Read Online Elemental Hunger by Elana Johnson - Free Book Online Page B

roared in my head. Smoke trickled from my fingertips, and I inhaled it deeply, letting it curl in my lungs, soothe my rising fear. The Manifestation happened a couple hundred years ago, and a new Supremist was appointed every fifteen years. Our current leader was only five years into his—oops, her —appointment. Men ruled everything. Men were sentries. Men were Firemakers, Airmasters, Earthmovers. Most Councilmen chose men as their Unmanifested as well, because of the nature of the position. The Unmanifested had to ensure the Councilman’s orders were carried out, whether that was a punishment they enforced personally, or if they decided to send sentries to resolve a problem.
    Women served Elementals, or taught, or carried babies. The only societal position of power was that of Watermaiden, but even that was tamed by marriage to another Councilmember. If anyone, anywhere, found out Supremist Pederson was a woman, chaos would descend.
    “So she hides her gender,” I mused, more to myself than to Adam. “Because she doesn’t want a—”
    “Revolution.”
    I sucked in a breath, desperate for the smoke to calm my nerves as it usually did. It only served to make my thoughts race faster. I reflected back on a time when Jarvis and I walked side-by-side. I wouldn’t Manifest my Element for another two months, and the silence hung easily in the late summer air.
    “Rumor has it the Supremist journeyed clear up to Newton.” He didn’t look up from the ground. His mouth had barely moved.
    As Elemental royalty, he always heard news faster than I did. “Really? Why? And where’s Newton?”
    “It’s one of the smaller cities north of us. There was an uprising,” he’d whispered. “Crylon took in three new Firemakers, one Watermaiden and two Airmasters.”
    “No Earthmovers?”
    “All dead.”
    A twig snapped, and Jarvis spun, one hand cocked back as if to throw something.
    The trees fluttered with a gentle breeze. No one could be seen. He lowered his hand, glanced at me, and nodded me off the path. Once we’d made it deeper into the woods, he sat against a large oak tree.
    “Did the Supremist close the school?” I asked.
    “Burned it.” Jarvis plucked at a bit of bark. “Rumor is he said he didn’t want any of their ‘traitorous blood’ in the gene pool. The new Firemaker in my year hasn’t spoken a word. Won’t come out of his dorm.”
    I settled next to him, cross-legged, and listened to the wind whisper secrets to the leaves. I’d always known the Supremist was cruel, but burning an Elemental school?
    I couldn’t fathom the Supremist executing Elementals. “Sounds like a major uprising,” I said, my voice a tight fit in my throat.
    “That’s just it,” Jarvis said. “The Airmaster said it was just a misunderstanding between the Councilman and one of the female Educators.”
    I’d thought of Educator Graham. Of our discussions.
    “You need to be careful, Gabby.” Jarvis placed his hand—shockingly hot at the time—over mine. “Isn’t your Educator a woman?”
    “Yeah.” And I loved her, but she would never do anything that would remotely resemble a misunderstanding.
    Jarvis had squeezed my fingers and let go. He hadn’t said anything else.
    But now that conversation mingled with the one about the female Firemaker that had been accused of stealing another’s power. It couldn’t be the Supremist, but if exposed, she would lose her control over the United Territories. She would definitely end up dead. And she had clearly done everything required to make sure no one discovered her secret. She’d killed Elementals, buried schools. She wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, or anyone else, if that meant she could keep pretending to be a male Firemaker.
    I glanced at Adam as he ate and gazed into the fire. I didn’t trust him. What kind of guy lunges at a girl and pins her arms to her sides? He hadn’t quite held the knife to my neck, but almost.
    “For the record, I don’t think female