Hidden Embers

by Amanda Perry

  “O-o-okay,” I agree, not at all ready for this.

  I’d hoped they would simply make me perform all the tests everyone told me about. It’s what I’d practiced for.

  The council leads me to the corner room, entering ahead of me and standing against the far wall.

  “Begin,” Forrest orders, clearly bored.

  The four of them wait silently as I take a few deep breaths and search the earth for the coal I need to form a diamond. Thank goodness for high school geology.

  It takes me almost an hour to gather enough coal into a tight lump. The fear of failure helps the process along. Once the tight lump of coal forms, I push it above the surface of the earth. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I glance at the council and notice Forrest’s scowl softens slightly, his gaze on the lump of coal.

  Continuing with the test, I use the heat in the room to light the coal on fire. It slowly smolders. Using the air in the room, I help the fire along with the lightest of breezes. It takes a while to turn the small embers into a true fire. When the coal finally burns, I adjust my use of the air in the room to put as much pressure on the coal as possible.

  Sucking the heat out of the room turns the air cold. I do my best to make the fire hotter, but it’s hard to focus on so much at once. Partly to warm the room back up and partly to ensure the right amount of heat gets applied to make the diamond. The cold air cools the coal down and tears form behind my eyes. I’m terrified there isn’t enough heat to make the diamond correctly.

  It takes a while, but something forms from the coal. I only hope it’s the diamond the council wants. I search the room and find a bucket of water in the corner. Pulling the water from the bucket uses the rest of my energy. It barely makes it to the coal, but it’s enough to reveal a hard mineral that’s definitely not a diamond, and my heart sinks.

  The silence in the room is deafening as I wait for the council to say something.

  “Whoa,” Misty breathes out.

  Scarlett glides up to the dirty stone and picks it up. It’s a tiny thing, barely the size of my pinky nail. From my angle, it doesn’t look like it formed correctly either; it may not be a mineral at all. I might have made a simple rock of some kind. My chest tightens as Scarlett takes my failed diamond to the other council members.

  Their heads bend together and whisper as they examine my work. My labored breathing quickens every minute I don’t receive any kind of response from them. My head spins, and I have to place one hand on the wall to keep from falling over.

  “Go wait with your family, we need to discuss this,” Forrest shouts loudly in what I’m coming to realize has to be his normal tone. He’s an exceptionally impolite person.

  I hope he doesn’t fail me because he’s having a bad day.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Heading back to the lobby to let the council talk, I stop in my tracks at the sight in front of me. Britt stands in front of Caleb, batting her eyelashes and flipping her hair to get his attention. If she didn’t have such a heavy amount of makeup on, she’d have a model worthy appearance. I don’t think models wear such heavy makeup, but I don’t know a lot about it.

  Caleb ignores Britt’s advances, gazing in any direction but hers. He glances briefly my way, then back to the other side of the room. His eyes bounce back to me, widening when he registers I stand there. He jumps to his feet, nearly knocking Britt onto her butt and rushes to me, the rest of my family hot on his heels. The five of them reach me at the same time, all talking at once.

  “How’d it go?” Cassie blurts out.

  “You look exhausted!” Caleb brushes the sweat-dampened hair from my cheek.

  “Did you pass?” Jaxon questions.

  “Do we get to be there for the blessing?” Leanne asks.

  Blinking at their expectant faces, I open my mouth with the intention of explaining everything they missed during the test. Instead, a muted sob escapes, followed by a flood of tears.

  Caleb pulls me into his arms as Dad questions me. “What happened, kiddo? What’s the matter?”

  “I-I-I—” My voice cuts off as I cry too hard to force any real words out.

  I’m brought over to a chair and hands on my shoulders gently push me to sit down. Dad sits in a chair on my left, Cassie on my right. Caleb kneels in front of me while Leanne and Jaxon stand beside him.

  “Deep breaths, baby,” Caleb orders softly, his tone laced with concern. He puts his hands on either side of my face. He uses his thumbs to wipe the tears away as they fall. “Talk to us. What happened when we left?”

  It takes a while for me to take in a good amount of air into my lungs. When I’m fairly certain I’ve regained my ability to breathe, I explain what happened and what the council required from me during the test.

  “I didn’t do it right,” I admit with a sniffle, doing my best to keep the tears in. I don’t want to break down again; I don’t have any energy left in me to cry more. “It didn’t form a diamond. It looked like a weird rock or something. I messed up, I failed.”

  “Did they tell you that you failed?” Leanne glances angrily at the door leading to the council.

  “No,” I admit, shaking my head. “But they asked me to make a diamond. I didn’t do it.”

  Caleb opens his mouth to say something, but Britt comes sauntering up to us and interrupts him by tapping him on the shoulder, flipping her hair when he turns around. My emotions are too crazy for her antics right now. There might actually be steam coming out of my ears as I glare at her.

  “Do you need something, Britt?” Caleb snaps, clearly not amused by her interruption.

  His irritation helps ease my anger. At least, he isn’t happy with her either.

  “Yes, I do,” she answers with a suggestive smirk directed at Caleb.

  I’m surprised by how badly I want to set her perfect hair on fire. I’m not a violent person, but I don’t like the way she’s acting around Caleb.

  “Well?” Jaxon growls, taking her attention away from Caleb for a moment.

  “Oh! The council would like to see you back in there,” she informs us with an exaggerated pout. I’m not sure why she’s sticking her lips out like a duck, but she still won’t take her eyes off Caleb as she does it. She’s like a spoiled kid not getting her way.

  We all stand and head back in without a word to Britt. I’m pleased Caleb doesn’t seem to notice her overly friendly focus on him. Instead, he helps me move forward as we walk. Standing up and moving require more effort and energy than I have left in me.

  Once we make it back inside, the council asks my family to sit in the back of the room as they order me to step forward. We all comply as asked, though Caleb waits for me to gain my footing before letting me go.

  “Miss Riley.” Jett folds his hands on the table in front of him. “I assume your family has told you the legends of the Chosen?”

  “Y-y-yes, S-s-sir.” I nod quietly.

  “Good.” He takes a deep breath. “Riley, we have no idea if this legend is going to happen tomorrow or twenty years from now. The four of us firmly believe this is real. After watching you perform the test, there is no denying you have an affinity for all four elements. While most of us believe you are the Chosen, there is still some doubt. That being said, we have decided to pass you anyway. We have agreed to leave it up to the gods and goddesses if you are marked as the Chosen.”

  They’re passing me?

  I let out an audible breath and turn to peek at my family. The pride on each of their faces gives me a lump in my throat. I’ve never had anyone show pride for me before. The lump in my throat tightens more as my eyes bounce to each of them.

  “We have never done this before,” Scarlett admits sheepishly, bringing my attention back to the council. “Blessing someone with four affinities is new for us. We discussed this and thought it would be best to do it as a group. We will all say our own prayer for you, one at a time, but while we all stand in a circle. Is this all right with you?”

  I shrug, “If y-y
-you think that’s b-b-best.”

  With my cooperation, they stand and come down to form a circle in the middle of the room with me. I glance over at Caleb and find him with an encouraging smile on his handsome face. I can’t help the blush spreading across my cheeks in return.

  Scarlett stands to my left, Jett next to her, Forrest to his right, and Misty to my right.

  “Everyone ready?” Jett asks, waiting for each of us to nod. “Right, let’s do this.”

  “Honey, I need you to kneel for Forrest and me,” Misty explains. I do as she asks, and she gives me a gentle nod of approval. She stands in front of me, taking my hands in hers.

  Water, I plea for thee to flow,

  Through me to this girl below.

  Shower her with your gentle rains,

  Show her how to fix what pains.

  A light showering of water, like a soft rain, hits my body. Almost as soon as it begins, it vanishes, and a slight sting on my ribs grabs my attention.

  Before I’m able to pay too much mind to the stinging, Forrest with his scowl firmly in place steps up. He takes Misty’s place in front of me and grabs my hands.

  “Earth, I call to thee to come,

  Gather round and bless this one.

  I beseech thee, Earth to strengthen she,

  Who bows before you on bended knee.”

  I’m startled when the Earth shakes around us. At first, I assume it’s an Earthquake, and we should stop. Then, I realize it’s part of the blessing. We have the ability to make Earthquakes. That’s astonishing. The moment the Earth settles, the spot on my upper back, between my shoulder blades, stings, similar to my ribs.

  Forrest steps back, and Jett comes around the circle to stand in front of me. He grins and takes my hands. He pulls me to my feet before starting his blessing.

  “Wind, I ask thee to stir,

  Place your blessing upon her.

  Who comes before you today,

  Grant her your power, this I pray.”

  A hard gust of wind whips through the room. It goes through my body, instead of around it. It’s a strange but welcome sensation. As soon as the wind dies down, my ankle stings a bit. I wonder if the stinging sensations are normal?

  Suddenly, Scarlett comes to stand right in front of me, replacing Jett. Her face set with determination, she takes my hands and begins.

  “Fire, I coax thee to brightly burn,

  To help this girl to teach and learn.

  The wonders of your mighty light,

  That helps us fight off the night.”

  My entire body jolts, a heated shock coursing through my veins like lightning. It isn’t painful, it actually feels right, like I’m home, and I love it. The world spins a bit, and I assume it’s part of the experience. With a strange detachment, I notice the stinging happening again, on my forearm this time. Scarlett steps back, and all the council members smile at me, with the exception of Forrest, though his scowl is softer.

  I try really hard to smile back, but I’m incredibly dizzy. Is the room supposed to be spinning and tilting? I glance over at Caleb and notice he’s concerned. It doesn’t make sense to me. Shouldn’t he be excited? I passed. I’ve been blessed. That’s supposed to be a good thing.

  “Riley!” Caleb yells as he sprints toward me. It takes me a second to realize my eyes have started closing.

  The air around me rushes through my hair, almost as if I’m falling, fast.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  I’m exhausted. I remember waking up this morning, going to the council, taking the test, and the blessing beginning. After that, it’s a complete blank. With great effort, I open my heavy eyes and see I lay on the floor of a stark white room. There doesn’t seem to be any walls or doors. It’s just endless white. I push myself up and spin in a circle, trying to find an exit.

  “Don’t bother,” a deep male voice fills the room. “There is no exit unless we provide one.”

  I spin around in a circle again, coming to an abrupt stop when I find two men and two women standing in front of me. I squeal and jump back a few feet.

  “Wh-who are y-y-you?” I ask, trying to keep a brave face, but failing miserably.

  I really hope Samael didn’t send them for me. I’m all alone this time, no one to help me defend myself. These four people radiate power and importance, and I know I wouldn’t stand a chance against them.

  “Calm your heart, child,” the woman standing next to the first male speaks softly. My heart slows, as if under the spell of her voice. Her straight black hair falls to her waist. She wears a flowing gown with different shades of blue intertwined around the skirt. The top is decorated with glittery beading. It almost looks like what I’d imagine the surface of the ocean does when the sun hits it. “We are not here to harm you, we are here to help you.”

  “Wh-wh-where is h-h-here?” I stutter, trying to gain some confidence.

  “That is of no importance, Chosen One,” the larger of the two men says, with an easy grin on his face. His build is even bulkier than the bald guy from the fast car movies Caleb likes to watch. His dark brown hair falls to his long-bearded chin. He wears a bright-red toga with a brown leather belt holding it closed around his waist. His feet are covered with brown leather sandals. I wouldn’t expect someone as intimidating as him to be this calm and easy going. “We are here to speak to you about what is coming your way. I am Hakan, god of Fire, this is my Soulmate Binda, goddess of Water,” he explains while gesturing to the woman in blue.

  “I am Niyol, god of Air, and this is my Soulmate, Mikaia, goddess of Earth,” the second male adds.

  He’s almost as large as Hakan. He doesn’t have a beard like Hakan, but his light brown hair hits his shoulders. He wears a stark white toga with a gray leather belt around his waist. The material of his outfit, along with his hair, seem to flow around him, as if moved by some unseen wind.

  Niyol’s Soulmate, Mikaia’s, curly white-blond hair hits her shoulders. Her floral gown is impossibly realistic, as if someone pressed real flowers into the material. “You, my dear, are Riley Storm. You are the girl we have Chosen to fight the Fallen and bring peace to our people.”

  “B-b-but,” I sputter. “I’m j-j-just some girl, a n-n-nobody. I didn’t even g-g-get these powers until m-m-my birthday. My mother w-w-wasn’t even an Elemental. How’s a-a-any of this even p-p-possible? H-h-how do you e-e-expect me to l-l-lead people when I c-c-can’t even t-t-talk to people?”

  “First, your mother was an Elemental, she just did not pass her tests before the age of eighteen. She was never blessed. We had to alter her memory so she didn’t remember anything about our world as we do with all Elementals who do not pass their test in time. We are convinced she would have ended up a Fallen if she had passed her test as she was not a pleasant woman. Normally, we would not allow someone who has not been blessed to have a child with an affinity for the elements. However, we knew your father would find his way to you, and he would be the perfect person to help you through this battle,” Hakan explains with a serious expression.

  “Riley, it is important you understand something,” Mikaia says, softly. “You will lose this battle if you do not trust your family. Jaxon, Cassie, Leanne, Mark, and Caleb. Trust them all, without doubt and without exception.”

  “I t-t-try to,” I whisper, knowing I’m not fully there yet when it comes to trusting everyone in my family. They’re all loving, they never hurt me, but it’s a lifetime of habit I’m trying to break.

  “You are.” Niyol beams. “You have done extraordinarily well, Chosen One. We are incredibly proud of how well you have accepted your fate. We want you to understand, we didn’t give you your gifts until recently because we knew you would not have anyone there to help you with them. We also knew you would be able to master your affinities quickly and efficiently. We never worried about you passing your test.”

  “Samael is getting an army ready,” Binda confesses with sad eyes. “Nakpana, the god of evil and darkness, told him about you. We wish we
knew how he found out who you were before you had even gotten your powers. We think he just had a suspicion and told Samael to get close to your mother. It allowed him to keep an eye on you. When you set fire to the kitchen on your birthday, you confirmed to Samael you are the Chosen. Your unusual background tipped him off. You hadn’t shown any obvious signs of being an Elemental around him until then. When it happened suddenly he figured it out quickly. He has been getting an army of Fallen together since that day. It took him a bit to find you, but now that he has, it won’t be long before they come after you.”

  “What a-a-am I supposed t-t-to do?” I ask, panicked.

  “You will know when the time comes.” Hakan replies. “For now, you must work on trusting your family. You must train hard and be ready to fight. Let your family know what we have told you, but no one else. Not even the council. This is especially important.”

  “I u-u-understand.” I nod to them.

  “You will do wonderfully, my dear,” Mikaia assures me kindly. “Good luck and know we will always be here with you. Now, get back to your Soulmate before he has a heart attack.”

  With that, the room goes pitch black and I feel as if I’m falling. The rush of the drop slows and I gently drift down as if someone is laying me on the ground.

  “What the fuck did you do to my sister?” Jaxon’s voice breaks through the darkness, jolting me back to reality.

  “We have never done this before, Jaxon,” Scarlett sounds shaken by Jaxon’s anger. “We have no idea what happened.”

  “Baby, you can’t keep passing out on me like this,” Caleb’s voice whispers in my ear.

  Coming back to myself a bit more, I realize he’s holding me on his lap. I blink my eyes open and peer up at my Soulmate.

  “Hi,” I whisper. Not the most intelligent or profound thing to say, but he doesn’t seem to care. Every part of his body touching mine causes invisible electricity to spark against my skin.