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Joining the group, Rukia met Tyee’s eyes. “Many believe that the earth’s reaction is a sign.”
“The earth mourns with us,” came his solemn response.
“Has this happened before?” Nina asked.
“No.” A sad shake of his head. “Nothing to this extent. But Gideon is … was … an extraordinary Elemental in every way. He had a way of connecting with the Earth that was boundless.”
Ten minutes later, they found themselves sitting down in a conference room. Exhausted, Rukia collapsed in her normal chair, closing her eyes momentarily before she automatically turned toward the head of the table where Gideon had sat.
The chair was empty.
Tears welled behind her eyes at the unintentional reminder of Gideon’s absence. Throat tightening with the emotion, she belatedly cast her glance away to find that that Jeremiah had done the same.
“Everybody wanted to know what was going to happen to Paracel.” Jeremiah’s comment was a study in suppressed anger, his eyes darting to Rukia seconds later.
Tyee nodded. “The sentiment was the same with those I met with.”
She mustered up the courage to finally say, “We need to establish a transition plan.”
Jeremiah’s eyes, outraged, pinned her to her chair. “Gideon isn’t dead.”
“No one can reach him. No one can sense him.” Rukia slowly shook her head. “It’s been twenty-four hours since he went in the earth and there hasn’t been anything to signal he’ll rise.”
The sound of the wind Elementa’s teeth grinding grated on her nerves. “Gideon is the strongest of us. He was shot—“
“Three times,“ Rukia interrupted.
”—and us sitting here casting lots for his duties is sickening,“ he snarled. “He’s not dead. He was wounded. He went into the earth. He’ll come out of it. You just—you just need to give him time.”
Rukia’s chest constricted as Jeremiah’s voice broke, but she swallowed the lump in her throat. “We have no way of knowing for sure, Jer. And we can’t let Paracel fall by the wayside while we hold our breath.”
“And you think that with Gideon down, you’ll just assume the mantle of his responsibility?”
Her temper snapped. “Someone has to! Or would you rather we sit around, twiddling our thumbs?”
“Gideon is going to come back,” Jeremiah seethed, his teeth bared. “His office isn’t yours.”
“I never said it was.” She hated the quiver in her voice but pressed on. “I’m just trying—I’m just trying to do what Gideon would’ve wanted me to do.”
Jeremiah stood, his hands flat against the table. “You trying to fill his shoes—trying to take over what he worked so hard for—that’s not leadership. That’sbetrayal.”
Without waiting for her response, the wind Elemental shoved away from the table and stalked out. Wind whipped through the conference room, her hair tangling around her face as she processed the bitter words that’d lashed her soul.
Jeremiah was right. Gideon had been down for less than twenty-four hours, and she’d already attempted to assume his role. Even though she’d been prepared to take the burden of his responsibility, she hadn’t allowed herself to believe him dead, nor could she wait for his eventual rise.
She did nothing to remove the hair that’d obscured her vision, knowing it’d conceal the tears that burned behind her eyes.
A gentle hand pulled the hair from her face, and she met Tyee’s apologetic gaze. “Jeremiah’s angry.”
“And taking it out on the wrong person,” Isaiah growled.
Tyee ignored him. “He’ll come around.”
But Rukia wasn’t sure she wanted to be here for the balance. “Gideon was immortal. He never thought he was going to die, Tyee.”
When Aidan shifted in his chair, Rukia could tell that he was fighting everything inherent to his character to take the lead. Denying himself to honor Gideon’s wishes for Rukia to take his place. Aidan was an alpha wolf and had clashed with Gideon on more than one occasion, but in the end, the two had grown as close as brothers.
Aidan would be reeling from the loss just as they were.
