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That kiss was fire and ice, burning me from the inside to the point I thought I’d combust into the ether. I couldn’t imagine a kiss with anyone else ever being so world-altering. Like the broken pieces that constructed my essence just found their way back together again. And that scared me. Because wasn’t it supposed to have been like that with Slate?

Another two weeks went by after the kiss in the woods with Chrome, and the memory of his lips pressed against mine haunted my waking hours and dreams. I tried to block it out, replacing the memories with that of Slate.Every time, Slate’s bare jaw morphed into Chrome’s short scruff beneath my fingertips, and the feeling of comfort and safety was replaced with a crushing passion that starved me of air.

I hated it. I didn’t want to move on. Because then it’d be like he never existed at all.

I needed to replenish my Elemental magic soon. Since my arrival, I’d only done it a handful of times, with the help of Chrome and Orion. It made my stomach twist just thinking about it. How it could go so wrong, but I was beginning to feel the connection to my element weaken.

Cozied in a chair in the lodge’s living area, my view of the fireplace’s flames blurred as I absorbed its warmth. If only replenishing my elemental magic was as effortless. A book sat in my lap, but I was unable to focus on fictional characters battling evil. My mind wandered to the feel of Chrome’s hands buried in my hair, tasting sage and peppermint on his tongue. Instead, I redirected my attention on the calming scent of burning wood, but the log’s crackles snatched me out of my traitorous daydreams.

“Mind if I sit with you?”

I snapped my attention to find Aella standing before a chair, looking at me hesitantly before she sat. I straightened in my seat and faced her. “Of course not. Go ahead,” I said, gesturing to the empty chair.

“You’ve been pretty spacey lately. Is everything okay?” Aella asked, getting right to the point as she nestled in the chair across from me.

I sighed. “I haven’t been spacey.”

Aella raised a black eyebrow. “No? How’s that air shield coming?”

She had me there. I averted my gaze back to the fire.

“Did something happen with Chrome?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” I dropped my head back against the chair. “It’s…complicated.”

A knowing smile lit Aella’s dainty features. “You bring out a side of him that many of us didn’t believe existed.” As if suddenly aware of her prying, she began to nervously fidget her fingers in her lap. “I only say that because I saw him when he first arrived and how he’s progressed since. Months leading up to his departure to find you, he became more and more distant.He was here, but not really. Something was off, and no one could put their finger on it and we didn’t want to say anything. We trusted that if it were something important, he’d come to us. Once he returned with you, he’s been different. He’s back to his normal self.”

Alarm bells went off at how perceptive the others had been of Chrome’s behavior. I snorted. “He’s not who I originally thought he was, that’s for sure.”

Aella’s giggle was light and feminine. “I can only imagine how surprised you were when you discovered the villainous Griffin Silas was actually your precious Chrome Freyr.”

I rolled my eyes at the memory. “He had just slaughtered over fifty Kinetic Warriors at once. So, I was already in shock. Leave it to him to be fucking dramatic about the big reveal.”

A comfortable silence blanketed us for a beat, only the sound of the popping wood breaking it. Until Aella finally said, “So about that shield. What’s going on?”

I honestly didn’t know. “I can’t do it for some reason. Whenever something comes at me, my instinct is to take control of it, not defend against it.”

Aella nodded. “That’s what I anticipated. The element air is bonded to you, which means it responds to your emotions and personality. You’re apparently an offensive fighter. And that’s fine. We just gotta get you trusting in your element more and accept its control to defend you.”

“How do I do that?”

“Have you been meditating?”

I hesitated. “I’m learning…”

“Well, learning to surrender control is key to building your shield. Meditation is a great way to practice that. It helps in other ways, too.”

“So, I need to be good at meditating before I can build a shield?”

“Not necessarily. It’s just a helpful tool. Remember when you bonded with your element, and it submitted to you?”

I nodded.

“Well, it’s your turn to submit to it.”

A breath of fear locked in my chest at the memory. “But it took over…and was too much.”

“That’s because Forest suppressed your power for so long. It was angry for not being able to serve you all those years,” Aella explained gently, empathy shining in her eyes.