Enchanted Chaos (Enchanted Chaos 1)
“Why would walking through the portal with Max make it so I’m fine?” I wonder. “Because of his power?”
She nods. “The side effects of portal traveling are less severe if a human walks through with an elemental protector. Or any paranormal, I guess.”
Hearing her so casually say the word paranormal wigs me out, but something else she says distracts me.
“So, only humans get side effects from portal traveling?” I ask.
“Humans get side effects from most things in our world.” Foster is the one to answer, his cold gaze burrowing into me. “Which is why they shouldn’t be a part of our world.”
“Foster,” Gabe reprimands. “You need to lose the attitude.”
Foster rolls his eyes. “And we need to lose the human. But no one seems to want to listen to me, so why should I listen to you?”
“Foster!” Emaline gasps in horror.
She’s acting as if Foster has never acted so rude in his life, but my bet is he’s an asshole most of the time, except for when he’s around her.
Foster shrugs her off. “What? It’s the truth.”
“Young man,” Gabe warns, scowling at him. “You will lose the attitude right now and apologize to Sky, or else you’ll be grounded for the next two weeks.”
“Go ahead and ground me. I’m not going to apologize for something I’m not sorry for.” Tossing one final icy look at me, he hops off the podium and drops into the grass. Then he hikes off across the field where the shimmering light orbs are dancing.
“I’ll go check on him,” Easton says then leaps down into the grass.
“I’m so sorry about that,” Emaline apologizes to me. “He’s not usually like this.”
I catch Hunter and Max rolling their eyes, so I’m betting my early assumption of Foster is correct.
Emaline doesn’t notice her sons’ eye rolls, though, as she turns away from me to Gabe. “Do you want to take the long way or the short way?”
Gabe’s gaze flicks to me then back to her. “With how busy the city is and how unfriendly e
veryone is getting toward humans, we better go the long way, just to be safe.”
“Am I safe here?” I question nervously, glancing upward as a bolt of lightning blazes across the glittery-blue sky.
“As long as you stay with us, you are,” Emaline assures me, but a drop of hesitancy rings in her tone. Then her attention drifts upward. “Is Foster really this upset?”
Again, my lips part to tell them about my powers, to explain that I’m fairly positive Foster isn’t causing the lightning storm. But, like before, no words pass my lips.
What is wrong with me? Why can’t I just say the damn words aloud?
“I’m not sure Foster’s doing it,” Hunter mutters, silvery-blue flashes of lightning reflecting in his eyes.
Max glances at him with his head cocked. “Why would you say that?”
Holden lowers his gaze from the sky. “I’m not positive, but it feels like there might be another energy nearby.”
They all stiffen, darting their gazes to the trees, their hands crackling with the same light that I saw earlier when I snuck into the woods. Only, up close, I can see it’s not just light radiating from their hands. Holden’s and Hunter’s palms are actually on fire, golden flames emitting from their flesh. Emaline has flakes of ice twirling in the center of her palms that mixes with the light, and Gabe has droplets of water dewing on his skin, while a small, funneling tornado is twirling around Max’s arms.
As the air crackles with heat and the wind howls, the atmosphere grows humid yet somehow chills. I anxiously step away from them, getting sensory overload.
The movement catches Gabe’s attention. Frowning, he curls his fingers inward and the light and water dissipate. “Easy, everyone. I think we’re making Sky nervous.”
“You’re fine.” But I’m far from fine. Seeing them on edge is making me aware that danger is likely lurking out in … well, wherever the hell we are.
“How could another energy cause lightning?” Max asks, turning his back toward the trees, the light and wind around him dimming as he looks questioningly at Holden. “Only an elemental enchanter can do that.”