check in on the teams to see how things are going and make contact with some of the elementals in the trouble areas.”
“That’s a good idea,” Nasima said and Aviur nodded.
“Should we draw straws?” the fire king asked.
None of them liked going to the Vatican, and they only visited when it was absolutely necessary. They were nature elementals. Being stuck in a dim library, surrounded by walls, was not something any of them enjoyed.
“I’ll go,” Nasima volunteered.
“I will join you,” Aviur said. “If it winds up taking longer than a day, we can rotate.”
Nasima and Kairi agreed.
“I will check in with Terrick and get a status report,” Kairi told them.
“And I will try to slow the earth’s dropping temperature,” Nasima said, attempting to not sound as defeated as she felt.
“There is no shame in reacting to your pain and worry,” Kairi told her. “We are all struggling.”
Aviur nodded and Nasima saw flames flare in his eyes, indicating his own emotions were indeed affecting him. “I will do my best not to burn down one of the oldest libraries in existence.”
Nasima smiled. “That would be bad. But a good story to tell our mates.”
Kairi laughed. “My mate, Ecthelion, would get a kick out of that. You know he does find it amusing when you fire elementals have fire burning fits.”
“Agni would never let me live it down,” Aviur said, his eyes taking on a lost look. He shook his head after a couple of moments, seeming to bring himself back to the present.
“Let’s get this over with,” Nasima said, opening up a portal. “Stay safe, Kairi.”
“You too,” the water queen replied and headed toward the hidden doors of Terra Academy.
“After you,” Aviur said, motioning for Nasima to step through the portal first.
She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the smell of stale, old books and being enclosed in a building for longer than she would be comfortable.
“Why does Gabby get to stay at Crimson Academy while we have to stay in this warehouse?” Shelly asked Ra as she stared down at the text she’d received from her new friend.
“The power plant is going to need continual help staying warm enough to keep the power on,” Ra said just as patiently as he had the first ten times she’d asked a similar question. “Crey and Tinley will take the first rotation while we rest.” He emphasized the word and pointedly looked at her phone. “Then it will be our turn.”
“I have to check on my girls, Ra,” she told him. “If I don’t bug the crap out of them, they will never tell me how they really are doing. One of them could have lost an arm, and they’d just tell me they were fine.”
“How do you know they will tell you the truth, even if you pester them?” he asked.
He obviously didn’t know the power of annoying the hell out of someone. Shelly smirked. “When you refuse to stop asking the same question over and over until you get the truth, it’s human nature just to blurt it out in order to get the offending ass to shut their trap.”
“And you’re the offending ass in this scenario?” He looked amused.
“Dude, I own my assery. I have no shame in taking care of my friends, even if it resorts to me being as pestering as a gnat hyped up on speed.”
“Have you checked on Tara?”
She knew it was yet another subtle hint for her to get off her phone and lie down.
She nodded. “She said she hasn’t lost any limbs, she’s tired, and to leave her the hell alone.” Shelly grinned. “She loves me. If I didn’t pester her, she would totally feel abandoned.”
Ra’s brow rose. “If you say so, Mery. Now will you lay down?”
“You do realize you could lay down and get some rest without me, right?”
The look on his face made it clear she was completely insane by making such a suggestion. It was as if she’d just suggested he eat live spiders and chase it with cow urine.
“It is my job to take care of you,” Ra said, his voice low. “I cannot do that if I am sleeping and you are pestering people. If you need to pester someone to feel like a good friend, then come lay down beside me and pester me until you fall asleep.”
Shelly sighed and finally set her phone down. She was exhausted, but her worry for Gabby and Tara outweighed everything else. She crawled over to the makeshift pallet