Fire (Elements Series Book #1)

Chapter 3

III

WE SET OUT FOR KALLISTER ACADEMY right before we heard the noises.

“Do you think anything’s following us?” I asked Natalie as we walked in the woods.

“Probably.”

“Then we should move faster!” Emma said, speedwalking. Her blond French braid bounced up and down. “I may sound paranoid, but I really think that fourteen years isn’t a long life. And plus, fighting Acerate isn’t what I’d call fun.

”“Have you even fought Acerate before?” Natalie smirked.

I hoped nothing was following us, because I didn’t have the energy nor patience to fight Acerate. “Do you think we will be able to defend ourselves?”

Natalie took a deep breath. “Legion members are strongest when there is at least one member from each group. We’re missing an Air Bender, but we probably will be able to fight them.”

Nothing attacked us as we jogged through the forest, though I expected one. That, in itself, was suspicious.

“Don’t you think we should have been attacked by now?” I asked.

Natalie looked as confused as I felt as she answered, “It makes no sense. Acerate members can sense our presence from anywhere in the world…yet they’re not coming after us!”

Emma chewed on the tip of her French braid. “Maybe they’re sleeping.”

Natalie snorted. “No offense, Emma, but…sleeping? I’m pretty sure they have a satellite trained on us so they can watch all of the Legion members twenty-four/seven.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “None taken.”

A chill went down my spine. I felt eyes trained on my back, and, even before I turned around, I knew there was nothing there.

“Does anyone else feel like something is following them?" Emma aksed, but the words barely escaped Emma's lips when a gust of wind brought me to my knees, knocking the wind out of me.

Wheezing, I sat up, but before I could stand, I was knocked down again, this time by somebody's sharp knee.

Squinting, I craned my neck to see the attacker. She looked to be about fourteen, my age, and had white-blond hair. Her hair was shoulder-length, but it looked like she'd let a blind lumberjack have at it. Her eyes were gray, almost clear. She was pale a s a ghost, wore dark jeans, a long sleeved shirt that said, "Come to the dark side; we have cookies!", and a vest.

I drove my elbow into her ribs, and she screamed.

"Don't mess with me," she growled, and took out a knife, which she promptly held at my throat.

I swallowed nervously. "Y-you don't want to do that."

"Oh, yeah?" she sneered. She brought the knife closer to my throat, and moonlight reflected off the blade."And why's that?"

Answer, answer...where's a damn answer when you need one?! "Would, 'because killing is bad' be a good answer?"

The insane girl narrowed her eyes. "No." She jabbed the knife at my throat, but i had freed one of my hands and caught her wrist.

I thought back to when she first attacked me. A gust of wind brought me--a gust of wind! Damnit, the answer was freaking holding a knife at my throat.

I took a deep breath and said, "Because you and I are alike. We have powers, and yet, we don't belong.

The insane girl faltered, and even thought it was only for a second, i took the chance to grab the blade and snap it with ease."

"What the hell?" we said simultaneously. I was surprised that I snapped the blade. I (stupidly) meant to grab it, but I guess the force of the action broke the darned knife.

The crazy girl was obvioulsy confused, and I threw the blade into the woods and conjured a flame.

"This is what I'm talking about."

The girl's eyes grew wide, and--unconsiously, I bet--conjured a mini-tornado.

I gasped.

It was confirmed.

She was the last Air Bender.