Chapter 41 Family Secrets
THE FIFTH ELEMENT 🌊🔥🌪️⛰️☯️
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~DAMON’S POV ~
I messed up.
I don’t know what my mom would do if she finds out I let one of our family secrets slip.
Not every water elemental can use ice. Just me. Dad could too but We lost him years ago in a battle fight with the enemies.
When the other tribes found out about his gift, they called him dangerous. Even our own people got scared. They thought he’d use it to take control. To rise above them.
Mom always said his death wasn’t an accident. That it was planned. So she buried my ice powers. No one in the water tribe knows. Not even my closest friends.
Mom’s got her own secret. A gift she refuses to touch. Sage inherited it. That’s why Mom watches her like a hawk. One wrong move and Sage’s power could get us all marked as taboo. Killed, even.
No one can know about us. Special gifts bring even more enemies. But Cassie knows now.
And I don’t know how long she’ll keep my secret quiet. Not with Madeleine as her roommate. Madeleine talks. Literally To everyone.
And definitely not with Jake around her all the time.
She’s getting close to him. She could expose me without meaning to. I want to trust her. Gods, I really do. But I’ve known her only for a few weeks.
And a few weeks is nothing when your family’s lives are on the line.
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JAKE’S POV
I was still stuck on Cassie.
Her power… I’d never seen anything like it. She found us with her mind. No spell. No map. Just closed her eyes and knew.
With training, she’ll be terrifying.
If she hits her full potential, she’ll be more than useful. She’ll be necessary.
After my father vanished five years ago, dumped me and Cara to survive on our own, I swore I’d find him. Confront him. Ask him how he could abandon his own children. Just like that.
How does a father walk out on his kids? For power? Like what we had wasn’t enough for him. He wanted more.
“Hey. You with me?” Cara’s voice yanked me back.
“What?” I blinked. She was staring at me from across the table.
Cara rolled her eyes. “Seriously. Did you hear a word I just said?”
“Yeah. No. Sorry.” I brushed my hand over my hair. “Say it again?”
“I was asking about Cassie.” She leaned in. “You said something about her powers.”
“Right.” I dropped my voice. “She tracked us. Mentally. Like a bloodhound, but… cleaner. It was insane to watch.”
Cara’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? What else can she do?”
I stood. “Okay. Gossip hour’s over. Need to get back to training.”
I didn't bother to do normal classes with the rest of the students. I only showed up for combat and weapons training. Anything that involves hitting something. To me Everything else was a waste of time.
I hit the training field and saw him immediately. Damon. Surrounded by his fellow wash-up crew, laughing at something stupid like his face is.
Damon and I have hated each other since we were kids. He was always competing with me. Always trying to prove he’s better. Which is funny and pathetic, because he’s not. He never will be. Not in combat.
I started warm-ups, throwing fire between my palms while I waited for the instructor.
That’s when I saw them.
Cassie and Madeleine cut across the edge of the field. They both gave me a quick smile. I nodded back.
Cassie looked… really beautiful this morning. She was wearing a black leather jacket with jeans and a purple tank top. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, showing the back of her neck.
Her eyes always got to me. Innocent looking, Brown like honey and dark chocolate mixed. You could drown in them and not mind at all and I could stare at her all day without getting tired. She was that gorgeous.
I shouldn’t stare. I’m not the guy for her. She was the type of girl who you would take out on a nice date, and sadly I don’t do dating. I hook up and leave. She deserves better than that. Better than me.
I ripped my gaze away. Counted to ten.
When I looked back, Madeleine was alone, sitting with her earth friends. I scanned the field.
And There she was.
Damon had Cassie cornered by the weapons rack. Too close. His head bent toward hers, talking low. Serious.
My jaw clenched. What the hell could they be talking about?
I told myself to ignore it. Ignore him. I’m not her boyfriend. Hell, I’m barely her friend. I don’t get to be jealous.
But it’s hard. Fuck, it’s really hard to ignore her.
And the way Damon looks at her? Like he’s already claimed her? It didn't help matters, It only made my blood boil.
I couldn't resist and I found myself stalking to where they were.
They stopped talking when I got close. "Please, don't stop your important discussion on my account." I said to them, trying my best to hide my anger.
Damon’s eyes narrowed. “We were just finishing up, Dragon breath.”
“Were you?” I stepped closer to him, fire sparking at my fingertips. “Didn’t look finished to me.”
Cassie put a hand on my chest. “Jake, stop.”
Her touch burned into my skin as she tried to calm me down. “He bothering you?” I asked her, looking away from Damon and looking into her eyes.
“No,” she said fast. Too fast. “We were just talking.”
“About?”
Damon scoffed. “None of your damn business.”
I moved in, shoulder to shoulder with him now. “Everything about her is my business.”
The words hung in the air. Heavy and Real.
Cassie sucked in a breath, looking unbelievably at me. Damon went still, traces of amusement wiped from his face.
Even I froze at my words.
What the hell did I just say?
Before anyone could further react, the training field siren blared. Instructor Ryke’s voice boomed over the speakers.
“ALL ELEMENTAL STUDENTS TO THE CENTER. NOW. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. TIME FOR YOUR TRAINING HAS COMMENCED.”
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