“Yes ma’am. It’s an all-expense paid cruise. Two tickets will arrive in the mail shortly.”
“Oh my god!” She smiled, “Thank you so much.”
“You’re very welcome, Ms. Holt. All the information will be in your package. Have a wonderful day and enjoy your vacation.”
“I will. Thank you. Bye.” She hung the phone up.
“What is it?” her mother asked again.
“I won a cruise, Mom!”
“You did what?”
“I entered one of those cruise things at the mall and I won.”
“Are you sure? She paused, “We’ll have to check it out.”
“I can’t believe it, Mom. We can finally go on our cruise!”
Her mom pulled the bedroom door open, “Maybe… don’t get too excited. We don’t know if it’s real yet.”
“It is, Mom!”
“Okay, we’ll see.” She shut the door.
Brea felt like jumping up and down, but she couldn’t yet. First she had to get rid of Buck. There had to be a way to make him go away.
Chapter Ten… (Magic)
…Ava…
Ava tried to pay close attention to what Mr. John was doing. She stood in the middle of Aunt Avalene’s greenhouse. Flowers and herbs were everywhere. A secret compartment sat under the counter for making certain spells; bottles of root oil and other natural ingredients. The smells were wonderful and she had hidden in here many times as a child.
Mr. John stood over a large bucket of water. His hands were extended out in front of him; his eyes were so blue that they looked like they were made of water; almost like they were rippling. He waved his hands back and forth over the water and then thrust one hand up. The water rose under his hand.
Ava gasped, “Wow!”
Sherri looked over and smiled
Mr. John took his hand and made a swirling motion. The water turned into a small waterspout spinning faster and faster under the direction of his hand. He smiled, “You just have to learn to feel the water. It’s already a part of you.” He let it drop back into the bucket. “Come try.”
Ava stepped forward. She had done some Element magic, but mostly as a child and usually by accident. She held her hands out over the water. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate as she lifted her hands and imagined the water lifting up underneath her palm. She opened her eyes and nothing was happening.
“Keep trying,” Mr. John encouraged. “Feel it here, in your heart,” he tapped his chest with two fingers.
She shook her wrist and moved her neck in a slow circle to loosen up. “Okay.” She looked down at the water in the bucket. She thought about everything she loved about water. She thought about the cool river water on a summer day; the way it surrounded her and washed through her hair when she and Brea went swimming. She thought about the rain and the way Aunt Avalene liked to dance around in it. Something she had also loved to do as a child. She moved her hands back and forth and pulled up, focusing all her energy toward her hands. The water came up and splashed the back side of her hands.
“Hold it Ava,” Mr. John said.
The water started to sink down. “I’m trying to.” She pulled again using all the strength in her hands and all the concentration she could find. The water came crashing up again. She smiled. It was so amazing; controlling water.
“Good,” he said. “You’re a natural.”
She smiled again and tried moving her hand in a circle. The water started to spin, the same way it had for Mr. John.
Sherri worked with her next. Ava had to admit she was excited about wind. As a child she had always loved to stand out on the riverbank and imagine that she could command the wind. When the wind picked up she would get so excited. She had never imagined that she really was causing the wind to blow; that it wasn’t a coincidence at all.
Sherri bent down and grabbed a dry leaf from the ground. “I have wanted to show you all of this for so long.”
Ava smiled, “I still can’t believe this. Why didn’t you and Aunt Avalene tell me before?”
“You weren’t ready yet.”
“Do you think I am now?”
“Yes,” she smiled and turned. She closed her eyes and held the leaf out in her hands, a warm breeze surrounded them and then the leaf rose above her hand and danced in the breeze.
“I wonder if I will learn it all in time.”
“You will,” Sherri smiled tossing the leaf to her.
Ava caught it and looked around. Mr. John had gone back into the house. “Sherri?”
“Yes?” She turned.
“Have you ever been in love?”
Sherri stopped, “Once or twice…Why?”
“Have you ever liked two guys at once?”
She looked away, “Of course…but one always stood out more than the other. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that I sort of think I might like these two guys. One I have liked for a long time. He finally likes me back, but I sort of really like someone else too.”
“Well, in your heart you know who you like more.”
Ava thought about Alec, about the dream. “Yeah, but it’s complicated. What if you’re not sure if you can trust him, since you don’t know him that well?”
“Well,” Sherri sat down on the edge of the fire pit, “It’s hard to trust anyone with your heart. My mother always said, ‘If you don’t jump, you will never know if you will fly.”’
“It’s not like I really have time for a boyfriend right now anyway…with all this.”
“Sure you do. You still have to have a life. This is just a part of it. What I said about jumping…sometimes it can be great. You will experience things you never imagined and other times you will fall flat on your face, but the fall is the best part. Ava I don’t want you to miss any part of your life. A lot has been placed on your shoulders, but you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“I know, but I’m starting to wonder if I might want to.”
“Being born of the Element is amazing and wonderful. I always knew you would be fine.”
What about Lareina’s Clutch and challenging her? It’s kind of scary. What do you know about Lareina’s Clutch?”
Sherri looked up, “Well, the Clutch guards have always protected us. I even dated someone in the guard when I was younger. They are strong and loyal, but they are also under Lareina’s rule now.”
“So you don’t think they are bad?”
“No, they aren’t, but a lot of those born of the Element are fooled by Lareina. Most of them don’t know what she does, so you can’t trust them. Unfortunately, you really can’t trust anyone right now.”
“Did she really kill my grandmother, Nadia, in her sleep?”
Sherri stood, “How do you know about that?”
“Um, I…” Ava looked around like the answer would come to her. “don’t know…?”
“You don’t know?” Sherri looked skeptical, “You don’t have to tell me, but I need to know if someone has been talking to you. And yes it’s true. Has Avalene ever shown you the old pictures?”
“I haven’t been talking to anyone,” she hated to lie, “and no she hasn’t shown me the pictures. She has shown me pictures of our ancestors that were killed during the Salem witch trials. Do you think the legend of witches came from someone who knew an Elementris?”
“I think it was a combination of legends from Elementris’ like us and legends from the ones who follow The Waerven.”
“The Waerven? There really are people who do dark magic…and witches?”
“Well, yes. Some of them are just like us, but they do evil things. The leader of The Waerven is an Elementor himself. I don’t want to scare you with all that.”
“Do they know about me too?”
Possibly, but it’s doubtful.” She let out a breath, “Let’s get back to work. You have a lot to learn and the others are leaving soon. Ms. Greta is going to show you spirit tonight.”
“Okay,” Ava said. She stood
up, still holding the leaf in her palm. She had so many questions, but for now she needed to learn.
After Ava finally got a little control over wind, they went inside for lunch. Ms. Greta and Ms. Ruby were helping Aunt Avalene in the kitchen. Mr. John was watching a football game in the living room. Ava bent down and grabbed a soda from the fridge. Aunt Avalene reached past her to grab the mayonnaise, “Brea called you earlier.”
“She did?”
“Yes, I told her you would call her back.”
“Okay.” Ava walked towards the phone and pulled it into the other room.
The phone rang three times before Brea’s mom picked it up, “Hello.”
“Can I talk to Brea?”
“I’m sorry Ava, but she’s on restriction.”
“Mom, let me talk to her!”
“No Brea, you’re on restriction.”
“Ava, you will have to talk to her when she gets off restriction.”
“Okay…”
“Bye,” her mom said.
“Bye,” Ava hung up. “Did her mom find out about the party?” She stood up and went back into the kitchen.
…Alec…
Alec stood with his back against the back gate of the prison as he waited for Shawn to let him in. The cigarette rested behind his ear and the can of Dr. Pepper was in his hand. He couldn’t wait to talk to her. He had to know more.
The gate slid open slowly. Shawn stood with his back to him. “Go, now.” He whispered.
Alec moved quickly to her cell. It was nearly midnight and he was tired, but the way his adrenalin was rushing he wouldn’t be sleeping any time soon. He slipped into her cell and Shawn locked it and walked off. She lay there wide-awake, staring at him. “So, you made it back.”
“I got your Dr. Pepper. Will you tell me what happened now. I want to know everything.”
She smiled, “Do you have my cigarette?”
“Yeah,” he pulled it from behind his ear. “Are you going to tell me? Everything?”
“Yes.”
He tossed the cigarette to her, “I’m done with games. What exactly happened?”
“No patience,” she rolled her eyes.
“Don’t play games with me,” his voice was as sharp as a razors edge.
She exhaled. “We all got there for The Waerven meeting. I was a little late, but I saw her and the three of them walking with Draken. I knew they were trying not to be seen so I looked away and walked off. The last person you want to piss off is Draken.”
“Her…? Who was with them?”
“Lareina. She was with them, the three Clutch guards. Your friend was there.”
His mind raced. “If it was a set-up, why would Scott be meeting with Draken and why would he be okay with Lareina meeting with The Waerven?” His throat felt tight. Scott wouldn’t…what was he doing with them? He tried to stay calm so he could find everything out.
“Yeah, they all came together. That was the second time I saw those three Clutch guards meeting with Draken. It was the first time I saw her though.”
Scott never said anything about meeting with Draken…or any of that. “You have no idea why they were meeting?”
“No.”
“What happened after that? What happened with the blonde guard? How exactly did he die?”
She grabbed the cigarette and lit it. He noticed the way her hands shook. “We were told that it was just a Waerven meeting. No one knew it was a sacrifice until that guy walked out.”
“What do you mean ‘walked out?”’
“He walked out like he was…” she paused, “volunteering or something.”
“Are you telling me the truth?” his pulse quickened. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Why would I lie? Do you know how much shit I could get into for even talking to you. If he knew…, she hesitated, then continued. If he knew, then I would be next, or worse he would go after my family.”
“Why are you willing to risk telling me all this?”
“Because I’m not stupid,” she pushed her blonde hair back “I know I’m not getting out of here. She knows that I know that she and Draken know each other. That’s enough for her to kill me. I’m sure she will do a trial or whatever, but I’m not leaving this hellhole, ever.”
“So that’s why you’re telling me?”
“I guess I might as well. People say I’m a cold bitch, but at least I’m honest. Queen Lareina sits up there on her throne pretending to be Ms. Mother Earth. She’s just as evil as Draken. At least he doesn’t pretend to be something he’s not. I figure if she’s gonna kill me, at least somebody should know the truth.” She took a long sip of her Dr. Pepper. “You already know she ain’t ‘Ms. Perfect love the earth’ don’t you? That’s why you’re asking me all this?”
“Yeah,” he looked down. “How did they get you if no one was fighting?”
“The two other ones grabbed me after it was over. I think they saw me and thought I overheard something. That’s when I knew for sure that no one was supposed to know that their little meeting took place.”
“They didn’t try to stop it…the…?”
“Sacrifice?”
“Yeah.”
She shrugged “Well, they acted like they were trying, but it was all for show. I know that for sure.
He sank back against the wall. “The guy that got sac…,” he stopped not able to say the word. “He was my best friend.” He looked up, “He didn’t fight them at all?”
“No, he walked right up.” She looked at him, pulling her thin brows together, “I’m sorry for, you know…, being such a bitch and all. I didn’t know he was your best friend.”
“That’s okay,” he looked back at her.
She let out a breath like she had been holding it for a long time. “There’s something else I haven’t told you.”
He took a step closer to her, “What is it?” He wasn’t sure if he could take anymore. It was bad enough that the answers he had just created more questions; stranger ones. “Why the hell was Scott with them and why would he walk up there? Why would he secretly meet with them and not tell me or Shawn? Did he tell Shawn? He couldn’t have been in with her. Could he?”
“It’s about that girl.”
“What girl?” The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
“The next True Elementris. I don’t know if this means anything, but my best friend Becka heard Draken say that he was going to get to her first. That Lareina thinks she might know who it is, but that he would get her first.”
“Does he know who it is?”
“No, I don’t think so. He would have gotten her already. Do you know who it is? Because I think it has something to do with the meetings they have been having.”
“No,” he stood up. “I’ve got to get out of here.” He cleared his throat, giving Shawn the signal, “Thanks though...for telling me everything.”
“It’s fine,” she sounded a little pissed. “Whatever.”
Alec turned, “You really have helped me…I wish I could help you somehow, but we both know I can’t.”
“I know,” she sort of smiled. “Come back and talk if you want. I’m obviously not going anywhere and no one else will talk to me.”
“I might have to do that.” He knew he probably wouldn’t risk talking to her again, but for some reason he felt a little guilty for that. He looked back at her just before Shawn unlocked the gate. He slipped out and then moved quickly to the back gate. Shawn unlocked that one too.
A Green came around the corner. “What happened?” he asked.
Shawn and Alec looked at each other, “Nothing, Alec said. “We thought we heard something at the back gate.”
“Oh,” he said staring at it. “Are you on watch duty too?” he looked at Alec.
“No,” Shawn answered looking lost for only a second. “He had to bring me something and then we heard the noise.”
“Oh…, okay,” he walked off.
Alec and Shawn walked through together just to make the
story look good, but they were both thinking the same thing. “Don’t let Lareina find out. She might get suspicious.”
Chapter Eleven… (Hostage)
…Ava…
“He called last night,” she told Brea on the phone, her voice betraying her excitement.
“Troy?” She whispered. Still on restriction and holed up hostage in her room.
“Yeah.”
“Wow…you and Troy Drake. It’s crazy. Where is he taking you?”
“I don’t know, he just said he would pick me up at seven. I wonder if he really is like me…wouldn’t that be crazy? All this time and we didn’t know.”
“Yeah, like soul mates or something.”
“I don’t know about soul mates…I mean...”
“Are you still all hung up on your mystery guy…warrior boy?”
“I’m not hung up…I just…well can’t get him out of my head.”
“You’ve liked Troy forever, don’t mess it up. How many times have I had to hear how beautiful his blue eyes are and every detail about his all-around awesomeness? Besides, you don’t even know where warrior boy is. I mean you haven’t seen him again have you?”
“No.”
“Plus,” Brea added, “he might be bad. I mean think about it, Lareina’s Clutch wants you and he just happens to show up the same night you find everything out? What are the odds?”
“Yeah…I guess, but he did save me that night.”
“Yeah…but, that’s all you know. You should be careful with him. What are you doing today?”
She dropped down into the wood chair by the phone table in the hall “Learning…magic.”
“Really?” Brea whispered excitedly.
“Yeah, they are all leaving soon, so Aunt Avalene says I have to learn as much as I can while they are here. I’ve done nothing but train since they got here. I guess I can stand a little bit more. That’s the only way I talked her into a date on a school night. Not like I’ve asked before. She tried to act all normal when I told her, but you should have seen her face. She looked happy as a lark that I was going on a date. She was even happier when I told her I was ready to learn. I’m getting pretty good with it all.”
Elementris, Exposure, Eruption Box set: The Vangeretta Curse Series Page 14