Chapter 17 Blossoms and Blades
BLOSSOMS AND BLADES
Steam dances across the spring’s surface, carrying something earthy and sweet.
“They added whisperwillow blossoms and elderglow,” Scarlet says, smelling the water.
“Is that a good thing?”
Her eyes shine. “Bond behavior,” she declares. “Elderglow aids with healing, and whisperwillow is for relaxation.”
“What’s tidescast?” I ask, changing the conversation rather than dwelling on Lochlan’s certainty that this is a giant misunderstanding.
Her face lights up. “Life.”
I chuckle. Her enthusiasm is contagious.
“It’s a sport for Water Elementals. There are obstacles and checkpoints you hit to score. It’s kind of like water polo, but the goals float and move. You’ll have to come watch to understand fully.”
“Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
She glances toward the pool. “Do you mind if I swim a few laps? I haven’t trained since... Well, since coming here. Barnes—my team captain—is going to lose his shit as is. I don’t want to fuel his fire and be completely out of shape when I show up tomorrow. Assuming they let me.”
“Of course.”
She grins and shows me how to access the library on my crystal link, pre-loaded with a dozen titles, before slipping out and hurrying to the edge of the pool, where she seamlessly dives in. She swims laps while I skim the list of titles, selecting Bryxton Herbology.
“How long are you going to read?” Scarlet calls.
I glance up from the page on healing herbs, only to realize the sky has darkened to a breathtaking shade of cerulean.
“Come swim!” she shouts. “I’ll teach you the basics of tidescast.”
“I’m a barnacle.”
She laughs. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know how to swim.”
Scarlet pulls her head back. “How is that possible?”
“Most of my skills will be rudimentary to you, considering you heal people with your mind and swim like a fish.”
She grins. “I heal with my element.”
I smirk before returning to reading about the minor differences between bloodveil and deathveil ferns. Bloodveil stops bleeding, while deathveil is highly toxic. Their only difference is a mere yellow tracing at the tips of the deathveil leaves.
“Did you hear that? Your Mate doesn’t know how to swim. Rectifying this should take priority over studying,” Scarlet announces as the whisper of butterfly wings graze my lungs.
My pulse jumps as I glance at where Lochlan and Griffin are standing on the terrace. Lochlan’s still in his dress shirt and slacks, but his tie is gone, dark hair unruly.
Griffin stands shirtless beside him—broad chest on display, wearing a pair of red swim shorts. My breath catches as his eyes burn into me. “This might be my favorite challenge.”
The air thickens as he walks toward me. His gaze skates over me like a physical touch. “How are you feeling?”
I nod, unable to form words as I try not to stare, try to breathe.
“If you have a water element, swimming will be critical. We’ll add it to your training.” He sits beside me and swings his legs over before lowering himself into its depths. “Is it too warm?”
“No. I was reading.”
Lochlan’s shoes tap against the stone as he takes a seat nearby, silver eyes watching me like one does a coiled snake. “Your powers are at zero. Are you drained?”
His tone invites suspicion into the driver’s seat of my thoughts. I’m too familiar with this line of questioning and where it leads.
“Hi, Brielle. How was your afternoon?” Scarlet says.
“Oh. It wasn’t bad—just had shielding practice with a bossy bond, and a handful of overwhelming moments when learning the ins and outs of Bryxton politics because I grew up on Earth and all of this is foreign to me.
So kind of you to ask. How was your afternoon?
” she continues, her tone too sweet for mocking him.
It’s silent for only a second before Griffin’s laughter fills the air.
Lochlan offers her the briefest of acknowledgments before twisting back to me. “Would you like to discuss your afternoon or understand your elements?”
I swallow, struggling to share this admission without revealing what feels like a weakness. “My element—or power—fluctuates. I can’t always control it.”
Ever, actually.
I bury the thought before either of them can slip inside my head.
“That’s not unusual,” Scarlet says. “Hints of our elements begin appearing when we’re children, but don’t fully manifest until adulthood.
It’s common for Elementals in their twenties and even older to experience power shifts.
” She swims several feet on her back. “Hell, it’s possible that one of your parents was human, which could make your power levels even more unpredictable. ”
“Children of humans and Elementals are rare,” Lochlan says.
“And yet, here I am—living proof that hybrids exist,” Scarlet says, lifting her hand.
A ribbon of water rises from the pool, swirling upward before unfurling into an arc that wraps around her.
It’s like she’s an artist, the water her paint, the air her canvas.
The stream multiplies, weaving into a spiraling lattice of liquid light, like a chandelier that refracts and sparkles.
She makes it look so simple. Effortless.
The creation spins higher and then divides, becoming a dozen smaller shapes that weave through the air.
One appears beside me in the shape of a chibbit.
It climbs onto my arm, its translucent paws ticklish on my skin where it balances long enough for me to examine all its perfect details before racing around the perimeter of the springs.
Laughter has my cheeks aching before the shape melts into the water.
Griffin’s stare is a demand, the look of longing multiplying the butterfly wings before I stomp them flat and turn my full attention to Scarlet. “How much water can you control? Are there limits?”
“Here where I have access to the pool and lake,” she shrugs, “a few hundred gallons.”
I nearly splutter. “Can you make it do anything you want?”
“Within reason.”
Jealousy prods at my chest. I wonder what might have happened if my element were water rather than something as unforgiving and destructive as fire. Would my conscience be clear? Would I be able to stand my reflection?
Lochlan clears his throat. “Dinner’s in fifteen.”
I’m not ready. Not ready to get out. Not ready to face all five men. Not ready to be on the defensive again. The hot water has loosened my muscles and my guard.
Scarlet releases a discontented sigh before pulling herself out of the pool. She’s instantly dry. I blink. Studying her more closely, ensuring my eyes aren’t playing tricks on me. “How did you do that?”
She grins. “Did you miss that show I did for you?”
Amazement leaves me silent for several seconds. “Where does the water go?”
Scarlet shrugs. “Magic and fate are two things better not questioned.”
The answer sits uneasy in my chest, too neat to be true.
“You don’t like that answer,” Griffin says, his tone soft. Patient.
I offer Scarlet an apologetic smile. “The more I learn and witness, the less I understand.”
“It disperses,” Lochlan says as he climbs to his full height, unbuttoning another inch of his collar, freeing a small triangle of tanned skin. “Into the air, us, the pool, the lake.” He turns toward the house. “Fifteen minutes.” He crosses to the house, the door closing behind him.
Silence rings in my ears, loud and invasive.
I slip out of the water. Cool air bites for only a heartbeat before the droplets vanish from my skin, replaced by a gentle warmth. Griffin’s slight movement is the only tell that it was him as he stands, perfectly dried as well.
The warmth fades too quickly, replaced by the hum of nerves. I regret not having thought to grab clothes to cover up as we cross back into the house, passing Holden, Kai, and Lochlan, who are gathered in the living room.
I try not to cower, try not to flinch as my mother’s voice plays in my head, reminding me I’m too tall, too bony, too quiet, too plain.
I curl my fingers into my palms, my nails biting into my skin, the sting anchoring me.
My dad’s voice follows, as I recall him telling my uncle that he didn’t have to worry about boys chasing me because I was tougher than most of them and too headstrong for the rest. The conflicting comments clash in my thoughts, leaving me horrified that Griffin—or any of them—will test my shields and get a full preview of my insecurities.
Griffin follows us upstairs, down the long hall that leads to our bedrooms, where he pauses. “Don’t shower.”
I blink.
“The compounds in the springs will work best if they sit on your skin.” Slowly, leisurely, his gaze lowers to my legs.
Awkwardness swallows me, and I make it weirder when I ask, “Can you help me with something?”
Griffin’s brow draws up a millimeter.
“Scarlet wants to go to tidescast tomorrow. It’s important to her, and since she’s sacrificed a lot to be here, I’m hoping she can—”
He raises a hand. “It’s already done. Daire and I finished pulling background checks on the team this afternoon.”
I’m shocked—that they looked into everyone and the request doesn’t require further negotiations. “Thank you.”
He gives a single nod. “I’ll see you at dinner.” He steps away, continuing down the hall.
I tiptoe over the pristine rug into the closet, where I face the rows of clothes. I hate that this feels like a test. I hate that I miss the simplicity of a uniform.
A part of me wants to curl up in the corner and sleep until I wake up from this increasingly bizarre dream.
Instead, I slip off the dry swimsuit and tuck it into the hamper.
As I pull away, my finger catches on a sharp edge—blood beads across my skin.
I curse, pressing the wound to my sweatpants before tugging on a loose tee to cover every part of me that was just exposed.
Scarlet steps into the hall a few minutes after me, wearing a light blue sundress that shows off her toned legs and arms. Her eyes glitter with humor as she takes me in, before linking our arms, as if the habit is familiar.
In the dining room, Griffin sits on my left, Scarlet on my right, and Daire on her opposite side. Plates of food already await.
Lochlan clears his throat before pinning his silver eyes on Scarlet. “You remember what you’re allowed to discuss tomorrow?”
She stabs a vegetable with her fork. “My cousin was recovered from Earth. She’s acclimating. Your Vestra—my employers—have graciously allowed us to stay while she acclimates and navigates her powers.” Her voice is saccharine sweet and dripping with mockery. I love her a little more for it.
I dig into my food, eating the fruit first because it was such a rare treat over the past eleven months.
“If anyone asks about her age?” Griffin presses, surprising me.
“No one’s going to ask me anything. It’s tidecast practice, and we’re a week and a half away from our first match. The only thing we’ll be discussing is game strategy.”
“You’ve been gone for three days. People will ask, and it will look suspicious if you avoid discussing her. A good lie is woven from strands of the truth,” Griffin insists.
Scarlet shrugs. “I’ll tell them she was adopted by humans and never trained. That she went undetected because no one was looking in the right places.”
“That will make Karraelas’s team look incompetent,” Holden says.
Scarlet raises a cynical brow. “I can’t tell them she’s a null. I’ve felt and witnessed her powers.”
“Can you feel my element tonight?” I ask.
“No, but that’s normal for Soul Elementals. You all shield your magic instinctively.” She directs a hand in Lochlan’s direction. “He hardly emits anything above a low buzz.”
I had surmised that Soul was his primary element because the few times I felt his restraints, there was no breeze, but the mention of me having a Soul Element again trips me up. “What makes you think I’m a Soul Elemental?”
She gives the guys a scathing look before returning her attention to me. “All Soul Elementals have lavender eyes.”
My attention jumps to Lochlan’s eyes, which I often mistake for silver. In this light, I can see the faint lavender beneath.
“Ground Elementals have dark brown eyes, nearly black.” She gestures to Holden. “Fires have amber, like Daire. And Water and Air are blue. Though Air Elementals are always a lighter shade.” She motions to Kai with her fork.
My gaze slams into his for only a second before I turn back to my dinner, absorbing these new facts.
“Soul Elementals are the least common, even rarer among females,” Scarlet says, like she’s commenting on the weather. “I’m sure some will be intrigued with you.”
“Tell anyone who asks that we’re not sure of her power level yet.” Griffin plants his elbows on the table and leans forward. “That we believe her element had gone mostly dormant in an attempt to camouflage for survival purposes.”
Scarlet glances at me. “Since your eyes changed color, that might be exactly what happened.”
“Your eyes changed?” Griffin turns to me.
“I had brown eyes before coming here,” I admit.
“Dark brown, with small flecks of amber.” Daire’s voice is low.
Scarlet’s hand shoots out toward me.
I jolt back. My chair scrapes loudly before tipping over as I jump to my feet.
The room goes still as Griffin matches my stance. The other four sit straight—alert, tense.
“You’re hurt,” Scarlet says gently, slowly lowering her hand.
I glance at the small wound from the hamper that runs the length of my first knuckle, and then back at Scarlet.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, trying to loosen my stance.
“You surprised me.” Regret and embarrassment are a rash across my cheeks as concern and something that looks suspiciously like recognition flash in Scarlet’s eyes.
She shakes her head, pretending like I didn’t just make things incredibly awkward. “I should have asked, but it’s just second nature to me now.” She directs her focus back to my finger. “I can heal it.”
“I’ve got it,” Griffin says, taking my hand in his. “This happened in the springs?”
I loathe that it feels like I’m wading through Jell-O as I try to relax the rest of my body. “The hamper, actually.”
He smirks. “I hope you won the battle.”
I match his smile. “I’m pretty sure this is proof that I didn’t.”
He quietly recites something before pressing his thumb beside the gash. My skin feels both hot and cold and a bit tingly. Within seconds, only a faint pink line remains.
“Thanks.” I stare at the line as I trace my fingers over the divot before opening and closing my hand, marveling as it grows fainter by the second. “That’s a pretty useful skill.”
“As a Soul Elemental, you’ll be able to heal others, too,” Scarlet reminds me.
Griffin rights my chair. I slip into it, my muscles still too strained.
“Pay attention tomorrow,” Daire tells Scarlet. “If anyone shows too much interest in where you’ve been or about Brielle, we need to know.”
Her gaze flashes to mine with a conspiratorial grin before she nods. “Create the kill list. Got it.”
Holden sighs, but no one objects.