{ELEMENTISTS OF WILLOW FOREST BOOK V} The Journey Across Water

Camp

7: Camp

Sasha took it Olivia was pausing so the information could 'sink in' or whatever.

Stupid Oliva. She was so, annoyingly, CLEVER sometimes.

For ages she was all 'I'm so mysterious and secretive. I don't tell anyone what I'm thinking ever; I just PURSE MY LIPS AND SAY NOTHING AGAIN AND AGAIN. I'm really clever and powerful, and I'm the only descendant of Hephzibah. Hephzibah's amazing and clever and powerful like ME. Everyone worship ME, because I'm BOSS. Oh, btw Sasha, I've known all along you're the descendant of Hephzibah's sworn enemy, but I still trust you even know your elder brother is raising an army against me! I'm Olivia, everyone loves me and I love (Luke) and TREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! Now I shut up, purse my lips, say nothing and act all mysterious.'

But now she was more 'Hi, I'm Olivia, I've told you all my secrets, so TELL ME YOURS. Oh wait, no, I'll keep interrupting and tell you all your secrets instead!'

What was the biggest blow, though, was that Les Serpents Rouges had known about her being an Elementist all along. Secretly, Sasha had always figured that if Olivia and the A of E failed to save Willow Forest, and Felix, the Death Wolves and his trainees at Echo Valley destroyed it and everyone in it, and Felix didn't want anything to do with the sister who'd switched sides so many times, she could always sneak on another ferry, somehow track down the untrackable Serpents Rouges and run with them for a while again. She figured that they were the only people ever who trusted her and liked her and loved her for who she was, that they'd taken her in because they'd enjoyed her company, and would take her back in like a sister at the blink (or wink) of an eye.

But no. They'd only done all that because she was the descendant of Aodh and the brother of Felix Brunner. They hadn't cared for her, or been truthful to her. They'd just wanted to keep the Burner's sister close to them, so they could watch her and observe her for their own amusement.

They'd lied to her. Sasha had lied to a lot of people in her life, but she wasn't so used to being lied to.

She guessed some people would call it 'growing up', realising that your friends weren't your friends, that what you'd taken as truth was lies and your best memories are of your own fabrication. But Sasha had grown up a long time ago. You couldn't go through what she'd been through and not grow up.

Sasha supposed she'd have to tell the story of the time when she was with Les Serpents Rouges to Olivia, as she'd no doubt be interested and somehow find it of relevance.

"So," Sasha said, like nothing at all upsetting had just happened to her. "I'm gonna keep going.

"The strangers took me to their camp. It was cool, like a secret layer or base. There were, like, four different tents, around a central fire in a clearing. I think there were supplies stacked up in one corner of the clearing, too. It's not like I can remember it in much detail, 'cause I was only little, and I'm worried that if I share any already blurred memories, I might lose grasp of them forever, which would suck above sucking above sucking.

I just remember the heat of the fire, the murmur of voices, the sharpening of knives, and the atmosphere all around me, which glowed with even more warmth than the flames.

The ten strangers who called themselves Les Serpents Rouges introduced themselves to me, as their silver weapons glinted in the firelight. I'll give you the rundown of all of them, if you want, as I take it at counts as of relevance and interest, and, although I know you've met all of them, so you know what they look like, you don't know them as I do. No-one knows them as I do.