Page 45 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

“Can we pretend I didn’t say that?” She yelled to be heard over the downpour.

“Absolutely not,” he yelled back. “I can’t be the only inappropriate one in this relationship.”

“There is no relationship, Liam,” Gabby said, even as she hoped he’d argue with her.

“I don’t care what you call it, Beautiful, but there is an us. As in, you and me equal a thing.”

“That didn’t make sense,” she said. “Is Frost okay?”

“It made perfect sense, and yes, the good professor is kicking lava ass,” Liam assured her.

Gabby’s arms were tiring, but she had no idea if she could drop them yet. How much lava was going to shoot out of the volcano? Was it endless like saliva?

“Did you just ask me if lava was like saliva?” Liam’s voice interrupted what she thought had been inner thoughts.

“Sometimes, you should just ignore what comes out of my mouth,” Gabby said, considering jumping into the lava river to save herself more embarrassment.

“I’d have to say yes because your saliva is hot. AndI know that because I kissed the hell out of you before I rode a river to the base of a volcano.”

Gabby turned her head to look at him.

He winked. “What you said doesn’t sound crazy at all now, does it?”

“Uh, no?”

“Excellent.” Liam nodded and glanced over his shoulder. He took one of her hands and tried to pull it down, but Gabby shook her head and looked back at the lava river she was supposed to be focusing on in the first place.

“It’s okay, babe,” Liam said. “Frost gave the signal.”

Gabby frowned. What the hell was the signal? Why hadn’t she known about it? Liam nudged her and motioned behind him. Gabby turned to find Professor Frost laying on the ground, not moving.

“Shit.” Gabby ran toward her, pulling Liam along. “Why didn't you say something?”

“I did,” he said as he jogged beside her. “I said she gave the signal.”

“That’s not a damn signal, Liam. It’s her collapsing from exhaustion.”

“No. She clearly told us before this all began that we’d know when everything was over because she’d be on her ass unable to move because that’s the only way she would give up—Oooooh,” he said. “My bad.”

When they reached Professor Frost, she was climbing to her feet. She waved them off. “I’m fine. Just passed out in the middle of a volcanic eruption. Nothing to worry about.” She dusted off her hands and looked Gabby and Liam over. “You two okay?”

Gabby knew she must be staring at Frost like the woman was crazy. Why the hell was she so calm? “You were on the ground. Like, not moving.” She pointed to where Frost had been lying.

“Yes. And I realize that might have been alarming, but I assure you I am fine.” Frost looked up to the mouth of the volcano and then back at them. “It appears we have relieved enough pressure. Now, we need to get Professor King up here to give the inside a temperature drop.” Gabby remembered Professor Eddison King from some of the training sessions at Terra Academy. He was an Air elementalist, and quite skilled with his power.

She opened a portal and motioned for them to go ahead. Gabby still stared at her, convinced the woman needed a doctor or something. She’d been unconscious. Maybe her body was too hot. What if her insides were cooking and that was why she’d passed out? What if her brain was damaged, and that was the reason she wasn’t worried about the fact that she’d lost consciousness on the side of a mountain during a volcanic eruption? Granted, if she went to the hospital and told all of that to a doctor, he’d call the psych ward, and Professor Frost would be in a padded cell.

Gabby followed Liam through the portal. She suddenly felt heavy as if her limbs had been filled with concrete. The rest of her group was already there. In front of them was a huge lake of lava that was slowly being cooled by Professor Eddison. Gabby could feel the cold air he was pulling in with his power. She stepped into the refreshing breeze. She was hot and hadn’t realized just how hot until she’d felt the relief of the cooler air.

“Whoa there, fire queen,” Liam said as he caught her around the waist. “No walking off into the pit of lava.”

“I’m hot,” her mouth said before her brain could tell it not to.

“Water,” Liam snapped at Josie, all playfulness and tenderness gone.

She hurried over and held up a bottle. “Here. Gabby and Frost are probably badly dehydrated.”

Liam held up his hand. Suddenly, a light mist fell on Gabby. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes as the cooling rain hit her overheated skin.

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