Cleansed by Water: The Nature Hunters Academy Series, Book 3

by Quinn Loftis

  “Oh, holy Egyptian babies,” Tara murmured. “Brace yourself for impact, Shells.”

  “You rescued my daughter from hell, but I can see there is more going on. Who the hell are you really, and why are you practically glued to my daughter’s side?”

  Holy crap. Where had my positive, happy-go-lucky dad gone to? Shelly asked herself as she stared at her royally pissed off father.

  “I am hers,” Ra said simply. “And she is mine.” That “mine” was said with some serious bite behind it, almost as if Ra was daring Shelly’s father to challenge him on it.

  “Her what?” Shelly’s mom asked.

  “Her soul mate, her soul bonded, her husband, her friend, her lover, her everything,” Ra answered. “She is all those things to me as well. She is the air I breathe.” Ra turned to look at her and placed his forehead against hers. “I cannot live without her.” He didn’t simply mean figuratively. They literally couldn’t live without one another. But maybe her parents didn’t need to know that tidbit, at least not yet.

  Shelly’s breath mingled with his as he stayed like that for several heartbeats. She knew her parents were probably having some serious internal freak-outs, but she couldn’t look away from the man who had saved her, loved her, and protected her. It made no sense to love someone she’d known for only a short time, but there it was. As real as the blood flowing through her veins, her love flowed for Ra.

  “I’m sorry, did you say husband?” Shelly’s mom sputtered.

  “LOVER?” Her dad practically roared.

  Ooookay, so maybe Ra could have left that one out, too.

  Ra stepped back and pushed her behind him, shielding her with his body as he faced her irate father. Shelly was shocked to find her dad’s face a shade of red she was sure it had never been before.

  “Daddy,” Shelly said in a placating voice. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d called him that. At some point in her life, he’d become Dad, and when she was angry at him, she called him Father because it irritated him. “Let’s talk about this like rational adults.” Okay, so calling him Daddy didn’t sound like something an adult would say, especially not in that lost, little girl voice. But she was trying to prevent her father from doing something monumentally stupid, like attacking her mega bad-ass mate.

  “You’re not an adult,” he yelled. “You’re a child! You haven’t even graduated from high school.”

  Oh, no, he did not. She narrowed her eyes on her father. See, that’s how pissed she was. Daddy could take a hike. Shelly tried to step around Ra, but he’d become her personal Egyptian guard, pushing her easily with his arms to keep her behind him. She had to settle for leaning around his broad shoulders so she could effectively glare at her dad.

  “Well, that isn’t exactly my fault. It’s not like they hand out diplomas in hell,” Shelly snapped back. “And I’m not a child. I’m eighteen, Dad. I know you still want to see me as a little girl, but I haven’t been a little girl for quite a while.”

  “Eighteen, a legal adult, does not make you grown,” he huffed back.

  “Do you love him?” her mom asked.

  Shelly looked up at Ra and then back to her mom. “I do. I love him very much.”

  “And do you love my daughter, Ra?”

  “More than anything,” he said without hesitation.

  “So why can’t you both stay here?” Shelly’s mom asked. “I mean, if you’re a package deal, and if I remember anything about young love, then trying to separate you two would just be a fool’s errand. You can both stay here, and Shelly can get her diploma, and—”

  “I can’t mom,” Shelly stopped her. “Not because I don’t want to,” she hurried on when she saw the hurt in her mom’s eyes. “I can’t because I’m a part of the elementalist academy now. Someone has to stop the dark elementals, and I’m on the good team. Ra is a warrior, and I have to be with him.”

  Her mom took a step toward Shelly, a frown creasing her brow. “What do you mean, you have to be with him?”

  Of course, she would pick up on that little inflection.

  “My soul is tied to Shelly’s,” Ra answered. “As is my life and hers to mine. It is the bargain we had to make with the lord of the underworld in order to leave and to ensure Shelly’s soul would not end up in the underworld when she dies.”

  “Why are you so talkative and helpful when I need you to be the scary, mute pharaoh and not talkative when I need you to be a safe, cuddly-looking teddy bear?” Shelly asked as she glared at him.

  Ra’s face was completely blank as he answered her. “I am never cuddly and safe.”

  “No,” Shelly said, shaking her head, “no, you are most definitely not.”

  “Could we please get back to the part where you said that my daughter’s life was tied to yours?” Shelly’s dad interrupted her glaring match with Ra.

  “It is exactly as I said,” Ra said as he turned back to face her parents. “Shelly goes where I go. In this life and the next.”

  “Damn,” Tara breathed out. “Dude is brutally honest.”

  “Yes, he is,” Shelly agreed. “Usually, that’s a great thing.”

  “But not so much when he’s admitting to your parents that if he dies you die?” Elias added. “Ra, you might want to rein that possessive streak in, mate. Shelly’s parents don’t look like they can take much more of your honesty.”

  “How did this happen?” Shelly’s mom asked, her face nearly as broken as it had been when she’d opened the door.

  “Ra, please,” Shelly said as she tried to step around him again. “Let me go to her.”

  “They can’t keep you,” he said softly, though his eyes were hard as steel.

  “They won’t,” she assured him. “But I can’t leave them a mess. I have to make them understand.”

  He finally stepped aside, and Shelly walked over to her mom, who had her hand over her mouth, her shoulders visibly shaking. “I know this has to be hard, but I’m not sorry it happened.”

  Her mom’s eyes snapped to hers. “Why would you say that? You were taken from us to hell? Who would be okay with that?”

  “Only Shelly,” Tara said.

  “I’m okay with it because it brought me to Ra. Mom, would you trade any part of your life, no matter how bad, if it meant you wouldn’t have met dad?”

  Her mother looked over at her father and slowly shook her head. “No. No, I wouldn’t.” She looked back at Shelly and reached out her hand. Shelly took it and her mom squeezed it tightly. “You’re still so young. It’s just difficult to let you go.”

  “Shelly,” her dad said in a desperate voice that she’d never heard from him. “How can you ask this of us? We just got you back.”

  Shelly looked at her dad and held out her other hand. He took it and stepped closer to her. “Dad, every kid grows up and leaves home. I’m just doing it a little sooner.”

  “But you’re not going off to college,” he pointed out. “You’re running off with a guy you just met and into danger. It’s not the same.”

  “No, it’s not,” she agreed. “But, it’s better than me running off with some toothless hillbilly because he knocked me up and wants me to be the queen of his single-wide trailer.”

  Tara groaned. “Way to show them the silver lining, dork.”

  Her mom laughed. “I guess it could be worse.”

  “I realize this is a lot, but we really must be going.”

  Her parent’s hands both tightened on hers. She smiled up at them and blinked away the tears. This was not goodbye. “I love you both,” she said. Dammit, they are both crying again. “This isn’t goodbye, it’s just … see you soon.”

  Her dad pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her head. “I love you, Shelly. More than you will ever realize. You’d better come back to us, or I’ll be forced to hunt down that guy who won’t take his eyes off of you and open a can of whoop-ass.”

  Shelly laughed. “Sure, dad. I’ve no doubt you could take him.”

  He chuckled and l
et her mom pull her from him and into her arms. “We’re so proud of you. I don’t think we told you that enough as you were growing up. But we are.”

  “I know, even if I didn’t give you a whole lot to be proud of.”

  “Don’t say that,” her mom scolded. “You’re the most loyal person I’ve ever known.”

  “You’re confusing stalking tendencies with loyalty, Mom,” Shelly said as she grinned.

  “That’s true,” Tara agreed. “If there was a contest for stalking, she’d win that one hands down.”

  That seemed to release some of the tension in the room, and Shelly felt like she could breathe again.

  “I will protect her at all cost,” Ra said as he stepped up beside her and held out his hand to her dad. “This is not the way I would have chosen to meet you, but I am glad I have gotten to see the people who brought my remarkable mate into the world.”

  Her mom seemed shocked by his admission as she stuttered, “Um, yes, well, th-thank you.”

  “Please don’t make me regret this,” Shelly’s dad said as he shook Ra’s hand.

  “You have my word.” Ra bowed his head.

  “And what about you two?” Carol asked.

  Shelly turned to look at her best friend, who was wrapped in Elias’s arms, her back pressed firmly to his chest.

  “We are the same, but a little different,” Tara said. “Elias is my soul bonded. But, without the whole ‘he dies, I die’ thing.”

  “I wouldn’t want to live without you,” Elias said softly, though loud enough that everyone heard it.

  “And you love him?” Carol asked.

  Tara nodded. “Very much.”

  “She owns me,” Elias said, looking Tara’s foster mom in the eyes.

  Carol finally nodded. “Okay then. There isn’t more I can ask for from the man Tara chooses.”

  “We thank you for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Carol,” Aviur said as he looked at each of them. “And I am sorry to drop all of this news on you and then leave, but we have much that needs to be done if we want to keep the world from freezing and the human race from dying.”

  “Wow. You just lay it out there, don’t you,” Carol said as she stood and motioned for Tara to come to her.

  She took Tara’s hand and held it tightly. “I wish that this was not something you had to do. I wish your parents had not suffered the fate they did, but God’s plan is not thwarted by evil. I know you don’t necessarily believe what I do, but that doesn’t mean God doesn’t exist and that he isn’t watching over you. It also doesn’t mean he can’t use evil men to bring about his plans for this world, and his plans are always for the good of those who love him. When you are standing in the dark, and you can’t see a sliver of light, I want you to remember that. Can you do that for me?” she asked as a tear ran down her cheek.

  Shelly’s eyes filled with tears at the love that filled Carol’s eyes.

  Tara nodded. “I can do that. I love you, and this won’t be the last time you see me.”

  Carol wrapped her in her arms. “I know it won’t. Your beau will bring you back to me.”

  “You have my word,” Elias said in a solemn voice.

  “I am going to open a portal,” Aviur told her. “Please do not pass out.”

  Tara snorted. “Carol’s made of tougher stuff than passing out at the sight of a portal.”

  Shelly glanced at her parents. “Y’all don’t pass out either.”

  Aviur bowed his head to the older woman. “I have seen the evidence of that today.”

  “Bye, Mrs. Carol,” Shelly said as she pushed Tara out of the way and hugged Carol tightly. “You don’t worry about us. We’ll be kicking ass and taking names. We can even send you a list if you’d like. Then you can hang it on your fridge like you used to do with our drawings.”

  Tara sighed. “Good grief.”

  Carol patted Shelly’s cheek. “Never change, Shelly Smith. Never, ever change.”

  “What the…” Shelly’s father’s eyes widened as he looked at something behind her. Shelly turned and saw that the fire king had opened a portal.

  She rolled her eyes. “Could you please at least warn the humans before you do something magical? We're trying not to put them into cardiac arrest.”

  Aviur smiled. “Sorry. But I did warn them. I even told them not to pass out.”

  “He’s totally not sorry,” Shelly muttered as she hugged her stunned parents. “I’ll be in touch. I’ve got my phone, and I’ll make Ra portal me here when we can.”

  Her mom looked relieved, and Shelly wanted to kick herself for not pointing those two things out sooner.

  Ra took her hand, and she followed him over to the portal that Aviur had already stepped through. Tara hugged Shelly’s parents, and Shelly saw tears in her best friend’s eyes. She hadn’t thought about how it might be hard on Tara to see them, considering she hadn’t known if she’d have to eventually tell them their daughter was dead. She turned and looked at Carol one last time. “I love you, Mom.”

  Carol smiled as she wiped the tears from her face. “And I love you, daughter mine.”

  With one last smile at the three of them, Shelly stepped through the portal. She saw her mom reach out for her, and her dad wrap his arms around her mother. “They will be all right,” Ra assured her.

  She knew they would, but she wished she could spare them any more pain and worry.

  When the portal closed behind them, Shelly saw Tara turn into Elias and press her face to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down so his mouth was next to her ear. “You will see her again, love.”

  Shelly agreed with him, but she wondered what hell they would have to face before that day came.

  Chapter 8

  Gabby stared up at the huge mountain where she stood at the base with the rest of her team. Okay, so it wasn’t a mountain. It was a freaking volcano. And by the rumblings under her feet, it was pissed off.

  “Now that’s a sight,” Liam said from beside her.

  “That,” Professor Frost said, “is Mauna Loa. It covers half of the island of Hawaii. It is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world.”

  “That's fantastic information and should I ever need it for a report, it will absolutely be included,” Zuri quipped, “but I don’t think it’s the information that they need.”

  Gabby looked at Frost, wondering if she was going to bite the earth elementalist’s head off for the smart remark. She didn’t. Instead, she shrugged and said, “You’re right. I just like interesting facts and frequently share them.”

  “What information do we need to know?” Liam asked just as the ground rolled beneath their feet, sending Gabby stumbling into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against his body.

  She forced herself to ignore the way the warmth from his body seeped into hers. Liam’s breath on her neck sent chills down her spine. The instant Gabby found herself leaning back into him, desiring more of his touch, she lunged out of his arms. She didn’t give a damn if she fell flat on her face. It was better than him realizing she desired him. “No, I don’t,” she muttered under her breath and straightened her clothes.

  “Everyone okay?” Professor King, who stood unfazed, asked.

  Gabby frowned at him. How had he remained still when the rest of them had been tumbled around like a soda can with a warped bottom? She felt like an idiot when she remembered he was an air elementalist and had most likely used his power to control the air around him. He’d probably had the wind raise him off the ground, even if only a little. It would have kept him from staggering.

  There was a chorus of “I’m good” and “No problem” in answer to his question.

  “As you can see,” Zuri began as she looked at Liam, “the volcano is even more active than usual.”

  “Why?” Gabby asked as she looked again at the top of the mountain in awe. There was a loud explosion and then a burst of red and orange lava flew into the sky.

  “
Because of the unstable temperature in the earth’s core. It’s causing the volcanoes around the world to be even more temperamental than usual,” Zuri explained.

  Liam rubbed his hands together, his eyes filing with the eagerness of a little boy about to get into some serious trouble.

  “What’s the plan?”

  “I’d say a good start is to keep the island from burning to ash,” Josie, the water elementalist female and soul bonded to Miles, said.

  “That is the ultimate goal,” Professor Frost agreed, “but we are each going to have to use our specific power, in tandem with one another, in order to make that happen.”

  Mauna Loa suddenly exploded again, and the ground rolled. Gabby was ready for it this time and managed not to fall into Liam’s arms. And she totally wasn’t disappointed about it. Not at all.

  “This is going to be dangerous,” Frost said looking at Liam.

  “What she’s trying to say is, if you do something stupid you are going to die,” Zuri told him dryly.

  Liam held up his hands. “Dude, I don't want to die. Stupid is behind me.” He glanced at Gabby as he added, “I got too much to live for these days.”

  Gabby’s stomach filled up with dancing elephants as she was held captive by the heat in his eyes and something more. She didn’t want to examine what that something more was. She couldn’t deal with it. Not while they were trying to save an island and not be killed themselves. Maybe not ever.

  Zuri grinned “That’s great, lover boy. Just remember that when you’re tempted to show off.”

  Miles snorted and Liam shot him a look. Miles smiled wider. “She’s totally right. There’s nothing more we like to do than to show off for our women.”

  “Women?” Josie asked her mate.

  “Mmm-mmm-mm,” Gabby hummed. “You might want to grab a shovel, Miles. Go on and start digging that grave.”

  “What?” Miles asked, his voice rising up an octave as he looked between them.

  “You said women,” Liam offered. “Plural.”

  “Shi—” Miles began but Josie cut him off.

  She growled at him. “Language.”

  “Josie,” her mate practically whined. “You know what I meant. I wasn’t saying my women. I was saying men in general and each of their women. I like to impress you and only you.”