Elemental Hunger

Chapter Forty

I gripped the steering wheel with both hands. The fans idled. We sat there, silent and unmoving.

"Adam?"

He didn't answer. At least his breath continued to whistle in and out of his mouth. So did Alex's. She hadn't moved, which meant she was still staring at me.

My shoulders sagged. My feet relaxed against the floor. The fans roared.

I jerked my head up, looking out the windshield. Alex's eyes had closed, as if she'd fallen asleep. I lowered my right foot to the floor. Fans: Screaming.

I lifted my foot and tried the other pedal. The fans settled into their usual rhythm. I pressed the right pedal again. The blazing vehicle remained stationary, despite the fans blowing full force.

Alex opened her eyes the next time I tried the pedal. Our eyes met. An unusually long moment of silence passed.

She raised her hand. In it, something black glinted.

I shoved up the door and leaped from the vehicle.

"Felix—"

I snatched the device before she could finish her sentence. She moaned, blood flowing freely from her nose now. Her chest heaved with the effort it took for her to breathe.

After I returned to the vehicle, my frustration returned. I banged both hands to the wheel. A lever jumped.

I yanked on it and jammed my foot on the right pedal. The vehicle shot forward, throwing both Adam and Hanai around. Adam groaned.

Hanai did not.

Alex's body lay limp in the charred grasses. I couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. Hot tears stung my eyes. I seized on the warmth and used it to fuel my resolve. I hit something that felt very much like a soft body as I twisted the vehicle toward Tarpulin. I managed to keep the vehicle on a straight path toward the gaping northern gates. The five miles passed in mere minutes.

No one looked at me as I bounced through the gates and into the city.

Tarpulin was at least three times the size of Crylon. Luckily, the narrow streets were straight as spokes, all directed toward the tall buildings in the center of the city.

A few minutes later, I emerged into a large open square lined with shops and high-rises. One of them, made entirely of white stones, stretched into the clouds. The Supremist's fortress.

I saw very few people in the streets. I probably should've seen Elementals in their brightly colored silks, or shoppers ducking down side streets, carrying bags and baskets. With so little activity, a sense of fear permeated the air.

I eased into the square, wondering if I could drive anywhere on the cement surface. I did, and the first people I'd encountered pulled their hoods closer to their faces and walked faster. I quickly lowered the window. "Excuse me," I said, but it came out more like a bark.

They took two steps back, eyeing the two bodies next to me.

"Enforcement Office?" I asked.

One woman raised her hand to her mouth, probably because of the rancid scent of my breath. It smelled like brimstone, even to me. The other pointed a shaky finger to her right. "One block down. Left another block. You'll need an entrance permit."

I nodded my thanks so I wouldn't have to breathe fire on them again. I didn't have a permit, but I wasn't playing by the rules.

As I rounded the corner, I saw Felix limping up the steps of a two-story building at the end of the block. I pressed the pedal to the floor, and the vehicle shot forward.