In Embers (The Ember Series Book 3) by Madison Daniel Page B

“Finally, we meet face to face. Well, there was that time you tried to catch me on the quad, but that really doesn’t count, does it.”
    “Screw you!” I spit. Last year he led me on a chase through the Maui terrain and it ended like every other adventure in my life, with fire and pain. “I know what you’ve done. I know who you are!”
    Stepping into me with his eyes studying my body and fresh wound, he frowned. “You know nothing, Valentine, except how to piss me off,” he warned.
    “What?” I snapped.
    “You never came for Samantha. I waited for you. We both waited for you to come.”
    “I was in jail. I was locked up because of you and your greedy company. I couldn’t come for her,” I said, with little hesitation.
    “Bu t sh e came instead . Sh e almost ruined me.”
    Even though I knew he was talking about Asia, I played dumb. “Who?”
    “The rainmaker.”
    “She has a name…” I corrected.
    “I don’t care. I only care about what she took from me!” he yelled in my face.
    “Sam never belonged to you,” I said, more than angry.
    “I’m not talking about Ms. Summers.” He was talking in riddles, but I think I knew who he was talking about. The young girls Asia and Sam helped escape. They were locked up for a reason. They were like me, like Asia…special. I stepped forward begging my fists to ignite and tried to grab him, but lost my balance instead. I looked at my hands as if they had betrayed me and he started to laugh, condescendingly.
    “So, it’s true,” he said, disgusted.
    “Huh?” I grimaced, holding the back of my head as the pain returned.
    “You’re broken. You don’t work anymore.” Avery stepped into me. “Unless you’re just trying to hide your fire from me.”
    Crap, he knew about my powers, or the fact that I didn’t have them anymore. My hands began to shake with nervous fear. Avery was a handful to deal with back when I still had my superhero benefits, but now, he’d be impossible to handle by myself.
    “Where is it, Max? Is it still there?” He began to nudge me with his hands as if he wanted to fight. I stumbled backwards, still feeling weak in the knees.
    “Don’t push me, Avery. I’m warning you…”
    “Ha! You’re warning me? Whatcha gonna do, bleed on me? Pass out on the beach? You’re quite funny,” he taunted with his fists balling up.
    Come on ! I screamed inside my head . Fire up, Max! Now! No more hiding ! I needed the fire back. I needed it now. As I searched my thoughts I found I was still alone, still…normal. I made a fist with my right hand and pushed with every fiber of my body, hoping to will the flames back to my flesh, but nothing happened. I pushed again and this time I almost blacked out. There was nothing there…no heat, no spark, no inferno inside me. He was right. I was broken.
    “Crap,” I seethed through dry teeth. Avery studied me for a moment and then removed something from his pocket. A taser gun. “Crap, crap…” I whispered.
    “Maybe I can help you a little, Valentine. Maybe you just need the right push.” Avery smiled, wickedly and brought the gun to life with tiny buzzing arcs of light. I looked down at my wet body that was still standing in the rushing waves and the water slid along my feet. If he hit me with that thing right now, I’d probably die . Good times.
    “Maybe,” I dared back. Why in the hell was I taunting him? I had no idea. Maybe I just didn’t care anymore.
    “Where’d Asia take my property? Where’s she hiding the girls?” he asked, coldly. The stun gun roared with lightning, clicking just inches from my chest.
    “I don’t know.”
    “I don’t believe you. Where are the girls?” Avery tilted his body into me and I held my breath. This was going to hurt. Hopefully I’d survive it long enough to warn Asia and her new stowaways.
    “Avery, even if I knew where they were , I wouldn’t tell you. You’re a monster. You almost killed the woman I love!” I scolded, with a renewed