"He could try," Typhon growls, shifting instantly from his fish form back to the massive dragon.

I decide not to acknowledge the threat as a question occurs to me. "How will they watch us during the Crucible? Won't we be in the wilderness?"

"There are forms of air magic. With enough power, vision can be carried long distances and bent at will. Just know there will be eyes on you, Nessa."

"Okay. So if you decide I'm a threat, you'll kill me yourself. But until then, I had better be careful so your father and his friends don't? Am I missing any important details here?" The sarcastic bite is clear in my tone.

Bastian lets out a slow breath, then rakes a hand through his blonde hair. It's a rare moment of vulnerability from a man who hardly ever shows anything but complete control. The glowing white cloud and wind markings on his left arm glow bright enough to show through his black sleeve. "I'm doing my best here, Nessa. This isn't the sort of thing I was trained for, if you can imagine that."

I give him a slight smile. "Sorry. Maybe they can add a pesky unbound awareness section for the next generation of legacies, then."

He licks his lips, glances up and down the hall, then lowers his voice more. "Look… even the Council isn't without ambition. If you survive the Crucible, you'll have a chance to make allies. Make strong allies, Nessa. It's your best chance of surviving. Help them see you can be trusted with this power, and they may start to view you as a potential weapon to wield instead of a weed to destroy."

I fold my arms. "Ever since coming here, all I ever hear about is how deadly we can become. How great a tool we can be for somebody else to wield. What if I don't want to be somebody's tool?"

His eyes darken. "Then you would be walking a very dangerous path. An unbound without loyalty is an existential threat. Not just to humanity, but to elementals. You want my advice? Learn your place. Embrace it. Because if you refuse to be wielded, they'll just break you instead."

He looks like he's about to say more, but a trio of girls approaches. "Remember," he says quietly. "There will be eyes on you during the Crucible."

And with that, Bastian disappears down the hallway.

I hug my arms to myself, suddenly cold and feeling more alone than ever.

21

"That's not good enough," Raith says. His face is plastered with sweat, handsome features twisted with frustration. "You know they're all coming for you during the Crucible, right? You've got to do better, Nessa."