C H A P T E R  E I G H T E E N

Caiden is picking at his bandage. 

It's quiet here, where Caiden and I wait in the apartment. We stand by the door; Mia and Rhett went off to his room to talk really quickly. At least that's what Mia told us when she asked us to hang behind for just a minute. 

I reach out to catch Caiden's hand.

He looks up at me instinctively, startled out of his thoughts, but at the hard look in his eyes, I pull away. 

"It's almost healed," Caiden murmurs quietly, turning his hand this way and that. He's right; he only has one large bandage patched lengthwise on the back of his hand. Other than that, he's fully recovered. 

I hum in answer. Mia's and Rhett's muffled voices float from down the hall to swirl around us. I wonder what they're talking about, and I have half a mind to go find out, but then Caiden sighs. 

When I meet his gaze, his eyes are soft, the golden hue melted. "I just want to know why. Why she's doing it. What she wants with me. With any of us, really." 

I shrug even as something twists in my gut. "Does she need a reason?" I mutter, though I wonder too. 

"She's already killed hundreds of us, Noah. Hundreds. . . " Caiden shakes his head slowly. "What kind of person. . . ?" 

Cold disgust slithers through my blood. "A psychopath." 

"But she doesn't seem it -- Kaia." Caiden's smile is almost amused. "Not at all. . ." 

yes, she does, I think, but I don't say the words. Just like Rhett, from the moment I met Kaia -- even spotting her halfway across the cafeteria -- I knew something was off about her. I knew she was bad news, and I was right. But, just like Rhett, I didn't do anything about it, and now I was paying the price. Rhett failed Jayesh, and I failed Autumn. 

And for more than two years, Kaia has killed every Elemental she's come across. Robbed them of their talents and left them for dead. She has to know -- that we can't live without our abilities. I'm sure of it. Kaia knows, but she just doesn't care. 

Caiden isn't wrong to wonder why. I do it too. But the difference between me and Caiden is that I've already realized that it doesn't matter. What matters is that Kaia has now set her sights on the people in my life -- the people I care about -- and so, she has to be stopped. 

No matter the cost. 

The thought is almost chilling; although I made up my mind long ago, I don't like to dwell on it. And so I incline my head towards the one hallway in Rhett's apartment. 

"I'm going to go find out what's taking them so long." I try for an soft smile before drifting off. 

My steps are quiet on Rhett's linoleum floor, making it rather easy to sneak up to Rhett's room. I can still hear the two talking; they're deep in conversation, and out of Caiden's view, I'm able to snoop freely. 

"Do you know?" 

It seems Rhett Basak is capable of curbing his booming voice into a semblance of a whisper. His tone is gruff and strained as it floats through the closed door. 

". . . second gate's a given, and I. . . by now. . . the fourth gate's gone." 

Mia's voice has a lighter tone to it, so airy that I have to strain harder to catch her words. 

"Makes sense. That's why she needs those two." 

"But. . . first gate. . ." 

"We can't know for sure. If she's not there yet, then that works in our favor. . . but if she comes after Noah. . ."

At my name, my ears perk, and I wait with bated breath for Mia's response. 

". . . something about that one. . . can't know. . . if she's marked. . . it's over. . . " 

"Then keep an eye on her," Rhett whispers insistently. "Whatever it takes, Mia. You promised --" 

"Noah?" Caiden calls then from the living room, his voice echoing off the walls. 

My heart seizes in my chest as I freeze, and I sense Rhett and Mia do the same on the other side of the door. Their conversation dies immediately, and my mind whirls as I consider the consequences of getting caught in this position. 

I take two large steps in place; my Converse sound faintly on the floor. "Mia?" I knock once on Rhett's bedroom door. "You okay in there?" 

When the door is wrenched inward, away from me, I fall back. Mia appears, no sign of her private conversation with Rhett -- or the uneasy sentiments associated -- to be found. Instead, her expression is carefully coordinated; she seems exhausted, but also rightly decisive. 

"Sorry about that," Mia murmurs. "Just catching up, but I guess it's time to head out, huh?"

I nod, scanning her face, but then I step aside to let Mia pass. Rhett comes up from inside his room, which is surprisingly well kept. He's not as adept at keeping his cool after such a close call; his smile only just wavers. 

"Until next time, Noah. And hopefully under better circumstances, maybe?" 

I shrug, turning on my heel to join the Haas siblings at the door. I sense Rhett following behind me, although at a distance. He sees us out, where he and Mia exchange a sharp glance that escapes Caiden's attention -- but not mine. 

"You okay?" Mia asks her brother, squeezing his shoulder gently as we brave the elevator once again. The metal box is much more spacious now that we're sans one gym giant. 

Caiden nods, a curt motion. "As okay as I can be." 

We all fall silent, even as I eye Mia from out of the corner of my eye. Then the elevator comes to a stop, the doors sliding open after a mechanical ding, but a glance at the display above our heads lets me know that we haven't yet reached the ground floor. 

Instead, we're stopped on the second floor. A boy with a slight frame stands in front of the elevator doors. His head is down, presenting a full head of shock white hair -- dyed, no doubt. 

I sense the change in Mia's demeanor even before the boy looks up from his phone; she knows him. 

"Ian." She greets him as he moves forward to join us in the elevator. Her body is tense despite the smile on her lips. 

"Mia." His answering grin is cheerful -- seemingly genuine. "Long time." 

"Yeah." Her laugh is slightly uneasy, but she hides it well. It's as though she's on her guard, but Ian has yet to strike in any way. 

He glances at both me and Caiden in turn, his eyes kind behind his wire-framed glasses. "Hey."

"Hey," Caiden answers back, while I only manage an acknowledging nod. 

By that time, the elevator has reached the ground floor, and the doors glide open. Ian exits first, and although Mia is the next closest to the doors, she's slow to move. 

"Well, I guess I'll see you later." Ian throws over his shoulder as he leaves the building. His eyes skirt over me and Caiden before stalling on Mia maybe a second too long, but then he whirls around and disappears into the night. 

"Who was that?" Caiden asks then. "Another college friend? An Elemental?" 

Mia shrugs, but her back is to us, making it difficult to fully read her. "No one important," she says simply. Yet, her words are also definite -- an end to a conversation that never really begun. 

We've booked two rooms at the Four Seasons -- one for me and Mia to share, and the other for Caiden. 

I'm setting out my clothes for the next morning when a knock sounds at the door. Mia abandons her set-up in the bathroom to answer it. 

Caiden stands in the hall in casual joggers and a grey t-shirt; his hair is noticeably damp, a testimonial to the shower he must have just taken. 

"Hey," I murmur as Caiden drifts into the room. Mia shuts the door behind him, and I take a seat on my bed as Caiden claims a leather stool tucked beneath a glass desk. 

"Hey." Caiden sounds exhausted, and he's got every right to be. After the day we just had. . . and it doesn't help that his abilities are slowly waning per Kaia's siphoning. 

"I thought we could recap." Mia says then. She stands between Caiden's stool and our beds, making up the third point of our triangle. "Maybe clarify and plan a little bit before we head back to Fairfield?" 

Caiden nods, his eyes hardening as they flicker over to mine. I don't need to be asked again. I have a million questions -- although I'm not sure Mia will answer them all. Or even if she does, I have no guarantee she'll be truthful.

Although Caiden's older sister seems to be on our side. . . I don't trust her. As we left Rhett's apartment, I considered all sides of our situation, and I decided that Mia's loyalty does not -- and perhaps truly cannot - lie with me. 

I trust that Mia wants the best for Caiden, but that's about all I trust. Because the fact is, saving her brother -- her own flesh and blood -- does not equate to saving Autumn in the process. We all know that Caiden's only burden is his link to Autumn. It's what's killing him. 

But it's also what's keeping Autumn alive. The only reason she's hanging on. And if in the end, there's a way to un-link Caiden from Autumn. . . I have a feeling that Mia will save her brother in a heartbeat, regardless of what her choice means for my sister. 

It also doesn't ease my mind that Mia's keeping too many secrets to count, making plans behind my back. I want to know what she told Rhett. What Rhett told her. Why they were speaking about me, and why they feel it necessary to keep both me and Caiden out of the loop. 

Yet, I know better than to just start throwing accusations around. I know better than to boldly interrogate Mia in front of Caiden. 

"Do you know how long they have?" I say instead. "Or rather. . . why they're still alive at all. What's stopping Kaia from killing them both right now?" 

And at this, Mia scowls. "She's waiting until Caiden summits." 

"Summits?" Caiden echoes. 

"Until you reach your full potential. Realize the complete scope of your talent." 

Caiden shakes his head, utterly confused. "And why does she want me again? Why is she killing any of us for that matter?" 

When Mia hesitates, I take the opportunity to jump in. "Does it have anything to do with gates? Power levels?" 

Her head snaps in my direction, but I hold my composure. "I read those words in the book. Kaia's book." 

Caiden's gaze alternates between me and his sister as a silent exchange occurs between us. I brandish my innocence even as Mia's eyes bore through mine. Finally, she relents, looking to the window behind me instead. 

"The book I told you about -- the Book of Elements? It's not just a ledger. It's a record. Kaia's keeping track of her progress. 

"It's common knowledge that there are four talents. Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Four. But there are also rumors of a fifth talent: Spirit. What it does. . . that's hard to say. . . but I can tell you two that nobody has ever been born with Spirit. There are no Spirit Elementals. 

"That's why most insist the talent doesn't exist, but if you ask anyone who believes. . . they'll tell you that you need a ridiculous amount of energy to 'unlock' the fifth talent. Impossible amounts of energy from each kind of Elemental, more than any one person should be able to harness." 

"But Kaia can?" Caiden interjects. "And you still haven't told us why." His tone borders on frustration. I'm flooded both with relief and thrilling pride; it's clear that Caiden's picking up on some of his sister's half-truths. He must know as well as I do that she's skipping over a few too many details. 

"I'm getting to that," Mia asserts calmly, unfazed. "I'll tell you the truth; I don't know how she's doing it. I don't know how she can siphon or collect our abilities. I only know what she's doing. You two must have realized by now that Elementals can't live without their abilities. Our talents are our life force, woven into every part of us. So when Kaia takes that away. . . I don't think it's possible for any person to fully recover from that. . ." 

Mia's eyes glaze over, her voice softening to a mere whisper as she trails off. Just as quick, however, she blinks, and her gaze is back to normal. She makes eye contact with both me and Caiden in turn before continuing. 

"Kaia wants to unlock the fifth talent," she says then, rather plainly. "She wants access to the fifth Element, which she can only get by unlocking four gates, if we believe the legends. Each gate is 'powered' by each respective talent, and so she needs enough energy from each kind of Elemental to unlock each gate. 

"If she's after you and Autumn, Caiden, it's because she hasn't unlocked the third gate yet -- Fire. I suppose it's easy enough to wait until you've reached your full potential and then siphon your abilities completely. More bang for Kaia's buck, instead of having to track down yet another fire Elemental. Maybe two." 

Caiden scoffs. "So we have until then? Until I summit?" 

Mia nods, and Caiden jumps to his feet. "Then, it's simple! I just don't summit, and problem solved. We can buy more time." 

But Mia takes a step toward her brother, her expression dark. "Not so fast, Caiden. It's not that easy. . . for one, our powers grow as our numbers grow. The more Elementals you have in one place -- the stronger each of them becomes. We build on each other's energy." 

"The power surge," I blurt, my eyes widening. It all made sense.

Caiden's eyes meet mine. "The power surge? Are you talking about. . . " 

"What happened to you. . . something similar happened to Autumn, and I felt it too. And it all happened the weekend that Kaia came to town." 

Mia sighs. "That's what I mean. With Kaia in Fairfield. With me in Fairfield. . . you've only grown stronger. You're that much closer to summiting. And even if you wanted to. . . summiting isn't something you can just not do. It's a natural phase for all Elementals; it'll happen sooner or later. The more you use your abilities, the more your talent develops." 

"So what are we supposed to do?" Caiden grits out. 

Mia closes her eyes. 

A minute passes. 

Two. 

Caiden breathes heavily as I sit quietly. 

Finally, Mia opens her eyes. She meets her brother's gaze, and then she shrugs. 

"I don't know."

n o t e :

heeey! 

long chapter this time cause i wanted to do the big information dump in one sitting! let me know about any questions or possible plot holes pls! and ofc, tell me what you think about Mia, Caiden, Noah. . . their whole situation. the whole shebang! 

i can't believe we're this far in already. i think this might be our halfway point. . . or at least close to it! so excited to continue with you all! 

as always, don't be a silent reader! pls vote & comment, and thank you for reading!

general comments/questions can go here >>

see you soon,

- gift.