Page 36 of The Lost Elemental

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“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kerry asked for the third time that morning.

“Yes.” No. My eyes felt as if someone had dumped sand in them. I had a pounding headache. And had gotten approximately an hour and a half of sleep because I couldn’t stop seeing Phoenix’s haunted face before he’d disappeared.

I forced a smile on my face. “What about you? Feeling good about classes today?”

She groaned. “I’ve got air and water. Air’s supposed to be my best subject, but I know I’ll just be a raging disappointment.”

“Why don’t we practice after classes today? I could use some help with the basics that I’m sure you’ve got covered.”

Kerry beamed at me. “That’d be great.”

An arm dropped over my shoulder as we headed into the dining hall. “Pip, why are you avoiding me?”

I glanced up at Kai. “I saw you yesterday at lunch.”

“But where were you at dinner? I saved you a seat.”

Kerry let out a giddy giggle and then clamped a hand over her mouth.

“I had a headache. Kerry got me something to eat.”

Kai pulled me to a stop, examining my face. “How do you feel now? Still hurting?”

I was taken aback by the genuineness in his expression. So much so that I blurted out the truth instead of an easy lie. “Like a marching band is playing on my skull.”

Kai’s hand slipped under my blonde waves, kneading my neck. The second his fingertips touched my skin, a buzz hummed to life there. I wanted to lean into it, into him.

A guy walking by us jerked as water from his water bottle sprayed in his face. “What the hell?” He spun around at his friends. “Which one of you assholes did that?”

They dissolved into laughter and good-natured ribbing.

Kai ignored them, continuing to dig his fingers into my neck. Those damn magic fingers. They were lulling me into some heavenly abyss. A tiny moan slipped from my lips.

Kerry coughed. “Uh, guys.”

My eyes flew open. The entire dining hall was staring at us as I basically became a puddle on the floor. I froze. The walls felt as if they were closing in around me. I moved on instinct, backing away from all the eyes.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Kai said, giving my neck another squeeze. “Ignore them. They don’t matter.”

That was easy for Kai to say. They all worshipped at his feet. Me, they wanted to toss over a cliff. But running wasn’t an option. Even though all I wanted was to hightail it back to my mom and Charlie, I didn’t have that choice. Because if I combusted like Riven kept saying I would, I’d take them out with me. And that was more than I could live with.

“Come on,” Kai urged. “Let’s get some breakfast.”

I let out a whoosh of air. “Okay.”

He guided me forward, Kerry falling into step next to us as we wove our way through students. I did my best to ignore everyone around us and just hoped they’d turn their attention back to eating.

“Mutt,” someone coughed out as we passed.

Kai whirled on them, but I grabbed his arm to stop him. “Don’t. They’ll never stop if they think it gets a rise out of me. Or you.”

His nostrils flared, but he closed his eyes for a moment, and when they opened again, that happy-go-lucky mask was in place again. I hated that freaking mask. But it was better than Kai creating a scene.

He grinned at me. “Waffles or omelets?”

My stomach rumbled.