Page 40 of The Lost Elemental

Phoenix wasn’t assuaged. He simply glared.

Kai grinned. “Come on, Pip. Murder is Phoenix’s love language.”

“He’s not wrong,” Atlas agreed.

Phoenix grunted. “She won’t mess with you again.”

I found that hard to believe. Drue might be scared for the moment, but this just meant she’d be more careful moving forward.

I unwrapped the towel from my head. “Shouldn’t we get to class?”

“We can play hooky if you want,” Kai suggested. “Stay here and watch movies all day.”

My chest tightened at his offer. He was trying to shield me in his own Kai way. “I have to face them eventually.” I gave a small shrug. “So, I had a panic attack? Life happens.”

Phoenix shifted from where he leaned against the wall. “Atlas said you don’t like feeling trapped.”

I sent Atlas a pointed look. He had the decency to blush. “Sorry. They were being nosy bastards.”

A muscle in Phoenix’s cheek ticked. “We need to know if something’s going to set you off.”

“Why?” What did it matter if something could send me into a tailspin? It wasn’t their problem.

Kai frowned at me. “You’re one of us now. We look out for each other.”

“Kai, I’m not royal. I’m as far from it as you can get.”

“So?” Atlas said. “We like you.”

Phoenix grinned, but it had a feral edge. “You’re not put off by some of our darker qualities.”

“You put Riven in his place,” Kai added. “And you’re easy on the eyes.”

Phoenix slapped him upside the back of the head. “Manners.”

Atlas stared at me, some unnamed emotion brimming in his eyes. “You see us. Not for our birthrights, but for who we are.”

I had the burning urge to crawl into Atlas’s lap and wrap myself around him in a hug. “You have a good heart,” I whispered softly.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “So do you, Aura. Don’t let anyone here steal that from you.”

I wouldn’t. I refused. I needed to remember who I was. What was important to me. I rolled my shoulders back. “Let’s go face some murderous mean girls.”

Kai wrapped an arm around me. “That’s my girl.”

I liked the sound of that a little too much.

* * *

“You’ll keep an eye on her?” Kai pushed as we all stood outside the earth classroom.

“I already told you three times that I would,” Atlas groused.

“You should walk her to fire class after—”

“Oh no,” I said, cutting off Kai. “I am perfectly capable of walking from one class to another.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for her in fire,” Phoenix said in that low, smoky tone.