Elements: The Chronicles of Katerina Starling

Chapter 20: The Violent Breeze

  I'm a wanderess
I'm a one night stand
Don't belong to no city
Don't belong to no man
I'm the violence in the pouring rain
I'm a hurricane  

"Hurricane" by Halsey (Badlands)

Every couple of seconds a drop of water would make its way to the end of his black hair and somehow, no matter how many times he ran his hands through it, a droplet would come crashing down on his nose. Brad had told him he was being dramatic about it, but the constant drop of water was pissing him off.

Scott looked up from his plate of scrambled eggs and faced towards his friends. The whole table fell into a still silence as they each became aware of the food in front of them. Ruby instantly reached into the centre of the table, picking the biggest pear from a wooden bowl of fruit. Brad jumped up from his seat almost knocking over a loaf of bread in front of him and ran towards the kitchen only return with two white ceramic mugs filled with tea. He sat down again gently placing a mug on the table while handing one mug to Tyler who took it gingerly.

"We should head back to the apartment today. Remember those new mugs I bought?" Tyler had asked Brad quietly.

"Yeah we should. It might be a good idea to restock on supplies." Brad replied dramatically using his commander voice.

"Where do you guys live again?" Scott asked suddenly cringing at his squeaky voice that morning.

"We have an apartment just a few blocks behind the Portal Stations. Convenient if you're travelling outside or somewhere else in Element but annoying as hell when you need to head to the castle." Brad rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his tea.

"So in the end we just end up sleeping here instead. I have a house in the village but the rooms here in the palace are much better." Ruby said, her mouth stuffed with food.

Suddenly as the familiar scent of breakfast flooded the dining room, groups of people flooded through the main doors almost like a wave crashing against the shore. Kat perked her head up in surprise and pursed her lips as the other agents and guards started to take their seats in the longs rows of tables, plates of food held carefully in their hands.

Soon the empty dining room was packed with roars of laughter and fresh faced people. For a moment Scott could also imagine their friends back in Sydney. He pushed away that thought and his eyes returned to Kat who was slowly eating her eyes eventually darting towards the other people in the room.

Scott couldn't understand what her fear was exactly. None of the others seemed to acknowledge Kat and considering they were right next to door to the kitchen, everyone had moved past them, barely noticing that their queen was sitting alongside them. Ruby had also once told him that Elementian soldiers stood with their ruler, not under command but with trust, determination and loyalty as friends.

Ruby sighed when she had told him this. "I just don't think Kat understands that." She had said.

Because Kat was afraid. Afraid of her followers, afraid of her military, afraid of her power. And Scott knew firsthand that misplaced fear in a leader can have dangerous consequences upon those who choose to follow them.

Scott was about to ask Kat if she was okay when Gray walked swiftly to their table and sat down next to Scott, somehow managing to steal a piece of his buttered toast as well.

"Get your own toast" Scott snapped.

"You'll live Scotty." He replied charmingly.

Kat seemed to smile at the sight of her cousin. Something Scott never thought he'd live to see considering she wanted him dead a month ago.