The Last Elementalist

Chapter 8

Evie woke up at a gas station. Lielle stood by the tank with Connor, laughing at something he said. She let out a groan. Connor had a way of being naturally funny, even if he didn't want to. Now, I think we all need his humor, Evie smiled as she thought about his corniness

"Morning," Cassidy yawned from the seat next to her. "They've been out there for a bit, but they got us breakfast."

Evie took the grapefruit cup from her hand and peeled back the lid. She had only had fresh fruit, never cupped. As she sipped the juice she explored the wonders of the watered down flavor. Never would she have ever dreamed she would have this type of food a week ago.

"Alright, ready to roll," Lielle smiled as her and Connor slammed the doors behind them. She grabbed a fruit cup as she acknowledged Evie being up.

"Why did we leave last night?" she asked while sucking on a piece of grapefruit.

"'Cause," Lielle began, "I realized that the longer we stay the longer they can find and kill us without a second thought and none of you are learning fast enough. I also found a train leaving from uptown LA in twenty minutes."

Well, a train is better than a car. They wouldn't attack with so many people around.

"I said that," she mumbled.

"Hm?"

"Well then, let's go," Evie screamed. "We've got a train to catch."

* * * * *

Evie's heart was leaping with joy. She had only been on a train twice with her father because her mother did not think the public trains were sanitary, which they're not. This train was brightly lit so the lights burned her eyes. She sat with Cassidy and the girls talked and talked for hours, becoming closer with every word. They all needed to trust each other and making each and every one of the group her friends was essential, but her and Connor were still unsure about Lielle. She glanced in front of her every so often to find Connor sitting uncomfortably in the aisle wearing a hoodie with the hood over his hair and eyes like her own, Lielle slumped in the window seat next to him. Her unfocused gaze reflected in the rain soaked window, a frown on her face. Her face seemed to always be stuck in a frown, Evie thought glumly.

Cassidy got up to use the restroom causing Lielle's frown to deepen, creating wrinkles in her forehead.

"So do I," she mumbled, jogging in the same direction. As she did so, she seemed to be fumbling with her knife.

Evie's heart raced as she mumbled something to Connor about girl's bladder timings and dashed off after the others.

As she neared, a middle-aged man in a motorcycle jacket, embellished with a gold serpent in a ring on its sleeve, emerged from a seat and leaned against a pole. She ducked into a nearby row, watching him out of the corner of her eye. She could have sworn she'd seen that symbol before. But where? Her mind wandered through her memories but to no avail.

The man shifted, drawing her back to attention. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Cassidy emerged as the train slowed, immediately being snatched up by the man. The train slowed and then stopped, the man dragging Cassidy by the arm behind him. She spotted a shredded blue sweatshirt pop into the crowd. Only one person had that sweatshirt with hair so golden.

Evie squeezed through the crowd trying to reach Lielle until she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She yelped, spinning and sending a kick into someone's side. He groaned, moving his hand from her shoulder to his bruised ribs. Her eyes came into focus and she stood face to face with Connor.