Fallen Elemental (Elemental Series Book 1), page 24
Ted's lips twitch in amusement. Then he sighs and heads back into the kitchen to get some paper towels to clean up the mess he made.
All of a sudden, Dane coughs, and a grape flies out of his mouth and across the room.
I stare at him in bewilderment for a moment, but then I recognize the look on his face. That’s the expression we all get when we are talking to each other in our minds, but the look on Dane’s face tells me whoever he is talking to isn’t one of us. Only one person can elicit such defeated anger in him and that’s his father.
Ted comes back out and starts cleaning up. I can tell he noticed Dane’s expression too, but remains silent as he tidies up. He disposes of the soiled paper towel when he’s done and takes his seat, waiting patiently.
A few moments later, Dane finally relaxes, and his gaze shoots up to the two of us. "We have a problem."
He takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "My father knows about Evie. He knows she's living here, that she's an Elemental, and he even knows she can wield lightning." He pauses to let that sink in before dropping one final bomb on us. "He said we have till the end of the week to bring her to meet the council."
Well, fuck.
Fifty-Five
Evelyn
I pull out some fresh clothes from the set of drawers in my room, all the while wearing a goofy smile. What happened between Mike and me was amazing.
He kept asking me if I was okay after, but I think it was just because he was nervous. But nothing happened that I didn't want to and although it feels a bit weird to have done that with him when I’m in a relationship with the others too, I feel happy, complete. Who knew you could feel this way without actually having sex?
Girls at school talk about sex like it's this big thing and while I always wondered what it felt like, I don't think I even need sex if it can feel that good without it.
Sure, it took Mike a while to get me where I needed to go, but that’s probably just because we're both still new to each other. It was exhilarating touching and feeling the differences between us, and listening to the noises he made as I figured out what excited him.
My smile stays in place while I get dressed and as I leave the room. I know Mike is in his room and while I ponder waiting for him to get ready, I decide to meet him downstairs instead. He could need a moment alone, and I don't want to bother him if that’s the case.
I practically skip down the stairs, and it's not until I enter the dining room and see everyone gathered that my mood drops. Mike is already here along with the other three, but what worries me is the somber looks they all share.
With slow steps, I walk further into the room. I wait for one of them to speak, but they all avoid my gaze. I know whatever it is isn’t going to be good news.
"Okay, guys. What's going on?" I ask, taking a hesitant seat at the head of the table.
Mike smiles gently, but I can see his eyes are filled with concern. He starts going about making me a cup of tea, something he knows I enjoy fiercely when I'm stressed. So either he’s just making one to be polite, or because he knows what is about to be said will upset me.
Dane clears his throat and picks at his nails, still unable to look at me. Finally, though, he lifts his gaze, and his blue eyes are filled with worry. "My father contacted us and has asked that we take you home to meet him this weekend."
"Well, that hardly seems like a bad thing. Geez, you made it seem like there was some critical emergency or something. If your father wants to meet me, I don't see the harm in it."
Dane's gaze perks up, a smile forming on his face. "Really? You won't mind? Our parents can be a little weird, but it's only because they’re responsible for all our kind. Sometimes being a leader can be tough."
The way he rambles on has me feeling slightly bad for him. He must have honestly thought I would say no. But I really don't see the problem with it. I go to visit his dad or the council, whatever. Then I come back here to finish out the last few weeks of school and whatever other training I need—no big deal.
"Of course I don't mind. But we do have more important things to worry about at the moment. Like, oh I don't know, not being late for school?" I get to my feet, giving them a teasing smile. Then I grab my almost empty teacup, taking it into the kitchen.
I rinse it out and set it to the side while I stare outside with a happy smile on my face. Everything in my life is going great, and I can't help but hope that things keep going this way. My life has never been more perfect.
'You need to tell her, Dane.'
I jump, startled by the voice in my head. I realize it's Mike, although it takes me a moment to realize I’m in their telepathic bond.
'It's fine. Evie already agreed. Just trust me.' Dane's response is instant, and I frown. What did I already agree to? Meeting his parents? Why is that a bad thing?
'Dane man, I hope to fucking God you know what you are doing, because I love that girl in there. If you hurt her in any way, shape or form by withholding any of the truth from her, then we will rip you from our bond, even if it kills us to do it.’ Teddy's tone is so serious that it takes a moment for his words to catch up to me.
He loves me? And is Dane hiding some truth from me? I'm not quite sure how to feel at this moment. Is he hiding whatever this is out of a desire to protect me? If so, then I can understand why he is keeping it to himself. But how do I find out the motive behind his lie? If I ask, I’ll be admitting I overheard their conversation, and it's such a new thing for me to be able to hear their bond that I don’t want to make things awkward.
But honesty is important. I need to tell them the truth.
Straightening my head, I walk back out into the dining room, my hands on my hips. "Hey guys, guess what?"
All four of them look up at me with guilty expressions, like they already know they were caught keeping things from me.
"What, Evie?" Ky plasters a smile on his face and gets up from his chair. Then he moves out into the living room, where his bag is resting on the couch.
I’m right behind him and the others all trail after us. I pick up my bag and then move around Ky, walking out into the hall without a backward glance, knowing the others will all follow after me.
Once I reach the end of the hallway, I hike my backpack over my shoulder and turn to give them all a smirk. "You know how I was struggling with talking to you guys through the bond?" I pause, to build a little anticipation.
I feel for the same spark I did when I heard their voices in my head earlier. 'Well, we don't need to worry about that anymore.'
I hurry to the front door before they can respond, giddy with the knowledge my elements finally seem to be coming to me naturally.
"Evie, please wait," Dane calls out, the hysteria in his voice the only thing that has me stopping.
I turn and raise my hands, a clear gesture for them to stop as they all squeeze together in the hallway, trying to reach me first. "Look, whatever it is you're hiding, I don't need you to tell me unless it’s something that could hurt me. If you are keeping this secret from me out of a desire to protect me, then that's your prerogative. But don't lie to me. Just say you’re holding something back for my protection. But don't leave shit out or outright lie about things because you don't want to tell me." I heave a tired sigh. "I've just begun to trust you, to open myself up to you fully. If you lie to me, it will just undo all that trust. Understood?"
Each of them nods slowly, looking ashamed, and I smile happily at them. "Great, now let's get going before we're late."
Fifty-Six
Evelyn
All day, things have been a little tense between us. We drove to school and went to all our classes like usual, but whatever they were holding back from me must have been fairly significant to cause such a change in behavior. We still spoke normally, but I noticed we all chose to stick to general subjects like our classes, rather than anything Elemental related.
Now that we're home, though, I've had enough of it. The moment we walked through the doors, we all just split up and went off to our respective rooms and I don't like it one bit. If they really won't tell me, then maybe I need to help them forget about it and have some fun together. Today, I think I might need to find a way to make Elemental training fun.
With that decision made, I get up from my bed and head over to my dresser. I start digging through the drawers, sure I bought a swimsuit a while ago. After finding both pieces, I try to pull them on, but quickly realize I must have bought them a long while ago because they are two sizes too small. Grunting in frustration, I throw the whole thing off to the side of the room. Instead, I grab a pair of bike pants and a pale pink shirt that I know is a tight fit, which is as close to a swimsuit as I’m going to get, and hurry to get dressed.
Once I'm done, I practically skip out of my room and down the hall to Mike's room, seeing that his door is already open. I sneak a peek inside only to see he's not in there. I frown in disappointment but move on to the next room, which is Dane's. His door, while not fully open, is slightly ajar.
I push it open and take a look inside. "Dane? You in there?"
Nothing but silence greets me. I sigh, wondering when the hell the guys left their rooms and how I didn’t notice. I must have been so absorbed in myself, or they were just abnormally quiet as they descended the stairs. Which would be a feat all on its own, because when they get up, it’s like a damn horde of elephants stampeding through the house.
I double-check Teddy's and Ky's room, finding them empty as well. Then I make my way down the stairs slowly, in search of them. I hear their voices coming from the kitchen as they talk quietly with each other.
I stride straight into the room, not giving any of them a chance to speak.
"Right, I'm going swimming. You can all come with me or stay in here and mope." I turn my back on their shocked expressions and walk away. But before I go far, I call back over my shoulder. "Oh, and last one in the pool has to cook dinner."
I giggle softly at the sound of feet thundering after me and jump out of the way, hiding myself from sight as they all run past me. My back is pressed into the wall and I watch on in absolute amusement as they fight to be the first one out the doors. Once outside, they all rush to the edge of the deck, except for Mike, who stills suddenly like he senses me watching. Sure enough, he turns slowly to look at me, a wicked smirk curving his lips.
"What do you think you're doing, Evie?"
He starts making his way back towards me, his eyes lit with some devious intention. With each step he takes, my heart feels like it’s going to explode from desire. The way he holds himself, so dominant and commanding, is something I haven't really seen before. But I really like it.
When he reaches me, he places a hand on either side of my head, caging me in against the wall. I peek over his shoulder and see the others have all turned back to the house, and are watching this exchange with curious eyes.
I focus back on Mike, a happy smile on my face. "I'm just watching to see who gets in the pool last. I figure there needs to be a judge to know who was truly last. And since none of you will force me to cook even if I am last, it only made sense for me to be that person." My overly cheerful smile makes him frown in confusion.
"So there was no other reason you were watching us then?"
I shrug my shoulders and clear my face of all expression. "I don't know, is there another reason why I should be watching?"
I duck out from under his arm before he can reply and start walking backwards, all while wearing a playful smile.
Mike chuckles and pushes away from the wall, coming after me.
With each step I take away from him, he mirrors me, stepping closer, until I reach the door. Then I have to turn around to ensure I don't trip down the small step to the deck.
Mike takes two large strides towards me and takes hold of my hips. Then he keeps walking in the direction of the pool. He keeps his hands on my waist the whole time until we reach the others at the edge of the deck.
I glance backwards, looking at the water with longing.
It's not just the guys who have been feeling off today, I have too. I’ve felt this agonizing need to be near them, to have them touch me, and to be in contact with the elements. When I washed my hands in the bathroom today, it was a totally euphoric feeling.
Now, being so close to the pool and feeling Mike's hands on me while the others are all so close to me sends waves of need through my core. When I turn my gaze back to Mike, I realize he must see some of the desire coursing through me because his own eyes darken with arousal.
He leans in close until his lips are pressed against my ear, his warm breath causing goosebumps to break out over my arms. "I think the reason you were watching is because you're close to the surge. Every move we make sends blood pumping through your veins and straight to your center. I think that you were watching us because you want us, and it’s just your fear that’s holding you back. But if the surge is really happening, do you know what that means, Evie?"
I glance to the side at the others, who are now watching with heated expressions. Dane's lips twitch and he winks at me.
"What?" I ask breathlessly.
Dane’s eyes are filled with lust as he looks at me. "It means you'll be ready for us soon, any way you want."
A spark of electricity runs through my body and I throw myself back into the pool as fast as I can. I submerge quickly and although I had hoped the cool water would extinguish the feeling coursing through me. It’s still there, only muted. I know it will come back again soon, and when it does, it will be a tidal wave of need I can’t control.
When I rise up above the water’s surface, I see that the others have all dived into the pool and are now grinning at each other like mad men. I refuse to acknowledge the moment that just passed, and instead choose to think about my elements. Maybe now that I'm a little more relaxed, they might come to me a little easier than they have in the past.
"Dane, since we're in the pool, do you think maybe we could try some Water stuff?"
“Are you sure?” Dane asks, his brows furrowing in concern. "We can just relax if you’d rather. You don't have to train constantly."
"I know, but I want to. You guys have such a head start on me. I need to know as much as I can. Especially if I am supposed to be some kind of savior."
Teddy grins and splashes Dane playfully. "She has a point. We've been doing mainly small stuff with her. Maybe it’s time to see just what our girl is capable of now that she has had some time to strengthen her powers."
The cheeky grin on Teddy’s face has me frowning in suspicion. That doesn't seem like a rousing encouragement, more like he thinks whatever Dane tries will be too complex for me to accomplish.
Dane smirks back at Teddy, and I wonder just what the two of them have planned. Ky, Mike and Teddy make their way over to the steps on the other end of the pool. Dane, however, starts swimming over to me, where I stand on tiptoes to keep my head above the water.
"I think that since you’re more powerful than the four of us combined, we should try something a little harder. You think trying to camouflage yourself is difficult? Well, this is gonna be even trickier. You're going to lift the water in the pool up into the air above us, then lower it back down gently. If you just drop it all back in, water will go everywhere and is likely to knock one of us out. You will need to clear your mind of all distractions and be completely focused, because if you’re not, it’s more likely to go wrong.”
What?! Does he honestly think I can do this?! It’s like they have a death wish or something. I get they think I’m strong and are probably just messing with me about the danger, but what if I actually hurt one of them? Or worse? What then?
"You want me to lift a swimming pool of water into the air? Is that even possible, or are you guys just being dicks? And what if I do lift it up, but can't set it back down again? I could seriously hurt one of you!"
Dane grabs my hand from under the water and pulls it close, pressing a soft kiss to my palm. "I doubt you can lift the whole pool of water, probably only half at most, but you should still try." He pauses, and moves us over to the edge of the pool. Then he lets go of my hand and lifts me up and out of the water on the edge of the pool before hopping up beside me.
I can see the other three have all climbed out as well and are sitting along the edge of the pool, with their feet resting on the first step.
"Your elements are like muscles that need to be worked regularly in order to get stronger. You may be different to us, but we should have seen some more evidence of your true strength by now, which makes us think you are holding back. So I need you to let go of whatever fear is lingering in your mind and just do as I ask. Empty the pool of water."
My gaze goes to the other three, who are all watching me patiently with utter faith in their eyes. Then I look back to Dane, meeting his determined gaze. I let out a puff of air and nod. "Okay, how do I do this?"
He smiles softly and leans in to kiss my cheek. When he pulls back, his face has shifted into a mask of professionalism. "I want you to close your eyes for me."
I do as he says immediately, trusting him implicitly.
"Feel the water moving around your feet. Become one with your element. You are made of Water, Evie. You are Water."
The more he speaks, the softer his voice sounds until I can no longer hear what he is saying, my mind completely absorbed in being one with my element.
I feel the gently swirling water around my feet disappear, but I'm not scared. The steady thrum of my heart and the soft sound of Water sloshing is in my mind, telling me everything’s okay. Whatever I am doing, I just have to trust it’s right.
"Evie," I hear Dane whisper, although it sounds far away. "Open your eyes."
They flutter open at his words and my mouth drops open in complete awe at what I see. The water from the pool is now floating a few feet above the house.
