The Last Elementalist

Chapter 27

Musty cave air started to clog her nose. All everyone wanted was for the threat to pass so that they could leave the confinement of the compound. Connor was back at home, probably basking in the sweet sunshine, wondering how she was doing and what had been discovered about Lielle. But Evie began to allow herself to be calmed by telling herself that Lielle was her friend and Connor had the right to like whoever he wanted. The same thing I told him, she remembered, trying to accept it herself.

Day in day out the training room stood packed with initiates in the afternoon and full members in the mornings. Strategy showed that if anyone attempted to enter the room by means of teleportation, it would be suicide, but Evie was scared for her own life as well. The room got cluttered fast and even in shifts, many mistakes happened. So relief seemed automatic when everyone was called to assemble in the auditorium to choose whom would make up the defending team in the battle.

Silence fell over the room even before Daniel entered and pulled up the screen with a FaceTime call of anyone unable to attend personally, but still in the area. Daniel announced that only one-hundred and fifty would be part of the squad and offered for any volunteers. Only about twenty people stood up, including Cassidy, along with a shout or two from the screen. Then, she heard a hard voice protrude from the screen saying, "I volunteer." She glanced up and saw Connor raising his hand from next to
his father.

Daniel began to write him down but his father began, "Connor Elijah," and Connor bent forward to mute it.

Everyone watched the screen in interest at the two of them pointing fingers and making exasperated hand motions. Finally, Connor seemed to say something that caught him off guard and unmuted himself with a brief confirmation. Evie remained seated, cowering behind the rows of people in front of her. Then Daniel began to pick names out of a large bowl. A few Congressmen were picked and only a small percentage of people in the room before the short meeting ended, leaving Evie
safely behind with the others, but it also left her with a feeling of guilt in her chest for her selfishness.

"You should come, Evie. It might be your last chance to see Connor and Cassidy," Mary Elle reasoned. "Maybe Lielle will be there too."

"I'm not a good fighter though," she admitted.

"You're definitely above average for your age and you learned from only the best," Caleb jumped in. "Lielle is the only person I know who is able to fight like that."

"But even she was defeated-" she began.

"And that was by the General of the Agents," Mary Elle interrupted. "He wouldn't come to this fight. They will only use him in the case of a war. Besides, you would be a great help. Just think about it."

She watched the two walk away with the rest of their group, and Evie left and collapsed on her bed, scrunching up her face in anticipation. She was afraid for her friends, but her aunt had sent her a letter not to volunteer and that if she should die in battle, Evie could carry on their family's legacy. But now everything was different. She couldn't very well sit around while her friends and family walked onto death's doorstep. Besides, she was tired of only being able to sit around doing nothing.

She ran through the maze of stone on the path she knew ever so well from all her recent visits with Daniel, but was stopped at the door. "No one can enter, Evie," Ray apologized.

"But I need to talk to him," she insisted.

"He's busy with the battle plans," Zena apologized. "We all expect them to come soon now that they've cut us off. Guess the boys didn't cover their tracks well enough."