Elemental Hunger

Chapter Twenty-Seven

We entered the dining hall, where the small tables had been replaced by one large table with fifteen chairs.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."

Isaiah laughed as I followed him downstairs. "Lighten up. He just likes you. I've heard all about the dress, and how you're gonna look in it. That boy can talk and talk."

"This has got to be some kind of sick joke," I said. Adam disappeared into his room with Hanai right behind. Isaiah lumbered inside, a firm grip on Cat's hand.

"Cat?" Enough I'm-freaking-out vibes carried in that single word to cause her to turn.

She took one look at my face before whispering to Isaiah and pulling Adam's door closed. Smiling, she linked her arm through mine. I let her lead me down the hall to our room.

Cat's gentle presence filled the void in my life, just as it always had. She bustled around the room, lighting lamps and opening bottles of water.

I sat on the end of her bed, twisting my hands.

"Who'd you choose?" she asked, settling next to me and offering me a water bottle.

I took a long drink, hoping to coax the name into speech. "Adam." Despite the water, the name seared my throat.

"Oh."

That was all she said. I couldn't tell if the news upset her or if she thought I'd chosen wrong.

"You have a long time to wed," she added.

I could only nod my understanding.

She knelt in front of me, forcing me to look at her. "Don't worry, Gabby. Councils get mixed up all the time. Diplomacy training is fluid; we switch Elementals to find the best fit for our combined powers." She gripped my hands. "Adam could be reassigned. Hardly anyone marries the initial person they chose when they chartered. It will be okay."

Her words brought hope. "I'm going to change the law."

She smiled. "Of course you are."

"I haven't told Adam." The weight of having to tell him—out loud—crushed the air right out of my lungs.

"I talked to him before dinner," Cat said.

I wiped a hand over my still-shorn hair. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I don't think we'll ever be best friends, but things should be okay between us now."

"What did you and Adam talk about?"

"Just about what happened in Hesterton."

"Is that another city?" I'd never heard of Hesterton, as I hadn't been privileged to take geography before becoming a fugitive.

She nodded. "Adam and Felix followed our Council there. Alex had ordered our execution—and anyone who stood in the way."

"But you and Isaiah, you're still alive." I had a million questions, but maybe Cat would simply tell the story.

"Yes, we're still alive."

Or maybe not. "Okay, fine. I have to tell you something. Something about Adam. Then you'll tell me everything between you guys, okay?" I didn't wait for her consent. I checked the bedroom door to make sure it was locked.

I told Cat everything.

Part 1: What Hanai had said about Adam talking on a phone.

Part 2: How Hanai and I had something going on. Something I couldn't really name, but existed nonetheless.

Cat listened, her eyes widening in all the right places, her mouth dropping open during the most dramatic parts. Then her eyes took on a knowing glow and she hugged me. "I knew you liked Hanai."

I waved away the relationship stuff. "What do you know about Adam? I have to know everything, so I can make the best decision."

She studied me, her beautiful eyes contemplative. "You won't like it."

"Like I liked it when you and Isaiah left me alone in Crylon? Or the way I liked it when Jarvis picked my best friend for his Council instead of me?" I crossed my arms. "Trust me, there's very little I like about my life."

Cat smiled in her sad way, true empathy etched in the lines around her mouth. "I'm sorry, Gabby. I know things haven't been easy for you." She drew in a deep breath. "I watched Adam kill my Councilman by holding his hand over his chest. He smothered him without touching him. No fingerprints. No blood."

I pressed my eyes closed, trying to erase the image of the dying chicken. He'd killed it the same way. Back then, I'd been terrified, but amazed. Now, my stomach lurched.

Cat touched my arm, and I opened my eyes. "Even as he did it, I knew he didn't want to. But he wiped away that emotion and did his job. That's what he said this afternoon. That it was his job, and he didn't have a choice."

I laughed, but it sounded like a bark. "Yeah, but he certainly has a choice now, doesn't he?"

Cat shook her head, a slight fire entering her eyes. "He was right. You don't understand. You've never been on a Council. You've never feared for your life. You've never pledged—"

"Never feared for my life? What do you think this is? Everyone thinks I'm some sort of freak who can't do anything. Or worse, they think I'm going to be exactly like Alex. If she doesn't kill me first." My breath came too fast. My chest couldn't expand enough.

Cat sighed. "That's not what I meant. It's just that, well, as much as I blame Adam for Reggie's death, it's not entirely his fault, you know? Now, Felix, he's heartless."

My Element flared at the mention of Felix.

"He tried to rape me." Cat delivered the final blow with short, even syllables.

I bent over, clutching my stomach. My fire raged inside, but I managed to choke out, "Where was Adam?"

"You should ask him." She refused to say any more. "I need to talk to Isaiah before the ceremony. I'll be right back to help you get ready."

After she left, I tried to organize the words I needed to tell Adam that I had chosen him for my Council husband.

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