Page 73 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

“Unless we make the engine explode, I think we’ll be okay,” Tara pointed out.

Shelly released Tara, and then rolled her eyes. She headed straight for Gabby and hugged her and said the same thing. Gabby patted her awkwardly on the back, causing Tara to smile.

With a final wave, Tara and Elias followed Zuri away from her friends. She prayed they, too, would be safe.

Chapter 16

Gabby watched Tara, Elias, and Zuri walk away. She felt Liam’s hand on her back. He’d run it up under her coat and shirt so their skin was touching. “They’ll be fine.”

“I don’t think this was what Frost had in mind when she said skin to skin contact,” Gabby murmured.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He smirked at her. “Babe, if you think I’m going to miss the opportunity to touch your skin,withthe blessing of a professor, you’re nuts. She didn’t specify what skin.”

Gabby sighed. There was no reasoning with him.

“Besides,” he continued, “you probably need both your hands to shoot your fire at the water.”

She couldn’t argue that point. She looked at Ra and Shelly and saw that they’d linked their left and right pinkies together as they held their hands out toward the freezing gorge. Their free hands were held out as well. Gabby’s attention was pulled from the couple when she saw a large flash on the other side of the water and then fire running down into it.

“Let’s begin,” Frost said as fire suddenly shot from her hands. She looked like a human flamethrower.

Gabby held her hands out and focused on her power. Pulling it from her center, she felt the heat engulf her arms and shoot out her palms. Flames erupted and flew like arrows toward the water.

Liam’s power flowed steadily into her, and she was proud of her ability. The emotions he was pumping into her nearly caused her to falter.

“Focus, baby,” Liam whispered into her ear. “You got this.”

Gabby turned her full attention back to the water and pushed even harder. Minutes passed, and the ice began to thaw under their combined efforts. She had no idea how long they’d been heating the water, but sweat was running down her forehead and back. She no longer felt the cold. Gabby wondered if she was burning Liam, and he must have felt her worry.

“I’m fine, Gabby. You aren’t hurting me.”

Gabby heard a hollow grinding sound. There had been a steady hum of an engine the entire time they’d been there, but now the sound was rattling the bridge and practically vibrating the air.

“We’ve managed to heat the water so that the turbines that hadn’t been working have started back up again,” Frost called out.

That’s something at least.

She wondered how they were going to keep the water and turbines from freezing back up when they stopped. Because they would have to stop … wouldn’t they?

“Professor Frost,” Gabby called out, “how will we keep the water from refreezing?”

“The water elementals will take over once it’s completely thawed,” she answered. “They just needed our help in thawing it quickly. The salamanders will take a little swim.”

Well, okay then. Gabby continued to keep her power flowing out of her hands. Just when she thought she was going to pass out, Frost yelled, “It’s enough!” She lowered her hands, and Gabby did the same, pulling her power back inside and extinguishing the fire.

Liam caught her when her legs started to give out. “I’ve got you,” he said as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“That was freaking awesome!” Shelly yelled as she pumped a fist into the air. “Did you see me?” She looked at Gabby then her eyes shifted to Liam and then Ra. “I was like,boom, there's my fire, bitches.”

Gabby couldn’t help but laugh. “You totally kicked that frozen water’s ass.”

Shelly nodded. “Hell yeah, I did.”

“So, it wasn’t a problem then?” Gabby asked. “You didn’t seem to think you’d be able to do it.”

The other girl waved her off. “Ra was right. All I had to do was follow his lead. He sent his power into me through the bond, and then it was like I just knew what to do, like it was instinct.”

There was a splashing sound. Gabby and the others turned to look over the edge of the bridge.

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