Elysia.
“Understood,” he said.
“Then go.” Elysia’s pale eyes went completely white.
Ian grunted and a portal whispered open behind him. I expected anger, but the corners of his mouth twisted upward, revealing those dimples. He stepped back into the darkness. “As strong as me.” The portal vanished and he was gone.
“No shit,” Elysia muttered. “You made me this way.” Hers eyes had only darkened a little when she released her magic.
I should be upset that my antidote had failed to cure her, but at the moment, I wasn’t terribly torn up over it. I glanced at James to see how he had taken her claim, but he was watching Rowan, a concerned wrinkle on his brow.
“I assume this is the necromancer who bound my grim,” Rowan said.
Elysia turned to face him. “His name is James.” She lifted her chin, boldly meeting Rowan’s faintly glowing eyes. “And he belongs to no one.”
“That wasn’t the impression you just gave Ian.”
“He’s a necromancer. Give someone like him an inch, and he will take everything.”
“You’re a necromancer,” Rowan pointed out.
Elysia crossed her arms and frowned at him.
“Addie used a truth serum on her,” James cut in. “She’s cool. Right, Ad?”
“She claimed, under truth serum, that she bound him by accident, then tried to release him after she learned what he is,” I said.
“Good.” Rowan’s gaze remained on her. “But she had me when she humanized him.” He gripped Colby’s elbow and turned him toward the narrow strip of floor that still remained along one wall. “Come. We can talk where Donovan doesn’t have to hold up the floor beneath us.”
I glanced up at the big guy. “Are you really?”
He grinned, but I picked out the metallic sheen in his hazel eyes. All the Elements had unique eyes, but it was more apparent when they were actively using their magic.
“Sorry,” Elysia muttered, and hurried back the way she’d come.
“Seriously, she’s cool,” James whispered to Rowan, then hurried after her.
Rowan glanced at me.
“She did pass my test,” I admitted, “but that little display with Ian made me uncomfortable.”
“Perhaps, but as she pointed out, Ian follows his own agenda.” Rowan directed Colby away from the plane and nodded toward the far side of the concourse. The young man shuffled along beside him, his head hanging.
We fell in behind them, and I frowned at Rowan’s back. I wanted to talk to him and try to smooth over the problem that was Ian, but if I had learned anything these past few weeks, I knew that was pointless.
With Donovan’s help, we made it across the remaining section of floor without incident and walked into the wide corridor that led away from the demolished gate. The area was still empty of onlookers, leaving only the firefighters and a few men in airport security vests.
The fireman who had tried to run us off earlier stepped forward to greet Donovan. “You were able to get across.”
“Yes.” Donovan didn’t elaborate. I wondered what he had told the guy to get past the barricade.
“Did you see that demon dog?” the fireman asked.
I remembered James chasing everyone off the plane and glanced over at him. Elysia had retrieved the box of salve, and James was pulling on his T-shirt. Neither appeared to be paying much attention to the conversation.
“No dog,” Donovan said. “And no one left on the plane.” He started forward, gripping one of Colby’s elbows as Rowan held the other.
The man in the security vest moved closer. His brow wrinkled as he watched Colby shuffle along. “There’s first aid up the concourse, and those needing transport to the hospital are being gathered in—”
“Thank you,” Rowan said without looking up. “But we aren’t injured, just a little shook up.”
“What about the salve?” Elysia gestured with the box.
“Salve?” the man asked, perhaps thinking she had spoken to him.
“I brought some of my burn salve,” I