Reclaimed (The Phoenix Chronicles Book 1) (15 page)

Chapter 17

Summer leaned against a tree and watched the sun rise high into the sky. The golden rays hit the grass and made the morning dew look like thousands of pieces of shattered glass.

She realized that most of her stay here had been waking up before the sun had even risen. She went to bed with the stars and woke up with them.

At least this time there were a handful of people awake with her. They were all just as nervous as she was. The first part of the elimination started in just two hours and no one knew what was going on. The council or the elves hadn't explained anything. In fact, Summer hadn't seen the elves since she had been here.

“How are you?”

Summer glanced over at Ash. He was wearing a plain white shirt and black shorts. Now she was beginning to wonder if she was overdressed in her jogging pants and jacket.

“Fine.” She paused and then let out a long breath. “That was a lie. I feel like the anxiety is going to kill me.”

“You'll be okay,” he answered. “You've gotten a lot better since you first started. Some of the others don't even realize that so, you have that to your advantage.”

The sun was now directly on Summer. She knew why Ash had worn what he did. The heat was brutal and it was still morning. She pulled off her jacket and threw it by her tent.

“You gained weight since you've been here,” said Ash.

“I'll take that as a compliment.”

“You should.” He covered his eyes and looked up at the mountain. “They're preparing the challenges. We'll be starting soon.”

“You're very intelligent,” she blurted out. “You don't speak like the typical young kid.”

Ash offered her a tense but, small smile. “In high school I went to a junior college where I earned a two-year degree. I'm also not young.”

“I bet a lot of people don't know that.”

“Just you and my family.” He moved close to her and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Be safe.”

And with that he was gone. She was so shocked by the conversation and him touching her that she didn't try to stop him from leaving. She also decided right then and there that he was doing a terrible job at keeping away from her. There was no doubt in her mind that he would stick by her the entire challenge.

Summer turned from the tree and sat down near her tent. Tracy was awake now and had already gotten dressed.

She handed Summer something wrapped in foil. “A breakfast burrito thing. Eat it.”

Tracy tied her black and red braids into a ponytail before doing the same thing. The two of them ate in silence as they watched the rest of the wielders start to wake up.

Summer thought she was going to throw up her food but, she forced herself to eat it. It looked like Tracy was doing the same thing. She had a scowl on her face every time she took a bite.

Just as they finished Petar sauntered over. In tow were Nora and Zach. They were all extra quiet that morning. Even Zach, with his quick witted comments, refused to speak.

A sharp whistle echoed against the trees and cut through the camp like a sharp blade. Summer covered her ears and looked around at everyone else who was doing the same.  She caught Ash's eye who gestured for them to start moving.

She stood up. “I think that means they're ready. Let's go.”

All the wielders moved in a wave together. They walked slowly, their voices barely above a whisper, like someone had sentenced them to death.

Summer's friends surrounded her and directly in front was Ash. They were separated by a few feet but, she could see his thick curls shining in the sun. His hair was to the middle of his neck and she wondered what he would look like if he cut it. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see Troy approach her.

“Hey,” he said, smiling down at her.

“Hey Troy. Sorry for crashing last night.”

He waved his hand. “No worries. I was tired too so I left a few minutes after you fell asleep.”

“That's good.”

She glanced up at him to see him winking at a young girl nearby. She had to admit that Troy was handsome. He was much shorter than Ash but, made up for it with his stocky build and perfectly styled, dark hair. Even out in the woods he managed to find a way to get his hair looking amazing.

Females were constantly after him but, he only seemed interested in her. She wondered what his obsession was.

By no means was Summer ugly. She had put on weight and that helped a lot. Now her body was lean with muscle and not because of lack of nutrition. Her hair had also started to grow again and become thick. She was slowly becoming more confident in her looks and body; something she hadn't been able to do for years.

However, there were girls who looked like models compared to her. At least that was how she felt. And they were always badgering Troy. He entertained them but, she never saw him chase after a single one. Not like he did her.

Ash looked over his shoulder and glared at Troy. Summer couldn't help but smile. She liked Ash. Despite him being oddly quiet and a bit grumpy, she knew his intentions were good. Although she did sometimes wonder why he took such an interest in her too. Sure, maybe she had the marks of the Phoenix but, that was her burden. No one, especially him, owed her anything. She would attempt to ask him later why he cared so much. That was if he bothered answering ever again.

Once everyone was gathered at the base of the mountain Summer noticed the two elves standing next to the few council members who had come. A couple had stayed back so they could watch the training grounds.

“Good morning!” shouted an overly excited Jasper. He was bouncing from foot to foot like a child on Christmas day. “I'm proud to have you all participate in our first Elimination challenge that hasn't happened for ages.”

He walked forward and pointed towards a rock path. “The first part is easy to explain. You get to the top while facing all six elements. The first half who reach the finish will compete tomorrow. That would be exactly ninety-two wielders. Anything goes and you start at my whistle. There is no time limit.”

Summer tightened the end of her braid. She dug her heels into the ground and looked over at Tracy. Her friends’ golden eyes were burning brightly as she smiled at her.

“We can do this,” said Tracy.

Summer nodded and clenched her fists. Jasper brought his hands up and with a sudden swoop, the trees in front of them caught fire. The blaze climbed the mountain and stopped about a quarter of the way up like it hit some invisible wall.

Nora nudged her and pointed to the elves. They were chanting and had their hands in front of them like they were the sole reasons the wall of fire wasn't climbing.

The whistle blew and the crowd rushed forward. The ones who were making it up the quickest were the water wielders. They shot small streams of water that made narrow enough paths for them to escape without being burned. The others who seemed to be making it up with ease were the earth wielders. They used dirt and rock to put out the fire around them. Summer tried to chase after them but, as one fire was put out another popped up.

“Follow us!” shouted Nora.

Zach lead their group as he kept the smoke away from them with light gusts of air. He didn't use too much for fear of feeding the fire and having it trap them.

The intense heat surrounding them had Summer's eyes burning as she tried to keep sight of Nora. The occasional glimpse of her black hair was the only thing that kept Summer on the right path.

“This heat is like death!” shouted Petar.

Summer was about to nod in response when something caught her attention. She shoved all seven feet of Petar as hard as she could and rolled left. A tree fell, barely missing them, and exploded into a shower of soot and fire.

She lifted herself up and raced forward as the fire singed her skin. It licked the heel of her shoes, causing the soles to begin to melt.

She could barely see Nora's retreating form as her friends tried to escape the flames. She jumped over another fallen log and landed in a pile of leaves. The ground gave way underneath her and her feet began to slip back. She looked over her shoulder to see the flames engulfing everything like a beast that was clawing its way from the ground.

Summer clenched her jaw and pulled herself up. She tore the bottom of her shirt, securing it quickly around her mouth
.
With pure determination she pushed forward. Her lungs burned, her skin felt raw, and she could barely see but, she refused to give up.

After what felt like an eternity, she saw a break in the trees. She had never been more grateful to see light.

Summer surged forward.
Just a few more steps and you're there,
she thought.

“Help!” shouted a voice from her right.

She immediately changed direction and ran towards the screams. A young girl was hopelessly lost in the black smoke.

Summer grabbed her hand and dragged them towards the opening. It felt like everything was closing in as her breathing rapidly increased. She shoved the girl as hard as she could and then jumped out just as a tree came crashing down.

“Summer!” screamed Tracy. She lifted her off the ground and pulled her into a tight hug. “I'm so sorry we lost you.”

Summer felt another pair of hands on her and then the burns slowly start to fade. She looked up to see Petar smiling.

“Thank you,” he said.

She nodded. “No, thank you. That sucked.” She looked at Tracy who had let her go. “You would think as fire wielders we wouldn't be hurt by, well, fire.”

“Doesn't work like that,” said Ash.

She glared at his soot covered face. “I know captain obvious! I was just speaking out loud.”

He pointed to her mouth. “You still have...um.”

Summer ripped off her mask she made and threw it on the floor. She was about to chew his ear off when there was a loud rumble
.
All of the wielders stopped what they were doing and looked around. The rumbling increased as the sound of trees being ripped out of the ground echoed through the air.

“Water!” screamed a wielder in the front.

Summer could feel the blood drain from her face as she visibly began to shake. An earth wielder near them made a wall as another forced a piece of the ground into a platform.

The others started to climb up except for Summer. She was paralyzed with fear.

“Go!” shouted Ash. He picked up her body like she weighed nothing and threw her on the very ledge. Not even a second later the water came crashing down the mountain side and slammed into Ash.

“No!” cried Summer. She watched as it pulled him to where the fire had been.

Tracy grabbed her collar and yanked her up. “You have to keep moving! He made his choice.”

Summer swallowed her fear down and looked at the water. It whipped wildly around the small platform, soaking everything she was wearing.

“Now what?” she asked.

Nora pointed. “Follow the path.”

She looked over to where Nora was pointing and saw that the earth wielders were walking across the water with a thin, rocky path they had created.

“They won't be able to hold it much longer!” yelled Zach. “Let's move.”

Summer tried her best to forget about the water around them and just keep her eyes on the people ahead of her. Ash had sacrificed his own spot in the elimination so that she could make it. If she failed now, then it would all be for nothing.

She steadied herself as the water splashed around them. There were times that the rock path was so fragile that she felt like it was going to crumble under her feet.

Summer slipped to the right and felt a strong hand steady her. Petar had reached over Tracy's shoulder and grabbed her shirt. She nodded her head in thanks as she attempted to calm her heart that was beating out of control. It felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

“Easy,” said Tracy.

As they continued forward the water started to calm down. The level dropped and Summer could see dry land.

“We're close!” she shouted excitedly.

As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted it. The earth wielders jumped down and the path crumbled. They desperately tried to hold it together but, it was too late.

Summer closed her eyes as her back hit the water. All the air left her lungs and it felt like things were moving in slow motion. She pushed once and almost cried when her feet hit the floor.

Summer lifted herself out of the water and gulped the air like it was the last thing she would ever do. Luckily she was just tall enough so that the water hit right below her nose. She frantically jumped until her body was moving forward like some kind of dying fish.

If she continued this way, then everything would just shut down out of exhaustion. Summer concentrated as hard as she could and begged her power to come to life. It obeyed immediately, pulsing in front of her like a large shield. As she moved the water evaporated around her
.
This time Summer did cry. Never had she been more grateful for her power than right at that moment.