Free Elemental Fire by Maddy Edwards Page A

massive nose, but it was obvious that Lisabelle was trying to
goad Ms. Vale into doing something stupid.
    “Shut up, Lisabelle,” Trafton
said.
    “How about you let us go, first?”
I asked, trying to keep the process going. The longer we kept her talking the
more she would reveal and the less time her Fire Whips had to torment my
classmates. But Ms. Vale was on to us. She had already turned her attention
back to the pens of students.
    Still, I was determined to fight
her. Whatever she had planned, I would battle her every step of the way. The
thought gave me confidence and the motivation to keep goading her when
otherwise I would have given up. I was determined that she would not win this
encounter; my friends and I would not allow it. Besides, Lough was still
outside the “protections” of Public, and he knew exactly where we were. When we
didn’t return he would call for help. Dacer was still with Lanca, not to
mention all the Rapier vampires she had at her disposal. You didn’t know fear
until you stood across from Vital and tried to win.
    Ms. Vale gave me an amused smile.
“You look familiar, those gray eyes. The last elemental: thank you so much for
joining us at our new, improved, and re-imagined Public. You look like your
mother.”
    Fury ripped through my chest and
shot out my arms; any thoughts I had been entertaining of a measured and
careful response to the situation were lost at the reference to my mother. I
strained and pulled and yanked against the bonds that held me until they bit
into my wrists and I bled. Then I yanked some more. Pain tore at my heart and I
knew that my eyes were blazing. My friends stared at me, and for the first time
I saw them look at me with fear. I didn’t care. I was consumed by one thing and
one thing only, the necessity of ripping Ms. Vale’s heart out and stomping on
it. She just stood there and continued to smile.
    Eventually my voice gave out,
having accomplished nothing but my own further exhaustion. Then the muscles in
my arms gave way and my legs started to wobble. Before I knew it I was sinking
to the ground, my bonds still intact but my heart shattered. I crumbled into a
ball and cried and I didn’t care who saw. The last thing I remembered was
seeing two lovely pairs of high heels in front of my eyes, a voice murmuring
for me to sleep, and then nothing.
     

 
    Chapter Nine
     
    “Keller,” I breathed, feeling
happy. I knew my cheeks were stained with a rosy blush that matched the red
rose my love held in his hands. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me and his
face broke into a wide smile of pure pleasure. My hole body tingled when I
looked at him. After everything we’d been through how could he still make my
heart beat so wildly?
    The sun was shining and his arms
were wrapped tightly around my waist. Mine were thrown around his shoulders and
we were face to face, sitting somewhere on a warm, grassy hill. I could feel
the green blades of grass tickling my feet and I smiled with pleasure. He
smiled back.
    “Where are we?” I asked softly,
afraid to break the perfect moment.
    “What does it matter, if we’re
together?” he replied. “I was so worried I wouldn’t see you again. I was so
worried we wouldn’t get back together. I couldn’t breathe without you. You are
vital to me, warm when I’m cold, support when I’m about to crumble. I can’t. .
. .”
    He closed his lips into a thin
white line and stared, his face filled with sadness. “I miss you so much,” he
finished, burying his face in my hair. I held him close. There was nothing I
needed to say. Holding him close was enough.
    “Can’t we stay like this
forever?” I whispered, my fingers tangled in his perfect black hair, sinking
into his soft locks.
    I felt his smile against my neck.
“Yes,” he said. “You and me. I just want you safe.”
    I frowned a little. There was
something about his wanting me safe, something . . . I couldn’t put my finger
on it. Maybe because a haze was