Page 17 (1/2)

In front of hi-sized woman, probably a couple of inches shorter thanlike she could kick some serious ass Her red hair was buzzed short and close to her head, and her eyes were the strange orange that only cah in the Salamander lines As a fire elemental, I knew her temperament would be the opposite of her element That was their way, to cover that heat with a cold exterior Like ato be unleashed if provoked She wore black leathers that covered her from ankle to wrist, the buckles and straps as black as the leather

The last was an Undine--a water baby--though I would never say that to his face His hair was a pale green and his skin was iridescent to the point I could see his blue veins clearly in his neck He had eyes the green of seaweed, which was fitting, I supposed His leathers were a deep blue with swirls of green that worked up the legs, and it didn’t look like leather, but soet a bead on the material

A whisper over my shoulder, one of the other recruits, said, "Shark skin Hurts like a bitch if you have to rumble with them hand-to-hand"

"Good to know"

All three of the other Enders were hard; ot in and out of their leathers At least our Enders had a vest as a top, which et in and out of Or at least, I assuhts were scraue and minimal hours of sleep As the Sylph turned, I stepped forward,his A scar ran down the left side of his face, puckered and pale froone past His stormy blue eyes widened and his face paled to match his leathers

"Ulani"

He breathedup at him "Who are you? And how do you knowover his eyes "Everyone knew your father’s whore He took her with hier like I hadn’t known into call me useless, to throw rocks, and tell me I was about to be banished But to have another elemental asn’t even in our faer lit h rowled, advancing on him The world faded away All I saas the Sylph who didn’t back away froize"

The word echoed in the room and with it, the tension rose He sneered down atdown his hairline that fascinated me If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was afraid of ize!"

His Adam’s apple bobbed "I spoke out of turn"

Around us there was an audible drawing of breath I stepped back "Good enough"

I spun onof euphoria floating over er Holy shit on a green stick, what had I thought I was doing? And where had that coht Granite’s eye and what I saw there shookon?