Page 99 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“What elemental?” Liam asked. “I didn’t seeone.”

“You have other senses besides sight,” Ra said. “You need to learn to use them if you want to be superior to yourenemy.”

“Don’t start with your lessons, Ra,” Liam growled. “Just tell us what the hell you’re talkingabout.”

“I’m talking about hell,” he said, his voice calm and even. “There’s a fire elemental. And he isn’t a slouch. Looks like a being of hellfire tome.

“Seriously?” Aston asked. His voice was softer than the others. “What would something like that be doing topside? Hellfire elementals usually don’t leave theunderworld.”

Tara’s eyes widened.Underworld?She mouthed to keep from blurting out some unladylikeexpletives.

“It appears the dark elementals are being quite cooperative with one another,” Aston said. His words came out slowly, as if he gave each one of them careful consideration before releasingit.

“Since when did the dark elementals start being team players?” Liamasked.

“They’ve been working together more and more,” Elias said. He motioned for the others to go up first and put a hand out to stop Tara, ensuring none of the other three would be behind her. “Jax said they’ve realized that working against one another trying to fight against the light elementals was shooting themselves in the foot. They’ve somehow figured out how to put aside their desire to dominate everyone so they can become one army againstus.”

When they finally reached the top of the stairs, Tara was sick with worry. Elias squeezed her hand, and she looked at him as they hurried down thecorridor.

“It’s going to be okay,” he toldher.

She nodded but knew she wouldn’t feel better until Shelly was no longer in Tucker’sclutches.

They jogged to the foyer where she’d entered with Zuri. Zuri came over and motioned for Tara to follow her. Elias kept holding her hand, and the pair ran to the front doors. The gnome was still there. One of the double doors was open. The gnome wore a look of hatred on his face as he crouched just inside the door, staring out at something. Tara, Zuri, and Elias joinedhim.

“Send Tara out.” Tucker’s voice came through the opened door loud and clear. Though Tara recognized it, he didn’t sound the same as before. His voice was sharper,harder.

“You won’t leave this land alive. But how you die, quickly or slowly, is what I’m deciding right now,” Jax said. “Don’t hurt an innocent human and sentence yourself to a long, painfuldeath.”

“You’re a fool if you honestly think I would let you capture me,” Tuckersaid.

“And you’re an even bigger fool if you don’t realize that you have already been captured,” Jaxreturned.

“I WANTTARA!”

Tara jumped at the sound of Tucker’s sudden roar. Next to her, Elias’s bodytensed.

“I won’t let him have you,” he said in a voice that promised violence anddeath.

“And I won’t let Shelly be hurt because of me,” shecountered.

“Is she even here?” Tucker asked. “If I’ve wasted my time coming here, I will be very put out. And I might be tempted to do something rash, like break this little girl’sneck.”

Tara heard Shelly emit a squeal of pain, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She jerked her hand out of Elias’s and ran for the open door. She made it just a few steps outside when a strong arm closed around her waist and pulled herback.

“Stop,” she yelled, her voice sounding hysterical even to her own ears. The person holding her didn’t pull her anyfurther.

“Tara, don’t you dare give yourself to this traitorous vermin,” Shelly yelled. “I will kill you if youdo.”

“Shut up, Shell,” Taragrowled.

“I will not,” Shelly snapped. “You don’t get to decide to rescue me. If I want to remain captured, then that is my choice. I can be a hostage if I wantto.”

“Do you realize how dumb thatsounds?”

“Or it’s a genius way to make him think I will becompliant.”

“And now you just gave your plan away,” Tara pointedout.

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