Page 64 of Sealed By Fire (The Nature Hunters Academy 2)

“These students we’re putting you with are a good group. You’ll like them,” Zuri said, changing the subject.

“Who are the professors?” Tara asked.

“I’ll be your earth elementalist professor.”

Tara let out a sigh of relief. Zuri may be a hard ass, but she was also a badass, and Tara had been hoping she’d be able to learn from her.

“I’ll introduce you to the professors with the rest of your group.”

When they reached the other students, Tara glanced over her shoulder to see how far away she was from Elias’s group. They had gone across to the far side of the field. Elias didn’t look happy.

“All right.” Zuri’s voice caused Tara to turn back around. “Let’s do introductions and then we will put some space between us and the rest so we have room to work.” Three professors were standing shoulder to shoulder next to Zuri while the students formed a semicircle next to Tara.

“This is Tara,” Zuri said as she pointed to her. “She’s new to our world. This is her first week at the academy.”

“Why is she out here then?” A girl with striking red hair in pigtails that were streaked with orange and blonde asked, though she didn’t sound rude. Just curious. She was dressed in ripped jeans, a crop top, and combat boots. Her eyes had the wild look of someone who was a sliver past crazy. The only thing missing was a baseball bat, and she’d be Harley Quinn’s redheaded stepsister. “Professor Jax said they chose the top students, no offense,” she said as she glanced at Tara. “But if she’s new, then she doesn’t know anything.”

“None taken,” Tara assured her. The girl had a valid point.

“And that’s Gabby,” Zuri said as she motioned to the redheaded girl. “She’s a fire elementalist, third year.”

“‘Hiya,” Gabby said with a waive of her fingers. Yep, she was crazy as a clown with a red balloon.

“To answer your question, Tara’s circumstances are unique. I’ll let her be the one to decide how much to tell, as it’s her business.”

Gabby held up her hands. “I’m cool. Just curious.” She looked over at Tara. “Welcome to our club.”

“Thanks,” Tara said and smiled at her.

“Okay, moving on,” Zuri said. “That’s Ender.” She pointed to a large male, built like a tree. He had brown hair that was long enough to brush his shoulders, and his eyes were such a light blue that they almost seemed white. “He’s a water elementalist.” Ender nodded at them but didn’t speak.

“And that’s Colt.” The other male in the group was a little shorter than Ender, putting him at around five foot ten. His hair was the opposite of Enders, blond and cut close to his head. His hazel eyes kept moving, scanning the area as if he were waiting on someone to jump out and attack them. “He’s an air elementalist,” Zuri continued. “The professors other than myself are, Professor Wyatt Briggs, water elementalist, Professor Eddison King, air elementalist, and Professor Audrey Frost, fire elementalist.”

Colt, Ender, and Tara all looked at Professor Frost.

She grinned. “Yes. I’m a fire elementalist and my last name is Frost. The universe has a sense of humor.”

Tara liked her immediately.

“Tara, I’m not sure how much Elias and the others have told you, but something that might help identify what academies professors are aligned with is the clothing. Water elementalists profs wear blue, air wears white, fire wears red, and earth wears black.”

“Why black?” Gabby asked. “Why not green or brown?”

“Because I was the one who got to choose, and I like black,” Zuri said as she glanced at a clipboard in her hand.

“Well, okay then,” Gabby said as she looked across at Tara. There was a smirk on the redhead’s face that made Tara grin. She was going to like Gabby, too. She felt a pinch in her chest as she pictured Shelly, unconscious, being tossed through a portal. Damn, she missed her BFFF.

“First things first.” Professor Briggs stepped forward. “You all need to change clothes. You will be wearing the same uniform as the professors. The only difference is that you have the word ‘student’ written on the back.”

Professor Frost picked up a bag from the ground. “Heads up,” she said as she tossed it to Ender. He caught it effortlessly. The fire elementalist professor tossed them each a bag, and then Zuri pointed toward a door Tara knew led into a corridor containing bathrooms.

“Go get changed and then come right back out here,” she said.

Ender and Colt headed off without a word. Gabby came over to Tara, and they walked together.

“How are you holding up?” Gabby asked her as she swung her bag back and forth as if she were a child with a toy.

Tara blew out a breath. “Well, it’s been interesting.”

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