Awakenings (Elemental Series - Book 1) (29 page)

“Are you okay?” He looked into my eyes, genuinely concerned.

It took me a second—okay, maybe two seconds—to respond, and when I did, I wanted to kick myself. I sounded like I had just run a marathon.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” I said, looking away and hoping I didn’t appear as idiotic as I felt.

“Did you expect something different?” he asked, still holding my hand to his chest.

“Nope. I thought, well, I thought it’d be something a little less contact-ual...” I said, pulling my hand away, reluctantly I might add, from his chest.

“Now, I’m confused. What is contact-ual?”

“Nothing, really, I kind of make up my own sayings every now and then kind of
Seinfeld
-like.”
Holy crap! Could I sound anymore like a goof? Think before you speak.

“
Seinfeld
? What’s that?”

“Uhhh, he’s not important. I think I might be making more of this than it needs to be. I mean is this how
all
Nemelites feel when they greet or say hello?” I held my breath while waiting for his response. Deep down I hoped not every Nemelite felt
exactly
the same way I had when Vincent and I greeted.

“Everyone has different reactions when they meet. There are also other ways in which we greet one another, but those are—” He paused for a second. “Those are reserved for when no one will walk in on you.” He winked and turned to the door, putting his hand up to its symbol.

OMG, I’m such a nerd. What the heck is wrong with me? What was
that
? Seinfeld? Come on, seriously?
My inner unpretentious self chose that moment to reveal itself.
‘That’
feeling clueless one was amazing and I want more.
My inner normal me screamed back.
WHAT? Stop it.

Now my inner me and inner not-so-innocent me were having a battle as we came face to face with Jen and Hudson pacing outside the classroom door.

I didn’t take my eyes off Vincent. I was watching him closely as he gently brushed the hand which had been in contact with mine against his pant leg. He’d felt something, too. A small smirk played at the edges of my mouth. Before I could ask him about what he’d felt, Jen and Hudson were asking questions about my first class.

“How was Mr. Willow?” Jen asked, putting her arm through mine.

“Great. The class opened my eyes to a lot of things here in Nemele.” I craned my neck, trying to see where Vincent and Hudson had gone off to.

“They’re coming, don’t stress. Vincent’s suppose to stay with you for the next couple of days to help you adjust to Nemele,” she said with a grin.

“What’s that?” I asked, stopping her in her tracks.

“What’s what?” she asked, trying to look innocent.

“Come on, Jen. You know
what
—that look, what was it for?” I was causing a mini road block, but I didn’t care.

“Did you get to say ‘
hello’?
” she asked. I could tell she already knew I had.

“You knew. You knew I’d have that reaction and you didn’t warn me. What’s wrong with you?” I felt my cheeks flush again but this time it was from anger and embarrassment, not because of the deep desire I’d felt with Vincent. “Why didn’t you give me a heads up, a warning, anything?” I asked. I was majorly peeved.

“Well, I wasn’t sure at first it would happen. I didn’t want to say anything in case it didn’t.” She answered matter-of-factly staring at me wide eyed and unflinching.

“What is
it
?” I asked, embarrassed now that she knew exactly what I’d felt when Vincent and I said
‘Hello’
for the first time.

“That, my dear friend,” she said, grabbing my arm again and dragging me down the hallway, “is what we call an apparent imprint, he
may
possibly be your
Wirposh
. It seems you and Vincent are meant to be more than just friends.”

“Enough with the cryptic talk, tell me in plain English what you’re talking about.” I was getting slightly irritated.

“Okay, okay,” she said, holding her hands up in an ‘I surrender’ gesture. “Did you notice if Vincent had any kind of reaction when you both said hello?”

“I noticed he wiped his hand on his jeans as soon as our hands came apart.” I rubbed my own hand on my pant leg, remembering how affected I had been by our touch.

“There are certain people in this world who are meant to come into our lives, be it for friendship or other reasons. One way some of us find our Wirposh is through a traditional Nemelite greeting. Each time we welcome a person in our lives, we expose ourselves to what their true purpose is in our existence. When we open ourselves up to receiving someone’s welcoming, we incorporate and ultimately combine all five of our elements—Earth, Wind, Air, Water, and Fire. There are six elements in total, and the sixth element we all experience is Kawaneing. It isn’t felt through a greeting, though. It’s experienced through each person’s Awakening. Basically, it’s our aura, our essence.” She stopped and turned so we were looking directly into each other’s eyes. She held her hand up to me with her fingers spread wide open and waited for me to do the same.

I did and she entwined our hands and then held them to the center of her chest. I definitely didn’t have the same reaction I’d had with Vincent. Instead, I got feelings of unity, truth, and loyalty. Jen smiled, then repeated what Mr. Willow had said.

“May the elements keep you eternal.” She smiled and then let go of my hand. There was no shock, no deep-rooted desire to grab hold of her and not let go when our hands touched and released. However, I did feel solidarity and friendship. I’d always felt this toward Jen, but now that were amplified by like a hundred.

“That was amazing. What was that?” I asked, looking into my palm.

“Like I said, we’re all brought into each other’s lives for a reason. From the first time we met, I knew we would be friends, best friends, actually. So I knew before I’d greeted you in the traditional way the feelings we have for one another would come to surface and be evident to each of us. Each person’s intentions and place in our life will be clear when they greet you in our traditional way. Each will affect you in different ways, and each reaction is out of the control of either person. It will be truthful, without care for the reaction it has on either of the people involved in the greeting.”

“So everyone I meet will have some kind of an effect on me?” I asked, thinking I would have to be very cautious in exactly how I greeted people.

“Yeah, in some way or another they will, but, you need to be aware that some beings have the ability to mask how they truly feel and what their real intentions are. They do it by being truthful with themselves about their intentions and in turn, they amplify their false desires to the other person under a veil of sincerity. Complicated, I know. The only way I’ve known to detect people like that is when I’ve experienced confusion or uneasiness after touching them. That’s what would clue me in. You need to keep in mind when you experience a greeting like that it doesn’t necessarily mean they have ill will or ill intentions towards you. It may mean they might not really like you that much.” Jen looked behind her. Hudson and Vincent were still standing at the entrance to Origins class, talking animatedly to one another.

“Your brother loves you very much, you know. Right now he thinks he’s doing the right thing by playing big brother. He’s not doing it to embarrass you or anything. Even I could tell something was up when you and Vincent came out. You both looked a little on the flushed side. I do have to give Vincent some credit, though. At least he was able to cover it up way before you were.”

I turned and was about to give my brother a piece of my mind when Jen grabbed my arm and turned me back toward her.

“Jacey, when you first told me about your dreams and how the person in them affected you, I wasn’t sure if it was this Vincent or not. It wasn’t until we first got here, and your feelings started to become stronger every time you’d hear his name or come close to his home that I put two and two together. I don’t know if he’s the right person to be helping you with everything right now. It’s hard to believe
he’s
the one you’ve been describing in your dreams. I know he’s been brought up here and hasn’t experienced much outside of Nemele and, well—I also know about Chanary. I’m worried with everything that’s going on. I’m worried he may make everything more confusing rather than clearer. I told Hudson what I thought and now he’s trying to make sure that no one,
including
Vincent, gets or gives the wrong message.” Her words were filled with honesty and care. They stifled any embarrassment or anger I’d been feeling towards Hudson. I took a deep breath and felt completely in control again. I glanced back towards him and Vincent.

I wasn’t sure if they’d heard us talking about them, but as soon as Jen and I were finished, both of them started toward us. I stood there staring like a complete idiot. I couldn’t have stopped even if I wanted to. Looking at Vincent was what I
wanted
to do.

I found myself completely mesmerized by him. He wasn’t just gorgeous, he was breathtaking. Yeah, I know a little too much, but there it was.

His demeanor was nothing like someone who knew they were drop dead gorgeous. Of course this made him even more appealing. Something I’ve never been vulnerable to before, but I found myself pulled to him like a magnet.

I hoped Hudson hadn’t put off Vincent to the point where he would be uncomfortable around me now. When they were about thirty feet from us, Hudson elbowed Vincent lightly in the mid-section. I held my breath, thinking Hudson had indeed put Vincent off. He was going to have some explaining to do when I got finished with him. I needed to make everything right between the two of them. I started toward them but stopped when Vincent elbowed him back. They both smiled at one another and continued toward us. Everything was okay, they were all right with one another. Major relief washed over me like someone who gets their first breath of fresh air after they’d been holding it a little too long.

While they finished their male bonding ritual, Vincent looked up toward Jen and me. Our eyes met for a brief second. A huge smile spread across his face and instantly my stomach was filled with the sensation of a million butterflies and my heart beat as though I’d just run a marathon.
Enjoy it.
My not so good self yelled at me as my other more sensible, cautious self reminded me of the thoughts I’d had in the Bulwark.

A flash of red interrupted my thoughts and with it the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. Immediately, I knew someone was coming I definitely didn’t want to see. As the feeling crept up my neck and shot down my spine, the flash of red stopped directly in front of Vincent. blocking my view of him…
Chanary.

She positioned herself directly in front of him and offered her hand in the traditional Nemele greeting. He, of course, being the gentleman he was, offered his hand. She latched onto it and brought their hands to
her
chest.

Instantly, I could feel the blood pounding in my ears. The sound was nearly deafening. It reminded me of the noise a freight train makes when you’re standing right next to it. However, the difference in standing next to a freight train and standing next to me at this point – a freight train has a set of tracks and one can assume when it travels upon them it will follow its’ laid out path. For someone like this new version of the old me, there’s no track and no probable outcome. I knew this situation somehow was going to make everyone involved in it wish they hadn’t been.

“May the five elements keep you eternal,” Chanary gushed to Vincent…and I swear she practically rubbed his hand across her chest as she let his hand go. Vincent flushed bright red for a second and then responded.

“Hey, Chanary, aren’t you supposed to be in fifth elements class right now?”

Before I could think rationally, an intense heat began to radiate from my chest while something else I hadn’t experienced before rose up inside me. It dawned on me this was jealousy. Along with it came a dislike so strong it turned my eyesight into tunnel vision. Everything in its path was red.

I was surprised by the intensity. I’d never felt this way about another person—ever. All my emotions and the passion they evoked from me focused and collectively merged in my hands. It felt like small balls of energy pulsing in my palms.

My attention was so completely focused on the spectacle Chanary was creating with Vincent that it took me a couple of seconds to register the nails digging into my forearm. Jen came into view. She broke into my concentration and took my focus. From the look on her face and the intensity with which she was talking, I knew something new was happening to me.

I knew it wasn’t normal to feel balls of energy gather in my hands or have my vision go nearly red. I cut Jen out, and instead of taking a breath and stepping back to relax, I refocused my attention on Chanary and Vincent.

Instinctively, I knew Vincent felt nothing more than friendship toward Chanary. However, in brazen neon lights, I saw exactly what she wanted from him. Based on Vincent’s obvious blindness to her, I found myself having yet another first—complete and total protectiveness. This girl was really starting to grate on my last nerve.

“I just wanted to make sure our lunch
date
was still on,” Chanary chirped to Vincent. All the while, she fluttered her eyelashes, doing her best to imitate a doe in the headlights.

Her next move pushed me over the edge. She tossed her hair back, checked to see I was watching, then shot a look my way of complete and utter loathing, all with a Cheshire cat grin spread across her face. She managed to do it all while flirting with Vincent, who was oblivious to the fact she’d just shot me a third death look within a three hour period.

I took a step forward. I’m usually not the confrontational type, but today I intended to make an exception. There was a yearning deep within me to not only tell her off but to rip her head off in the process. I smiled my own feline grin when I thought of her having a taste of the energy balls building in my palms.