Rain of Fire (Star Crossed Academy Book 6)

by Wendy Knight

  But there were too many who didn’t move out of the way fast enough and Flint caught him.

  Almost.

  At the last second, Aquis dove between them, bracing herself for impact as Flint’s arms windmilled wildly in an attempt to not run her down. Galvan spun and froze, watching as if in slow motion as she planted her feet and held out her hands.

  Flint slammed into her and they both went down, screaming at the Pyra burn.

  Except that Aquis wasn’t screaming unintelligibly. She was screaming at Galvan. “Go!”

  Stumbling around, Galvan went.

  He crossed the end zone and dropped the ball, running back to where they were both struggling to sit up, people from both teams gathered around them.

  “What were you thinking?” he yelled at Aquis, wrenching Flint to his feet. “You don’t jump in front of a Pyra!”

  She shuddered, but still had the presence of mind to glare up at him.

  “They said to keep Flint from getting to you no matter what. So I did.”

  Flint threw his head back and laughed. Galvan ran a hand through his hair.

  “You have issues. You know that? Lots of issues.”

  After that, Aquis was a permanent fixture in their games, as long as Galvan came with them to practice afterward. Galvan knew he should have been annoyed that she’d managed to interject herself into yet another aspect of his life, but somehow...

  Somehow, he couldn’t quite bring himself to care.

  CHAPTER THREE

  FIVE years later

  Senior Year

  Aquis struggled back to her feet, shoving her white hair out of her eyes and breathing hard.

  “If you want to get into officer training, you have to work harder,” Cora said, striding around the room, throwing random attacks at Aquis when her daughter least expected it. “You have to be smart in everything you do.”

  Flint moved next to her, ready to intercept the incoming attacks, but Aquis shook her head. He was always protecting her and now...

  Maybe that was why she was getting her butt kicked now.

  Galvan sat back, watching and waiting. He never protected her. He never jumped in when she was getting slaughtered in practice. She’d resented it at first, but now she realized it was his own weird way of letting her grow.

  Which she appreciated, surprisingly enough.

  Maybe Galvan wasn’t so bad after all.

  “Aquis, focus!” Cora snapped, and Aquis had to dive out of the way to avoid being hit by a wave of icy water. She shook her head, trying to shake Galvan out of it.

  “Maybe we should take a break,” Flint said, eyebrows drawn together while he watched her struggle to catch her breath. “She’s been doing this for hours now.”

  Cora’s shoulders slumped in defeat, but she nodded and Ren patted Aquis on the head as he walked out. She sank to the ground, dropping her forehead to her knees.

  “You’ll get there,” Galvan said quietly.

  Flint snorted. “She’s already there. Her parents are driving her too hard.”

  She tipped her head to the side so she could watch Flint pace.

  “If they didn’t, I wouldn’t be as strong as I am now.”

  I wouldn’t be able to compete with you.

  Flint was freakishly strong. His fire obliterated everything in sight, and nothing could stand up to the force of his attacks—not since Blaise had graduated and moved on to the Elites.

  Except Aquis, but that was only because of her parents and their grueling training schedule.

  He crouched next to her, meeting her eyes. His hair, wild streaks of red and orange, fell recklessly across his forehead. “You don’t need to be the strongest. I’m here. I can take care of it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I don’t need you to take care of it. Whatever it is. I’m strong.”

  Flint laughed, holding his hands up in defeat as he rose to stand next to Galvan. “I’m not saying you’re not strong. I’m just saying—”

  “Don’t say it,” Galvan cut him off. “Just don’t.”

  Flint laughed again. He was always laughing, and to anyone who didn’t know him well, he seemed happy. Always smiling—but sometimes, the smile didn’t reach the odd golden-brown eyes.

  He didn’t have a great relationship with his mom. It hurt him, Aquis knew, although he pretended it didn’t. Only because she’d been friends with him for twelve years did she see through his façade. He blocked all his pain with a wall of sunshine and rainbows. Now was one of those times.

  “Hey.” She sat back, dragging a hand through her hair. “It will be okay. I’ll get there.”

  He nodded. “I know.”

  They were running out of time though. Graduation was in a month, and then Elite testing was two weeks after that. If she wanted to make officer, she had to be a lot better than she was.

  “Let’s go grab dinner before the cafeteria closes for the night,” Galvan said. He smacked Flint on the back and started toward the door. Flint glanced down at Aquis, raising an eyebrow, and she nodded.

  Food was good.

  She pushed herself to her feet and fell into step beside Flint. Galvan walked a few paces ahead of them. She tried not to notice the way Galvan’s red hair curled just a bit at his collar or the broad stretch of his shoulders or the easy way he walked through the halls, sliding through students like lava. Flint was squarer, broader, and everyone just kind of dove out of his way.

  “Mara incoming. Twelve o’clock,” Galvan said over his shoulder, his lips barely moving as his eyes sparkled mischievously. Mara was a couple years younger than they were and had been obsessed with Flint for as long as Aquis could remember.

  Flint swore under his breath and looked desperately for anywhere to hide, but they were in the middle of the hall, and Mara had already spotted them.

  She sashayed up to them, designer heels clicking against the hardwood. Galvan disappeared, leaving Flint to his fate, but Aquis stayed with him like a good friend. She made a mental note to point that out to Galvan later.

  “Hey Flint.”

  Flint grimaced before he was able to smooth his face into something resembling friendly. “Mara. Hello.”

  Aquis smiled too, but Mara only had eyes for Flint and didn’t even give Aquis a passing glance.

  “So here’s something you might be interested in. I just talked to my mom, and she said she could possibly get you into officer training.” Mara smiled like Flint should fall at her feet and worship her, and Aquis had to close her eyes to keep from rolling them. Whenever she got the chance, Mara brought up her mother—Rene—who was on the head Counsel for the Elemental community.

  “I think he can get into officer training all by himself,” Aquis said. “He’s the most powerful kid in all the academies.”

  Completely ignoring Aquis, Mara popped a hip and laid a hand on Flint’s chest. She was a Pyra, like him, so it didn’t hurt her like it would have Aquis.

  “Yeah, but—”

  “Hey,” Galvan came back around the corner. “Cafeteria’s closing. If you wanna eat, you better get in here.” He jutted his thumb back toward the way he’d come, that smile playing around the corner of his lips.

  That smile that said he knew exactly what he was doing, and he’d just beaten Aquis at the good friend game. He’d rescued Flint.

  Aquis had stood there like an idiot by his side.

  Damn Galvan and his planning ahead.

  “Oh, right.” Flint pretended to be surprised. “I have to go, Mara. I’ll see you later, yeah?”

  Mara perked up, instead of being deflated like Aquis had expected, and looped her arm through Flint’s. “I haven’t eaten yet either. I’ll come with you.”

  Flint turned panicked dark eyes toward Aquis, who pursed her lips to hide a smile.

  Galvan’s plan had failed. She was still ahead.

  “Look who’s joining us for dinner,” she said brightly to Galvan when they came around the corner. He glanced up from his tray and winced.


  It seemed to be a common reaction when Mara was around.

  They sat silently while Mara chattered constantly, playing with her long red hair. Half the time, she was nearly in Flint’s lap, and her hair was dangerously close to his food. But there was nothing to be done. The Firestarter, Blaise, who had graduated a couple of years before them, had gotten on Mara’s bad side, and Rene had somehow managed to block her from officer training in the Elites. Now, everyone tiptoed around Mara, trying not to make her mad.

  Especially so close to testing.

  Galvan, who could care less about becoming an officer, smirked at his food and sometimes choked on a laugh, which he tried to turn into a cough. Aquis scowled at him, wondering if she could get away with kicking him under the table.

  He’d probably kick her back.

  “I’m done,” Flint said abruptly. He’d hardly touched his food, but he stood so quickly his chair tipped over backward. “I’m heading to bed.”

  “Bed?” Mara stood as well. She hadn’t touched her food, either, but Aquis suspected it was because she had, in fact, already eaten dinner. “It’s only seven. We could go do something fun. You have a car, right?”

  Flint had a jeep. Galvan had a huge truck. Neither of them said a word though, and instead looked at Aquis for help.

  “We actually have a big day tomorrow with training and... stuff...” Aquis said lamely. “So maybe another time?”

  “I wasn’t meaning you,” Mara said. “I meant Flint.”

  Galvan met Aquis’s eyes, laughing silently. He loved it when Aquis got burned.

  Not literally, of course.

  She was pretty sure.

  “Well,” Flint said gruffly, “I don’t go anywhere without Aquis, so that’s a problem.”

  “I noticed,” Mara said flatly. “You really should get over that. She’s just going to hold you back.”

  “Actually,” Flint said, more harshly than Aquis thought necessary. “She’s the one who pushes me to get better.”

  “Awww,” Aquis said, clapping her hands. “How sweet of you to say.”

  Flint scowled at her and Aquis grinned.

  They dumped their trays and started toward the dorms. Aquis fell back beside Galvan because Mara and Flint created a path with their threat of the Pyra burn.

  “She’s a peach, isn’t she?”

  Galvan snorted. “She makes you look like an angel.”

  Aquis glared at him. “You’re not so great yourself.”

  Galvan laughed and Aquis tried not to notice the way her heart pounded in her chest and her stomach did giddy somersaults. He was a friend.

  A friend.

  That was it.

  Actually, not even that. He put up with her because she was friends with Flint. That’s the way it had always been. Sure, they got along better now than they had before, but he still wasn’t her biggest fan.

  Her stupid heart didn’t seem to care.

  Why did he have to be so gorgeous?

  “Stop staring at me,” Galvan hissed. “You’re being creepy.”

  Aquis shook her head to clear the cobwebs and turned away. “I was lost in thought,” she said quickly. “Your face was just in the way.”

  “Get lost in thought on your own time.” Galvan grinned at his own cleverness and turned into The Station’s hall. Flint paused, so Mara paused as well, but Galvan was past the threshold without even a goodbye.

  “Well... I’m going to bed. At seven.” Flint opened his eyes wide and helpless at Aquis, but she had no way to save him. He was doomed to his fate.

  She raised her hand, dragging her eyes from Galvan’s retreating form. “Yeah. Seniors need their rest. These are stressful days. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  Flint pulled a face, smoothing it into a smile when Mara looked at him, and they, too, disappeared up the stairs.

  Aquis wandered away, wondering what she should do with herself with a free evening. She could go to The Pond and spend time with her Amazis, or maybe get in a little more practice. Or sleep, which actually didn’t sound half-bad after the workout her parents had given her.

  “Seniors, please gather in Invictus Hall. Again, Seniors, please gather in Invictus Hall.”

  Aquis peered up at the ceiling where the speakers hid in the dark corners, as if she could possibly see Ms. Jessi, the school receptionist. But she couldn’t, because that was ridiculous, so she turned and jogged in the opposite direction.

  There was a disaster somewhere.

  Time to go to work.

  Her mother stood in the center of the room when Aquis came in. She met Cora’s eyes and nodded minutely before she hurried to the locker room to change into her gear—all black canvas-like material that was supposed to be water and fire resistant. Boots with steel toes and a belt with water, dirt, and a lighter. The Pyras got flamethrowers.

  It really wasn’t fair.

  She tugged her hair into a ponytail and slid on her helmet.

  Ready.

  Taking a breath, she hurried back out and stopped in front of her mom.

  “How spent are you?” Cora asked quietly. “Did you refuel?”

  They had to eat after a hard workout because they burned so many calories. Elemental metabolism was high as it was, but when they actually had to fight with those elements, it was through the roof.

  “I’m fine,” Aquis said. She was exhausted, but she would never tell her mother that.

  Cora’s gaze swept Aquis from head to toe before she nodded and turned away, yelling orders to the other students who came in. Ren appeared on the balcony above, talking into his comm. Aquis saw Galvan and Flint slip in after everyone else. Both of them automatically looked for her before they went into their own locker room. Flint waved.

  Galvan rolled his eyes.

  “Get your gear and let’s get moving,” Cora bellowed.

  Aquis shoved her glasses up on the top of her head and rubbed the bridge of her nose. So much for going to bed early.

  “What’s going on?” Galvan asked, his voice low as he stopped next to her. Flint was still across the room talking to Ren, his face serious as he nodded in agreement with whatever Aquis’s father said.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. The only thing my mom asked was if I’d refueled. I said yes and she walked off.”

  “Mission leader, then.” Galvan nodded in answer to his own unspoken question. “Which means it has something to do with water.”

  Aquis bit her lip, shifting her weight to her other foot. “Fat lot of good you’re going to be then.”

  Galvan smirked at her but said nothing.

  “Okay, everyone,” Cora yelled, clapping her hands. “Listen up.” She waited for the din of student voices to die down before she continued. Flint came to Aquis’s side but said nothing. “A dam is breaking west of us approximately an hour and a half. We’re hoping to get there in time to slow it down and divert the water. Aquis will be mission leader except for our Pyras.”

  Aquis raised an eyebrow. They’d never split up before.

  “Flint, you and your Pyras go to the top and try to hold back the water with a wall of your own—”

  “On top of the wall? You mean of the dam? That’s breaking?” Aquis gasped. “They’ll be in danger—”

  “The Terras can hold the dam. It will be fine.” Cora did not like being argued with in front of the students, and Aquis knew that. But the plan was a mistake. Flint and Galvan and Kenna, the only other Pyra, would be dead before any Amazi could get to them if that wall collapsed.

  “But—” Aquis started, but Cora cut her off.

  “Load up. We can’t waste more time.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  GALVAN followed Flint onto the pods, glancing over his shoulder to see Aquis still arguing with her mother. He didn’t wholly agree with the plan either. It sounded like a death trap, but Cora wasn’t backing down.

  She was the adult. Surely she’d thought through all the risks.

  He settled in his seat next to Kenna and Fli
nt, buckling in as the pilot took off. Flint sat back, watching through the window.

  Watching Aquis.

  She’d finally given up and run to her own pod, but even from this distance, Galvan could see how angry she was.

  Angry Aquis was the most terrifying of all the Aquis personalities.

  “Does this feel like a good idea to you?” Galvan asked, turning away from the window as Aquis’s pod took off.

  A muscle worked in Flint’s jaw, but he didn’t answer for several seconds. “When we’re in the Elites, we have to follow orders, no questions asked—”

  “But—” Galvan interrupted, but Flint ignored him.

  “So I’m thinking this is probably some sort of test, right? They wouldn’t put us in a situation that wasn’t safe. They’ll see if we’ll follow orders and then they’ll call us down.”

  Kenna and Galvan exchanged an uncertain look. “Okay,” Galvan said slowly, “But what if it’s not that? Are we just going to risk our lives—”

  “Yes.” Flint raked a hand through his hair. “Because that’s what they told us to do. Everyone’s risking their lives. Do you think it’s any safer below the dam where Aquis and the others are?”

  “Yes,” Galvan said, “Because Aquis will be there.”

  Flint nodded but said nothing.

  “Okay, but you and Flint are on top. And you’re both strong. It will be fine,” Kenna said with a forced optimism that didn’t reach her eyes.

  Galvan sucked in a breath. “Yeah. It will be fine.”

  The pod shot through the sky as if trying to outrun the dark. Galvan went over everything they’d learned in all their training classes, trying to think of anything that would help hold back an actual dam.

  With fire.

  It was a stupid idea. He only hoped Flint was right and it was some sort of test.

  “Flint?” Aquis’s voice came over the comms and Galvan stilled, listening as well.

  Flint touched his earpiece to respond, his eyes lighting at the sound of her voice. “Yeah?”

  “Don’t go to the wall.”

  Galvan felt his eyebrows shoot up to nearly his hairline. Next to him, Kenna whipped her head toward Flint.