“I’m not even drunk, Chrome. You know it takes an excessive amount for me to feel much of anything,” I argued, not that I needed his permission. The last thing I wanted, though, was for him to follow me and fuck it all up.
Chrome clenched and unclenched his jaw as he turned his attention to the girls who remained oblivious to our conversation, mulling over my argument.
“You don’t trust me?” I pushed, offended. “Dude, you know I’vealwaysbeen there for you. What am I gonna do? Turn on you?”
“It’s not that. But if something happens…”
“Nothing is going to happen, man. And if it does, I’m more than capable of taking care of myself,” I insisted. “I’m not your responsibility. We’re a team.”
Inhaling a calming breath, he nodded and dropped his chin in defeat. “Fine. Just be careful.”
I rolled my eyes. “Chrome.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I really hated feeling like I was asking for his permission. “I’ll be fine. You know this. But you need to head back before anyone notices you’re missing.”
Chrome tilted his head to the sky. “I know. You’re right.”
I relaxed my shoulders, sighing. “Hazel’s riding back with you or Peri, right?”
My cousin nodded. “She can ride with Peri. She barely drank earlier and is sober. I’ll follow close behind them. They’ll be safe.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll be back soon, so don’t stress, okay?” I said, knowing he would be thinking of a million and one ways to join me without being caught. But a part of me believed he just didn’t want to miss out on any action. It was his outlet, after all.
“Text me,” he said over his shoulder as he moved to tower over our sisters, garnering their attention.
Hazel shifted her eyes to me, a myriad of questions in them for me to answer later.
Ihung back on the rooftop alone after Chrome and the girls left. I sat on the ledge, wondering just how insane I’d become to attempt what I was about to do. Thinking of the princess,the weird vibration began to radiate from my abdomen until it tingled my fingertips and palms. It was faint but enough to feel unusual.
I took my phone from my pocket and pulled up the GPS. It would take over two hours for me to drive to Clayton, Georgia, as it sat nestled in the mountains on the North Carolina border. If I could be back before eight a.m., I would be fine.
I sent my energy outward, seeking any Kinetic auras nearby—in particular, Chrome’s. Once I knew the coast was clear and the chances of being followed were low, I descended from the rooftop and walked briskly to my bike.
Clayton was small, with a tiny population under two thousand people, so I didn’t think I’d have a problem finding what I was looking for.
Once my helmet slid over my head, I cranked my bike and reveled in the leap forward that always had my stomach doing flips. With it being so late, there was no traffic to contend with, thankfully, but I didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention from police by driving unnecessarily fast. I followed the traffic lights and speed laws until I reached the interstate, merging onto I-285. Once there, I leaned forward and accelerated to a dangerous speed.
It was rare when I got these freeing moments to myself, so despite the personal goal ahead, I soaked in the moment.
After leaving the interstate, I raced through a winding highway, which allowed me to shave off about thirty minutes of driving by the time I reached Clayton. I wasn’t sure where to start looking, but I knew that the leading Elemental Hollow was headquartered here by the Regent King of Elementals.
Slowly, I drove through the sleepy small town. I suddenly felt self-conscious of my bike’s loud engine thundering my arrival. Internally, I winced, hoping not to draw the wrong attention.
Surrounded by mountains, their headquarters could be located anywhere. If only I could sense the energy of auras to the degree Chrome did, I’d be fine. But I didn’t, so that meant I would have to do this through organic means.
As I sat idling at a red light, I glimpsed a shadowed movement ahead at a quaint furniture store. My fists squeezed the bike handlebars as I focused my senses on finding the presence ahead. The aura didn’t belong to a human.
I scanned the shadows and alleys of the antebellum buildings. Nothing made itself known. My sense of unease grew, feeling a pair of eyes watching me—or multiple pairs.
The pores on my skin rose to the surface, and I wrestled the shiver that itched to wrack down my spine. I maintained my composure, grateful for the helmet that masked my face from any potential tells that could give me away until the light turned green.
Moving through the empty intersection, I sensed several energies hidden nearby.
Elementals.
Thankfully, I had my bracelet stuffed in my pocket, so I could access my magic if needed. My power wasn’t great offensively, but it still held an advantage in certain scenarios. Darkness provided me with the chance to shine.
I sped up down North Main Street, racing toward the dense energies of Elementals awaiting me. Squeezing the handlebars, I leaned forward and braced for a confrontation. I could only hope it wouldn’t turn to violence. There was no way I could take on that many Elementals at once. I wanted to talk to them, not fight them. At least, not tonight.
I powered through, playing chicken with them as I approached the next intersection. Each roll of the wheels told me I grew closer to their energy signatures. It was hard to tell how manywaited for me, but I didn’t care; nothing would stop me from what I came here for.
