Elemental

Chapter 31

Christine tried not to think about Isaiah as she trained with Erik but she couldn't help it. She knew that he could take care of himself but he wasn't in a good mindset. Going out on his own wouldn't be safe and she wouldn't be able to bear it if something bad happened to him. Maybe she shouldn't have let him go, not that she could have made him do otherwise.

Lost in thought, she wasn't fast enough to dodge Erik's strike and she ended up on her back. Again.

"You're distracted," Erik growled. "You've got to focus. The battle is three days away and I will not have the symbol of the revolution getting herself killed because of incompetence."

She shot to her feet. "I'm not incompetent," she hissed.

"Then prove it. If you can successfully complete the maneuver I taught you, then we'll be done for the day. If you don't, we'll keep on going until you do."

Christine let out of huff but got into position. Erik charged at her and she whirled and jumped, bringing her legs up to wrap around his neck. The momentum and the weight of her body brought Erik crashing to the ground as she twisted to land on her feet. Erik got to his feet and grinned at her.

"Hell yeah," he said and bumped her shoulder with his fist. "I knew all you needed was a little encouragement."

She rolled her eyes but she was smiling too. It had felt good to get the move right. In the middle of a battlefield, she wasn't sure that she'd ever use the move but it was good to know that she wasn't completely defenseless against a bigger opponent if her powers ever became unreachable.

"I guess we're done for the day," she said.

"Guess we are. See you tomorrow, Cooper."

She nodded to him and headed to her cabin to change and lay in bed before she met up with Damien in an hour or two. What she wasn't expecting was to find Silvia lying on her couch and Damien sitting on her bed.

"I see that my cabin has become a community cabin," Christine said.

"Technically it's still my cabin," Damien smiled, standing up to greet her.

Silvia sat up and waved. "Hey, I was hoping you could help me convince Damien to help me."

Christine raised an eyebrow. "What did you want to convince Damien to do? And why do you think that I could convince him?"

Silvia rolled her eyes. "He'd do anything you ask him to do."

"Not true," Damien argued, sending a glare to Silvia. "I already told you I won't do it."

Silvia ignored him and trained her brown eyes on her. "Since Isaiah isn't going to be a part of this battle, we're one short for our infiltration team. I want Damien to take his place."

"And I told you that I'm not leaving Christine's side. Every Raider is going to come straight for Christine on that battlefield and I'm not going to leave her unprotected."

"With powers like she has, she's never unprotected." Silvia pointed out, causing Damien to roll his eyes. "Also, I think you're forgetting the entire army she'll have to back her up."

"I don't care. It's not happening." Damien said, firmly. "Not even if Christine asks me to."

"Come on!" Silvia stood up. "We need you. We have no idea what kind of security they'll have and we need muscle. There's no other ex-Raider in the organization that Raquel trusts with this information. It's either you or we're down a member."

"You should join the team," Christine spoke up, training her eyes on Damien. "Oliver and this tech are extremely important."

"You're extremely important," Damien retorted. "The tech is useless without you."

"If we don't get Oliver and this tech than we're screwed. I won't be enough." Christine responded. "I'll be fine out on the field."

He shook his head. "You don't know that. You've never been a part of a battle like this. It's unlike anything you've dealt with before."

Christine sighed. She wanted to tell him that she didn't need him and that she could handle any fight that came at her. But that wasn't true. If the last month had taught her anything, it was that she wasn't as strong as she thought she was. She needed people on her side and she needed people she could trust like Damien.

So, instead, she said, "I do need you. But Silvia needs you more. I would be less worried and distracted on the battlefield if I knew that you were there, seeing this plan through. I trust that you'll make sure this mission is a success."

Damien groaned. "You don't play fair."

Christine didn't say anything, just stared at him until he sighed in frustration.

"Fine. I'll join the team." He said.

Silvia jumped up and hugged them both. "Yes! I knew I could count on you two. You guys are the best!"

Damien grumbled but when Christine smiled at him, he could help but soften and smile back.