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So very like Silver. Right down to business.
Gareth opened one of his file folders. “We have to keep up appearances, if only for a little while.” He tapped his pen against the table. “I thought maybe we could review what you know of your last assignment.”
Silver’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“If I’m going to help you, I’d rather not go in blind.”
Gareth watched the emotion in Silver’s eyes: wounded pride warring with resignation over the fact that he was sitting here with barely more dignity than a caged animal. Proof of his failure.
Gareth waited. He would not rub salt in the wound, but he wouldn’t coddle the man, either.
Silver gritted his teeth. “I know there are pure Elementals in town, enough to form a full circle. Proven dangers.”
Gareth raised his eyebrows. “All proven?”
Silver nodded. “All.” He paused. “We can proceed with eliminating them immediately.”
“I think I’d still like to observe, to be certain.”
Silver’s expression tightened. He was insulted.
Gareth didn’t care. He would not destroy children based on hearsay.
The Guides had few rules, but this one separated them from the Elementals who were driven by nothing but power.
Observe first. Then destroy.
Silver cleared his throat. “There are numerous young Elementals as well, though few have demonstrated the level of their power yet.” He nodded at the papers in front of Gareth. “Show me what you have. I’ll fill in your blanks.”
Gareth slid a piece of paper off the top of the stack. “Michael Merrick?”
“Earth Elemental. Twenty-three. Runs a landscaping business out of his garage. The legal guardian of his younger brothers.
He’s known in the community, but there are reports of his involvement with a young girl’s death years ago.” He paused.
“He’s romantically involved with the daughter of the county fire marshal. A Hannah Faulkner. No Elemental connection that I could discern.”
Gareth nodded and slid the paper to the side. A connection to law enforcement could be troublesome. “Christopher Merrick?”
“Water Elemental. Sixteen. A bit of a loner at school, from what I could see. I thought perhaps he was our weak link, but then I discovered he was romantically linked to a Becca Chandler.”
Gareth looked up. “Chandler. As in Bill Chandler?”
“The very same. You should see her. She’s a dead ringer for Bill. I think he’s her father.” Silver leaned forward. “I also think she’s a rogue Fifth.”
A rogue Fifth would be an Elemental who could control all the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water—but who had never been trained to fulfill his or her duty. Silver and Gareth had been trained to destroy pure Elementals who only controlled one element. A rogue Fifth would not only be dangerous because of her ability to focus and intensify the powers of a pure Elemental, but because her connection to the human spirit would make her more willing to side with them.
Gareth tapped his pen again. “Bill never claimed to have any children. Have you spoken with him?”
“Bill Chandler hasn’t checked in with anyone since August.”
Gareth raised his eyebrows and made a note on the paper.
“Interesting.”
“What’s more interesting is that this Becca Chandler is not the only rogue Fifth in town. I also identified a Hunter Garrity.”
Gareth’s eyebrows went way up. He wrote the name on the cover of his folder. “As in John Garrity? The Guide who died in the car wreck?”
