That was when I saw it. Or, more accurately, what I didn’t see.
No hazel around her right pupil.
Holy Hannah paradise. This wasn’t Jess at all. This was her twin sister, Julie, who’d gone dark last year when she’d fallen for the darkest of dark elementals. I quickly withdrew my hands and jumped to my feet. “What are you doing here? How’d you get past the wards?”
“What are you talking about, quint? It’s me, Jess.”
“Nice try, Jules.”
“Jules?” One of the Council members stepped forward. “This isn’t Jessica Bailey?”
“No.” I lifted my hands to call earth and trap her. “This is her twin sister, the one who turned against us by partnering with Alec von Leer. Is he here with you? What about Spencer? Is that where Jess really is? Did you convince her to join you on the dark side? You and Alec can go on double dates with her and Spence. How cute.”
Her shock transformed into a twisted smile when she realized she’d been caught. “Never could fool you. This round goes to you, quint.” She popped out.
Dammit.
Another whistle blew, catching my attention. This time, it was Clay. Unibrow was clearly annoyed that she had the flag up. I’d have to process what it meant that Jules had taken Jess’s place at her tribunal after I saved my air elemental. I rushed to his side before the other healers, just as he fluttered his eyes open.
When he spotted me, he offered a weak grin, his white teeth a stark contrast to the dark brown dirt caked all over his handsome face and stuck in his beard. “Hey, beautiful. Come here often?”
“Hold still.” I called the earth from his body before leaning in and resting my palms on his chest, calling air and pushing it to him as I’d done to Jules.
“Ahhh,” he moaned as his smile widened. “I love your touch.”
“Stop talking.” I couldn’t believe he said that with my mom only a few feet away.
Syd joined us. “Everything okay?”
“It’s the best, Doc.” Clay grasped my wrists and yanked me on top of him. I was so grateful he hadn’t suffered any permanent damage that I giggled and accepted the embrace.
A blast of air shot us apart.
I glanced up to see my mom’s gaze narrowed with pinpoint precision. Not on Clay, but on me. I’d never seen her look at me like that before. That stare was cold, sharp, and so unfamiliar. Who was this stranger glaring at me? “Mom?”
“Testing complete,” Dean Carter broadcasted. “No magically enhanced elementals this round. Next up…”
“We should test Katy,” my mom stated, her glare still on me. I stumbled back, that look physically striking me. That and the fact she wanted me to go through this brutality on display. “Play no favorites.”
“I need her fully charged to help me heal when you take it too far.” Syd nodded at Clay, who’d finally sat up and now held his head.
My mom didn’t even acknowledge the damage she’d done to my boyfriend. “I am the prophecy. It’s my job to protect this world. That means if I say someone should be tested, they should be tested. No questions asked.”
Um…that wasn’t what it meant to be the prophecy. At all. Being the prophecy didn’t turn a person into a dictator. “You already know I’m not dark.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Are you saying you didn’t just let Julie Bailey teleport out when you could have stopped her? She was our one shot at finding out where Alec von Leer is hiding, and you let her go.”
“I didn’t let her go,” I countered, irritated she twisted it around like that. “She popped out before I could stop her.”
“You sure about that?”
“Mom!”
She brought up her hands and shrugged, like what she accused me of was obvious. Only, it wasn’t obvious. It was ridiculous.
“I volunteer as a tester.” Unibrow stepped forward. Oh, great. She already had an issue with me. Judging by that glimmer in her dark gaze, she couldn’t wait for a rematch to set something of mine on fire. Like my eyebrows.
“I’ll join you,” my mom stated.
“No.” Brooks broke into the tense conversation. “No family. I’ll do it.”
Not the Hulk too. This just went from bad to worse.
My mom wouldn’t give up that easily. “I’m the prophecy.”
“I don’t bloody care if you’re the pope. No family. Trina and I will test her.”
“She’s a quint,” Stace pointed out as she joined us. “It’s going to take more than two Council members to battle her.” She glanced pointedly at my mom. “Earth is her primary, so there’s no need for another earth elemental to test her. You may stand down, Samantha.”
My mom thrust out her chin as she set her jaw. She glanced around before settling that cold, unkind glare back on me. It destroyed me. “Well, then. Good luck.”
Stace spoke up . “Due to the strength of your powers, no other battles will take place while you’re being tested. You have two minutes to prepare. I suggest you spend them wisely, perhaps with your original handlers. Have them offer you last-minute advice.”
I nodded and didn’t have to catch any of the guys’ attention. They were already by my side, even my water elemental. He was back in his school uniform, which looked so much better on him than the paisley hospital gown. I threw my arms around him, so damned relieved so see him upright again.
“Hey, babe.” He hugged me back, burying his face in my hair. The rest of the guys surrounded me. Leo stepped back so all four guys had me protected in a tight circle of muscles and male awesomeness.
I drew in
