The Order of the Elements 01 - Breaking Point (53 page)

When we get back we can figure it out. We have to stay focused for now.

You mean
if
we get back.
For the first time Lucy sounded scared.

Power rippled down Ethan’s spine, and his muscles tightened
. No, I mean
when
. I
will
get you back safely.

Lucy shivered as his thought echoed through her mind. “I trust you,” she whispered so only he could hear.

Phoebe paused when an owl took off in a tree not far away. Ethan listened closely as everyone stopped behind her, but nothing else moved, and after listening intently, Phoebe started walking again. It wasn’t long before they reached the bridge that passed over the river and entered the tunnel. Phoebe paused for a moment before squaring her shoulders and walking over the bridge resolutely.

She led them down the tunnel a little way, far enough so that when they spoke they couldn’t be heard by those in the Haven. As she led them down the tunnel, it finally struck Ethan why she was the leader. Not just because she took the role, but because she was the role. She was strong and confident and embodied the spirit of a leader. Now, through all that was weighing her down, she found the strength to continue. She moved with grace and elegance and determination, sure of her path and mission.

She was willing to lead and to have others follow her when it was necessary. She had love and compassion for those who needed it and wrath and justice for those who deserved it. Still, like any good leader, she listened to the judgment of those around her when her own judgment was not what it should be. She had power and beauty but also humbleness and humility. She had her moments of weakness, but didn’t they all?

That could have been Ethan’s position, leader instead of follower, if he could ever stop drowning in self-doubt long enough to embrace his power and position. His moment of authority was over as soon as Phoebe had realized the error of her ways and had apologized. Then she had once again, humbly and unobtrusively, taken back her leadership. Ethan had never noticed these characteristics in Phoebe, because Dorian had always been their leader, so Phoebe had never had to truly fill that position. But she had always been second in command—or maybe “partner” would have been a better word.

Even Hector embodied the spirit of a leader, but he knew his power was under Phoebe’s so he, humbly and unnoticeably, took his position behind her. Evan had taken the third position because he, too, was strong and confident—maybe a little cocky, but that made him unique and needed in his own way.

So what are the rest of us? Ethan wondered. The meek followers who do what we’re told? Trusting in the judgment of those who have the confidence and assurance to lead us? Ethan didn’t quite like the sound of it, but that’s exactly what he was. Was there really anything wrong with that, aside from his pride? Some had to be leaders and some had to be followers. Not everyone could be the leader. Nothing would ever be accomplished that way.

Phoebe stopped about a mile in from the tunnel opening. The distance was overkill, but Ethan didn’t blame her for being extra cautious. This was very important, and they couldn’t afford to make mistakes.

“I was thinking; if I can channel your power, then why couldn’t I channel a power through you? It would be helping you. Do you mind if I try?” Phoebe whispered to Hector.

Hector surveyed Phoebe as he thought it over. She had a point; if she could channel one way on him, then why not the other? They had never tried that in training. Hector shrugged. “Worth a try, I guess.”

Phoebe nodded and then closed her eyes. Her jaw relaxed as she concentrated on something other than Dorian.

This is still so wrong. We shouldn’t be leaving without him. I know that something was messing with him; I just don’t know what, but I don’t want to make her angry again, Lucy thought hurriedly.

I know. But we can’t do anything about it. Maybe going away right now will be good for her. Give her some time to think it over before she has to face him again, Ethan replied.

You mean if she has to face him again, Lucy added.

Lucy,
he sighed.

Sorry, just trying to be realistic.

How many times must I assure you that you’ll be making it back safely? Ethan asked.

As many times as it takes me to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that it will really and truly happen, she replied.

Phoebe opened her eyes, and Ethan was distracted from replying to Lucy’s negative…
Realistic,
she reminded him…realistic thoughts.

“I think I’ve got it. Go ahead and try to run but don’t go far,” Phoebe whispered to Hector.

He didn’t even think twice and immediately launched himself into motion and was gone in a flash. It had worked. A second later he reappeared and, despite the weight of their mission, he was smiling.

“Okay, is everyone ready? We should send our companions back. I can’t channel through that many,” Phoebe said.

Seven lights glowed in the tunnels as each of them pulled their companions back into themselves. Shade settled down restlessly inside Ethan. The faithful companion knew the time was coming when they would need him, and he was impatient.

As soon as Sapphire disappeared, Phoebe closed her eyes and concentrated. Within a minute, she opened her lids and assembled everyone into a line.

“Lucy, with me channeling this Speed talent through you and your own talent, you will probably be able to go much faster than any of us, but please try to stay with us and don’t run ahead,” Phoebe instructed.

Phoebe was back to normal and asking very politely, so Ethan didn’t have a problem with what she was asking of Lucy.

“Yes, of course,” Lucy replied as she nodded in acceptance of Phoebe’s request.

Phoebe looked around at everyone.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Hector said gently.

Phoebe nodded. “All right, then, let’s go.”

She took off and they all immediately launched into a run, with Phoebe a little ahead of the rest of them, still taking her place of leadership. Hector seemed to be counting to himself, and Ethan quickly realized that he was counting the time and miles that passed by. Ethan looked down at his watch. It was only fifteen minutes after two, so they were going to make it out of the tunnels and get a few hours of traveling in before they had to stop.

The nearly forty-minute run wasn’t very interesting, unless the incredible feeling of running at sixty miles an hour counted. By the time they stopped, Ethan felt like he had hardly broken a sweat. Dorian had been a little overbearing on the physical training aspect of their combat training; they’d run for hours on end with him, so forty minutes was easy. Ethan had to admit that Dorian’s obsessive tendencies had their advantages. He now had the kind of muscles that he’d been jealous of all through high school.

The place where they stopped running was a large, empty space of dirt rather than the continuous stone that lined the tunnels, and Ethan guessed that it was the exit. All Hector would have to do would be to shift the dirt around so they could get out.

As they stopped, Phoebe bent over and had to support herself by placing her hands on her knees. Unlike the rest of them, she was struggling to catch her breath, and sweat dripped from her face.

Evan rushed forward, and he pulled at the bag on his belt. Hector and Cynthia ran over and helped her sit down before she collapsed. Evan pulled open the bag and shuffled around inside as the glass vials clinked together, and he pulled out a small vial of turquoise blue liquid.

He pulled the cork out and quickly handed it to Phoebe, who took it and swallowed it in one gulp. She threw the vial aside and dragged her hand across her forehead to wipe off the sweat.

“Here,” Evan muttered. He placed his hands on either side of her head, and water ran down her body to cool her off and wash off the sweat.

Her hands stopped shaking as the potion took effect and the water cooled her.

This is too much for her. We don’t get hot, but look at her; she looks like a water fountain over there because this is too much for her power to handle! Lucy thought anxiously as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

Phoebe smiled up at Lucy. “I’m all right. I just need to sit down for a minute. I’ll be fine.”

“Wait, did you hear that? And no, you’re not fine. If your body is getting hot, that means your powers are trying to let you know that you’re doing too much,” Lucy said.

“No, I can just read your expression. I’ve been getting better at that since I generally can’t hear you two most of the time. And I’m getting hot because my powers are being used for other things rather than regulating temperature. I’m fine,” Phoebe repeated.

Hector surveyed Phoebe. “I think Lucy’s right. We’re going to have to let you rest for a little while.”

Phoebe shook her head vigorously. “Will you guys stop! I’m going to be all right. That was a lot, but I don’t have to do that much anymore, and we don’t have time to stop right now. We have to get moving.”

“We’re wasting too much time arguing. If Phoebe says she’s fine, then we go on. Although, if you start to look worse, we’re stopping,” Ethan said.

Phoebe nodded resignedly and got to her feet. “Okay, now we need to figure out who’s doing what.”

“What do you mean?” Cynthia asked.

“I know we sort of had this figured out, but I think it would be better if Hector flew with me. Otherwise I’ll have to extend my power even further to Pele so Hector doesn’t crush him,” she explained.

“Good point,” Ethan said.

Hector nodded in agreement. “I had forgotten about that. Pele’s been hurt enough times by me. I don’t like risking it if I don’t have to.”

“So, Hector is flying with me, and who else? And who’s taking Pele?”

“I’ll ride Pele, if he doesn’t mind,” Jared said.

“I’m fine with flying,” Evan said.

“That’s fine. We’re also going to need protection and clean air while we fly through all that smoke,” Phoebe said, looking directly at Lucy and Ethan.

“My shield can reach around all of us,” Ethan assured her.

“And I have the fresh air!” Lucy said.

Phoebe nodded. “Jared, you’re going to be sensing while we fly to see if anyone starts getting close to us, and Cynthia, you’re going to be our first line of attack should someone detect us.”

Jared and Cynthia nodded as they were given their positions. Phoebe let out Sapphire. Pele, Beau, and Shade were released simultaneously. Sapphire cantered back to Lucy, who climbed on before Sapphire grew to her full size. Ethan straddled Shade, who grew as well. The two of them kept their positions in the back while Cynthia and Jared climbed on Beau and Pele and took their positions on the side.

“It’ll be easier for me to channel through you both if I can keep physical contact,” Phoebe said to Hector and Evan.

They both immediately took one of her hands, and she concentrated for a minute before three sets of magnificent wings burst out of all three of their shoulder blades. The wings were black, no doubt for camouflage.

“Here we go,” Ethan muttered from the back, and Hector shifted the earth away with a flick of his arm. They rose out of the tunnel.

36. Flying

Lucy and Ethan were last to break free of the tunnel, but as they passed through the earth it felt like they were in an even more dense and compacted place than the one they had just left. Ethan’s lungs immediately had to work twice as hard to absorb oxygen from the air as the sulfurous taste invaded his mouth.

“Close it up, Ethan,” Hector all but whispered.

Ethan turned and barely saw the hole in the earth that they had just left before he lifted his hand and reassembled the dirt to fill in the hole. He didn’t need to worry about growing any form of plant life, because there was nothing but parched dirt covering everything.

“Jared, do you sense anyone close?” Phoebe whispered.

They were only hovering about ten feet from the ground, but Phoebe couldn’t break her concentration from channeling or she, Evan, and Hector would fall. Jared was silent as he slowly glanced around. Looking wasn’t going to help anyone. Even with the sharpest eyesight, it was almost impossible to see the barren ground from only ten feet up due to the heavy smoke that filled the air.

Ethan felt like someone was pressing a gigantic weight on every part of his body as he continued to gasp for oxygenated air.

Jared finally turned back to Phoebe and shook his head. “No, not within my range.”

That was a good sign. Jared could reach about two miles with his talent. It was impressive. Nowhere near as good as Phoebe’s fifty, but impressive enough.

Phoebe nodded. “Okay, we’re going up about a mile at least. Lucy, if you’re ready, it’s safe to use your powers, and Ethan, try to get a shield around us before we go up,” she instructed.

Nobody questioned or argued with her. They needed a leader, and no one else had stepped up to the job, not even Ethan. Phoebe’s judgment may not have been entirely what it should have been, but she had, so far, been effective in guiding them.

A soft breeze flitted across Ethan’s face, and his lungs almost immediately relaxed and took in the fresh air. His shimmering green shield appeared, and he tried to wrap it around the bodies of everyone present rather than create a large sphere, which would be easier to penetrate.

Phoebe waited until the air cleared before she started rising into the blackened sky. Shade’s golden wings beat rhythmically just in front of where Ethan’s knees gripped his body. It was unnecessary for any of them to have harnesses or reins to guide their companions. Shade balanced Ethan impeccably and easily understood any directions asked of him. He really was magnificent.

Ethan wasn’t sure how Phoebe knew when they were a mile up. With the thick, black smoke curling around them, he couldn’t see more than a hundred yards in any direction. But they leveled out relatively quickly. Even with their height, Ethan still couldn’t see the sky or any of the stars. He could only imagine the amount of fire burning to create the thick, impenetrably black smoke that continually hung in the air.