Page 9 of Elemental Hall: Nautica (Elemental Hall #1)

“It’s good to be alone,” Orion says, as we walk down one of Nautica’s paths, arm in arm.

One of the easiest ways to keep the illusion going that Orion and I are seeing one another is to take walks together around the islands of Nautica.

The archipelago might be relatively small, just enough to hold the many buildings of this facet of he Elemental Hall, but it still has plenty of hidden places and twisting paths.

I’m determined to explore them, not least because I want to check all the hidden coves and beaches for any sign of the seraphin. I feel somehow emptier when it isn’t close.

“I think we’re out of sight of anyone now,” I say.

Orion looks at me like he’s trying to remember what that means, then lets go of my hand.

He looks a little reluctant. I have to admit, I feel some of the same reluctance, and that makes me wonder just how far we’re pushing this fake couple thing.

It would be too easy to let it spill over, to allow it to turn into something real.

It’s hard to deny that Orion is good-looking, intelligent, confident.

I should hate that he’s the richest and most important person in the whole Elemental Hall, that he has a whole legion of followers among the other initiates who either want to be him or be with him, but somehow I don’t.

Maybe it’s the part where he doesn’t seem to like any of that, where he even seems embarrassed by it.

Whatever the reason, it’s hard not to feel attracted to Orion, hard not to think about how easily we could both slip away off the path and find a quiet spot together where no one would interrupt us.

I briefly find myself wondering what his lips would taste like if I kiss him, and that thought is enough to make me take another step back from him.

“Is everything okay, Sera?” he asks. Is it just me, or is he staring at me a little too intently? No, I find that impossible to believe. I’m too ordinary-looking, too lowborn, too… me… to ever be of interest to someone like him.

“Fine,” I lie. “I’ll meet you in front of the library in an hour or so?”

If we drift back separately, it looks like we’re trying to avoid too much attention, which of course generates more attention. Orion is determined that news of our great romance will continue to reach his parents.

“That should be plenty of time,” he says.

I’m not completely sure what he gets up to after we split up on our walks.

That’s kind of the point. We both have time to ourselves, while simultaneously boosting the rumors that we’re a couple.

From what I understand, he’s looking into the different plant species around the island and seeing how his talents affect them, or working on elemental control, or maybe just sitting there, enjoying the peace away from everyone else.

For today, at least, I have my own priorities.

I’m getting a little better at navigating Nautica’s twists and turns, so I take a side path down to the bay where the seraphin would normally meet me.

I haven’t seen it since the maelstrom it caused when I upset it with my confused emotions.

I only hope that I’ll be able to find it again now.

I try to calm myself as I head down to the pool, try to think about anything other than Orion.

Yet, it’s impossible not to focus on him, thoughts of those great muscles, the way he smells, coming to me unbidden.

Even as I sit by the side of the bay, I know that the seraphin is not going to come to me like this.

Sighing, I get up and keep moving along Nautica’s coast. I can feel the ocean all around me.

Most of the others here have to work for their control over water, but it’s as natural to me as breathing.

I can feel the ebb and flow of the tide, the swirling currents, the creatures that live down in the depths.

I can feel the seraphin further out. It doesn’t seem hostile to me now, but it isn’t coming closer either.

I think about trying to draw it forward with my magic, but such a creature as a seraphin isn’t going to allow me to simply control it like that.

Its knowledge and power when it comes to water are too great.

I feel something else as I reach out to the ocean.

I feel the shape of a human body being tossed about in it like a rag doll, the waves sweeping someone along, as helpless as any other piece of flotsam on the tide.

I can feel them being swept toward a section of the coast a little to the north of me, and something about the chaotic movement tells me that they’re in trouble.

I start to run, heading along the path at speed, my lungs burning with the effort. I know the paths in this section of the island well enough to find my way to a broad, white sand beach strewn with strands of kelp.

There is a figure lying face-down on the sand, sprawled in unconsciousness. It’s a young man, maybe a year or so older than I am, with deep bronze skin and curling dark hair. He’s wearing dark clothes in gray and black, the symbol of a half-moon embroidered in silver thread.

The symbol of Umbrae.

Is this the enemy? One from the empire held apart from us only because of the raging, storm-tossed seas? The barrier of magic-fueled violence that threatens to sink any fleet trying to cross it?

I wonder if I should turn and run back inland, getting help from one of the elemental masters, but I only wonder for a moment. Whoever this is, he has just been washed up, still unconscious, maybe dying. I need to help him.

I flip him onto his back, and for a moment, I can only stare at him.

His features are fine-boned and angular, with high cheekbones and an almost delicate face.

He’s handsome, even lying there half-drowned.

I push on his chest, trying to get the water out of his system.

He splutters, coughing up seawater onto the sand.

His eyes flicker open and for a second, I’m kneeling over him with deep, dark eyes staring up at me. They seem to roil like dark clouds, and a second later, his hands are raised, lightning dancing on his fingers in an obvious threat.

He snaps something in a language I don’t know. I guess it must be the language of one of the kingdoms within Umbrae.

“I don’t understand,” I say.

“Where am I?” he asks, switching to my own tongue, accented only slightly. “Who are you? Are you with the Umbran military?”

“My name is Sera, and you’re on Nautica. And threatening me is kind of rude when I’ve helped you. You haven’t even told me your name.”

He looks down at the lightning crackling from his fingers. It dissipates.

“I am Darius,” he says. He looks around in something like wonder. “Am I truly on Nautica? Did I make it?”

He sounds as though he can’t quite believe it.

“I need to get to whoever is in charge here,” he says. He starts to stand.

“Here, let me help you,” I offer.

“I don’t need anybody’s help, I—”

He makes it halfway to his feet before his legs start to give way beneath him. I catch him before he can fall.

“All right,” he admits. “Maybe I do need some help.”

I support him as we walk together back in the direction of the space outside the library tower. I’m sure there will be elementalists there.

“How did you get here?” I ask.

“I sailed.”

“From Umbrae? Through the storms?” I find that hard to believe. I know that it is possible in some spots, because there is occasional trade between Lumina and Umbrae, but mostly, it is impenetrable.

“You don’t believe me? That’s because you Luminans are soft and weak.”

“Who is holding who up right now?” I reply. He scowls at me. He manages to do even that prettily.

I half carry him back to the library tower.

There are plenty of other students around, and they all stare as we approach.

At first, I suspect that it’s because I’m coming closer, holding tight to someone who isn’t Orion.

As we get closer, though, I’m sure that they start to recognize Darius for what he is.

Several of the students form a crowd around us. Ash is there, looking suddenly furious.

“Is that… an Umbran? Are you helping him?”

“I found him on the beach,” I say.

“We should kill him,” Ash says. “He’s the enemy!”

He seems serious. His hands are already moving through the forms required to summon elemental magic.

I expect the other students to intervene, but they aren’t arguing. If anything, some of them seem to be murmuring agreement.

“I’m not going to let you just kill someone,” I say.

“Of course you’d side with an Umbran,” Ash snaps. “But this isn’t about you letting me do anything. His kind killed my brother, and I’ll—”

“That’s enough!” a steely voice calls out.

I turn to see Elemental Mistress Halan approaching through the crowd. They step aside for her, parting as if determined to get as far away from the cold irritation on her face as they can.

“Mistress Halan,” Ash says. “An Umbran has made it onto Nautica. He’s obviously a spy. An infiltrator!”

“Be quiet, Ash,” Elemental Mistress Halan says. “I can see that there’s an Umbran. You, young man, what is your name?”

“I am Darius.”

“Sera, why are you holding onto him?” the elemental mistress asks me.

“I went to the beach to try to find the seraphin,” I explain. “I found him washed up.”

The elemental mistress nods.

“And what are you doing here, Darius?” she asks.

He pauses for a moment. “I… fled Umbrae. I heard the way you train those like me who can control the elements. That you don’t force us to be… the things that they make us into in Umbrae. I thought that if I could just make it here, things would be… better.”

I can hear a note of fear in his voice, but also determination. I try to imagine everything Darius must have gone through to get to Nautica. My own journey was difficult enough, and I didn’t have to cross the veil of storms to get here.

“An Umbran wants to be a part of Nautica?” Ash says. “Mistress Halan, this is ludicrous. He’s obviously a spy. We should—”

“The elementalists here will decide what we should do,” Elemental Mistress Halan says. “Not you, Ash. Return to your studies. The storm challenge is looming, and you have preparations to make. You, Darius, come with me. We will decide what to do with you.”

Darius steps away from me, and it seems that he has the strength to stand alone now. He heads off with the elemental mistress, and I wonder if I will see him again. Without quite knowing why, a part of me really hopes that I will.