The Elementalists

Chapter 11

Sammi

We set up camp for the night. Moving Rai just isn't a possibility right now; he's gone from one hundred to zero in about five seconds flat. Only moments earlier, he was fighting like some kind of sorcerer . . . his powers looked like magic. They were so fluid, so effortless, the waves obeying his every command.

But just after we escaped through the wormhole, he collapsed. Eldred found a cave for us to shelter in from the storm, but still, we're all frozen stiff. Kass has reluctantly offered me a space under his mohair cloak but I politely decline, I'm sure to his relief. Musa is very much on my mind.

Rai falls asleep immediately, his face pale and tear-stained. He looks so out of place amongst us, with his gadgets and shock of blue hair. Kass and I give him a sneaky once-over: he's got a clip on each tragus and hoops all down his cartilage, there's a metal bar through his eyebrow, and sucker-pads on the back of his neck. They look sore. Not to mention his drone—a silvery-white ball the size of a pumpkin. It buzzes around Rai's head in circles for hours before admitting defeat, blinking its lights as it settles in Rai's arms.

'I let you guys down.' Kass stabs at the fire Brie started with a stick, all wrapped up in his cloak like a giant morose moth.

'It's alright, Puffin.' Eldred pats him on the shoulder (and is thrown off immediately). 'We all have shaky starts sometimes. You helped, that's what matters.'

'Not as much as Sammi. Or him.' Kass throws a glance at Rai, who's fast asleep, hugging his drone like a teddy.

'Do I spy some jealousy?' Brie chuckles, tearing off a chunk of bread with her teeth, earning a disgusted glower from Kass.

'No.'

'You did do exceptionally well, though, Sammi.' Eldred turns to me with an almost fatherly expression. 'I was very proud of you out there.'

'Thanks,' I smile. 'Practising with Dr Keller's really helped. Why don't you go see him when we get back, Kass?'

Kass grunts, but otherwise ignores me. I catch Eldred's eye and we shrug.

'So, what's wrong with Rai?' I ask Eldred instead. 'I mean, I feel a bit tired, but nothing like him.'

Eldred picks the edge of a scraggy fingernail, his nose scrunching in thought. 'I'm not too sure, to be honest. I'd like to get Keller to run some tests. In theory, Elementalists should be able to use their abilities without any major consequences. Unless we're missing something, he shouldn't be so exhausted.'

'Weird,' I mutter, rubbing the air between my fingers. There's the familiar thickness of the mist, the friction of different particles scraping against each other. It doesn't feel tiring. No more than breathing does. What I did earlier, summoning the winds—it was like running a race. A little tiring, gave me a bit of a stitch, but nothing a few deep breaths couldn't sort. No need to collapse or anything.

After dinner, Eldred calls it a night. We're headed back to HQ tomorrow, and he warns us we're in for a busy day.

'Things are going to kick off now, for real,' he grins.

I've got no way of knowing what tomorrow will "kick off", but I do know that I'll see Musa again. We didn't part in the best of terms. Understatement of the year.

'Why can't he come with us?' I'd yelled at Eldred when he delivered the bad news. The thought of leaving without Musa. . .

'It's alright, Sam, course I'm coming.' Musa glared at Eldred, hands on his hips. 'Aren't I.'