“By unusual, you mean Chrome got stabbed?” Onyx asked in a bland tone, an eyebrow arched.
I snorted. “Notthatunusual.” With cameras and ears everywhere, I couldn’t let any details slip yet. Not until Chrome and I debriefed everything ourselves. Amethyst already knew the rough overview of what happened, but Chrome didn’t tell her about the Elemental who got away. If the king discovered he was the last to find out what happened on tonight’s mission, we’d both have to suffer the mystical gods’ wrath.
“Ah, I see.” Onyx nodded. “Classified information,” he said lightly, motioning with air quotes.
“You’ll find out soon enough, man.” I patted his shoulder. “Where’s Royal?”
“Ah, she’s back in her suite. All tuckered out from the…”
“Gross.” I cringed, not wanting any visuals. “Please stop there.”
Onyx chuckled. “It’s always fun getting under your skin, Helair.”
“Such a blast,” I retorted dryly. After a few moments, I asked, “I take it you’re down here for training?”
“Yep. Boring as hell, though. Nothing to do tonight, so when I saw you coming in on the cameras, I had to come greet my favorite Warrior.”
“Lucky me,” I drawled. “Just what I wanted after a semi-successful mission.”
“You know I just brightened the stars in your sky.” Onyx shook his hair, showcasing the white specks sprinkled like stars amongst the pitch-black of his hair.
“Gods above,” I whispered to myself. None of us knew where the phrase came from, but we presumed it stemmed from our culture’s died-out beliefs from millennia ago. “You have no shame, do you?”
“Not in the slightest.” My friend flashed his beaming smile that contrasted with his warm brown skin. The smile that earned him the attention of any Kinetic—male or female—he set his sights on. Turning around, he headed back in the direction he came from. “See ya, Helair!” Onyx called over his shoulder.
I gripped the back of my neck as a weary chuckle lightened my chest. The elevator doors finally opened, and I heaved a relieved sigh as I stepped inside. My shoulders drooped, and I debated if I would crash out before I made it to the shower.
Chapter 3
Chrome
“You ready for another one?” my sister asked, her presence hovering beside me as I combed my hair to the side.
The white LED vanity lights showcased the darkness forming beneath my eyes in the mirror, while the richness of the blue in my glamoured irises seemed duller than usual. I wished I could set my full form free. I much preferred my unique Elemental eyes to my standard blue ones. And the gilded skin that accompanied that of being Elemental would hide the signs of stress and exhaustion from my washed-out skin.
I shrugged. “Another day, another brand, right?”
Who didn’t love getting branded after school?
“They don’t even hurt you anymore, do they?” Peri crossed her arms over her chest as she scrutinized me in the reflection. If it wasn’t for the warmth in her honey-colored eyes, she’d be a spitting image of a younger version of our mother. Dressed in a black A-line skirt and a white, form-fitting turtleneck tucked within, she represented class and elegance.
With a snort, I tossed the comb onto the dresser. “I’ve lost count of them at this point. The Kill Marks are nothing compared to the Warrior brand on my chest.” My fingers grazed over the raised skin on my pectoral as I remembered that agony from a year ago, marking my position within Kinetic society.
“Come on,” she said, walking to the bathroom and rummaging through the drawers. The bathroom was much bigger than it needed to be for just myself. Too many drawers. But Peri knew where to look. It wasn’t the first time.
I followed to stand behind her as she hunched over, pushing through the assorted items in haste. At last, she straightened and faced me. “Here.”
A cool tube slapped my palm. Ointment. I looked up at her and raised a brow. “Thank you, but I—”
“Don’t wanna get any infections,” she snipped before chewing on her cheek. “Take it. And don’t let Mom and Dad know you have it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Obviously. Gods forbid I have any aid that might make me appear weak in front of everyone.”
A heaviness pooled in Peri’s usually bright eyes, dimming two shades as she didn’t bother to hide the sadness for me that she worked to conceal on a daily basis.
I sighed. “I’ll be fine, Peri. I always am.” I took a step back. “Just stay blind and innocent for me,” I urged.
Peri was only a year younger, but where I was the spawn of a Kinetic and Elemental, she was a full-blooded Kinetic from my mother and stepfather, their pride and joy. She was cherished. For that, I was grateful, but I knew it wouldn’t remain that way if she let on that she knew more than she pretended.
