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

by Christina Mobley

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” She’d expected him to fight her about leaving.

  “It’s not you, Ava. It has to be something else.” He picked up the diary with his free hand. “Maybe you shouldn’t read any more of this thing.” He looked up as thunder echoed and a bunch of birds flew to the balcony, screeching like mad.

  “No!” Ava yelled, the diary flew from his hand and landed against the wall. Ava covered her ears and took a breath. “I’m sorry,” she said, looking down at her belly as she gently rubbed it.

  Alec followed her gaze. He placed his hand next to hers. The baby kicked. It was only a small thump, but it made his heart lift with excitement. A smile tugged at his lips. He looked into Ava’s eyes, “Everything will be okay. I promise. We’ll go see my dad. We can get things started with the foster home. I’m sure he’ll love the idea. When we leave there, we’ll go see Nisca’s mother and ask her about the diary. We still don’t know that any of it’s true.”

  “Promise me one thing.”

  “Anything.”

  “Don’t let me hurt anyone.” She touched his cheek, “Especially you.”

  “I promise,” he assured her, feeling the worry radiating from her. Her face relaxed and she looked deep into his eyes. “I love you, Alec.”

  “I love you, too. “ Alec leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. The bond was growing stronger and he felt his need for her pull at him so hard he had to fight to keep his emotions in check. His thoughts took over screaming what he was feeling as his fingers slid slowly up her back and got lost in the long tangles of her hair.

  Her lips touched his and instantly her world collided with his. They were not two separate lives, they were one. He felt every emotion as it ran though her. He could hear her heartbeat as if it pumped in his own chest, alongside his. He could see the thoughts that circled her mind as if they were his own. Her memories of them raced through him, taking his breath with them. He gripped her harder as those beautiful images took him there. Each place, each second shared between them, each touch. His senses were overwhelmed with her touch and his as they blended into one world-shifting sensation. Heat moved from his lips to hers and back again. The connection between them was building, drawing them closer. Every kiss they had shared in the past had never equaled the passion and fire of this one. In this one brief moment he felt as if a thousand thoughts, emotions, and sensations had passed between them. Spark, fire, love, none of these words were strong enough to describe this kiss. This was something more, something indescribable.

  She pulled back before he did and her face was flushed. Her raw lips were parted and her ice blue eyes held him prisoner as surely as if she had used a spell to bind him. He couldn’t move. He felt a warm tear slide down his cheek and melt against his burning lips. The loss of her touch seemed like the greatest loss he had ever felt. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against him, unable to stop himself, he kissed her again.

  The connection bound them together once more and everything he had just experienced and more bombarded his body, his thoughts, and his soul. Each became the other and then together they became one and the same.

  …Brea…

  Brea leaned slowly over the pool table to line up her shot. She knew he was watching her closely. She could feel his eyes on her body. She lifted her lashes as she drew the pool stick back. Macy was at the bar. She looked a mess. She had dark makeup circles under her eyes and her normally perfect lipstick was smudged out to the side. “What exactly is this game we are playing?” Brea wondered as she pushed the pool stick forward and the crack of the balls hitting echoed in the small building.

  She stood, not having dropped a ball, as Caslan brushed past her. His hand grazing her arm purposely as he did. He turned to line up his shot and then made it without ever taking his eyes off of her.

  Brea watched as three balls went into three different holes.

  He rose slowly and they both stared silently at each other. She wanted to understand him, she wanted to know his secrets, and she wanted to know who he really was. She wanted him to distract her from thinking about Shawn. “What was his favorite color? Blue. Where did he go when he needed to think? The waterfall. What did he think of her, really? She had no clue. Stop thinking about Shawn!” She swallowed hard, realizing she had answered every question for Shawn. She looked up at Caslan, “Please make this pain go away.”

  He moved behind her, whispering as he passed, “I promise I’ll explain all of this.”

  Macy hopped down from the bar stool and stumbled towards them. “Nobody cares that you can play pool, Caslan.” She braced herself on the front of the pool table. “This place is boring. Let’s go somewhere else. I’m so…” She stopped, covered her mouth, and looked around desperately for the bathroom. “That way,” Brea said, pointing her in the right direction and watching to make sure she made it.

  As soon as the door shut, Brea turned on Caslan. Her voice was a whisper, but carried all the power of an angry shout, “What the hell are you doing here? What’s going on? If we aren’t supposed to be seen together, what are you doing?”

  “I’ll explain everything,” he said. “I promise. Just be quiet.”

  “No.” Brea said a lot louder, “You need to explain right now. I need to know what the hell is going…“

  He ended her rant with a kiss. She felt her body grow heavy as his arms wrapped around her, supporting her suddenly weak body. Her eyes closed without permission as his tongue slipped into her mouth and danced with hers. She felt something strange as their lips connected. A dark tickle deep inside her. It was him. It was his magic. It was scary and amazing at the same time. His magic kiss seemed to shut her down, she felt so tired yet so excited at the same time. The faster her heart beat the weaker her legs became. She felt like she would melt down to the floor if it were not for his strong arms holding her up. It was the strangest kiss she had ever experienced.

  When his lips parted from hers, she blinked rapidly to clear her vision. The gold in the center of his eyes was more prominent now. She found satisfaction in the fact that he was breathing as hard as she was. Evidently he wasn’t completely in control. She felt the room wobble beneath her as she stumbled back from him.

  “Well? Can we go now?” Macy said from behind them.

  They both turned at the same time. “Oh no.” Brea thought.

  Caslan just smiled, “Are you alright, Macy?”

  “I’m fine,” she gripped her stomach, “but I think I need to go home.” She turned away and hurried outside.

  Caslan reached down and took Brea’s hand in his. Her palm tickled again. It was an amazing feeling; touching magic. She felt as if it seeped inside her as he touched her. She had been around Ava since she was a little girl, but this was the closest she had ever been to feeling what it meant to have magic. She could touch it. It danced between their palms. Brea looked down at their hands and then followed him outside.

  Macy climbed in the back seat of the Jeep, leaving the front seat open for Brea. Brea let go of Caslan’s hand and went to the passenger side. She climbed in, noticing the look Macy threw her brother in the mirror. She smiled.

  “This game.” Brea thought, “Just got really weird.”

  …Ava…

  Ava still felt the effects of their amazing kiss as she walked outside. She felt her face redden. She could feel that kiss so strongly that she was almost sure anyone could see it on her swollen lips. She brushed her fingers over her lips.

  “He’s here.” Alec stopped and pointed.

  Ava looked out as a large wooden boat docked sideways in front of them. A tall man appeared. The sun backlit him so that he looked more like a shadowed ghost than a person. He jumped down and saluted her. “Hello.” He looked nothing like she expected. He didn’t have a wooden leg or an eye patch. No, he just looked kind of bummy. He wore ripped jeans and a t-shirt under a long leather jacket. His hair was sun-bleached and long. He wore sunglasses. He looked more like a wannabe rock
star than a pirate. He walked straight towards her. “I’m telling ya now.” His accent threw her a little. “I won’t be kicking round long. I’m here to show ya what I know and push off.”

  “Okay,” Ava smiled, amused.

  Alec looked less amused.

  “Well, alright then.” He folded his arms, “When would you like to start?”

  “Right now?” Ava asked.

  “Right. Now’s a good a time as any other.” He turned back towards the boat and then back to her. “Do you know how to whistle?”

  “A little,” she admitted.

  He nodded, “Listen at the wind.”

  He pushed his lips together and the most beautiful sounding whistle came from the strange man. It was slow and the wind responded immediately. It lifted her hair as it flew around them. It created a tunnel and as he stopped whistling it stopped. “See there. Nothing to it.”

  Ava tried it. She pushed her lips together and a soft whistle came from her lips. The weather didn’t respond though. She dug deep inside herself attempting to call wind.

  “Wrong.” He shook his head. “You’re still trying to use your emotions. Quit over thinking it. You know you can move the wind. Just do it. Simple.”

  Ava shook her head and took a breath. She put two fingers in her mouth and blew a sharp whistle. The trees rocked back and forth and the dress she was wearing lifted up. She felt the wind touch her in a different way than it had before. It ran across her skin, soothing her. She closed her eyes and reopened them. She could see the wind. It glittered in the sunlight revealing the microscopic particles of water it carried with it. “I did it.” She whispered.

  “See,” he grinned, “Easy. I’ll be pushing off now.”

  “What? Wait! You can’t leave yet.”

  “I can.” The whistler smiled “and I am. G’day now!”

  “No, please. I need your help,” Ava entreated.

  He shook his head slowly. “Look. You seem sweet and all, nothing like that last one. The thing is. I don’t want to get involved in all of this.”

  “All of what?” Ava asked.

  “The war,” he exclaimed.

  “What are you talking about?” Ava was truly puzzled now.

  He tilted his head. “Lareina. She was a right evil one, but that Vern. He is nothing to play with. I don’t want to be involved.

  “What are you talking about?” Alec stepped closer.

  He tilted his head, “You really don’t know.”

  Alec’s narrowed gaze was his only answer.

  “Vern has declared war. He claims the new True Elementris is losing control and that we are all in danger. He is going from place to place, recruiting. He’s telling all of those born of the element that they are either with him or they are with you.” He took a breath, “We are way outnumbered. They’re selling their powers. You’ve heard of weapons of mass destruction. Imagine being able to control the weather. Every country in the world has tried to figure out how to manipulate the weather. Hell, they’ve already made it rain, learned how to manipulate a lightning strike. Them Blokes are everywhere. They’re unstoppable. If they get their hands on you, we’re all in trouble. You’re the perfect weather weapon. They’re coming for you, girl. Then there’s the children.”

  “What about the children?” Ava felt her heart pound.

  “Have you looked around the world lately? We’re losing them to the dark side. Children who are born of the element don’t want to be like us anymore. They want power. We are losing them to the dark. We’re outnumbered.”

  …Brea…

  “Is she okay?” Brea asked.

  Caslan backed away from the bed. Macy turned over and began to snore loudly. Brea was amused. Macy would be mortified if she could hear herself.

  “Come on,” he whispered as he turned the light off.

  He took her hand. Brea’s heartbeat picked up again as she turned to follow him. She felt energized and light. He led her outside. It was early morning. The cool mist of nightfall lay over the damp ground, but the moonlight was just beginning to fade away. “I want to take you somewhere,” he whispered as they got inside the truck.

  “I don’t know, it’s really late.” Brea looked back at the dorm and the pre-dawn sky behind it. The moon still fought to keep the sky. It was fading, but still there. She knew she needed to get in bed.

  “Sleep is for the weak.” He reached over and ran a finger over the top of her hand. She felt his magic. It left a burning trail over her hand. It was a good burn though.

  Brea felt his pull. It was strong. She didn’t just want to go with him, she needed to. She was sure she would explode with curiosity if she didn’t. Caslan was exciting, mysterious, and dangerous.

  He looked into her eyes and smiled.

  She knew she should get out right away. She grabbed the door handle.

  He started the truck, tilted his head to one side, and looked at her questioningly.

  Brea sighed and let go of the door handle.

  Chapter Nine…

  …Ava…

  “Is it true? Is the government learning to control the weather?” Ava questioned Alec.

  He looked worried. His green eyes were sort of hollow looking. He took her hand, “It’s something we’ve been dealing with for a long time. I just didn’t know…” He stopped.

  “Didn’t know what?”

  “I didn’t know that Vern Waevern had anything to do with it.” He paused, then continued. “Years ago there was an issue. A few kids were taken to this government facility. They escaped, but that’s when we found out what was going on.” He shook his head. “There are active government groups studying weather weapon technology. Several countries are doing it. The kids told the Keepers about it. They had apparently lived at the facility a couple of years while the government ran tests on them. They had all of these different technologies and were conducting studies to determine whether they could use the weather to attack other countries. They were trying to find a way to use what the kids had. Using a compound they made with DNA extracted from these kids, they were able to make it rain.

  The rest of the world knew they had launched some kind of chemical into the clouds, but it was more than that. After the kids escaped we didn’t hear much more. There were rumors that Vern Waevern funded some of the research, but we could never get any evidence to support the rumors. We’re not exactly sure how deep his involvement in these agencies goes, but I think it goes a lot deeper than we ever imagined it did. With the governments help the Waevern’s power could be unlimited. They could use other government entities, the Army, whatever they wanted, to get to those born of the element. It would be hard, if not impossible, to stop them.” He took a breath, “Ava, if the Waevern’s are selling their powers, if they are helping them prefect this technology, that could explain all of the weird weather.”

  “It’s not though. It’s the baby.”

  “I don’t know.” He reached up and touched her cheek, “Ava, if we don’t find a way to stop this, they’ll come after you eventually. Like The Whistler said, you’re the perfect weapon. If they had a True Elementris they wouldn’t need to make a weapon, they would have one.”

  Ava took a moment to absorb what Alec had said before responding, “Is that why the Waevern are taking the children born of the element? What should we do?”

  “I don’t know why they’re taking them. That could be a part of it. We need to go to the council. This is serious.”

  Ava called the council members together and remained silent while Alec related what they had learned from The Whistler. A lively discussion ensued when he was finished. The council members talked about different incidences that may have involved weather weapon technologies. They mentioned a catastrophic hurricane from the early nineties and talked about a flood that they believed to be the result of some kind of weather weapon accident. Ava felt like the room was spinning around her as they debated another one of the many secrets Element Island hid.

  Gale finally brou
ght the discussion to a halt, “Is that why they’re taking them? The pregnant women? What if they plan to turn them over to The Waevern, or worse, let them experiment on their children?” She covered her mouth, “What about Ava? What if they take her?” Everyone looked at Ava.

  “I’ll make sure Ava is protected.” Alec said, standing straighter and folding his arms. “We need a plan to get the missing women back. We can’t risk them giving birth while in captivity. Whatever the Waevern has planned for them, I’m sure it’s not good. I’ll direct the Clutch Guards to start getting our own weather weapons ready, we have to be ready for anything. If the government is involved in this, this could be worse than exposure. They would test us all, and if they keep taking children, they would have the power to do anything; they wouldn’t need a True Elementris. This whole weather disruption could also be just a distraction so that they can get to Ava. All of the guards are running from one place to the next. She’s not protected here anymore.”

  He looked at Ava.

  “You still want to leave tomorrow?” he asked.

  Ava nodded.

  Expecting opposition, she was surprised when he said, “Good.”

  “Good?” Vincent said. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “No. She’ll be safer away from here. They will expect her to stay here.”

  “Where are you going?” Vincent asked.

  “To find a place for the foster home.” Ava paced, “We need to get things set up in order to protect the children. When we find those missing women, they will need a safe place to go. We have to provide that place.”

  “Those children have parents,” Vincent pointed out. “They are the least of our worries right now.”

  “Parents that cannot protect them on their own; parents who know nothing about what they are dealing with,” Ava retorted.

  “That’s why we have Keepers.” Vincent responding, refusing to give up.

  “Keepers that are tied up with the homeless children. Enough, Vincent.”

  Alec interrupted, “We have to find them, and soon, before their due date. They may kill the mothers after the children are born.” Alec moved to stand beside Ava. “I want to take Ava somewhere safe for a few days while we look into this.”