The cabin was heavily warded—a requirement for anyone working patrols for the Council—which made me feel an inkling better about Rob living here alone. I paused as I studied the nearly invisible barrier. It shimmered softly, every so often catching the light just right. I looked for a ward resembling the one I’d created today but struck out.
Without warning, my hand began to throb. I glanced at my palm, stiffening when the pulsing glow just beneath my skin radiated outward. I checked the barrier, then dropped my attention back to my hand. If the darkness inside me blocked me from entering the beefed-up barrier created by the added wards, I’d…well… I don’t know what I’d do, but it wouldn’t be pretty.
Cautiously, I reached out and turned my head away from the inevitable carnage as I slipped my arm through the barrier, fully expecting it to eat the flesh from my bones or whatever happened when the wards came across a dark elemental. To my extreme and giddy relief, my arm slipped through without issue. I released the breath I’d been holding and passed through the protective wall, taking the steps up to the porch.
Clay’s roaring laughter as Bryan shouted at him drew me inside. I’d probably have to break them up. To my surprise, they sat around the coffee table, Bryan and Rob on the couch, Leo in the matching chair, and Clay in one of the dining room chairs. A board game sat on the table between them, colorful funny money stacked neatly in front of each of them, pieces patiently waiting for someone to roll the dice.
“Reed!” Rob waved me in and patted the couch between Bryan and him. “Have a seat. The game is about to commence.”
“You are about to go down, babe.” Leo winked, causing my insides to go a little haywire. He wiped at his brow with the back of his hand.
“I wouldn’t mind that.” Clay waggled his eyebrows, earning a groan from the rest of the group.
I kept my attention on my water elemental. He had a fine film of sweat coating his face, and his cheeks were flush. “Are you okay? Is it your fever?”
“No, it’s just hot in here.”
“Dude, I don’t have AC,” Rob defended. “Call water and cool your core if it’s too warm.”
“I’ll just get another bottle of water.” He stood and left the room.
“Grab beers,” Clay called out.
“You should drink water when it gets this hot,” Leo fired back.
“Beer has water in it. Close enough.”
Bryan rubbed his hands together. “I’ve been waiting for a rematch. I’m pretty sure Clay cheated to win last time.”
Clay threw his head back and laughed into the air. “Whatever, dude. I didn’t have to cheat. You just suck at Elementopoly.”
“Elemen—whoobie whattie?” I asked. It looked like Monopoly, but with the elements in place of the railroads, Carcerem as the jail, and the prophecy as the free space. I didn’t know how I felt about our life as a board game. I definitely didn’t like the prophecy depicted as some free space where you won the kitty in the middle by a lucky roll of the dice and landing on a corner square.
“Elementopoly. It’s like the Nelem board game, but for elementals. Check it out.” Rob waited for me to sit before scooting forward and holding up a little metal board piece in the shape of a flame. “Each piece is an element. You roll the dice and move. If you land on any of the Xs, you choose a red risk card. Land on any of the dollar signs, you grab a green reward card.”
“I’m buying up all the elements this time,” Bryan declared.
“Not if I get them first,” Clay fired back.
“You guys think too small.” Leo walked back into the room, handing out beers while he held a bottle of water to his forehead.
“Are you sick?” I asked. “Is your fever worse? Maybe we should go see Syd tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow.”
“I already told you, I’m fine, just a little warm.” He took a seat and held up a little metal piece resembling a rolling wave. “Now, prepare to lose. Water is going to own Radiance Row. One of you land on this side of the board, I’ll own you.”
“No Boardwalk? Park Place? What about passing Go and collecting two-hundred dollars?” I searched for familiar squares, finding nothing. Even the board was a different color. Instead of the pale aqua, the board was black with white lettering, had street names like Illumination Lane and Shadow Court.
“Nothing like that.” Clay scooped up the remaining pieces. “Do you want to be light? Or dark?”
We all fell silent and blinked at each other. Considering this past week, that was a pretty goddamn loaded question. I didn’t feel like playing before. Now I wanted to burn the board. “Those are my only choices?”
“You can be water.” Leo held out the wave.
“No way, man. Reed is hot. She should be fire.” Rob tried to hand me the flame.
Bryan lifted the mountain-looking piece. “You should be your primary.”
“Way to make me look like the dick.” Clay pushed the piece with lines twirling on one side and rolling into a ball on the other to depict wind toward me. “Here, Montana. Allow me to pass wind.” He snorted at his own joke. We all groaned.
But it broke the tension, which was one of Clay’s many gifts.
“I’ll be light.” I held out my hand and accepted the piece Clay dropped onto my palm. It looked like a little spark with an outward glow. “Cute.”
“You could always go dark.” Clay held up a black blob-looking thing.
“Been there, done that. Not going back.
