Page 90 of Sealed By Fire (The Nature Hunters Academy 2)

“I had forgotten,” Kairi said softly. “One of my soul-bonded pairs, and I had forgotten. You are the magic we felt pulsing when we entered the mountain. I forgot. I’m so sorry I forgot.”

“It is not your fault,” Nasima said in a tone Tara wouldn’t have dared argue with.

“Be that as it may,” Kairi said, “they are still mine to care for. Please, rise,” she told the couple.

Miles took Josie’s hand and helped her stand as he rose. Tara noticed the couple kept in constant physical contact.

“We are well,” Josie said and smiled at Kairi. “A little bruised up, but not defeated.” Her eyes held sadness that made it clear she’d seen some bad things.

“We received a call from Headmaster Marcus that we needed to report in, but he told us to come to Terra Academy. We’d been expecting it considering we…” Miles paused as emotion filled his voice. He clenched his jaw, and Tara saw tears he seemed to be trying desperately to keep from falling.

“Miles,” Josie whispered. “We’re still together.”

“We didn’t remember, Josie. How could we not remember?” he asked her. The pain in his voice was so anguished. Tara clenched Elias’s hand, realizing what Miles was saying.

“You forgot you were soul bonded?” Tara asked before her brain could tell her mouth to stay shut.

Miles didn’t look at her, but Josie’s kind eyes met hers. She nodded. “We only just remembered a week or so ago,” she said. “We also remembered the others we knew.”

“Knew? Past tense?” Aviur asked.

This time it was Josie’s eyes that filled up, but she let the tears fall. “So many have been killed over the years. But we didn’t realize they were soul bonded.”

Terrick sighed as his head dropped, and he sat back on his desk. Iterra placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him. He shook his head but then looked around the room. “I think you need to tell us everything you know,” he said to Miles and Josie. “And then we need to find out what your majesties know.”

The three royals nodded as they spread out around the room, none of them taking seats.

“Shelly and I have something we need to share as well,” Ra spoke up quietly. He never spoke very loudly, Tara noticed. And because of it, when he did speak, people appeared to pay very close attention.

It was the first time Avuir noticed the fire elementalist student.

“You made it back all right?” the fire king asked Ra.

Ra stood and bowed his head to Aviur. “I did. I was able to bring Shelly Smith back with me.” When he looked down at Tara’s BFFF, where she still sat on the loveseat they had been sharing, the adoration in his eyes couldn’t be missed.

What the hell had happened in hell?

“You have always been remarkable, Ra. I am glad you returned. I would have come after you had you not,” Aviur said.

“I am honored, my king,” Ra said and then sat back down next to Shelly. He took her hand in his and held it in his lap as if he couldn’t help but touch her.

She caught Shelly’s eye and raised her brow at her friend. Shelly just grinned.Butthead.

Tara turned her attention back to Miles and Josie, who’d sat back down and begun to speak.

“We made a list of all of the soul-bonded couples we’ve lost over the past century.”

“Wait, what?” Shelly asked with wide eyes. “How old are you? You look like you’re in your late twenties.” She sounded very irritated at not knowing what was going on. Yes, her friend was nosy and liked to be in the know.

“I believe I have much to explain, still,Mery,” Ra said.

To Tara’s surprise, Shelly just smiled and nodded. She didn’t argue or demand he tell her now. Okay, who was the chick sitting next to Pharoah boy, and where the hell had her BFFF gone?

“Here, Terrick,” Josie said as Tara turned and saw her hand the headmaster a piece of paper. “You will want to share that with the other heads of the academies and the royals. They deserve to be given the last rights of the soul bonded.”

“Oh geez,” Tara muttered. “We don’t even get laid to rest like the rest of the elementalist population?”

“Hush,” Elias whispered in her ear, though his voice was filled with heat and not annoyance.

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