He raised his eyebrows at her. “You can’t or you won’t? Would you like to reconsider your answer?”
She rolled off him and sat up, dropping her head into her hands. “What the hell?” She murmured.
“Look around you.” Alex said, “The fire from the erupting volcano, the earth beneath your feet, the water rushing past in the river and even the air you breathe. If you were anything less than an Elemental, you’d be blind to all but a single Element in the Between. Instead you see it all because you are an Elemental, the most powerful amongst the Gifted. You are stronger, faster, quieter and more agile than any human. It’s a gift you were given. You could reach for the stars if only you embrace and accept it.”
Without adrenaline flooding through her veins, she was left feeling hollow and empty. Pain filtered back into her brain, instantly sobering her mood. “I didn’t ask for any of this.” She said quietly.
“No.” He agreed, “None of us did. And there will be days when you will curse and wish it away. It isn’t always a comfortable thing to bear. But you’ll find that accepting it will be far easier than fighting the inevitable.”
Alex sighed and she heard him sit up next to her. “There’s something I need to explain.”
She raised her head at his somber tone. “That sounds ominous…”
Alex refused to meet her eyes, but she could see the corner of his lips lift in a small, grim smile. “I explained about the formation of the Veil, the Between and the Gates that allow us to cross into this place.”
Allyra nodded.
“What I haven’t told you is that the Gates haven’t been opened for a long time.”
“But – “
He cut off her question. “The Gates haven’t been opened lawfully for a long time. The highest authority over the Gifted is the Council, made up of the five High Masters of the Great Colleges, where the Gifted are trained to control and use their Gift. Four of the Colleges represent the individual elements and the fifth represents the Elementals. The High Master of the Elemental College leads the Council in all its decisions.”
Alex paused and his gaze drifted into the distance, apparently lost in a memory, but one she couldn’t quite make out. She suddenly wished she hadn’t shared her affinity for the past with him. Ever since that conversation, he’d managed to keep his memories well hidden.
“The Elementals have long been revered as the most powerful of the Gifted. Closest in ability to the original Five, Elementals can access all four elements that make up the world and are therefore expected to best understand the true balance of life itself. Because of this, Elementals have always led the Gifted, but this changed a hundred and fifty years ago. The Elemental High Master of the time betrayed the trust of the Gifted. He led the Elementals in a revolt, in an apparent attempt to break through the Veil. It was an action that went against everything he and they had been entrusted with.”
Allyra shook her head. “Why?” She asked.
Alex shrugged and turned to her, his eyes churning with turmoil. “I don’t know. Their motives are lost to history. They didn’t succeed in their attempt. All the Elementals were lost that day and none of them returned to explain. The Veil exists still, but the result of their actions that day is that the Gates are no longer opened and Elementals are no longer viewed with the respect they once were.”
She nodded slowly, trying to digest the information. “So… What does this mean? For me?”
“It’s dangerous to be an Elemental now.” He replied abruptly. “People will either covet your power or fear it. There is no middle ground. They will want to use you or lock you away. Trust is something you should give sparingly.”
Alex glanced at her, “I’m no exception.”
“Are you telling me not to trust you?”
A wry smile crept across his lips. “I’m telling you I want something from you. Trusting me is a decision you’ll have to come to on your own.”
“What do you want?” She asked shortly. It was abrupt and to the point, but life had taught her that this was usually the simplest way.
He hesitated, and then rushed forward, his voice filled with sudden urgency, words tumbling over each other. “You asked me why – why the Elemental High Master did what he did all those years ago. I believe there’s more to the story than simple betrayal. I have to believe that all those Elementals wouldn’t have just turned their backs on their purpose and blindly followed one man to their deaths. And finally – finally – with your ability to see the past – maybe the truth will be forced to reveal itself.”
“Would anyone still know? Do those memories still exist?” She wondered.
“You told me that it wasn’t just a person’s memory – that places can hold on to their past too.”
Allyra nodded slowly. “Yes, but it’s harder with a place. I only get fragments – a feeling, a thought here and there – it’s difficult to piece together.”
He let out a slow breath, the air hissing out quietly and she was suddenly struck by how tired he looked.
Alex’s voice was soft when he continued, but it was hard to miss the conviction that filled it. “I’m not saying it will be easy – but this was an event that changed the defining purpose of the Gifted. Once we protected and renewed the Source – ensuring the continued existence of the Veil. Now the Gates no longer open and the Veil weakens. Every day the Veil weakens is a day closer to a time when the Revenants will be able to cross freely into our world. It all started at the Elemental College and that’s where you’re
