Aconite (The Elektita Series Book 1) (15 page)

Richland handed me
a glass of water while I waited for my head to stop pounding. The throbbing had
died to a minor pulse, but my tattoo still glowed brighter than ever. He had
explained that it was due to the proximity to one of the Lupo and magic that
contradicted my own. It was supposed to be a safety measure. A rather painful
one if I do say so myself.

"How did you
expel the elixir?" Sebastian got right down to business. I almost didn't
believe the brief show of concern from earlier. This distant and
straight-forward version of Sebastian was the one I was used to.

"I don't
know." That was the honest to God truth. I had no idea. There was a lot of
stuff I didn't want to tell him right now but that wasn't one of them. The cool
water felt marvelous against my parched throat.

"She wanted
to leave," Richland offered by way of a response. I had wanted to leave,
but I thought I had come to terms with the fact that I couldn't. I also didn't
want to talk to Sebastian, but I left that part alone. They didn't need to know
that.

"Your will
could no longer wait. It took advantage of the Vero's dwindling presence to
push the rest of it out." He talked about my will like it was another
being all together. I have always thought your will was an extension of
yourself. "Even against your own conscious actions."

"I don't
understand." And I didn't. None of this was making sense.

"You are
special. In most cases the person controls their will but in your case your
will controls you. What you will, it shall be. Mastery of it will prove
beneficiary to the future. That is why your family made you, the first child,
ever to be a part of the Elektita in our history. They saw what was special in
you and sought to use it to their advantage." Here we go, more answers and
I made sure not to make a sound. I didn't want to sidetrack him from the wealth
of information that I needed.

"They pulled
you in when you were but a girl, you were barely nine, it made it much easier
that your mother was one of the founding sisters." Yeah, the mother that
showed no remorse as her oldest daughter got beaten in front of the entire
village.

"They warped
and molded your mind to believe that they were created to fulfill a prophecy
laid out by the Gods." Richland had me nestled in his arm but remained
silent as Sebastian spoke. I remembered this was not his story to tell, but it
was safe to assume that he had heard this all before.

"When you
grew to a young lady you were promised to another in hopes of producing a child
of the same gifts." The room froze as my dream came back to me in full
force. Thankfully I didn't fall into it, detaching myself from the present. A
child, they wanted me to birth a child with the same gifts. Could my dream be
some sort of glimpse into the future? In the dream Jonathon had been the father
of my child. I couldn't wrap my brain around any scenario that would produce
that outcome. I couldn't listen to this. Even without the Vero my mind
bee-lined towards memories that I didn't want to experience. If my dreams
fulfilled my past there was no way my dreams didn't fulfill my future. I had to
get out of here. I shut my eyes and used my newly acquired will and forced them
both still. I had to get out of here and the only way I could do that would be
to render them unconscious. Both Sebastian and Richland remained conscious but
unmoving. I felt Richland's hold freeze around me. That would be a problem.

I wiggled out of
Richland's arm ignoring his words of protest. Sebastian remained silent,
watching me between slitted eyelids. This was what he meant–I was special. He
couldn't control things around him like I could. He could only cast
enchantments and spells. I could now see the jealousy play in his eyes. He
wanted to control what I could do. He was no different than the family that he
told me about. I grabbed my things and headed for the door. The enchantment
still bound us in but now that I knew that my will controlled me I was more
confident than ever that I would be walking out of here.

"Please
Alexis, don't go. Let him finish then you will understand. It is not safe for
you out there." Richland was pleading with me, struggling against my hold
on him. But my will was stronger than my sympathy with his plight.

"I'm sorry,
Richland. I told you earlier I needed to get out of here. I don't think I am
ready to hear this." I didn't want to tell him it hit to close to home. A
phantom movement deep within my abdomen helped reassure my decision. I didn't
know who I could trust. Richland only had me in his heart but he was still
loyal to Sebastian, I couldn't risk it.

I stood in front
of the barrier that held me back from freedom. I took a deep breath and let out
my fear and worry. I needed to let go of all the reasons that I should stay. I
reached forward and the enchantment pushed me back. Just releasing the reasons
wouldn't do it. Sebastian had said the thing that made me special was my will.
My will was my power. All I had to do was will it and it would be. Richland had
gone silent, letting my mind focus completely on the task at hand. Sebastian
still hadn't made a peep. I didn't dare turn and look in his direction. I
wasn't sure what I would see there.

I reached deep
inside of me; searching for that pulse that I had felt within me ever since my
arrival. I let it take hold of me and expand outward. It hurt and I worked to
suppress the pain that it caused. My mind blanked of anything but my need to
leave. I stepped out with my eyes closed visualizing myself standing on the
other side. With a loud audible pop I kept my forward motion. The air around me
felt like a thick rubber film had just exploded. When I opened my eyes I was
standing on the step outside.

I turned now
looking back through the door. They both stood motionless in the doorway, stunned
into silence.

"You told me
I was special."

Now what was I
going to do? I stood on the rock pathway completely surrounded by woods. Maybe
this wasn't such a good idea after all. What little grass I saw was cut close
to the earth letting the large pine trees have access to their full glory. The
evening air was moist and saturated with the scent of pine and salt. We
couldn't be that far from the ocean. A driveway ran up the side of the large
Victorian home. It was beautiful, but I didn't have time to take it all in. I
needed to get out of there. My heart pounded against my ribcage as I followed
the drive, hoping it would lead me to a garage. They both owned very expensive
cars, so I doubted they left them out in the elements. Sure enough the drive
ended right in front of a large four car garage. All four doors were shut, I
grabbed the handles and tried to jerk each one up with no luck. I needed to
figure out something. I didn't know how long they would stay like that. My head
spun from it all.

 On the left side
there was a door that sat unlocked. Of course, who would be out here other than
those invited by Sebastian? I flipped on the lights in the massive garage. The
space was filled wall to wall with vehicles. Besides the BMW and red Jaguar,
there was a multitude of motorcycles and crotch rockets that lined the back
wall. Someone had a thing for cars. I only had eyes for the dark blue Maserati
that stood out against the rest. It was beautiful and it sparkled. Sparkles
were a must if I was going to borrow it. I felt unbridled excitement at sitting
in the driver’s seat. The convertible top was down in invitation. God, how the
black leather interior hugged by backside. I never thought of myself as a car
enthusiast but being surrounded by all these nice rides I could see myself
turning into one. Sebastian's arrogance had left the keys in the passenger’s
seat. I hesitated for just a moment before sliding the key in place. I had
never taken anyone else's car in my life. The engine purred to life. The slight
vibration that it produced hummed through my body. I didn't think I could give
this back. Maybe I would keep it as payment for emotional distress. I tapped
the garage door opener and impatiently waited as it rose to full capacity,
gunning the engine just to hear it roar. Nobody was waiting to block my exit as
I slid the car into gear. I had an immediate urge to stop at a car wash when I
heard the crunch of gravel tarnish the perfect tires.

I jumped when the
car spoke to me. The GPS needed to know my destination, how convenient. I told
the car, which sounded more like a late night phone sex operator than a
computer, to take me to Ocean View Inn. I was damn sure steering clear of the
cafe until I figured out what my next move was. I didn't want to chance running
into anyone right now. The navigation said I was about an hour and a half from
the Inn. I still couldn't figure out how I made it here. I left the top down
even in the growing darkness. The cool air slapped against my cheeks. The harsh
contact felt more real than anything else that had happened. I watched the
little blip that represented the car move along the navigation screen. I was
driving up the shore side. If I just turned off at one of the many side roads
that I passed I would be mere miles from the beach front. The thought of
freedom was enticing, but I still needed to get as far from Sebastian's as
possible. I had just magically frozen two werewolves and stole one of their
cars. When the magic broke they were going to be pissed. I didn't want to be
close enough that they could track me. Neither of them spoke much about the
whole werewolf thing but they had to retain some things that marked them as a
wolf, right?

 So I drove on in
silence, the moon just days from being full, rose silently into the sky. It was
pure white and still just as beautiful. The winds picked up as I kept on with
my destination in mind. I had to fight my hair as it whipped across my face. I
left the radio silent not wanting to hear anything but the sounds that nature
made. The car felt like it was gliding instead of rolling on its wheels. It was
the perfect choice for a night like this. I made it back to town in no time
with the Inn squarely in my sight. Occasionally the GPS reminded me of how long
until we made it. I had never missed a place so much in my life. I came to a
screeching halt right next to my poor Bug. It felt like a betrayal as I took in
her sad state. If only she knew why I had been driving this car instead of her
she would understand. I gave her a pat as I passed. Linda was at the front desk
when I burst through the doors. She jumped, clearly startled by my entry.

"Good to see
you, Alexis. How was your vacation?" She gave me a shy smile. That must be
what Richland had told her when he came to retrieve my things.

"It was… eye
opening." Nothing about what I had gone through felt like a vacation. I
didn’t think it would go over too well if I told her that a man had kept me
hostage in his home for three days while I had a magical awakening.. I didn't think
the next card she gave me would be for another women’s shelter. I didn't want
to stay and chat so I ignored whatever she just said and headed straight for my
room. The little light on my door flashed green just before I opened it up into
my pitch dark room. Even though his eyes melted into the darkness I knew I
wasn't alone. Jonathon was sitting at the end of my bed with his head in his
hands.

"What the
fuck are you doing here?" I flipped on the light. Jonathon looked deep in thought
and I assumed as much when he didn't even acknowledge my outburst.

"Get
out!" I was directly in front of him before I even let myself realize I
had moved forward. I came here to be alone. I didn't want to have to deal with
this right now. I needed time to decide how to handle Jonathon drugging me into
a powerless loon.

"Please."
His voice was weak, but I had no sympathy for his feelings. How come they would
only give me information on their terms? This was getting old and fast. “Don’t
do this, I need to explain." The mist that I had brought about the last
time we were together now swam slowly across the floor, encircling my feet
before it began climbing its way up my legs.

"How come my
reaction to you is different than others?" It didn't get past me that the
entire time I was with Sebastian or Richland not once did I have this type of
reaction while the Vero wasn't in my system. He slowly lifted his head from his
hands to look up at me.

"Our
connection defines it." Well isn't that interesting. When Sebastian and
Richland were near I was able to freeze things around me and Jonathon and Jo
ignited storms within me that I unleashed on my surroundings. Wouldn't it be
interesting to see what I could do when all four where within my presence? I
pocketed that thought for later because who knows, I might just get the
opportunity to find out.;

"So what
would you need to explain exactly? Let me take a guess. Why you gave me
something so strong that for three days I couldn't function at normal capacity
or how it made me wide open for anyone to trigger loads of shit that could
ultimately break me? Wait, that’s not it, is it? Maybe it’s how you are Lupo,
werewolf, from the seventeen hundreds. Is that it or shall I go on?" I was
curious as to which topic he would hit on first.

"I didn't
mean for you to drink so much." His sad onyx eyes narrowed in on my face.
The way he was staring at me didn't help in lessening the storm that I felt
increasing by the second. I needed to control it. I wanted answers to these
questions even if the time wasn't necessarily convenient. I tried to reign in
the soothing smells of outside that still lingered in my hair. I needed to
control it. I willed myself to take back the rage that Jonathon's presence
released. The mist began to fade but the same energy that had released it
vibrated in irritation just under my skin. I was holding it all in by a thread.

"What did you
mean to do?" My question came out calm but shaky as I tried to push the
magic farther down. He hadn't denied that he was intending to drug me or that
he was a werewolf, so maybe whatever he had to say would contain a sliver of
the truth.

"I just
needed you to drink a little. I only needed a very small window to access the
right memory."

"So you
wanted to drug me in order to sift through and find a certain memory?" My
anger was swift and felt wonderful as it unleashed itself through my words.

"You don't
understand." I heard the truth in his words. But he was wrong. I did
understand. I had been accessing memories and filing information away for days
now. I had learned far too much for him to say I didn't understand.

"You don't
think I understand? I have spent the last three days figuring out exactly what
you meant to do to me." He flinched back like I had hit him.

"Where have
you been? We have searched everywhere for you." Of course they had been
looking for me, they needed something from me. He handed me my forgotten cell
phone. I had dozens of missed calls all from Jonathon, plus numbers that I
didn't recognize. There was even a few from the cafe's line. His dark eyes
searched my face for any reaction. I figured they were looking for me and by
the dates they had attempted to call multiple times each day that I had been
away.

"We came by
the Inn many times hoping you had returned but Linda told us that you had gone
on an open ended vacation. I even went as far as asking Sebastian. Since the
last time Jo saw you, you were getting in Richland's car. I figured he would
have some kind of clue. But he said he didn't know where either you or Richland
had disappeared to. I thought he had finally gotten what he has always
wanted."

I knew Sebastian's
dislike of Jonathon ran deep but he didn't even mention that Jonathon had been
looking for me. Plus he lied to Jonathon about knowing where I was since I was
exactly where he had put me. I didn't know what to tell him. There must be a
reason for his secrecy. Damn it, I was so confused. I had myself believing that
Jonathon was the bad guy and here I was finding out that he was actually
searching for me the entire time. But I couldn't be certain that his intentions
once he found me were for the best. Then there was Sebastian, who had kept me
hostage. He said he had only did it for precautionary reasons but who was I to
know if that was the truth. On the other hand he had given me more information
in a shorter period than anyone else had ever attempted. I couldn't let any of
those things cover up the fact that he had killed me in a previous life. Even
Richland and Jo, as pure as their intentions appeared to be, held their
allegiances first and foremost for the men they worked for.

"It doesn't
matter where I was." I chose to avoid the answer I didn't feel he
deserved. His brows furrowed, he knew that wherever I was, it had been rather
significant but he was willing to let me have my answer.

"What matters
is that I am here now. You said that you wanted to find a specific memory,
which one?" I sat down in the office chair waiting for him to explain away
why he had slipped a powerful drug into my drink. Sebastian had made the
suggestion that I may not want to hear Jonathon's side, but he was wrong. I
needed to know what had made him become so desperate that he had to take it
instead of simply asking for it first.

"You've
changed." His observations were not what I needed, but they felt right. I
had changed from the time I walked into this town to the present. Who wouldn't
if they had to endure the amount of shit I had?

"That is
irrelevant. What is relevant is what you want from me." I eyed him
speculatively. Carefully watching his face for any signs that what he was about
to tell me was false in any form.

"I needed you
to remember your very first death." He had succeeded in that, but not in
the way he thought he would. He was able to pull those memories to the
forefront while I was lying in bed with the very man that murdered me.

"What are you
talking about?" I didn't want him to know that he had in fact pulled that
memory to the present.

"Don't play
dumb. At the very least you have spent this time with Richland so you know some
of what is happening to you. You already know that I am Lupo so your knowledge
far exceeds ignorance." All elements of sadness or pity dropped completely
from his tone. Further explaining why I didn't want to drop my guard around any
of them.

"Okay you got
me. Yes, Richland explained how I am a reincarnate; each time being born
different but yet the same." I purposely quoted him to remind myself that
I was different. I didn't have to make the same mistakes as them. I could
choose another path. I would just carry the memories of those before me to my
death bed. I also purposely skirted the fact that I did know exactly what he
was talking about. 

"Exactly,
Alexandria was the first that we know of anyway." He could have done
without that last part. That was all I needed, to know that there were possibly
many more lifetimes that would crop up in my mind at the most inopportune
times.

"I needed you
to remember the specifics of her death, but I didn't want to wait for it to
arrive via dream. It would have taken far too long." Out of all the
memories that may help him, he wanted to pull the one that would hurt me and
him the most. Has his motive been, all along, revenge for a stolen love?

"What does my
death so long ago have to do with anything?" He looked as though I had
sprouted two heads.

"It has
everything to do with the past, present, and future. It isn't the death that is
important it is the manner in which it happened." He was starting to sound
like a crazy person and crazy just didn't work in a body like his. He also
sounded like he didn't give a damn about who had actually wielded the death
blow.

"What are you
talking about?" This time I didn't have to feign ignorance because I
really had no clue what the hell this man was blabbering about.

"I need you
to remember that moment. The blade is a key factor in everything that has
happened thus far." His constant reminder of the dream that I wanted to be
rid of was pulling it closer to the forefront of my thoughts. I didn't want to
see that awful moment ever again and now this man was asking me to do just
that.

"I don't want
to." I knew the minute the words came out that I had said too much.
Jonathon burst from my bed, standing before me, eyes wild and seemingly on the
brink of madness.

"What have
you seen?" The words sounded far closer to a demand then a question. He
may think I have changed, but he was different as well. Nothing of the Jonathon
I met was standing before me. It made me wonder if the Jonathon I met was
nothing but an act to draw me in. I could hand it to Sebastian the way he
seemed at first meeting was the person that he was today. I couldn't say the
same for Jonathon.

"I might be
able to give you something if you tell me what is so important about the
blade."

He stood mulling
over my request. It seemed like a no-brainer to me. By all accounts it was the
blade that killed me in another lifetime; I think I deserve to know what was so
important about it.

"Fine, if you
must know I will tell you, but you will be in far greater danger than you are
at this point." How much more dangerous could any of this really get?

"Okay then,
tell me why I would be in more danger with the knowledge of the blade than
without." Then I could decide if I truly wanted to take on more
strangeness or if I wanted to leave it as it was; with me obliviously going on
with my witchy life.