“If that’s really what’s going on here, we need to tell the Council.”
Rob scoffed. “Yin and yang? Good and evil? Spells? I call bullshit. Layden is just pushing the Council’s agenda in that dumb class. Arts & Crafts? Give me a break. Who wants to learn how to make a quilt?”
I glared at him. “It’s short for Dark Arts & Witchcraft.”
He snapped his mouth shut and swung his rounded gaze to Bryan. We all did. He nodded and sank against the wall once again. “Layden is teaching a class on how to defend against dark arts and witchcraft.”
“And you’re in this class? Un-fucking-believable.” Rob ran his fingers through his short hair and held both hands behind his head as he walked in circles. He stopped abruptly. “Could the Council be any more obvious? They already hate your family and are just waiting for you to step out of line. You being in a class like that will only end badly. Why the hell would she do this to you?”
“You really don’t know the answer to that?” Leo jumped to Bryan’s defense, going up against Rob, which shocked us all. It definitely shocked me. Our master of the obvious rarely created waves or went up against the leader of our group. As opposites, they butted heads, sure. But this was something else, something more.
Leo Jackson was taking a stand. I’d applaud if it wouldn’t ruin the mood.
Rob narrowed his glare, nailing the water elemental with pinpoint precision. “What did you just say?”
He brought up his hands. “I’m not trying to start anything.”
“Then shut your piehole.”
“Cool it,” I ordered Rob before nodding at Leo. “Go on.”
“Professor Layden has Bryan in the class as proof to the Council he’s not dark.” When we all exchanged baffled glances, he went on. “Think about it. The Council has pretty much already labeled him dark because he’s a Gunderson. Nothing he can say or do will change that. They’ve already made up their collective mind. So Layden—instead of going along with them—is doing this to prove them wrong.”
“I’m still not following,” I admitted.
“Think about it.”
“I’m trying.” And now, I’m annoyed.
“If a Gunderson is around all that magic and darkness she’s teaching us how to defend against and doesn’t give in to it, how could they possibly continue to label him as dark?” He said it so abruptly, so matter-of-factly, that air whistled out of my lungs at the revelation. How did I not put that together? Thank God my water elemental stated the obvious even when the rest of us didn’t see it.
“Wait,” Clay jumped in. “Instead of you guys having a relief class, like shop with Rob and me, you all are stuck in a defense class? That’s bullshit. We’re all supposed to get a relief class.”
“And once again, you’ve completely missed the point.” Bryan shot him a look.
“Maybe you should elaborate, Einstein.” He growled his insult, repeating what Bryan had called him during our last sparring match. Was that seriously only a week ago? Time flew when you were under the gun. Was that the saying? It was if you asked my mom.
“Professor Layden pretty much said fuck you to the Council and with a class they themselves approved.”
She’d done the same when she teleported out of the room this morning. Leo wasn’t the only elemental taking a stand.
Clay elbowed Leo. “Nice observation, dude. Even I didn’t pick up on it.”
“Maybe there are still some things your giant brain doesn’t get.”
He laughed. “Clearly. Man, I can’t believe Layden would go against the Council like that. I think I love her.”
“Hey. What am I? Chopped liver?” I opened my arms wide and laughed when he pulled me into his arms and attacked my neck. I slapped and screamed playfully. When the impact angered my cut, I winced. He immediately stilled and took my hand, examining the wound. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine,” he argued. “Guys, take a look at this.” They closed in, making me even more uncomfortable. A coldness built within me. I couldn’t stop it. Instead of my embarrassment heating me, it cooled my core.
“Get back,” I demanded as the coldness continued to build, the warmth of their nearness overwhelming. They all stared at my hand as I bared my teeth, fighting the cold clawing at me to surface.
“It looks infected,” Rob stated.
“It looks gross,” Clay added.
“It looks like it hurts.” Leo leaned in.
“Katy?” Bryan asked. “Are you okay?”
No, I wasn’t okay. It was too much. The cold took over, controlling my thoughts, my movement. I threw my arms out to my sides, using air to send them all flying away from me, not wanting any of them touching me. Everything around me went dark. I was cold, so cold, as fury raged inside me. One thought stayed front and center—conquer.
I lifted into the air and glared at the futile beings. They were no match for me. I could kill them all in one fell swoop and not break a sweat.
“Stand and face me,” I rasped, the sound deep, distant, dark. It wasn’t my voice, wasn’t what I really wanted, yet I couldn’t stop it. The drive to hurt them, to make them feel real pain, overwhelmed me. I’d take great pleasure in torturing them.
“Babe?” The water elemental approached first. “Are you okay?”
“You do not even challenge my power. I am the supreme elemental. I will rule our world.” Purple flames erupted around me. I curled my fingers into a fist as I focused on the soothing heat finally warming me, the way it consumed me and controlled me. I then smiled as I sent the heat to him. Water elementals didn’t fare well against fire, especially
