Fallen Elemental (Elemental Series Book 1), page 7
I take the back exit out of the locker room so I don't have to encounter any of the new guys, needing a break from them after what just happened. And art will be the best release for all that confusion and frustration.
Once I reach the classroom, I take my assigned seat on the far side of the room near the window, plopping my bag on the floor beside my chair. I feel exposed sitting in such an open area of the room but Mr. Graham, my art teacher, is particular about his seating arrangement. Since the class is so small with only ten students, he has us placed strategically around the room, giving us all our own space, but sadly we don't get to choose where that space is.
I pull out my sketch pad, ready to start a new project, eager to see what picture my muse inspires. It may sound corny, but some days, it feels like maybe I can draw the future. Okay, maybe it's just a fantasy world I'm drawing, but wouldn't it be cool to be able to actually draw the future?
Then again, a lot of my drawings show me beaten beyond recognition, so maybe drawing the future isn’t such a good thing. If that’s what my future holds, I'd rather just have it be a surprise. I think seeing something like that coming would just make it that much worse. Constantly on edge, waiting for them to strike. Yeah, that doesn't sound like it would be a good thing.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I could only draw happy futures? Yes, now we're talking. I can imagine it now. Me lying on the ground as money rains down on me, with my brand new house in the background and a protective man as my husband who would keep my parents far from me. I wonder... if I draw it, if I can make it come true? Only one way to find out.
I set out my supplies, tuning out the world as I line my oil pastels up the way I like. I open my sketch pad, lean against the bench that lines the window and get to work on my drawing.
I’ve only been sketching for about a minute when the metal chair to my left scrapes against the tiled floor. I'm thrown out of my zone and I look up to give the intruder a glare, but find myself softening when I meet Mike's gray eyes.
He smiles fondly at me, although he looks a little guilty for interrupting my trance. "Sorry, Evie. I didn't mean to drag you out of your world. Mr. Graham said I could sit anywhere, but if you'd prefer I go somewhere else, I can."
I consider him for a moment, before sighing heavily. I gesture to the chair he’d already pulled out. "No, it's fine. Have a seat," I tell him softly before turning back to my picture.
So far, all I can see are the shadows of the shapes. I always start my drawings off with shading the outlines of the key components, followed by adding one color at a time until it becomes a completed picture.
I don't know how much time goes by as I withdraw into my mind. Even as I think over what happened in the gym, my hands seem to have a mind of their own, continuing to work on the picture.
As I draw, I can't help but think about the way the four new guys have impacted me today. The protectiveness they have shown me when they don’t even know me has been so strange. Yet, I can’t help but feel weird about the intensity between them in the gym.
‘We're sorry, Evie.’
Great, why is it that hearing their voices apologize inside my head makes me feel better?
Because the voices really do sound like the guys’. Earlier, I could have sworn it sounded exactly like Kylan. And just now, that voice sounded so much like Mike’s.
I sigh inwardly. I really need to get away from these guys and let my muddled brain find its way back to reality.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement and it’s enough to startle me out of my drawing. I try to keep going, but the fidgeting is too distracting. I lift my gaze and turn to Mike with an expectant look. If he keeps squirming in his seat, there's a chance I will hit him with my sketch pad.
“Yes?” I ask, wondering what he wants.
He looks up at me with a surprised expression, like he wasn't expecting me to acknowledge him. "I just want to apologize. We’re sorry for treating you that way in the gym and talking about you like you weren't even there. We were only worried because Ky can have a bit of a temper. When he gets like that, he can be unpredictable." He pauses, as if choosing his words carefully. "He would never hurt someone when they didn't deserve it, but he has blacked out completely and can sometimes lash out in that state. We all wanted to apologize, but you must have gone a different way out the locker room, because we didn’t see you leave. And since we didn’t know which class you had next, we agreed that whoever saw you first would apologize on behalf of all of us."
Damn, why does that make me want to melt into a puddle? At least they were smart enough to know to apologize. Some people would just assume there was nothing wrong with the way they acted. And thankfully, he hasn't mentioned what I said about my injury, which gives me hope they will leave it alone.
Mike reaches out slowly, taking my hand and giving it a gentle, encouraging squeeze. "We want to be friends with you, Evie. Will you forgive us?”
This has to be too good to be true. Even so, my heart says to give them the benefit of the doubt. I honestly don’t know why, but I feel like if I don’t become friends with them, I’ll be missing out on something amazing.
"There's really nothing to forgive. Let's just blame what happened in the last class on adrenaline."
His shoulders slump in relief and I offer him a small smile before extracting my hand from his. "Sorry, but I have to finish this," I say, softening my words with a smile.
"Oh, of course.” He gives me an embarrassed smile before returning to his own sketch pad.
I let myself get absorbed back into my drawing, completely zoning out as the scene I'm drawing plays out behind my eyes.
I’m sitting in the middle of a circle of white light, power raging within me, as protectors surround me. Only four of them are standing close enough for me to be able to distinguish their features, but I can feel the presence of others hiding just on the fringe, waiting for my call. Wings burst forth from my back and the power of it sends the four figures to their knees, and they all look up at me in awe.
The bell rings, yanking me from the vision. I jump in shock, almost tumbling out of my seat. I would have too, if it wasn’t for Mike catching me at the last minute. I look up into his gray eyes gratefully, my heart still pounding from my vision.
"Thanks," I murmur as I pull away from him, wondering just what that that dream could mean. Why had I imagined that over everything else?
I drop my sketch pad to the bench and get to work packing away my pastels and tidying up my work area. It's not until I hear Mike's gasp of surprise that I realize he’s snuck a peek at my drawing. I snatch it from the table and pull it close before glancing down at it.
In the scene, clear as day, you could see me with wide golden glowing wings while Theodore, Mike, Dane and Kylan are all on their knees around me.
Surrounding Kylan is a ring of fire. Dane has a ring of what I think is water around him and an awestruck look in his eyes. Mike has a ring of something that could be air. All I've really drawn is a outline of a ring near him, but in my vision I knew it was air. Then there's Theodore, a ring of earth around him. I look closer, noticing seedlings growing from the ring, as if he commanded the very ground to rise and bloom.
I close the pad, not wanting to look at the scene any longer because all I feel when looking at it is this strange sense of inevitability.
Instead my gaze lifts to Mike, who is watching me with a wide-eyed expression, his lips parted in surprise. I can tell he wants to say something about my drawing, but I don't want to hear him call me a creepy stalker for drawing a picture of him and his friends. So I grab my bag and make a beeline for the door, not looking back when he calls my name.
I have a free period next, but I don't think I’m going to stick around for it. No, maybe it’s better if I just get away and escape for a bit. As long as I make it home before my parents with enough time to make dinner, then I should be safe from their wrath.
Eleven
Michael
I sit in stunned silence as Evie leaves the room like the hounds of hell are chasing her. I'm too shocked by what she drew to even comprehend what it might mean for our future.
I felt the power of foresight the moment I first entered the room, and was immediately drawn to her. But at most, I thought she’d only get a small glimpse into the future or the past. Most of us don't see far, or are unable to see the image clearly. But the picture Evie just finished? It was incredibly detailed, almost like it was a photograph and not a mere drawing.
I open up the telepathic bond and nudge each of the others, willing them to let me in. This needs to be discussed immediately. The moment everyone is aware of my presence, I call out to them. ‘Guys, we have a bit of a problem.’
‘What? Why? Is Evie okay?’ Teddy fires off, his panic rising with each question.
‘Relax, she's fine, but there's been an interesting development.’ I pause, giving everyone a chance to calm down, their panic and worry easing now they know she's safe.
Dane's voice is sharp in my mind, making me cringe. ‘What new development?’
‘Well, it seems Evelyn has the ability of foresight. Only unlike normal, the vision she drew was as clear as day.’ I let the image of what I saw rise in my mind so they can all see.
Feelings of surprise flow through the bond, as well as fear. Even my foresight, which is fairly strong, isn't quite so clear. Mine relies more on feelings of what's to come than actual images.
One moment I can be enjoying a day out, and in the next, a sense of dread will fill me, warning me of an incoming danger. Like right now. My foresight is warning me that danger surrounds Evie and I know she won't be safe if we don't keep watch over her.
We need to make a plan so one of us is keeping an eye on her at all times. My foresight tells me that something big is coming and when it does, all hell will break loose.
Dane sighs through the link. ‘Alright then. I’ll hang with her for now, then we can discuss shifts once we’re back home and we know she’s safe for the night.’ With that, he shuts himself off from the telepathic bond like he wasn't even there to begin with.
‘Should we go home and do some research?’ Ky asks, a nervous edge in his voice. I know exactly what he wants to look into, because it's the very same thing I want to find answers about.
The image Evie drew showed her with wings. And foresight is never wrong. Sure, the future can change with each decision that is made leading up to the moment in question, but there are some things that cannot change.
And if there is even the slightest chance that Evie might be closer to an Angel in lineage than the rest of us, it could change everything for us, as well as paint one hell of a target on her back.
‘Yeah, I think we need to do some reading and find out exactly when and where the last Angels were seen here on Earth. Maybe there will be some record of her family somewhere in the histories.’
Ted and Ky both agree, but I can feel their worry. But since there’s nothing I can do about it, I shut down the bond on my end. We only just found our bonded and if she is truly an Angel, or even just part, it could change everything.
Twelve
Evelyn
I'm lost in my thoughts, going over what I drew, wondering whether it's real, or just complete fantasy. I've always believed magic could be real, and hoped that there was someone out there that would take me from this life and introduce me to a whole new world, like in the many novels I read.
But sadly, I don't think I'm that lucky.
"Evie, wait up!"
I freeze halfway across the still full parking lot and slowly turn to face the person who called out. To my surprise, I see Dane striding purposefully towards me, his blue eyes shining brightly and his brown hair ruffling slightly in the breeze.
What the hell? It looks like he just walked off of a photoshoot! How the hell can someone look that good, especially after a gym class? It's just not fair.
He grins widely like he can hear what I'm thinking, but doesn't say anything. I know he can't really hear my thoughts, but I've been told before that I have an expressive face, and considering the way I was ogling him, it probably wasn’t all that difficult for him to guess what I was thinking.
"What do you want, Dane?"
I don't mean for the words to sound so abrupt, but I’m just really tired and don’t really want to deal with anything else today.
"I saw you leaving and wanted to see where you were off to. I thought there was still another class today?" The question comes out innocent enough, but something tells me he knows I have a free period now.
"I'm going to the library to study. Would you like to come with me?" I ask, just to be polite.
I mean, I wouldn't say no if he did want to tag along, but I was kind of hoping for some time alone. I’m still feeling a little out of sorts with these four after that vision-like picture and I don't know if I can handle any one on one time without making a complete mess of the situation. I don't know how to have a friend anymore.
"If you don't mind, I would love to tag along. But no pressure. I don't want to be a burden."
I sigh softly, and decide to give it a chance. There’s no reason for my parents to find out and after a day with me, he’ll probably realize how weird I am and decide to leave me alone.
"Come on then," I say with a dramatic sigh, but soften it with a smile. Then I turn back to my car, moving around to the driver’s side and unlocking the doors. I throw my bag in the back and climb up into the seat with a happy smile. This car is one thing that is mine and mine alone.
When I would go out to the library, I also offered to help our elderly neighbors with their yard work. But then Marie, the old woman next door, lost her husband to a battle with cancer and decided to move to be with her daughter. She didn't want to take her husband Eddie's car with her, though. She said it held too many painful memories. So, because I had helped them both in his final days, she decided to give it to me. When I tried to refuse, she wouldn't let me. Instead, she went directly to my parents and told them she had signed the paperwork over in my name.
The car was mine whether they liked it or not. Surprisingly, they didn’t put up much of an argument, but then I realized it was only because it meant I no longer had to rely on them to get to school, do the grocery shopping, or for any of the other errands they had me do.
Dane climbs into his seat with a grateful smile and I start the car. Once he's safely buckled in, I put the car in reverse and then pull out of the parking lot.
The road to the library doesn’t have much in the way of traffic since almost everyone is still either at work or school. The few cars that are on the road most likely belong to housewives going out for the day while their children are out of their hair or the people who work from home.
Either way, I know the library will be relatively quiet. No one seems to really use it, apart from me and a few other students. There is a small library on the school grounds, but their collection is pretty sparse. Mainly, it's just used as a makeout spot for the cheerleaders and jocks.
Dane remains quiet the entire way to the library. It isn't until I stop the car just outside the library that he finally speaks. "I have a confession."
I put the car in park and turn off the engine off before turning to him. "Okay, what is it? You're a serial killer?" I ask jokingly. It feels weird he'd wait until we were here before announcing that. He could have said something long before we got here, or before he even got in my car. Hell, why didn’t he say something before he asked to join me in the first place?
He chuckles softly and looks at me with guilt-filled eyes. "No, I'm not a serial killer, but I haven't been entirely honest with you. I know this may seem strange, but I want to be upfront with you. I may put on a soft front a lot of the time, but in reality, I am anything but soft. I can be a complete dick, and you deserve to know the real me, not some fake persona I show everyone else."
With each word, I have to work harder to hold back my smile, but it finally breaks free. "That's it?"
His blue eyes widen in surprise. "What do you mean?"
I study him for a moment, realizing that his confession meant more to him than I thought. For some reason, it seems important to him for there to be honesty between us.
With that in mind, I resolve to give him a completely honest answer. "I haven't even known you for twenty-four hours, Dane. You can be whoever you want to be. I don't expect you to spill your deep dark secrets on the first day. Besides, we aren't even really friends yet. More like acquaintances. When things progress, then you can confess, but until then, you can be whoever or whatever you want to be when you're with me."
"You know, just when I think you can't get any more amazing, you say shit like that and it makes me want to kiss you."
My heart stops at his outburst and my face lights up in embarrassment. I've never been kissed before and I don't want my first kiss to be with someone who barely knows me. Even if he is adorably handsome.
"Um, well. Let’s get going, shall we?" I ask awkwardly, feeling flustered. Without looking in his direction, I step out of the car and grab my bag.
I close the door quickly. Dane hurries to climb out, but I don’t wait for him, instead waltzing away from the car, then up the few front steps and into the building. Dane catches up to me as I press the button on my keys to lock the car, taking a deep steadying breath as I do so.
"Sorry, Evie. That was out of line."
I don't need to look at Dane to know he regrets it, because it’s clear in his tone.
"It's fine, I was just a little startled. I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't really like any attention, and what you said? Well, it just was a little much, but we'll be all good as long as you keep this platonic. Friends only." I tell him with a stern glare.
