Page 32 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

“What happens when the crater is full?” Liam asked.

“We shift to another side of the mountain and repeat the process,” Frost answered. “The goal is to get the lava low enough inside the mountain so that we can freeze it.”

“Wouldn’t that happen eventually anyway?” Gabby asked. “Since the temperature is dropping?”

“Yes,” her professor answered. “But probably not before Mauna Loa erupted and caused major damage and killed many.”

Gabby nodded. “Gotcha.”

“So, while you three”—Professor King pointed at Frost, Liam, and Gabby—“head up the mountain, Zuri will begin the crater.”

“Exactly,” Frost said.

“Can’t we just open a portal?” Gabby asked. She felt like she was asking a bunch of stupid questions, but she hated not knowing what was going on. She figured it was better to ask and look dumb than not ask and actually be dumb.

“Not to the top,” Zuri told her. “Too much of a risk that you might end up stepping off into the volcano.”

Gabby felt like slapping her forehead. “Because if you’ve never actually been there, you can’t portal into an exact location,” she said as she remembered what she’d been taught about portals her first year at Crimson Academy.

“Don’t feel bad,” Liam said softly. “It’s easy to forget things in high-stress situations.”

Gabby glanced at him and realized he was being sincere. “Thanks,” she said, feeling herself soften a bit toward him.

“Alright,” Frost said as she opened a portal. “We’re going up about three-fourths of the way. I checked the measurements of the mountain and have estimated approximately where that is.” She looked over the group, meeting each of their eyes. “The goddess be with you. Be smart and stay alive.”

“Yes,” Zuri said. “Do that. The paperwork that we’d have to do if one of you dies would make me want to reincarnate you so I could punch you in the throat.”

“Good to know you care,” Liam said as he put his hand over his heart.

“I do care,” Zuri scoffed. “I care about not having to do paperwork.”

“Let’s go, Gabby and Liam, before Zuri decides offing Liam is worth the hassle.”

Gabby laughed as she looked at Liam.

He gave her a crooked grin. “They can joke about killing me if it will get a laugh out of you, beautiful. You have a very lovely laugh.”

Gabby’s eyes widened and her own smile fell. She didn’t know what to do with those kinds of compliments. She wasn’t used to them and didn’t know if she could actually trust what Liam told her. She hurried after Frost and through the portal, all the while trying to ignore the feelings Liam was stirring within her. He was awakening a longing she thought she’d successfully snuffed out. Apparently, Liam carried the match that could relight the flames. And now she was using stupid analogies to mentally describe her feelings. “Damn male.” She growled.

“He might surprise you,” Professor Frost said as Gabby stepped up next to her. She’d obviously heard what Gabby had said.

“Do you have extraordinary hearing or something?” Gabby asked her.

Frost smiled. “No. You just talk loud when you’re irritated.”

“She’s right,” Liam said from behind her, having stepped through the portal without Gabby hearing him. “You talk out loud when you’re pissed, and you don’t try to hide what you’re saying.”

Gabby felt her cheeks heat. She knew why she did it. She’d spent a lot of time alone in all those foster homes. There was no one there to hear her so it didn’t matter how loud she spoke. Apparently, it was a habit she hadn’t rid herself of. Good grief, no wonder she didn’t have any friends. Everyone in her school probably thought she was nuts walking around talking to herself.

“It’s rather endearing,” Liam quickly added.

She snorted. “Whatever you say, Aquaman.”

“Is that supposed to be an insult?” Liam asked. “Because all you did was stroke my ego.”

“No talking about stroking things,” Frost yelled.

Gabby turned and realized her professor was a good fifty feet ahead of them.

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