“We don’t need to fix it.” I try to sound confident, but my tone is a bit wobbly. “I’d rather deal with the… weirdness of the link and be protected then fix it, go back into hiding, and hope that the god of darkness doesn’t find me. And besides, I know it’s not just about me. It’s about being able to find the rest of the power sources so we can fix Elemental.”
A trace of a smile touches Max’s pierced lips. “You’re very brave. And don’t let anyone tell you differently.” He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. But hastily pulls away, clears his throat, and glances at East. “Are you okay with the link staying altered?”
East shrugs, glancing at me with a hint of amusement. “I guess so. I mean, I was looking forward to a break from lightning eyes’ emotional drama, but I guess I can deal with it for a bit longer.”
I roll my eyes at him but his grin just broadens.
Max turns to Porter with his brow arched. “What about you?”
Porter shrugs, pouring himself another drink. “The altered link doesn’t affect me as much so why should I care if it stays the same?”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Max mutters, then shakes his head and turns to Hunter, his brow cocking.
Hunter shrugs, pushing away from the door. “If it needs to stay then it needs to stay.”
Max stares him down. “Are you sure? Because with…” He wavers. “Are you sure?”
Hunter briefly hesitates then shrugs. “I can control my shit.”
Max holds his gaze for a bit longer, making me question what the hell is going on. If it was Foster and East looking at each other like that, I may have asked, but I’m not as comfortable with Max and Hunter as I am with East and Foster.
Max gives a nod then he glances at Holden. The two of them trade a long look and I swear their reading each other’s minds, which I guess considering what Max can do, maybe he is.
“We should leave it,” Holden utters, his gaze straying to me then back to Max. “It’s too risky to fix it.”
Max nods again then the room grows quiet again, their gazes drifting to the doorway.
“I’ll go talk to Foster,” East says, hurrying across the room. He gives a quick glance in my direction, winking at me before walking out.
He may be pretending everything is okay, but he leaves a trail of concern dripping down the link.
The room grows silent again.
“Is Foster going to be okay?” I ask to no one in particular.
Max nods, but skepticism flashes across his face. “Yeah, he’s tough.”
“I know,” I agree.
But I also know how he feels right now, like he’s about to crumble.
I’m about to go check on him, but Hunter suddenly mumbles, “There’s one more thing I need to mention that Camille told me.”
Max glances at him with a frown. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to tell us something really bad?”
“It’s not bad… It’s just… weird…” The way his eyes roam in my direction makes me grow fidgety.
More bad news—I can sense it.
“When Camille read you,” Hunter says, looking directly at me. “She saw something that was very old living inside you.”
“So what does that mean?” I ask, chewing on my thumbnail.
He shrugs. “Honestly, I have no idea. It could just be the elemental enchanter god’s energy inside you.”
“But that energy was only put in me eighteen years ago,” I point out. “That’s not very old.”
“When it was put in you wasn’t very long ago,” Hunter explains. “But the energy itself is very, very old.”