Page 100 of A Touch of Gold and Madness

Aella had a rather loose tongue due to the drinks. She sat sprawled in the large black chair where full springy curls bunched up around her reclined head. “Ya know…” she said in a high-pitched voice. “I like you. I mean…Iactuallylike you, Gray. Didn’t think I would…with you being that asshole’s daughter and all.” She gave a dainty shrug.

I laughed. It felt so good to laugh again. “How did you miss my outgoing nature?”

River and Onyx joined in on our laughter.

“You guys should’ve seen it,” Onyx said, slouched in a man-spread in his own chair. “You would’ve thought Chrome dragged her in by the roots of her hair when she first arrived.” He gripped his gut, laughing at the memory.

I kept laughing with them. “Oh, shut up. Had you witnessed the beastie-bear, you would’ve looked like that, too.”

Everyone’s mirth suddenly died. I looked around, lacing my fingers together in my lap. “What?”

They looked at each other, silently questioning who would ask. It was Aella. “Did you and Chrome really open a portal and send it back?”

I studied my hands in my lap. “So it seems…”

River sat rigid in her chair, still looking regal. “What happened? Chrome gave us the brief rundown, as you heard, but we want the full play-by-play. Spill it.”

My wide grin reached my eyes. I was all in for it. Ineededto tell this story. So, I did, starting from the train.

Their eyes were wide as I told the tale. Onyx’s mouth hung slack, riveted as he remained slumped in his seat. Aella sat up, focusing her eyes onme. Not once did she cast a distrustful look. And River, even drunk, was clear-eyed and sharp, not missing a detail.

When I finished, it was Aella who asked, “Can we see them?” And when I cocked my head in confusion at her question, she clarified, “Your currents?We’ve obviously seen Onyx’s and Chrome’s, but everyone is curious to see yours. I bet they’re pretty.”

I couldn’t help the blush that crept up my neck at the attention. It wasn’t the type of attention I was used to. No one had ever taken an interest in me like that before. “Sure. I’ve been hesitant to free my Kinetic form around here—”

“What?” Onyx cut me off, scrambling to sit up straight. “Are you fucking serious? Gray, it’s been how long?”

I opened and closed my mouth. Was hescoldingme? Shifting in my seat and looking away, I said, “Uhm…since the beastie bear?”

“What the hell? Take the damn thing off. Let us see it all,” Onyx demanded—damn, so stern. I wanted to laugh but held it in.

“He doesn’t mean literallyeverything,”Aella said with a shake of her head.

I chuckled and looked around the lodge, scanning for other Elementals nearby.

River caught me. “It’s fine. Everyone knows what you are, Princess. We all accept that like we did with Chrome. It’s actually weird to us that youhaven’t exposed your Kinetic form yet.”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, but I don’t know how it will feel now that my Elemental form isn’t suppressed anymore. Maybe we should go outside…” I said, not wanting to risk bringing down the lodge.

“Sounds great,” said Onyx with a clap of his hands. “Bring the ‘shine.”

We stood outside in the training field Chrome had taken me to yesterday. I shook out my arms as they all stood in front of me. Onyx’s orange currentsgave him an eerie glow in the darkness. He looked relaxed, but I could tell he was ready to act in defense if something went wrong.

My Kinetic magic pulsed within me, sensing it was about to be freed. I closed my eyes and took a calming breath, letting the air settle in my chest. The alcohol made me feel lighter, but I was still anxious about combining the two forces untested…while drunk. Was it the best idea? Probably not.

“You guys ready?” I asked, looking each of them in the eyes.

“Fuck, yes!” Onyx said way too emphatically.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. “What? I’ve been dying to see another set of currents around this place for a while. Chrome’s always wearing that beaten up cloak or something.”

I understood that. It must’ve felt isolating to be the only pure Kinetic in an Elemental stronghold, no matter how loyal you were to their cause.

“Okay,” I said. I blew out a breath. “Here it goes.” I snapped off the metal clasp of my suppressing bracelet.

The air element within me stirred at the presence of the energetic waves pulsing in my veins. It was as if they greeted one another while they twined around the other in a sensitive dance. They never got too close, but it waseuphoric.

I dropped my head back. The electric blue currents glowed to life on my forearms and raced up my neck. I couldn’t feel it, but I knew my glamoured, ice-blonde hair had morphed into its unusual dual-toned medley of white and black that resembled marble.

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