by Amy Sumida
“This is the Embers family symbol and has been for many generations,” she explained. “Ones as old as these were designed so the holder could change its function to their need. Your mother used it as a keychain.”
My gaze swept back to the wide, shimmery, silver ribbon I set aside, resting in a pile on the table. I knew exactly what to do with it. Snatching up the ribbon, I threaded it through the heart lock and tied it around my neck. The heart rested in the hollow of my throat. May smiled in approval as she touched a finger to the piece to finish the ritual.
“May the symbol of Embers shine bright as it leads you to your new home and may it ever remind you of the one you leave behind.”
The traditional words, uttered only once in an Elementum’s lifetime, words I never believed I would get the chance to hear, broke the dam and fuck it all if tears didn’t stream down my cheeks, again!
The boys’ faces fell, their smiles slipped away, and they reached for me, almost as one. It might be funny if I wasn’t embarrassed. Turning away for a moment, I gathered myself and dried my eyes. Stupid emotions, why pick now to make me be like a sissy girl? If I kept this up, the boys would drop me like a hot potato. They liked the strong, independent, smartass girl they originally met. They wouldn’t want anything to do with a sniveling mess. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to them with a smile I hoped seemed reassuring.
The last of the three Ad Aetatem rituals couldn’t be done until the exact time of my birth, 2:43pm. With a little time to kill, the boys lit the candles on the cake. My eyes found the too skinny princesses in their too frilly and fancy dresses, and I shot Souta another glare as he sang Happy Birthday with the others.
The warm press of a palm at my lower back startled me until I realized JJ stood there. On my other side, Souta laced our fingers together. When another hand came to rest at the juncture of my neck and shoulders, I simply leaned into it, not in the least surprised. The boys’ touch warmed me, and I found I didn’t need to make the traditional wish. Finding the boys and becoming friends gave me the best present ever gotten, and I didn’t need more.
A wish to find my Genus quickly flittered through me, but my mother lived without one. If I didn’t find mine, I would be okay as long as the boys stayed my friends.
I blew out my candles and of course they relit, bastards. This time, JJ got outed, and I added him to my mental retaliation list. May laughed and grabbed a conveniently placed glass of water to dunk the candles in. Given the boys’ antics thus far, I hesitated at the presents, unsure if I wanted to find out what they contained. Open them I did, though, and they blew me away with their thoughtfulness.
The first held a stunning crystal heart shaped box. Flames crawled up the sides and curled out to form two small trays. When I noticed the tiny, nearly invisible JJ on the side, surprise raced through me. I knew JJ liked to sculpt but did he make this as well?
He reached out and caressed my cheek with a finger as he answered my unspoken question. “I’m a crystal shaper.”
Since Brooks’ nose seemed always in a book, it came as no surprise to unwrap one from him. My comment about not liking fiction stuck with him, though, because I held a copy of Shaping History: The Elementum Effect. When I made it to Souta’s gift, his wide grin sent nerves skittering through me. The box from him was the smallest by far, and I held my breath as I lifted the lid on the tiny box. Two guitar picks with flames sat inside, cleverly worked into earrings. Picking them up, I exchanged them for the pair I currently wore.
Souta grabbed my face and smacked his lips against mine in the world’s briefest kiss. My fingers drifted up of their own accord, running over where our mouths met.
“And now we have an Ad Aetatem ritual to perform!” May spoke loudly, breaking through my daze.
Everyone began moving the furniture against the walls to make space, refusing to let me help. My mind spun as I watched the boys. Why did the small moment make my lips tingle? I had already concluded Souta, and possibly Brooks, to be bisexual, but I didn’t want to mess things up between them.
Shaking my head, I put the question from my mind.
Chapter Fourteen
The time of birth held great significance for Elementum. As closely tied to nature as we were, it was only natural our lives, and our abilities, would be subject to the same rules. Normally, at the time of birth, a sage would be present to bless the child. The blessing left a small birthmark in the shape of the parents’ elements, which would fade over the next eight years until their own element manifested, at the time of their birth in their eighth year.
May was the closest sage when my mother went into labor, which is how I ended up in her custody. At age eighteen, at the time of our birth, when Elementum reached maturity, Iunctura could occur for the first time.
We were told that finding our Genus, being united under Iunctura, was like finally finding the missing pieces of our souls.
My mother never found hers.
I ran my fingers over the heart at my throat, fidgeting as I watched May prep for the last Ad Aetatem ritual, another part only a sage could perform. There were rumors I overheard through the years. Rumors of nothing happening, rumors of evil rising up, rumors of demons and devils and undead. Rumors of angels and gods and Quintus. The Quintus tale got retold more than the others. Tales existed in the oldest Elementum storybooks. The fabled Quintus, the fifth element, supposedly existed once, but many believed them mere legends.
Old legends and silly rumors born of fear held no concern for me, though. Instead, the real possibility of being alone for the rest of my life, of never knowing that sense of completeness, of ending up like my mother, dominated my mind. No one ever wanted me. No one ever took the time to care. No one ever stayed or fought for me. I’d been passed along like a hideous set of plates no one dared to toss in the trash.
As if reading the worry on me like the words in his books, Brooks stepped closer, wrapping an arm around my waist, mindful of the myriad of injuries I possessed, and pulling me into his side. He dropped a kiss on the top of my head, a tiny reassuring gesture. I sighed and curled into him for a moment before remembering we stood in the house of his boyfriend. His rich, influential boyfriend.
I pushed away gently, smiling to reassure him.
The boys moved the few furniture pieces easily and rolled the rug up. May crouched on the floor, drawing with a piece of chalk. I didn’t know for sure but it seemed different from regular sidewalk or chalkboard chalk. As she drew, she intoned in Latin words few knew anymore. Before long, she stood and stepped back.
As familiar as my own face, the symbol on the floor could be found in nearly every Elementum run establishment. Those versions however tended to be ornate and colorful. As a plain white chalk drawing the circle and cross making up a simplistic compass, it lacked the beauty of the more elaborate ones. The symbol and the words played the important roles. Fancy ornamentation wouldn't affect the ritual. The cross overlaying the circle created four quadrants. Each quadrant connected to a different element. Any guests with an incomplete Genus stood outside the circle by the quadrant of their element. When the time came if they were part of the Genus they would be pulled into the circle.
In reality, the ritual was all for show. From what I knew from class, everything happened inside an Elementum, ritual or not. It made sense to me, since it could happen at any point after the time of your birth.
At 2:40 p.m., with three minutes to go, I stepped into the fire quadrant of the ring. May pulled out a smudge stick, a bundle of white sage, and lit it. The pungent smoke tickled my nostrils. May ran the stick along my body, not unsimilar to being wanded at a security checkpoint. Next, she walked the stick along the lines of the cross and around the circle, and stood off to one side. As she intoned more Latin I didn't understand, nerves skittered through me.
I glanced around the room, startled to find others present. Some wore the Golden Crest of Souta’s family indicating an employee, while others seemed to simply be visiting at the rig
ht time. If they decided to present themselves for my Ad Aetatem, then they needed an Ignis. My eyes landed on a couple near the door.
Akiko’s hand rested on the arm of a tall, distinguished man. From the way she smiled up at him, I assumed it to be Souta’s father. I also realized Souta didn’t take any of his looks from his father.
May’s words died as the circle began to emit a soft white light. The center of the cross glowed in reds and oranges, slowly spreading outwards. As the red-orange glow reached the end of the cross, something pulled tight inside me. The glow flared bright, and suddenly, the sensation of a rubber band snapped tight in my stomach.
I doubled over, mostly out of shock, and moaned at the pain, raising my head in time to witness the guys being pulled into the circle. I barely had time to register it when the entire symbol flared brightly, its light surrounding us and drawing us into the center of the cross.
Unthinking, I reached for the boys as we drew closer. Our hands met in a four-way hold, and the center of the cross flared, each element appearing in its quadrant for a brief moment before the entire symbol went dark.
My entire body tingled and hummed as I stood there, frozen in shock, hand gripping tight to the boys. I lifted my gaze from my white knuckled grip to find my shock mirrored on their faces.
A collective gasp reminded me of the others present. I tried to withdraw my hand, needing to leave, needing to run, needing air or a moment to myself. Instead, I found my hands gripped tighter. My eyes darted around the room, scared of what I might find on the others faces. Shock most evident, but it heavily mingled with awe. When I dared to glance at Souta’s parents, they beamed at us. Akiko inclined her head in a graceful bow, patted her husband’s arm, and they turned to leave.
“Well”—May’s voice drew my attention to her—“this is certainly something special. I’ve only witnessed a complete Genus formed at an Ad Aetatem ritual a handful of times in all my years.”
A grin finally stole over Souta’s face, but JJ’s voice responded to her. “Yeah, we knew she belonged with us.”
The tone of smug satisfaction mixed with teasing made me shoot him a narrow-eyed glare. He laughed and May joined him. Butterflies took up residence in my belly.
“Well, it certainly seems you did.” May’s gaze shifts to me. “But now I need to borrow your girl for a few moments to say goodbye.”
The boys let my hands go, reluctance heavy in their movements, and I followed May out to the foyer. Bright sunlight shone through the tall, stained glass windows in the two-story entry dyeing the white floor in a rainbow of colors. May took my hand, pulling me in for a gentle hug, then releasing me but resting her hands on my shoulders. Her stern gaze met mine.
“First let’s discuss these bruises.” The steel returned to her voice, and I knew she wouldn’t let it go.
Shame I couldn’t deal with Aguirre on my own warred with embarrassment at being in the predicament in the first place.
My emotions apparently flitted over my face, because May squeezed my shoulders lightly. “Sometimes, Seraphina, being strong and brave means knowing when to reach for help.”
Those soft words broke the dam, and the whole story spilled out. I expected more tears but for once they stayed away. My only emotion seemed to be relief at finally unburdening myself.
“Well, it cannot go unpunished.” Real anger laced her tone for the first time, and the weight of my secrets lifted off my shoulders. “On to other things. Something told me to be prepared today. I didn’t know what to expect but I believe my gut knew this would happen. You grew up in our society, Seraphina. You know things to be a bit different for us than for humans. You got three young, healthy men in the other room about to spend nearly every waking moment for the next few years in your presence. There is interest already in JJs eyes and words. He’ll never settle for a simple Genus relationship with you. He wants more, and I presume you know it, too.”
Heat flooded my cheeks, and I nodded. I wasn’t sheltered or innocent, and JJ didn’t bother hiding his crush. I simply told myself it would be foolish to pursue when I would be leaving soon. Now I knew leaving wouldn’t happen, and for the first time, I could allow myself to honestly evaluate my feelings toward him.
Unaware of my inner speculation, May continued, “Now I could be entirely wrong, but I detected flickers of interest in the other two also. You need to take a little time, my dear, and ask yourself how you’d feel if they all wanted you romantically. You know polyamory happens in our society, and we accept it readily enough, but it doesn’t mean you are prepared to be part of it. Figure out what you want, and make it known to them. Without a clear understanding of your boundaries, these things can occasionally cause problems, be prepared for them.”
May reached into an inside pocket of the jacket she slipped on and withdrew a long, white envelope. “I knew bringing this was the right thing to do.” She held it out to me. Hands shaking, I took it. My name was scrawled on the front in a fanciful and unfamiliar script. “This is from your mother, and now you are part of a complete Genus, it’s yours to read. It’s never been opened, and I have no idea what it contains. For your sake, I hope it holds whatever you need it to.” She leaned in then, and for the first time I could remember, when she pressed a kiss to my cheek, I didn’t stiffen at the affection. “Be happy, Seraphina. You know how to reach me if you should need, though somehow, I don’t suppose you will. And of course, I’ll check in from time to time. Now, I’ll be difficult to get a hold of for a while but I suspect you’ll be okay.” With a little wave, she stepped out the door and left.
I glanced at the letter still clutched in my hand. Colors from the sun shining through the stained glass splayed over the white. The possibility of the letter containing answers to everything I ever wondered about scared the hell out of me.
Between the letter and trying to deal with the newly formed Genus, I decided I needed a few minutes to myself. Still clutching the letter, I informed the boys of my intentions to retire to my room and the need to be alone for a little bit. They must have sensed how overwhelmed I’d become because JJ toyed with a strand of my hair before kissing my cheek and telling me to take all the time I needed.
When I got to my room, I placed the letter from my mother on the nightstand and curled onto the bed as best I could. My mind whirled around the things I knew about Genus, the things we learned in school, the rumors readily believed by everyone, and May’s warning and advice. I let my mind wander over the last couple weeks, the feelings that cropped up around the boys, what I believed I knew about them. In the end, the emotional turmoil of the day dragged me under before I could conclude anything.
Chapter Fifteen
True to their words, the guys let me be. Slowly and reluctantly, I worked my way out of sleep. The shadows stood longer around the room, telling me early evening fell while I visited dreamland. Sure enough, a glance at the clock told me six p.m. came and went before I woke. A loud grumble from my stomach explained what woke me. I would never be one of those chicks who lived on salad. I liked to cook because I liked to eat. A naturally high metabolism meant I ate quite a bit and still maintained a healthy weight. Speculating about eating wouldn’t solve my problem, though. Forcing myself off the bed and to the door might.
When I peeked out I found JJ sitting on the floor, eyes closed, head back against the wall, legs sprawled out in front of him. It seemed he made himself at home next to my door. I shook his leg with my foot and his eyes shot open, a grin lighting his eyes as he stood.
“Hey, firefly,” he murmured, his palm cupping my cheek.
His thumb stroked over my lips, pupils dilating when I dared to flick my tongue out and lick it. His thumb stilled, and his gaze fell to where it rested. With my heart pounding in my chest, my tongue came out again, giving a slower lick. Our eyes collided as I drew his finger into my mouth, sucking hard and swirling my tongue around it.
His breath caught and heat rose in his eyes.
I don’t know why I did i
t at first, perhaps an instinctive response to the pet name but I quickly realized how badly I wanted this, had wanted this for nearly a week. Before, I quashed any attraction, believing I would be gone soon. But the Iunctura, and my time alone, somehow broke the lock I kept on any feelings about the boys. Now, heat rose through me, tingles spreading over my body, pleasure erasing my aches and pains. My eyes closed, and I treated JJ’s thumb like the most delicious lollipop, sucking, swirling, and licking. A tiny moan escaped as the tingles raced south, my epicenter beginning to ache.
“Fuck!” JJ panted, tearing his thumb from my mouth.
My eyes flew open, and I let out a tiny whine at the loss. Two seconds later, his mouth found mine in a bruising kiss, even as his body turned us and pressed me into the wall. I moaned, ignoring the twinge of pain. His tongue plunged into my mouth, stealing my breath. There was none of the domineering, experienced, alpha male I expected, only pure want. The heavily constrained desperation in his kiss sent fire racing through my veins.
I gripped his shirt in both fists, pressing our mouths tighter and sent my tongue into war with his. His hands found my waist, thumbs stroking my side once before they slipped under the shirt I changed into earlier. Fingers stroked lightly over my belly as our tongues continued to duel, and I let out another moan.
Fire raced through my veins and burned away all concerns of propriety or caution. JJ’s mouth broke from mine to work down my neck in little sucks and nips. I tried to muffle a cry even as my hand came up to grip his hair and press his mouth tighter against my neck.
I pressed my body against his, needing to be closer. His length pressed into me, hard as steel, and I ground against it. He groaned and moved his fingers up my ribs, then lightly brushed the underside of my breast. I panted and whined, aching to be touched. Fingers grazed over my bra, teasing my nipples to hardened nubs.