Page 21 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

“Hey, chasing me with it down the front steps is totally considered using it,” Shelly said.

“Guess you shouldn’t have taken a slice of pie when she warned you not to,” Tara replied.

Her mom gasped. “Shelly, I taught you better than that.”

Shelly had to force herself not to roll her own eyes at her mom. Leave it to Regina Smith to chastise her over something as silly as pie when there were much bigger issues at hand. Then again, maybe it made her mom feel peace simply having Shelly back so she could chastise her.

“I’m not saying you’re wrong.” Shelly sniffed. “I’m simply pointing out that Mrs. Carol is not above chasing a person with a paddle.”

“She’s not wrong, either,” Carol said as she stared down Ra, Elias, and Aviur. “Who are you and what are your intentions with my girls?”

“Hold on to your granny panties, Mrs. Carol. And I’ll explain. First,” Shelly began, “I’ll introduce the three devils you don’t know.” Shelly motioned to the fire king behind her to the left. “This is Aviur. Behind him is Ra Nasir and the guy behind Tara is Elias Creed.”

“It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I am the king of the fire elementals of light. I rule with my mate,”Aviur said as he reached his hand across to Shelly’s parents.

Shelly’s dad reached out and slowly shook the fire king’s hand. His brow furrowed as he stared at the inhumanly handsome man. After Aviur had shaken Regina’s hand, he turned to Carol and took hers as well.

“Uh-huh,” Carol said slowly. “I see.”

Shelly’s eyes widened at the older woman’s declaration.

Tara frowned. “You do?”

Carol glanced at her and shrugged. “I’m not going to declare him crazy until I’m sure. Things are not always what they seem, not even supposed crazy people.” She turned to Elias. “And who are you? Your eyes haven’t left my girl. Either you’re a creeper or she means something to you, and you mean something to her.”

Elias stepped closer to Tara and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. “I am Elias Creed. I am an earth elementalist and Tara’s soul-bonded.”

“Soul-bonded,” Carol said slowly as if she was trying to figure out the words and what they meant. “Is that like a soul mate?”

Elias nodded. “It is. A part of my soul lives inside of Tara.”

Carol’s eyes widened. She looked at Tara, meeting her eyes and narrowing her own. “Is that the light I see in your eyes, sweet girl?”

“What do you mean?” Tara asked as she tilted her head.

“Don’t take this the wrong way because you know I’ve always seen the light inside of you,” Carol said gently. “But there has also been darkness. Your eyes have always held the pain of the loss of your parents, and because of it, the light has faded from your eyes more and more over the years. But now…” She paused and her lips turned up, the wrinkles in her cheeks becoming more prominent even as the light in her own eyes shone brightly at Tara. “But now, the darkness is gone, and your eyes are full of light and hope.”

Shelly swallowed down the emotions that were rising in her chest. She’d known there was darkness inside of Tara. She’d seen it many times over the years, but she also knew there was light, and Shelly constantly fought to pull the light to the forefront.Shelly had also noticed since Tara had met Elias, who shared his light and his soul with her, Tara looked as if she could finally breathe for the first time since Shelly had met her all those years ago in the park.

Elias leaned over and pressed his lips to Tara’s temple. She leaned into his touch. Shelly understood what she saw in her BFFF’s eyes. Comfort and relief. She recognized it because she felt it when Ra touched her. She was so thankful to Elias for giving that to her friend who’d become a sister over the years.

“I’m sorry, Carol,” Tara whispered. “I’m sorry I worried you for all those years when you did nothing but provide for me and love me.”

Carol walked over to her and lifted her wrinkled hand to Tara’s face. She caressed it gently like a mother would a daughter. “Tsk.You have nothing to apologize for, sweet child. You have been a joy to me. Has there been pain? Yes, but we cannot know joy without heartache. We cannot rejoice in triumph, like this, if we had not first experienced loss.”

Tears began to fall down Tara’s cheeks. “I love you, Carol. So very much.”

Shelly felt her chest tighten as she swallowed down her own tears. Carol and Tara needed this moment. They needed to say the things that had never been said before because she knew that Tara hadn’t been able to say them in the past.

Carol’s smile widened as her own tears fell, and she wrapped Tara in a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry I never told you that,” Tara said, her voice hoarse with emotion.

“You didn’t have to,” Carol said. “I knew. Even at the hardest of times, you showed me through the respect you’ve had for me.”

They stood like that for several minutes, and then Carol released Tara and took a deep breath. She turned to Ra and, after wiping her cheeks of the tears, asked, “I’m going to take a gander on you and say you aren’t normal either, am I right?”

Ra’s blank expression didn’t change as he answered. “I am human, but like the others of my group, I am also more.”

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