I was nearly finished with my shower when my new mission arrived. It’ll hurt was nowhere near an accurate description of the pain. White, hot barbs shot from my upper back to my lower back and into my legs. I fell to my knees, and then curled into a ball, as the lightning spread to every extremity.
The electronics in my tattoo expanded, feeling like needles raking across my entire torso. The hot water from the shower pelted my tender flesh, only adding to the agony. I fumbled to turn it off, but missed the faucet.
I moaned and clenched my eyes closed as the message began, the robotic voice so loud in my head I couldn’t hear myself think.
“Rogue Elementals have fled Tarpulin. Believed destination: Hesterton. A team will be dispatched to eliminate the dissenters.”
At least the messages were short. Still, I lay gasping on my shower floor for another five minutes until the pain ebbed to a dull ache. My head throbbed as I wrapped a towel around myself and stepped to the mirror.
I blinked, desperately hoping the blood vessels around my eyes hadn’t burst again.
“Tornadoes,” I cursed when I saw the redness across my forehead and over the bridge of my nose, shaped almost like a mask. I hated this weakness in myself, this flaw I couldn’t control with a well-placed knife or fierce concentration.
I turned from my reflection in disgust. I told myself that there was nothing I could do about the facial flaws as I got dressed.
My quarters were the farthest from Alex’s conference room, but that was only the length of his fortress. Still, I was the last to arrive, probably because I was the last to receive the assignment.
Pain still edged the eyes of every sentry in my squadron, except Felix. He stood with his back so straight it must hurt, and he barely flicked his gaze to me when I entered.
“The rogue Council is led by Firemaker Reggie Avis,” a man began. His name was Carl Belfast, the Unmanifested member of Alex’s Council. “Reggie refused to complete a direct assignment from the Supremist, instead removing his Council from the Unmanifested village of Trenton to the nearest Elemental city.” He thunked a map with his fist. “Hesterton.”
He paced away from the map, pinning each of us in turn with his hard, coal-colored eyes. “Hesterton is a soft city, led by a forgiving Councilman. They will allow the defunct Elementals to hide within their walls.” By the time he reached the end of the line, and stared me straight in the face, I knew what was coming next.
“I expect you’ll return with five bodies,” Belfast said. He clapped his hands, and an assistant raised the map. A picture of a young man, maybe the same age as Felix, now took up the wall.
“Reggie Avis is a talented Firemaker from Crylon. Do not suppose that simply because Crylon lies hundreds of miles to the north that he was not well-trained. He was.” He nodded at the assistant, who hastened to lift Reggie’s picture. I memorized his angular face, his dark eyes, his curly black hair, before the image was replaced.
“His Airmaster is Shane Mendelson. He’s not the most powerful with air, but he can smother and suffocate quite effectively. He should be dispatched first.”
As I studied the ginger-haired Airmaster, I felt a craving deep within myself I didn’t quite understand. As the leader of the Council, I assumed Reggie would be the first to be dispatched. Does an Airmaster have more power than a Firemaker? I wondered.
I suddenly wanted to train with a Firemaker, see what we could do with flame and oxygen together. I wanted to work with my Element every day, all day, learning what I could and couldn’t do with it. The few minutes each morning I let my air ruffle my hair hardly seemed fair to what other Airmasters enjoyed.
I snapped my focus back to the wall when I heard Belfast say, “Isaiah Hawking is one of the most powerful Earthmovers we’ve ever educated in Tarpulin.”
I had a very hard time remaining silent. I knew Isaiah Hawking. His dark skin and bald head was hard to forget. His eyes were as sharp as knives, and he’d been the only Elemental to catch me lurking in the rafters during one of my covert training operations.
It had happened about seven months ago, just before I’d been assigned to Felix’s squad to protect Alex. If Isaiah had reported the sighting—like he should have—I would’ve never gotten my assignment.
Since that night, Isaiah and I had met several times to blow off some steam. I knew his favorite food was sweet potato puffs; I knew his preferred pastime was singing; I knew he was in love with—
“Catherine Browning,” Belfast continued. “Watermaiden. Also extremely talented. She sings notes that can bring tsunamis. She should be silenced before much else happens.”
I’d never met Cat, but I felt like I knew her for how much Isaiah spoke about her. From his descriptions, I recognized her dark hair, her porcelain face, her brown doe eyes. She was smiling in the picture on the wall, but I’d seen Watermaidens sing people into a watery grave, and I had no doubt Cat could do such things.
“Last, we have their Unmanifested, Charlie Bloom. He is strong—maybe as strong as a sentry. He will not go down without a fight.” Belfast turned back to us, his presentation complete. “Alex would like you all to go. The twelve of you should not return until the mission is complete. We will expect your report each evening before you retire.” He motioned to his assistant, and together they made for the door.
“Sir?”
It seemed that the room itself drew a sharp breath. I realized then that I’d been the one to speak.
Belfast turned back to me, his mouth turned down in a tight frown. “Yes?”
“What is their crime?” I had to know why I’d be hunting, and possibly killing, one of the only friends I had. Maybe the only friend, besides Felix.
“How is that relevant?” Belfast asked, stationing his broad frame in front of me, fully studying me now.
My mind raced, and I worked to keep myself from drawing air into my body until I was satisfied I wouldn’t have to breathe for a good long while.
“Well?” he challenged.
I felt rather than saw Felix step out of line. I didn’t want his help. Not this time. “Well, sir,” I began. “I think it’ll help me to know what they did so I know what I’m up against. Did they kill people? Start a school on fire? I just think—”
“We don’t employ you to think,” Belfast snapped. He leaned closer to me, his face mere inches from mine, snarling his next words. “Rest assured, Mr. Gillman, that this Elemental Council is well within your skill set.”
He backed off, and I was grateful, though he hadn’t answered my question.
Belfast moved toward his assistant again. “They did nothing,” he said over his shoulder. “They were ordered to kill the Unmanifested officials of Trenton, and they refused. They did nothing.” He faced me again. “Surely you can eliminate an Elemental who won’t even use their Element, Mr. Gillman?” He said it like I certainly couldn’t do such a thing.
Not daring to speak lest I say something I’d regret later, I only nodded.
“Very well, then. I look forward to your reports.” Belfast exited the room, and the sentry squad copied him.
I didn’t. I stood in the Supremist’s conference room, trying to understand why he would order the extermination of an entire Unmanifested village’s government. I swallowed hard, wondering, for the first time, if I could complete my mission.
“Come on,” Felix hissed, gripping my arm with the strength of ten men. “And keep your mouth shut next time.”
As I wrenched my arm from his fingers and followed him out of the conference room, I couldn’t help thinking, maybe there won’t be a next time.
The trip to Hesterton took us right past the Unmanifested village of Trenton. I half-expected Felix to strike a match and burn the city to the ground. He looked like he wanted to, but in the end, he thought, That isn’t my assignment. Focus on the mission.
He’d shot me a glance over his shoulder, always annoyingly close to me. I felt like I couldn’t get more than ten feet from him, and I knew it was no m
istake. He was ruling by proximity.
At least everyone else steered clear. The other sentries varied from cold looks of disinterest to openly loathsome glares. I ignored them all, rising earlier than everyone else and taking five minutes to simply breathe air that wasn’t full of tension, suspicion, or competition.
By the time we reached Hesterton, I’d reached the end of my patience. I stood apart from the group, admiring the gradually rising hills that had led us to the foot of the mountains, against which the city of Hesterton nestled.
Then I turned and gazed at the mountains before me. They were magnificent, sharp spikes that punctured the sky. I had the distinct thought that I could live in Hesterton for the rest of my life and be happy. The air here felt fresher, richer, cleaner.
“Earth to Gillman,” someone snapped, and I tore my eyes from the mountains to find the rest of the squad had continued while I’d been staring.
I scurried behind them, trying to catch up and admire the mountains at the same time. When I joined the group, Felix was divvying up the city into sections and assigning sentries to each.
He considered me when it was my turn. Maybe I should make him team up with someone, he thought. I stared steadily back. Finally, he said, “Northwest quadrant, above the fortress to the base of the mountains.”
I dipped my chin in acceptance and stomped away, thankful I didn’t have to endure a partner.
Two hours later, I’d pinned the Elementals in a woodshed. I’d spotted Cat first, and she’d signaled the rest. They really weren’t very smart, going into a building that only had one door.
I reasoned that perhaps it had an underground exit, so I stormed the shed only to find the five Councilmembers huddled together. Reggie looked fierce and determined, while Isaiah’s harsh eyes softened as soon as he recognized me.
“Tell me what your orders were,” I barked before Isaiah could give away our friendship. Things were already complicated enough.
“I’m sure yours are to kill us,” Reggie said.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t,” I shot back. I felt the sentry side of me coming out, the part of myself that couldn’t feel—didn’t want to feel. I’d trained myself to turn off the emotions. I’d had to. Killing people wasn’t for someone who felt bad about it afterward.
But I’d never had to assassinate someone I knew personally. My eyes flitted to Isaiah’s over and over.
“We were ordered to kill thirty-seven innocent people.” Reggie’s voice rose in volume. “I would not do it, nor would I require my Unmanifested to carry out such a heinous order.”
“My report says the people were Unmanifested officials in Trenton,” I said.
“Your report is accurate.” Reggie relaxed the slightest bit, but I kept the grip tight and sure on my knife. Cat could sing a single note and drown me, and Isaiah could lift his pinky finger and have the earth swallow me whole. For now, they stood watching me.
“Your Council is from Crylon,” I continued. “Why couldn’t you follow the orders? It’s not like you have personal ties to anyone in Trenton.”
Reggie’s chest expanded with his breath, and he stood taller, prouder. “They were innocent members of the human race. I did not want to kill them, and after counseling with my Councilmembers, we decided not to.”
I understood his words on an intellectual level. He’d admitted to disobeying the Supremist’s orders. He had—in his mind—a legitimate reason. I wasn’t sure I could make the same jump and draw the same conclusion.
Before I could decide what to do, Reggie separated himself from his Council and drew closer.
“Hold up,” I said, taking a step back and lifting my knife.
“I know what you have to do,” he said, still advancing. “I wonder if you might be interested in negotiating.” His voice grew softer. “Let them go. Just give them ten minutes to flee. I’ll surrender.” He glanced over his shoulder. “My life for theirs.” He looked at me again. “Alex just wants me dead. You do that, and we all get what we want.”
I’d taken several negotiation courses. The first rule was that you never accepted the first offer from your enemy. “They won’t give you their best deal right out of the gate. No one does,” my trainer had said.
But looking into Reggie’s dark, desperate eyes, I believed he had given me his best offer up front. “Deal,” I said, sheathing my knife. “You guys get ten minutes. But be warned. There are eleven other sentries here, and they won’t hesitate the way I did.”
No one moved. Reggie begged them to leave, but I knew from the boxiness in Isaiah’s shoulders that he wasn’t going anywhere. I released the emotion I’d been holding. I had a job to do.
But I didn’t reach for my knife. Instead, I let my eyes glaze over, let the sentry part of myself cover everything else until I felt nothing. Then I held my hand up, palm toward Reggie, and I took the air from him.
He choked. He staggered. He fell into my arms. I laid him on the ground as he took his last breath.
Nothing moved in the shed. No one seemed to be breathing, though for me and the other Airmaster, that was easy. Then a strangled cry came from Cat, and I raised my eyes from Reggie’s face.
Just then, the door behind me banged open. I heard Felix’s mind, along with the approach of three sentries from my squad.
“What happened here?” he demanded.
I locked eyes with Isaiah, and he threw his hands into the air. An explosion of earth filled the shed, and when the soil cleared, the rogue Elementals were gone.
Felix didn’t say anything as we labored toward the gate. He didn’t know I was an Airmaster—no one did—so when he’d said, “His own Airmaster suffocated him?” I’d seized on to that prospect.
I used to despise being able to hear everyone’s thoughts, but on the march out of Hesterton, I actually wanted to know what the other sentries were thinking. They all accepted that the Airmaster had murdered his Councilman. All of them except Felix. He riddled it around in his mind, constantly asking himself, But why?
As he had advised me, I kept my mouth shut.
As we approached the gate, I saw the Hesterton Council clustered together. Their orange robes fluttered in the slight wind, and one of them kept glancing at us as we drew closer.
Felix quickened his step so he could reach them first. “What’s going on?” he demanded. I almost cringed at the dominance in his voice. I wondered if I sounded like that when I interrogated people. Of course you do, I told myself. I’d been trained to sound like that.
The Councilman met Felix’s gaze. “The Elementals you are searching for have turned themselves in.”
Felix peered behind the Council, like Isaiah and his Council were being concealed. “Where are they?”
“I have them contained at my fortress. The Airmaster confessed to killing his Firemaker, and they wish to negotiate their return to Tarpulin.”
I heard the inner workings of Felix’s mind, and he didn’t want to negotiate anything, least of all the survival of four people he’d been commissioned to kill. He wondered if Alex would approve. He wondered how many more Elementals he’d have to kill if he didn’t agree to the negotiations.
I stepped next to him. “Let’s hear them out,” I said very low, so no one would overhear me.
“Our mission—”
“The Earthmover has considerable talent. Perhaps Alex would take him on his Council. Doesn’t Alex need a new Earthmover?”
I’d said the right thing, thankfully. I sensed Felix’s acquiescence before I heard it come from his mind and out of his mouth.
I didn’t feel satisfaction as we retraced our steps toward the Hesterton fortress. I only had room for relief.
“Each Councilmember will be isolated,” Felix said, nearing the end of the negotiation. “Each Elemental will be escorted by three sentries back to Tarpulin. Once there, each will be required to register his or her services to the Supreme Elemental, who is holding field trials for the vacant positions on his Council.”
Among
his Council, Isaiah alone appeared calm. He’d spoken for them as a group, and he’d avoided my eyes more than once. “The terms are satisfactory,” he said. I noticed the tight grip he had on Cat’s hand, the fear in her eyes.
The Elementals were split, and I made sure to shuffle myself close to Felix. I wanted to accompany Isaiah, but at the same time I needed to ensure that Felix’s Elemental would return to Tarpulin alive.
So I was assigned to the Airmaster, along with Felix and Victor, another sentry. Just as we were preparing to leave, Felix groaned. He fell to his knees, and a flash of orange light emanated through his sentry uniform.
“He’s getting a new assignment,” I said, pressing people back to give him the space he needed to control the pain. He’d obviously had much more experience with pain, because he was able to regain his feet after only a few minutes.
“I need to go to Cornish,” he said, sounding a bit breathless. “And I need the Watermaiden with me.”
He said nothing more, and no one questioned him. I let his thoughts become louder, and I found nothing nefarious. He glared at me as if he could sense me trying to access his new mission. I felt a sting of betrayal—he’d always told me about his missions; I didn’t even have to ask.
But he wasn’t telling this time. The assignments got shuffled around, leaving the Unmanifested Councilmember with only two sentry guards, and we all set out.
I listened to Felix’s thoughts constantly on the road from Hesterton to Junction, a city that sprouted roads in every direction. We’d separate in Junction, me and the rest of the contingency heading south to Tarpulin, while Felix and Cat continued east to Cornish.
For some reason I was worried about her going anywhere alone with him.
He never thought of his assignment, or what he needed to do once he arrived in Cornish. I knew he was thinking about corned beef sandwiches and building sandcastles purposely to keep me from asking questions.
Elemental Rush, an ELEMENTAL novella Page 2
