Page 95 of The Lost Elemental

“Pissed in his Cheerios apparently.”

I forced my gaze to the steps that took me deeper into the chapel. Everyone filed in and took a seat in antique wooden pews.

Headmaster Acker lifted his hands. “Welcome, students. This is one of my favorite traditions here at Kingwood. Today you will find out who you were always meant to be. For some of you, it will be who you’ve always suspected.”

Drue sent a smug smile to Xena at that.

“For others of you, it will be a complete surprise. Just remember, there are no mistakes, only unfulfilled destinies.” He looked to a guy in the front row. “Corpus Andrews, come forward.”

Corpus rose, his expression serious as he walked towards the altar.

Acker nodded at him. “Do you swear to use your affinities for the good of elementals everywhere?”

“I do.”

Acker gestured to Quincy who stepped forward and raised his hands. Sparks of color swirled around Corpus. They all landed on him and then disappeared into his skin. He grunted but stayed still.

Quincy smiled at him. “You are unbound to encounter the affinities.”

Corpus bowed his head. “Thank you.”

He moved to Kai first. Kai held out his hand and a small stream of water lifted from his palm. Corpus held out his hand flat and cut it through the stream.

I held my breath, but nothing happened.

“No tie to the Kingdom of Torrent,” Acker called.

Corpus moved on to Atlas. This time he held out his hand, palm up. Atlas moved a bowl of dirt and lifted sprinkles in the air with his gift. Specks of earth landed on Corpus’s palm and the ground beneath us trembled.

“Tie to the Kingdom of Terra,” Acker boomed, and Corpus grinned.

He stepped in front of Phoenix, running his hand over Phoenix’s flame, and then Riven, letting air swirl around his hand. But nothing happened at either station.

The Unveiling continued, student by student. Most only had one gift. Some had two. And one student discovered he had three, much to his shock, but his water affinity was weak. Given each reaction of the element, we could all tell roughly how powerful each affinity was.

“Drue Hitchens.”

Drue stood, a smirk on her face, and walked towards Headmaster Acker.

Acker looked down at Drue and something about his expression told me he wasn’t her biggest fan. “Do you swear to use your affinities for the good of elementals everywhere?”

“I do,” she simpered.

Acker nodded to Quincy who stepped forward and raised his hands. Those same sparks of color swirled around Drue. She let out a hiss of pain when they disappeared into her skin.

Quincy gestured at her to proceed. “You are unbound to encounter the affinities.”

She gave a small curtsy. “Thank you.”

I bit the inside of my cheek as she approached Kai, a smile playing on her lips. My hands curled into fists, fingernails biting into my palms. I wanted to run up there and drop-kick her into next week.

Kai held out his palm and the stream of water erupted. Drue slid her hand through it in a slow glide. Droplets of water rained around them in a downpour, a clear show of strength. She beamed.

I wanted to punch her.

“Tie to the Kingdom of Torrent.”

Atlas glared at Drue as she approached, and I didn’t miss the wariness in her expression. But she held out her palm. Atlas floated dirt into it and nothing happened. No flickering rumble, not even the dirt on her palm responded.