Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter 55: Roxy

When we reached the location in Jasmine's dream we had to tread more carefully. Tristan had been ambushed here. We didn't know exactly where Cinaer had made camp, just that it was close.

We did well to move as silently as we did for a group so large, but then, the Arcans were used to the terrain and the Brizans moved with the elegance and flow of water anyway. It was only us Helians-or more specifically Avery and I-who had to really concentrate on being quiet.

What we really needed, of course, was someone in tune with the physical world around them, someone who could communicate with animals-someone like Tristan-only less Sephan and therefore not stupid enough to get caught.

I had expected to meet a patrol by now-someone we could capture, to lead us back to the camp and use as a bargaining chip. But there had been no-one, nothing. The area was silent and deserted. It was odd. Something didn't quite feel right.

Blindly, we crept through the undergrowth until we heard the first sound.

The crackling of a nearby fire. Avery and I started. We knew that noise as well as our own heartbeats.

It was a large fire too.

Cinaer's camp was close.

I put a hand up, bringing everyone to a stop, then pointed north-west, in the direction of the noise.

Jasmine joined me at the front of the group. Her face was set, ready for whatever we were about to face.

But we both stopped in panic when we caught sight of what awaited us in the camp.

Twenty or so Helians were lounging around the fire. Only two of them had a streak each of scarlet in their hair-newly turned Protectors, and twins at that, a boy and a girl. I vaguely recognised them from a State function a few years earlier. They were from Kalme, like Cin. He was there too, laid out in the warmth of the blaze, a smoking cup of something held casually in his hands.

But it wasn't the numbers that unnerved us. It was the reason for their casualness, their complacency.

Five adolescent drakons were chained to the trees around them. Three were laid out with their eyes closed but two were awake: alert and ready for intruders.

I hadn't realised there would be so many, so big and so close.

How would we take them out? We had five Protectors capable of producing water-one per drakon, but all of them could be better used elsewhere. Especially Jasmine-we couldn't afford to waste her talents keeping the drakons' flames fizzled out. What we needed was to get Tristan free as quickly as possible, so that he could keep them calm. I could see him in the centre of the clearing, chained to a tree, his hands in manacles that sent a shiver down my spine. Jasmine gave a quiet gasp beside me, showing that she had seen him too. Rescuing him wasn't going to be a quick task.

Maybe...

The drakons were chained to the trees as well-they weren't staying by choice.

What would happen if we set them loose? Would they fly home, or would they raze a nearby village?

We didn't get time to plan or question.

There was a crack behind me. I spun to see Avery, her face glowing red. A broken twig stuck up from beneath her boot.

"I'm sorry!" she whispered, but it was too late.

The Helians in the camp had already jumped to their feet and, through the trees, I could see a group of five were advancing towards us.

My father gestured to us silently, positioning himself, Rowan, Euphrasia, Brae and me behind the trees closest to them. The rest fanned out into the undergrowth in a semicircle.

This round would be five against five.

I stood frozen behind the tree, my heart hammering wildly against my ribcage. The Helians heading towards us were ordinaries, but that didn't necessarily mean that my flames would work on them. I might have to rely on my fists.

The undergrowth crunched to my left and I spun on instinct, hitting out with a fierce kick to the stunned Helian's belly. He sent up a cry, but it was too late-the others had launched into action beside me.

The kick sent him backwards, confused, and I followed with a brief burst of flames. But, as I had predicted, they had no effect on the soldier. I saw the glint of silver round his wrists as I threw three punches in quick succession: a hook to the right, a straight shot to his nose and an uppercut to his jaw which landed with a sickening crunch. I hit him with a sharp roundhouse kick to his side while he was still dazed and he crumpled to the ground. He wasn't dead, but he was pretty disorientated, and weak enough for me to grab hold of the manacles, flames dancing in my hands.

The scream was bloodcurdling, and as the metal began to melt into his skin he wept harder, but I kept hold until I was certain that the power had been broken.

More Helians had come running up from the camp following the commotion. I glanced to my right, to see that the Brizans had made quick work of their attackers with the strength of their water jets. Another of Cin's men lay on the ground, a pool of blood flowing around the gaping wound my father had just pulled his dagger from. Brae had trapped his Helian in a whirlwind, which was currently taking him straight out of the fighting. The manacles may have stopped the pain of fire, but they couldn't protect against the sheer force of the Brizans' water, or Brae's windstorms.

I led the battle charge down into the camp, determined to meet the Helians halfway-and to get to Cin before anyone else did.

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