by Anna Webb
“No, I guess not,” she replied softly, taking one last look around the small cottage and its battered, mismatched furniture. She couldn’t help but feel a strange kind of fondness for it. There was nothing but the bare essentials here, but at least it had been safe, which perhaps was the ultimate luxury.
Outside, Rob and Laureline were wrapped together saying their goodbyes. The drive back to the Elemental College would take at least seventeen hours and deliver her to her possible death, but Laureline wouldn’t be accompanying them, so Allyra was grateful for small mercies.
Laureline turned to Allyra and pulled her into a hug, swamping her in a cloud of sickly sweet honeysuckle perfume. “Good luck, Allyra, all of the Rising is excited by the opportunity to get a closer look at the inner workings of the Great Colleges. You can count on us to support you in any way we can.”
Giving Allyra a fond smile, Laureline pulled away. “And one more thing, before you go, I wanted you to know that Jamie’s mission is going well. He’s performing admirably.” Laureline let out a small, careless laugh. “But why am I telling you this? I’m sure you know already—you and Jamie are so close after all.”
Zing! Another bull’s-eye for Laureline.
Jamie hadn’t contacted Allyra—not once since he left three weeks ago. The hole he’d left behind was more effective at destroying Allyra than any physical wound.
Rob opened the door of Laureline’s car, a sleek, red convertible—a beauty of a car, and the perfect choice for someone more concerned with looks than practicality. It was a miracle the car had even made it down the muddy dirt track. Laureline settled gracefully into the car, but before Rob could close the door, Laureline called out, “Allyra, you might want to change into something more appropriate before you get to the college. Appearances matter.”
“I doubt anyone will care what I’m wearing when they try to kill me,” Allyra shot back sarcastically.
Laureline gave her a pitying look. “That’s what you still haven’t learnt. Everything counts.”
* * *
The drive passed mostly in silence. As the hours whiled away, the scenery shifted from the lush sugarcane fields of the Lowveld to the barren vastness of the Karoo and finally into the majestic mountains of the Cape.
It was too quiet with too many opportunities for Allyra’s mind to get tangled up in doubt. She knew what she had to do, and she focused on her list.
Save Emma.
Finish what her father had started—uncover the Council’s secrets.
Save the green-eyed Cleaner.
Survive The Five Finals.
Alex.
The last point was just a name. It was the one she understood the least. The one she’d avoided thinking about. His name alone was enough to stir up a whirlwind of emotions within her. Alex Cairns was an enigma, a muddle of paradoxes. He had saved her in the Between but told her not to trust him. He had trained her for the Elemental Trials, but then he sent her back into the lion’s den with so little information she might’ve died a dozen times. He had kissed her and then told her never to look back.
As it always did when she thought of Alex, her mind wandered to the plaque on the Winner’s Wall. The golden plaques engraved with the names of all the winners of the Elemental Trials were there. Her father’s name was there. Hers would be too now. But it was the name from one hundred and fifty years ago that caused the sense of disquiet in her soul.
Alexander Patrick Cairns.
The name that embodied the darkest moment in the Gifted’s brutal history. The name of the Elemental High Master who had betrayed everything the Gifted stood for in a selfish personal quest for power. The Betrayal had left every Elemental alive at the time dead.
Alexander Patrick Cairns.
It was a name shrouded in infamy. It was also Alex’s full name.
The question was: could he be trusted?
Allyra didn’t know. She wanted to trust him—desperately. She wanted to believe that he cared for her, that he wasn’t just using her for his own ends.
Never again a pawn—that was the promise she’d made herself. It meant she couldn’t just trust blindly, even if she wanted to. Knowledge was power, and Allyra intended to become very powerful.
“Jamie just needs some time,” Rob said, jolting Allyra from her thoughts.
“Excuse me?”
“I know you guys haven’t spoken in some time, but he’ll come round. It was just a lot of information to process.”
Allyra took a deep breath, staring out at the passing scenery yet seeing nothing at all. Her fingers tightened on the door handle. She was desperate for something, anything, to hold onto.
“Let’s not pretend three weeks isn’t a long time,” she said steadily, “not when it comes to Jamie and I.”
She could still remember the look on Jamie’s face. The moment of weakness when she’d blurted out the secret she’d held onto so tightly. The guilt of keeping so much from her best friend had been eating her alive. So, the word had just tumbled out.
Elemental.
A pause as Jamie stared at her blankly, an unspoken question in his eyes.
She’d tried again.
I’m an Elemental.
First came the quiet reassurances. Words spoken so slowly and deliberately that they were better aimed at a toddler.
He hadn’t believed her. Not until she thrust her hand into the open flame of the fire he was grilling their dinner on. Not until her hand had come away whole and unblemished.
His expression had changed then. She would never forget it.
Fear.
She’d expected fear. But it wasn’t what she’d thought. It wasn’t fear for her. It was fear of her.
In that moment, a fog of uneasiness settled over them. And before she could even try to clear the air, he was gone.
* * *
The smooth tarred surface of the highway gave way to the ruts and furrows of a small dirt track winding its way up the Hex River Mountain Range. The road wasn’t made for an easy, or smooth, trip. Every bump threatened to send Allyra’s spine rocketing out the top of her head. Every jolt was accompanied with a squeal of dismay from the overworked springs of the car seat and a splutter of acrid black smoke from the exhaust pipe. Yet, Rob’s Land Rover continued the climb cheerfully.
Every bump was one rotation of the wheel nearer to the Elemental College, bringing her ever closer to The Five Finals. Every jolt fed the growing lump in her throat until she could barely swallow. As if some kind of malevolent toad had taken up residence in her throat.
After a particularly loud groan from the engine, Allyra shouted, “Ever thought about trading this monster in for something from this century?”
Rob shot her a glance of utter incredulity mixed with mock horror. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. She doesn’t mean it,” he said, petting the steering wheel lovingly.
Allyra rolled her eyes. “Since when did you start chatting up your own car?”
“Since you started throwing out hurtful comments at her.”
“It’s a her now?”
Rob ignored her. “Besides, I had to talk to someone, right? You haven’t exactly been a source of scintillating conversation.”
“You try driving toward almost certain death, then we’ll see how scintillating your conversation is,” she grumbled under her breath.
He shot her a sidelong glance. “You don’t have to do this you know. There are other ways we can get information about Emma. Everyone knows The Five Finals are deadly, we’ll understand if you don’t want to do this. The Rising will understand.”
“Will they though?” she wondered. “Laureline hasn’t said it in as many words, but I get the feeling that The Five Finals is my test, my ticket into the Rising.”
Rob fell silent, instantly confirming her suspicions. It didn’t matter that her father had been part of the Rising; it didn’t matter that he had given his life for the Rising’s cause—she still had to prove herself to them. The Five Finals and the information
she might bring back would be her proof—she just had to survive The Finals first…
“We could still run,” he said though his voice lacked conviction. “Just say the word and I’ll turn this car around.”
Allyra shook her head doggedly. “No, I won’t spend my life running.”
“Ally…”
“At some point, you’re going to have to stop trying to protect me. I can look after myself.”
Rob lifted his eyebrows and looked pointedly at the bandage still wound around her arm.
Allyra smiled wryly. “Mostly,” she acknowledged.
A set of heavy, wrought iron gates swung open silently as they drew up to them, giving onto a gravel drive lined with ancient oak trees. Allyra took in her surroundings with some interest. She was seeing the exterior of the Elemental College for the first time—she’d missed the view the last couple of times she’d been here. First, she’d been unconscious, her mind trapped in the Between. Then, when she left after winning the Elemental Trials, she had also been unconscious—mostly from blood loss after facing off with Jason in the Final Trial.
The architecture of the Elemental College was typical of the Cape Dutch style with graceful curves and ornately rounded gables, finished off with thatch, grayed with age, and bright, whitewashed walls. A backdrop of rugged mountain ranges completed the picture. And despite all her anxieties, Allyra had to admit it was beautiful.
As much as she’d like to believe she was prepared, Allyra couldn’t help the sudden increase in heart rate as she saw four Cleaners waiting for her. Solemn and unmoving, they were dressed in their usual black cloaks and silver masks, looking every inch the executioners she imagined them to be.
The car slowed.
She had only seconds left to prepare. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had prepared for this. She was ready.
Rob stopped the car, but he didn’t turn the engine off. He turned to her, his eyes filled with concern. “Are you sure about this, Ally? It’s still not too late to turn around.”
Except it was. It had been too late from the moment she’d fallen into the Between, from the moment she’d met Alex.
She wasn’t going to turn around now. She opened the door and prepared to meet her fate.
At the last moment, she drew back and turned to Rob, squeezing his hand. “Look after Jamie, won’t you?”
He let out a short, sharp bark of laughter. “Change the name, and those are pretty much exactly the same words he said to me before he left.”
He wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed tightly. “Ally—I know you’re still holding something back.”
Instinctively, she started to protest, a ready denial on her lips. But he plunged on, not allowing her to interrupt. “Yes—I know you told us about being an Elemental, and about what you saw in the Tunnels. But, I’ve known you too long, and I know when you’re keeping something back. Jamie knows it too, but I want you to know, before you go, that it doesn’t matter. We love you. I love you—you are family. And nothing that you say, or do, will ever change that. So, if you think you have to do this out of some obligation to us—don’t.”
Rob pulled on her hand, tugging her back into the car, and wrapped one arm around her, dropping a brief kiss to her head. The warmth of his words and his embrace left her feeling like the worst traitor who had ever lived. It made her want to spill out every secret held in her heart, but she stomped down firmly on the instinct. There was no space now for soft emotions, not if she wanted to learn the truth.
“I love you too,” she said and stepped out the car.
The Cleaners stepped forward with synchronized precision but made no sign that they would detain her. For the moment, her heart steadied.
Rob opened the back of the car and handed her the single backpack she’d filled with her meager belongings. One of the Cleaners moved forward and took it from her, and then they all moved away to give her and Rob a moment to say goodbye.
She didn’t know what to say, and Rob seemed similarly lost for words. He pulled her into a fierce hug.
“Be safe, Ally. Don’t do anything stupid.”
She grinned. “When have I ever done anything stupid?”
Rob remained uncharacteristically serious. “This isn’t worth dying for. Our families have already given too many lives to this cause, I don’t want you to give yours too.”
“Our families have given too much for me not to try. I must do this Rob. I can do this.”
She gave his hand one last squeeze, then turned, and walked away, following the Cleaners into the shadows of the Elemental College.
Chapter 2 – Jamie
Jamie groaned as he struggled through a sea of darkness toward consciousness. His head was pounding, as if someone was pressing a jackhammer directly against his skull. Keeping his eyes closed, he fought off a sudden wave of nausea.
What had Pete given him to drink last night? Pete’s crowd liked to party, so Jamie had experienced his fair share of hangovers in the last couple of weeks. And say what you would about Pete’s friends. Pampered socialites—yes. Spoiled brats—almost certainly without exception. But above all else, they possessed the constitutions of a practiced alcoholic, shrugging off the aftereffects of a night of drinking with ease.
He’d learned a hard lesson the first night he’d partied with them—champagne and beer didn’t mix well together. Neither did champagne and whiskey. In fact, to be safe, champagne shouldn’t be mixed with anything else.
Jamie groaned again. His head wasn’t just pounding; it seemed to be simultaneously stuffed with cotton wool and glass shards. This was not your run of the mill hangover.
Allyra had been worried that some Revenant might jump out from the shadows and kill Jamie. Turned out, it was far more likely that his liver would give out way before he found any sign of Cleaners or Revenants.
Jamie tried to gather the scattered fragments of his mind. They proved as elusive as autumn leaves twisting in the wind. He tried to rub his eyes.
Except he couldn’t.
Surging panic, served with a side of nausea. Jamie finally forced his eyes open. He was tied to a chair. Iron shackled his wrists and ankles. For a minute, he struggled against the bonds, but it was futile, gaining him nothing but more nausea.
He stilled.
Well, this isn’t good…
Think!
Think!
He took a deep breath.
Think.
What was the last thing that happened?
A party. Fancier than most. Planned rather than spontaneous.
New Year’s Eve.
But the people were the same. Rich. Entitled. Gifted.
So was the alcohol—champagne. Served in extraordinary flutes—almost certainly formed by Gifted hands. In fact, the entire party had been a rare and ostentatious display of the Gift.
There was decadence all around Jamie.
It was in the unusual and expertly curved shape of the crystal champagne flute in his hand. It was in the crispness of the champagne as it danced over his tongue. It was in the vastness of the house behind him, so large that it could no longer be called a house. Mansion, villa, or estate might have been more apt descriptions with the infinity pool at his feet and the uninterrupted view of Table Mountain stretching before him.
And finally, the decadence was in the stilted conversation around him. It was the sound of people speaking, not to make friends but connections. It was the murmur of insincerity.
New Year’s Eve, and this was how the one percent celebrated it. At least, this was how the Gifted one percent of the one percent celebrated it. Evidence of the Gifted surrounded him. There was a water fountain filled with dancing nymphs, controlled not by design or electronics but rather a talented Oceanic, whose deft skill had the nymphs swaying to the sound of the music around them. The fireworks that lit the sky at midnight were not made in a factory, rather coordinated by Infernos like himself.
Despite the brazen display of Gifted wealth, there
had been nothing particularly strange about the party.
They had left the party.
As usual, Pete had been surrounded by a gaggle of female admirers. Few girls could resist basking in the glory of Pete’s good looks. And the fact that he was the heir apparent to the enormous Andromeda Corp fortune certainly didn’t hurt either.
Pete had always been Eva’s friend, and Eva, in turn, had been Allyra’s friend. It had never occurred to Jamie that Pete Andrews was part of the Andromeda Andrews. But, glancing at Pete now, it was hard to believe that he could be anything other than fabulously wealthy. The cut of his suit was expensive, and the pale blue of his shirt had obviously been chosen to complement the golden-brown tone of his skin. His dark, curly hair had been recently barbered, cut short, with every hair in place. Pete answered every query with an easy smile, ever the perfect diplomat, trained for greatness since the day he’d been born. Yet, he always seemed utterly immune to the attentions of his female admirers. In fact, he seemed relieved every time one of his father’s colleagues braved the throng of beauties to congratulate Pete on his father’s success.
And what a success it was.
Pete’s father, Percival Andrews, was the head of Andromeda Corp, the third-largest mining house in the world and the largest producer of diamonds in the world. Andromeda Corp’s rise to success was unparalleled. It was a remarkable rags-to-riches story, and Percival Andrews had been lauded world over for his keen business acumen. However, unbeknownst to most people, the secret to Andromeda Corp’s success lay not in Percival Andrews’ management ability but rather in his Gift. As a powerful Terra, he had manipulated the Earth Element, digging elaborate and extensive mines, in places where even the most sophisticated modern machinery could not go, and finding diamonds where others hadn’t even thought to look.
One of the keystone statements within the Gifted Charter was that no Norm should be allowed to know of the existence of the Gifted unless by prior consent of the Council. Therefore, the story of Percival Andrews and Andromeda Corp was a rare flaunting of the Gift to the world, his feats of mining only barely within the realm of belief. Having now given the matter more detailed consideration, Jamie was surprised that it had taken the Rising this long to conclude that the Andrews family was intimately connected to the Council.
