by Kat Adams
“Fight?” they said in unison. Rob added, “What fight?”
“Montana, you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking, are you? I mean, it’s crazy, and I love your crazy, but this is nuts. There’s already some wacko calling themselves Sentry rumored to have started an uprising. Alec mutters about it day in and day out.”
“They even have us patrolling for members of the resistance. Enemy elementals, that’s what they’re calling anyone caught supporting Sentry.” Rob picked at the moss on the stone as he frowned.
I chewed on the inside of my lip, debating how to break the news. Not seeing any way to ease into it, I just blurted out, “Sentry isn’t one person. The Order of the Sentry is the resistance, and I’m the wacko leading the uprising.”
“That is so hot.” Clay waggled his eyebrows. “You’re a criminal. Criminals are hot.”
“Reed, are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
I had no idea what I was doing, but I was doing a pretty decent job faking my way through it in the hopes it’d come to me. “Like I said, I have an entire coven of witches behind me. We need more members. That’s why I’m here. I came to talk to Cressida. She had to have gotten word out to other elementals back in her time. I need to know how she did it.”
“Shit, Montana. I could have saved you the trip.” Clay lifted my hand and brushed his lips across my knuckles. “Not that I’m complaining about seeing those hypnotic hazels, baby.”
And I could get lost in those endless emerald pools, but I had to stay focused. “Tell me what you know.”
“They used code, of course. In letters, mostly. You ever heard of the Silence Dogood letters? Ben Franklin used that pen name to publish letters he couldn’t get published under his own name. They were nonsense, total code.”
“Bro, you’re thinking of that movie we watched the other night where they find the cypher on the back of the Declaration of Independence.”
He shook his head, knocking some of his playful brown hair into his eyes. He did his classic Bieber flip to move it back off his face. “I’m serious. My uncle is all about historical conspiracies and shit. He’s bent my ear about this one for years and says Benny boy copied it from an elemental accused of being a witch that fled Salem thirty years before the Silence Dogood letters were even published. Where do you think Franklin got the idea?”
“Not possible, dude. You’re wasting everyone’s time with bullshit stories like that.” Rob stood and moved to the other side of the ruins.
“Wait. I don’t hate the idea.” As the plan slowly formed in my brain, I said it out loud. “And I’ll take it one step further. I have a website, a weekly comic I publish. Granted, I haven’t been able to publish in a couple of weeks, but I don’t think I’ve lost any readers. What if I use the webcomic as my way to communicate to those who want to join Sentry?”
“That’s a great way to link you to Sentry, Reed. The Council already knows you’re the author. You start putting messages in it, and they’re going to know you’re Sentry. How are you going to stop them from reading your comic?”
“I’m not. Let them read. Without the cypher, they won’t know it’s even in code.” The more I talked it through, the more excited I got. My nerves hummed with new energy. This could really work.
“How do we get the cypher to those we want to know the message while keeping it out of the wrong hands?” Clay asked.
I pulled Clay to his feet. “That’s where you come in.”
“Me?”
“I need someone inside the school to make sure the library stays open after hours.”
“We have a library?”
“Dude, would you be serious?” Rob pushed away from the far wall and approached. “Clearwater’s library is the largest one on the island. People even come up from Seattle for special books they can’t find in the city. The reference section alone is worth the trip.”
We both looked at him, stunned. I expected the scholarly interest coming from Clay, not Rob. He’d never even picked up a book. “Since when did you become an expert on the academy’s library?”
“Stace made me write a paper on how to know the diff between naturally occurring weather and when the elements are forced to do something out of the norm before I was allowed to lead the quad squad. Bryan helped me since he’s more in tune with that sort of stuff.”
“That’s why you two are always talking about the elements being upset or out of balance. You recognize when they’re being forced to obey.”
He nodded. “I’m seeing it more and more now that the Council has outlawed pretty much anything that so much as hints at something they can’t control. Leo and I have been patrolling outside the school grounds.”
“Good. Clay can keep watch here at Clearwater. I need you and Leo to leave books around the island. Your job as hunters is the perfect cover.”
“What sort of books?”
“You’ll see.”
“What about the cypher?” Clay asked. “It’s usually static. Rando books and a weekly webcomic isn’t going to work.”
“Challenge accepted.” I smiled wide, feeling confident in Sentry’s direction for the first time in days.
“Leo!” The shrill voice of my flawless nemesis sounded from outside. “Where is he? I tried texting, and he didn’t answer.”
“Gee, Ness. I haven’t seen him.” Leo’s feigned innocent act needed serious work.
I dropped my smile and bit back a groan. What the hell was Vanessa Graves doing out of her room? It was after curfew. Then again, with her daddy at the head of the Council, she had a get out-of-Carcerem-free card.
“Shit,” Rob muttered, then kissed me quickly. “She found me. I love you, Reed. Please be careful.”
“Go get ’em, tiger.” I winked and laughed silently as he rolled his eyes and walked out.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Montana. Love you.” Clay brushed his lips against mine before teleporting out.
I waited until Rob’s and Vanessa’s voices faded before peeking around the wall. Leo peeked in at the same time, and we smacked our heads together. He stepped into the ruins holding his forehead. “Ouch.”
“I have to go.” I readied the necklace.
“Babe?” He stopped me with his hand on my arm. Those brilliant blue eyes searched mine. “I know I’m not as expressive as Rob or Clay. I’m not real open about my emotions and all that. Just know that I…” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
“I know, Leo. Me too.”
“Okay, then. Good. I don’t know what you have planned, but I’m sure it puts you right in the middle of it all. Promise me you won’t do anything crazy.”
We both knew I couldn’t make a promise like that. This entire situation was batshit crazy. I had an enchanted crystal that created portals and made me invisible. I lived in a treehouse with a coven of witches hiding out inside a magic bubble of perfection concealed by a veil. On top of all of that, I was about to go public with Sentry and actively recruit members through my webcomic. Any of those would get me thrown into Carcerem.
But the fact I was leading an uprising against the Council…
That just might get me killed.
12
Bryan was waiting in our treehouse when I returned to the grove. “How’d it go?”
I squinted against the bright sunlight shining between the branches and through the window openings into the room, the contrast to the darkness on the other side of the magic bubble sharp and vivid. I didn’t like that the sun never set here. It was like living in Alaska in the summer. “What time is it?”
“I have no idea. Early, I think. Or late, depending on your life choices, as you’d say.” He flashed a lopsided grin before a yawn stole it. “I tried to sleep, but then I, uh… I sort of woke up in the middle of, um…” He colored hard.
“One of the downsides to us being bonded through our wards.” I fell into the chair next to him and leaned my head against his shoulder. “When one of you blows, you all bl
ow.”
“Classy.”
“That’s me. Classy with a K, baby.”
“I’m making coffee in the percolator. Should be ready soon. Did you get in touch with Cressida?”
I sat up straight as the adrenaline raced through my system at the plan I’d concocted. “No, but she gave me the idea, nonetheless. We’re going to use my webcomic to reach the masses.”
The look he gave me, a cross between shock and seriously pissed off, caught me by surprise. He launched out of the chair and backed away as if I’d just admitted to carrying some plague worthy of a global pandemic. “Are you kidding me with this?”
“With what? It’s a solid plan.”
“The Council already knows it’s your comic. You put something in The Elements that ties you to Sentry, and that’s it. You’ll be elemental enemy number one.”
“I’m already elemental enemy number one. Think about it. The Council banned any mention of the prophecy, claiming it’s propaganda. Who’d they decree the one to fulfill said prophecy? Strike one against me.” I held out my arms, sat back, and crossed my ankles. “I’m also a witch, and witchcraft, as you know, has been outlawed. Strike two. Add in the way I took a stand against Graves in front of the Council, and that’s strike three, my friend. I’m a trifecta threat.”
“That doesn’t mean you go and advertise it.” He placed his hands on his hips and lifted his gaze to the ceiling, searching for answers. “Why would you think this is a good idea?”
“Because it is,” I defended and shot forward, my irritation inching higher. “It’s a goddamn brilliant idea.”
“No, Katy. It’s suicide. The Council is going to know you’re Sentry.”
“We’re Sentry,” I clarified.
“Then we are all screwed if you go through with this. You’ve done some crazy things before, but this one…”
“This one is the craziest, I admit.” I slapped my knees to make my point. “That doesn’t make it a bad idea.” I sat, watching him pace back and forth, back and forth. It was like watching a tennis match. “It’s going to work.”
He stopped and looked at me. “How do you know?”
“Because we have no other choice. Now, are you going to help me design my next webisode?”
For several tense seconds, he just looked at me, studying me, probably to see if I had a head injury considering the idea I’d come up with. The sound of the percolator filled the uncomfortable silence with gurgles and the glorious scent of coffee. I continued to stare at Bryan, waiting for his reaction. I never expected him to spin on his heel and walk out.
I ran after him. “Where are you going?”
He’d already made it halfway across the rope bridge before turning to face me. “I need to think.”
“Bryan?”
“Just…” He brought up his hands in surrender and took a few more steps back. “Let me think about this. Promise me you won’t do anything until I get back.”
“Where are you going?”
“Promise me, Katy.”
“I promise.” And I hated being forced into agreeing to a promise like that. I was always doing something Bryan would deem unacceptable. I wanted to believe that was one of my many charming traits he loved so much. “Now will you tell me where you’re going?”
“I’m going to find the guys, see if they can convince me this is a good idea.”
That sucked. And hurt. “You mean I didn’t?”
“No, Katy. You didn’t. But I don’t think that’s your fault. I think it’s mine. I’m too close to you on this. I need to hear it from someone who doesn’t have me tied up in knots over my need to protect her. I’ll see you later.” He turned and hurried off the rope bridge, leaving me staring at the empty plank he’d just vacated.
This…wasn’t happening. Bryan did not just walk away from me. Did we just break up for real? Would he be back? I blinked back the burn behind my eyes and inhaled sharply. He’d be back. He had to be. He was the only part of any of this craziness that made sense. If I lost him, I’d lose my sanity.
I shuffled back to my treehouse and collapsed into a chair before resting my elbows on the table, my fingers in my hair holding up my head. The faint sound of the percolator kept me company. I don’t know how long I stayed like that before a noise caught my attention, I shot out of the chair and sent a blast of air toward the large entrance.
Stace countered with her own air, swallowing my call and killing it. “Whoa, Katy. What was that all about?”
“Sorry.” I assumed my original moping position as my entire life with Bryan flashed before my eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“I’ve been better,” I answered while remaining hidden behind a curtain of red hair.
She took a seat next to me and folded her hands in front of her, waiting. Stacey Layden was extremely patient when it came to getting me to open up. She’d sit with me for hours if that was what it took to get me to talk.
I decided to save us both some time. “Bryan left.”
“I saw that.”
That was it? No words of comfort? Of encouragement? Just an acknowledgment that she’d seen him leave? Fucking awesome. I sank even lower in the chair. “He said he needs time to think.”
“About?”
“My plan on how I’m going to reach potential recruits for Sentry. I’m going to use my webcomic to send messages.”
“I see.” Silence invaded the conversation again. “How are you going to know the difference between those who want to join the uprising and those who want to serve the Council?”
I lifted my head and studied her expression, so tight with worry. When she frowned, the creases at her eyes and the corners of her lips deepened. “I, uh…”
“I see you haven’t thought that far ahead.”
Ouch, Stace. Way to make me feel better. I lowered my head, resting my cheek against the cool surface of the wood table and facing away from her. Here I thought my life sucked. She’d found a way to make me feel worse.
“Who do you trust the most? Out of anyone in this world, who would you take at face value, no questions asked?” Her lisp really came out with those questions.
“The guys, without any hesitation.”
“Anyone else?”
I turned and rested my other cheek on the table so I could face her. She sat there, the same warm smile sending her eyes into a kind dance that tugged at my heartstrings every time. Aside from the guys, she’d been the only one to actually treat me with any level of respect.
No, that wasn’t true. Lulu had, but she’d left, just like everyone else in my life.
Except for the guys and the woman, the mentor, sitting at the table with me.
Time to stop swimming in the deep end of the pity pool. I had an entire support group. I needed to start using it for more than complaining about everything that’d gone FUBAR in my life, mostly because I’d been the one to FUBAR it.
Was that right? Was FUBAR a noun? Or a verb? Did it even matter?
Clearly, I’d already gone batshit crazy.
“You know I trust you, Stace. I trust you more than I trust myself.”
“Then that’s a problem. You should trust no one above yourself. If you want to be an effective leader, you have to be confident in your choices. Your confidence will give them confidence. A confident army is a competent army.”
Catchy. I just might use that in my next webcomic episode. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
I still had my head on the table. Baby steps. “Do you think we stand a chance? Even if we recruit every alchemist and elemental resistant out there, the Council’s reach is pretty vast.”
There went that warm, knowing smile again. Stace’s brain always seemed to be one step ahead of mine. “It may seem vast, but it’s shallow at best.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It means what you see isn’t always what you get.”
“Ugh.” I lifted my head and groaned into the air
. “You sound like Cressida. She’s always giving me these cryptic answers. I don’t need that from you too. Would you just come out with it?”
Her smile wilted, making me feel like a pile of crap for growling at her. She was only trying to help. I was a mess, and a hot one at that. “The Council may seem to have influence on the surface, but peel that back, and you’ll find an entire army wishing they had the guts to do what you’re doing now. You’re taking charge, Katy. You’re being a true prophecy, protecting our world from evil at any cost.”
“Why does it always have to be me?” Yes, I was whining. I didn’t care and rested my cheek back on the table. “Why can’t someone else be the one to volunteer as the sacrificial lamb this time?”
“Because none of them were decreed the prophecy.”
“Oh sure, by some group of old guys in fancy black suits.”
“No, by the original prophecy.”
I slowly rose to a sitting position and blinked back the shock. “You know about Cressida choosing the prophecies?”
“I know she chose you. I don’t know about any of the other ones the Council had proclaimed the prophecy, but I do know she’s the one who foretold of you being the one to stand in the way of ultimate supremacy that night she came to the coven. She warned of a great war coming, one that rivaled the war in her time, and how the one who stands in the way will arrive on the Ides of March.”
“Arrive?” I homed in on that very key term. “When did Cressida come to you?”
“Twenty-three years ago.”
A shockwave of emotions hit me at once. Denial. She had to be lying. No way did Cressida predict I’d be born on the fifteen of March or that I’d grow into the prophecy. Anger. If it was true, how could fate put something like this on a baby not yet born? And why wouldn’t they want me to grow up in this world rather than among Nelems to better prepare me for my role? I could have stopped this before it’d gotten this far. I skipped right past the next two stages of grief of bargaining and depression and landed on acceptance.
