Pyro

Chapter 9

From what I gathered, someone hired Wais and his crew to clean out the Elemental casino's vault. However, the owner of the casino possessed sole ingress to it.

The owner-Mr. Cal-also happened to lead a group dedicated to eradicating people they believed had obscene abilities. They believed that those who had the powers closest to the natural elements of the earth-wind, fire, water, earth-were 'pure' humans, and rightfully deserved to rule the earth, since the earth bestowed its powers upon them.

His insanity seriously knew no bounds.

But I guessed that Mr. Cal's... activities... weren't the reason for the target on his casino. It was probably because, simply by speculating, the Elemental was, by far, the most successful casino in Las Vegas. After browsing parts of the city with Zoe, The Elemental had, by a long shot, towered above any other building. It also boasted some of the most ornate furnishings, decorations, and everything in between, than other hotels I caught a glimpse of.

Hence the secrecy and security as to the location of the vault and money within it.

And Zoe, or her alias, Hannah, had penetrated Mr. Cal's operation to gain his trust in order to find the vault: but that wasn't enough to get her close. She needed someone else.

Enter, me. Someone with a high-class elemental power that tempted Mr. Cal beyond question.

If I joined Mr. Cal's group and worked my way up the ladder, I'd earn his trust, and maybe even access to the vault. Considering no one knew its location, infiltrating Mr. Cal's cult and climbing up the the ranks was Wais's best bet of ransacking the Elemental.

And then John Belrook would be mine.

Mr. Cal's piercing blue eyes bored into me, and I suppressed a shudder. "Before I fully accept you, you must prove your loyalty."

To be expected.

"What would you like me to do?" I asked.

Mr. Cal stood up. The black chair spun from the movement and rolled a few feet away, coming to a halt.

"I'd like you to prove that your abilities are what everyone says they are." He fumbled with a latch on his desk and unlocked a drawer. It slid open and Mr. Cal produced a small silver lighter with the Elemental's design embroidered on the front.

He flicked the cap open and sparked a dainty flame. "Increase the flame."

Simple enough.

I snapped my fingers and the flame obeyed my will, tripling in size.

Mr. Cal's raised a prim brow. "Is that the best you can do?"

Not even close, I thought.

The flame simmered back to its original size. "No. But you have to understand, we're inside a skyscraper on one of the highest floors. I'm exactly keen on using the full extent of my powers."

Understanding dawned in the relaxation of his stiff facial features. "I see." He dropped the lighter into his trousers and frowned. "Is the finger snapping required to use your powers?"

"Yes," I lied. The less people who knew about the true nature of my ability, the better. After all, I was deep in uncharted territory. Prudence wasn't a luxury- it was a requirement.

He stroked his stubbled chin, intrigued. "Such a strange requirement to unlock your fire," he wondered aloud.

I shrugged. "There're stranger conditions to use a power."