Brea smiled suddenly, “If you two are okay, I guess we’re okay too.” She stuck out her hand, “I overreact just slightly sometimes, but it’s all good, Ava’s used to me.”
“Nice to meet you,” Lyssa half muttered, half choked.
“You too,” Brea said. “Where is Alec?”
“Unloading the boats,” Ava said, shaking her head at Brea’s antics.
Ava stood up, “Would you mind going to get him? We need to discuss arranging some protection for Lyssa.”
“No problem.” Brea paused, “Shawn came back too, right? I didn’t see him down there.”
“Yeah,” Ava said, smiling at Brea’s attempt at nonchalance.
“Oh, shut up,” Brea said, as if Ava had said something.
“The big, bad, Brea, scared to talk to a guy.”
Brea spun back towards the door, “Whatever. I’m not scared.”
“Whatever you say…”
“Bite me,” Brea flashed a smile over her shoulder and left the room.
Ava laughed.
“So why do I need protection?” Lyssa asked.
“Because we can fix the newscast for regular people, make them believe it’s some kind of trick, but there are others we won’t be able to fool. The Waevern is a cult made up of people born of the Element who have turned bad. They practice black magic. They do really horrible things with their magic and they would love to get their hands on you, so just to be sure we’re going to play it safe for a while.” She paused, “Lyssa, they might try to sway you. They will try to tempt you in many ways. They’ll try to convince you to join them.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“I know, but they could try to force you, so just to be safe…” She looked towards the door and her blue eyes sparkled, “Alec.”
Lyssa took in the whole of him as he entered the room. His black uniform clung to his muscular chest and his big arms. He was huge, at least six foot and quite the definition of tall, dark, and totally hot. His presence in the room was intimidating. He smiled at her and flipped his wrist behind him. The door shut softly and his thick boots thumped across the wooden floor as he approached them. “He is seriously hot!” Lyssa thought, hoping that Ava couldn’t read minds or something.
…Ava…
Alec’s green eyes captured hers, making her face heat instantly. She had forgotten how good it felt when he looked at her that way. For a moment, she thought how stupid it was to doubt him the way she had after her dream this morning. It was just a dream. Only a man in love could look at a woman the way he was looking at her now; so dangerous and wanting. She tried to stop her face from turning red in front of Lyssa.
“Alec, um,” she pushed her shoulders back trying to act like a leader instead of the hormonal teenager she really felt like in his presence. “I wanted to talk to you about assigning someone to watch out for Lyssa for a while.”
“A Clutch guard?” he asked.
“Yes and since we don’t know where her Keeper is, I will talk to the council about making sure they are on top of assigning a new one for her and the other four in her circle.
Alec’s jaw tightened, “We should definitely assign a new Keeper. We’ve looked everywhere. Thomas just told me that the team they sent out looking for her found nothing at her home. Everything looked like she just went out for an errand or something. There were no clothes missing and nothing was disturbed.” He looked at Lyssa and flashed a sympathetic smile, “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”
Ava nodded and spoke to Lyssa, “You have a few hours before we take you back and I know you would like to explore the island.” She looked at Alec, “Who should we get to show her around?”
Alec paused for a moment, “I’ll ask Bianca. She’s done with all the reports now.”
Ava nodded, her jaw clenching at hearing him speak Bianca’s name. “Stop this!” She told herself, “Get a grip!”
…Lyssa…
Lyssa watched the way Ava and Alec moved around each other as they spoke. They had an almost sixth sense about each other. They probably didn’t even notice it. They seemed to never move more than two feet from one another. One moved a few inches away and the other automatically slid over the same distance. They were trying to decide who to send back home with her as her protector.
“What about Shawn? I know I can trust him,” Alec said.
Ava shook her head, “No, you can’t send Shawn.”
“Why not?” Alec tilted his head.
“Because.” Ava said, giving him a look that said he should know why.
A sexy half-smile flickered across his lips, “Ahhhh, okay,” He paused, “Thomas then.”
“Are you sure?” Ava asked.
“Yeah, why not?”
“He’s so, um, Thomas.” Ava smiled.
Alec laughed and smiled back at her, “He’s fine, and not afraid to do what he has to.”
“I know.” Ava shook her head, “Fine. Thomas it is then.” To Lyssa, she said, “It’s all settled. Bianca will show you around and Thomas will go with you when you return home. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe with him. He’s our youngest senior Clutch guard, but really fast and strong.”
Lyssa nodded, “How am I going to explain him?”
Ava smiled, “He will stay mostly out of sight and dress in plain clothes.”
“Maybe we can send him back to high school.” Alec smiled.
“That would be cruel,” Ava said and then paused scrunching her nose. “Actually that’s not a bad idea. He could watch over her at school. That would be the one place she would be vulnerable.”
Alec nodded, “Yeah, he could pass for a large seventeen-year-old. He won’t be happy about it, but he’ll do it.” Alec reached over and gave Ava a kiss on the cheek, “Come on Lyssa, I’ll take you downstairs and help you find Bianca.”
Lyssa looked at Ava, “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” Ava smiled, “Just remember our deal.”
“I will,” Lyssa said, as she moved to follow Alec. The door opened by itself again and shut softly behind them. Lyssa wasn’t sure she could ever get used to that. She was surprised how down to earth Ava was. “She seemed so comfortable in her own skin and didn’t try to act all high and mighty. She’s actually pretty cool.”
Alec led the way through the hall and down the staircase. Lyssa avoided looking at the paintings on the wall and their spooky eyes.
They found Bianca at the bottom of the staircase. She smiled at them and finished pulling her blonde hair back into a tight ponytail.
Alec quickly explained what had been decided and asked Bianca to show Lyssa around. Lyssa felt a little awkward. Bianca was beautiful too with dark brown eyes and a creamy complexion. She jerked her head to one side and told Lyssa to follow her, “Let’s go.”
Alec left them to go and find Thomas. Lyssa didn’t know who Thomas was or anything about him, but it looked like she was going to be stuck with him for a while. She was really hoping he wasn’t a major jerk.
Bianca’s ponytail lay against a back that was straight as a board as she walked. “She walks so smoothly.” Lyssa thought. “I bet she’s really quiet and fast in a fight.”
Bianca looked back at Lyssa, “Come on, I’ll show you the Brooden first.”
“The what?” Lyssa asked.
The Brooden.” Bianca walked around the corner at the back side of the castle, “That.” She pointed as it came into view
Bianca moved ahead as Lyssa struggled to keep up.
She was nearly out of breath when she finally came to a stop in front of the Brooden. “Is it okay for me to walk out on it?”
“Sure, whatever,” Bianca said in a snotty tone but quickly smiled after.
Lyssa stepped out onto the Brooden. She walked towards a faint blue circle surrounded by a blue wisp that was meant to represent wind. Lyssa looked at the next circle and slowly inspected each place that marked an Element. After looking at the last spot, she stood up, noticing that Bianca was looking a
little impatient. She looked out over the ocean and at the clear blue water the circular deck floated on, “What does the Brooden do?”
“It pulls in all the element magic around it, to the people on it. It only works if each of the five places is filled with a person born of the Element. It’s something you have to see to understand.”
Lyssa nodded, staring at the tattoo on Bianca’s neck. All of the Clutch guards seemed to have that same one. A single red rose with a scorpion wrapped around the stem. “So, um,” Lyssa tilted her head, “you’re the only girl Clutch guard?”
Bianca sort of smiled, “I’m the only one. As a matter of fact, I’m the first ever.” She tilted her head smugly.
“Really?” Lyssa took a step closer to her, “Is it hard to become a Clutch guard?”
“Yeah,” Bianca’s face turned kind of hard. “Why? You thinking of joining?”
“No,” Lyssa said quickly. She thought it would be pretty awesome actually. She bit her bottom lip and looked around, hoping to find something to distract Bianca and restore her semi-good mood. The beautiful island stretched out in front of her. The majestic castle was cradled in the rich greens of the island and a large volcano stood at the end, the sun creating a halo around it.
Bianca kind of laughed at her, like she didn’t believe her. “You want to see Mount Ella next?”
“Sure. What is it?” Lyssa pulled her eyes away from the beautiful green landscape that seemed to go on for miles.
“That giant mountain you’re staring at, the volcano.”
Bianca lifted her eyebrows sarcastically as she motioned for Lyssa to follow her.
Chapter Four. Heat
…Ava…
Ava hurried into her room and shut the door. She ran over to the mirror and checked her hair. She couldn’t believe he was finally back. Tonight would not come soon enough. She wanted some alone time with Alec. She remembered the last night they’d had together before he left and her face heated instantly. Alec had been patient with her. She was frightened, but Alec was gentle. It was hard to believe someone so strong and rugged could be so gentle and patient. She felt as though her love for him had grown even more since then. He was her first and he would be her last. Their love was a rare and powerful thing; she knew he would be with her until the end, dream or no dream. She would never regret anything with him.
She changed into a soft, silky robe and as she brushed her hair she sighed, trying to push back the images that rippled through her mind. A sultry heat washed over her face, and moved all the way down to the tips of her toes. Alec was nearby. The bond was definitely getting stronger.
She stood to meet him as the door opened and he slid inside. He grabbed her, and forced a squeal out of her as he whirled her around so fast that she got dizzy. He stopped and pulled her close, staring deep into her eyes for a long moment before kissing her softly. Ava closed her eyes, dizzy, and happy. He lifted her off her feet and she looked at him as he cradled her in his arms effortlessly. “I love you, Alec.”
“I love you too, Ava.” He spun and walked over to her bed where he gently sat her down. He pulled his shirt up over his head and dropped it to the floor. Ava’s cheeks heated as she stared at him. His black pants clung to his hips; his bare chest and hard stomach almost too perfect to be believed. He took a step towards her, paused, and smiled. He held his weight off of her as he leaned over her on the bed, then he lowered his face down to hers and gave her a teasing kiss on her bottom lip. She lifted her head to kiss him back and heard the echo of a storm. Thunder ripped through the sky with enough force to cause the window panes to shake, but she didn’t care. Her heart went wild as he finally gave in to her kiss and covered her body with his. Each met the fierce heat of the other and Ava felt hot and cold at the same time as his fingers moved over her moist skin. A thousand tiny hairs rose along her arms as his lips traveled along her face and down to her waist. Pleasure filled her as he tortured her with his touch.
…Lyssa…
Lyssa wasn’t sure what she thought of Bianca. She was sort of snotty and sarcastic. It was strange though; she couldn’t help but admire her. She followed Bianca down to the boat dock and watched as she loosened the ropes from the boat after she climbed aboard. Lyssa went into the cabin, but turned as she heard someone enter behind her. “Gosh!” Her eyes flew over him. He was tall, built wide, and definitely a country boy. It was really ridiculous how hot these Clutch guards were! He nodded at her, offered his hand and said simply, “I’m Thomas.” She put her small hand in his and instantly knew she was in big trouble.
He released her hand and left the cabin, but he had certainly made an impression on her. What she felt when they touched was much more intense than the feelings she’d been having for Zack and that was confusing to say the least. To get her mind off of Thomas, and what she had felt when their hands had touched, Lyssa tried to figure out how she was going to tell Dana that she was no longer willing to go along with her plan. Dana was definitely going to be pissed, but hopefully she would get over it when she found out the mortgage payments were going to be caught up and that they were getting help with finding better jobs. Lyssa couldn’t imagine exposing the island or the others like her now. The whole thing was beautiful. No amount of money was worth risking the damage that could be done. Lyssa couldn’t wait to get back to the island and she had barely left it.
She looked out the window. The island had already vanished, leaving no sign on the clear blue water of its existence. She stared for a long moment and then looked out over the ocean and watched as the sun sank below the horizon.
It was nearly dawn when she arrived back home. Thomas had only said a few words. You couldn’t talk much when you were riding a motorcycle; at least she hoped that was the only reason. They stopped just down the street from her house and she turned awkwardly, looking up at him. “Um, you can park it in the back of the property; no one ever goes back there.”
He nodded and pushed the bike as they walked.
She had a sudden thought, “Where are you going to sleep?”
He shrugged, “I’ll work it out.”
“I can probably sneak you in the house for tonight. You can sleep there until you can figure out something better.”
He nodded, “That’ll work,” he said as he pushed the bike into the tree line.
“Don’t worry, nobody will find it out here.”
He nodded again and followed her to the house.
Lyssa put her finger over her lips and quietly pushed the window up. “Let me go in and deal with Dana and then I’ll sneak you in.”
He nodded silently.
Lyssa noticed her bedroom door had been broken into. Probably Dana when she wanted to leave. Lyssa went down the hall and opened Dana’s door. It was empty and all the lights were off. She hurried to the garage and found it empty, except for her dad’s old car. A classic, but nothing anyone would want to buy; it was not in good shape. Lyssa snapped the door shut and rushed back to her window. She looked out and noticed Thomas had vanished into the darkness. Just as she got ready to climb out and go look for him, he stepped from the shadows.
Lyssa tried not to notice how his dark eyes sparkled in the moonlight, “Um, she’s not here.”
Thomas gripped the window, “Are ya sure?”
“Yeah, I looked everywhere. She’s not in the house and her car is gone.”
He climbed through the window effortlessly, “I’ll give it a quick look ‘round, just to be sure.” He slipped out of her room and silently disappeared.
Lyssa took the opportunity to close the window and pull the pink sleeping bag from the top of her closet.
“There ain't nobody here,” he said, suddenly behind her.
Lyssa tossed the pink sleeping bag at him, “I told you I checked.”
He stood there, looking kind of awkward, holding the pink sleeping bag in his big arms, “I wanted to double it over, just to be sure.”
“Whatever.” Lyssa plopped down on her bed, “Maybe she went t
o the hotel without me.”
“The hotel?”
“Yeah. With all the protesters and reporters camped out in our yard, Dana had this idea that we should go to a hotel.”
“Do ya know what hotel?”
“The Hilton.”
He lifted a brow.
“Yeah, I know,” she said. “I have no idea how she was planning on paying for it. She was going to tell me when we left.”
“How long was she planning on staying there?” He stood there, still holding the pink sleeping bag awkwardly. He wore plain clothes, a blue t-shirt and jeans that hugged tight against his big build.
“I don’t know, a while I think.”
“When she gets back this-a-way,” he shifted, “You need to talk her into staying ‘round here.”
“Why?”
“I can’t protect you as well at a hotel. This place will be a lot easier to secure.”
“What about the protesters and stuff?”
“After we fix the news and all, they’ll go away. If not, I’ll take care of things. Don’t ‘cha worry none.”
Lyssa paused liking the sound of his accent. The deep slow drawl of his words made her smile. “You can lay that down wherever you want, or there is a spare room if you’d rather have that.”
He shook his head, “Nah, it’s better if I stay close to ya.”
“Okay,” Lyssa stood up and watched him as he sat the sleeping bag down by the window, “Are you really going to go to school with me?”
He furrowed his brow and clenched his jaw, “Yup,” he said, looking out of the window.
“Well, I’m going to take a quick shower. You’re welcome to get one after I’m done if you want.”
“I’ll take one after you’re sleepin'.”
Lyssa nodded, wondering for a moment if Thomas wasn’t here just to protect her. Maybe he was here to watch her too; to prevent her from further exposing them. “Great”, she thought. “I’ve got a Clutch guard for a babysitter. A steaming hot one, that looks like he could beat a pro kick boxer without breaking a sweat. Wonderful.”
Elementris, Exposure, Eruption Box set: The Vangeretta Curse Series Page 32