THE FIRE SAGA

FLAME 89 - INVITATION

Unfortunately, luck isn't on my side. I watch the doorway morph into a wall before me. I stand staring at it for a long time.

"Have a seat," Water suggests.

When I turn around, they're all sitting in their assigned seats on the other side of the table. On my side, there's a single seat. Did Sheelin draw that out of thin air for me? So creepy.

"Do I have a choice?"

"There's always a choice, Sheyla," Air confirms.

It isn't her that catches my attention. It's Fire, who continues to look like he doesn't care one way or another whether he's here, so he certainly doesn't care whether I sit or stand. I purposefully move my chair to his side of the table.

"Why am I here?"

"Brody was protecting you as he was tasked to do," Earth notes.

"Protecting me from the Sumairs?"

"No, Sheyla, of course not," Water interjects. "You could've easily incapacitated them, even destroyed them if you wanted to."

"Brody was protecting you from yourself," Air clarifies.

"Who's protecting you from me?" I ask bravely.

Earth smirks. "She's plenty ready."

"She has a smart mouth and a short fuse," Water argues. "That hardly makes her ready for anything. She's typical."

"Normal for her age," Air agrees.

That's exactly what I want. Normality. I want to live each day without fearing it being someone's end. Mine, too, while we're on the subject.

Air watches me intently, her lips twitching each time I peek at Fire. He's the only one that interests me at the table, but I try to refrain. Conversely, he shows zero interest in me.

"You're drawn to him," she murmurs.

"I'm not drawn to anything about this place."

"You're a terrible liar," she challenges.

"That's your gift?" I shoot back. "You can tell when someone's lying?"

"Something like that."

"So, what kind are you?"

"What kind?" Air looks confused. "I thought you realized I'm an air elemental."

"Yes, what kind of Sinsear Scholar are you? Are you a Reader, Writer, or Archive? Telepathy? Telekinesis?"

Her brow scrunches. "How much did Brody tell you?"

"More than he should have," Earth rumbles.

While I do want to agitate the Tribunal into going ahead and finishing whatever they planned, I absolutely don't want to get Brody in trouble. "I'm persuasive," I answer tentatively.

"Not as persuasive as me," Earth thunders, scooting the chair back clear to the wall with the single action of standing abruptly.

I hold up my hands in mock surrender. "I believe you."

Earth rolls his shoulders and starts around the table toward me. The second I flinch, he stops, leaving the entire length of the table between us.

"I'm none of those things," Air insists. "Not anymore."

"You used to be?" I tip my head curiously. "Are you not the mighty top of the line as far as elements are concerned? Is that not why you head up the Tribunal?"

"I used to be a Sinsear Scholar, yes," Air concedes.

I blow out a breath. "Can we just get whatever this is over with?"

Water lifts a brow. "You have somewhere more important to be?"

"Seems you want me here as much as I want to be here," I grouse. "Not at all."

"We would have extended a formal invitation when you were ready," Air counters. "You would have been formally educated. That's our way. Yet, we find ourselves in a situation we aren't prepared for. No one has ever arrived prematurely."

"I didn't ask to come here," I spit back, my fire stirring inside me.

"Yes, you did," claims the voice across the table from me.

I stare blanks in his direction.

His smoke-filled eyes bore into me with such intensity I might erupt in his flames. He's burning through my carefully erected barricade as if it were made of the thinnest silk. My robot deactivates any remaining force field, leaving me powerless to do anything to extricate myself from his regard.

The remaining three elementals remain silent. They may as well not be here. Not that it matters. They couldn't save me even if they wanted to, and I'm confident they don't want to.

"Now, you'll choose," he demands, his tone so low I can barely hear it.

"She's not ready," Water responds on my behalf.

When Fire looks at him, I do the same. Holy smokes, he's shaking. Will he make a pee puddle?

"She wasn't formally invited," Air adds, trying to be helpful.

Fire locks eyes with hers. She instantly breaks contact, finding the table in front of her very interesting. Those eyes of his are heat-seeking missiles, no doubt.

The man, or whatever he technically is, has transformed from indifferent and seemingly weak to the most powerful person I've ever met, definitely the most powerful in this room. Sinsear Supreme, indeed. He'll be the one to end me, to stop the potential cataclysmic flame-induced misfortune I'll unwittingly cause. I should feel comforted. Instead, I'm scared.

"Brody was submitting to my orders, Shane. Had there been another choice, he'd have made it," Earth states resolutely, standing his ground when Fire Supreme turns that blazing gaze his way. "Just throw her in the pit to figure it out herself."

He doesn't have the same fear for the man as the others. In fact, he seems indignant. Makes sense. He's the Sinsear Sentry leader, and I can't help feeling sorry for Brody and crew, who have to fall in line under him. Not a joyride, for sure.

"Shane," I mumble, trying Fire Supreme's name on my tongue in hopes that naming the beast settles some of my fear. Nope, doesn't help one lick. Sticking with Fire Supreme.

"Shane Garvan," he crackles.

While I try my best not to look at him again, I fail. Whatever choice they're referring to, I don't really have one. Whatever this man says, I'll do. Whatever he wants, he'll have it. Air was right. There's an undeniable pull.

I swallow a nervous lump down my throat, nearly choking on it. "Why am I drawn to you?"

"Because, Sheyla"—Fire Supreme sighs—"I'm your father."