Air {Elements of Power 3}

Chapter 19: Jasmine

"Earth to Jasmine. Are you even in there?" Tristan waved his hand in front of my face. My eyes snapped back into focus and I tried to take in the scene before me.

I had been busy thinking about Brae.

Again.

I still hadn't spoken to him. He was always "busy" when I tried.

He had been to see her though. More than once. He was slipping away.

My chest constricted painfully and I shook my head, trying to empty it of thoughts.

"Sorry, Tristan. I'm focusing now, I promise." I tried to smile at him apologetically.

We were outside in the palace gardens, discussing battle tactics for the 'war against the Helians'. That was what everyone was calling it now.

They had been bombarding us continually since sundown the previous day. Nothing as large and devastating as the first explosion, but the sky frequently rained fire. It would come down all of a sudden, like the rain in spring. No warning, no signs. Just an inferno of flaming droplets.

Even Roxy couldn't work out how they were doing it. She admitted that she didn't know much about Helian tech advancements though-given the surprise the manacles had given her. But they had to have something up there in the skies. Something designed to destroy.

Tristan and I were supposed to be out scouting for signs of anything up in the air.

"There's nothing out here, Tristan," I said, forcing myself to look up into the clouds.

"Nothing yet. We need to keep looking. The next attack could come at any minute."

"What are we going to do if we spot something anyway? Get the Arcan Protectors to blow it out of the sky?"

"Well that might work-and it's definitely worth a try, before you get all sarcastic again." He cut me off quickly as he noticed me roll my eyes. "However, I did hear a rumour that you could produce lightning. I imagine that would have a far more devastating effect on the Helian attack."

I laughed. "Sure, only problem with that one is that I have absolutely no control over it." I paused, looking up into the air thoughtfully. "I think it might be triggered by stress, but other than that, I have no idea. I can't start it, stop it, or control where it hits."

"Well, have you ever really tried to?" He was looking at me intently, his wild green eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I guess not. But even if I managed to make it, how would I stop it from destroying anything important? I could cause more damage than the Helians!"

"You've got to learn somehow. Sephan Protectors have to risk a few villages if they are ever going to learn how to produce and control earthquakes."

I looked at him, eyes wide, to see if he was joking. His face remained serious though. Sephans were even crazier than I thought.

"Speaking of Sephans, don't you have a Realm you should be running at the moment?"

He waved my question away, as if it was nothing. "I heard from my co-President, Fidelity, this morning. She has everything under control. Nothing much can be done over there until the capital has been rebuilt, so I'm not really needed on the ground, anyway. And staying away for a while allows for some-let's say 'diplomatic mishaps'-which happened on Roxy's last day in the Realm, to die down. By the time I return, victorious from our war against the Helians and finally earning some respect for my people, I will be a hero."

I regarded Tristan with interest. Everything he said sounded so positive, but there was something self-centred-almost Helian-about him. He made me uneasy.

"Come on, Jasmine!" Tristan said, suddenly pulling me from my thoughts and returning me to our original purpose. "You could be an incredible asset, you just have to learn not to be so afraid of your powers. You can't let them control you. Besides," he added, pausing to look at me, "Brae will have to start speaking to you again if you save his Realm from destruction."

"I... What... You don't know what you're talking about." I could feel my cheeks flushing red. Did everyone know?

"I really think I do. I'll admit, I don't know why you've fallen out, but you definitely have."

"It's none of your business."

"Well I'm making it my business-my life is at stake too over here you know."

"Well go home then," I snapped angrily. Tristan grinned, but it was soon followed by a frown.

"Stones! I was hoping that if I got you worked up enough, we might get some lightning flashes. Doesn't look as though it's going to work though." He looked up into the sky, thoughtful. "Maybe we just need to get your blood pumping..."

"What do you mean?" I started to ask, as Tristan purposefully closed the gap between us.

Before I could say anything else, his lips were on mine. Kissing me. Not soft and sweet, as Brae had done. But hard and forceful. There was an urgency to his actions. A sense of heat, longing, desire. His hands went to my waist, sparkling the same tingling sensation I felt when I was about to produce flames.

And the worst part: it felt good.

Water shot out of my fingers, pushing forcefully against Tristan's chest, shoving him away.

"What the Air are you doing?" I screamed at him. He couldn't do that. He couldn't. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. But Tristan only smirked.

"I was trying to get your heart rate up." He looked into the sky, hopefully. "It didn't work though. Maybe we should try again..."

He stepped towards me but this time I stepped straight back. "No way. Stay away from me."

He laughed. "Come on, Jasmine. It's for the good of the Realm."

"Forget it, Tristan. I'll let the Arcan Realm burn." I spun away and walked back towards the castle. My heart was racing, but that was because I was so mad. What gave him the right to do that? The stupid Sephan.

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