Page 35 of The Hidden Guardian

A few eyes glance my way, finally noticing who I am. Onai growls something to the wolf she’s speaking to and meets me halfway across the cave.

“Autumn, is everything okay?” She knows I shouldn’t be out alone, and her eyes show that she knows something is terribly wrong for me to take the risk.

“Yes, it’s all fine. I just need help with something …” I plaster a fake smile on my face and add, “Quickly.”

We dash up the two flights of stairs and thankfully, the scarred wolf is gone by the time I reach the second floor. I swing open the door to our cave when Onai gasps at the sight of Renall locked in the ice in the corner of the cave.

She gasps and says, “Ice Clan?” before collecting herself and asking, “What happened? Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Let me get …someone.”

“No!” The thought of allowing access to a stranger when I was finally starting to feel safe makes me sick to my stomach.

“I need someone with fire affinity, unless you have a faster way to melt that thing?” Onai’s finger wavers slightly as she points at the life-size slab of ice.

“Um …” Renall’s perfect lips are turning blue. “Okay, hurry!”

Onai disappears and comes back with another Guardian within minutes, but it feels like hours. Her hair is auburn like a fox and her eyes greener than her dress.

“Oh Goddess, what happened here?” She places her hand over her mouth before adding, “I remember when I was learning my gifts. It happens to all of us.” She smiles at me before rubbing her hands together and places them on the ice.

Her hands redden almost as bright as her hair, and my skin prickles with the heat emanating from her. A soft dripping sound slowly starts. The ice is melting.

“Good, just a little bit more,” Onai coaches.

The ice melts past Renall’s face. He turns his head toward me, but I refuse to meet his gaze. Shame heats my face. His eyes watch me as the Guardian melts the rest of the block until it reaches Renall’s waist. He punches and smashes at the rest of the block until the ice is nothing more than slush at his feet and his fists are raw.

He turns and softly growls something to Onai and the red-headed Guardian.

They growl a response before they approach me.

“I’m Cressida, by the way. I’ve never met anyone from Ice Clan before. Let me know if you ever need more help, I’m only a few doors down to the left.”

“Thank you. I … I don’t know what happened.”

“We’ve all been there. It’s best not to ask questions, just own it.” She winks before heading toward the door.

“Thank you, Cressida,” Onai calls after her. Then she leans into me. “We’ll have to talk aboutthistomorrow.”

Onai leaves us and I stare after her. Renall’s gaze sears into my skin. I can’t face him. My uncontrollable power has hurt someone, my biggest fear, and it was Renall. The one person who has always tried to help me.

“Rawe-tum.” He finally fills the silence, stepping toward me. Shards of ice crunching under his feet.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” My shoulders slump forward.

His warm hands land on my shoulders, “Rawe-tum,” he repeats, then guides me to the couch. He pulls my brother’s notebook into his lap and draws five symbols. As soon as he draws them, I recognize them as elements. Earth, fire, water, animals, and air. He then circles earth and water.

“Rawe-tum,” he says my name again while pointing to the two circles. Earth and water.

Affinities? He’s telling me he thinks my affinity is earthandwater. Earth from the ivy I’ve created, and the water that formed that ice block still melting into the floor of the cave.

“Earth and water, that’s my gift? That’s what I can do?” I reiterate.

He nods, his eyes intense on me.

“I don’t understand, what does this mean? Why are my powers getting so out of control now?”

He thinks about it for a second before flipping a few pages and finding the one for home. Everything did start changing once I got here. Could it be this place?

“You think it’s the cave that’s bringing this out in me?” It makes sense, but there was that time in the forest on the journey here. I have a fleeting thought that maybe it might behim. But that would mean our connection is becoming more intense whether I want it to or not.

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