by Wendy Knight
Rain of Fire
Star Crossed Academy
Wendy Knight
Published by Six Inch Heel Press, 2019.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.
Wave of Smoke
Copyright © 2019 WENDY KNIGHT
Cover by Design by Definition
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sea of Flames
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER ONE
TWENTY years ago
Kindergarten
“Mother Nature might be crazy, but she doesn’t do half the stuff she’s blamed for.” Aquis’s mother smiled, but Aquis barely noticed her. She was too busy watching all the other kids.
Kids like her, five-year-olds ready for their first year at Vitolas Academy. Except these kids were new. They hadn’t grown up at Vitolas like she had.
Her mother continued, “Pompeii? Have you heard of Pompeii? Maybe Mount St. Helens?”
Some of the adults nodded. Aquis snuck peeks at the other kids and none of them looked like they knew what was going on. Most hid behind their grown-ups.
Aquis didn’t. Mostly because her grown-ups were standing at the front of the room and hiding behind them would put her front and center. But also because this was her home. She had nothing to be nervous about.
Her mother met Aquis’s eyes before she turned her attention to the rest of the room. “Well, you will. While there have been a few natural disasters in history that were truly natural, the majority, unfortunately, were caused by Elementals who were untrained. Who had these amazing powers, these amazing gifts, but didn’t know how to use them. Their ignorance cost thousands of lives.”
Aquis’s father, Ren, moved restlessly around the room, tapping kids on the nose and making the nervous ones giggle.
“This exact reason is why we started Vitolas Academy. To shape and mold and train these young minds to be able to use their gifts to their advantage, and really, to the advantage of the greater good.”
Aquis had heard this speech so many times, she could recite it in her sleep. But this was the first time the speech had been aimed at her. Finally, she got to be a real student at Vitolas. She got to attend classes and eat lunch with the other kids and play at recess. She wouldn’t have to watch from the safety of their cottage.
She got to be included.
She’d been waiting for this day for her whole life.
She adjusted her glasses and peered around the rest of the room. There weren’t many new students, and most of them were Pyras—Fire Elementals. Two boys and one girl, all with wild red hair and fiery brown eyes. Only two kids were like Aquis, Amazi water Elementals with their white hair and vibrant blue eyes. One Ceali—Aquis recognized the air Elemental because of the blond hair and odd white eyes.
No Terras, which was strange. As earth Elementals, they were usually the most common. Aquis usually saw more Terras when she spied out her cottage window than all the other Elementals combined.
“Now, if you’d like to explore the school with your children before dinner, we’ll let you go. Of course, we’ll be here to answer questions if you should have any,” her mother finished, as she always did, and Aquis watched the students file out with their grown-ups.
“I’ve actually got another appointment. Can I just drop him off with you so I can go?” The woman with red hair and dark eyes edged toward the door, leaving the little boy she’d come with standing alone in the center of the room.
Aquis’s mother tensed in annoyance, but only Aquis noticed. No one else knew her well enough to see the subtle change, or to notice how forced her smile was.
Cora hated it when parents ditched their kids and took off. It made the transition so much harder for little ones, although the boy she left behind masked his uncertainty with an air of defiance, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the floor, barely looking up when his mother said a hasty goodbye. The other Pyra boy said something Aquis couldn’t hear, nodding toward his own family. The first boy squinted at him, and then they ran off down the hall together.
Cora blew out a breath and ruffled Aquis’s hair. “Thank goodness for friends, huh?”
Aquis stared after them. She wouldn’t know. She hadn’t had any real friends, living at the school as she had. Surrounded by kids but no one to play with.
“Why don’t you go to the cafeteria?” Ren asked. “Maybe those boys could use someone to show them the ropes.”
Aquis pushed her glasses up on her forehead so she could peer at her father. “I can’t go in The Station. They’re Pyras. I’m not.”
Cora nodded, already moving away, shuffling papers. “There’s a lot of school that isn’t The Station that you could introduce them to. Go be friendly, Aquis.”
Ren nodded, shooing her out the door, and reluctantly Aquis left the safety of her parents’ office and wandered after the others. She knew the school by heart. She’d been following her parents around since she could walk. In fact, she could probably find the cafeteria with her eyes closed and not run into a single thing.
It seemed like a good idea at the time, and she navigated the halls well enough. But she hadn’t planned on people being in her way, and when she smashed into a soft body, the Pyra burn nearly killed her, from her shoulder all the way down her arm and even her hip. She howled, jerking away as her eyes flew open.
The boy didn’t make a sound, but stared at her with huge, accusing dark eyes, his bottom lip trembling. His parents hurried from the other side of the hall, scooping him up before Aquis could move. “What happened?”
“She ran into me. She was walking with her eyes closed!”
Aquis jutted her lip into a pout and struggled to breathe. She’d heard of the Pyra burn her whole life, but she’d never felt it. Her parents were Amazi. Her grandparents were Amazi, and there weren’t a lot of Pyras at the school.
It hurt. It hurt a lot more than she’d expected.
Both parents and the boy were staring at her now, waiting for some sort of explanation, probably. “I thought I could find my way without seeing,” she said, glaring. “He got in my way.”
“Galvan, it was an accident.” The mother set the little boy back on his feet facing Aquis. “She didn’t mean to.”
“Your eyes were open. Why didn’t you move?” Aquis planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her glare on Galvan.
“I didn’t see you.” He scowled back, rubbing his arm where she’d touched him. Her own still tingled uncomfortably, like when she sat on her foot too long and then tried to move, but the sharp pain had
dulled.
The other little boy, the one whose mother had left so quickly, hurried out of the cafeteria, licking the chocolate off his fingers from one of the donuts. “What’s wrong? Who are you?”
“I’m Aquis. I live here.” She regarded him warily, wondering if he was as angry as Galvan. Maybe it was a Pyra thing.
He glanced up and down the hall and then back to her, his eyebrows drawn together. “Don’t we all live here?”
Right. She’d forgotten that. “I live here all the time. My parents are the headmistress and assistant headmaster.” She hesitated, remembering what her mother had said. “I came to show you around. If you want. I know where stuff is.”
The mother looked encouragingly at Galvan, nudging him forward. “That sounds fun. Doesn’t that sound fun?”
He shook his head.
“I think it sounds fun. Come on, Galvan. Let’s explore,” the other boy said.
Galvan shook his head more forcefully, and Aquis shrugged.
“Suit yourself.” Deliberately turning away from Galvan, she said to the other boy, “What’s your name?”
“Flint. I’m a Pyra.”
Like she couldn’t tell that from his wild red and orange hair. She skipped away, not waiting to see if he followed, but his legs were longer than hers and he caught up before she got very far.
“Where are we going?”
She glanced back over her shoulder at Galvan, who stayed with his parents. He watched them go, still rubbing his arm.
“Invictus Hall. It’s my favorite place in the whole school.”
He jogged next to her, dodging bigger kids who barely seemed to notice the two little five-year-olds hurrying through the hallways.
“What’s Invictus Hall?”
“It’s where the big kids train. I sneak in and watch them sometimes. When my mom’s not looking, I practice their spells.”
SHE showed him Invictus Hall, the locker rooms, the library, the courtyard, and the classrooms. They were wandering toward The Station when he tugged on her sleeve. “I like you. We’re friends, right?”
She blinked at him in surprise. “Friends?”
His smile died and he dug his toe into the hardwood floor. “I mean—I thought—”
“I’ve never had a friend before,” she whispered.
Flint raised his eyes. “Really?”
She shook her head.
“Well, then I’ll be your first friend. Just don’t touch me.”
Aquis laughed, but her smile died as Galvan came around the corner.
“Flint, we’re roommates! Kenna is the only other Pyra our age so we have the whole section to ourselves.” His excitement faded as he realized Aquis stood with Flint, and he scowled toward her.
“Well, I have a whole house to myself. So...” She wasn’t actually sure where she was going with that and trailed off.
Galvan rolled his eyes. “Good for you.”
“Actually, Aquis, you’ll be staying here in the dorms with the other kids.” Ren came out of his office, carrying her pillow under one arm and a small bag under the other. “It will help you to fit in.”
Fit in? Since when had they worried about her fitting in?
Galvan smirked.
“Let’s get you settled, huh? Boys, lights out is at ten, but you’re welcome to stay in your dorms until then.” Ren took Aquis’s hand and pulled her away. She waved at Flint over her shoulder, but he was already bounding up the stairs to The Station with Galvan.
Stupid Galvan.
“I do not like that boy,” Aquis told her father as she hurried to keep up with him.
Ren laughed softly. “Give him a chance. Things can change.”
CHAPTER TWO
SEVEN years later
Sixth Grade
Galvan slid into the seat next to Flint’s, smirking when Aquis walked in just after him and had nowhere to sit except clear across the room.
“Sucks to be you,” he said under his breath.
Flint rolled his eyes. “We’ve been friends for a long time. How do you still hate each other so much?”
Galvan scowled over at Aquis, who stuck her tongue out at him. “It’s a gift. She’s obnoxious and bossy and a know-it-all.”
Flint laughed, leaning back in his chair. “That’s what I like about her.”
Galvan suspected Flint liked Aquis more than just a friend, but Flint would never come out and say it. Luckily, Aquis didn’t seem to even realize they were boys, so there was no worry there.
Yet.
One day, Flint might profess his feelings and Aquis would swoon at his feet and Galvan would be the third wheel. Aquis might finally succeed at shoving him aside and getting Flint all to herself.
But not if Galvan had anything to say about it. Flint was his best friend. Aquis was an Amazi. And a girl.
Girls were weird.
Even if she was freakishly powerful and everyone thought she was the greatest thing to ever come to the school. Even if her hair sparkled in the sun and her eyes were a metallic ocean.
She would probably tell him oceans couldn’t be metallic. Because she was the expert.
Of course.
He didn’t realize he was gritting his teeth until Flint poked him in the shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
Galvan shook his head. “Nothing. Football after school today?”
Flint winced and looked away and Galvan rolled his eyes. He knew what was coming before Flint opened his mouth. “I—I told Aquis we could go practice for a while. You’re welcome to join us though. It keeps her on her toes when there’s two of us against her.”
Flint didn’t need Galvan to help keep Aquis on her toes. He was strong and fast, and the only Pyra in the school who could even compete with him was a sophomore named Blaise. And she was a Firestarter.
“No thanks. I’m going with the boys. You can catch up after if you want.”
“Scared to fight me?” Aquis asked, raising one perfectly arched eyebrow. Galvan hadn’t even heard her come to their side of the room, but his teeth instantly clenched again.
He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest, matching her scowl. “No. I have better things to do with my time than spend it with you.”
“But this is what we do,” she said sweetly. Far too sweetly, and Aquis was anything but sweet. “We practice, and I beat the crap out of you.”
Galvan shrugged. “You’ll have to beat the crap out of each other. I’m going to play football.”
She glanced at Flint, biting her cheek. “Really? You’re going to let him bail on us like that?”
Flint shrugged. “Galvan does what he wants. It’s fine. We can still practice.”
Aquis growled under her breath and turned on her heel, flouncing back to her seat.
Galvan shook his head. “She’s got issues.”
Flint watched her, eyebrows drawn together. “Nah,” he murmured. “She’s perfect.”
BEING the only Pyra on the field had its benefits, and Galvan could make it all the way down the field without anyone to stop him—if he could get his hands on the ball. His team did everything they could to make that happen, either by a long pass or short, Galvan didn’t care. When Flint played, they were on opposite teams and things were a little more fair. But Flint had decided to go with Aquis that day and ditch the rest of them.
Stupid Aquis.
Galvan dodged around a brave Terra who dared to stand in front of him but who was not brave enough to tackle him when he got the chance. As Galvan soared across the goal line, he saw Flint and Aquis standing nearby, watching.
He tossed the ball to the other team and jogged over. “I thought you guys were practicing today.”
Flint shrugged. “She wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
Galvan squinted at her, running a hand down his face. “You don’t know what football is?”
Aquis scoffed. “Of course, I know what it is. I just didn’t understand why you would choose to play this instead of p
ractice with us.”
Galvan shook his head, searching for some sarcastic comeback, but she continued before he got the chance.
“Can I try?”
“What?” He and Flint both asked simultaneously.
“No offense,” Flint started, which usually meant it was going to be offensive. “But you’re pretty small and—”
Aquis raised her chin, her eyes narrowing, and Galvan knew there was no point in arguing with her now.
“Come on. You can be on my team. Flint, you good on the other?”
Flint nodded, although he still looked thoroughly unconvinced. Galvan jerked his chin toward where his team was huddled, and Aquis followed, taking her glasses off and sending them on a wave to the sideline. “Can you see without those things?”
She shrugged. “Well enough.”
“Hey guys, we have a newbie. She’s never played before, but she wanted to try it out.” Galvan glanced at their makeshift scoreboard that another Pyra girl, Mara, was keeping. She was too young and too small to play but she liked to watch. “We’re far enough ahead I figured it would be okay.”
No one wanted to argue with the Pyra, so the other kids agreed, and one of the girls quickly gave Aquis a rundown of the rules and what she should do.
“Basically, don’t let Flint get to Galvan. He’s the only one who can stop him.”
“Can Flint stop Galvan?” Aquis asked. “Flint’s smaller than Galvan. And not as fast.”
Galvan wasn’t sure when she’d noticed these things, but it made his stomach flip flop to know that she had.
“They’re pretty evenly matched,” the girl said.
We’ll see about that. Suddenly, all Galvan wanted to do was prove that they were not evenly matched. That Flint wasn’t as good as he was at every single thing. Flint was a more powerful Pyra. Galvan could be a better football player.
As they ran the next play though, it seemed Flint had similar thoughts. He chased Galvan down, nearly barreling over several of his own team, in an effort to get the ball. Galvan tucked it under his arm and ran hard in the opposite direction, dodging other players, spinning and diving and pulling out whatever moves he had.
