Elemental Shadowed by Helen Scott

19

Kai

We'd hiked back to the temple from the palace after letting the queen know what was going on. The last thing we needed was for her to think that Tessa had either died or somehow gone back to her own realm. I wasn't sure something like that was even possible, but still.

In my experience queens and ladies of the court were likely to assume the worst and prepare for that. I didn't want that to happen with Tessa.

The other reason we'd come back was because Dresden needed something to do. After getting that scroll from his realm he'd been like a bee in a bonnet. Pacing and thinking and pacing and thinking. He needed the distraction that coming back out here gave him.

Plus, I knew seeing Tessa again would help him. He might give me crap for whatever was going on in my head, but it was just as bad, if not worse, in his. I didn't need his powers to be able to see that.

The walk to the temple took us a few hours. I knew he wanted to rush and get there and see if Tessa, Finn, and Griff had made any progress, but I also needed this to take as long as possible so he stayed distracted for a while and I didn't have to deal with him being a stressed out mess. I was a selfish asshole.

I honestly had no idea whether we'd even be able to find the others or not, but I figured it was better to go looking than sit around in the palace with Dres feeling sorry for himself and me, well, also feeling sorry for myself I guess.

No one had really asked what I'd been up to and I was fine with that. I didn't like sharing the business of Agartha with everyone, but I was starting to feel the weight of it on my shoulders.

My people wanted the key and they wanted her now. The reason I'd been going back and forth so much was because they were threatening violence if they didn't get to "examine" her soon. Just the way they said it made me want to keep her as far away from them as possible. It was like they thought she was a bug they could pin down and dissect.

When we finally got to the temple it was getting toward twilight and the last thing I wanted was to be stuck on the outer ring overnight. We'd packed enough for the three of them, not the five of us, which was kind of stupid now I thought about it.

If we wanted to do this together then we should have packed enough for all of us. Still, it was too late now, by the time we got back to the palace for more supplies night would have fallen and the bridges between the rings would be raised so we wouldn't be able to get back out here. If we didn't find them before night fell at least we would have supplies of our own, though I knew from experience that Dres was a blanket hog.

When we entered the temple proper I was struck by what a mess we'd made of things. The crystals were shattered remains and the gaping hole in the floor had my mind filling with the image of Tessa falling, literally slipping through my fingers.

I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to forgive myself for how she was hurt and almost died. No, did die, but was lucky enough to be revived in time.

Atlantis was one cluster fuck of disaster after another. I couldn't wait until we could leave if I was being honest. I mean the other realms had to be better, right? I knew my own people wanted to try and figure out what made Tessa the key, but that didn't sound too bad.

"Any ideas on where to look?" Dres grunted as we poked around the temple.

While we were back at the palace he'd been staring at the shard of crystal he'd grabbed earlier like it contained the answers to all the mysteries of the universe. I had no idea where he'd stashed it, but I knew he wouldn't bring it with him.

It meant that the piece of crystal in his hand was new, and I wondered if it had any of the strange writing on it like the other piece. It was probably better not to ask, not when he was still so worked up about stuff.

"I have no idea. Maybe we need to look around outside," I replied.

Before either of us could act on that suggestion the sound of footsteps had us turning toward the entrance.

Finn and Griff stood there, both looking like shit, like they'd just fought for their lives and almost lost. Tessa, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Finn, Griff, are you guys okay?" Dresden asked. He was doing that annoyingly polite thing where he stays out of people's heads. At a time like this it was the last thing I wanted him to do.

I wanted to know where Tessa was. Now. "Where's Tessa?" I growled.

Finn had the decency to blanche at my question, which told me everything I needed to know.

"We don't know," Griff said before giving us a quick rundown of what happened after the gate split us up.

"So she was swallowed up by some water after touching a mysterious stone? In the middle of an ancient Atlantean throne room? After fighting a what...troll?" Dresden sounded like he didn't believe them, but I knew if that was actually the case he'd be calling them on their bullshit. It was more that this all sounded so insane that I think he was having trouble processing it after the day we'd already had.

"And you have no idea where the, uh, water took her?" I asked.

They both shook their heads.

"What the fuck is wrong with Atlantis man? You guys are supposed to be the polite ones, the ones who make everyone feel welcome. This has to be making Tessa second guess everything. I know I would be if people and the fucking realm kept trying to kill me." My anger was rising and I knew I was pushing my luck with Finn, but I didn't care. They were doing a shit job of protecting the woman they claimed to care about.

"You think I'm happy about this?" Finn demanded as he took a threatening step toward me. "You think I want Tessa's life to be hanging in the balance every time we step out of our rooms? Do you think it's easy for me to watch her disappear, to fall to her death, to be hit with magic fire? You have no clue what you're talking about or how I feel, so why don't you just back the fuck off, Earther?"

I knew the fall to her death remark was a dig at me since I was the one who had told her to jump, and I tried not to be offended by it, I really did. It didn't work though.

"Do you have something to say to me, merman?" I spat.

"I think you know exactly what I'm saying to you, little flower," Finn snarled.

"Guys, we really don't have to do this. We need to find Tessa," Griff tried, but it was no good.

Finn's words were the final straw and with a yell I launched myself at him. I wasn't going to break the law and use magic when I could beat him in hand-to-hand combat just fine without it. It was still hard to resist the pull of it though.

When my fist connected with Finn's jaw I didn't need to resist anymore. The need to use magic dissipated as I vented my rage on my brother-in-arms. He hit back just as hard and the two of us were full out fighting within moments.

I wasn't sure how long we went on like that but Dres and Griff were staying out of our way. One of Finn's punches sent me stumbling backward and I felt my foot give out under me as I realized I was about to fall through the same hole in the floor that Tessa, Finn, and Griff had fallen through earlier.

There was no time for me to say anything but Finn must have seen it on my face because instead of throwing another hit, he reached out and grabbed me. His hand wrapped around my arm and yanked me away from the edge, pulling me hard enough that I landed on my knees in front of him.

It wasn't a position I relished being in. I never knelt for anyone, but since he had just saved me from falling into the water that was down there I couldn't be too mad about it.

"You okay?" Dres asked as he came to stand between me and Finn.

"Fine," I grumbled.

Dres stuck his hand out toward me and I had to force myself to go against my instincts to grab it and let him help me to my feet. I didn't want to spit in the face of his kindness, but I hated feeling dependent on other people. It was my own issue, I knew that, but it made situations like this especially challenging for me.

The four of us began walking away from the crack in the temple floor and out through the entrance. Atlantis was a beautiful place if water was your thing. Personally, I preferred the deep forests and loamy earth of my home, but I could see the appeal of Atlantis as well.

"Look," Griff began, sounding exhausted. "Tessa will turn up. She always does. I doubt Atlantis itself is actually trying to kill her, I mean why else would the turtle save her twice? Hell, why would most of this shit happen if it was trying to kill her? Test her? Now that's a whole different stream of lava. Why don't you guys go back to the palace and keep the queen and her advisors occupied? The last thing we need is for her to send a search party for Tessa. We don't know who we can trust outside of the queen herself, and probably her advisors, though I'm not completely convinced."

"Maybe you two should go back?" Dres suggested. "You're both exhausted, you can get some rest and we can look for Tessa."

"Agreed." I nodded.

"No offense, but if she needs help I should be here since it will probably involve water."

No offense? Bullshit. He totally meant offense.

Easy, Kai. Dresden's voice echoed in my head and I mentally screamed at him to get out. When he winced I knew my message had gone through loud and clear.

"And if it's dark my fire will help light the way," Griff added.

"You know what? Fine. You two be her fucking white knights and Dres and I will go get a good night's sleep so at least our entire team isn't fucked when you show up tomorrow looking like death because you've been up all night looking for her. Here's some food and drink. Enjoy assholes." I tossed the basket that we'd set down earlier in their direction and walked away.

If Dres wanted to stay with them he could, but I'd be damned if I sat around with my thumb up my ass hoping that Tessa would show up. Someone needed to be prepared in case the shit hit the fan again tomorrow. It certainly felt like there was a good possibility it would with the way things were going.

When I heard Dresden's foot falls behind me, I wasn't sure whether he'd come because he wanted to, or because he was worried about me and the trouble I might get into on the way home with my temper in the state it was. It didn't matter either way.

I knew my mind was only going to focus on one thing for the rest of the night anyway. Until I knew Tessa was safe I wouldn't be able to think about anything else.