Chapter Thirteen

 

The next morning, Pele opened my tent flap and let in the bright rays of the sun. I shielded my eyes and rolled over on my side, unwilling to leave the safety of my sleeping bag. Surprisingly, I had returned to my precise destination, though my body and clothes were covered in soot from using my conventional method of travel. It took me forever to scrub my face clean with some of my precious supply of water, but it was worth it. Still, I lay awake in my tent most of the night, reliving the horrors from Atlantis and the Titanic. After everything I had endured, I couldn’t dare to imagine what would happen next.

“Why didn’t Shannon save Bradley?” I asked weakly. “I don’t get it. She could’ve saved him…she could’ve saved everyone if she wanted.”

“I believe the guilt of causing another accident was more than she could bear. My understanding is that she did indeed save Bradley Burke and brought him safely to New York. Yet he served as a constant reminder of the destruction she had caused. She didn’t want to be viewed as a monster, not even in her own eyes. So when Gaia found her once more, she abandoned her feelings for him and left without protest.”

Her answer made sense, but it did little to ease the hurt inside my own heart. “I couldn’t do anything to help them, just like you said,” I told Pele, my voice choked with tears.

“That’s not true,” she corrected me. “You saved some from the frigid waters, providing them with a chair to rest upon until a lifeboat returned.”

“Still, there was so much death,” I moaned helplessly. “So much death.”

“I assume you’ll be happy to hear this is your last mission,” Pele said.

I grunted an unenthusiastic reply, my body numb with loss.

She grabbed my hand and dragged me from the tent. My legs wobbled beneath me as I rose to my feet. “You’ll be headed to Central Colorado, to a small town on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains,” she added as she handed me a long coat lined with fur around the hood and cuffs.

I muttered a bleak, “Whatever.”

“You’ll be at a much higher elevation, so stay well hydrated and try not to overexert yourself. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, you may have something called altitude sickness and should find the town’s doctor. He can help.”

I gave a disinterested nod.

“Perhaps you don’t understand,” Pele explained. “When I say ‘small town’ I mean literally, it is only one block in length, so you will need to use caution to—”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it. Stay out of sight. Don’t get caught,” I snipped. “And don’t die.”

Snatching the coat from her hands, I threw it on over my clothes. Regardless of what happened next, at least things would be over after this. I could catch up with Sully for the rest of the summer. The promise of spending time with him again refreshed my soul as I focused my energy on the task. My last mission. Thank God, I thought, careful not to voice my opinion aloud lest I rile Pele’s temper. Shedding the grief from my mind, I dismissed all feelings of reservation and accepted her last request.

Central Colorado, January 2, 1949

Having grown more accustomed to Pele’s preferred method of travel via ke ahi kea, my nerves steadied quicker this time. It only took one deep breath to prepare myself for what lay ahead as white tongues of fire shot me through space and time.

Still, a problem surfaced foremost in my mind. I wasn’t entirely certain of Gaia’s next move. She seemed close to breaking Shannon…but almost closer to breaking herself. I imagined the strain Gaia felt, attempting to coerce both Shannon and myself to join her quest for domination wore on her patience and endurance.

“I can’t do this alone,” Gaia had told Shannon. “You were destined for this.”

The white fire flung me through the portal of time and space and I wondered if I, too, were destined for this. Destined to live a life devoid of true love and companionship when the fear of death and destruction remained so close. Destined to lead a solitary existence, tracking my foe through history in a feeble attempt to learn more about my own past and powers. Because at that particular moment, I would’ve given anything to abandon my search and my destiny altogether.

Especially when the magical tongues of white fire landed me smack in the middle of a snowstorm. And I wasn’t talking about a few-flurries-dusting-the-roofs-of-houses type of snowstorm that created a winter wonderland outdoors. I meant a full-on blizzard where obnoxiously fat snowflakes descended like swarms of white locusts from the leaden sky. Through the heavy storm, I spotted a small town up ahead, cozied up along the base of a mountain range whose towering serrated peaks wore thick caps of snow.

But to make it to the security of the town was another story. The biting wind howled through the trees, whipping snow high into the air in swirling vortices that spiraled down the snowy street. A wintry gust blasted through my hair and lashed stinging flakes of snow against the raw flesh of my cheeks. A spasmodic shiver wreaked havoc on my spine. I pulled the coat tightly around my body to ward off the cold. I couldn’t imagine how long it would take me to walk even that short distance in this type of weather.

But you can’t stay in this spot, either, I reminded myself. My fingers and toes turned painfully numb with cold. Uncertain if this storm proved the work of Shannon or Mother Nature, I realized my needs for shelter trumped the search for the other Elementals. Squinting into the icy wind, I spotted the warm golden lights of a tavern sitting on the corner of the town’s storefront. I made slow progress trudging through the deep snow, my boots sinking into the drifts that already reached well past my knees while plenty more fell from the sky. Boxy old models of cars—far less streamlined than the fancy sports cars I had seen in present-day California—sat abandoned along the sides of the roads, their exteriors swamped in several inches of fresh powder.

I didn’t detect a single sign of life in these severe conditions, imagining every living creature besides me had the common sense to hunker down in safety to wait out the storm. The town appeared vacant, aside from the faint sound of the tavern’s cheery music that battled the whistling wind. I headed there, desperate for reprieve from the storm before I froze as solid as the iceberg Shannon drove against the hull of the Titanic.

What’s the harm in waiting things out in there? I shuffled faster through the thick drifts. I could always search for them once the storm ended.

I aimed my feet toward the tavern. Pillars fashioned from knobby pine buckled under the weight of the heavy snow that covered the roof like a dense layer of whipped cream. Clumps of snow clung to the irregular whorls and knots along each pillar in bizarre patterns, giving the impression of distorted faces of trolls and goblins that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Beneath the new accumulation of snow, the boardwalk creaked with my every step. I trudged up to the door, eager for a respite from the eerie resemblances to frightening faces and the storm itself.

The blustery wind and snow followed me through the door. I quickly swung it shut behind me and brushed off the snow from my sleeves. When I turned, a small gasp escaped my lips, grateful I had not shed my coat or hood. I instantly spotted Gaia and Shannon tucked into a wooden booth with a pair of brothers as similar in appearance as a set of bookends. The fatigue and anguish had disappeared from Shannon’s lean face, replaced instead by a rosy glow, making me surmise that the storm indeed seemed the work of Mother Nature alone. A giddy smile wrapped around Shannon’s lips, apparently from one brother’s interest in her. I knew how she felt. Sometimes you just needed a distraction to dull the stabbing grief of lost love.

She stroked her long braid over one shoulder, blushing when he whispered softly in her ear. He planted a quick peck on her cheek and tipped his cowboy hat toward her before rising from his spot to make his way across the room. Fearful she might detect my presence, I ducked behind a coat tree, heavy with discarded garments. Her eyes followed his path across the room, but she fortunately appeared blinded by attraction and noticed nothing aside from him.

A middle-aged waitress approached me. Her lips painted a deep scarlet, she wore a wide streak of blush to accentuate each high cheekbone and bright blue eye shadow above each lid. Though soft around the middle, her arms appeared strong from carrying huge trays of food and drinks. “Haven’t seen you in these parts before,” she said. “Name’s Hazel, and this here’s me and my Hughie’s place. Come on in. You won’t have much fun standing there all alone, now,” she scolded, beckoning me out from behind the coat tree.

“Do you have anything in the back?” I whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the music. “I don’t want to draw attention, if you know what I mean.”

She gave me a knowing nod, accustomed to similar requests from other patrons who snuck out to visit this location. “Say no more,” she said, motioning for me to follow her. I kept my head low, the hood obscuring most of my vision, including my sight of Gaia and Shannon for a moment.

“Right this way, ma’am,” she directed, pointing to an empty bar stool in the back corner before she left to attend to another table’s needs. “Hughie,” she said to the beefy bartender behind the counter, “can you help her out for me, please?”

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Hughie replied and gave Hazel a wink. He set his elbows on the bar and leaned toward me. His bushy mustache concealed his entire upper lip when he asked, “So, what’ll it be?”

Passing him a handful of coins Pele had provided, I replied, “Just a soda pop, please.”

“That’s it?” he asked, somewhat surprised.

I nodded. “That’s it.”

He rolled his eyes and mouthed the word, “O-kay,” before preparing my drink from the fountain. While I waited, I glanced around the room, scanning the area for the nearest means to escape this confined space. Besides the front door, I noticed only three other exits: one to the restrooms, one I presumed led to the kitchen, and one out the back should I need it.

Between intermittent peeks in Shannon and Gaia’s direction, I surveyed the tavern’s walls dressed in bold floral wallpaper. The colorful print contrasted sharply with the other décor in the room. Framed photographs in faded, sepia tones hung only inches apart, depicting the Old Wild West where hardened men and women alike posed for portraits with their rifles and revolvers. Trophies of mule deer, coyotes, and wolves peered down lifelessly from their wooden mounts. And on one side, a large bearskin pelt of thick cinnamon fur lay tacked to the wall, each paw ending with a set of long slashing claws.

Eager to look at something besides the prematurely silenced lives of those unfortunate animals, my gaze shifted to the patrons of the bar. I noticed most individuals wore cowboy hats like the brothers that sat beside the other Elementals, plus holsters buckled around their waists. I prayed Gaia avoided a scene with Shannon inside the bar where others might be in danger. And if she didn’t wait, I decided I should devise a back-up plan, even if I used my powers in a desperate attempt to save these strangers.

I began working through my strategy when a gust of arctic air rushed in as another patron entered the bar. Instinctively, my eyes turned to assess the stranger standing in the doorway. Wearing a pair of noticeable red gloves, he pulled his hands from his pockets and dumped the snow off his ten-gallon hat. He looked only a year, maybe two older than me, despite the thin layer of patchy stubble coating his chiseled jaw and stark cheekbones. He had eyes the color of roasted almonds set wide on his face. He removed his snowy leather duster and added it to the tree. Beneath, his button-down plaid shirt, sun-bleached bandana, and faded jeans appeared stained from the sweat and grime of working long hours in the field.

Hazel rose to meet him and readily motioned to an available table. But he didn’t immediately accept her offer. Instead, he gazed across the room and paused. His eyes seemed to rest on my face, gauging me with sudden interest. One side of his mouth turned up in half a smile. He shook his head at Hazel and gestured toward the empty spot by me at the bar instead.

I whipped my head around, sinking lower into my seat, wishing I could disappear into the flowery wallpaper to camouflage myself from Gaia, Shannon…and him. What had Pele gotten me into this time? I worried and hid my face and hair behind my hood. How could I possibly hide from them in this tiny room?

Afraid Gaia might spot me, I watched from the corner of my eye. The guy pulled out the bar stool next to me and settled into the seat. The stool creaked under his weight as he turned to face me. Ice crystals dotted his thin, scraggly beard and dampened his face in a layer of moisture, melting in the welcoming warmth of the tavern. “Howdy, miss,” he said and shifted his stool a little closer to mine. He slipped off his red gloves, dropping them onto the bar, then extended a thick, calloused hand in front of my face, waiting. Embarrassed I might draw more attention to myself should I refuse, I reluctantly stuck my palm in his. He lifted it to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss upon the back of my hand. Despite his gruff appearance, his demeanor seemed startlingly polite. A part of me felt surprised when my cheeks grew warm.

“Tate Meachum’s the name. It’s mighty fine to meet you, Miss—” he said with a deliberate pause, as if expecting me to complete his sentence.

Hesitant to disclose my identity with Gaia so near, I snuck a quick peek over my shoulder at Shannon’s booth, relieved to find them absorbed with their company. I looked back at Tate and whispered the first inconspicuous name that popped into my head, “Bethany.”

“I reckon I haven’t seen you in these parts ‘til now, Miss Bethany. You ain’t from around here, are you?”

I felt the blush rise higher into my cheeks. Wasn’t there someone else he’d prefer to talk to so I could focus on this last mission? “Oh, I um…no, I’m…um…just passing through,” I stammered distractedly and chanced another glance at Shannon and Gaia from beneath my hood. Fortunately, they looked quite preoccupied. Shannon laughed lightheartedly from her perch on one brother’s lap. Meanwhile, the other brother wrapped his arm possessively around Gaia’s shoulder. I rolled my eyes, certain neither understood the inherent dangers Shannon and Gaia posed.

“The usual, Tate?” Hazel asked him, interrupting my thoughts.

“Make it two,” he replied, nodding his head in my direction. He scooted his bar stool closer to mine.

Understanding his intent, I quickly piped up, “That’s okay. I’m good.” I held up my soda glass and inched my stool away from his. “Besides, I need to get going soon.”

“Well, Miss Bethany, before you leave this here tavern, I s’pose I might interest you in a dance?” Before waiting for my agreement, he turned and hollered across the room, “Eh, Billy Joe. Ain’t you got your banjo on you?”

“Yeah? What’s it to you?” A scraggly man in overalls replied.

“Well, how ‘bout you play us a tune?” Tate asked. He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. Another table enthusiastically echoed his request, begging for Billy Joe to entertain them with their favorite song.

As Billy Joe struck up his banjo, Tate turned toward me, holding out his palm. I saw lines of dirt embedded deep within its creases, evidence of the hard labor he endured day after day, regardless of the weather. Still, my pity for his small joy of entertainment didn’t outweigh my fear of having Gaia notice me in this tavern.

I resisted, shaking my head resolutely. “Thanks, but I think I’m afraid I’ll have to pass—”

“Aw, c’mon now,” he said, grabbing my hand firmly in his. “I ain’t gonna bite. Just one quick dance.”

I shot Hazel a pleading look when she set his drink in front of him.

“Hush now, Tate,” Hazel said and placed a strong hand on his shoulder to stuff him back onto his seat. “She ain’t wanting you to be botherin’ her all night. Why don’t we find you a new spot?”

“I don’t need no new spot,” Tate objected. “This one serves me just fine.”

Behind the bar, Hughie’s ears perked up. “You givin’ my woman a hard time?” he said, jabbing a thumb in Hazel’s direction.

“I ain’t giving no one a hard time. All I done was ask Miss Bethany for a dance. Ain’t no harm in that now, is there?”

“There’s more to it than that. You got no right talkin’ to my woman that way,” Hughie threatened with an irritated twitch of his thick mustache. Ready to settle this on the spot, he puffed out his chest and rolled his sleeves halfway up his arms that looked as thick as tree branches.

“Hughie! Let it go,” Hazel scolded. But I could tell from his biceps flexing beneath his flannel shirt, that he had no intention of heeding her advice. His face reddened as he leaned over the bar and invaded Tate’s personal space.

My eyes flashed from Hughie to Tate and back again. This was not going to end well, I feared. I pulled my hood tighter around my head and sank into my stool. I contemplated the prospect of venturing back outside. Would I fare better waiting out the storm? Or surviving another minute inside this tavern where a potential fight brewed?

Before I had a chance to answer my own question, Hughie pulled back his fist, aiming right for Tate’s broad nose. Uh, oh, I thought and slid off my stool to safety.

Hughie took a huge swing, but Tate safely ducked out of the way. Surprised his fist made contact with nothing but air, Hughie’s momentum carried his weight forward and his torso sprawled across the counter of the bar. He knocked over our drinks, spilling their contents. The glasses crashed to the floor.

Hughie’s nostrils flared. He scrambled back to his feet and cocked his arm for unleashing another punch. This time, his fist connected with Tate’s left eye. The blow threw Tate from his stool. But from the look on Tate’s reddening face, I had a suspicion the hit bruised his ego more than his eye. He quickly scrambled to his feet, eager to finish the scuffle.

Within seconds, the other patrons in the tavern left their seats to support their friends (or to engage in the simple thrill of the brawl, I couldn’t be certain). As fists flew across the crowded room, I suspected the pair of brothers who sat with Shannon and Gaia had also joined the tussle. I glanced across the room, wondering how the other Elementals fared in the midst of this mess.

Only Shannon and Gaia’s booth sat empty.

“Oh my God! I don’t believe it,” I muttered to myself. “They’re gone!” But when? How? Why? Kicking myself for losing contact during that brief moment when Hughie’s temper had flared and Tate’s obstinate behavior had left him with a pretty shiner, I hurried through the commotion surrounding me, ducking a few falling bodies en route, and slipped outside.

The snowfall had lessened considerably during my time inside the tavern, but the shock of the biting wind hit me the second I stepped out the door. Pulling my coat tightly around me to ward off the cold, I spun my head from left to right, hoping to catch a glimpse of them despite the frigid gusts that drove the flakes against my cheeks.

Squinting into the shards of snow, I spotted a dark mass about halfway down the street that potentially resembled four bodies huddled closely together to block the intense wind. I headed in their direction, wading through the deep snow, trying to reach them in time. Fortunately, they made slower progress than I did through the thick powder that buried the street. I trudged behind, noticing the mass divide in half, like Gaia and Shannon had split, each on the arm of a brother. But when I got closer, I realized I had made a mistake. Instead, the brothers had separated from the girls, heading back to their home I assumed. Meanwhile, Gaia dragged Shannon in the opposite direction, to her great disapproval. Her cries of heartache carried over the wind. I ducked behind a pillar on the boardwalk to hide. Shannon’s rising anger made every word she uttered come out as a yell. I listened intently, eager to see the outcome and complete Pele’s final mission so I could return to Sully and normality.

Just a little further, I told myself and pushed my longing to see him from my mind, forcing myself to focus on this moment in time. Only a few yards away, I kept my eyes trained on the girls, trying to predict their next actions. Gaia looped her arm through Shannon’s to lead her out of town.

However, Shannon refused to go easily. Pushing Gaia away, she screamed, “No!” as tears leaked from her eyes. “Not this time. I don’t want to leave again!”

“But you must, Shannon. It ends now,” Gaia told her. A final bout of determination refueled her tired emerald eyes. “I won’t pursue you any longer, but you still have a choice.”

“A choice?” Shannon exclaimed, her voice cracking with disbelief and exasperation. “Not once have you let me choose anything about this life!”

“You have always had this choice,” Gaia declared. A wicked grin toyed with her mouth. Looking straight into Shannon’s eyes with a powerful conviction, she explained, “You can either join me or I will destroy you and everyone you love.” Without waiting for Shannon’s answer, she gave a clear reminder of her resolve. Her eyes flickered toward the towering peak before she pounded her fists into the snow with all her might.

“No,” Shannon breathed, following Gaia’s gaze up the steep slope.

Seconds later, a frightening noise emanated from the mountain in a booming whoomph that echoed throughout the valley. I peered at the source of the sound. A terrified gasp escaped my lips when I realized her intent.

Gaia’s forceful blow to the ground had generated a massive avalanche.

While noise of the bar fight spilled out the door of the tavern halfway down the street, I could only gape in awe, watching the snow shift on one portion of the mountain. The rumbling continued, triggering the avalanche to wrap from one side of the mountain’s bowl to the other. It began its speedy descent directly toward the town.

I sucked in my breath. “Oh. My. God,” I whispered, helplessly watching the billowing mass of white careen down the slope.

Suddenly, I didn’t care what happened to Gaia or Shannon or the brothers. I turned on my heels. I made slow progress through the drifts that smothered the street. My muscles burned from exertion and my mind raced through a short list of options to ensure my escape.

I planned to slip into an alley to avoid the rushing snow when I spotted Tate exit the tavern up ahead, staggering from the abuse his body withstood.

“Tate! Watch out!” I screamed. Changing my mind, I bolted straight for him, trying to reach him in time.

He spun in the direction of his name, squinting with his good eye. His face turned ashen at the sight of the approaching avalanche. I glanced over my shoulder, surprised at the speed of the rushing snow. At the end of the street, buildings funneled the snow through the street with surprising force, quickly swallowing everything in its path.

Including me.

Engulfed in a roiling wash of white, I lost sight of the world around me. The barreling mass of snow drove my helpless body forward. I swore under my breath. No! This can’t be happening. This was supposed to be my last mission!

Furious, I swam toward the surface, desperate for air, fearful I wouldn’t make it in time. I forced heat to build inside my core, letting it radiate outward from my palms in a frantic attempt to melt the snow.

Eventually, I reached the surface, gasping for a breath and climbed from my hole to search for survivors.

The whole street lay covered in white except for one recognizable object. A red glove punched through the snow.

Tate’s glove.

“Tate!” I screamed and dug furiously through the snow, grasping huge handfuls. I unburied his arm, hoping I’d uncover his head before it was too late. I willed more heat into my hands in a frantic attempt to melt the pile on top of his body. My hands clawed at the snow until they reached his ten-gallon hat. I yanked it from his head, making a small pocket of air. Still I heard no sound.

“C’mon, Tate. You can make it,” I encouraged him and scooped out the space in front of his face. I hoped the snow covering him had held enough air for him to breathe. If I’d left him too long, his own exhalations could become poisonous.

I was thrilled to hear him sputter on the wickedly cold air, erasing my fears.

“Are you okay?” I asked, panting from exertion. I lay on my belly in the thick snow, my face only inches from his, eager for his response.

“You…did…it,” he gasped between staggered breaths. His head popped up through the hole I’d melted. Thick white flakes coated his hair and lashes. His skin looked several shades paler than it had in the tavern, making me tremble at his narrow brush with death. Slowly, the color returned to his cheeks as he sucked in deep breaths of fresh air. “You did it,” he repeated. The corners of his mouth turned up into a grin of relief. “You saved me.”

I did, I thought and smiled back. I scooped large handfuls away from him, helping uncover his shoulders and torso, grateful I had not lost another soul to the fury of an Elemental. My family, Lucius from Pompeii, and Monifa from Atlantis may have all suffered cruel, unfortunate deaths, but I managed to save Tate. His words repeated in my mind, making my smile widen.

But before I could utter a word to express my profound relief he had survived, he kissed me firmly, deeply, right on my surprised mouth, his stubbly beard and mustache scratching my lips. For a moment, I couldn’t move, paralyzed by the shock of his action and the exhilaration of his good fortune. While his lips lingered on mine, I thought of Sully and how much I missed the sweet, soft kisses we had shared. I suddenly felt a dire need to return to his time and tell him how much he meant to me, even if I had to confess to Pele I was done with my training. What was the point of all of these dangerous missions, anyway? Was she deliberately trying to get me killed? Like Gaia, I felt myself near the point of breaking. I had absolutely no patience left for these life-and-death situations.

With renewed determination, I broke away from Tate’s kiss. “Let’s get you outta here,” I said, letting my hands grow hot once more.

I helped him wriggle free from his spot until he could stand on the surface. Shivering in the blustery wind, I pressed my heated palms to his clothes, melting the snow in an instant.

“How are you doing that?” he wondered, astonished.

“Don’t ask,” I replied, knowing I shouldn’t use my powers in front of him, but so little time remained to prevent him from overexposure and hypothermia in this type of weather.

“Come on, we need to find the others,” I told him once I finished my task. Together, we walked back and forth, crisscrossing our tracks to make sure we’d covered every inch of snow in front of the tavern. We uncovered Billy Joe with his banjo and one other patron with a thick, bloody lip from the brawl. The banjo had seen better days, but both men seemed perfectly fine. Confident we had scoured the area completely, I realized I had not found Gaia or Shannon.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked Tate before I left to search for the other Elementals.

He nodded. “Never better.”

A warm smile filled my face, knowing my role in securing his safety. “I’m sorry to do this, but I’ve gotta go,” I admitted and turned up the street.

“Miss Bethany?” he called, but I kept walking, focused on my target. I felt his calloused hand slip inside mine. “Miss Bethany,” he repeated, reminding me of the pseudonym I’d used to hide my identity.

I whirled around and glanced into his wide-set eyes, the left one beginning to swell shut from Hughie’s punch.

“Thank you,” he whispered and swept me into a final kiss farewell. Pangs of missing Sully flooded my heart, mixed with guilt and confusion. Is it considered cheating, I wondered, if I didn’t initiate the kiss?

“Glad I could help,” I told him and walked away. And I meant every word.

I plodded across the snow for the next half hour or so, searching for others but finding none. When I rounded the corner of town, I heard a soft weeping and stopped suddenly in my tracks, pressing my back against the building. Shannon knelt beside the bodies of the brothers, inert upon the ground. I stared at their pale faces, deprived of oxygen for too long. A grim realization struck my heart. She hadn’t made it in time.

Gaia stood beside the weeping girl. “I can’t do this alone,” she admitted. “You are destined for this. And I believe deep inside, you know it, too. You have seen the marvelous powers you wield and understand the vast untapped potential you still possess. Now is the time for you to channel your energy and focus it for a single cause.

“I can’t,” Shannon said. Her lips trembled, exhausting her strength in this final act of defiance. “I won’t.”

Gaia’s eyes flickered. I knew that satisfied look. With Shannon fading in resolve, Gaia had almost won.

Gaia threatened, “Perhaps your twin will be more receptive to my invitation.” And with a dramatic show of her threat, she raised her hand high into the air, poising it above the ground for effect.

“No,” Shannon sobbed weakly. “Don’t.”

With her spirit broken after her tragic loss aboard the Titanic, plus here after the avalanche, I knew Shannon couldn’t bear to lose another person she loved. Her shoulders heaved with unspoken sorrow. She clutched her knees, rocking on her heels as if contemplating her decision. Would she willingly sacrifice her twin sister or accept the role of Hydros herself?

Cold, wet, and defeated, Shannon begged, “Leave my family out of this. This is only between you and me. Do I have your promise?”

I swallowed hard. She had made her choice.

“My promise?” Gaia asked. Her lips drew into a cunning grin that made my insides churn. So close to giving up, now Gaia grew in strength, feeding off the sweet taste of victory.

Shannon continued, her voice faint from exhaustion, “Yes, that as soon as we’re finished with your quest, I can go back home. You’ll leave me alone. That you won’t touch my family.”

“Agreed.”

“Fine,” the girl relented in a small voice, her shoulders slumping forward. “Let’s get this over with. So where do we begin?”

“First, you need training to control your powers,” Gaia announced. “Then we need Fire and Air.”

I gulped, knowing at that moment they had decided to come after Skye and me.