Then she was gone. An invisible rope yanked her back to her body so forcefully the wind was knocked out of her. In mere seconds, she had returned to her body fighting for her breath on the floor. “They have Fire!” were the only words she could manage to cry out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lilah sat with Jackson and Everleigh sipping more juice and trying to recover a little bit of strength. Jackson had come quickly after Everleigh called him and filled him in on what happened. Normally she would feel slighted for being assigned babysitters thinking it showed the childlike way people treated her. Not this time. She was thankful to not be left alone.
Most of the others had left with a plan to rescue Fire. The details of the plan were not shared with her, and she didn’t mind that either. There were only thoughts on her mind. One was the chilling way he looked directly at her as if he could see her through the plane she was in at the time. Maybe he could. He was an Element who was born and lived for most of eternity on the other side of the veil. Perhaps the barrier didn’t exist for him as it did for the rest. The other was the frightening knowledge that she could travel outside her body without intent. It had terrified her so, and it was something she didn’t want to experience again.
The four newly called witches were still here too. They were packing and gathering essential magical items for Eloise and Meredith, so they could depart soon after Fire was safe. Everleigh would be joining them, but she was doing her own packing while stopping every few minutes to check on her again.
Jackson looked miserable, and she felt responsible. This poor soul had been going about his life grounded in the normal human aspects of life occasionally testing the waters of the paranormal. His best friend was a witch stemming from a long line of Earth descendants. He knew supernatural creatures were real, but he didn’t entertain them in the everyday world. At least he didn’t until she came along and dragged him into this life. At least that is what she assumed was the cause for his quiet distress.
They’d known each other less than a week. They’d spent very little time hanging out doing things other couples might do. That was something Air always attempted to do. Blend in and fit in. It was what kept them safe for a millennium. Instead, Jackson had learned of her background and what it meant for him to be her match. She had been drugged and a less risky rescue than the one unfolding tonight was carried out to save her. Now there was this. She was shaken up over what she had experienced tonight. If she were him, she would be wondering why she had been the one chosen to be caught up in this mess. She wouldn’t blame him for having these thoughts himself.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he told her, looking down at the floor.
“Take your time,” Everleigh reminded her gently. “Your Uncle Todd doesn’t want you to overdo it.”
Lilah smiled at her. Again, it was something that would usually agitate her, but not now.
Everleigh looked like there was something on her mind, but she wasn’t talking whatever it was.
“You can say it,” Lilah told her.
“Say what?”
“Whatever it is you’re thinking about.”
“It’s nothing,” Everleigh gave a weak smile.
“It’s not nothing because I see it in your face that something is bothering you.”
“It’s just… Are you sure it was Fire you saw?”
Jackson’s head lifted and looked at her like he was wondering the same thing.
Lilah had wondered that herself many times since it happened. There was no way for her to be certain when she didn’t even know what Fire looked like. “No. Uncle Todd was pretty convinced by the description I gave though.”
Everleigh nodded like she had thought that too.
“I do know the man was a Fire Elemental regardless.”
“How can you be so sure?” Jackson inquired.
“He had to be a vampire. His healing was fast and without scarring, and the women wanted his blood.”
Jackson looked back down at the floor then said, “That would make him a vampire.”
It was more a statement than a question, but Lilah answered him anyway. “Three Elements have a high healing rate. If he were Water, they’d be after his saliva not his blood. I know he wasn’t an Air. That only leaves vampires.”
He nodded and took a deep breath like he understood.
“All right, lady. We should probably be heading to the farmhouse soon. I’m not sure how long it will take the others to join us, but I don’t want them worried if they arrive and we’re not there,” Everleigh coaxed.
Lilah agreed and headed to the bathroom before leaving. Her reflection worried her. She looked like she had seen a ghost which is a silly phrase considering she sees them all the time. This must be what people are describing when they say it. She looked as pale as the man in the meat locker did. She splashed some cool water on her face and rubbed the back of her neck trying to encourage some circulation. When she joined the others, Everleigh was giving instructions to her cousins, and Jackson was waiting by the door with her coat. He was still visibly shaken. It added to the guilt Lilah already felt. It was terrible what she was dragging him through.
“If you’d rather go home,” she began to say.
Jackson interrupted her. “Not a chance. I’m coming with you.”
They piled into the cab of Jackson’s pickup and headed out of town to the farmhouse. It was dark outside which surprised Lilah as she hadn’t realized how much time had lapsed since the meeting that afternoon. There was an urgency building telling her to get to the farmhouse as fast as they could. She didn’t have to say a word to Jackson about it. The truck was already being pushed to its limits careening down the road.
As they headed up the drive, Lilah could see her parents on the porch. They had obviously been filled in on what happened and looked exhausted. There were no cars belonging to Uncle Todd or Meredith which meant they had arrived before the others did. Lilah had thought it would make her feel better, but the relief was fleeting. Now, she would wait and worry with the rest of her family hoping they returned successful and unharmed.
“Is this you?” Everleigh opened the truck door, and a blast of icy wind hit her.
“No, I’m fine,” Lilah was too drained still to even think about becoming upset.
“There’s a nasty winter storm headed our way,” Jackson explained.
“Let’s get inside quick before I freeze,” Everleigh bounded up the steps.
Lilah smiled and walked up slowly behind her. Her parents rushed her and hugged her tightly. They didn’t use their voices to speak to her.
“I’m so glad you’re alright!” her mom practically yelled at her.
Her dad wasn’t as loud. “We were worried to death even though Gene told us you were okay and would be here soon.” He gave her a quick hug then moved away letting her mom continue to mug her.
“Gene?” It was no surprise as word always traveled fast in her family.
“Yes, after Sara got the call from Todd,” her mom stepped back giving her more room to breathe.
Everleigh had stopped halfway to the door and was doing a slow circle looking around bewildered. She saw Lilah and paused. “What is this?”
“What?” Lilah pretended to not know what she meant.
“Why is the porch so warm?”
Lilah stood beside her friend and looked out over the lawn. Trees were bending from the force of the wind and snowflakes were swirling in the air dancing their way to the ground. On the open porch, it was toasty and too warm for the heavy coat Lilah was wearing.
“Mom?” Lilah didn’t take her eyes off the snowfall.
“Yes,” she was still standing nearby and was quick to Lilah’s side thinking she may need help.
Lilah turned to her with a twinkle in her eye, “Can you show Everleigh why the porch is so warm?”
Abby smiled at her. Normally her mom would scold her over such a request. Their powers aren’t meant for parlor tricks. It could be that Everleigh was
an Elemental herself which is why her mom didn’t get upset. Maybe it was because of all Lilah had been through in the last few days, and her mom didn’t want to add to the frustration.
“Come,” Abby motioned to Everleigh.
Lilah smiled at her when she looked to her for reassurance before following Abby down the steps. Abby led Everleigh several feet from the porch where the air was still icy and sharp then spun around where the others could see. Everleigh followed her lead and faced the porch too.
Everleigh had just crossed her arms over her chest to combat the cold when her face widened in surprise. The puff of air that could be seen exiting her mouth disappeared before she was through exhaling. She waved her hands through the air like you might do in the water off the side of a boat. “How?” she managed to ask full of wonder at the nature defying manifestation taking place around her.
“We can control the temperature of the air around us,” Abby explained, slowly dropping the temperature until Everleigh got a chill then warmed it again.
Everleigh spun around laughing. “This is amazing!” Her eyes were still wide in awe. She looked more like a little kid who had finally been allowed to play in the snow after pestering her parents for hours than a young woman standing in the beginnings of a late autumn winter storm.
Abby laughed with her seeing it through her eyes. It wasn’t often that any of them received a reminder of how truly magical their gifts could be.
“You would never have to pay a utility bill,” Jackson commented from the porch.
“Not having to and actually not doing are different,” Lilah told him. They have to live as normal a life as possible to fit in. Normal people run their AC in the summer months which means they do as well.
“I would be taking advantage of this,” he continued, marveling at what Everleigh was experiencing as well.
Abby and Everleigh came back to the porch. Both of them still giggling from the fun they had playing in the storm. The porch was still warmed by Myles and no one needed any outer gear for the weather.
“What else can you do?” Everleigh asked Lilah excitedly. “Do you have any more literal tricks up your sleeve?” she added with a chuckle.
Before Lilah could answer, she heard it. They all did. Well, her family did at any rate. Her Uncle Todd was relaying a message. They were on their way, but they would require urgent medical assistance.
“Did I hear him right?” Lilah asked her mom.
“Hear who?” Jackson looked around to see if he missed something, but Everleigh looked just as confused.
“Yeah,” her mom said weakly, walking toward the door. “We need to prepare for surgery.”
Lilah didn’t have time to explain, so she gave them a glance that unmistakably displayed the exigency and nodded toward the door. Given what their friends had set out to do, it wasn’t hard to get a good indication of what had happened.
The house was already abuzz when they stepped inside. People were scrambling to get supplies and prepare an area. The kitchen was being turned into a makeshift operating room with what they could find to gather.
Lilah knew it had to be Rita, but wasn’t about to say anything. The rest of the Elementals had some quality that would speed their healing. Even the wolves although theirs wasn’t quite as quick, but Matt would still fare a severe injury easily.
In minutes, the door burst open, and part of the group filtered inside. As expected, Matt was carrying Rita who lay slumped and lifeless in his arms.
“In here!” Abby called from the kitchen where she and Joseph were getting ready for whatever might be needed.
Matt didn’t go in their direction. Instead he sat down on the sofa still cradling Rita in his arms. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he rocked her. “I’m sorry,” he softly said over and over.
Everleigh cried out and knelt in front of them her shoulders starting to shake from her sobs. The scene playing out around them was dismal. Seeing Rita’s motionless body was more than any of them had been prepared to handle.
The room was too busy. Her family were trying to keep a respectful distance, but it was still too many bodies for the small downstairs. Voices began to hum around her, and Lilah felt the room sway around her. She had to remove herself from the epicenter of the attention before there was a repeat of what happened at Eloise’s house earlier that night. Or worse she could manage to bring on another storm to wreak havoc on the town.
It was easy for her to slip outside mostly unnoticed. Everyone’s attention was on Rita as it should be. Questions swirled through her mind about what had happened during the attempt to free Fire from where he was being held. Todd had sent the warning call to the family, so she could assume he escaped without serious injury. Luke and Meredith were in the house near where Matt sat cradling Rita in his arms. That left Eloise and Fire. No one had said yet whether they had been successful in freeing him.
There was also her Uncle Brian to worry about. It was hard for her to find any sympathy for him at all after what he had done to her. It was still something that would need to be addressed. They couldn’t leave him to the wolves…literally. Lilah knew she would have to help her family find a way to save him as well.
Leaning against the post at the top of the stair rail, she closed her eyes and tried to think of anything that could keep her mind off of what was happening. She desperately needed to find something to take her mind off of it all, but it seemed the harder she tried the less she was able to distract herself. When she opened them, the first thing she saw was the snow being blown by the wind. It’s crazy how in just a week the weather had gone from chilly to snow then below zero temps to barely needing a jacket and now back to freezing cold with some snowfall. ‘No thank you,’ she thought. ‘I will stick to my beautiful all year round southern climates.’
Her eyes didn’t leave the blowing snow once she discovered it emptied her mind. There was a beauty in it she had never noticed before because her family didn’t usually live in the colder climates. Now she couldn’t stop focusing on the thin trail of white dust that would blow around with the wind changing its final destination. It was nature’s artwork to view and also something that could be so very dangerous in the right conditions.
The door opened behind her, but she wasn’t ready for anything more than the sight of the wind in front of her. Even so, she turned to see who had finally come after her. Jackson stepped out from the house with her mom close behind, but she couldn’t meet their eyes.
“Rita-” he started to say.
Lilah shook her head and turned away and saw what she hoped was her uncle’s car approaching down the highway. It was too much for her to hear. She concentrated only on the car and didn’t notice when Sara came out on the porch to join them. Nothing broke her train of concentration this time until Jackson placed his arm around her shoulder and spoke softly next to her.
“Your uncle should be here soon. He left soon after Matt got Rita in the car,” Jackson filled her in part way.
‘Good,’ she thought. ‘Maybe Uncle Todd can help me remain calm when I learn the full story of what happened.’
‘That’s exactly what I was thinking.’
Lilah’s eyes grew large, and she whipped her head around to face him. The smile on his face told her he didn’t realize he could hear her until now either.
Headlights of the car from the road turned onto the gravel drive to the house. There were only a few moments left before everyone would be called to action again, and she would have to face the reality of what transpired that night whether she wanted to or not. She placed her hands on Jackson’s chest and leaned in to kiss him not caring who was around, but a sharp pain ripping through abdomen reeled her back.
She bent over suddenly grabbing her stomach. She felt dizzy, and she felt like she would be sick. Something had happened, was happening. It was too hard to understand right away. Her mind filled again with overlapping voices. It was like trying to hear a friend yelling to you from across the sports stadium. Her mom and
Sara were at her side in a heartbeat holding her steady. It was lost on her that Jackson was no longer next to her. Lilah’s eyes rolled back into her head, and she almost passed out.
As the deafening roar in her head began to quiet down, she could hear the car come to a hurried stop near the porch sending gravel flying everywhere. It felt like her mind was about to split in two as she tried to concentrate on what was happening around her to stay in control. Doors started to open and slam shut as people exited the vehicle, but she couldn’t count how many there were as the porch began to spin around her faster making her fear she would soon lose consciousness.
Then it stopped. The footsteps and voices coming up the steps were frantic, but barely over a whisper in Lilah’s ears as one thought alone pushed everything else aside. One voice made its way through the hum and took over forcing every other thought from her mind. “Leena,” Lilah finally managed to gasp.
Lilah’s eyes shot open and she looked to her mom, but her mom was staring in fright at something on the other side of the porch. Lilah managed to straighten up enough to see what her mom was seeing. In the corner on the other side of the still broken swing was the white squirrel. It was convulsing and growing larger in size. It started slowly taking a few seconds to reach the size of a dog then in an instant, it changed as Marcus materialized.
“They have Leena!” he cried out to the small crowd now gathered on the porch.
A low guttural growl from behind Lilah sent a chill down her spine, and her eyes widened in fright. The terror grew inside her as she slowly turned to see what had made the dreadful sound. It was unlike anything she had heard before be it man or animal. Nothing could have prepared her what she was about to see.
Not more than two feet from her stood a man like beast on two legs. The arms were unusually elongated and covered in longer hair than found on a man. The face was disgustingly deformed and extended out with a full muzzle. Other changes were easily noticeable including the thickened layer of hair covering every visible part of the body. And the teeth. The teeth that bared from its mouth could easily tear a person apart without much effort.
Air: The Elementals: Book One Page 27