“Yes, yes. You most certainly can.” A raspy voice rattled over her shoulder.
Ava turned to see Vincent standing behind her. His tall slender shape and narrow nose gave him a regal presence and his white robe trailed out behind him as he approached her. “However,” he held up a bony finger, “you have many responsibilities here and if something were to happen to you…”
Ava spun around, her frustration evident as she answered, “I would be perfectly safe with Thomas.”
“Yes, Queen Vangeretta, you would.” Vincent stepped closer, “However, do you want to put your guards in unnecessary danger?” He lifted his brows, “If you go with them, it just makes the trip that much more dangerous for all involved.” He smiled then and said, “Might I also point out that the Council is waiting for you…”
“Yeah,” Ava suddenly felt the weight of her responsibilities again and knew what she had to do. “I know. I just wanted...”
“Indeed,” Vincent interrupted, “We have a most urgent matter to discuss with you.”
Ava directed her attention back to Thomas, “Take care of her, okay?”
Thomas met her eyes, “You know I will, ma’am.”
“Um,” she bit the side of her lip, “Has anyone heard anything from Alec yet?”
“No, ma’am,” Thomas shook his head.
“Alec will return when the job is done,” Vincent said as he turned to leave. He jerked his head to let her know that she should do the same.
Ava nodded and glanced at Thomas.
Thomas looked to make sure Vincent was gone before meeting her gaze again. “If anyone hears anything, I’ll let you know. I promise.” He paused, “Don’t you worry none about Alec. He’s tough as nails and I pity anybody who tries to keep him from coming home to you.” He winked and went on his way.
Ava nodded, smiling as she followed Vincent back inside the castle. Thomas had made her feel a little better, but she wanted desperately to hear from Alec. He was on a mission to find the new leader of The Waevern. Whoever he was, he was a threat to Ava. He had let it be known that he wanted her dead and had offered a large reward to anyone that could deliver her to him. Alec had not taken that well at all and had vowed to find him and remove the threat to her. Ava worried more every day that he didn’t return. He hadn’t come into her dreams at all in three weeks. If she didn’t hear from him soon, she was afraid she would lose her mind.
Inside the meeting room, twelve members of the Council surrounded a glossy round table. They were all dressed in white robes and of the twelve, only two were women. The council was made up of highly respected Elementor’s and Elementris'. Most had proven themselves in some way over the years. They were the center of all the decision-making that took place on Element Island and they were more than a little intimidating.
Ava had the power to override any decision they made, but she was supposed to take their recommendations seriously. They handled most minor events on their own, only bringing the True Elementris in on important decisions. Ava secretly wondered what they thought of her and how close some of them might have been to Lareina. She still felt a little unsure about her place as their leader, but she was learning and she was determined that she wouldn’t be pushed around. The room was so quiet that Ava winced when her chair scraped across the floor. “Good morning,” she said, lowering herself into her chair.
“Good morning,” they repeated in unison.
Vincent cleared his throat and gestured towards the monitor on the wall. “We have a problem, Queen Vangeretta.”
An image appeared on the screen; it was that of a young girl with raven black hair and brown eyes. She wore a black backpack and a single tear streaked her sun-kissed face. “Who is she?” Ava asked, as she studied the picture.
Vincent opened a file in front of him. “Her name is Lyssa Relic. She lives in Houston, Texas. She is sixteen years old and has an affinity for water. We have had a few reports over the years of Lyssa causing some problems, but now she has gone too far. He pressed a button on the remote and a news broadcast appeared on the screen on the wall.
A reporter stood in front of a big church. Behind her, the camera focused on a young girl surrounded by a large crowd. She began to speak, “Local resident, Lyssa Relic, has left scientists and other specialists baffled by her amazing ability to command and control water. After hearing reports about her amazing talent, we decided to take a closer look.” The reporter smiled and motioned towards the crowd. The camera focused in on a young girl standing with her hands open at her sides. A puddle of water at her feet began to vibrate and then, as she lifted her arms, the water shot up around her. The crowd began to applaud and then gasped as the girl began to turn in a slow circle and the water rotated with her. The applause grew louder as the camera zoomed back out.
The camera moved back to the reporter, “Amazing!” When asked about her ability, Lyssa stated that it was just something that she learned she could do when she was about eight years old. She’s not sure how she does it, but she likes it and so does the media. She has been booked on several talk and news shows and there is even talk of a possible reality show. A local star is born! This is Donna Jamison reporting for KKTT, your local station for news.”
Vincent turned off the monitor. A heavy silence fell over the room; worry was clearly etched on every face as they all looked at Ava.
Ava bit the side of her lip, pulling her eyes away from the now empty screen. “Who is this girls Keeper?” A Keeper was an older person, one born of the Element, who was assigned to watch over and help the young learn about their gifts. They were also supposed to help them keep their gift hidden from everyone else. Ava hadn’t had to have a Keeper because she’d had something much better. She’d had Aunt Avalene. Ava smiled briefly, thoughts of Aunt Avalene and her childhood always gave her a good feeling.
Vincent flipped a page in the file, “Shelby Ross is her Keeper. The last report she sent on Lyssa was seven months ago. Lyssa was arrested for vandalism and auto theft.”
“Have we spoken with Ms. Ross yet?” Ava said.
“No,” Vincent answered. “No one has been able to contact her.”
“We must find her as soon as possible.” Ava squared her shoulders, “I want to talk to her personally.”
“Certainly,” Vincent smiled and continued in a slightly condescending tone, “We can’t risk exposure like this. I will have a group of Clutch guards put together to work on locating her. We will also get in touch with some of our contacts in the Houston area and see what we can do about assigning a new Keeper to Lyssa and the others in her circle. We have a judge there. I will see what he can do about putting a stop to the media coverage.” He paused, “Also, the clinic doctor has reported that Blake Sanders, the wash-up down in the holding cell, has healed enough to be released now. Would you see to that today?”
“Of course, but what exactly am I supposed to do? Just perform the memory spell?” Ava asked, trying not to over-analyze the way Vincent seemed to look down his nose at her one minute and then smile at her the next. “Did we ever find out how he was hurt so badly?” It wasn’t often that people washed up on the island and he had looked like he had been through hell before he got here.
“Yes, you must perform the memory spell.” Vincent tilted his head and stared at her for a moment, “As to how he was hurt, he was working on a dive boat when a storm hit. He was found on the east side of the island,” he said, suddenly speaking really slowly and stopping after each word, “on…all…the…rocks. I am certain the damage was done as he fought to free himself from the rocks and strong waves on that side of the island. I believe his family has a company that looks for sunken ships or something of that nature. We will have to be especially careful releasing him. His family has been searching for him the past two weeks. I have arranged for him to be taken to the closest marina, so that he will be found. Please see to releasing him as soon as possible, Queen Vangeretta, and don’t forget the memory spell.”
“I won’t for
get.” Ava snapped and stood up. The condescension in his voice when he spoke to her really bothered her sometimes. She paused for a moment looking at the council. “I should demand that I get a leave from the island, go look for Alec myself. Maybe I could find this Lyssa’s Keeper or the girl herself. I could convince her to stop exposing her gifts in public. It’s the perfect excuse. We need to put a stop to this Lyssa situation before it gets worse.” She cleared her throat and lifted her chin.
All of the council members looked up at her. Vincent tilted his head, “Was there something else, your majesty?”
Ava felt the words burning against her lips. “I’m leaving, there is no reason to sit here and do nothing!” However, when she did finally speak, she just said, “No, nothing else,” and then she turned quickly and walked out of the room. She wanted to be accepted by the council and Vincent had a way of making her feel like a little girl sitting at the grownup table at times. It was really getting irritating.
Ava made her way to the main entrance of the island. Two Greens stood on either side of a large man who was definitely not happy. Ava watched as they tried to hold onto him. Suddenly, he jerked away from them and his shirt ripped away from his body. “Back off!” he snarled at the two stunned men who were suddenly left holding just pieces of fabric. They moved to regain their hold and he simply stood there; his body language daring them to touch him again. Ava decided it might be a good time to make her presence known and cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she said as she moved closer.
The man spun around to face her and she couldn’t help but notice the muscles in his stomach and the anchor tattoo down his left side. He was certainly an attractive man. She forced her eyes up as she reached him.
The two Greens saw their opportunity and lunged forward to regain their grip on him. They grabbed his arms and pulled them behind his back, working hard to make a good show of their ability to control him. He didn’t appear to notice their extra efforts as they attempted to hold him. He’d looked as if he were about to voice his complaints loudly when he turned around, but whatever he had been going to say was lost as he caught sight of her.
He looked stunned for a moment, but that didn’t last long. He quickly recovered both his voice and his indignation. “Lady, I don’t know who the hell you are but you better do something about getting these idiots off of me and somebody better tell me what the hell is going on!” he demanded. His dark eyes moved over her; his expression freezing her in place for a long moment.
Feeling awkward, Ava went on the defensive. “Enough!” she said, using the most commanding voice she could manage.
He looked surprised, then he smiled. “Forgive me,” he said. “I’m just really tired of not knowing what’s going on. I’m told I’m leaving, then, when I get down here, nothing. We just sit here waiting. I’ve already been here for…,” he paused, “I don’t even know how long I’ve been here. I don’t even know where here is exactly, but I know I’ve had enough and I’m ready to go home.”
“I understand…,” she stopped, forgetting his name.
“Blake Sanders.” He shook the Greens off as effortlessly as he would an annoying gnat and extended his hand, “And you are?”
Ava smiled and placed her hand in his, “I’m Ava.”
He took her hand in his, “Nice to meet you, Ava.”
…Lyssa…
Lyssa stepped off the sidewalk and couldn’t help the slight grin that crossed her face when people hurried out of her way. For as long as she could remember the kids at Mercanny Private School had treated her like dirt. They barely noticed her in the halls, except when she didn’t want to be noticed of course. Luckily she only had the rest of this year to endure their torment. Her father had paid for her tuition a year in advance but they wouldn’t be able to afford it next year and that was just fine with her. “Public school has to be better,” she thought.
Most kids at Mercanny had money coming out of their….well, you know. Mercanny was built on the richer side of town and if the houses didn’t give it away, the enormous school did. Lyssa and her stepmother, Dana, live in one of those grand old houses. Relic Manor has housed generations of the Relic family since the early 1930s. It isn’t as glorious as some of the newer houses, but it is original and special. After her father died, Lyssa was sure her stepmother was going to put her in foster care and sell Relic Manor to the highest bidder, but she didn’t. Lyssa couldn’t imagine losing it after everything her father had gone through to keep it.
It might not matter soon though. Dana had just been laid off from her job and Lyssa knew her own measly paycheck from Backfats wasn’t enough to put a dent in the bills that were piling up. The mortgage on the house was three months late now. Lately Lyssa felt like all she did was worry, but not today. Today she felt lighter than air. Everything was going to be okay. Dana’s plan looked like it was going to work. It had better. It was all they had left to try.
She entered the front doors of Mercanny and noticed a few girls whispering as she walked down the hall. They scattered quickly as she passed by them. Lyssa smiled. Just last week those same girls would have made a snide comment to her about being on welfare. She guessed knowing that she could drown them where they stood had shut them right up. “Welfare that,” she thought, glad that she hadn’t said it aloud as she realized how corny it sounded. She shook her head and continued down the hall with a slight smirk on her face.
Lyssa couldn’t help herself. All her life she had been poor, living in the shadow of a family that had once had it all. She hated the struggle; she hated the thrift store clothes she had to wear, although she would never admit that to anyone. That was what had made finding out about her adoption seven months ago so hard. She wasn’t just living in the shadow of the grand Relic family. She was the pathetic shadow of some teenage girl who got knocked up and then gave her to the Relic’s. Whatever, none of that really mattered, because no matter what happened she would always know that Bill Relic was her father and Elizabeth Relic was her mother. Lyssa felt sick thinking about her dead parents. She had to do this one last thing for them; save Relic Manor.
“Everything is about to change now,” she thought as she walked into first period with a smug look on her face.
First period was normal, boring and too long. In second period she heard someone behind her whispering, “She was on all the news channels last night. I wonder how she does it.” A male voice whispered back. “Who knows? She’s a freak.”
Lyssa smiled. She had stayed up half the night watching her story replay over and over again. The fact that the snobby brats here knew about it too was a good thing. Maybe for once they would show her some respect.
At the end of third period, Lyssa was just beginning to enjoy her newfound glory when things went crazy. As she entered the cafeteria she noticed everybody rushing towards the windows. Lyssa moved slowly across the room, working her way to the windows, trying to see around everybody. As they began to notice she was there, a few of them moved out of her way. Slowly more and more of them turned to look at her. Fear streaked their faces. Lyssa tilted her head, puzzled, and stepped closer to the window.
Her mouth dropped open so fast that she felt the sudden jerk in her jaw. In front of the school, people holding signs stood on the front lawn. The signs had her name and the words “Freak,” “Witch,” and “Devil Worshiper.” The cafeteria was eerily silent; so silent that she could hear the rush of her own blood pulsing in her ears. It was unbelievable. Cops and news crews weaved around the crowd of protesters. She turned around and looked to her right and then to her left. All of the kids started to back away from her. The same look of fear and judgment shooting like darts from each pair of eyes. They continued to back up, eyes fixed on her, as she turned back and forth.
She felt hot tears gather in her eyes. A bottle of water in a girls hand began to shake and the girl, startled, dropped it. The plastic bottle exploded like it was made of glass as it hit the floor by her feet. The girl screamed so loudly that ev
eryone clapped their hands over their ears in response.
Lyssa’s heart was racing. She began to move slowly towards the door then, as real panic began to take hold, she ran. Her body felt as though it had gone numb as she ran towards the back door of the school. After a quick peek out, she burst into a sprint across the track and started climbing the back gate. She scrambled to find her footing as she tried desperately to stop herself from sliding back down. She gripped the top bar, and was trying to pull herself up when she heard a familiar voice behind her, “Need a boost?”
Lyssa looked down, right into Zack Kline’s dark blue eyes. She nodded, “I think my foot might be stuck. She tugged at it. Her tennis shoe was jammed between the bars, not budging. “Yep, it’s stuck!”
“Let me help,” Zack said, wrapping his hands around her shoe.
She couldn’t see what he was doing because she was concentrating on holding on to the bar. She could feel her hands sweat and slide as she worked to hold on. She was slipping into what was about to be a really awkward position right over him—her butt was about to crash right into his face, “Um…I’m slipping!”
“Got it,” Zack said as he carefully placed a hand on her right leg to keep her from falling anymore. “Pull your foot out of your shoe. I untied it.”
Lyssa tugged at her foot, it was so tight, but she could feel the shoe starting to release it.
“They’re coming. Hurry!” Zack urged.
Lyssa looked up to see the protestors pushing past the police to come their way. “Crap!” she said, trying to get her foot the rest of the way out. “It won’t come out, Zack!”
“Here,” Zack gripped her ankle with his hand, using his shoulder to prop her up.
“Just kill me now,” she thought. She could feel her face burning as she finally pulled her foot free. Zack gripped the outside of both her legs and gave her a boost up. She finally managed to swing her leg over the top of the gate, “Thanks Zack, I owe you big time.”
Elementris, Exposure, Eruption Box set: The Vangeretta Curse Series Page 27