I was in the zone, dancing with the trees, and didn’t see what was now barreling toward me until Clay shouted, “Montana! Look out!”
A tree branch came out of nowhere and clotheslined me, sending me flying back. Out of instinct and habit, I called air to catch me, but it refused to answer. What the hell was up with my element? I switched to earth and called the same tree branch that attacked me. It responded, but not the way I expected, as it came at me again.
I jumped onto the thick trunk and rode it like a cowboy riding a prize bull. The branch bucked and jerked from side to side. I dug my nails into the wood and yelled, “Stop!”
It stilled and followed my command by slowly lowering me to the ground. I petted the bark as it moved away, staying down as if humiliated over its actions. The trees all swooped in and out, in and out, over and over until the fog completely disappeared.
Clay casually strolled up next to me, his hands in his pockets, his focus on the trees as they gradually returned to their original, majestic positions. He whistled and tossed me a sideways glance. “Still think earth isn’t your primary?”
Considering air no longer responded to my call, water still hated me, and my fire call was weak at best right now, I didn’t know what to think anymore. “How about we get out of here before whoever conjured up that fog storm makes an encore?”
“Totally agree.” He hooked me around the waist and kissed my nose. “As much as I hate to admit it, I think we might need to recruit your fandler to help us figure out what the hell that fog was and how to fight it. He’s got some mad skills.”
As much as I hated to agree, he was absolutely right.
8
“To be clear, you want me to teach you how to defend against…fog.” Spencer bounced his attention between Clay and me, his eyebrows raised, his guard clearly up. He didn’t believe us. Honestly, I didn’t blame him. I hardly believed us.
We sat in primary, groaning at Professor Geoff Gallen’s—I still couldn’t bring myself to call him GG—attempt at humor using little more than glorified dad jokes. He’d assigned a group project, so Clay and I paired up with Spencer and Jess. And yes, that was as painful as it sounded.
At least Jess was being uncharacteristically nice. No, not nice, not really. Just less of a twat waffle than typical. She kept her head down, her concentration on doodling little hearts with her and Spencer’s initials inside, the entire class. It was weird, even for her, but I’d take it. In fact, she barely said anything as Clay and I pleaded for help from a guy neither of us trusted.
We’d decided to approach him in primary, away from the other guys. Rob wanted nothing to do with asking Spencer for anything other than what he wanted on his tombstone—gotta love my hotheaded fire elemental and his cocky attitude. Bryan shared Rob’s distrust. Leo just shrugged, which was his standard reply when he didn’t want to create waves.
“Please, Spencer.” God, that hurt to say. “I know it sounds crazy.”
“Because it is.” Jess jumped a quick look at me before returning her attention to her doodles.
That’s when I noticed the lack of makeup. I usually get up and get out of the room before she wakes up, so I didn’t notice it this morning. I definitely noticed it now. “Jess? Did you wake up late?”
“No.” She didn’t even look up. “You’re just always gone when I get up. It’s nice and quiet that way.”
I regretted saying anything, and yet I asked, “What’s with the no makeup?”
She sighed and lowered her glitter pen as she regarded me like I was interrupting something monumental and not her stupid doodles. “I don’t need it. It just covers up my natural beauty. Right, Spence?” She swung a moony gaze his way, eagerly anticipating his answer.
“That’s right, love.” He rubbed her back, and I wanted to gag. She practically purred and went back to her doodles.
“Montana doesn’t wear makeup,” Clay pointed out. I actually did, but didn’t want to ruin the moment, so I said nothing. If I went out in public without at least mascara, I’d scare small children.
“She doesn’t need it,” Spencer said in a tone that crawled up my spine and made me uncomfortable all over. “Natural beauty is a thing to behold.”
“Behold it on someone else, buddy.” Clay put his arm around me protectively. I fought the urge to shrug it off. I didn’t like my guys puffing out their chests over me. First Rob, now Clay.
Lulu popped into the classroom next to the professor. Several of us jumped, me included. She leaned to him and said something. He nodded quickly.
Please don’t look at me. Please don’t…ah, crap. He looked right at me before addressing the class. “I’ll be right back. Work on your projects.” He swung his attention my way one last time before he and Lulu grasped wrists and popped out.
I stared at the front of the room where they’d just stood, my heart pounding as I worked through all the reasons why Lulu called my primary professor away in the middle of the one class he had all day.
“How about we focus on the project?” Spencer’s question broke me out of my trance.
I regarded him. “What about helping us?” I didn’t want his help. I really didn’t, and I hated that I needed it. He was the stronger caller—which still pained me to admit—and knew how to beat down his opponent. I’d be impressed if I didn’t want to smash his face into the spoiled potato salad at the dining hall.
“Let’s discuss it during lessons. For now, we have a project to complete.”
We spent the rest of the class coming up with different ways to use air to our advantage, each of us choosing something
