A few days later, Sophia stood before a full-length mirror. In her hands, she held a bouquet of dyed blue flowers that complemented her dress and the streaks of color in her hair nicely. Her nervousness over her ‘sister’ Cassandra’s coronation caused her powers to fritz out beyond her control.

“Wow. Soph, you look gorgeous.”

Sophia smiled at the sound of her beau’s voice. His dark hair creeped past his ears, grown to a length Sophia loved because she could run her fingers through it all day long.

He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle.

“Thank you, Thomas.” She turned around in her lover’s arms.

Sparks of orange pricked his fingertips and over Sophia’s skin. Icy blue from her own fingers melted the heat as Sophia cupped his face in her hands. Thomas turned into her touch, humming happily.

“We should probably get going,” he murmured in her ear, dipping low so his lips could graze over her skin. “Can’t be late for your sister’s coronation.”

Sophia cocked her head to the side, a teasing smirk making its way across her face. She leaned up and brushed her lips across Thomas’s cheek, careful not to get too close to his mouth.

His green eyes flashed with desire as he dove in for more, sliding his hands up and down her arms. “Okay, maybe we can be a little late.”

Heat mixed with ice, a perfect balance between them.

Sophia’s hands slid around his neck as Thomas pressed her body to him, keeping his fingers on the small of her back. Hot breaths mixed together. Sophia wanted to break down her walls so badly, wanted to taste Thomas’s lips against hers. But she couldn’t, so she had to settle for a tease instead.

The doors thundered open. An invisible force pushed Sophia and Thomas away from each other.

“Sophia, we’re waiting for you.” Lily scowled.

Sophia sent an apologetic look to Thomas before Lily dragged her away.

“You really had to break out the powers?” Sophia glared at her.

Lily shrugged. “You don’t listen unless I do. And today is Cassie’s day.”

“I know,” Sophia said. “But that doesn’t mean—”

“It means that Louise will have our heads if we do anything to mess it up.” Her hazel eyes were fierce with seriousness.

As if on cue, Louise approached with her hands clasped over the front of her dress.

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“Girls, it’s time. I trust you know where to go?” she said, looking at each of them in turn.

“Yes, your Ladyship,” Lily replied.

Sophia muttered similar sentiments before bowing her head and following Lily. They took their positions as the music played from the band at the front of the coronation hall.

Men in white gloves opened the doors and they walked in together, taking places on opposite sides of the throne where their sister would soon be crowned Queen of Saeburg. Following them were two men in dark blue tuxedos, Thomas and Adrian. They represented the fire and earth elements while Sophia and Lily represented water and air.

Lastly, the whole congregation stood in honor as Cassandra walked down to her throne. Her red hair was styled in a waterfall braid down her back.

“Citizens of Saeburg,” boomed the high priest, “we welcome you today to the coronation of our very own Princess Cassandra Bell as she takes on the role of Queen. Will the four energy wielders please step forward?”

Thomas, Lily, Sophia, and Adrian stepped forward. They each placed a gloved hand on one side of the crown and lifted it from the velvet pillow. The crown was considered a most valuable artifact in the kingdom of Saeburg, rumored to hold an incredible amount of power. Thus, the four element wielders were created to disperse the power evenly. They were the only ones with both the strength and ability to hold the crown.

Sophia felt the flush the second her fingers grasped the crown. She blinked beads of sweat from her eyes and tried to force her powers internally to cool her fast-rising body temperature. She gasped for breath, the air suddenly not reaching her lungs.

Black dots danced in her vision.

“Are you ok?”

Sophia barely registered the words from her sister’s mouth. Thomas frowned from the other side of the throne, his eyebrows knitted together with concern.

The last words she heard echoed in her head as the world turned into darkness: You, Sophia de la Reue, have been chosen.

***

Icy water to the face, Sophia’s eyes shot open and she doubled over in a fit of coughs. The saltiness refreshed her parched skin. Thomas was first by her bedside, delicately brushing his fingers over her face to assess any damage.

With a near-blinding flash, the touch launched him across the room. Sophia let out a yelp as Thomas blinked and regained his balance. A mark appeared on his hand, pulsing with the same energy that now ran through Sophia’s veins.

Lily and Cassie ran to help him, looking down with concern etched into their features. Sophia covered her face with her hands. “Thomas, I-I think you should go. I can’t—I don’t want to hurt you.” Tears brimmed Sophia’s amber eyes, threatening to spill.

Louise fussed at her side, plopping a cool wet washcloth over Sophia’s forehead. “Thomas, I think there’s been enough excitement for one day.” She shooed him away, leaving the four girls alone.

“Sophia, tell us what happened when you fainted,” Cassandra urged.

Sophia shook her head. “It’s mostly a blur, but I do remember hearing a voice and it knew my name. My real name. And she said I had been chosen.”

Cassie and Lily exchanged nervous glances.

“Chosen for what?” Lily asked.

Sophia shook her head. “How am I supposed to know? Louise, what are we going to do? Wielding one element is dangerous enough, but all four…” Sophia frowned at her hands. A cosmos of colors—blue, orange, green, and silver representing the combined elemental power—swirled together on her palms. The surge of magic had only strengthened since her fainting episode. She couldn’t risk touching—or rather, hurting—anyone else.

It was only a matter of time before something else happened.

“We do what the only thing we can,” Louise said, her face void of emotion. “We disappear.”