The Elements Trilogy: The Secondaries

Chapter 55: Fire

Seeing the bravest person I knew dissolve into tears in my arms was just about the most unnerving thing in the world. Skylar clung to me, arms wrapped tightly around me, fingers digging into my sides. Her face was buried into my shoulder, and her whole body just shook. It was hard to believe that a year ago we had only just become friends.

Diamond and Evalynn looked at me helplessly, wondering what to do. I was also at a loss, really uncertain of what to say or do, to try to make Skylar feel better when there was a loud thump at the door. Everyone jumped, and Skylar froze in my arms.

Tony's curly head poked around the corner, his face becoming grim as he took in the sobbing Skylar. He took Diamond aside, and after a few hushed whispers, he marched over, hoisted Skylar out of my arms as if she weighed nothing, and plopped her down on the table.

She stared at him in confusion with red eyes, the bruise on her cheek fading. Instead of giving him a usual sassy remark, she just stared; empty and broken.

"Snap out of it!" Tony said loudly, directly in her face. "Skylar, we need you! You don't get to have a break down! You hear me?"

Evalynn, Diamond, and I stared at Tony in shock. Was he crazy?

"Skylar, you listen to me, and you listen damn well. Are you listening?"

She nodded slowly.

"Pull yourself together! The Harry that hit you wasn't Harry, it was the demon inside him! We all have a demon inside us, okay? It could've happened to anyone of us here, and yeah, it's pretty shitty luck that it happened to you given your past, but get over it! There is a broken man, two rooms over, dying inside because of what happened and it wasn't even his fault!"

"Okay, Tony, that's enough," I snarled, taking a step forward.

"No, wait," Diamond grabbed my arm, stopping me. "I think it's working."

"We've all been through hell, Skylar, not just you," Tony continued. "Some of us have died, Skylar. We've been beaten, bruised, bloodied, and starved to the point of insanity. I was tortured for almost two hours by your asshole of a twin! But I suffered through it, because I have too! And so do you! This is the fate of the world here, Skylar! Do you want it to end just because our team leader couldn't take a slap?"

Skylar blinked twice, slowly nodding. "Okay. Yeah. I mean, I'll be dead soon anyway. So what the hell?"

*** Thomas' POV

"So, Thomas, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your face?" Pip asked me.

My eyes were torn away from Peggy and Kyler having an intense discussion just out of earshot, down to the curious blonde looking up at my burnt face.

"Explosion." I muttered. "Those girls will be the death of me."

"From what I can tell, it'll heal up okay."

"Yeah?" I glanced down at her again. "Harry said I look like Two-Face."

I was answered with a blank stare.

"You know, Harvey Dent?" I prompted. "Bat-man?"

"I'm not a fan of DC," Pip said nonchalantly. "Marvel is way better."

"Ahh," I smiled down at her. "A girl after my own heart."

Pip blushed and shook her head. "Anyway, it should heal up fine. You won't wind up looking like Freddy Krueger."

"Well that's a relief. Although I wouldn't mind haunting some of those idiots dreams," I muttered dryly.

"Who, the Eight?" Pip asked curiously.