Elemental Release

Chapter Twelve

Airmaster Rusk returned the following week, with news from Liz. "She's doing well," he said. "She carries her own pack, makes her own meals. She keeps up with three grown men. She said to tell you she's fine, and she'll arrive in Rhyss on schedule."

"Where did you see her?" I demanded. I'd been so happy to see Rusk in his office, I'd almost hugged him.

"Just outside of Quail Run," he said. "She looked older than I remember." He went into one of his musing trances, turning toward the window as he often did.

"I'm glad you're back," I said. "What's the news in Rhyss?"

"We could not find Theo," he said. "And between Jones and I, that means he wasn't there to find."

I thought so too. But a new worry plagued me. If Theo wasn't in Rhyss as suspected, where was he? And why had Jones and Rusk been gone so long?

#

At the scheduled time the following week, I received an air message from Airmaster Gold, the Councilmember overseeing the diplomatic efforts in Rhyss. "The grass is so green here!" the message began, and I breathed a sigh of relief. That was our code sentence for "everything is fine."

Liz said the trip had drained her, but that she was looking forward to beginning her duties the next morning. She would be reporting to me every third evening, and I would take her notes and present them to my Council for consideration. The Unmanifested internships had been staggered, and Liz was on one of the last rotations. She wouldn't return until the middle of November, and I could only imagine that trip across the icy plains.

Gabby would present our notes to Davison himself. I didn't know exactly what he would be doing with the data or findings, but I found I didn't care.

I wrote Liz's complete message on a clean page in my Council folder, a smile beaming across my face. I didn't care what Davison would do with the Unmanifested internship data. It wasn't my problem.

The release I felt reminded me of being in the dungeon with Felix and realizing I didn't have to care the weight of hatred and fury. Just like then, I knew now that I didn't have to bear burdens that weren't mine to carry.

I couldn't wait until tomorrow morning so I could tell Airmaster Rusk. I felt lighter on the way to Gabby's room. I'd given up the pretense of waiting for her to fall asleep. I didn't even check in my room anymore to see if Cat was there. I wanted to sleep on Gabby's couch, and she had a blanket and a pillow already out when I arrived.

She wasn't there, but I felt better simply being in her apartment. It smelled like her, like smoke and the faint whiff of honey. She loved to bring bread back after dinner, laden with butter and honey. She'd told me she never got enough to eat in Crylon, and would often steal burnt bread that had fallen out of the bakeware during service.

She found me on her balcony, which was much larger than the one connected to the living room. "Enjoying the view?" she asked. Her balcony faced the ocean, and I could just make out the thin ribbon of water.

I turned to face her. "I am now." A smile crept across my face at the sight of her tight tank top. "Too hot outside?"

She crossed her arms, which only added to the volume of her chest. "I'm always too hot." She turned away and entered her bedroom. She pulled a sweatshirt on, much to my dismay.

"Sorry," I said. "That isn't how I want things to be between us." She was the only thing left on my list. I'd given up my guilt, given away my anger and hatred, given back the responsibilities I didn't need to carry.

"And how do you want things to be between us?" she asked, keeping her back to me.

I reached out to touch her, but pulled back. "Will you look at me, please?" I made my tone soft, the way I'd speak to a wounded animal I was trying to help.

She sighed as she turned, her arms still crossed tightly. She wouldn't look at me, so I gently took her chin and guided her eyes to mine. She softened instantly, and I felt a rush of satisfaction that I could influence her so strongly.

"I love you," I said, somewhat carefully, so she'd know I wasn't just saying words. "That's how I want it to be between us."

I tugged on her sweatshirt sleeve. "So take that off and come tell me a story I haven't heard yet. I promise to be a perfect gentleman." I left her bedroom and settled into my couch-bed, so she'd know I really meant what I'd said.

She didn't come out right away, giving me too much time to think about us. I wanted her to know I loved her, trusted her. I wanted to know she loved me, trusted me. She'd never said those words to me, and just because she melted in my arms or her anger faded when she looked at me didn't mean she ever would.

Airmaster Rusk had recently asked me to meditate, to envision situations how I wanted them to be. So I closed my eyes and imagined what life might look like if Gabby and I really were together. If she said she loved me, trusted me, wanted me. I thought about how happy I'd be if she laid down next to me at night, and I could wake up next to her in the morning. I envisioned a life where we told each other everything, where we worked our Elements together, coaxing the fire and the air to marry and be friends.

"What are you smiling about?" Gabby's question snapped the glorious fantasies parading through my mind.

"Nothing," I mumbled, opening my eyes to see her settle cross-legged on the couch opposite from me. She'd taken off the sweatshirt and changed into her pajamas. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, making her look younger.

"Oh, come on."

"Rusk asked me to meditate. That's what I was doing."

"What were you thinking about?"

She constantly wanted to know what I was thinking, probably because she knew I could tell what she had on her mind any time I wanted.

"You," I said honestly.

She fidgeted with the cuffs of her pajama pants. "I think about you a lot, too," she said.

I pushed myself up so I could see her face better. "Really?"

"You don't have to sound so surprised," she said, smiling.

"Are they good thoughts?" I asked.

"Mostly." She looked right at me, pinning my gaze to hers. She carefully slipped off the couch and knelt in front of me. She kissed me, and a rush of desire flowed through me.

"You know," she said, pulling away and sitting back on her heels. "You don't have to sleep out here."

My mind raced to catch up with what she'd said. "You—you want me to come sleep with you?" My voice came out too high. I almost tacked a "Really?" onto the end of that, but restrained myself just in time.

"My bed is really big," she said. "And...." She looked over her shoulder toward the bedroom. "I'm not—I don't want—Infernos."

She looked at me again. "I'm not ready for all that, but I want us, I mean, this is how I want us to be too." She swallowed hard. "So if that's okay with you, you know, for now, then yeah, I want you to come sleep in the bed with me."

Slowly, so as to not look too eager, I tossed aside the blanket around my legs, stood, and took her hand. We went into the bedroom together, but she laid down first. I got in the bed on the other side, and she immediately rolled into my arms. She tucked herself into my side, and I kissed her forehead.

I fell asleep happier than I could ever remember being.