by Rachel Rener
“It sounds like you put a lot of thought into this,” I replied, hoping he hadn’t caught the immense sarcasm dripping from my voice.
When he let out a long sigh, I thought maybe it was because he had. Instead, he was just getting comfortable, tucking his arms behind his head and kicking his feet up on the desk. “You know, I’d thought that this would be a lot harder without my father here, since he normally dealt with the big picture stuff. But it’s really not bad.”
My breath hitched in my chest. “Your father…?”
“Dead. Carked it. But I’m sure you already knew that since it was your people that whacked him.”
The nonchalance of his remark made me physically recoil. It wasn’t just a brave façade he was putting on, either. He genuinely didn’t care.
Forcing the growing lump in my throat back down, I met his strange purple eyes with my own. His reminded me of Barish’s, except slightly pinker in hue, and less intelligent. The unnatural color was the mark of a powerful Electromancer, I’d finally learned – one powerful enough to see wavelengths of light that others couldn’t. And his were far more violet than mine – yet another reason to tread incredibly cautiously around this “bloke.”
“I’m really sorry,” I finally replied, feeling genuinely so. “Um, I take it your father wasn’t kind to you?”
He shrugged. “Nah, he was good enough. I mean, he dedicated his life to me, right? It’ll be a huge pain in the arse not to have him around, but his soul is in the next stage of evolution now.” At my puzzled expression, he rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You know, where he’ll be bestowed with all the knowledge of the universe and one step closer to his final celestial form. But hey, once he’s able to re-cross the great dimensional plane, he’ll carry that knowledge back to me in dreams. So, it’s all for my benefit, really. It just sucks that the old bloke failed. Having all the world leaders execute a mass murder-suicide pact during a colossal volcanic eruption would have been a) hilarious, b) globally destabilizing, and c) loads easier in the grand scheme. Nuclear bombs are a slog to clean up after, even for Auries.” He blew out a frustrated sigh. “I guess the survivors will blame you for any residual radioactive fallout, huh?”
I could only stare at him blankly as nausea threatened to overtake me. Where on earth were Mei and the others? They had to be putting the pieces together by now… right?
“Anyway, once I kill ya and pretend to be bummed over it, I’ll take my place as minister, reunite Obsidian and the Order, openly announce our existence to the world, and then use this handy little bomb that Kaylie left me to exterminate all the Defects out there who oppose us. What do you guys call ‘em? Deficients? Anyway, unlike little Kay-Kay, I won’t be bluffing when I tell those no-hopers I’ll be using it against them. Hell, I might not even warn ‘em at all!” He kicked his feet off the desk and mimicked an explosion with his hands, cackling as though he’d just told a fantastic joke.
I feigned an amiable expression, weak as it was. “It’ll be difficult, even for you… You know, surviving a nuclear winter where all animal and plant life is annihilated and the sun is blotted out from the sky.”
He waved a dismissive hand as he rose from his chair. “Yeah, nah. We gather a few buckets of seeds, a bunch of cattle and crops, we hide out underground for a week – month, tops. And then when everyone else is dead, we send the Auromancers out to clear the air, thereby allowing us to live as Elemental stewards on a brand-new planet. It’ll be like Noah and the Ark, right? Noah built a boat, grabbed a bunch of good-looking people and plants and animals, and after God wiped out all of civilization for being disbelieving drongos, Noah and his followers rebuilt society from the muck. You see where I’m going with this? Except in this case, I’m God, the flood is the nuke, and… well, you get it.”
I rose from my seat, pleased to see that my heels brought us to eye-level. “I don’t think you understand the science behind nuclear weapons,” I pressed my hands to the desk, smiling sweetly as our noses almost touched.
“I wouldn’t piss on a scientist even if they were on fire, not when I’ve got God-given magic, doll face,” he smirked, then straightened whatever spine he pretended to have. “Now, here’s my obligatory ‘join me or die’ monologue, where I offer you the chance to, you know, avoid being deceased and instead help me build a utopia of Elementalists. And, I’m just tossing this out there as mental fodder, but has it occurred to you that in the history of the world, no two Pentamancers have ever once made a baby?”
I raised a single, disgusted eyebrow.
“You can’t tell me you wouldn’t be curious about that little ankle biter’s abilities,” he grinned. “I mean, it might be a literal God, or at least a demigod! And, again, I’m not saying this to brag, but rather to give you the straight facts – I’ve had sex with just about every bitch in heat in our compound, and they all told me that I’m a bloody stallion. So. What do you say? Long, bloody, humiliating, drawn out public death whereby I, the twenty-five-year-old uncontested champion of the Elements, sweep the floor with your eviscerated guts… or, you know, we could become the first mated pair of Pentamancers in the history of the world and create a hedonistic paradise with our Elemental brethren? Queen Rowan. Supreme Mistress Aspen. You name it. As long as you call me ‘King Lucas’ whenever we’re in public. Supreme Master is fine too.”
When he finally finished talking, I stared at him for a good minute, my mouth pressed into a firm line. During the final few seconds, he started to squirm uncomfortably. “Well?”
“I’ve considered your offer,” I finally replied.
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, wait, seriously?”
I nodded. “And I’ve decided to become your girlfriend and build that proverbial ark together while the rest of the world sizzles like shrimp on a barbie.”
“Are you having a go?” he gaped at me, surveying my body up and down with newly-invigorated interest. “I mean, I wasn’t going to say anything, but the majority of Sheilas at the compound are toasty blondes, since that’s what Dad liked.” He reached forward to tug on a strand of my hair, twirling it in his fingers. I gritted my teeth, doing everything I could to control myself as the lights in the office flickered. He exhaled sharply. “Yeah, mate. At second glance, this whole sexy Snow-White thing you have going might be a real treat for the eunuchs when I’m done with y—”
He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence because that was when my open palm intercepted with his face, sending him stumbling three steps backwards.
“Let me make myself clear, this time without sarcasm. I’ve considered your offer… and the answer is a definite, resounding no.”
He gaped from me to the blood on his fingers as though he never knew he could actually bleed.
“Now, you pledge to call off any and all nuclear attacks – until after you kill me, of course – and give me the courtesy of a fair fight, and I’ll agree to meet you in the ring for a duel to the death. Sound good, mate?” I added sweetly.
“Oh, you bitch,” he grinned, wiping the blood from his chin. “It’s a deal.”
Forcing some semblance of a confident smile onto my face took real effort. I had no idea whether I could beat this guy – frankly, I probably didn’t stand a chance – but it didn’t matter. I just needed to stall him long enough for the Asterians to realize what had happened and come back for me, which would probably be any minute. I could handle that much.
The sound of the door banging open made me jump. I whirled around to find three tall blonde women striding into the office, each regarding me with cold amethyst eyes. In that brief moment of distraction, my vision was flooded with that sickening, mind-numbing ultraviolet light, locking my body in place.
“It’s bedtime for you, little Pentamancer,” Lucas’s voice crooned inside my head. “When you wake up, we’ll be far from here.”
“No, wait!” I tried to cry, but my mouth wouldn’t cooperate. Cold dread gripped my lungs, making it hard to breat
he. How will they find me?
That’s the idea, possum, Lucas’s snicker echoed between my ears. They won’t.
Something blunt hit the back of my head and for the second time that day, glaring brightness quickly faded to pitch black.
Chapter 32
he first thing I noticed when I woke up was the darkness, for which I was immediately grateful; I’d take pitch blackness over Lucas’s harrowing brand of Electromantic mind-jacking any day. Stifling a low groan, my body and I slowly got reacquainted, one sense at a time. As the fog of whatever the hell he’d done to me started to clear, I began to recognize the sound of low murmuring voices. The sharp bite of winter was seeping into the right side of my body and the earthy smell of damp soil and bark filled my nose. Hands tied behind my back, my numb fingers had just enough freedom to brush against frozen earth. I briefly considered using that to my advantage, but Eileen had always warned me never to blindly cleave through the ground until I was certain of what lay below. Don’t ever underestimate how little energy it takes to cause a mile-wide sinkhole, she would remind me with that playful twinkle in her eye. And besides, falling down a fissure with my hands bound behind my back would almost certainly spell a shattered leg or two.
Resigned for the moment, I focused on warming the air around me while the rest of my senses fluttered awake. I sensed the fire before I realized there were torches nearby. It was comforting, knowing that flames were near – not just because I could use it to my advantage, but because it reminded me of Aiden. My thumb brushed against the cool metal of the brand-new ring I wore on my left hand, an object that still felt new and foreign to me but at the same time so completely right. Tears began to form between my lashes but I swallowed them back. Focus! Aiden would tell me. Channel your emotions into something that can help you, right here, right now. All that matters in this moment is your survival!
Lifting my head from the ground, my bleary eyes settled on the nearest flame, a torch burning several yards to my left. Driven by the thought of seeing my Aiden again, I summoned a tiny spark from it – one that I hoped would go unnoticed, since I sensed others nearby – and guided it behind my back, to the ropes around my wrists. The faint smell of smoke let me know that the spark had found its target. Within moments, I was able to free myself from the cords, but I didn’t dare move. Not yet.
Look around, Ori’s voice commanded me. Find your source. Electricity is never far. Angling my head up ever so slightly, I peered between the dark line of trees directly in front of me, searching for the tell-tale lines of crackling ultraviolet light that told me power lines were nearby. I couldn’t see them… but off in the distance, far beyond the trees, I could feel them. The electricity stored inside the transformers beckoned to me, even from such a distance.
The murmurs were growing louder. I couldn’t tell if my ears were finally working again or if the voices were becoming more agitated. Slowly, I pulled my hands to my sides and then beneath my body, bracing myself against the frozen ground. It was saturated with water, both liquid and frozen. I actually smiled as a memory of my Hydromantic father came to mind, from many years ago. He was creating a crystal sculpture in the backyard for my mother’s birthday, despite his complete, self-acknowledged lack of artistic talent. Vaguely resembling a lily, the long, sharp edges of ice were glittering and pristine against the warm California breeze. Careful, Rosebud! he called to me with a smile. Cryomantic ice can be sharper than steel.
Ice from the ground crystalized in my hand, creating a sharp dagger that I clutched tightly at my side. I’d never stabbed anyone in my life and prayed today wouldn’t be the day I added that skill to my repertoire. But I didn’t exactly have pepper spray nearby.
The voices behind me were becoming clear now, distinct from the other sounds of the forest. “This will be over quickly,” Lucas was saying. “Just make sure you get it on video, especially the part where I cry out all anguished at the end – you know, like she forced me into it. It’s the only way we can get her people behind me.”
“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but we’ve already lost so many members,” a woman replied in a soft voice. “What makes you think they’ll return after she’s dead?”
“Because it’s written,” he replied matter-of-factly. “That’s why Pentamancers are born. Elementalists, even butt-hurt ones, recognize that it’s our God-given right to control the world. Do you doubt that?”
“No, of course not. My apologies, Lucas.”
“Good. Now you two, stay with the van. You – wake her the hell up. The crowd’s getting restless and I want her to have carked it before midnight. I’m bloody knackered.”
Footsteps sounded behind me. My throat tightened in terror as I clutched the frozen dagger at my side for dear life. I’d asked Lucas for a fair fight, hoping I could stall just long enough for my friends to come find me at Obsidian headquarters. But now, stranded in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by powerful Electromantic cultists and their delusional leader, my only hope of seeing my friends and family again was managing, somehow, to survive the night.
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with cool, comforting air. Wind won’t bow to external pressure, no matter how solid the obstacle. Sophia once told me. Surrender yourself to it. Fill yourself with it. You’ll never find a more powerful ally than Wind.
A hand grabbed my shoulder and shook me roughly. “Wake up!” the woman hissed. “Lucas doesn’t like to be kept waiting!”
Yanking my shoulder away from her, I rose unsteadily to my feet, hiding the dagger in the back pocket of my skirt as I did. After taking a moment to extract the water and earth from my clothes – yep, I was even taking a page from the stylish book of Savannah – I looked up, surprised to see several hundred people, grown men and women of all ages, encircling the forest clearing. Their faces illuminated by torchlight, they were standing shoulder to shoulder to form a blockade that was likely meant to keep me from escaping. Still, I noticed that many of them appeared visibly uncomfortable as I met each of their stares.
“Oi!” Several yards away, in the middle of the clearing, Lucas was walking toward me, a cocky swagger adding a bounce to his steps. He flashed me that terrible grin that reminded me of a scarecrow’s sneer. “Well, good morning, little Pentamancer. Did you enjoy your—”
“Is this it?” I interjected. The strength of my voice surprised even me.
He snapped his mouth shut, staring at me with an annoyed expression. “Is what it?”
I gestured at the meager crowd. “I mean, is this all you could manage to keep?” I knew that goading him would only make things worse for myself, but I couldn’t help it. The guy had become a major thorn in my side. “I mean, Kaylie managed to recruit like two thousand Elementalists into Obsidian. How did you manage to lose so many of them so quickly?”
The acute annoyance plastered on his face quickly morphed into humiliated contempt. “Oh, those knobs’ll come back, don’t you worry.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” I remarked, tapping my chin. “I mean, your credo isn’t particularly appealing. Especially the ‘Come join us in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where everyone else is dead!’ part.” I looked around at his increasingly restless audience. “I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like weekends would be a little boring. Not to mention depressing, with all the dead bodies littering the streets.”
As Lucas’s scowl deepened, I felt freshly emboldened. These lingering followers of his may have been the most extreme of the extremists, but even they had to possess some common sense. At least, I hoped they did.
“By the way,” I added for their benefit. “My team is currently talking to the U.S. president, last I heard. He’s so grateful that the Asterians swooped in to defend the Summit from Obsidian’s failed attack that we might actually be able to maintain an open dialogue with him moving forward. Because, you know, my personal vision is to work toward a united world that hasn’t been reduced to a pile of smoking, radioactive rubble.” I blew on my knuckles, feigni
ng nonchalance while Lucas’s crowd erupted with agitated rumblings. In truth, that took more than a little effort on my part since my fingers were shaking so badly.
“Is that true?” someone shouted. “You told us the leaders of the world would wipe us all out!”
“Oh, piss off!” Lucas whirled around. “It’s obviously just some bloody bull dust she’s spinning to manipulate you.”
“Why don’t we ask the president?” I chimed in.
The rumbling turned into an uproar with several hundred voices expressing strong opinions all at once.
“Enough!” Lucas shouted. “Everyone just shut up and let me handle this!”
The crowd grew quiet again. But those earlier trickles of doubt and worry had quickly turned to indignation and dismay. Lucas must have noticed, because when he turned back to face me, his cheeks were the color of tomatoes. Very angry and embarrassed tomatoes that were losing control of an already-tenuous situation.
You’re provoking him, a practical voice that sounded very much like my mother’s whispered in the back of my mind. If he becomes unhinged, who knows what he might do…
Well, I didn’t have long to ponder that, because the flames from every torch in that clearing were suddenly wrenched from their sources, converging far above my head. With the help of a swirling gust of Wind, the ball of fused Fire swelled and stretched, each side elongating until a massive coiling snake rose from the flames. Flashes of Lightning popped and crackled along its stretching underbelly, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. Where had that Electricity come from?