The room Agnes offered me was beautifully decorated with blues and creams. There was something about the chintz fabric which reminded so much of my gran it brought back a wave of grief.

Waves of chaos engulfed me, mirroring the sand visible through the window. I felt overwhelmed as they seemed to keep coming.

I remembered one thing mum taught me when things were difficult. Sometimes we have to stay where we are to survive the waves, sometimes we have to move forward. Letting go and giving up wasn't an option as you would drown.

I watched the sunset, changing the colour of the sea from a greeny blue to grey. The sunset seemed to steal colours from the world.

Agnes knocked on my door, breaking me out of my musings. My choice had to be to move forward.

"Come down, love, and have something to eat," she said. I turned from the window and followed her downstairs.

She had a small cottage with two bedrooms, but her generosity meant she put me up in the master bedroom and taken the guest bedroom herself. I felt uncomfortable kicking her out of her own bedroom, but she insisted that was where May would have wanted me to be.

"It's not much," she said, sitting at the table she'd prepared.

My stomach grumbled as I looked at the beef stew and crusty bread, reminding me how long ago breakfast had been.

"Thank you, this is really kind," I said.

"You're most welcome, ducky, you're most welcome," said Agnes.

We ate the table together. For something so simple, the stew tasted amazing. "Did you make the bread yourself? The smell of freshly baked bread is divine."

"It's not much, Ducky," she said.

"It's the best home cooked meal I've had in years. It tastes absolutely lovely," I said.

We ate in silence, the only sound the gentle pounding of waves and the clock on her mantelpiece ticking rhythmically.

"I'm guessing you've got some questions," said Agnes.

"So many, my head is spinning," I agreed. "I don't know where to start. Part of me just wants to pretend all this isn't happening."

Agnes appraised me kindly. "Maybe we start with May," she said. "She's the one who brought us together."

"OK," I said, pouring a cup of tea from a bone china teapot covered in flowers.

"I've known May for the best part of my life. Without her, my life would be so different. She encouraged me to set up the apothecary when I found my passion for healing. She had a remarkable ability to bring out the best in others."

"I just remember her smile, her cakes and her stories," I said.

"You know she would have done anything for you?" Agnes stated simply.

"Why can't I leave? I don't get this whole breed thing the Captain talked about."

"My child, all the stories that you've heard are real. May was an earth elemental, so I'm betting you inherited something of that too."

"What does that even mean?" I asked.

"It means that, just like you clearly do, she had an affinity with nature. Plants would bloom under her watchful eye. But sometimes I watched her curse a plant, and it'd wither up and die in front of me."

I looked at my hands. Wasn't that what had happened earlier today with the grass when I became so furious? And then the plant re-grew as I apologised to it.

"I don't believe any of this. This is all too weird and not true," I said, but I wondered if I was trying to persuade myself of the truth of my words and not Agnes.

"Are you telling me something strange has never happened to you," she said, reaching out to touch the knuckles, which seemed to have healed completely under her touch.

I told Agnes about the withered grass and how the bluebell had flourished at my touch. "Why has that never happened before?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, Ducky. Maybe you're something else, maybe you're something different. There have been your two generations separate from May. But maybe it took coming to Llyncroft to spark off what's there, whatever's inside you. Perhaps this place's magic unveiled your potential."

"Who am I?"

Agnes smiled at me. "You are an Earth Elemental, my dear," she said, patting my hand across the table.

I withdrew my hand. "Earth Elemental? What does that mean? It sounds like something in a fantasy novel."

She laughed. "In a way, it is. Truth lives in every story. An Earth Elemental is a being closely connected to the element of earth. It means when you understand what you can do, you will have control over earth-based elements like rocks, soil, sand, and minerals. You will be able to shape and manipulate your environment and enhance the growth of anything rooted in the ground."

"So, what, I can make earthquakes and tear down walls of stone?" I scoffed, imagining chaos following me as I destroyed everything I loved.

"You could, in theory," said Agnes, nodding. "But it's not just about destruction. You have a deep connection to the earth itself. You understand geological formations and natural processes. This connection allows you to sense disturbances in the earth or to speak with other earth-based entities."

I thought about the plants in the gardens I tended. Hadn't I always known they responded to my touch? I thought about the way the earth felt under my feet and the security it gave me. I always believed I was scared of heights. What if it's something deeper? What if being disconnected from the ground made me uneasy?

"And," Agnes continued, breaking into my thoughts, "you are incredibly tough and can withstand physical harm. As an Earth Elemental, you can influence your immediate environment."

"What do you mean by 'influence your immediate environment'?" I asked.

Agnes paused for a moment before responding. "Well, you can make plants grow or die, change the flow of underground water, and even control the weather."

I sat back in my chair as she finished speaking. I needed time to process everything. The room spun, and I gripped the table to steady myself.

"You look pale, dear," Agnes said. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I just need time."

"Take as much time as you need," Agnes said. "It's a lot to take in."

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