Page 96 of The Lost Elemental

Drue’s jaw dropped.

“No tie to the Kingdom of Terra.”

She whirled on the headmaster. “There was a mistake. He needs to do it again.”

“I don’t make mistakes when it comes to affinities,” Atlas growled.

“He is correct, Ms. Hitchens. Please move on to fire.”

“I told you it was a mistake!” Drue yelled, stomping her foot.

Atlas took a handful of dirt and deposited it on her head with his magic. “See? No reaction.”

Laughter rippled through the audience.

“You’ll pay for that,” Drue hissed as she moved along. She reacted to fire and air, but none of that mattered to her because her dream of making us all wait on her hand and foot had just gone up in smoke.

“Aura Coleman.”

I jerked at the sound of my name even though I’d known I was next. I hurried down the steps and onto the altar.

Acker gave me a gentle smile. “Aura, do you swear to use your affinities for the good of elementals everywhere?”

“I do.”

Quincy stepped forward, hands raised. “Stick with me.”

I nodded. The beautiful rainbow light swirled around me. The sparks danced and then landed on my skin. The pain stole my breath. As if each one was burning away my insides.

Quincy held out a hand to steady me, but I breathed through it. Worry lined his features as he nodded. “You are unbound to encounter the affinities.”

“Thank you,” I croaked.

I moved towards Kai. He was smiling at me, but I saw the concern beneath it.

I’m okay, I mouthed.

He nodded and held out his stream of water. The moment my hand connected with it, a funnel of water swirled around us. It was unlike anything that I’d seen with the previous students, even those with the strongest water affinities.

Kai laughed as he called the water back to him. “Safe to say that’s a tie.”

Acker sent him a quelling look. “I prefer to make those calls, Mr. Torrent.”

“You got it, boss man.”

Acker shook his head. “Tie to the Kingdom of Torrent.”

I stepped in front of Atlas who gave me a smile that was all my gentle giant. “You’ve got this.”

He sprinkled dirt into my palm, and the ground shook as though we were having an earthquake that could take down the entire school.

“Pull back, Mr. Terra.”

Atlas did and the tremors instantly subsided.

“Tie to the Kingdom of Terra.”

Atlas grinned. “Told ya.”