“Have you thought about when you want to do your final tribunal?”
He took a swig of water, his hazel eyes now dancing with curiosity. “I need to get through a year of alchemy first.”
With all the mamma drama and stopping the Council from killing young elementals during tribunals, I’d completely forgotten about him passing his exam. “That’s right. Congrats are in order. When do you start your internship?”
“Monday, officially. I stopped by the lab and met Merle today. He’s the head alchemist. He’s a little weird and looks like a wizard from medieval times with his long white beard and square glasses. But he seems cool. Why’d you ask about my final tribunal?”
“His name is Merle?” I snorted. “You do realize you just described Merlin from King Arthur, right?”
“And every other story with a wise old wizard,” he replied, sarcasm thick in his tone. “Back to my question. Why are you interested in my final tribunal?”
I shrugged, playing down my curiosity. “Does every student pass?”
“Not on their first try.” He laughed and fell into the chair with me. “In fact, most don’t their first time. Rob, he was lucky the Council wanted him. If Layden had failed him in front of the academy, he would have probably set her on fire. That boy’s got a temper.”
We sat there staring straight ahead as I picked at the paper label on my water bottle, avoiding the topic that kept circling in my brain. Finally, when I could no longer stand the silence, I turned to him. “What happened in the void?”
He stood and moved away, keeping his back to me. With his hands on his hips, he shook his head. “I don’t know if I can talk about it.”
“Because you don’t remember?”
“I remember bits and pieces,” he corrected and glanced over his shoulder. “Like Spencer suddenly appearing next to me in that warehouse. Like us suddenly teleporting out. And then…nothing. I don’t remember popping out of the teleport. It was as if part of me stayed behind.”
“How’d my mom get you back out?”
“It was like a teleport, but in reverse. She suddenly appeared in the void, and then we were in a different warehouse. Just like that.”
“Just like that?”
He turned, facing me. “Just like that.”
“And, uh… You don’t remember her saying anything?” I remembered back to her story, the one where just the mention of my name had snapped him from purgatory.
“No. I don’t think there’s sound in the void. I remember trying to yell for you guys, but nothing came out. Eventually, I lost the will to fight it and just sort of gave in to the nothing.”
Well, at least his memory was coming back, as terrible a memory as it was. Silver lining, even though my mom had lied about how he’d returned just to win brownie points. I stood and went to him, resting my hand on his arm. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“I’m just glad your mom pulled me out before I wound up like Leo’s parents.”
“That makes two of us.”
“I remember the story now. I also remember what happened back in the ruins with Alec, then again with you.”
“Sounds like your memories are coming back, and not all at once, which is good.”
“Oh, they were pretty much all at once. I woke up sweating and shaking as all these memories came flooding back. All except how I got to the void and how I got back out. I don’t know if I’ll ever really remember that.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” I rested my head against his chest and breathed in his musky scent. I’d nearly lost my earth elemental to the void, nearly lost my water elemental to a new element after calling fire while touching him, nearly lost my air elemental at the hands of my own mother, and nearly lost my fire elemental when Alec had tossed him off a cliff. Being linked to me was hazardous to one’s health. Instead of moping about it or doing something stupid like running away—although the thought had occurred to me a time or ten since the dark elementals were after me, not my guys—I stuck it out like a trooper.
I just hoped it was an act of resilience and not one of stupidity. Something told me I’d figure out that one soon enough.
I really hoped it wasn’t the latter.
18
The next few weeks at the academy weren’t much different from the first few, sans the additional tribunals. Well, and trying to move on without all the magically enhanced elementals. That and the weather shifting into fall overnight.
I’d tried to get a meeting with Albert Stephens, but the head of the Council wanted nothing to do with me. If I couldn’t reach him, couldn’t convince him to release the MEs, I’d have to come up with a plan B.
Against my better judgment, and despite the guys protesting my decision, I’d told Stace about the counter ward. She’d been upset, and rightfully so, but said from the way I’d described it, it was nothing more than a weak water ward and wouldn’t do any damage, that the stronger wards would eliminate it. That must have been why Clay and I couldn’t find it.
As we drew close to October, summer faded away, along with the warmth. The island was once again cold, gray, and wet, and would stay this way until spring. The days were getting shorter and shorter, and I was getting more and more depressed that we didn’t live in the land of perpetual sunshine. Why couldn’t Cressida have started the academy on a Hawaiian island instead of one in Washington State?
I didn’t have training after classes since I was no longer the prophecy. That still stung. Now that Leo was a new fire caller, he got to be back
