Page 42 of Elemental Hall: Nautica
I go to my assigned spot, trying to do what I need to in order to make Cara’s plans for the island work. I start to guide water inland, using the pressure of it and the currents in order to create channels that will serve to irrigate this side of the island. It’s precise work, trying to find paths that the water will flow along without flooding the entire island, trying to play my part.
It’s also hard work. I’m mostly recovered, but I’m nowhere near as strong as I should be. I try to keep Cara’s plan in mind, doing what’s required. In truth, it’s not that hard, and I find my eyes wandering across the rest of the island. I can see Aria darting back and forth, carrying messages and lending a hand here or there, helping to coordinate the efforts of the students working on the island. Orion is moving from place to place, rather than just standing in one spot and directing. It’s obvious that he wants to do a lot of the practical work here, but he’s caught up with having to deal with problems, making decisions. Caraisin one spot, looking over everything, obviously planning every step, while Nissa is coaxing plants from the earth.
Ash… he is going off alone, and that catches my attention. Especially since he seems to be moving furtively, keeping behind rocks so that Orion and most of the others can’t see him. If Orionhadn’t tucked me away on the far side of the island, I probably wouldn’t see him either.
What is he doing? Happy that I can abandon my efforts for a minute or two, I follow him as he heads to where an ancient lock gate seems to be closed, holding back the sea. He stands in front of it, his features contorted in concentration as he uses his magic on it, smoke starting to rise from it.
“What are you doing, Ash?” I ask, moving to confront him.
“I’m doingmypart in the plan,” Ash snaps back. “Shouldn’t you be off seeing that the water is dribbling nicely along the irrigation channels?”
“Cara didn’t say anything about destroying this gate,” I reply.
He snorts. “You know what, Sera? I don’t have to answer to you. Or to idiots like Orion and Cara.”
“So you’re not doing what we agreed?” I ask. I think about the lock. If it’s opened, it will send seawater cascading across the island. It will make all our efforts much harder, throwing out all our plans. “Ash, are you trying to sabotage this challenge?”
Why would he do something like that?
“What if I am?” he shoots back.
“Why, Ash?” I ask him. “What do you gain by this?”
“What do I gain? Stupid commoner. You don’t know what this challenge really is, do you? But they told me. The Umbrans explainedexactlywhat is about to happen.”
I stare at him in shock. “You’re working for the Umbrans?” I think a moment or two longer. “It wasyouwho put Darius in the cave, wasn’t it?”
Ash smiles at me cruelly. “It was all too easy.”
“And you tried to kill me by sending me to the Green Tower Pool.”
He spreads his hands. “Of course.”
“Why are you working for them?” I demand. “Why betray all of us?”
Ash’s expression turns harsh. “Because at leasttheyappreciate talent when they see it. I was meant to be something special. I was meant to be great, but first Orion shows up and takes all the attention, thenyouarrive, with a gift you’ve donenothingto earn. If I do this, they’ll give me a place of honor intheiracademy.”
“You’d do all of this, you’d join Lumina’s enemies, just so you can feel important?” I say. “No, I won’t allow this. I’ll find one of the masters and tell them all of this.”
“And you think you’re going to get to one of them?” Ash says, raising an eyebrow. “Even if you somehow run now, you’re going to be far too busy. As I said, the masters haven’t beenentirelytruthful about what this challenge is.”
I feel the moment when the earth starts to shake, jarring and jolting me, threatening to make me fall. Even with that, we aren’t at the center of the earthquake. No,thatis somewhere away under the ocean, the sea seeming to roil and jolt as the seabed beneath it is hit by the full violence of a seaquake.
As the quake continues, I see a wall of water rising up on the horizon, heading our way. The tsunami is massive, with enough force to scour this island clear of life, and if I don’t help to stop it, we might all be swept away.
Thatis when Ash throws himself at me, lashing out with a punch I barely see coming.
Chapter TWENTY THREE
I stumble as the punch lands, then lash out with a kick to drive Ash back. It buys me a second, butonlya second, then I have to dive to one side to avoid a burst of flames.
“You aren’t so tough when you don’t have a whole ocean to use,” Ash sneers. He kicks at me when I start to rise, sending me sprawling. I roll to my feet, circling him warily.
“At least I haven’t betrayed my friends, my academy, mykingdom,” I shoot back.
It has the desired effect, getting him to rush in angrily, striking out with fists and feet. I turn aside from the rush, hoping to trip him and land on top, but he twists at the last moment in the air. We tumble to the ground, but he’s the one who lands above me.
“You all betrayed me first,” Ash says. “You ignored me, you went out of your way to outdo me. Even the Umbrans went to you first, asking you to join them. They think I didn’t know, they tried to tell me that I was first, but they weren’t careful enough. I found out.”
