Air: The Elementals: Book One

by Jennifer Lush

  Fire was here. He was in Fairview. Lilah didn’t know what it meant, but it couldn’t be good. She needed to get home and fast. She needed to talk to her family.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Panic was setting in, and Lilah could feel the room spinning. Stumbling backwards, she fell into Jackson who caught her right before she lost her balance. Tilting her jaw slightly, but without taking her eyes off the map, she whispered, “I need to go home.”

  “Alright, I’ll take you.”

  Meredith approached, “Jackson, honey. I can take her. I need to talk to her uncle anyway.”

  “No, I can do it,” he told her.

  With her eyes on the map, Lilah couldn’t see the concern on Meredith and Luke’s faces as they tried to reason with him without saying too much.

  “It’d be no trouble for us,” Luke insisted.

  He drew his lips back into a snarl before hissing, “I want to drive Lilah home.”

  Meredith held up her hands in defeat and backed away. “Sure thing. We’ll be here when you return.”

  Lilah collected her purse and put her coat back on. They walked out to the truck with her still reeling trying to figure out what this could mean. Three Elemental factions in one town was definitely not a coincidence. Whatever was coming for them started to loom bigger and more menacing with every passing moment.

  “Is everything alright?” he asked her.

  “Yeah,” she mumbled softly not sure what to say to him. It would be hard to tell him anything without giving away the truth about her family.

  “Not feeling well again?” He gave her the perfect excuse.

  She shook her head and climbed into the cab of the truck. If he believed she was ill, it not only provided a reason for her to need to go home, but also a reason for her silence on the drive. There was so much going through her mind about the significance of this new information that she forgot she should be trying to sneak back into her bedroom.

  Jackson drove Lilah home and made good time taking her the short trek to the farmhouse. It still wasn’t fast enough for her. The sense of urgency to get this news to her family was strong, but she couldn’t tell them over the phone. He flew up the driveway, and she gave him a quick kiss goodbye before bounding up the steps.

  Her family were all gathered in the living room, and she could tell what was on their minds. The moment she saw them she knew they had already learned the news she was about to give them herself. She looked from face to somber face. They were still reeling trying to figure out what this could mean themselves.

  Abby waved her over and patted the couch next to her for Lilah to sit.

  She did as her mother asked thankful no one was bringing up what she had been doing away from home where she was supposed to be. She was confused who could have possibly told her family about the spell and what was discovered. “How do you know?” she broke the silence.

  Todd and Abby exchanged glances. She couldn’t see it, but behind her several cousins were sharing shifty looks with her dad.

  “Meredith told me. She called right after you left,” her Uncle Todd explained.

  Lilah had no reason not to believe him. Todd and Meredith had been friends for a lot longer than she had originally been led to believe. Of course Meredith would give her old friend the heads up about what had been learned from the spell.

  “So what’s it mean?” Lilah asked no one in particular. Nobody answered.

  “It means something though, right?” she tried again.

  “But of course. What do you mean? Everything means something,” her Uncle Joseph replied waving off the nonsensical musings of a child.

  “It doesn’t sit well with any of us if that’s what you mean,” her Uncle Brian added.

  “Yeah, that’s it. I had been told that Fire was adamant about making the Return this year. Wasn’t that the plan? Marcus had located Water. It was going to work,” Lilah grew more upset as she spoke.

  Her mom patted her leg and grabbed her hand trying to center her hoping it would help her calm down. “We all believed this would be the year, Lilah. It was supposed to be.”

  “So if he didn’t show tonight, and he’s here in Fairview where apparently every supernatural being who has ever been in existence is headed, then that has to mean something,” her mom’s attempts had no effect on her. She was working herself up even more.

  Myles knelt in front of her and took both of her hands in his instructing her to breathe in and out, slowly. She found the exercise absolutely ridiculous. “Why are you trying to calm me down?” she blurted out. “Why aren’t the rest of you upset?”

  “We are,” her mom told her. “We’re all upset, Lilah. We’ve been in the dark for weeks now, and instead of answers, we only ever discover more questions.”

  “We need for you to calm down because your powers are new. You’re unstable,” her dad told her and immediately regretted his poor word choice.

  “Unstable?”

  He shook his head. “Listen to the wind.”

  Lilah had noticed the wind picking up outside, it and was howling like another early winter storm was about to hit. “Yeah, so?”

  “You’re causing it,” her mom said.

  “Me?” Lilah looked around the room. Some of her family nodded when she looked their way, but most wouldn’t meet her eyes.

  “Please, Lilah, you could rip this house apart if your anger continues to rise like this. Breathe with me,” her dad pleaded. He took deep breaths in and out, and Lilah followed his lead. In no time, the winds had died down again.

  Once she had regained control of her emotions, she sat in an awkward silence. No one’s thoughts were open. No one was talking. “Does anyone have any ideas?”

  Her mom gave her a look that said don’t start this again and waved her off.

  “I’m calm. Look at me,” she took a couple deep breaths in and out. “There’s no wind. I just need to know... We need to know what’s going on.”

  “I think it’s safe to assume he’s with the wolves,” Uncle Joseph shared his opinion.

  “The wolves are already here?” Lilah took the deep breaths for real this time knowing the winds would soon howl if she didn’t.

  “No, I mean he is obviously working with them.”

  “To kill his own kind?” Myles wasn’t buying the theory.

  “It’s not entirely impossible. We shouldn’t rule it out,” Uncle Joseph was sticking to his idea.

  Abby joined in, “I don’t think Fire would do that. It would serve no purpose. Plus, it was resolute in his mind to complete the Return. What if he’s with the wolves because they are keeping him?”

  “You mean what if they are holding him?” Uncle Todd asked. “That would mean they would be able to hold Marcus and Earth as well. We’d just be repeating our argument from the other night.”

  “Maybe he’s here because he knows the wolves are coming, and he’s trying to defend what’s left of his clan?” Myles’ thoughts received approving murmurs from the room.

  “His clan?” Uncle Joseph cried out in surprise. “There are only three natural vampires left including Fire! What clan?”

  “That we know about,” Myles reminded him.

  This conversation was being lost on Lilah. She could hear the words, but was not fully following along. If she had been paying better attention, she would’ve questioned the identity of the third natural vampire. The only two remaining were Luke and Fire as far as she knew.

  Lilah’s head was spinning. The reality of everything was starting to take root, and she had never felt more afraid. The wolves were attacking vampires. The witches were next which would leave only her family. They would be greatly outnumbered. All of the times she insisted on being treated like an adult getting angry for not having enough privacy or freedom seemed like mere child’s play to her now. She was much too young for this. She wasn’t remotely capable of fighting off an Elemental faction, and she most assuredly wasn’t ready to die.

  She was snapped from her t
houghts by a loud bang as the wind outside whipped the porch swing back hitting the outside wall of the house. Her family looked at her with worry, but mostly fear. Not fear of the wolves, but fear of her. She hadn’t come into her powers slowly over the course of years or even a decade allowing her to fully develop each one. They were thrown on her like a food court slushy by a bully at the mall, and she hadn’t had any time to clean up the mess. She was a loose cannon who could fire off unpredictably for any reason.

  “It’s been a long day. Why don’t you go upstairs and rest?” her mom asked her sweetly.

  Reason was lost on her. She was far too upset. Being asked to leave was only received as being left out of family business as she had always been. The anger continued to build as she thought of the embarrassment she felt when learning the truth about Fire and Water. It was because she was always treated as a child and never given the chance to prove herself.

  A loud crack outside sent a branch from a tree falling to the ground nearly missing the house. Several of them rushed to her trying to help, but she was too far gone. Lilah stood up with her arms bent up in front of her. Her hands in fists looking like she was preparing to fight. She pulled her arms to each side as if she was breaking free from some form of restraints, and it sent out a powerful surge that knocked everyone near her to the floor. They watched terrified as she walked to the door of the house and went outside.

  Later she would not remember doing any of this. All she would know is what was recounted to her, but she would never know everything. Her family had only seen one other with as much power as she exhibited, and he was their Element Marcus. They feared if she knew how vast her potential was she may use it purposely.

  Lilah walked across the porch with the wind fiercely howling all around except near her. One side of the swing had fallen loose from the joist that held it when it hit the house and was hanging at an angle downward. She walked to the top step and sat down. The wind was picking up. It was no longer isolated to the farm, but was spreading out in all directions. Anyone in its path was now feeling the effects, and it would consume the entire town in minutes. Tomorrow the news would cover the strange weather phenomenon that caused tornado strength damage to some property in and around Fairview.

  The only place safe was where Lilah sat. Like the eye of a hurricane, it was calm and peaceful. Her family were still inside. Some were looking out the windows horrified of what would happen next. The rest were trying desperately to come up with a way to subdue her.

  No one would have ever believed what happened next if they hadn’t seen it for themselves. They didn’t notice the creature approaching until he was climbing the steps because he blended well in the snow. They would later question how he managed to move in the storm without being quite literally blown away with his small size and came up with no logical explanation. As the family worked hurriedly to devise a plan, a small white squirrel appeared on the step next to Lilah.

  It showed no fear of her or the wind. It was perhaps because it was calm there. This was the only detail that made sense to anyone. In that moment, Lilah was less a threat to the small animal than the wind. That is why he showed no distress being that close, but how it was even possible that he finessed his way through the gales to get there was the riddle they couldn’t solve.

  After several minutes, the winds died down and only a gentle breeze remained. Her parents watched baffled by what was unfolding in front of them. Lilah seemed to be getting her emotions under control completely on her own with was both a blessing, but also raised questions as to how. She continued to sit on the porch facing out toward the road. She hadn’t moved once.

  Her dad was the one who mustered enough courage to step outside to talk. He walked to the rail several feet on the side of Lilah not wanting to get too close in case she reacted badly. She didn’t even acknowledge him.

  “Feeling better?” he was almost too afraid to speak.

  Lilah cocked her head to the side then turned to face him. Confusion cloaked over her, and she continued to look around wondering how she came to be outdoors. She saw the squirrel sitting so near to her side, but it quickly scurried off away from her as soon as she noticed it.

  “What happened?” she asked, standing up.

  “You don’t remember?”

  “No, I,” Lilah stopped and tried to think about it. “We were talking about why Fire was in Fairview.”

  “That’s all you remember?”

  “I think I was scared wondering what the big picture was going to turn out to be.”

  He reached out and put his arm around her to guide her back inside. “No more of that tonight, Lilah. We’re all tired and stressed. I want you to rest.”

  She didn’t argue. Exhaustion was creeping in every pore of her body, and each step became heavier and more difficult. They walked in the house and all eyes were on them. She wanted to stay with the family and find out what was happening, but she was too drained. It would take everything she had to make it upstairs to bed right now.

  Her dad walked her to the base of the main staircase and told her good night. Lilah went up and glanced back from the landing. They were still watching her. She would have to wait until morning to find out what went on tonight. She continued up the stairs and down the hall to her room. She laid down and was thrown into a disruptive sleep filled with vivid dreams almost as soon as she closed her eyes.

  Downstairs, her family watched the ceiling as her footsteps echoed down the hall. They waited not wanting to draw her attention back to the living room. Once they were confident she was in bed, they began murmuring in hushed voices about the events that unfolded in front of them.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Brian told the group.

  “Of course not,” Abby was in defense mode. “Have you ever tried? Have any of us? We’ve all been taught since day one to keep a tight rein on our abilities.” She was taking a page from Lilah’s playbook about the code Marcus created.

  “I can move things. We all can,” Brian continued. “I don’t think I’m capable of knocking five strong people to the floor like your daughter apparently can.”

  “She was upset!” Myles cried out then glanced upwards hoping he hadn’t been too loud.

  “She was upset,” he repeated much lower when he was sure the coast was clear. “Emotions heighten our powers. It’s Air 101 only she has never taken the course.”

  Myles sat back and rubbed his wife’s shoulders. They were certainly feeling the weight of this. Not only was it their daughter, but it had been their decision to introduce Lilah to their world and the world of all the Elementals slowly. The world had changed so much they believed they needed to adapt a little bit too. It would appear they had made the wrong choice.

  “I’ll be more than happy to stand here let you give it a try,” Todd told his brother.

  Brian scowled at him. “You won’t be laughing when something happens, and that girl exposes us for who we really are.”

  Myles jumped to his feet, but Todd beat him to the punch. “That girl is one of us. You chose to distance yourself after Martin died, and we have all respected that. You chose to not create bonds with the newer members amongst us, and we respected that too. You need to choose now whether you are here to help, or if you are simply present because Father demands it. If that’s the case, go join our sister Chloe in Trinity.”

  No one moved after his outburst. They barely breathed. The tension filled the room sucking the air out. Someone near the wall cracked open a window because real or not, even the illusion of suffocation would make any of those who were gathered uncomfortable and nervous.

  Chloe’s name was never mentioned in front of Brian. It was an unspoken rule. Todd could have just as easily told his brother to go to Sophia’s house, but he didn’t. He mentioned the name of the woman Brian held responsible for Martin’s death as a jagged edged spoken sword.

  “I think we should all call it a night before our emotions get the best of us too,” Joseph told his
brothers, trying to avoid having their fight escalate until a repeat of what had just happened with Lilah was on their hands.

  Several people agreed and hurried off to bed thankful someone gave them a golden paved path to leave. The rest of them slowly began turning in until only the three brothers and Lilah’s parents were left in the room. Joseph would’ve happily been in bed hours ago, but as Marcus and Leena’s firstborn, he always felt compelled to handle family matters in his father’s absence.

  “Shall we agree to put this behind us and begin afresh tomorrow, or must we discuss it first?” he asked them.

  “I like Lilah,” Brian’s voice surprised everyone. “I spent time with her this week. I mean no offense to her, but it is worrisome how strong she appears to be.”

  Abby understood and knew he was not the only one worried by Lilah’s outburst. Abby was deeply concerned herself. “I have a suspicion about it if you’re interested.”

  “Go on,” Brian urged.

  “The witches are spawning in record numbers.”

  “Yes,” Joseph interrupted. “It’s happened many times in the past when there was some form of enemy or danger facing them.”

  “This is the first time we’ve been in the position where we had an enemy to face. Our numbers are quite limited, and we can’t create new members quickly to help aide us against an imminent threat.”

  “You’re saying maybe this is why her powers are so great?” Todd asked.

  “I’m saying maybe it’s increased for us all. I’ve felt it. Haven’t you?”

  The tense quiet that followed was enough for Abby to know she was right. They didn’t want to admit it. Maybe they didn’t agree with her entirely, but they had noticed a difference.