Page 74 of Elemasters

Heat sizzled on the inside of his skin, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that the veins on his left arm were burning neon red, while the ones on the right were as black as the night sky. With another breath, he coaxed the ocean a few feet away to blast the stone pillar with a consistent stream of water. Simple enough.

Now was the hard part.

He stretched out his left hand and tried to force a fire blast with the same consistency… only for his palm to spark and for the “flame” to dissipate into a pitiful puff of smoke.

Dustin groaned and let the water collapse back into the ocean.

“Damn it. No matter how hard I push it, it just isn’t working,”

“Maybe the push is the problem.” James said, bounding off the large rock that him and Chloe were sitting on and awkwardly pulling Dustin’s much taller frame into a back hug, “you really have to feel the element, just like you do with water,”

“That’s the thing though, I don’t feel like fire. I never have,”

“Maybe we just need to take a break and try again tomorrow. The frustration probably isn’t helping,” Bailey suggested, sinking the pillar back into the ground as if it never existed.

“We can’t keep putting it off forever. Sima could contact us at any time,”

“It won’t be forever. It’ll just be until tomorrow,” Bailey assured him, “you need a break and you’re taking one. Come on, I’ll swing by Burger Belle before I drop you. Spicy Double Bacon Burger, my treat,”

Dustin wanted to protest, but the rumbling in his stomach wouldn’t let him.

“Ugh, fine,”

“James and I are gonna swing by the school and make sure everything’s all set up for the Winter Formal this Saturday. But I’ll see you guys here same time tomorrow?” Chloe said, twirling her keys around her index finger as the group walked to their cars.

“Wait, why do I gotta go with you?” James whined, prompting Chloe to pinch his ear.

“I know you love trying on new hats for shits and giggles, but joining the dance committee comes with actual responsibilities,”

James sighed and kissed Dustin’s cheek before joining Chloe in her Mercedes.

As they went their separate ways for the night, Dustin refused to let his mind rest.

He was going to conquer this power somehow. He didn’t have another option.

…

The moment Dustin walked into the house, he wanted to leave again.

His mom was still trying to mimic some form of normalcy by putting up the Christmas Tree (though notably she hadn’t put the star on top yet. That had been Chris’s job since they were three years old) and that forced festive atmosphere clashed horribly with the muffled argument he could hear from the dining room.

“Oh, so what you’re saying this is MY fault?” Charlotte’s voice was… frazzled. That was the only way Dustin could describe it. This wasn’t the controlled anger she showed to her kids. This was borderline feral.

“Is it not a mother’s job to raise good sons? Ones that don’t go off and probably get themselves killed in the woods over a bad breakup? Christian was supposed to be different! He wasn’t supposed to be like…”

Dustin felt the dagger in his chest before Charlotte even had a chance to cut Elliot off.

Because he already knew what his father was implying.

“Like what Elliot? Like Dustin? Dustin is a good boy. He’s smart, diligent, and responsible. If anyone’s at fault here it’s you! Christian’s hotheaded streak damn sure didn’t come from nowhere!”

“Smart and responsible… and never going to bring us grandchildren. Christian was the only hope for that and you know it,”

“DON’T,” Charlotte exhaled sharply, trying her best to regulate her tone, “don’t talk about him like he’s gone. And Dustin… there’s nothing wrong with him Elliot,”

Dustin didn’t even realize he was moving until he was throwing the wooden panel doors of the dining room open and glaring at his parents. Both of them stopped cold, their eyes blown wide with the realization that he’d heard every word they said.

“The fuck is your problem?” Dustin practically spat the words at his father, his low voice rumbling in his chest like crackling embers, “Chris is missing, could be fucking dead for all you know, and all you’re worried about is being left with the gay son who can’t continue your bloodline?”