Different (Tainted Elements Book 1)

by Alycia Linwood

  “Noah.” I raised my finger in front of his lips. “You can go home and hide if you wish. I’m not the one who forces everyone to do as I want. But Kenna’s brother is alive, and if I can find him and see him just so I can tell Kenna that he’s okay, I’ll do it.”

  He gave me an incredulous look. “You’re not serious.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Moira...” His shoulders tensed. “You’re not thinking clearly. Nick is an Elemontera agent. If he sees you, he will turn you in.”

  “Relax. I’m not going to talk to him or use my elements around him.” I was sure Kenna would feel much better if I brought her a picture of her brother as proof that he was alive and well. I doubted she believed what the agent had told her. He would have told us anything to save his skin. “There is so much traffic around Elemontera’s headquarters. I’ll make sure no one sees me.”

  Noah pressed his lips into a tight line. “You’re crazy.”

  “Says the guy who risked his life to get into Elemontera’s headquarters to find his sister.” I raised my voice. “Wasn’t there a moment when you would have given anything to know that she was still alive?”

  He swallowed hard, the color draining from his face.

  “I’m sorry...” What had I been thinking when I brought up his sister? I only wanted him to understand how Kenna had to be feeling.

  He turned to me, his eyes cold. “Elemontera made sure I knew she was alive, you know. And guess what the worst feeling in the world was? That I couldn’t help her! That I was powerless to do anything. You want to do Kenna a favor? Tell her Nick is dead.” He stormed out of the room before I could say anything.

  Settling myself in the nearest chair, I pressed my fist to my lips. What do I do now? Maybe I should be happy that we hadn’t all been captured and go back to the island. It would be a simple thing to do, but I couldn’t forget the desperate look on Kenna’s face. Were we supposed to let Elemontera ruin our lives and do nothing about it? An idea popped up in my mind. I jumped to my feet and rushed to one of the rooms, looking for a pair of shades. If my parents or Noah knew what I was about to do, they’d lose their minds.

  I tiptoed out of the apartment, hoping Noah wouldn’t realize I was going out. As soon as I reached the nearest shop, I bought myself a cap and tucked my hair inside of it. If someone from Elemontera saw me, they’d have a hard time identifying me if they couldn’t clearly see my eyes and face. It took me a while until I finally found a payphone, but I found one in an area with many bars and cafés. It was the perfect spot. Picking up the phone, I called the cops.

  “Hello? I’d like to report an incident,” I said, breathing hard. “Some drunks... They’re using their elements... Please hurry... I swear the guy turned invisible. They’re going to destroy the bar. Might have even threatened someone.” I glanced at the ad of the nearest bar until I spotted the name, ignoring the questions the dispatcher asked me. “Lacey’s Café in Moriss...” I ended the call. The cops were working with Elemontera, so I had no doubt Elemontera’s agents would pop up as soon as they heard about invisible elementals.

  Making sure no one saw me, I jogged to the nearest building and hid behind a big trash container. The café was right across from me and I hoped I’d see the agents when they came. I had no idea if they’d send Kenna’s brother, but they’d just lost one agent who could see invisible elementals. How many trustworthy agents did they have here?

  Three minutes later, the screech of tires indicated that the vans had arrived. Wow, Elemontera was fast to jump when someone threatened to expose the secret about a different kind of elementals to the world. I took a peek at the café and saw at least six men in suits going inside while another two circled in front of it, looking at the sky and at the nearby buildings. These two had to be like me. One of the guys looked in my direction and I ducked, hoping he hadn’t noticed me. He had short dark hair, but I couldn’t see the color of his eyes.

  I held my breath, curling into a tight ball. Even if someone came closer, it wouldn’t be easy to spot me behind the container and trash cans.

  “See anything?” a gruff male voice said.

  “Nope. You?” They were coming closer to my hiding place. Hopefully, the smell of trash would convince them to search in a more pleasant area.

  “Nothing,” the first man said. “They could be long gone by now.”

  “No, if they were here, they couldn’t have left the area,” the other man said determinedly. How was he so sure?

  “Yeah, but if it wasn’t your sister...”

  “I know she’s here, in the city. She was always the one to show off with her powers, so it wouldn’t surprise me this was one of her ways to try to get to me or expose us to the world. If I knew how to contact her, I would.”

  If I wasn’t wrong, this guy was Kenna’s brother. How many Elemontera agents with special abilities had a sister who was in the city? Probably not many.

  “We’ll catch her. Don’t worry.”

  “She’s been hiding from me for a long time.”

  “Someone must be helping her.”

  “Probably.”

  “You know who else is back in town?”

  “No.” If Nick’s voice was of any indication, they were getting closer and closer to me, but I had nowhere to run. “Who?”

  “Jaiden Maiers,” the guy snickered. “If your sister is with him, they’ll kill them both.”

  “No, they won’t. Boss promised me the privilege of terminating Kenna for him.” Nick’s voice never wavered and I pressed my hand against my mouth. He had to be lying. He wouldn’t have hurt his own sister, would he? It had to be all part of the pretense so that Elemontera didn’t kill him too. Or was Jaiden right about Nick? Could someone have mind-controlled Nick into going against his sister? Just because Jaiden didn’t know anyone who could do it didn’t mean there wasn’t someone.

  “And you would do it? Dude, she’s your sister.” The guy’s voice was full of disbelief. They were so close to me now that I was sure they’d see me.

  “Guys, get back! False alarm!” someone yelled. I closed my eyes, hoping they’d just go away. Footsteps sounded as someone headed back to the van or wherever, but I had a feeling one of the guys had stayed.

  “Wherever you are, sister, don’t let me find you,” Nick mumbled so quietly that I barely heard him.

  “Nick! Get your ass here!” the guy yelled. I hadn’t moved, still trying to process what I’d heard. Mind control was the best explanation that I could come up with. Someone had forced Nick to go after his sister and Nick couldn’t do anything about it. He could only hope Kenna would stay away. Oh God.

  When I was sure all the agents were gone, I got to my feet, glad that I hadn’t accidentally sat down on the trash or seen a rat. Calling to my air, I let it whip around me for a couple of moments. At least my air managed to chase away the nauseous feeling from my stomach.

  Chapter 24

  It was night by the time I got back to the apartment. My feet hurt and I thought I would crumble to the ground at any moment.

  Noah opened the door, his hair messy as if he’d run a hand through it a million times. His shoulders relaxed only for a fraction. “Where have you been? I thought someone...”

  “Just out. Trying to clear my mind.” I didn’t want to tell him what I’d done. He’d had too much to worry about today. I’d tell him some other time.

  “Have you seen Jaiden?” He bit down on his lower lip, his eyes restless.

  “No, why? Didn’t he come here or go back to the island?”

  “No. That’s why I’m worried. One of my friends just told me Elemontera’s agents were checking every bar and café because someone called the cops and they think it’s related to Jaiden. I don’t know.” He licked his lips. “I was about to go out to see if I can find him before they do.”

  “Why would Jaiden be at some bar?” Elemontera wanted Jaiden pretty badly if they were willing to visit thousands of bars in the area just because he might
be there. But considering his abilities...

  “I don’t know. Maybe he isn’t, but I can’t sit here and let them get him. They’ll kill him.”

  “Is his phone still off?” It was all my fault. If Jaiden was out there and they got him, it would be because of me and my stupid plan.

  “Yeah.”

  I swore. “Okay, I’ll go find him. You stay here.”

  “No way. He saved my life. I owe him this.” His brow furrowed, his fists tightening.

  “Do you know if he has a favorite bar or something?” We had to narrow down our search area somehow or we had absolutely no chances of finding him.

  Noah’s brow furrowed and he shook his head. “We haven’t been in the city for months.”

  I gritted my teeth together. “We still have to start somewhere. Do you think you could fly over the city and try to spot him? I can check the bars.” It was better if Noah didn’t come inside where an Elemontera agent could recognize his face from the system.

  “Yeah.” His hand was translucent, his fingers trembling. “Be careful. We do have to find him, but you shouldn’t risk your life. If you see Elemontera’s agents, get away from them no matter what.”

  I nodded. We were about to open the door and go outside when Noah placed his hand on my shoulder.

  “Wait, I forgot something.” He dashed across the hall and into one of the rooms. When he was back, I could see two phones in his hands. He handed me the darker one. “Take this so you can call me. It works on a secret network and you don’t have to worry about Elemontera tracking it.”

  I inspected the phone, but it didn’t look any different from a regular phone. “Are you sure about that? I mean, if you know about it, then why wouldn’t Elemontera too? From what I gathered, they have awesome devices and tracking abilities.” How could a network pass undetected? Someone would have noticed an unidentified signal and tried to figure out what it was.

  “I know the guy who created it.” He raised his chin up, a smile crossing his lips. “It’s not as simple as I made it sound. It’s actually the system similar to what we have on the island. Our network sort of piggybacks on another signal.” He waved his hand. “I’ll explain some other time.”

  “Okay. If you believe it’s safe to use, then I’ll trust you.” I slid the phone into my pocket and pulled the jacket closer to myself. It had to be getting cold outside, but I didn’t have time to find something else to wear.

  Shivers shook my body as we descended the stairs, but I decided to ignore the cold and the nauseous feeling in the depth of my stomach. If something happened to Jaiden because I’d put Elemontera on alert, I’d never forgive myself. Noah rose into the air, his body turning into a shimmering cloud and speeding away.

  I kept walking and found myself on a busy street. People’s arms and elbows brushed against me, and I couldn’t help but think that I could be touching someone else like me or an undercover Elemontera agent. Maybe the agents couldn’t tell who I really was without seeing me use my elements, but what if there was someone who could? Jaiden had abilities that no one else had. There could always be someone who had even more special or deadlier ones, and who was helping Elemontera to track down elementals like us.

  I’d been in over a dozen of bars and hadn’t seen Jaiden or anything remotely interesting. The good thing was that I hadn’t run into Elemontera either, but my stomach was doing little flips at the thought that they might have caught Jaiden already. My pocket vibrated, making me jump. It took me a moment to remember the phone Noah had given me.

  “Hello?” I said hesitantly, hoping that I’d pressed the correct button in my hurry to answer.

  “I found him, but I have a problem.” Noah’s voice sounded weary. “Do you happen to know where Zertro is?”

  “Umm.” I ransacked my brain, even though names usually vanished fast from my mind.

  “That famous bar with big purple letters?”

  “Yeah, I know now.” I ran my hand through my hair, looking around me to find the shortest path to the bar. “I’m only two blocks away. I’ll be right there.”

  “Hurry, please,” he said and ended the call. I forced myself to hurry despite the protest of my feet. Following the flashy lights, I found myself in front of the club, but Noah was nowhere in sight.

  “Hey!” he yelled, and I turned around. He was hiding in the alley right across from the club.

  “So where is he?” I raised an eyebrow at Noah.

  “Inside.” He pointed at the club. “I saw him only briefly through the glass, but it’s definitely him.”

  Squinting, I try to see through the glass that covered most of the wall. It was too early for a party, so the lights were still bright. “Okay. Why don’t you get him out? Is Elemontera here too?”

  Noah licked his lips. “No, we have another problem. I don’t see any agents, but the bouncer won’t let me in.”

  A wave of relief threatened to buckle my knees. Jaiden was fine and Elemontera wasn’t about to get him. “Why not?” I frowned at Noah.

  “You have to be over twenty-one to get inside. I don’t happen to have a fake I.D.” He ground his teeth together. “It’s an exclusive bar. They don’t want kids inside.”

  “Then how did Jaiden get inside?” He wasn’t twenty-one either.

  “Apparently, he looks older or he convinced the guy.” Noah crossed his arms, his jaw set. “I’d fly right inside, but Jaiden is sitting in the middle of the bar and everyone would see me if I appeared out of nowhere. They’d hear us talking too.”

  “Can’t you fly into the restroom and come through there?”

  “I would, but it’s right across from the entrance. I’m sure the bouncer would remember my face.”

  I sighed. “Then I’ll go get Jaiden.”

  “No offense, but you’re eighteen too.” He gave me a hopeful look. “Do you have a fake I.D.?”

  “Don’t need one.” I shrugged out of my jacket and handed it to Noah, who stared at me, his eyebrows raised. “I’ve done this before. With my friends from university.” The friends I hadn’t talked to for days and who might be worried about me, but it wasn’t like I could explain everything to them anyway. My parents must have come up with some excuse if someone had come looking for me.

  “Umm, okay, but are you sure it will work with this guy? He seems to take his job seriously.” Noah’s blue eyes flashed with uncertainty.

  “Trust me.” I gave him a long look, adjusting my dress so it would expose more of my cleavage.

  “What if he’s gay?” Noah pressed his lips together, but couldn’t suppress a laugh.

  “Then he would have let you in.” I winked at him, ruffling my hair so that a couple of strands fell across my eye.

  “Really?”

  “Totally.” I gave him a once over.

  A wide grin spread his lips. “I’ll call you if Elemontera shows up.” He tilted his head at me. “You look...”

  “I know.” I made my way across the street, my chin held high, my steps confident. The bouncer narrowed his eyes at me, but didn’t try to stop me. I breathed out a sigh of relief and tried to spot Jaiden. That didn’t take me long, because he was the only one sitting on one of the high stools at the bar, his head bowed.

  “Hey,” I said as I approached him.

  “Not interested,” he mumbled, not looking up.

  I rolled my eyes. “Jaiden, we need to get out of here.”

  He turned his head and lifted his eyes toward me. “Moira? What are you...?” His lips parted slightly as he looked me up and down.

  “We need to leave. Now. The bad guys could be here at any moment. Come on.” I eyed the bartender, who was watching us too closely for my liking.

  “Who?” Jaiden slurred and picked up the glass.

  I couldn’t risk being overheard, so I leaned forward, my lips brushing against Jaiden’s ear. “Elemontera is searching all the bars. We can’t stay here.”

  He shook his head. “You go. I stay.”

  “Jaiden, plea
se.” I tugged at his arm. If I had to drag him out of here, I’d do it.

  “No. Drink.” He pushed the glass toward me, his fingers wrapping around my wrist. “Stay.”

  “Don’t be stupid. We have to go.” I pulled out of his grip.

  “Not going anywhere.” He snatched the glass and took a gulp of some yellowish liquid.

  Taking hold of his arm, I made him put the glass back on the bar and moved it out of his reach. “Come on.”

  Annoyance flashed through his dark eyes. “Leave me... or I’ll... make you.”

  Did he really think he could mind control me while he was drunk? Apparently, he did, because a pang of pain pulsed at the back of my head, but I ignored it. “Jaiden, listen to me. We have to go. I’m not leaving without you.”

  He frowned, then let out a frustrated sigh. “Only if we go...” He used his element to drag the glass back. I shot a nervous look at the people around us, but no one seemed to pay attention. Maybe I was imagining it, but I could see the shimmering around the glass. “...somewhere with more alcohol.”

  “Okay.” I was ready to agree to anything just to get him out of here. It didn’t seem like he’d remember a word I’d said after he sobered up.

  “You promise?” His glassy dark eyes met mine. “We get home. You drink with me?”

  I took a deep breath, debating what to do. He wouldn’t come with me under any other condition and it was pointless to try to reason with a drunk man. I could deal with him easier once we got to the apartment. Maybe he’d fall asleep or something. “I promise.” I didn’t like the way his face lit up.

  He jumped to his feet and nearly fell over. I had to use all of my strength to keep him up, letting him lean on my shoulders. A bark of laughter escaped his lips as we made our way to the door and he stopped walking.

  “What now?”

  “Come here.” Grabbing my hand, he started to pull me toward the restrooms. What the hell was he trying to do?

  “No. The door is over there.” I nodded toward the entrance.

  “Come.” He squeezed my hand.