Elementris, Exposure, Eruption Box set: The Vangeretta Curse Series

by Christina Mobley

  “No.” His eyes glazed with hate, “He killed her. She was a sacrifice.” He tugged at her hands and pulled her against him suddenly. “I won’t let that happen to you, Ava. I can’t stay here and protect you, but I will make sure you can protect yourself.” He kissed her. Her legs felt weak, his soft lips tasted like peppermint. His kiss was different than Troy’s. It was real and amazing. She never wanted it to end and never wanted to let go of him.

  But he did let go, and he wasn’t kidding about protecting her. For the next three hours they trained as Alec taught her how to protect herself just in case he wasn’t around when she needed him. The close contact was fun. She found it difficult to concentrate. It was hard to practice breaking free from Alec’s holds, when she really wanted to stay right there, locked in his strong arms forever.

  The next morning she woke up with a smile on her face. She couldn’t help it. Every part of her felt alive. Alec was so…different than anyone she had ever known. He was hot too. She wished she could show Brea what he looked like. She blushed and grinned at the mirror as she ran her brush though her hair. Just thinking about him made her blush. She hated that she couldn’t see him anytime she wanted to.

  Downstairs Aunt Avalene stood pouring a cup of coffee, “Morning, Shug.”

  Ava paused, wondering if she knew she was out last night. “Morning,” she put her book in her backpack. “So I’ve been thinking about it. I think I’m going to go see her.”

  Aunt Avalene put down her cup. “I think that’s a good idea. Ava…,” she paused, “Who is Alec?”

  Ava froze and turned around.

  “Ava, I heard you in your sleep.”

  The words seemed to burst from her mouth uncontrollably, “I wanted to tell you about him, Aunt Avalene. I just didn’t know what you would say. He was the one from that night. He protected me from Lareina’s Clutch.”

  “Who is he Ava?”

  “He’s a Clutch guard, but he’s good. He’s been trying to help me and...”

  “Does she know who you are?” Aunt Avalene grabbed her shoulders. “Does Lareina know?”

  “No, Alec has been extra careful to make sure she doesn’t find out. He doesn’t want me to give it up. They want her gone, Hazeltrouph said that…“

  “Hazeltrouph…you have seen him?”

  “Yes, he’s Alec’s father.”

  “But, he’s dead…they said he was dead.”

  “No, he’s not…he’s alive.”

  Aunt Avalene suddenly smiled. “This is the best news. I want to see him. I need to talk to Hazeltrouph.

  “I can tell you where…,” Ava turned, a little confused. “So you trust him?”

  “Yes, Shug. This is the best news! He was your grandmother, Nadia’s, most trusted advisor and he is a good person to have on our side.”

  “Should I wait to go see my mother?”

  “No, go. I’m just happy; this is a good thing Ava. We have always assumed all the Clutch guards and others born of the Element didn’t know the truth about Lareina. Most of them fall for her smoke and mirrors; there is only a small group of us who know she is evil. The fact that Hazeltrouph is alive and on our side and your friend… I am so glad he is helping us and knows how evil Lareina is. This is a wonderful thing. It will make it so much easier when the time comes for you to take your place as the True Elementris.” She paused, “If that’s what you decide of course. You still need to be careful.”

  “I will…I was thinking of going to the airport in the morning.”

  “The sooner you go, the better. Your birthday is approaching fast and you need to be sure of your decision before it gets here. When you get back, we will continue to work on your training and Hazeltrouph might be able to help you prepare as well.”

  Someone knocked on the door. They both turned. Ava walked from the kitchen and opened the door. Troy stood there with a smile on his face. “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  “Here,” he held out a folded piece of paper. “I got it for you.”

  “Got what?” she opened it. “Oh, the spell. Thanks Troy.”

  “You’re welcome,” he moved closer and tilted his head to kiss her.

  She stood completely still as his lips came to hers. Suddenly it felt different kissing him, alien. It just wasn’t Alec.

  “I’ll see you at school. Oh and here,” he held out a small jar.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s black stone powder. I didn’t know if your aunt would have it. Make sure to spread it around each corner of the house.”

  “Thanks so much for this Troy.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  She shut the door, put the paper and the black stone powder in her backpack, and told Aunt Avalene goodbye before she left.

  Brea stood outside on the porch as usual. Bucks truck was gone. Ava got out of the car glancing quickly at the E Construction sign next to Brea’s house. There were no workers there today. The sign alone gave her chills.

  “What’s going on?” Brea met her at the front of the car. The wind lifted her hair.

  Ava glanced up at the overcast sky, “I’ve got something for you. I found a spell to banish someone from a dwelling. We have to hurry though.”

  “Thank god!” Brea smiled, “What do we have to do?”

  “Just take this,” she handed her the black-stone powder and they hurried to do the spell. Ava whispered the strange words as Brea followed behind her sifting some of the black-stone powder around the corners of the house.

  “That’s it?” Brea asked.

  “Yeah,” Ava put the jar back in her bag. “It’s supposed to banish him from the dwelling.”

  “How does it work?”

  Ava pulled open her car door and tossed her backpack in the back seat, “I don’t know exactly. I guess we will just have to wait and see.”

  “As long as he’s gone, I don’t care how it happens.”

  All day at school she felt conflicted. Sure she liked Alec more, in fact she was starting to feel something deeper for him, but she had liked Troy for so long. He treated her really good and he was still the hottest guy at school. He was like her too and together they could figure this all out. She smiled and tried to act like her normal self, but she was conflicted. She had to tell Brea too… about going to her mothers. At least Brea would be safe. Soon Buck would leave and Brea had her necklace. She was protected. She pulled out her cell phone and pressed the calendar button. Only three more weeks left until her birthday. It was all too fast.

  The next morning she told Aunt Avalene goodbye at the gate. Brea knew and had not stopped texting her since they said goodbye last night. It was just her nature to be nosy. She wouldn’t be gone long, just a couple of days and this would be over. Ava sat on the plane, surrounded by people and feeling completely alone. She wanted answers, sure, but this was real. This was happening.

  Her mother knew she was coming; she would be waiting at the airport. She glanced around at the other people on the plane. A guy reading a newspaper sat across from her. A man and woman with a little girl sat in front of her. They both cooed over how beautiful and smart their little girl was. Ava smiled, it was clear to see that the little girl was loved. It made Ava feel good even though there was a time when something as simple as seeing a mother and her little girl would have brought tears to her eyes. Aunt Avalene was right, she was stronger now. She could face her mother and not be torn apart by her. And it was time. It was time for answers.

  She stayed in her seat after the plane landed and watched everyone else pass her. When the last person passed her seat, she stood up and forced her feet to move. She took a deep breath and prepared herself as she followed the other passengers through the terminal. She looked up as she reached the end. She was standing there, looking almost as nervous as Ava felt. Her brown hair pulled back in a neat bun and her purse gripped at her side. She gave a half-hearted smile as she looked back at Ava.

  They didn’t speak to each other; they simply walked silently to
pick up her bag and then out to the car. Ava twisted her hair nervously around her finger. Something she had not done since she was a little girl. Finally she couldn’t stand it anymore. The silence was screaming at her.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To a hotel,” her mother’s voice was a whisper. “The things we have to talk about…,” she looked over at Ava as she stopped at the light, “I don’t want Tom or anyone else knowing about it.”

  “Does he know I’m here?”

  “No.”

  “I figured that.” Ava rolled her eyes, “Why did you bring me here if you were embarrassed by me.”

  “It’s not that Ava, and you know that. This trip is about you and me.” She turned into the hotel.

  Chapter Fourteen… (Truth)

  A really big, fifteen story hotel with sleek marble floors and a glass elevator stood before them, casting a tilted shadow over the street. They didn’t speak another word until they were safely in the room with the door closed. The room was nicer than anything Ava had ever seen. Thick red curtains covered the windows and it had two separate bedrooms and a small sitting room in the middle. Fresh flowers were arranged on the coffee table. She couldn’t imagine what a room like this cost.

  She watched her mother moving nervously around the room. Ava wanted it over with. She wanted to know. “Why Mother?” she said suddenly. “Why did you act like I was such a freak? Why did you say magic wasn’t real? I know you had it too. I know you grew up on Element Island. I know all of it.”

  Her mother didn’t react at all, she simply poured herself a drink from the mini bar and casually walked over to the sofa and sat down.

  Ava stared at her, feeling like she would explode. She had to work to keep the elements under control. She could feel the hot electricity working through her body, making her fingertips tingle. She took a breath, “You brought me all the way here. No more games. I want the truth…Why?”

  Her mother swirled the ice in her cup and looked up, “Because I had to…I had to believe it wasn’t real. After everything that happened…I just wanted it to go away. I wanted to believe that it wasn’t real. I didn’t want you to have the curse. I didn’t want you to have to make that choice.”

  “Why didn’t you try to help me? Why did you send me away, Mother?”

  “Because Ava,” her eyes widened, “I had to! I wanted that part of my life to disappear…you brought it back. Even before you started showing signs of having the curse it was hard for me to be around you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your father,” she stood up and crossed the room to pour herself another drink.

  Ava looked up, noticing her hand shaking and the way the bottle clanked against the glass in her hand as she poured. She remembered the tears in Aunt Avalene’s eyes. “What was so horrible about him…my real father?”

  Her mother turned the drink up and downed it, and then she turned around. “He raped me, okay!?! He raped me!”

  …Alec…

  Alec walked slowly up the staircase toward his room. Shawn stepped out of the room and smiled. He looked better, had some of his color back. “Did you see her?” he asked.

  Alec nodded once, and then they heard it.

  The prison alarm!

  Boots suddenly pounded on the stone floor, voices shouted and doors slammed as the guard began to respond. Alec and Shawn shared a glance and took off running.

  Downstairs it was chaos; guards were running in all directions, council members were giving orders.

  An escape? Alec thought. They had drills of course, but not once had there been an escape. Not the entire time that Alec had been a guard. Not since the one when he was a child; the guy who killed the two kids when he escaped.

  “It’s the girl,” Shawn whispered as they ran towards the prison.

  They searched the island from top to bottom. By nightfall they all returned to the castle. There was a rumor that someone let her out. Everyone was being interrogated. Since no one can use magic in the prison walls, an escape was impossible without help.

  That night it got worse. Alec was placed on watch duty with Ben. They were stationed by the boat dock, just outside the prison walls. They stood there in silence for hours. No sign of anything, not even a footprint in the sand. Alec wavered slightly on his feet. He was tired, his mind wasn’t here. It was back in Florida, with Ava.

  Ben broke the silence suddenly, “I need to talk to you, Alec.”

  Alec felt his temper burn, “I have nothing to say to you.”

  “What if I could give you answers,” he whispered, looking straight ahead as he spoke, like he was talking to someone across the ocean rather than to Alec, who stood right next to him. “I could tell you the truth about Scott.”

  Alec turned and leapt. His heart raced as he pinned Ben down “I know what happened—you killed him!” His hands encircled Ben’s throat and he slammed his head down in the sand.

  Ben pushed at him, trying to break free, “No I didn’t! He killed himself and you know that!”

  Alec released him suddenly, his hands shaking, “I don’t believe that.”

  Ben stood up and brushed himself off. “Yes you do, and I can tell you why he did it.”

  “Why would you do that and how do you know what I might or might not know?”

  Ben walked over to him with his hands up. “I’m coming closer so we can keep this conversation between us. He jerked his head towards the guard tower behind him, “I’ll tell you everything. Just calm down.”

  …Ava…

  Ava sat back on the bed. “What do you mean you were raped? Who was he?”

  Her mother swallowed down another drink. “His name was Samuel. I don't know his last name, or anything else about him. I was only seventeen. He was just always there. He was in love with me. I turned him down over and over again. He just didn’t get it. Everywhere I went he was there. It was right after my mother died. I had just moved in with Aunt Avalene and I went to this party…” She shook her head, “Anyway I found out I was pregnant two weeks before my eighteenth birthday. That’s when I decided. I wanted to start over. I didn’t want any part of the magic or my past. I gave it up on my eighteenth birthday and I left. That was it. I started over, I started going to church and I met Tom. For the first time in my life no one talked about magic or elements. For the first time, things were normal. When you were born Tom and I were so happy. He thought you were his.”

  “You didn’t tell him?”

  “And break his heart?” She shook her head, “No, I didn’t.” She poured herself another drink, “Besides I had no place to go but backwards, and I refused to go there.”

  “What about me? Why did you send me away?”

  She stood and walked to the window. “I was convinced that you were normal. Nothing happened. Nothing strange or magical your entire childhood until you were four. I was scared. I thought if I could make you believe it wasn’t real, you would stop. If you didn’t know the magic was inside you, maybe you would just get past it. It just got worse though, and then on top of trying to hide your curse from Tom and his nosy mother, she accused me of lying. She said you weren’t Tom’s.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  She narrowed her eyes, looking down into her glass. “I know that, but Tom loved you and telling him would only hurt him. She wouldn’t stop until I did a paternity test.” She looked up meeting Ava’s watery blue eyes. “I told Tom the truth about your…conception, but I couldn’t tell him what you really were and you were so… careless as a child. Every time I turned around I was hiding one of your little incidents from him, from everyone. I couldn’t take it anymore. Tom and I were already fighting and your preschool teacher was asking questions. I had no choice.”

  “You never came back for me, even after things got better for you.”

  “I did.” She turned around, “I came back when you were ten. It was too late by then. Living with Aunt Avalene, you used your magic freely. The only hope I had after that was that you
would decide to give it up. That’s why I’m doing this now. Ava, look at me,” she stood up and stepped closer. “You don’t want this. You probably think you do, but you could have a normal life. Just because something is given to you, does not necessarily mean it’s a gift.”

  “Do you know what I am Mother?”

  “Of course I do. You’re an Elementris.”

  “No, I’m a True Elementris.”

  “Like my mother…” She dropped her eyes and shook her head back and forth, “No…you can’t be.”

  “I am.” Ava stood up, “You see Mother—this is not a simple choice for me. If I give it up, I’m turning my back on so many.”

  “So what… Ava, don’t do this. You could die. Did she tell you that part? Did she tell you about the challenge? Are you stupid?”

  Ava’s cell vibrated for the third time in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered it, turning away from her mother. “Hello? Brea?”

  Brea was crying into the phone.

  “Brea, what’s wrong?”

  “It’s my mom…,” she managed. “He beat her so badly…she lost the baby.”

  “Where are you?”

  “At the hospital.”

  “Where is Buck?”

  “The police…they got him. You don’t think…” she sniffled into the phone “the spell did this, the banishing spell?”

  Ava froze, guilt wrapped around her throat, choking her for an instant. “It couldn’t…have. It’s just a coincidence.”

  “When are you coming home Ava…I need you, it’s all over the news and everything and my mom…she’s so...”

  “I’m leaving now. I’ll be on the first flight out.” She hung up the phone and put it back in her pocket. “I have to go back home. Can you take me to the airport?”

  “I’ll take you,” she took another sip of her drink, “but that’s exactly why you should give it up. Magic only causes pain and problems.”

  “You’re wrong Mother,” she grabbed her bag. “That’s exactly why I shouldn’t give it up. I have to protect the people I love.”

  …Alec…