Riders on the Storm
"Shahar, Shahar!" Slade shook her shoulders. "Shahar, wake up!"
She was already awake. She'd awakened the moment her little brother slipped into her room, his presence stirring her dreams to oddities. They had been flying through canyons together, wind cutting itself on their wings. "What is it, Slade?"
"It's storming," he said excitedly in Spanish, struggling to keep his voice low. "There's wind and rain and lightning!"
She smiled and sat up, reaching out one hand haltingly. Slade caught her hand and drew it to his face, letting her run her fingers over the curve of his smile. He loved thunderstorms, even as a baby. She could never once remember him being afraid, not even when they'd huddled in Gramma's bathroom together while the tornado sirens wailed. Right now, she could hear the rain pounding against her windows.
In a flash unaccompanied by thunder, she understood what her little brother meant to ask her. "Let's go sit on the porch."
"Please?"
"Yes." Shahar ruffled his hair, and the six-year-old squawked at her. She just raised a finger to her mouth and tried not to grin. Sliding out from under the covers, she snagged the topmost blanket and draped it over her shoulders. Then Slade grabbed her hand and led her out of her room. They padded down the hall, though Shahar didn't think their parents would catch them. (No, she knew it, but she was already the weird girl at school. It hurt kind of, but then she'd come home and Slade would grab her and babble about his day. Having him and Poppa and step-Ma made everything all right, and that wasn't even counting all of Slade's cousins in the neighborhood.)
Shahar unlatched the back door and shut it behind them. While Slade darted around to stick his hands and face in the rain, she spread the blanket on the concrete, sat down, and pulled the ends up over her shoulders. After a while, Slade came to curl up against her, and she let him into her blanket. It was peaceful, listening to the rain fall and feeling his heart beat against hers.
***
"Shahar, Slade..."
Shahar startled awake, blinking. Vaguely, she was aware it was lighter out than she thought it ought to be- And Poppa stood over her and Slade, sounding resigned.
"You couldn't have fallen asleep inside? You gave your ma such a fright when she went to wake you two up."
Shahar smiled and answered in Domari. "My brother wanted to hear his brother, and so did I."
It dawned on her that she had no idea what she meant by that.
She was already awake. She'd awakened the moment her little brother slipped into her room, his presence stirring her dreams to oddities. They had been flying through canyons together, wind cutting itself on their wings. "What is it, Slade?"
"It's storming," he said excitedly in Spanish, struggling to keep his voice low. "There's wind and rain and lightning!"
She smiled and sat up, reaching out one hand haltingly. Slade caught her hand and drew it to his face, letting her run her fingers over the curve of his smile. He loved thunderstorms, even as a baby. She could never once remember him being afraid, not even when they'd huddled in Gramma's bathroom together while the tornado sirens wailed. Right now, she could hear the rain pounding against her windows.
In a flash unaccompanied by thunder, she understood what her little brother meant to ask her. "Let's go sit on the porch."
"Please?"
"Yes." Shahar ruffled his hair, and the six-year-old squawked at her. She just raised a finger to her mouth and tried not to grin. Sliding out from under the covers, she snagged the topmost blanket and draped it over her shoulders. Then Slade grabbed her hand and led her out of her room. They padded down the hall, though Shahar didn't think their parents would catch them. (No, she knew it, but she was already the weird girl at school. It hurt kind of, but then she'd come home and Slade would grab her and babble about his day. Having him and Poppa and step-Ma made everything all right, and that wasn't even counting all of Slade's cousins in the neighborhood.)
Shahar unlatched the back door and shut it behind them. While Slade darted around to stick his hands and face in the rain, she spread the blanket on the concrete, sat down, and pulled the ends up over her shoulders. After a while, Slade came to curl up against her, and she let him into her blanket. It was peaceful, listening to the rain fall and feeling his heart beat against hers.
***
"Shahar, Slade..."
Shahar startled awake, blinking. Vaguely, she was aware it was lighter out than she thought it ought to be- And Poppa stood over her and Slade, sounding resigned.
"You couldn't have fallen asleep inside? You gave your ma such a fright when she went to wake you two up."
Shahar smiled and answered in Domari. "My brother wanted to hear his brother, and so did I."
It dawned on her that she had no idea what she meant by that.