"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I promise, I'll try harder."
"You fucking better." She returned his hug for a moment, then pulled back and punched his shoulder. "Now I'm going to prepare you the world's biggest steak sandwich, and you will consume every fucking inch of it."
"Promise."
"Good." She turned, gave me a weak smile, then headed out.
I waited until she'd left, then met Tao's gaze. "How did the elemental get loose?"
He half shrugged. "One minute I was heading outside to cool down; the next I'm in some random field staring at you and realizing just how close I'd come to cindering my best friend."
"But you didn't." I dropped down into the seat, then raised my hand. "See, not even the smallest of blisters to show for my ordeal."
He eyed my fingers for a moment, then said, "I could hear you, you know, but I couldn't do anything. Not until you caught my hand and drew me out."
So I'd been right—touch was the key to breaking the elemental's control. "I knew you wouldn't hurt me, Tao."
"But I did, and we both know it." He took a deep, somewhat unsteady breath and released it slowly. "I think I'll remember your scream for the rest of my life. And it's because of that, more than anything, that I'll fight this thing." His gaze met mine. "It hates you, Ris. A witch created it to kill you, and the minute you spoke to it out there in the field, that's all it wanted to do."
"What it wanted was to return to the fire that created it."
"Primarily, yes. But if it regains control again, don't confront it. Because next time, I may not be able to stop it."
"Then, as Ilianna so politely put it, make sure there isn't a next time." I rose to my feet, then leaned over and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "Get better. I have to go hunt a dark spirit."
"Hunter's still on your case, huh?"
"Yeah. You rest up, and maybe I'll regale you with the whole sordid tale when I get back."