Free Sudden Storm [Tales of the Cidatel 21] by Viola Grace Page B

then.”
    Burn nodded. “Yes, they did. They used her for generations before Ichadra suffered a cataclysm that has yet to be determined.”
    The Elemental’s hands curled into fists as he reached the pickup zone. “She destroyed them?”
    Burn could feel the heat in the skimmer. The air waved around them. “No. No, she didn’t kill them. They put her into sleep between assignments, and she was dormant when whatever happened, happened. She has no memory of the destruction of the Ichadra, and they blocked her mind before they put her into sleeper duty. Whatever happened, she didn’t do it.”
    The Elemental breathed a sigh, and she relaxed. The heat in the air dissipated.
    Burn blinked at the sudden change and made a note to be very careful with what information he gave to the Elemental. She seemed a little on edge, and he really didn’t need to be in a confined space with her when she called wind or water.
    He struck the beacon, and the shuttle dropped from the sky. “Inside, you will meet our pilot, Recon. She was the one who advised me on how to gain access to your home based on ancient drawings and the Ichadra doorway that hid the Destroyer. I am Burn, by the way. Do you have a name?”
    She paused, licked her lips. “I think it was Vexaniali Webko. One letter for the names of all participants in my generation.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Vexa smiled brightly as she said her own name for the first time in over a thousand years. It felt right to own it. Being the Elemental, or the Sudden Storm, had its prestige, but she had a name, and it was hers alone.
    “It’s a lovely name.”
    She looked at her companion, the deep brown of his hair faded to a burned crimson on the edges. Tattoos swirled across his rich brown skin, each mark different from the one on the other side of his face. He had the feeling of fire around him, and it made her very comfortable.
    Freedom. It had been a flickering of an idea in her mind to just walk out of the cavern and move across the surface of Ki. She had gone for walks days at a time, but with no one on the world to speak to, seeing nothing but sand and rock was depressing.
    “Where did the water of Ki go?”
    She blinked as Burn pulled her out of her thoughts. “Oh, I ran the water through a carbon layer and rerouted it to just below the surface. I avoided putting the water out where condensation would create weather patterns. It is hard enough to scrub life away when it lands, but I hate destroying it when it grows, though I have left a few oxygen providing areas.”
    They walked into the shuttle, and he showed her the seat set aside for her. The woman at the helm smiled and inclined her head. “Welcome, Elemental.”
    Burn settled in the navigator position and corrected his companion. “Her name is Vexaniali.”
    She smiled briefly, “Call me Vexa.”
    The sensation of parting from Ki was a little disconcerting. She and the world had been together so long that it felt strange to separate, even though it needed to resume its life cycle, and so did she. If there was any chance for her to have a life, the time was now. From what she had learned from the Ichadra, when fate smacked you in the face, you had better pay attention.
    “Where are we going?”
    “Citadel Arcani. You will need to complete your agreement of enrolment before you can go out on missions though.” Burn turned around and smiled at her.
    She blinked at the sharp teeth and the feral look that the facial markings gave him. “Where is the document?”
    He blinked and brought it up on a data pad, twisting in his seat to hand it to her.
    She examined the document carefully, noting the charges that she would accrue for room, board and clothing. She would also be charged for classes that she took but earn funds for classes she taught. The bonuses would be submitted when she went on assignments and an account would be maintained for her personal needs from the moment she signed on to join the Citadel.
    With her mind already