by Megan Linski
I noticed she was wearing a bit of makeup today, which was weird. It was only going to run in the water. She’d never worn makeup a few months ago, but lately, it was everyday. I wondered why that was.
She bypassed a good morning and said, “I brought a wetsuit, like you said. I’m wearing it underneath my clothes.” She paused. “Though why we’re going swimming in early December, I have no idea.”
“You’ll be okay,” I told her. “You have your Fire to keep you warm. But Jonah and Imogen don’t, so it’ll be up to you to regulate their temperature while we’re out there.”
“What about you?”
“Water doesn’t bother me, no matter how cold it is. My body can withstand ice.”
She looked doubtful. “Why do we have to go out into the ocean, anyway?”
“Baine,” I answered simply. “He’s going to be using his Familiar, and she has trouble walking on land, so we have to go to a platform on the ocean. You shouldn’t be complaining. It’ll be much harder for Haley to spy on us.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “How are the others going to get there?”
“Imogen will make an earth bridge out of the bottom of the ocean, and Jonah will fly there using air. Your element is the only one that’s useless for travel.”
“Ha ha,” Sophia said bluntly. “So, how are we going to get there? You’ll take us by water?”
I smiled. “That would be too easy.”
I led her outside the school, and we started strolling through the gardens. Secretly I’d been keeping something in the bushes near the greenhouses for ages, and today I was going to show Sophia.
“Cars aren’t allowed, you know. And I’m betting bikes aren’t, either.” Sophia seemed to be reading my mind. “But you look like the type of guy who’d have one anyway.”
“Bikes are for guys who have big egos and desperately want to impress people,” I told her. “They’re a huge sign of being insecure.”
“So… guys like you?”
I smirked and didn’t answer. I turned the corner, where I weaved my way through a bunch of brambles and hauled out an old motorbike. It was a bit rusty, but it ran good. I hadn’t driven it in awhile. I hoped it still worked.
“I should have guessed.” She crossed her arms. “You’re so cliche, Liam.”
“It was my dad’s,” I told her. “It’ll be faster than taking perytons.”
“How the hell is a bike going to get us into the middle of the sea?” she asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Just trust me, all right? Quit asking questions.”
She sighed. “Well, what do you want me to do with Esis?” She held him up.
“Put him in this bag.” I showed her a saddlebag attached to the side of the bike. “As long as he stays inside, he won’t fall out.”
“Do as you’re told, Esis,” she said to him as she slipped him inside the bag. She buttoned up the sides, leaving enough room for air. He peeked his little head up so his big eyes could see through the slit on the side of the bag.
“Once it starts, we have to get on, fast,” I told her, and I slung my leg over the bike. “It’s really loud.”
I started it up. It was cold, so it took a few tries, but finally the engine roared to life. I looked expectantly at Sophia to get on. She stared at the bike like it was a bomb about to go off.
“Well, come on,” I snapped. “I don’t have cooties.”
My tone snapped her out of it, and she sneered at me. “You’re always so aggravated,” she complained as she hopped on behind me.
“Well, maybe if you weren’t so aggravating, I’d be in a better mood,” I told her.
“Yeah, right. You’ve got a stick up your ass whether I’m around or not.”
Couldn’t argue with that. Sophia slipped on behind me, and her warm, soft body pressed against my back. It wasn’t doing wonders for my vow of chastity.
Her arms were dangling downward. “You do have to hold on to me, you know,” I told her. “Unless your pretty ass wants to go flying off.”
She blushed before she stuck out her tongue at me. “Don’t get too excited about it,” she snapped. She wrapped her arms around my middle and squeezed tightly. Something in me stirred, and I told it to shut up. I revved the bike so that we took off flying.
Immediately, it felt like a vice was squeezing my middle. I gasped. Sophia was holding me so tight that it would cause bruising, her face pressed into my back in fright. I was sore enough on a daily basis. I tried to suck it up and pushed the bike faster, but it only made her crush me more.
Ancestors, she was choking me. I couldn’t even expand my lungs. She was strong. I slowed down and stopped the bike on the side of the path. She let go, and I let in a thankful gasp. I turned around and looked at her. She seemed positively frazzled.
“Look,” I said, “you don’t need to hang onto me like it’s life or death.”
“I’ve never rode a bike, so sue me,” Sophia shot back. “I know you don’t like me touching you.”
“That’s not what I meant, Sophia.”
Her comment bit into me. We were getting on each other’s nerves this morning, and it was more than usual. For the past few weeks we’d been hanging out more often, but it was always with Jonah and Imogen around. We hadn’t really been alone since we’d woken up in the clearing, but it was obvious something was different.
Nothing had progressed since that night by the waterfall, and it was bothering both of us. The tension was so bad I thought we were both about to burst.
I think Sophia wanted an answer on what we were. And I wasn’t ready to give that yet, because I didn’t know myself.
“I’m fine with you touching me anywhere— you know what I mean,” I said when Sophia smirked. I could hear Esis’ little chatters of delight from inside the bag. “What I mean to say is, it doesn’t bother me. But I can’t drive this thing if you make me pass out.”
Sophia turned a little paler than before. “I’m just scared to fall off.”
I gave her a look and lowered my voice. “Do you honestly think I would ever let you fall?”
Her expression cleared. She shook her head, and a few strands of hair fell into her face. “No.”
“Good.” I turned back around, and her arms encompassed me once again. “Then stop being a baby, and just trust me.”
Sophia reluctantly put her arms back around my middle. This time she was holding on a little less tightly. I started off at a slow speed, then pushed the accelerator until the trees were racing by in a blur.
“Hold on,” I yelled. “I’m going to speed up.”
She didn’t respond, so I kicked it into high gear. The bike’s speed became faster and faster, until I really had to focus on where I was going in order to keep it steady. I took sharp turns and curves at a high speed, leaning into them. Sophia followed my movements easily instead of resisting against them, and for a moment, it was like we were one body.
There was a large hill that ended in a drop-off into the sea. The trees parted and disappeared as we raced up the hill. Sophia looked ahead and noticed there was nothing below but the ocean.
“Liam!” she screamed. I laughed and launched the bike off the hill and up into the air.
The bike was suspended for several moments. It was like everything was in slow motion. Sophia was screaming, and I felt more alive than I had in weeks.
We crashed down on the ocean, but instead of sinking into the water, we started riding on top of it. I barely had to think about it as the water rushed upward to support the bike. Sophia gasped in amazement, and I grinned wildly as I pushed the bike to its limit.
We had to be going a hundred and fifty miles an hour on the water. Water splayed out on both sides of the bike as I drove upon the ocean, and Sophia’s screams turned to whoops of happiness. I could feel her racing heartbeat pounding through my back. Esis let out a exhilarated cheer from within the bag. I went breathless for a moment, loving riding my bike on the sea. Ancestors, I loved the water.
Dolphins jumped up beside the bike, and a whale in the distance smacked its tail down to say hello. I performed a few fancy maneuvers and did a wheelie to impress Sophia. The water was there to support the bike each time, putting it back in balance if I made a mismove. Sophia’s fear had turned to joy. By the time the platform came into view, I actually heard her let out a little sound of disappointment.
The platform was nothing more than a wooden surface suspended in the middle of the ocean, almost a hundred yards long. I slowed down, and the water rose to make a ramp up to it for the bike to ride. I parked the bike, and we got off. Sophia’s hair was a mess, and so was Esis’. He looked puffier than usual when she took him out of the bag.
“Wow, Liam. That was… it was incredible,” she said, and her words were a little stuttered.
“Glad I pushed you now?” I asked. We walked toward the center, where Baine, Imogen, Jonah, Squeaks and Sassy were already waiting. I nudged her shoulder, and she nudged mine.
“It’s nice of the two of you to show up,” Baine started. He seemed in a sour mood, but I couldn’t imagine why. It was killing my vibe. I was the only one allowed to be an asshole, after all.
“Sorry we’re late, Professor,” Sophia started. “It was my fault. I had something I needed to do before I came.”
My curiosity peaked. What was Sophia doing before she met up with me?
“Miss Henley, I understand that you have a life, but from this moment on nothing is more important than this tournament,” Baine said. “I hope you can understand that.”
Sophia nodded meekly. Baine waved his hand and said, “Start practicing drills. We’ll begin in a moment.”
We separated. Sophia began practice by tossing fireballs around, while Imogen and Jonah started casting with both Earth and Air. I was more or less bored, just weaving water around. How was this going to help us survive, exactly? Baine needed to start teaching us what to do, instead of just barking at us. I felt completely unprepared for this.
“Hey, Liam, can I talk to you?” Jonah asked after a few minutes. He approached me like he had something important to say.
“Uh… sure, buddy,” I started. What was this about? Jonah led me to the other side of the platform, away from everyone’s earshot.
“I wanted to address the elephant in the room.” Jonah seemed somber. What could this possibly mean?”
“Uh, okay,” I said. I shrugged. “What’s up?”
He sighed very dramatically. “I’m sorry, but I feel like I have to tell you this. You’ve been acting… different, lately, and I think I know why.”
I couldn’t breathe. This was an emergency. Did he figure out my secret? Had he put together that there was more between me and Sophia than I was willing to admit? My heart thudded against my ribcage. “Jonah, listen. It’s not what it looks like.”
“Don’t try to deny it, Liam. I’m not blind,” Jonah started. “You’ve been acting like a lovestruck puppy, and while it’s cute, it’s really desperate and kind of sad.”
This was it. He was going to guess, and I couldn’t deny it. If it was that obvious to him, how many other people had put it together?
“You can’t tell anyone,” I started. “People would freak out if they knew.”
“Liam, baby, trust me. I’m not going to tell a soul,” he said. “It would be so embarrassing if people knew you had a crush on me.”
Had a crush on… then it hit me.
Oh. My. Ancestors. The buffoon actually thought that I was acting weird lately because I liked him, but in all reality, I’d been weird because I liked…
“That’s not what it is.” I shook my head. “Jonah, I’m not gay, I like—”
“Don’t try to deny it, Liam. I know I’m hard to resist, even for a straight guy like you,” Jonah said.
“Jonah, it’s not—”
“Look, Liam, we’ve been friends since we were like, six. It’s just gross,” Jonah said. “You know I like Renar, and to be honest, you’re too scrawny to be part of this package.” He gestured to himself. “I’m just not that into you. I hope you understand.”
My mouth dropped open. Jonah patted me on the shoulder and said, “There, there. I know I’m not easy to get over, but you’ll find someone else.”
I was too shocked to do anything. Jonah put his arms around me and gave me a really tight hug. “It’s okay, bro. I know you’re broken hearted, but we can still be friends.”
He gave me a fucking kiss on the cheek before he ambled off to talk to Imogen. I was left standing on the platform with an open mouth.
What. The. Fuck? Was everyone going crazy around here?
Jonah should know I wasn’t into him. I liked girls! It was clear I was into—
I stopped myself dead in my tracks. I wasn’t going there. I promised myself weeks ago I’d stop.
Not that it was working, anyhow.
Sophia had made her way over, curious. “That looked really intense.”
I shut my gaping mouth. I went to the other side of the platform to be by myself and, apparently, quit giving Jonah the wrong idea. Baine reached out and grabbed me by the arm.
“Liam, a moment please,” he said, turning me around.
Oh, by the ancestors. Did he think I was in love with him, too? “What?” I snapped, in a tone more vicious than I intended.
Baine raised an eyebrow, and inwardly, I recoiled. Baine was still my head of House, and an Elder on the council, too. I needed to show him respect.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “What is it?”
Baine let go of my arm and stepped back. “It’s the last training session before the tournament. It’s only a few days away. There isn’t any time left for me to deliberate. We need a Captain.”
Inwardly, I groaned. I already knew where this was heading. “I don’t want to be responsible for anybody. I’m no Captain.”
“I don’t think you have much of a choice. Imogen and Jonah aren’t leaders; they’re followers. You already know that.”
“Why not choose Sophia?” I asked. “She’s Koigni. They’re born to do that type of shit.”
“I was going to choose Sophia, but she isn’t ready. The potential is there, but she’s not in a place where she can back up a team, Liam. That means it’s up to you. They need a Captain.”
“I’m not a leader,” I said, shaking my head and backing away.
“On the contrary. Nashoma wasn’t any mere wolf. He was an Alpha. And he wouldn’t have chosen anyone who wasn’t his equal,” Baine said firmly.
Did he really have to bring my Familiar into this? “Nashoma isn’t here.”
“But you are. And there has to be someone who leads the pack,” Baine said. “Listen, Liam. I know you don’t want it to be all up to you, but if there’s no chain of command and no one for them to follow, it’s going to lead to disorganization. Then you’re all going to die out there.”
He really knew how to sell it to a guy. “Fine,” I said, rather salty. “I’ll be the damn Captain. Just don’t expect them to listen to me.”
Baine ignored me. He led me back to the center of the platform where the rest of the group was waiting.
“Liam’s the boss,” Baine announced to the group. “He’ll be serving as your Captain. You’ll be taking orders from him during the Elemental Cup.”
“What?” The gust of wind Jonah had been blowing around died instantly. “But Sophia—”
“Needs more time. Time we don’t have,” Baine said strictly. “Does anyone have a problem with it?”
Jonah opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Baine answered, “Good. Then let’s move on.”
Jonah shut his trap and gave me a look that obviously said he thought we were all going to die. Imogen seemed nervous. Did these people really think I was that incompetent?
I couldn’t blame them, really. I didn’t believe in myself either.
Sophia didn’t seem bothered she wasn’t Captain. In fact, she looked relieved.
“Gather around,” Baine a
nnounced. We stood in a circle around him, and he said, “The first thing we should do is test your weaknesses and see where you stand.”
He snapped his fingers and pointed at Imogen. “You. You’re the shortest. I’ve noticed you’ve had trouble summoning your element.”
“Yes, sir,” Imogen said. She looked around, unsure of where this was going.
“Earth Elementai are supposed to be strong— the strongest of all the elements. We need to know you can carry your weight… and be able to move mountains.”
Baine fixed his glasses, thinking. He pointed to Jonah. “Your teammates might get injured during the tournament, and it’ll be critical that you can get them to safety. I want you to try and cary Jonah for me, please.”
I nearly choked. He had to be kidding. I’m pretty sure Jonah’s one arm weighed more than Imogen’s entire body. She was barely five feet. She hardly came up to his waist.
Jonah, of course, was more than willing for an opportunity to play actor. Jonah laid down on the platform and pretended to be dead, squinting through one eye to peer at her.
“Well, come on,” Jonah said. “I’m bleeding out, here.”
Imogen gulped. We were in the middle of the ocean, so unless she shifted the ocean floor, which was already wet and unstable, she wouldn’t be able to move Jonah. She instead tried the old-fashioned way and swung his limp arm over her shoulder before wiggling under his back to carry him on her back.
Imogen tried to lift Jonah, but all it resulted in was Imogen falling over.
“Come on, Imogen. You can do this,” Baine encouraged.
This guy was asking for the moon. Imogen eventually managed to get Jonah onto her back, before she huffed and puffed for a few moments and tumbled over sideways again. Sassy tried to help her by putting Jonah’s leg on her back, but it flattened the poor fox to the ground.
“I’ve seen what I needed to,” Baine said, waving his hand. “Please stop.”
Imogen was breathing like she had just lost a marathon. Jonah gave her a look and said, “You’ve killed me. Way to go.”
“Jonah,” Baine said abruptly. “It’s your turn. I want you to cross the platform— without making a sound. Sneaking around and staying silent will be crucial for your success during the tournament, and your size already puts you at a disadvantage.”