Fallen Elemental (Elemental Series Book 1), page 11
I don’t know how to react to all of this. I’m upset that they were only hanging out with me out of some stupid misguided sense of duty. But I’m really not as special as Dane makes me out to be. Ugh, I can’t believe I have feelings for these guys, and they’re just using me for some stupid power. Jeez, here I am focusing on them, instead of the stuff they said about Elementals.
“We have feelings for you too, you know,” Kylan says out of nowhere.
I jump. “What?!” It’s like he read my thoughts. And it isn’t the first time it’s felt like that either.
‘Sorry, but it’s hard not to when you project so loudly.’
Oh. My. God. I just heard Kylan’s voice in my head. How the hell did he do that? I don’t know whether I should be angry or embarrassed. How much have they heard over the past week? Oh God; I am sure there were thoughts about kissing one or two of them that slipped through.
Okay, don’t faint, Evie, I tell myself, trying to force calm. At least I’m not going crazy.
“Look, there’s so much we need to discuss, but you’ll be turning eighteen any second now, and once your power hits, any nearby Shaded will feel it. They will come to try and take you. It’s our job to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Mike says solemnly, gazing pointedly at my watch.
I look down. “Five seconds left. Four. Three. Two. One.”
Nineteen
Michael
I don’t know what exactly I expected to happen when the moment of her birth hit. Maybe a small flood, a tornado, something powerful to say the least.
I think back to when the four of us came into our powers. We were a little different than most Elementals, having received our powers early.
Usually at the exact moment they turn eighteen, an Elemental will get a surge through their body, and then their element will take control for a bit. The last power we witnessed was Ky a little over three months ago, and he lit up like a fireball. He was covered in flames and couldn’t get it under control for over thirty minutes. That was when everyone realized just how powerful he was. No other Fire Elemental had ever been able to keep their power going for longer than fifteen minutes without exhaustion kicking in, but Ky lasted for twice that amount of time without becoming wiped out.
Never having seen an Elemental with multiple powers release, we aren’t sure what to expect, but I certainly didn’t think she would pass out. One moment, she’s counting down, but when she reaches ‘one,’ Evie just faints. And as none of us expected it to happen, no one is there to stop her from dropping to the ground.
“Shit!” Ky reaches out and tries to catch her head before it hits the ground. I breathe out a sigh of relief when he manages it, just barely. Thank God. Last thing any of us want is for Evie to have a concussion.
“Well, that was unexpected,” I say into the silence. I stare worriedly at the girl as Ky pulls her carefully into his lap.
“Did she just really faint?” Dane asks, his voice filled with the confusion all of us feel.
Ted stares at her open-mouthed, unable to comprehend what just happened.
“Maybe she isn’t the one we are thinking of? Maybe she’s just a girl who was born with little bits of power, and rather than explode, it just sort of snuffed out completely?” I suggest, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation, but none of that makes sense, even to me.
Ky shakes his head adamantly. “No, I can feel the power under her skin, waiting to break free. Fire, Earth, Water and Air. But there’s something else there too.”
He closes his eyes and places a hand over her forehead. The rest of us watch in fascination as Evie’s eyelids flutter, as if she’s about to wake. When she doesn’t, I try to hide my disappointment. I don’t like her being unconscious.
“There’s something else hiding just beneath the elements, waiting. And whatever the hell it is, man, I do not want to face it because it is way more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt in my life,” Ky stutters out fearfully.
His eyes are wide as he pulls his hand away from Evie. Extracting himself from beneath her prone form, he lays her gently on the ground. Then we all just stare down at the girl who projects an air of pure innocence. For Kylan to be that terrified tells me everything I need to know. She will save us, but that’s only if she doesn’t first destroy us.
Twenty
Theodore
We continue to stare down at the girl, wondering whether she will still be capable of kindness with all that power filling her veins. But before any of us can speak our concerns out loud, we sense a group of Elementals approaching us.
Immediately, all four of us turn to face outwards while keeping Evie in between us, protecting her as best we can. I have to believe that this power won’t change her into a monster. Not my sweet Evie.
This past week has shown me her heart and I have given her mine because of it. I haven’t told her yet, but I will. Life is too short to live without honesty. She is our bonded and while the others may want her too, she will be mine as well. I can’t lose her now. Not after I only just found her.
That thought drives me, and I quickly shuck off my shoes and socks, letting my bare feet dig into the earth. Power rushes up to meet me, willing to respond to my beck and call. Earth has always welcomed me and I notice that it feels the need to protect Evie as well. It’s amazing; I have never been this in tune with my element as I am right now.
I can feel the Elementals get closer, and I worry that there might be Shaded among them, or worse, they could all be Shaded. It’s impossible to tell the difference between a Shaded and Elemental by energy alone. The only sure way to know is to look into their eyes, as the Shaded’s are as dark as the Abyss they come from.
We can all feel them coming; they’re about five minutes out. I just hope we can protect Evie if there are Shaded among their number. But then again, maybe they won’t be able to get in?
“Do you think the sanctuary is strong enough to keep them out?” I ask of nobody in particular. We’re all just guessing at this point.
Dane glances at me quickly, his expression one of worry. “I think the moment Evie fainted, her connection to this place was severed. Look at the trees where you crossed over from. Now I see what lies beyond much more clearly, whereas before it seemed like there was nothing outside of this field. Like this place went on for miles. And the longer I stare, the more forest I am able to see and less of her sanctuary. The only thing that seems to have remained strong is the apple tree.”
I notice Dane’s right. The more I stare, the more I can see of the outside world, including the shapes of people moving among the trees.
“Shit, how many of them do you think there are?” Ky asks, his voice once again laced with fear. Not for himself, but the girl we’ve all come to care for.
“By my count, between seven and ten,” Mike says with a grin and wind begins to pick up around us. I shiver with the anticipation of the upcoming fight. It’s been so long since we’ve fought together like this that I have to wonder if this is some kind of twist of fate. Like we were all supposed to be here for what’s about to happen.
Twenty-One
Dane
I like a good fight as much as the next guy, but not when it involves protecting the girl I love. Shit, when did that happen? I knew I cared for her and as we spent time together over this past week, I became closer with Evie more than I thought possible. But love? This soon?
The more I think about it, though, the more I realize it’s true. I love Evie. With that thought, I look back down at the girl on the ground. What I see makes me stumble back a step with a gasp.
The other three all turn to see what’s going on, and their reactions mirror my own. Evie is now glowing with a soft white light. Her eyes are still closed and she whimpers in her sleep or unconscious state, whichever this is. I want to go to her and offer her comfort, but there are bigger problems at hand at the moment. With each step the Elementals take towards us, the light burns brighter, almost like it’s luring them in.
I turn my attention away from Evie, but even without my eyes on her I can see that the light surrounding her is still growing. While I want nothing more than to watch on in complete awe of this moment and her beauty, I know what she needs right now is my protection. No, she needs our protection.
“Guys, stop staring. We need to get ready to defend the girl we love.” The word slips free unintentionally, but no one argues or tries to deny it. They must feel the same way I do about Evie.
As we watch the trees around us, our elements at the ready, Shaded begin to enter the field, not Elementals like we had hoped. Damn, I figured at least a few of them would be Elementals, but nope. Their all-black eyes is an obvious sign of demon-infected Elementals: the Shaded.
“Give us the girl, or you will all die,” a female Shaded with black hair and a pale face declares, grinning menacingly.
I raise my hands in a placating gesture. “Sure, you can take her. You just have to get through us first.” I’m ready to use my element to send this bitch from hell flying.
But before I can act, a cry escapes Evie’s lips and the light that had been building within her explodes outward, sending the Shaded flying and filling all of her bonded with pure power at the same time.
I gasp, unable to contain the sound. It’s not just us attached to the bond, I realize. I can feel others too, not as strongly as I do Ted, Mike and Ky, but there are ties connected to Evie that I didn’t believe were possible. Four bonded is already a pretty high number, but based on what I just felt, we have eight, maybe nine destined for our bond. How is this even possible? Why did our parents never tell us about this part of the prophecy?
The light slowly dies down and Evie seems to absorb it with a soft smile on her face. And of course, that’s the moment the Shaded get back to their feet and attack. The moment we’re all distracted.
Twenty-Two
Evelyn
I open my eyes and blink up at the blue sky, wondering where I am. I must have blacked out.
I sit up slowly and my head starts to spin as I struggle to remember what happened. Then I take in the scene before me, and I realize people are fighting around me, with… is that magic?
Wait, where am I? I look around at the trees, feeling a sense of familiarity but still drawing a blank. I carefully get to my feet and gaze warily as what looks to be a battle rages around me.
It appears as if four of the men are fighting against the rest of those gathered. The longer I concentrate on them, the more a thought niggles my mind that I know them, that they are mine.
“Evie, get back!” the one with amber-colored eyes cries out, before sending a torrent of flame at one of his attackers.
I stare at him for a moment, then turn my attention to the people the four of them are fending off. The ones with those unnatural black eyes. They look completely soulless. What the hell are those things? I should be scared, but strangely, I feel calm, like some part of me knows they pose no true threat to me.
I look closely at each of the four guys in turn, willing my memories to catch up with my emotions. Thoughts are rattling in my head, thoughts that aren’t my own.
Wait, I know those voices! Those are my guys!
With that sudden burst of knowledge, everything comes rushing back. I’m an Elemental. I have powers. Kylan, Teddy, Dane and Mike are my protectors. I passed out and an immense power pulsed within me, needing a release. I look over my shoulder, feeling the phantom wings I had imagined when I was unconscious. I wonder... if I thought about them hard enough, would they actually appear?
I watch as the men continue fight against the Shaded, wanting to help, but having no clue how to do so.
Kylan and Teddy are using their combined powers to push back four of the Shaded. Fire and Earth make for a really cool combination, it turns out. Meanwhile, Teddy is flinging rocks at the Shaded and Kylan seems to be lighting them up just before they hit their intended target, while simultaneously using his Fire on the ground in front of the Shaded to try and scare them back.
At first, I think that the Shaded they are facing off against are all men, but then I noticed that one of the three Mike and Dane are battling with is a woman. She’s got long black hair and is pale as a ghost, but it’s her eyes that complete the eerie effect. As if she senses me watching her, she turns and looks straight at me, her lips pulling up in an eager grin.
She had been helping the other two Shaded fight off Mike and Dane, but now her attention is focused solely on me. Shit.
As I was observing the fighting, I saw that the woman had been using Water as her element, but as she starts to stride determinedly my way, Fire suddenly engulfs her body.
With each step she takes, the Fire continues to build until the ground beneath her feet starts to burn. To my surprise, the girl seems to be completely unaffected by the element.
I can see all four of the guys deep in the midst of their own battles, trying their best to protect me. I know they won’t be able to reach me in time, so I summon up whatever strength I have within me and try with all my will to summon something, anything. But despite my efforts, my element remains inaccessible, if I even have one.
With no other options I can see, I close my eyes and prepare myself for my inevitable doom.
Twenty-Three
Dane
I look over just in time to see Evie close her eyes and I quickly fire off a command at Mike. ‘Quick, help Evie.’
He immediately goes to do just that, leaving me to fight off the two Air users. Already I can feel myself weakening, but I won't let myself pass out until I take care of these two, or at least until I know Evie is safe from harm. In such a short amount of time, I have come to care for her more than I ever thought possible. Only once before have I ever felt anything close to this kind of love, but sadly it wasn't meant to last.
I glance quickly over at Mike, smiling at the fierceness in his eyes as he battles a Shaded far more powerful than it should be. Then I turn back to my own fight, trying to knock out the two air users, or at least get them to back off. As I continue to battle them, I can’t help but wonder about my parents and their ridiculous ruling.
No Elemental is to kill a Shaded unless absolutely necessary. I can still hear my mother’s words ringing in my head. 'They are the key to finding out how to open and close the rift.'
For some reason, they seem to think disabling them, rather than killing them, is the way to go. Not that it ever works, though. So far, every one of the Shaded has chosen to kill themselves rather then be taken by us. I've seen firsthand Shaded who have killed themselves with their own elements rather than allowing themselves to be taken captive. For a while, it had me wondering just who the real monsters really were. After all, if death was a better choice than coming with us, then what does that say about our kind?
Suddenly, my power just burns out, leaving me completely vulnerable and unable to stop the attack that sends me flying. Even as my head and back hit something hard, I am relieved to know that if I die, at least my bond brothers will be there to take care of Evie. They will guide her into her powers and teach her everything she needs to know. And maybe one day soon, she will become the savior of our people.
Twenty-Four
Evelyn
The seconds following Mike saving me seem to go in slow motion. I watch as Dane battles against two people with black eyes. He is obviously struggling, but the other guys are all in the middle of their own battles, including Mike, who is keeping the fire girl at bay.
Dane is thrown back into my apple tree. His eyes flutter shut after the impact and his body goes limp. I can see blood oozing from a wound on his head, dripping down and absorbing into the ground. Something inside me snaps at the sight and a bubble within me bursts, shattering everything I thought I knew.
A sudden wave of power rushes through me, warm and comforting, but there under the surface, it is fuelled by anger. My rage at seeing something of mine hurt.
I let the fury take over, giving me the strength to get to my feet. As the power oozes out of my pores, I feel connected to everything around me. The Earth rumbles approvingly under my feet. The Air brushes against me, encouraging me. Fire is somehow a part of me, like my body is made of pure flame. Then there's Water. I always thought of it as a calm element, but the water in the clouds now calls to me, daring me to use its strength to destroy everything.
However, it’s not just the four elements I feel. There is something darker under the surface, telling me I don't need to limit myself to just one element when I carry them all.
With each step the two air users take towards Dane, power builds within me, evidenced by the fire that blooms in my hands, the ground that shakes underfoot, the water that starts to fall from the clouds overhead, and the air that picks up speed to the point that everyone in my sanctuary, the place I had always felt safe, are struggling to keep their footing.
I take a step towards the people who hurt Dane, my teeth clenched in anger. "You do not get to hurt what is mine." I focus all of my building power, not only on the two who went after Dane, but anyone who dared to attack the ones I had come to think of as mine.
