can't hold their liquor." I wheezed trying to keep her from knocking me to the ground.
Ayden giggled and tapped my nose. "You're pretty. I bet you have had tons of sex. Unlike me. Who's a complete vir-"
"Hey!" I cut her off and turned her toward the others looking on. "Look! It's Charity and Bishop! And..." I blanked as I tried to recall if I actually knew the pot guy's name.
"Blake." He supplied helpfully eyeing Ayden up and down as if she were a prospective treat.
"Yeah. Well." I shifted until I had a better grip on Ayden. "It was nice chatting with you all. Let's not do this again." I gave them a stiff smile before half dragging Ayden away. Finding a bench near the bonfire I asked, "What's this thing you wanted me to see?"
"What thing?" Ayden stared up at me blankly.
"You know the once in a lifetime thing you told me I had to come see." I tried once more wondering what the hell was in her drink.
"Oh yeah. The thing. It's starting but we have to..." she tried to stand up, but her world went sideways and I had to catch her again. "It's that way." She pointed a wagging finger toward a little pond not far off.
"Okay. Good. Let's-" I caught sight of the twins. "Hey, Zephyr and uh fuck Bayu. A little help here?"
The twins turned from who I now saw was Coral and Joash and rushed toward me.
"Geez, Ayden. Getting started early it seems?" Zephyr chuckled looping his arm under her legs and lifting her up. Thankfully her skirt was long enough not to show off all her goods to the party as we walked her over to the pond.
"So, what's this miraculous thing that's supposed to happen tonight?" I drained the last of my cup and crushed it in my hand.
We leaned Ayden up against the back of a log laying on its side on the ground before sitting on it ourselves. Coral sat next to Joash her eyes barely leaving him for a second and the twins on either side of Ayden. I sat at the end next to Zephyr who left a good half a foot between us.
"It's kind of a show," Zephyr answered his eyes focusing out on the pond. "All of the elementals come together and let our powers intertwine becoming one together in a dance of sorts, but it looks like Ayden here isn't going to get to do it this year." She bumped her on the shoulder as she snorted and snored, leaning her head against his leg.
"So, kind of like how you used your wind and fire powers on that first day?" I leaned forward so I could see all of them.
"Kind of but to a larger extent and we have a lot more space to work with." Joash spread his arms out to measure the pond length.
Coral grinned happily and bobbed her head in agreement. "It'll be pretty cool looking. Especially to someone who hasn't seen that kind of stuff, like you."
I rocked in my seat a bit. While my nerves were buzzing to get on the road, I was a bit hyped up to see what they were all going on about. After all, it was a once in a lifetime show. I couldn't miss it, could I?
Chapter 13
As if an unspoken command everyone at the party quieted. Those who were around the bonfire doused the flames and made their way over to the pond. A hush came over the water as everyone gathered around.
Something in the air a sort of pressure danced across my skin setting my hairs on end. The twins lifted their hands before them while Joash held a single hand out. Coral clasped her hands before her as if praying.
"Watch." Ayden sobered up enough to grab my ankle.
I jerked my eyes back to water waiting for whatever was going to happen next.
Suddenly the sky went dark. The moon and stars which had shone down on us before were blocked out by the clouds. Clouds that hadn't even existed until just now.
The entire clearing was pitch black. I couldn't even see my fingers in front of my face. Then a single glow. A drop of light barely a blip burned in the middle of the pond. The single drop of fire turned into two then three, multiplying until there were so many, I couldn't count them. They grew and morphed until a faceless featureless form developed each one of them not more