Elemental Hunger (29 page)

The Airmaster brushed his hair out of his eyes. “I found him in an abandoned warehouse, unconscious and broken. He claims he does not know what happened, but the location is a known enemy hideout. The sentries from Tarpulin are often found there.”

“Not anymore, of course,” Davison said. “We’re clearing them from the city.”

“Of course,” Jones said. “Nevertheless, I believe he went willingly to the warehouse, but whether he knew what would happen to him there, I don’t know.”

“Did you find any Tarpulin sentries?” I asked. “Did you see his brother?”

“Adam was the only one present,” Jones said. “We don’t know how he got to the warehouse; he claims not to know.” He shuffled a few papers. “His report is here if you want to see it.” He held it toward me, so I took it. I ran my eyes down the length of it, pretending to read.

When I looked up, Davison asked, “Councilman Kilpatrick, do you accept the loyalty of your Council?”

The question felt weighted. Like a “yes” would be wrong, but so would a “no.”

I said nothing.

“Have you examined the document?” he asked.

I shook my head, determined not to show my nerves in front of the Councilman. Not again. The paper made its way around the table until Larry placed it in front of me.

I “examined” the rows and rows of letters I couldn’t read. At the bottom of the paper, I recognized the names of my Councilmembers. They’d each signed above their printed names. Hanai’s looked like a four-year-old had scratched out the letters, while the others were sweeping and majestic.

I closed my eyes, but the writing burned on my eyelids. “I can’t read,” I muttered.

“You need only fill in the name of your husband,” Davison said, without hearing my embarrassing declaration.

I coughed to hide the double embarrassment creeping into my face. “Husband?”

Only Susanna smiled. “Yes, dear. I believe you have two choices. Catherine has already selected Earthmover Hawking as her husband.”

“You mean
Watermaiden Browning
has chosen
Isaiah
. Right?” No one missed the venom in my voice.

Davison settled back in his chair, a resigned look on his face. “Gabriella, we’ve discussed this. For now, this is our law.”

“It’s ridiculous,” I said. My emotions spiraled up, bringing a slow heat with them.

“Nevertheless, all Councils must abide by the rules if they wish to charter.”

“But Alex—”

Davison brought both fists down on the table and stood, his blue eyes filled with fury. “That woman is a disgrace to Firemakers everywhere. And Councilmen. She does not know how to lead the United Territories.”

I stood too, sending my chair scraping across the tiled floor. “And if she had a husband she’d be a better leader? A better Firemaker? A better Councilman?”

Davison’s jaw clenched along with his fists. “I believe—”

“You believe girls can’t do anything,” I spat. “Well, let me tell you something, Councilman. My fire obeys me the same way yours does. My Council consists of the same types of Elementals. Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t lead without a man by my side.”

Jones stood, his eyes still hard, and placed his hand on Davison’s arm. “Michael, this is exactly what we want. Let the girl say what she needs to say.”

Davison gestured for me to continue, but I didn’t miss the tightness in his jaw.

“The Supremist is controlling and harsh. And it’s not because she’s a woman,” I said. “Or because she’s unmarried. But because, perhaps, she’s had to fight people like
you
her whole life.”

I couldn’t believe I’d actually defended the woman who wanted me dead. But I meant it.

A vein twitched in Davison’s neck. He exchanged a glance with Jones before speaking. “Perhaps you are right, Councilman Kilpatrick. It matters not to me. If you want me to sponsor the charter for your Council, you’ll need to choose a husband and sign your name to the only contract we currently have.” He sighed, some of the fight leaving his body. “As I said earlier, things are changing, and I have no doubt you can do something about this law before your marriage will have to be finalized.”

I tore my gaze from his and looked at the paper. My name lay above the others, typed in larger print. I felt the weight of who I was. Of what I was.

The Councilman. Four other people had already signed their names pledging their Elements, their support, their lives, to
me.

Davison pushed his chair away from the conference table. “If you do not wish to sign, no problem. My city needs my attention in many ways.”

“Hot blazes,” I swore. I picked up the pen and scratched out my first name in the blank. “Where do I list my—?” I looked up, determined not to say “husband.”

“You have ten years to wed,” Susanna replied. She pointed to the middle of a long paragraph. “And you put his name right here.”

I drew a deep breath, held it, and then released it as I wrote
A-D-A-M.

“Time for dinner,”
the Unmanifested man said, wrenching the pen from my fingers. The signed contract disappeared, swept up by Councilman Davison as he passed. The room emptied in a matter of seconds and swishing purple robes, with only Susanna lingering in the doorway.

I stayed in the same position, frozen and shocked.

Reason: I’d chosen Adam without time to think. My fingers just sort of did it. But Hanai—

“It will be okay, Firemaker.” Susanna sounded like she wanted to smooth the rift between my Council and hers. “Davison has told me much about you. We believe you will be able to enact the changes we need. Don’t give up yet.”

I nodded before the door clicked closed. I wondered how long I had before anyone would notice I was gone. Could I go downstairs, and never come back up? I could find my way back to the orchard and the warehouse. Felix would be delighted to see me, I was sure.

If I ran, no one on my Council would have to go to Tarpulin. I could carry out Davison’s mission by myself.

“Gabby.”

I buried the thoughts of abandoning my friends, lit my fingertips, and turned from the conference table. Hanai’s dark eyes reflected the firelight back to me. His cheeks looked sunken in, his shoulders tense.

“What’s wrong?” Apprehension filled my tired mind. With only minutes until dinner and then the chartering after that, I hoped Hanai wasn’t here to tell me that we couldn’t complete the ceremony.

He glanced over his shoulder. “I think Adam’s still a sentry.” The words barely carried between us. Inside, my fire leaped. I stood there, trying to breathe and think at the same time. Hanai put one hand on my shoulder. His touch smoldered. I pushed back the memory of his mouth on mine.

“Still a sentry?” I repeated.

“I can feel his soul.” Desperation filled Hanai’s words. He retreated around the table, putting a respectable distance between us. “Councilman Kilpatrick, as your Unmanifested Councilmember, I’m advising you that Adam is not who he says he is.”

I stiffened at his formal Council speech. Something told me this concerned more than how his soul felt about mine.

A thick ball of embers lodged in my stomach. Questions built in my mind about who Adam was, and what he’d been doing when he wasn’t with us.

Fact: I’d chosen wrong. I didn’t want the hot, striking guy who said what I wanted to hear. I wanted the one who provided the safety I needed in what was and would always be a tumultuous life.

Questions: Could I fix that? Could I change Adam’s name to Hanai’s?

“Who is he?” I asked, managing to subdue the rising fire.

He drew in a deep breath. “I think he’s still a sentry. I felt a wave of deception so strong it lured me out of my bedroom. I followed the sensation until I was standing outside his door. He was talking to someone—someone not in the room.”

I covered my mouth in astonishment, and so I wouldn’t puke. “Adam had a
phone?
”

Hanai blinked, swallowed, and nodded.

“Holy infernos.” I paced, trying to sort through what that meant. “Did you hear what he said?”

“I couldn’t. He was talking really softly.”

What I concluded: Adam was still a sentry. He’d met up with his buddies while I’d been here, worrying about him and pledging to Davison that I’d march to Tarpulin and lure the woman who wanted me dead out into the open. He could’ve gone willingly to the warehouse, made plans, and then had the other sentries beat him so it would look like he wasn’t with them.

“His soul felt black. Emotionless.”

Emotionless. Like a sentry. Like how I needed to feel.

I looked down into Hanai’s desperate eyes. “Tell me what to do.”

He pulled me into a hug that nearly broke my back, but didn’t say anything.

“Let’s stop the ceremony,” I whispered. “Cat and Isaiah will understand.”

Hanai held me at arm’s length. “We can’t. You need the protection of the charter. We
all
do.” He took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder again.

“Adam could’ve killed us at any time on the way here. On the train, in the tunnels.”

Hanai exhaled loudly. “You’re right, but I think he needs the chartering protection too. Probably more than we know.”

The fire inside clutched my heart with icy fingers. “He has said that more than once.” I realized how desperate my voice sounded, but at this point, I’d grasp anything I could.

“I guess we’ll find out.” Hanai’s meaningful gaze rested on me. Combined with everything else, I couldn’t shoulder the weight of it.

“Hanai, I picked him,” I blurted out. Tears formed in my eyes. “I’m sorry. Davison put me on the spot and—” I stopped, realizing that whatever I said would be classified as an excuse.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated. “How am I supposed to deal with him? He’ll know we’re… he’ll know who I picked—and trust me, he’ll want to be alone.”

A shadow crept across Hanai’s face. As quickly as it came, it disappeared. Now he only looked as exhausted as I felt. “You’ll have to pretend. Lie.”

“I’m not good at that.”

“You’ll have to be.” Hanai cupped my face in his palm. “I knew you wouldn’t choose me.”

He wasn’t saying it was okay or even that he understood. Surely he didn’t. Blazes, I didn’t understand it. I thought he was trying to say that he simply wanted me to know I had two choices.

I honestly had no idea if I’d made the wrong choice.

Hanai linked his arm through mine and tugged me toward the door. “Let’s go to dinner.”

We entered the
dining hall, where the small tables had been replaced by one large table with fifteen chairs. Davison and his Council were already seated, steaming plates of food lining the center of the table. Councilman Ferguson and a handful of additional Councilmen were also there, along with the rest of my Council. Two empty chairs sat between Adam and Isaiah. Hanai nudged me forward and pulled out my chair for me. Adam saw every move, so I settled next to him quickly while Hanai slid beside me.

Candles flickered from their sconces on the walls, and servants loitered near the doorway to the kitchens. This meal felt much more formal than lunch, even though it was in the same room.

Shadows darkened Adam’s eyes. He glared at Hanai, who ignored him and engaged Isaiah in a conversation. I met Adam’s gaze, very aware of the wall of awkwardness between us. I glanced away first.

Cat passed me the roast chicken and potatoes. I piled them on my plate. I kept my mouth full, my eyes down, and my ears open.

The meal passed quickly, and before I knew it, Councilman Davison stood up. “The Council ceremony will begin in one hour. Navy robes and silver pins have been distributed. If you have something special to wear, you may choose that instead.”

“Our Firemaker has something incredibly special to wear to the ceremony,” Adam said.

I locked eyes with him.
No blazing way I’m wearing that half-dress thing.
I shook my head, but he simply grinned. “And I’ve got some new stuff for the rest of us too. Come on guys, let’s go back to my room.”

Chairs scraped the floor and tore at my nerves. “Gabbers, you gonna wear that dress? Man, I wish I could see.”

“Shut up, Isaiah,” I growled. “You’re lucky you’re blind. Because I’m going to kill Adam with my bare hands, and that won’t be pretty.”