by Kat Adams
“I’m not leaving.” She glanced at me, determination darkening her gaze. She didn’t have to say it. I knew. This wasn’t over her concern about Leo. It was her concern about me. My heart fluttered. Stacey Layden had been more of a mom to me than my own flesh and blood.
“There’s no time to argue.”
“Then stop arguing with her,” I snapped. “Let’s do this.”
Reluctantly, he nodded and regarded Stace. “I need you to stand as far away as possible. No matter what you see, you have to stay over here. Do you understand?”
Anxiety twisted her expression as she darted nervous glances between us. I was just as confused and awaited Syd’s instructions. He didn’t ask me to stand next to Stace, which meant he planned to have me help him do whatever it was he intended to do.
“Katy.” Syd unsnapped the hospital gown, exposing Leo’s shoulders. “I’m going to call light and short out his powers. When I say the word, I want you to call fire. Make it as intense as you can.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Trust me. Ready?”
Not even a little. If I called fire and Syd was wrong, this would kill my water elemental.
His hands began to glow. I caught the way Stace grabbed the back of a chair when the impact of his call hit her. The glow intensified to a blinding white. I had to squint against the assault on my pupils.
“Now, Katy. Call fire. Make it turn purple.”
This had always been my greatest fear, hurting the ones I loved. I’d already hurt so many. “I—I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You’re a healer. Take emotion out of the equation and do what your instincts tell you.”
I nodded. Holding Leo down, I gently called fire. I smelled something terrible and pulled my hands away.
I gasped when I spotted burns on Leo’s shoulders where I’d just touched him. The smell was his flesh burning. I swallowed hard and blinked back my horror.
I could not do this. I couldn’t hurt him.
“Do it again. This time, give him a hell of a lot more. Come on, Katy. This is his only hope. You have to hurt him to save his life. He’ll heal from the burns. If you don’t give his fire an outlet, he’ll literally burn up.”
His fire. He’d said his fire.
I had to save his life. I was his only hope. I chanted those words over and over and placed my hands back on his shoulders. I called fire and centered the call in my palms, directing the heat from my body into his.
His eyes flew open, wide with shock and pain. He looked up at me and snapped his brow into an agonized, confused expression. He then began to convulse, and I started to pull my hands back.
“Don’t stop! More, Katy. More!”
“But it’s hurting him!” I cried, unable to take my hands from him. He blinked and tried to say something. In his weakened state, he lifted his hands and feebly tried to fight me off. I held him tight and increased my call. I’m so sorry, Leo. I’m so, so sorry.
He opened his mouth in a silent scream. When his eyes rolled back in his head, I cringed. Dear God, let this heal him. If it did anything other than cure him, if I held my hands down and called fire and ended up killing him, I’d die right along with him.
His convulsing slowed. He closed his eyes and finally relaxed. I pulled my hands back and cringed at the sight of the charred skin on his shoulders.
And then, right before my eyes, the burns healed, the skin regenerated, and his shoulders looked as if they’d never been touched.
My mouth fell open. The blisters on his beautiful face faded, and he took in a deep breath before fluttering his eyes open. He glanced up at me with those bright and brilliant blue eyes. When he smiled, I fell onto him to hug him.
“Hey babe,” he whispered and wrapped me in his arms. He kissed the top of my head. “What’s going on?”
I laughed through my fear. “You’re going to be okay.”
“I told you it was nothing.” Leo held me in that gorgeous gaze. I took his hand in mine and pulled it to my cheek. He glanced around at the room, and then down at the bed. “Where am I?”
“The infirmary.”
“Why?”
“It’s a long story,” I told him. “Let’s just say you won’t have to worry about a fever anymore.”
16
I stood on the side of the field as day four of tribunals commenced. The Council had finished with the second years and moved on to the remaining students without separating them out by years. Only the first and second years had been called out specifically.
The first years understandably had the highest number of magically enhanced elementals. The second years only had a handful, but it still sucked watching them being dragged off the field by members of the Council. They’d been at the academy for a year or more, had lived with their powers without issue all that time. They didn’t deserve to be labeled dark and imprisoned. None of them did.
Now it was the upper-level students’ turn. Dean Carter announced the names of those about to be tested.
Vanessa Graves, as beautiful as ever in her blue blazer and short skirt that looked freakin’ adorable on her. Of course. She wore her black hair pulled away from her face, sitting in a perfect high ponytail on top of her head. Her striking blue gaze scanned the crowd of Council members. When two stepped forward, I rolled my eyes. I should have known she’d be paired with Weak 1 and Weak 2, courtesy of Daddy, I was sure. I’d watched them since the beginning of tribunals and not once had to help any students battling them. I’d had to help them a couple of times, however. They’d take it easy on Ness for sure, so I didn’t bother watching, knowing they wouldn’t need me.
Jessica Bailey, even though she’d dropped out, was still required to be tested. She bounced onto the field in her usually springy way, which was nice to see, I had to admit. A giant pink bow held her hair back in a high ponytail, which was also nice to see again. God, what was happening to me? Why would I feel any sense of happiness seeing her? She’d treated me worse than Vanessa had the short time we’d roomed together. Once she and the two Council members moved away from the crowd, Dean Carter stepped forward to announce the next name.
Bryan Gunderson, my earth elemental extraordinaire, walked onto the field, practically casting a shadow with his massive shoulders. It didn’t surprise me that the Council paired him with Brooks, another massive man, and a blonde woman with glasses I recognized from the warehouse when we’d searched for Bryan. They moved to the corner of the field.
Clay Williams waved to the crowd as he took the field, blowing kisses like he’d just been announced as the guest of honor. It surprised me when my mom stepped forward. Why would she test my boyfriend? I tensed and waited for her to turn to me, but she never did. She waved for him to follow her and the unibrow pixie chick I set on fire to the opposite side of the field from me. Dammit. I’d have to leave it to the healers on that side to monitor the battle, since I had plenty to monitor on my side of the field.
A few more upper-level students were called and paired up with Council members. Once everyone was in position, the next round of testing started.
Fireballs flew. Airfields went up. Water streams like firehoses made it look like the Bellagio fountain. I darted my attention between Bryan’s test in front of me, which he handled beautifully, and Clay’s test on the other side of the field. I couldn’t see him, only giant flames as they got sucked into a tornado. I really hoped it was Clay’s calls and not my mom attacking him with a firenado.
I redirected my attention to Bryan. He’d just created a crater that swallowed Brooks. The man cussed and called air to lift him out of the hole before conjuring a fireball in each hand. Glasses hit Bryan with a blast of water that knocked him back. He recovered just in time to block the fireballs Brooks hurled at him by using an airfield. It went back and forth like that several times, Brooks and the woman attacking with something Bryan easily deflected, so I went back to seeing if I could spot Clay.
When I did, I sucked in a breath.
He was covered in dirt. I wasn’t just talking dirty. He was literally covered in a thick layer of earth, his opposite. My mom moved closer, pulling roots from the ground to snake around him while Unibrow hit him with fire. He called air to counter, which stopped the fire but not the earth. Using his primary, he finally blasted through the earth trap, sending dirt and splintered roots flying in all directions. My mom hit him with more earth, cocooning him in topsoil. He staggered, fighting off the opposing element and losing. When he dropped to his knees, I braced myself to race over and protect him as I’d done for Leo. Yes, it was against the rules. Screw the rules. If one of my guys needed me, I’d be there.
A whistle blew and a white flag went up—but not at any of the battles I’d been monitoring as I should have. I grabbed my bag and ran onto the field, dropping to my knees next to Jess. She writhed and gasped as she fought to breathe. I held her down at the shoulders and called air, pushing it to her. She slowed and opened her eyes, widening them when she spotted me.
That was when I saw it. Or, more accurately, what I didn’t see.
No hazel around her right pupil.
Holy Hannah paradise. This wasn’t Jess at all. This was her twin sister, Julie, who’d gone dark last year when she’d fallen for the darkest of dark elementals. I quickly withdrew my hands and jumped to my feet. “What are you doing here? How’d you get past the wards?”
“What are you talking about, quint? It’s me, Jess.”
“Nice try, Jules.”
“Jules?” One of the Council members stepped forward. “This isn’t Jessica Bailey?”
“No.” I lifted my hands to call earth and trap her. “This is her twin sister, the one who turned against us by partnering with Alec von Leer. Is he here with you? What about Spencer? Is that where Jess really is? Did you convince her to join you on the dark side? You and Alec can go on double dates with her and Spence. How cute.”
Her shock transformed into a twisted smile when she realized she’d been caught. “Never could fool you. This round goes to you, quint.” She popped out.
Dammit.
Another whistle blew, catching my attention. This time, it was Clay. Unibrow was clearly annoyed that she had the flag up. I’d have to process what it meant that Jules had taken Jess’s place at her tribunal after I saved my air elemental. I rushed to his side before the other healers, just as he fluttered his eyes open.
When he spotted me, he offered a weak grin, his white teeth a stark contrast to the dark brown dirt caked all over his handsome face and stuck in his beard. “Hey, beautiful. Come here often?”
“Hold still.” I called the earth from his body before leaning in and resting my palms on his chest, calling air and pushing it to him as I’d done to Jules.
“Ahhh,” he moaned as his smile widened. “I love your touch.”
“Stop talking.” I couldn’t believe he said that with my mom only a few feet away.
Syd joined us. “Everything okay?”
“It’s the best, Doc.” Clay grasped my wrists and yanked me on top of him. I was so grateful he hadn’t suffered any permanent damage that I giggled and accepted the embrace.
A blast of air shot us apart.
I glanced up to see my mom’s gaze narrowed with pinpoint precision. Not on Clay, but on me. I’d never seen her look at me like that before. That stare was cold, sharp, and so unfamiliar. Who was this stranger glaring at me? “Mom?”
“Testing complete,” Dean Carter broadcasted. “No magically enhanced elementals this round. Next up…”
“We should test Katy,” my mom stated, her glare still on me. I stumbled back, that look physically striking me. That and the fact she wanted me to go through this brutality on display. “Play no favorites.”
“I need her fully charged to help me heal when you take it too far.” Syd nodded at Clay, who’d finally sat up and now held his head.
My mom didn’t even acknowledge the damage she’d done to my boyfriend. “I am the prophecy. It’s my job to protect this world. That means if I say someone should be tested, they should be tested. No questions asked.”
Um…that wasn’t what it meant to be the prophecy. At all. Being the prophecy didn’t turn a person into a dictator. “You already know I’m not dark.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Are you saying you didn’t just let Julie Bailey teleport out when you could have stopped her? She was our one shot at finding out where Alec von Leer is hiding, and you let her go.”
“I didn’t let her go,” I countered, irritated she twisted it around like that. “She popped out before I could stop her.”
“You sure about that?”
“Mom!”
She brought up her hands and shrugged, like what she accused me of was obvious. Only, it wasn’t obvious. It was ridiculous.
“I volunteer as a tester.” Unibrow stepped forward. Oh, great. She already had an issue with me. Judging by that glimmer in her dark gaze, she couldn’t wait for a rematch to set something of mine on fire. Like my eyebrows.
“I’ll join you,” my mom stated.
“No.” Brooks broke into the tense conversation. “No family. I’ll do it.”
Not the Hulk too. This just went from bad to worse.
My mom wouldn’t give up that easily. “I’m the prophecy.”
“I don’t bloody care if you’re the pope. No family. Trina and I will test her.”
“She’s a quint,” Stace pointed out as she joined us. “It’s going to take more than two Council members to battle her.” She glanced pointedly at my mom. “Earth is her primary, so there’s no need for another earth elemental to test her. You may stand down, Samantha.”
My mom thrust out her chin as she set her jaw. She glanced around before settling that cold, unkind glare back on me. It destroyed me. “Well, then. Good luck.”
Stace spoke up . “Due to the strength of your powers, no other battles will take place while you’re being tested. You have two minutes to prepare. I suggest you spend them wisely, perhaps with your original handlers. Have them offer you last-minute advice.”
I nodded and didn’t have to catch any of the guys’ attention. They were already by my side, even my water elemental. He was back in his school uniform, which looked so much better on him than the paisley hospital gown. I threw my arms around him, so damned relieved so see him upright again.
“Hey, babe.” He hugged me back, burying his face in my hair. The rest of the guys surrounded me. Leo stepped back so all four guys had me protected in a tight circle of muscles and male awesomeness.
I drew in a shaky breath to calm my rattled nerves. This was going to get ugly. I just knew it. “Any words of encouragement?”
Bryan took my hand. “Brooks is right-handed, so watch his right side. He’ll plant his foot right before he calls. He’s also got a bad left knee. Take it out if you have to.”
“Trina’s fire call is pretty strong, but not as strong as yours.” Rob took my other hand. “And when she gets flustered, her call is even weaker. Since she’s got a bone to pick with you, get her riled up. She’ll stall out.”
“Professor Layden isn’t going to take it easy on you just because she likes you,” Leo pointed out. Man, how I’d missed my master of the obvious. “Fire is her weakest call, so expect her to use water.”
I nodded as I took it all in. Finally, I turned to Clay. “Well? What advice do you have?”
He grinned. “Kick their asses, Montana.”
Rob, always the group’s ringleader, motioned for the guys to huddle closer. Each one of them placed a hand on me. “We’re all in, Reed. You ready for a little boost?”
I nodded again. It was an extreme surge to my body as all four guys pushed their primaries to me at the same time. My pulse quickened. My senses heightened. My skin hummed. Every last cell in my body was now wide awake, buzzing with energy, and ready to do this.
With a deep breath, I met the gazes of each of my guys. “I guess I’ll see you in a few.”
They contin
ued to cheer me on with shouts of encouragement as I approached the three Council members currently bunched together. Brooks dwarfed the other two, especially the petite professor who clearly took charge based on the way the other two nodded as they listened to her instructions. I didn’t know if having her plan the attack was a good thing or a bad thing. She knew me better than most, had watched me train with both the guys and with Spencer. She knew my strengths, my weaknesses, and the way I thought.
It was definitely a bad thing having her in charge.
Stace broke their huddle and faced me. Unibrow and Brooks stood on either side of her. All three sets of hands went up.
Here we go.
Unibrow fired first, which didn’t surprise me. I’d expected as much and countered the fireball she hurled at me with a shot of water that hit it head-on. Both elements spit and hissed at each other before fizzling out. That wasn’t good enough for her. She threw another fireball, this one twice the size of the first. Again, I countered it with water, killing the flame.
“Come on, Trina. You can do better than that.” I prodded her, doing exactly as Rob instructed and riling her up. “Or maybe you can’t.”
Her cheeks darkened as she furrowed her unibrow. “See if you can counter this.” She rapid-fired ball after ball, each one going wild. The few that came close were easy to dodge. I didn’t even bother countering her calls that time.
The blast of air from Brooks caught me off guard. I hit him with my own air. It didn’t even ruffle his hair. Wow, his call was as solid as he was. I switched my call to earth and did the same thing Bryan had by opening a huge hole right under him. He went down. I then did something Bryan didn’t do and closed the hole so Brooks couldn’t lift his arms. Having him trapped by his opposite element should hold him for a while.
Back to Unibrow.
“I’m still waiting for you to do something to challenge me.”
She growled—like, literally—and charged like she’d done against Leo. I waited until she leaned in to shoulder slam me and teleported out, popping back in behind her just as she went down, faceplanting in the dirt. I covered her in a nice layer of ice, nothing too thick, just enough to slow her down. It was warm enough outside that it wouldn’t last that long anyway.
