Page 65 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

Elias rolled his shoulders back and met Jax’s stare. “I’m not a lad who needs to be pulled around by his bloody ear. And I’m not throwing a fit about being dragged out of a candy store. This is her life, her soul, Jax. And it’s my responsibility as her soul bond to make sure she doesn’t get taken by the dark side. Don’t bloody patronizeme.”

Jax was quiet as he stared back at him. After a couple of minutes he nodded. “You’re right. What we are asking of you shouldn’t be taken lightly. Iapologize.”

“I understand why I shouldn’t be with her,” Elias said. “I know that if the protection spell is dissipated by knowledge of our world, she will be at the mercy of the acolytes and elementals. That is why I am here of my own free will. Now, let’s get going before my magic decides to cause a mutiny and takes control of myfaculties.”

The look on Jax’s face almost made Elias laugh. His friend and mentor looked horrified at the idea. But he wasn’t exaggerating. He could feel the magic inside of him pulsing, pushing and yearning to be free, to go to its mate, their mate. The restlessness he felt when away from her was already building, and he knew it was only going to getworse.

“Call your contacts over at the other academies,” Jax said as he turned to walk through the gate he’d conjured. Elias followed as he pulled out his phone. “Tell them to meet us atYellowstone.”

Before Elias made the calls, he sent a text toTara.

Jax called.I’ve been pulled away for an emergency. I’m not sure when I’ll be back. This is NOT goodbye. I’ll be intouch.

He hitsend and prayed to Mother Gaia that Tara would be safe under Zuri’sprotection.

Chapter 17

Well, I guess we are about to find out if the inter-academy relations program we started this year is about to pay off,” said Jax as he and Elias stepped back into the gateroom at Terra Academy. Elias barely registered the words. It was taking everything he had not to lash out at Jax and go barreling back through the gate to get Tara. He should be heading toward her, not away from her. Elias grunted inresponse.

“Listen,” continued Jax, “I know this ishard—”

“You don’t know,” snapped Elias, cutting Jax off. “You’re not soul bonded. You have no idea what I’m going through.” He clenched his fists at hisside.

Jax put up two placating hands. “You’re right. I don’t know. Maybe no one does. But I know Tara is in capable hands. Believe me. No one can protect the girl like Zuri. I’d trust her with my life. I have, several timesover.”

“I’d trust her with my life, too,” said Elias quietly. “But notTara’s.”

“Well, you’re going to have to. C’mon. What we are about to do may end up helping Tara more than anything you could do in Buffalo, Kentucky. And it might help others just like her. We need answers. Our ambassadors at the other schools report that dark acolytes have been appearing around their new students as well. We have to find outwhy.”

“So, Tara isn’t the only one?” asked Elias. “Other Marks have beenharassed?”

“Exactly.”

“Let’s get on with thisthen.”

They walked in silence past all the stone gates to the very center of the large chamber. Here, standing alone, was an archway that appeared as if it were constructed simply by piling large, misshapen stones atop one another. Elias had learned on his first day of geo-spatial travel class during his first year at the academy that each stone was a different shape, color, and composition and was gathered from a different part of the world. There was no mortar, nothing to bind the rocks together, yet against the laws of physics and gravity, they clung to one another. And had done so for thousands of years. He’d only been through the gate once, also during one of his classes. But this was a class on ley lines, those places of elemental power where the magic woven throughout the earth flowed the strongest. They were about to travel to one of the strongest concentrations of elemental power on the earth. But because of the inner turmoil he had raging from being separated from Tara, Elias couldn’t even be a littleexcited.

He and Jax stood before the gate. There were no words of power needed to activate this particular portal. One just needed to step through. “After you.” Jax said, gesturing to the opening. Beyond it, Elias could see through to the rest of the room, but he knew he wouldn’t simply step through to a spot on the floor. He’d step out in one of Yellowstone Park’s geyser basins in Wyoming, over a thousand miles from Tara. He growled and forced his feet forward. When he passed under the arch, he felt the same strange tingling sensation all over his body he always did when geo-spatial traveling. Then, the mountains of Yellowstone opened before him. He just caught the setting sun as it disappeared beyond a mountain and sent rays of pink and purple cascading across the sky. Elias heard Jax step up next to him and draw in a hugebreath.

“I always love coming here,” said Jax. “It never gets old, even after hundreds of years and thousands of visits. Zuri and I used to come here when we were young, started when we were still students at theacademy.”

“You ever going to tell me what really happened between youtwo?”

Jax huffed. “That’s another story for another day. Right now, tell me about the other students in the inter-academy program. Are they all as surly asyou?”

“What’s to say? They’re students likeme.”

“I mean, do they seem like decent people? Are there any problems we should be awareof?”

“Jax, you’ve really got to get out of this old way of thinking. You were just lecturing me about trusting Zuri. You’re the most distrustful person Iknow.”

“I trust Zuri because I know Zuri. I trust Zuri because she’s earth. Earth is the only element worthy oftrust.”

“Headmaster Terrick disagrees,” saidElias.

“Whatever,” said Jax. “Just tell me aboutthem.”

“Well, there’s Ra. He’s from Crimson Academy. He seems pretty cool. He’s from Egypt originally, I think. Then there’s—” Just then, a large geyser erupted close by, sending steam shooting several feet in the air. Before it dissipated, two figures materialized from within it. They approached Jax andElias.

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