Carpathian 23 - Dark Storm

relieving
     pressure.”
    “How long have you had this particular skill?” Ben asked, his tone somewhere between
     awe and sarcasm.
    “Since my mother died,” Riley replied, feeling a little distracted. She wanted to
     brush up against that elusive feeling of comfort and strength and draw courage from
     it just one more time. Trapped in a cave, waiting to cook to death, exhausted beyond
     anything she’d ever known, she wanted to curl up in the fetal position and hide.
    “How did you do this?” Ben demanded. “Are you some kind of devil worshipper? No one
     can make a cave grow over their head or stop a volcano from exploding.”
    “Clearly, I didn’t stop the volcano,” Riley pointed out. “And that’s the second time
     you’ve accused me of worshipping the devil, and I really don’t appreciate it. You
     were right here. You watched everything I did. I called on the Universe, not the devil.”
     She couldn’t keep weariness—or disgust—out of her voice, and it wasn’t entirely fair
     to Ben. Given everything that had happened, his fear and need to lash out were understandable.
     If everyone weren’t looking for her to save them, she might be tempted to lash out,
     too. Moreover, how could she explain what was happening to him when she didn’t understand
     it herself?
    Grief welled up without warning, and she blinked back a hot rush of tears. She wanted
     her mother—needed her. Everything was happening so fast, and Riley didn’t have a clue
     what she was doing.
    Gary stepped in smoothly. “Calm down, Ben. I know what’s happening seems crazy, but
     just because you’ve never encountered something like this before doesn’t make it less
     real—or less dangerous. Fighting among ourselves is only going to make things worse.
     Jubal and I have witnessed things that would send most people screaming their way
     straight to the loony bin. But the truth is, evil does exist, monsters come after
     us in the night, and people like Riley are sometimes the only thing standing between
     us and total annihilation. I wish you hadn’t had to be a part of this, but unfortunately
     for you, you’re a brave man and you chose to protect Riley instead of running away
     like the others. That choice, while admirable, has put you in harm’s way and exposed
     you to powers beyond your comprehension. As long as you stick with us, you’re going
     to be in the middle of this, and I can pretty much guarantee it’s going to get worse
     before it gets better. So we need you to keep your cool, and lay off Riley. Sniping
     at her isn’t going to help any of us.”
    Riley had to admire his calm, matter-of-fact explanation. There was something very
     reassuring about Gary. No drama. No ego. Just his presence. She took another drink
     of water. Her throat felt parched, her body thirsty. She needed . . . but what she
     didn’t know. Only that she was suddenly craving something. Despite her exhaustion,
     her blood was on fire, rushing through her veins, her pulse leaping, finding a strange
     rhythm.
    She felt more alive than she ever had and had no idea if it was because the volcano
     had come to dramatic life, breathing fire, or if it was because she’d connected with
     someone who had given her a brief moment of comfort in the midst of total madness.
     Maybe it was the intensity of her emotions, the fear, the grief, the adrenaline. Whatever
     it was, she felt every bit as vibrant as she did weary.
    “It’s just hard to wrap my head around all this,” Ben said in a calmer voice. “The
     funny thing is, I’ve always been interested in folklore, everything from Bigfoot and
     the Yeti to werewolves and vampires and I’ve traveled all around the world in an effort
     to prove where there’s smoke there’s fire. I’ve been in a minisub searching for the
     Loch Ness Monster. You name it, if it was unexplained, I went to find it, but after
     all the disappointments, I didn’t really believe anymore. Maybe I never really did.
     But this . . .” He shook his head and wiped his hand over his mouth. “I’m sticking
     with you, although I have to tell you, I’m just a little scared.”
    Jubal smiled at him, a flash of white teeth in his ash-blackened face. “Welcome to
     our world. You’d be crazy if you weren’t a little afraid.”
    Riley pushed herself up and scooted to the far wall facing the three men. She drew
     her knees up and rested her chin on them. “I’m definitely scared, Ben. I’ve come