Elemental Reality (15 page)

“This can’t be good,” I choked out.

20

She’s a Rebel

We all gave her our full attention, and I noticed a crowd had formed. Shouts rang out for the Elders. If there were whispers when we first arrived, now people openly gawked, pointed, and spoke without lowering their voices. Of course
we
would be the ones to draw in a Demon at our arrival. And if there was one, there had to be more. As she advanced, my elements surged in order to defend myself against the opposing threat. At first it was like a calm stream that flowed throughout my body, but the closer the Demon got the stronger the current became until a wave of elements thrashed angrily inside me. The beautiful purple glow was back. It was a total surprise that my body had this defense mechanism and was definitely something I’d have to get used to. The Demon noticed what was happening and shook her head.

“There’s no need for that.” Her velvety voice shocked me. “I come in peace.” She held up her hands as she eyed each one of us.

The elements around us only swirled more fiercely in response. Everyone around me had their defenses up. Probably because they thought this whole thing was a trick. She moved until she stood right in front of us, her chocolate eyes surveying our group before landing on me.

“You look like her,” she said, reaching out as if she was going to touch me.

I flinched away. “Like who?”

“Scarlett.”

I was silent for a moment as the realization of what she’d said sunk in.

“You know my mom?” I wanted to cry and scream. She had no right to come in here and talk about Mom.

“Not personally. I’ve seen her though. In her cell.” Her thin lips formed a severe line and her alabaster skin seemed to glow.

A throng of gasps rang out around me. Oli pushed me behind him protectively and Dad moved in front of him. She knew where Mom was being held. Words failed me; I was too shell-shocked.

“Is she okay?” Dad asked, frantic.

“She’s fine, though she grows weaker just as you do.”

“Who are you? Why are you telling us this?” he asked.

“My name is Apryll. I’m telling you this because I used to be a Faerie, and I know what will happen to the both of you if she’s not saved.”

“
You’re
Apryll?” Erika was surprised. “I’ve heard all about you. You disappeared . . . never to be seen again. What—”

I cut her off. “Why do you care? And why should we trust a single thing you say?”

“I care because I know what it’s like to lose someone you care about. And I don’t want to see you or your sister lose both your parents.”

“This is the second time I’ve heard that from a Demon.” I tensed and Oli’s body stiffened as the words spilled from my mouth. All eyes were on me as I disclosed that secret. She raised her eyebrow. “Cayden.” I gulped. “He also told me to get to her as soon as possible to save her. What will happen if she’s not saved?” And why did he warn me when the whole time he was trying to take me? “And why are you both warning me?” I was skeptical. This had to be a really bad trick they were both playing on me.

“Cayden told you that?” Dad’s nostrils flared in fury. “Why didn’t you come to me?”

“That’s not important right now, Dad.” His eyes widened in shock as I completely blew him off. I turned to Apryll with a scowl on my face. “What’s Cayden’s deal?”

“I can’t tell you about him. It’s not my place to reveal that information. He must first come to terms with it. But I can tell you what will happen to your parents as long as you’re willing to listen to my story.”

I peered at Dad. He seemed to be in a state of distress. His normally tanned complexion was pallid. I tried to step closer to Dad to comfort him, but Oli wouldn’t allow me to move away from the protective wall he made with his body. I reached out, took his hand in mine to try to calm him, and extended my other one around Oli, which probably looked completely bizarre. I motioned for her to continue.

“First, I must tell you I’ve grown tired of following orders given to me. I’m not a Demon at heart. But my story will explain to you why. It’s not a happy story—an awful one, if anything. Even worse, I can still remember that one night vividly in my mind. Forty-four years ago, when I was twelve, I was taken by a Demon.”

“Why?” I asked, appalled that this could even happen to a Faerie.

“I have my suspicions, but I’ll tell you the story anyway. I never trusted Nevaeh or Mace as a child. They’re the Elders. I still don’t trust them. I remember telling Nevaeh once my elements were stronger, and that I’d defeat her and take her place as Elder. She laughed it off, thinking it was a childish fantasy.

“One day during a training session she showed up to watch our groups’ progress. It angered me as she sneered at us as if we weren’t good enough. I was a little hotheaded and walked right up to her. She paid no attention to me, and that’s when my anger reached its boiling point. My fist connected hard with her stomach, and whatever strength I had from my elements backed that punch up. She was furious. I watched as anger flooded her eyes but stood my ground as she came after me. She grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me to my house. That’s when she told my parents I was out of hand and we either had to leave or she’d get rid of me. I spit at her and told her we’d never leave. Her mouth tightened, and her eyes twitched before she turned and stomped out of our house.

“That night, while I was sleeping, a Demon came and took me away. My elements weren’t strong enough to fight him off so I had no choice but to surrender or die.”

Tears rimmed her eyes. She was beautiful. And the dark brown hair she wore pin-straight in a stylish bob with bangs suited her bone structure. I listened intently to her story as I watched sorrow wash over her face.

“They secluded me in darkness for fifteen years—I was able to keep track of the days by marking the walls after my second meal with a rock I had found. Not once did I see anyone. They slipped food and drink in to me through a small slit in the door. My powers strengthened every time my soul mate was close to where I was held captive, but it always weakened again when he’d leave in defeat at not being able to find me through our connection. Fifteen long years I suffered. Feeling the pull to my soul mate and not knowing anything about him or ever hearing his voice was agonizing. The day I turned into a Demon was the day my connection and soul mate died. It wasn’t a quick change either; it was slow and painful.

“The first noticeable thing was the temperature change in my room. It grew so hot it felt like I was placed into an inferno. It stopped so abruptly, though, that I thought one of them was messing with me, but it happened again. This time the inferno was inside me, pulsing through my veins. I screamed bloody murder as it kept intensifying. My skin glowed red and was blistered, as if I had severe sunburn. That’s when I realized I was literally burning from the inside out. Fire sprang forth from my entire body. My clothes burned away as my skin was scorched from beneath. I couldn’t breathe; my lungs strained for air as it was sucked from my body. My head lurched back as an invisible vacuum sucked my previous life and connection to my soul mate from me. A bright, colorful fog hung above me for a few seconds. As it slowly dissolved, I grew emptier. I realized then that the fog hanging over my head was our connection to each other—our souls. Once the colors faded from sight, I knew he had died because, in a way, I died too.”

I wiped away the tears that had run down my cheeks. Would that really happen to Mom? To Dad? I would not allow that to happen to my parents. Not in this lifetime.

“I’m truly sorry that happened to you, but why come to us?” Dad asked as he choked back tears. “How did you even know we’d be here now?”

“I’ve been watching, waiting. I hear Scarlett cry every night for her family. My heart goes out to her. I may be a Demon, but I’m
not
like them. I’m risking my life, but I’ve come to help your girls train for a battle that’s inevitable. Because you will search for her.” It wasn’t a question.

I gulped at the word “battle.” I knew rescuing Mom wouldn’t be an easy task, but a battle? A
battle
-battle? That was not something I was expecting nor did I think I could handle it. I needed to lie down.

“This is too much, guys. Can we take a rest or something?” I asked as the reality fell on me like a boulder.

“Sure, sweetie. We can head back to our old house, rest there,” Dad said, sounding tired. “How will we find you again?” he asked Apryll.

“I’ll be around. I’m not really welcomed here anymore,” Apryll said with a grimace.

“You’re not the only one.” Dad gave her a sympathetic smile.

“I hope in time you come to trust me. I know it may take a lot for that to happen, but I promise I’ll prove to you that you can. I better go before Nevaeh or Mace show up and start a fight.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “We have a nice little crowd gathered so it’s only a matter of time before they storm down here.”

“Be safe,” Dad said.

She nodded and walked away before disappearing into thin air. I was definitely not expecting all of this to happen on our first day here.

“Well, that was . . . interesting. Do you believe her, Rore?” Joey asked, inputting a note of common sense.

“I don’t know yet. I don’t think she could have possibly made up that story, but I still don’t understand why she’d want to help us.”

“She’s a rebel,” Lola said gleefully. “I like her.”

“I knew something tragic had happened to her,” Erika said, distraught. “To think one of us turned into one of
them
is just awful.” She wiped a tear from her eye. She turned to the small crowd gathered behind us and shooed them away before turning back to us. “I suggest all of you go rest for now. I’ll go gather the girls and tell them what we’ll be doing, and then once Lola and Callie have been well rested we’ll begin their test.”

“There’s a test?” Lola whined. “No one said anything about a test. I thought we were just training?”

“We need to test you to see how much training you both will need.”

“I hate tests,” Lola moaned and pouted.

“It’s not a written test like humans take. This is more of a power test. One you may even enjoy,” Erika said to ease Lola’s grumbling. “There’ll be flying.”

“That’s more like it. Why not do this test now?” Lola said cheerily, her wings popping out from her back.

“You need energy for it.” Erika gave her a smile.

“I’m completely energized right now.” Lola demonstrated by jumping around. She had always been like a little energizer bunny. She just kept going and going and going and going.

Erika’s tone became more serious. “You may think you are, but that flight took a lot out of you. Everyone go rest and we’ll meet in the field tomorrow.”

We said our goodbyes and made our way down the left path.

“Will there even be beds for us to sleep on? I mean, it’s not like we’ve ever stayed here before,” I noted.

“Before I answer that, I’d like to know why you kept the whole Cayden thing from us. Me especially,” Dad confronted. His tone was serious and expression hard.

“I didn’t think anyone would believe me. I didn’t even want to believe it at first, but he never once tried to shroud me with darkness during the entire conversation. He seemed to be telling me the truth, and it felt like he was. I can’t explain it.”

“Regardless, you still should have come to one of us.” His shoulders slumped as he rubbed the nape of his neck.

“She came to me,” Lola said in my defense. “I just didn’t bother telling anyone. We’re here now so get over it,” she snapped.

I held my breath as Dad looked at her in disbelief. His nostrils flared for the second time, and I knew that wasn’t a good sign. “Watch your tone with me, young lady.”

She rolled her eyes. “I just don’t see the big freakin’ deal. We’re here, and we’re going to save Mom. If anything, you should be happy she didn’t tell you right away, or we’d have taken our good ol’ time getting here,” she said cockily.

I had heard her get cocky with me before, or with someone on the phone, but never Dad. She respected him, we both did, and I had no idea what had gotten in to her.

Dad pursed his lips, looking like he was ready to explode at any moment, so I changed the subject. “How many rooms does our old house have? Will there be enough? How are you so sure that we’ll still have a house to stay in?”

He relaxed a smidgen. “They wouldn’t settle another family into our home. The house stays in the family through generations and is accommodated to the new families needs. Each house has three bedrooms and is equipped with everything we’d need. Your crib was in our room so we didn’t have to disturb the other rooms until you were ready to sleep in a bed. Plus, we wanted you close to us at night. We were very protective over you for obvious reasons.”

“Who are these Elders everyone was talking about?” I asked.

“They’re our Elders and both Elementits—they possess four elements. There was no one to ever rank higher than them,” Lucy informed.

“Until now,” Oli said proudly. “You both rank higher. Take those bastards down.”

“Oliver,” Lucy chided while flicking his ear.