Elemental Hunger

Chapter Fourteen

"You awake?"

My eyes flew open with Hanai's question. I sat up, trying to distinguish reality from what existed in my head.

Hanai watched me with thoughtful lines around his mouth. In that moment, I felt like he genuinely cared about me, and the walls around my heart crumbled a little.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Is Adam okay?"

Hanai sat down and brushed a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. "I think he'll be all right. My father is with him. What really happened?"

I invited the eternal flames to dance in my palm, which they did eagerly. "Well, I touched him." I glanced at him. "What did he tell you?"

"He said you'd spill his secret."

"He said that?"

"Look, I'm pissed you guys both have so many secrets. So just tell me already."

"Oh, please. You're not mad." I bumped him with my shoulder. "Besides I overheard you and Adam talking, and he said he had something to tell me, and I still don't know what that's all about."

"Nothing, really. That Adam might know some Elementals for our Council."

"Oh," I said. "That's nothing."

"Not like learning your Councilman is really a woman." He sounded on the outer edge of frustration.

"That's nothing too," I said, trying to force a measure of playfulness into my tone.

He grinned, though it looked like he was trying to hold it back. "You serious? Finding out you're a girl? That was rough. At least I got to see—"

"Okay, okay. I'm the Firemaker from Cyrlon the sentries are looking for. But I swear I didn't set that fire. Adam's a trained and active sentry, and my print has been uploaded to his tattoo. He has to initiate all contact between us in order to cancel the transmission."

"Active?"

"Yes. For the Supreme Elemental. So, was he able to stop the transmission?"

Hanai sputtered like he'd just realized he needed oxygen to live. "The Supreme Elemental?"

"That's what I said." A dull ache radiated forward from the back of my skull.

"Active?"

"Did you see that tattoo? You think that's a beauty mark?"

Hanai opened his mouth, but I cut him off. "Did he stop the transmission or not?"

He took a deep breath. "This is heavy. He told me he ran away last year. I think he's telling the truth there. But to still be an active sentry? That's against the agreement he has with my father. He's going to be livid."

"But did Adam stop the transmission? 'Cause if we need to run, we should go."

"He thinks he stopped it. He didn't explain anything but he kept saying 'I think I did it. Tell Gabby I think I did it.'"

I nodded and focused on the glassy surface of the hot spring. Hanai gently placed his fingers on my face and forced me to look at him. "What now?"

The air entering my lungs lightened. Hanai's dark eyes held mine, searching. Again, I felt as if the spinning of the Earth had paused.

"Adam said there's an Unmanifested rebellion in Gregorio that's supported by the Councilman." My meaning was clear. We needed a Council, and our best bet was to find Adam's friends and hope the Councilman of Gregorio would charter it.