Water Shaper (World Aflame) by Jon Messenger Read Free Book Online

harmlessly on the limestone block, collapsing back into water that dripped onto the ground.
    Xander felt his anger growing. When the Elemental tried to kill him, he was caught off guard. With the power of the Wind Elemental, however, he had the means to defend himself. Sean and Jessica were normal humans and were far out of their element going against the enraged woman. It was his fault they were even there, in the heart of a ruined city. He wouldn’t let them get hurt, or worse, just because they were loyal friends.
    Another rock flew through the air, striking the Elemental on her back. The ripples hadn’t begun to fade when a second, and then a third rock struck her. Jessica and Sean threw handfuls of stones at her. There wasn’t a shortage of rubble around them, and they knew it would keep her distracted.
    Angrily, the Water Elemental shifted her attention back and forth between the trio. Tilting her head backward, she stretched her arms out wide. Xander immediately felt a heavy weight settle over him. At first, he assumed she was attacking him directly. It took a moment to realize that the pressure was coming from the vortex keeping the ocean at bay. The Water Elemental was trying to flood the city, crushing all three of them to death.
    Xander’s eyes flared white as he actively focused on reinforcing the whirlpool’s perimeter. Incredible power poured through him, and the force of the water quickly resided.
    The Water Elemental’s head shot forward and she stared at him in disbelief. “ That’s not possible. I will kill you and your friends for this insult. ”
    “I’m getting really tired of your threats,” Xander said angrily. “This ends now.”
    Xander thrust his hands toward her and hurricane winds struck her liquid body. Air bubbles forced their way through her porous skin and settled within her transparent body. With a thought, he filled the bubbles with more and more air, expanding them deep within her. Her body swelled awkwardly, and she lurched backward.
    With a clench of his fist, the bubbles swelled and popped. Her body exploded in a spray of water that coated Xander and all the ground around him. As quickly as it had arrived, the Wind Elemental power within him receded and he sighed with exhaustion.
    The wet ground squished under Sean’s shoes as he walked up behind Xander.
    “Did you just blow her up?” he asked. “I mean, you really just blew up an Elemental, didn’t you?”
    “I didn’t mean to,” Xander admitted. “She threatened you guys and a got a little defensive.”
    Jessica sniffled as she walked up beside him. She wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve.
    “So what does this mean?” she asked. “I didn’t even know you could kill an Elemental. What happens now?”
    Xander shrugged. “I know exactly as much as you guys do.”
    “Maybe you shouldn’t have blown her up.”
    “Thank you for that,” Xander said.
    “Um,” Sean said, tapping Xander on the shoulder. “I’m not entirely sure you did kill her.”
    Xander looked at his feet and noticed beads of glowing blue water rolling over the sand. Droplets merged with one another before rolling toward other globules of water. When they had merged into a shallow pool, they coalesced into a woman’s lower legs.
    “She’s coming back,” Sean said.
    “Do something,” Jessica demanded.
    “Like what?” Xander asked. “I already blew her up. What more do you want?”
    Sean snapped his fingers. “Bubbles.”
    Xander arched his brow as he looked at his friend. The upper legs of the Elemental began to reform. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long until the Water Elemental was complete again.
    “You made bubbles when you first found out about your power,” Sean explained. “Can you make one around her?”
    Xander nodded. He formed his hands into a rounded shape, with his fingertips touching. The air around the reforming Elemental shimmered. As he lifted his hands, the sloshing water and a layer of sand rose into the