Elemental Rush

Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

The trip to Hesterton took us right past the Unmanifested village of Trenton. I half-expected Felix to strike a match and burn the city to the ground. He looked like he wanted to, but in the end, he thought, That isn’t my assignment. Focus on the mission.

He’d shot me a glance over his shoulder, always annoyingly close to me. I felt like I couldn’t get more than ten feet from him, and I knew it was no mistake. He was ruling by proximity.

At least everyone else steered clear. The other sentries varied from cold looks of disinterest to openly loathsome glares. I ignored them all, rising earlier than everyone else and taking five minutes to simply breathe air that wasn’t full of tension, suspicion, or competition.

By the time we reached Hesterton, I’d reached the end of my patience. I stood apart from the group, admiring the gradually rising hills that had led us to the foot of the mountains, against which the city of Hesterton nestled.

Then I turned and gazed at the mountains before me. They were magnificent, sharp spikes that punctured the sky. I had the distinct thought that I could live in Hesterton for the rest of my life and be happy. The air here felt fresher, richer, cleaner.

“Earth to Gillman,” someone snapped, and I tore my eyes from the mountains to find the rest of the squad had continued while I’d been staring.

I scurried behind them, trying to catch up and admire the mountains at the same time. When I joined the group, Felix was divvying up the city into sections and assigning sentries to each.

He considered me when it was my turn. Maybe I should make him team up with someone, he thought. I stared steadily back. Finally, he said, “Northwest quadrant, above the fortress to the base of the mountains.”

I dipped my chin in acceptance and stomped away, thankful I didn’t have to endure a partner.

#

Two hours later, I’d pinned the Elementals in a woodshed. I’d spotted Cat first, and she’d signaled the rest. They really weren’t very smart, going into a building that only had one door.

I reasoned that perhaps it had an underground exit, so I stormed the shed only to find the five Councilmembers huddled together. Reggie looked fierce and determined, while Isaiah’s harsh eyes softened as soon as he recognized me.

“Tell me what your orders were,” I barked before Isaiah could give away our friendship. Things were already complicated enough.

“I’m sure yours are to kill us,” Reggie said.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t,” I shot back. I felt the sentry side of me coming out, the part of myself that couldn’t feel—didn’t want to feel. I’d trained myself to turn off the emotions. I’d had to. Killing people wasn’t for someone who felt bad about it afterward.

But I’d never had to assassinate someone I knew personally. My eyes flitted to Isaiah’s over and over.

“We were ordered to kill thirty-seven innocent people.” Reggie’s voice rose in volume. “I would not do it, nor would I require my Unmanifested to carry out such a heinous order.”

“My report says the people were Unmanifested officials in Trenton,” I said.

“Your report is accurate.” Reggie relaxed the slightest bit, but I kept the grip tight and sure on my knife. Cat could sing a single note and drown me, and Isaiah could lift his pinky finger and have the earth swallow me whole. For now, they stood watching me.

 “Your Council is from Crylon,” I continued. “Why couldn’t you follow the orders? It’s not like you have personal ties to anyone in Trenton.”

Reggie’s chest expanded with his breath, and he stood taller, prouder. “They were innocent members of the human race. I did not want to kill them, and after counseling with my Councilmembers, we decided not to.”

I understood his words on an intellectual level. He’d admitted to disobeying the Supremist’s orders. He had—in his mind—a legitimate reason. I wasn’t sure I could make the same jump and draw the same conclusion.

Before I could decide what to do, Reggie separated himself from his Council and drew closer.

“Hold up,” I said, taking a step back and lifting my knife.

“I know what you have to do,” he said, still advancing. “I wonder if you might be interested in negotiating.” His voice grew softer. “Let them go. Just give them ten minutes to flee. I’ll surrender.” He glanced over his shoulder. “My life for theirs.” He looked at me again. “Alex just wants me dead. You do that, and we all get what we want.”

I’d taken several negotiation courses. The first rule was that you never accepted the first offer from your enemy. “They won’t give you their best deal right out of the gate. No one does,” my trainer had said.

But looking into Reggie’s dark, desperate eyes, I believed he had given me his best offer up front. “Deal,” I said, sheathing my knife. “You guys get ten minutes. But be warned. There are eleven other sentries here, and they won’t hesitate the way I did.”

But no one moved. Reggie begged them to leave, but I knew from the boxiness in Isaiah’s shoulders that he wasn’t going anywhere. I released the emotion I’d been holding. I had a job to do.

But I didn’t reach for my knife. Instead, I let my eyes glaze over, let the sentry part of myself cover everything else until I felt nothing. Then I held my hand up, palm toward Reggie, and I took the air from him.

He choked. He staggered. He fell into my arms. I laid him on the ground as he took his last breath.

Nothing moved in the shed. No one seemed to be breathing, though for me and the other Airmaster, that was easy. Then a strangled cry came from Cat, and I raised my eyes from Reggie’s face.

Just then, the door behind me banged open. I heard Felix’s mind, along with the approach of three sentries from my squad.

“What happened here?” he demanded.

I locked eyes with Isaiah, and he threw his hands into the air. An explosion of earth filled the air, and when the soil cleared, the rogue Elementals were gone.