Page 13 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

“Is she always this bossy?” Gabby asked Tara.

“Always.”

Out in the hall, Shelly pulled them to a stop and released them before retrieving her cell phone from her back pocket. “Gabby, we need your contact info,” she said, her no nonsense tone indicating she expected to be given the required information immediately and without objection. “I expect you both to check in with me on a daily … no,hourlybasis. If you need to be rescued at any point, I happen to know a damn fine Egyptian king who can literally go to hell and back to rescue a damsel in distress.”

“Um, what are we? Chopped troll guts?” Liam’s voice echoed in the hall, and the heads of all three girls whipped in their direction.

Gabby had been yanked into the hall so quickly and unceremoniously, she hadn’t even noticed Elias, Liam, Ra, and Aston had followed them. The guys seemed to be an extension of Tara and Shelly, like annoying shadows, always where you didn't see them.I may have to keep my distance from these two chicks when we aren’t out saving the world. Which is going to be a little difficult if the skinny one doesn’t quit latching onto me and forcing me to follow her around like a freaking puppy. Which should make me happy because it makes me feel included, but I don’t WANT to feel included with you people and … ARGH!

Gabby clamped down her internal rant to listen to Shelly’s response. “I have no idea ifyouare capable of saving anyone,” the girl told Liam as she continued to tap on her phone screen. “But I knowexactlywhat Ra is capable of. Therefore, I will bet my money on him.”

“Do you have so little faith in our ability to take care of our girls?” Elias asked, gesturing to himself and Liam.

A lightning bolt shot through Gabby’s stomach at Elias’s words, but she chewed on her tongue and furrowed her brow to ensure her internal reaction didn’t show. After a moment, she spoke in a hiss. “Who are you including in that collectivegirlsstatement? And to which male do you thinkIbelong? Who might take care ofme?”

“Totally talking about you and me, babe,” Liam said. He motioned with his finger between them.

She slowly cocked her head in his direction. Gabby hadn’t realized how close he stood to her. She tried to give him her most disdainful look and shuffled sideways at the same time. She wasn’t as successful as she’d hoped, as the punk simply moved with her. Again, the annoying shadow. “I don’t need anyone rescuing me,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Of that, I have no doubt,” he said with a grin. “ButImight need a little rescuing, probably of the mouth-to-mouth variety.”

Tara sighed. “I can’t speak for every female out there, but from the little I know of Gabby, I’m pretty sure comments like that aren’t going to help your case. In fact, they'll probably just get you injured.”

“As long as she’s touching my body, I don’t care what she does to it,” he said.

“Damn, he’s got it bad,” Shelly said. “Pipe down, Liam. This is important. You can be pathetic later. Gabby, digits,” she commanded and pointed at her phone.

The stern order caused Gabby to rattle off her number like a well-trained soldier.Jeez,what is it about the strongheaded blonde that makes me just fall in line?Movement beside her caught Gabby’s attention. She saw Liam tapping the numbers quickly into his phone.

“Dammit.”

“Aston would have been able to get it for me anyway,” said Liam. “And don’t act like you didn’t want me to have it. I mean, pretending to give it to Shelly just so I could overhear it? Clever, but you’re not fooling anyone.”

Gabby clenched her fists and felt them growing warm. She clamped down on the sensation. She wanted to burn the guy, she really did. But she couldn’t deny she wanted to burn him other ways as well. And she knew Headmistress Iterra probably wouldn’t appreciate one of her students getting torched in the hallway.

“I’ll probably be getting it changed soon,” she finally said.That’s not a bad idea. I could get it changed frequently so the genius of their foursome couldn’t keep up.She glanced at Aston and saw the intelligence gleaming in his eyes. “Probably not,” she muttered under her breath.

“Mery,” Ra said as he moved closer to Shelly, his chest practically touching hers. He leaned close to her ear, but Gabby could still hear his words. “We need to get coats and probably add some layers to the clothing you are wearing now. Not to mention, we need to meet with King Aviur very soon. Perhaps we should take our leave?”

Gabby’s stomach tightened at how attentive and gentle he was with Shelly. He appeared to be stoic and harsh, but when he looked at the woman he so obviously loved—because no man looked at a woman like that without loving her—his countenance softened completely.

“I think so,” Shelly said, her own voice also softening as she turned to face Gabby and Tara. In a blink her switch flipped back to bossy bitch mode. “I’m completely serious when I say I want updates. Do not make me hunt you down.”

Tara rolled her eyes. “I think facing off with the lord of the underworld has made you even bossier, if that is even possible.”

Shelly snorted. “Let me see you take on the devil and not come out feeling like Betty Badass.”

“She’s got a point,” Gabby agreed.

“I need your help on this one, Gabby,” Tara said as she narrowed her eyes. “Shelly’s already got a superiority complex.”

“You’re right. I’ve got your back,” Gabby said with a small smile, completely dumbfounded she was acting as if she was one of their crew. “We can’t let her get too big for her britches. Then we’d have to kick her bossy butt, and her Egyptian king might retaliate.”

“If you wind up doing that, could you make sure to be in bikinis and in a mud pit?” Liam asked.

Before anyone had a chance to so much as chuckle, Ra spoke in a menacing voice. “The demon ichor on my blades has long dried. My swords are hungry for fresh blood, brother.”

Gabby took an involuntary step back.

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