “It doesn't matter.” He jerked his phone up off the desk and called his mom, swearing once for every second she didn't pick up.
    “Will?”
    “Mom! Ari's in trouble. You have to get them to send more warriors to meet her jet or everyone on it will be killed.”
    He heard the phone clatter to the ground on the other end, and then scrabbling to pick it up. “How do you know this?”
    “I just do. I'm on my way there now.”
    “Will, no. We'll take care of this. I have an entire force of Edrens already in the area.”
    He hung up. He didn't have time to argue with her and at this second, he didn't even know if he could trust her. If the extra troops showed up to save Ari, then he would know she was on their side.
    Dani was on her phone across the room. “Her plane isn't expected to land for close to an hour. She's flying from Pennsylvania,” she told him when she realized he was watching her. ”Seriously, when are your Edrens gonna learn how to do a saldepement?”
    “How do you know this?” he demanded, ignoring her question. Fear and confusion made him brusque. He could do a saldepement, and so could Ari. As far as he knew, they were the only ones.
    “My parents said there's someone in the Edren Family playing both sides. Someone there is telling the Council their secrets,” Dani said, every word sharp against his heart.
    He knew it wasn't his mother. But if it was Franklin and she wasn't stopping him…
    Will grabbed his phone again, searching for someone in his contact list who could get him to Arizona. Behind him, Dani said, “Can you open a portal? We're coming through.”
    He spun on her. “We're not doing anything. This is my fight,