Different (Tainted Elements Book 1)

by Alycia Linwood

  Noah materialized in front of me. “It’s some bald guy. Looks really old. Dark eyes. Wears a suit.”

  “He said he wanted to talk to me about some secret my mom is hiding from me,” I said incredulously. “That doesn’t make any sense. If he wanted to talk to me, he could have invited me for a coffee in some public place, not kidnap my parents. I think we’re dealing with a psychopath.”

  “What now?” Noah asked. The guy on the ground groaned, trying to push himself up. Jaiden leaned over him and the guy slumped back. I couldn’t see what Jaiden had done, but I was glad it worked.

  I placed my hands on my hips. “Is our mystery psycho in the same room as my parents?”

  “Yes,” Noah said.

  I swore under my breath. “Then we need to lure him into another room.” If their contractor was in danger, I didn’t want the trigger-happy people to be around my parents. “Possibly one in the other part of the house.”

  “Can you mind-control the guards to leave or something?” I gave Jaiden a hopeful look.

  He shook his head. “I don’t have that much energy, but I can take you to the other end of the house and you can wait for the guy there. All you have to do is call him and say you’re in the house.”

  “Okay.” I started pacing up and down, dry grass crunching under my shoes. “I hope he won’t try to bring my parents with him.”

  “It would be complicated to move them because they’re tied up pretty well,” Noah said. I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat. If my parents couldn’t move at all, then they would be absolutely helpless if things went wrong.

  “Let’s hope this works.” I turned to Jaiden. “Once you get me inside, go find my parents and see if you can get them out somehow.” I looked into his dark brown eyes. “Promise me you won’t do anything until you’re a hundred percent sure that you can get them both out safely.”

  He gave me a brief nod. “I promise.”

  I met Noah’s restless blue eyes. “You’ll stay with me. Invisible. And you’ll take the guard’s gun. When the psycho comes, grab him and point the gun at his head. Visible, of course, so we can negotiate. Does that sound like a good plan?”

  Noah and Jaiden looked at each other. “Yeah,” Noah said.

  “But if something goes wrong and your life is in danger, just go. Don’t worry about me. I can’t ask you to risk your lives for me, okay?” I wasn’t about to get Jaiden and Noah killed just because there was some stupid psycho after me. The only reason I trusted them with this was because it was easy for them to get in and out. “Let’s do this.” I let Jaiden pull me into his arms again and we were in the air in a second.

  Chapter 18

  I grabbed the back of a chair to support myself, my knuckles white. Noah and I were in a guest room on the other end of Ria’s huge mansion. I’d sent a message to the kidnapper with the instructions on where to find me. Hopefully, he didn’t know this house well and would assume that I’d used some secret passage that was leading to this room. Noah had told me he was certain I was the only one who could see him and I hoped that none of the guards were like us.

  Seconds felt like hours and my heart jumped into my throat when I heard footsteps coming from the hall. I hoped the kidnapper hadn’t lied about his intentions, because in that case I’d have to use my elements and start a real fight. But then again, why would he want to kill me and why would he bother to do all of this if he only wanted me dead? No, he wanted something else. Noah had mentioned the man was old. Maybe he had Alzheimer’s or something and was confused over who was who.

  An elderly man in a black suit came through the door, followed by six guards. I stumbled back, my leg hitting a desk.

  “At last,” the man said, approaching me. “You look so much like your father.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. Considering that I inherited my brown hair and eyes from my grandparents, I didn’t think I looked a lot like my blond, blue-eyed dad. “I’m here now, so what do you want from me?” I crossed my arms, putting my best brave expression on my face. I didn’t want him to see that my hands were trembling.

  “My name is Anton Marlau,” he said, giving me a small smile. I blanched. Uh oh. He was the guy who had been in prison for years and who was after Ria. What could he possibly want with me? Did he somehow find out about my abilities? But how?

  “Have you heard of me?” He tilted his head.

  “Maybe.” I didn’t want to piss him off by listing the crimes he’d been convicted for. “I still don’t understand what you want from me.”

  “I’m your grandfather.”

  “What?” I gaped at him. There was no way in hell this guy was my grandfather. My mom’s parents were living across the country and they had nothing to do with this guy. My dad’s parents were dead. Marlau must have gone crazy in prison. I didn’t know why he was after Ria, but I guessed he’d come here for her, somehow found my parents instead and now was trying to play mind games.

  “I’m sorry, but I think you’ve got the wrong person.” In the corner of my eye, I could see Noah inching closer to Marlau, but the guards were still standing too close and Noah couldn’t get a grip on the old man.

  Marlau’s eyes appeared to be slightly red. “No, Moira. I’m not wrong. You’re my granddaughter. Your mother has been hiding you from me for years, but I saw a photograph of you and I knew. You’re my son’s daughter. The only thing I’ve left of him.”

  I shuffled my feet, unsure what to say. “My dad’s parents are dead.”

  Marlau waved his hand, an annoyed look crossing his face. “You mean that pathetic creature you’re calling Dad? He’s not your real father. My son is.”

  My mouth went slack, my stomach clenching. “No, you’re wrong.”

  “You’re the daughter of Ethan Marlau. I can prove it to you.” His gaze held mine, unwavering. “Let me take you to your mother. She’ll tell you that I’m not lying.”

  “I’ll believe you if you let both of my parents go.” I didn’t care what kind of a twisted fantasy Marlau had come up with as long as my parents were safe.

  He tsked. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “Threatening my loved ones isn’t exactly making you trustworthy.” I moved closer to the window, hoping Marlau would step away from the guards.

  “So much regard for people who have lied to you your whole life, but I understand. You care about them.” He pressed his lips into a tight line.

  “Just let them go, okay? We talked. You told me the secret.” There was nothing left to talk about. One of the guards frowned as Noah got closer to him, but the guy didn’t seem to know what it was that he found odd in the air.

  “I need your help. Your father dedicated his short life to helping me find a cure for magic disease by enhancing his element. I know your mother messed with your genes to remove any trace of my son from your element, but his element was strong. Powerful. Perfect.” His eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I’ve heard stories about healthy elementals with more than one element. You could be one of them. All we need to do is find my son’s element in you and bring it out.”

  “Your son’s element?” I whispered, my mouth dry. What else did Marlau know about elementals like me? He didn’t know I already had two elements, but he did know people like me existed. How had he found out?

  “Yes, my son’s fire,” he said. A gasp escaped my lips, my skin tingling. No, it couldn’t be. What he was saying couldn’t be the truth, could it? I wasn’t the daughter of some guy I’d never heard about. My parents wouldn’t have lied to me my whole life, or would they? Marlau was a dangerous man. I could see why no one would want him in his family.

  “That’s impossible. I mean, no one can have more than one element except for element preservers.” I couldn’t let him know about me or anyone else like me.

  “Come with me. I can show you many things you don’t know. You can continue your father’s legacy.” He reached out for me, but I backed away. “Moira, don’t f
ight your destiny. You could do so many great things...” said the man who had tortured carriers in his lab for years. People like my father. I didn’t care who my biological father was. Ryan was my only real and true father.

  “I promise to think about it after you release my parents.”

  Marlau was getting closer to me, leaving his guards behind. I inched away from him, expecting him to follow. “I’d love to give you some time to think, my dear, but the clock is ticking. The bitch who killed your father will be back and bring a bunch of her idiotic friends with her. They drove me away from you once. I won’t let it happen twice.”

  I blinked. I had no intention of going anywhere with this madman. The shimmering cloud settled behind Marlau and I gave Noah a brief nod.

  “Drop your weapons!” Noah yelled, now completely visible, his gun pressed against Marlau’s temple. A collective gasp filled the room, the guards raising their weapons, their eyes darting from Marlau to Noah and then to me.

  Marlau put his hands up, his eyes wide. “How did you...?”

  “Tell your men to drop their weapons,” Noah said more firmly, jabbing the gun into Marlau’s head. “I won’t say it again.”

  “Do as he says,” Marlau said, his breathing heavy. The guards looked at each other, but finally dropped their guns to the floor.

  “Order them to release my parents. We will let you go once I know my mom and dad are safe,” I said, just as shots rang from the other part of the house. My heart skipped a beat, my throat constricting. No, no, no. I looked at Marlau, but his face was blank.

  “Looks like we have company,” Marlau said, and Noah gave me a nervous look. Someone was running toward us, but I didn’t know if they were friends or enemies. What the hell was going on? I felt lightheaded, the world tilting slightly around me. A wave of warmth was trying to push through my skin, but I had to stay in control of myself.

  Out of nowhere, a wall of ice started to form in the middle of the room, dividing Noah, Marlau and me from the rest of the people in the room. The guards turned to the door, snatching their guns off the floor and shooting at whomever that was coming.

  “Don’t take off your element-blocking bracelets!” Marlau yelled, but the noise was too much and the wall of ice was thick enough that I wasn’t sure his voice could carry over to the guards. Noah’s eyes searched mine, his gun still pressed against Marlau’s temple. What should we do? A bullet embedded itself in the ice, not far from my face, making me gasp. Only a second later, a fireball hit the ice, but instead of breaking through the wall, it only left an indent. The fight must have turned to elements because I could see water splashing around, fireballs crashing into each other, air swirling through the room and even bits of dust and earth hitting the ice wall.

  Marlau’s face was pale, his eyes wide, his fists curled at his sides.

  “Don’t move,” Noah said, his eyes darting from Marlau to me. Since Marlau was a carrier, some of the fighting with elements must be bothering him a great deal. I was about to tell Noah to push Marlau to the corner of the room when Marlau twisted in Noah’s grip and punched him in the face. Marlau got hold of the gun and pointed it at Noah, who was sprawled on the floor.

  “No!” I yelled, ripping the gun out of Marlau’s hand with a gust of my air. Noah scrambled back until he hit the wall, his breathing ragged, his hands shaking. I didn’t have time to check if he was fine because Marlau was advancing toward me.

  “You’re a carrier,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion as if he were stating a boring fact. “I can’t feel your element.” He stumbled a little, but quickly recovered himself. As a magic disease carrier, he had to be able to feel every healthy elemental in the house who wasn’t protected. If there was one thing I knew thanks to my dad, it was that he couldn’t control himself so well when elements were being used and emotions were running high. A fight like this one had to be driving Marlau crazy, but he still inched closer to me. Could his control be so good or had he stolen someone else’s element, so his need for a new one was not as strong?

  “I’m not a carrier,” I said, even though it didn’t really matter what he believed. Heat spread through my body, nearly sending me to the floor. My pulse raced as another crack appeared on the wall of ice. I let the heat surge out of my body, my hands turning into fire.

  Marlau’s jaw went slack, his eyes bulging. “What are you...?”

  My left arm was completely enveloped in fire, but my right arm was glowing with blue fire. I advanced on Marlau without even knowing what I planned to do. When I was halfway to him, the wall of ice burst apart, showering us with tiny pieces and icicles.

  “Watch out!” Adrian yelled. I had enough time only to lift my hands in front of my face to shield myself from an oncoming bullet. Instead of hitting me, the bullet immersed itself in my fiery hand and fell to the ground. I let out a breath of relief, glad that my fire was able to stop bullets, but one glance around the room showed me that the fight was just getting serious and there was no wall of ice to protect Noah and me.

  “Go!” I yelled to Noah, who was getting to his feet, looking slightly unsteady.

  He shook his head. “I’m not leaving you.”

  I wanted to remind him about his promise, but I saw Marlau climbing on top of one of his own guards, his hands wrapped around the man’s throat. Shit! Marlau had given in to the disease and was trying to get the man’s element. Forgetting that both of my arms were still more fire than flesh, I attempted to use my air to push Marlau off the guy. But instead of a gust of air, blue fire made its way across the room, crashing against Marlau and sending him flying. His scream pierced the air and someone doused him with water, putting out my flames.

  One of Marlau’s men went for Noah, but Noah turned into air and appeared behind the man’s back. The man sent a fireball at him, but Noah diverted it with air and created a thin layer of water between him and the man, which effectively absorbed the man’s next attack. I could see Ria in the hall. She was barely holding on against two men. Adrian was busy with an air elemental and Marlau was again trying to attack the closest elemental.

  No one tried to attack me, either because they were already engaged in a fight or because they still followed Marlau’s order not to harm me. I focused on my fire and put up a wall of fire around Marlau, hoping that would stop him at least for a couple of moments until I figured out what to do with him. His disease gave him strength he wouldn’t have otherwise. Fire wasn’t as effective as ice for trapping someone because the contact between fire and the elemental using it had to remain strong or the fire would extinguish or spread in the wrong direction. I hoped no one would notice I had trapped Marlau and try to save him.

  My energy wasn’t infinite and neither was the elemental energy of anyone else in the room. We had to end this fight sooner rather than later. I didn’t know if Ria and Adrian had brought someone with them to help, but I couldn’t see anyone else except them who looked like they were on our side. I glanced down at my fiery hands, moving fingers that weren’t quite there. What could I do?

  Gathering all of my strength, I knelt down and slammed my fists against the floor. My fire, both blue and red, split into six parts that rushed across the floor toward Marlau’s men, forming a line between me and them. The ground shook as I steered the fire in the directions I wanted it to go. The men yelped and jumped as the fire caught on their pants. I intensified the flames, afraid that the fire would die out. The distraction was enough for Adrian, Noah and Ria to overpower their opponents. My fire disappeared as fast as it had come, my arms turning back to normal.

  My breathing was ragged, my mind fuzzy. This had taken more of my energy than I’d expected it to. As the last of Marlau’s men went down, Noah ran to me and fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around me in a fierce hug.

  “That was amazing,” he said, kissing me on the top of the head, his hand caressing my face. I took a shaky breath and laughed.

  “He’s gone!” Adrian swore, kicking one of Marlau’s men who was m
oaning on the ground.

  “Who?” I asked, but I already knew the answer. Marlau was gone. I’d forgotten about the shield of fire I’d been holding around him. Damn it. Noah and I hopped to our feet and hurried after Adrian and Ria, who were already running down the hall. Every step I made felt like a bunch of needles prickled my skin, but I ran on. I had to make sure my parents were safe. Jaiden too, if he hadn’t left already.

  “Honey!” my mom rushed toward me, tears streaming down her face and smearing her makeup. Her blonde hair was in disarray, the curls haphazardly falling around her shoulders. Dark circles underlined her blue eyes, a red mark covering half of her left cheek.

  “Thank God.” I threw myself into her arms, not even trying to hold back the tears. My dad was sitting on the couch, looking fine except for the bloody hand he was holding over his stomach. I pulled away from my mom and dashed across the room to where he was sitting.

  “Dad, are you okay?” I blinked away the tears.

  “Fine, sweetie. Now that I see you, I’m even better.” He gave me a weak smile. “It’s just a little scratch. Nothing serious.”

  “The medics will be here any minute,” Ria said, pressing a cloth against her bleeding shoulder. “Adrian went after Marlau. I can’t believe we lost him.”

  I looked around and saw only the bodies of unconscious guards, or at least they looked like they were only unconscious. “Where’s Jaiden?” A wave of dread overcame me.

  “Who?” My mom gave me a blank look.

  “Umm, my friend. Did you see him? Tall, dark hair, dark eyes.” I glanced over my shoulder at Noah, who shook his head.

  “Oh, that guy,” my mom said, a spark of recognition filling her eyes. “Yes, he was here. Knocked out a couple of guys before Ria and Adrian came. He untied me. Then he disappeared.”

  “I’ll go see if I can find him,” Noah said, going for the door. I gave him a brief nod.

  My mom sat next to my dad, her fingers intertwining with his. She gave me a wary look. “Did Marlau tell you anything?”