Page 72 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

Tara grinned up at him. “You mean you want me to look at the glass like its half full instead of like it’s frozen?”

“Exactly,” he said, tapping her on her cold nose.

“Suck it, dirt boy. I’m not a glass-not-frozen kind of girl.”

“She’s really not,” Shelly called out from just in front of them. “She’s pretty much a ‘the sky is falling and we’re all going to die’ kind of girl.”

“I’m with Tara,” Gabby said, raising her hand. “We’re totally going to get our asses handed to us by this next ice age.”

They rounded a corner of the bridge, and Zuri came into view.

“Nobody is getting their ass handed to them,” Zuri said dryly. “Just do what you're told and everything will be fine.”

“Because that’s what always happens when everyone does their job.” Shelly sighed.

“Notice how the males in your group don’t talk?” Zuri pointed out. “It’s because they’re focused on what they have to do. Maybe you vagina carriers should try it.”

“Okay, I don’t know how you wound up with a different anatomy than the rest of the female population, but I don’t carry my vagina,” Shelly said, her face scrunching up as if that was the most appalling thing she’d ever heard.

The guys, who’d been silent up until that point, all choked on laughter.

Gabby pointed at Shelly, “What she said. No vagina lugging here.”

Zuri looked at Tara. Tara’s eyes widened. “Oh, are we supposed to declare out loud that we don’t, um, well, carry our girl parts? I just sort of thought that was a given.”

Zuri rolled her eyes and looked at Frost. “You drew the short straw of having to deal with them. Sucks to be you.”

“In their defense,” Frost said, “it is pretty ridiculous to think of a woman carrying her vagina around like a handbag.”

That sent the entire group into a fit of laughter, which caused Zuri to glare daggers at them.

When they’d finally collected themselves, they continued on their way. Tara was sure she would remember the conversation at random times later and lose it all over again.

They walked for about five minutes, up and down several steps on the metal bridge, then finally stopped. Tara had warmed up a little since Frost kept them going at a brisk pace.

Professor Frost turned and looked out over the landscape of machines, storage tanks, and giant pipes that comprised the water system. She pointed to the other side.

“The rest of the soul-bonded couples are over there,” Frost said. “Ra, Shelly, Gabby, and I are going to send our fire down into the gorge. The fire couples on the other side will do the same.” She turned and looked at them. “Your mates will be pushing their power into you to help strengthen your own. Shelly, you and Ra can still share power. You just need to be touching.”

Shelly raised her hand as if she were in school. “I’ve never made this fire power in me actually work. Sooo, I’m thinking I’m not going to be a whole lot of help.”

Ra cupped her face as he looked at her. “Just feel me through our bond. I will guide your power.”

She nodded and took his hand, linking their gloved fingers together.

Frost looked at the joined hands and then pointed. “Gloves are going to have to come off. Skin to skin is best.”

Liam opened his mouth to say something, but Gabby pointed at him and shook her head. To Tara’s surprise, the water elementalist snapped his mouth closed, though he did wink at his mate.

Her attention was drawn from them when Elias spoke up.

“What are we supposed to do?”

“Zuri is going to take you to the engines. You will be helping thaw them.”

Shelly released Ra’s hand and hurried over to Tara. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed tight. Tara returned the hug.

“Stay safe,” Shelly said softly.

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