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

by Christina Mobley

  “Four women were abducted a few days ago.” Alec added, “We believe they were all pregnant with children born of the element. We were thinking of building something, but it may take some time and those women need somewhere safe to go now. We thought that we could find a place for the foster home that would be safe and hidden.”

  Ava broke in. “We wanted to ask you if you would consider allowing us to make that place here.” Ava held her breath.

  “Well that sounds wonderful.” Alec’s grandmother smiled widely.

  “Indeed it does.” Hazeltrouph lifted his chin. “This is too much earth going to waste on just two of us.”

  “So, do you really want to do it?” Ava asked excitedly.

  “We must.” Alec’s grandmother said.

  “Yes, we must.” Hazeltrouph agreed.

  Ava squealed like a small child.

  …Brea…

  “Is this it?” Brea asked, as Caslan pulled up to a huge brick house and parked. They had been through three different guarded gates and she expected to see a bunch of cars or people, a party.

  “Yes.”

  “Where is everyone?”

  “They’re here.”

  “I’m still not sure I should have come here.”

  “It’s fine. They know we’re dating. Macy shares everything with our father. If he hears we’re here, he’ll just assume I’ve decided to do as he wishes. He’ll think I’m dating you to find out about the island and Ava.”

  “I still don’t know that you’re not?”

  “You’re just going to have to trust me.”

  “Well, I don’t trust you.” Brea retorted.

  “Yes you do,” he smiled. “Why would I have told you everything if that’s what I was up to?”

  Brea tilted her head. “I guess. Whoa…”

  “What?”

  Brea tilted her chin towards the armed guards out front, a long line of them turned the corner and walked across the front yard together. They had guns, really big ones. “I don’t want to be here, Caslan.”

  “Brea. I promise.” He looked into her eyes, “I’ll keep you safe.” He put the truck in park. “If you really don’t want to go in then we don’t have to go in, but I know my father is meeting with some of his associates tonight. I’m sure it’s about the missing women and we need to find out who it is so we can find them.”

  “You’re right. We need to find out about the missing women.”

  “Okay?” He took a breath and opened his door.

  “Okay.” Brea swallowed hard as she got out of the car.

  …Ava…

  Ava and Alec walked down the small road that wound through the property. All of the cabins needed some work, but, overall, it was perfect.

  “I know the perfect site for the main building.” Alec said, leading the way. He walked into a thick patch of trees and into a large grassy field. It was surrounded by trees and the north side was cut by the river.

  Ava ran to him and threw her arms around him. She closed her eyes as he held her tightly against him. He rested his chin on her head as she imagined a great building. She imagined children laughing. She imagined them learning the different elements, spells, and their history. This moment, this decision, would one day be a part of that history.

  “What are we going to call it?” Alec whispered.

  “What?”

  “The foster home?”

  “I don’t know.” Ava closed her eyes again. She thought about everything she had been through lately. She thought about the secrets they all kept and the connection each circle shared. Circle of five, five born, then she thought about her own painful past. Until she’d moved in with Aunt Avalene she’d felt like an outcast. Aunt Avalene had made her feel like she was normal just the way she; like she had a new start. She’d learned that she had roots. She knew Aunt Avalene was home. “Wait.” Ava said thinking about how she felt about Aunt Avalene’s acceptance and love. There were many children who had never found that comfort. “I’ve got it,” she smiled. “New Roots.”

  “I love it.” Alec’s grandmother said when they told her the home’s new name.

  “It fits,” Hazeltrouph added.

  Nisca clapped “This is so awesome.”

  Ava smiled and turned to Alec. He smiled and took both of her hands in his. “It’s perfect.”

  As the sun faded behind the clouds, they ate dinner in the dining room and talked about New Roots.

  “New Roots will be so great. Kids can get Elemental education here and go to regular school just down the road.” Ava said.

  “We’ll need strong security,” Alec warned. “If the Waevern have managed to bring in that government group, we need to make sure everyone is safe, here and at school.

  “Definitely,” Hazeltrouph agreed. “I was a young boy when we heard about those children. Those kids were never the same after all they went through. I don’t know what they did to them exactly, but it was bad.” Hazeltrouph set his drink down. “The bridge will be enough to keep normal people out, but we will need to make sure the Waevern cannot get in. We can add some spells for more protection. That will help a lot.”

  “What about using some of the Greens?” Alec suggested. “It would be a good addition to their training.”

  “That could work,” Hazeltrouph agreed. “With a senior Clutch Guard over them, of course.”

  “How are we going to find them all?” Hazeltrouph asked.

  “We use the Keepers,” Alec answered.

  “We have a lot of work to do,” Ava said.

  “We do,” Alec agreed.

  Hazeltrouph smiled, “It will be good work though.”

  “It will be.” Ava smiled back.

  …Brea…

  Brea stared at the house, not wanting to go in. She looked at Caslan. Dark clouds danced across his honey-colored eyes. Brea noticed the pulse in his jaw and easily recognized the pain despite his stony expression. Why had he come back to a place he despised so much? He definitely didn’t seem to fit here. He didn’t seem to fit with Macy at all. She was polished and shallow; walking money. Caslan looked more like he worked for a family like his instead of belonging to them. Her eyes followed the line of his body. His clothes were casual; a simple worn T-shirt and over-washed jeans, ending with muddy boots. They walked to the entrance and went inside the house. Everything gleamed, it was easy to see that no expense had been spared. It was interesting that Caslan’s presence in the house seemed to shake the perfectly polished scene.

  Caslan walked ahead; his dirty boots leaving marks on the glossy floor. Brea hurried to catch him as he reached the bottom of the staircase. He looked at her. She lifted her chin to meet his haunting eyes. He leaned forward. For a millisecond she thought he was going to kiss her, but his jaw brushed her cheek and his warm breath fell against her earlobe as he whispered, “There are cameras. Watch what you say.”

  She nodded and placed her hand in his.

  He rested his foot on the bottom step and put a key in the knot at the end of the stair rail. The stair case vibrated and then the steps collapsed in on themselves as the floor dropped out from underneath it.

  Brea suddenly heard loud music and voices and saw flashing lights. She glanced at Caslan and away as they descended into the enormous room below.

  Chapter Twelve…

  …Brea…

  Her eyes darted all around the room. It looked like one giant party, a strange one, but definitely a party. Black smoke floated at everyone’s feet like some kind of malevolent fog. They danced in it; young and old together. Strange symbols marked the stone walls and a large fire burned at the center of the room. Caslan squeezed her hand as they made their way through the crowd. Her neck started to hurt from turning back and forth so much. People were dancing wildly and the music was really strange. Brea looked at Caslan when he stopped. There was another level below and Brea saw another fire ring and more people. They weren’t dancing though. They were talking.

  “Wait here for a minute,”
Caslan yelled in her ear. He spun towards a woman holding a tray, grabbed a drink and handed it to her. Caslan descended the stairs and walked towards the men talking below.

  Brea took a big sip of her drink and turned around. “This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have come here.” She opened her eyes wider and spit her drink out. “Shawn!?!” What the hell is he doing here?”

  He looked right at her from across the room as one of the flashing lights lit his face. He motioned for her to follow him. He seemed to drift through the crowd unnoticed. He moved around a large group of people and Brea lost him.

  She moved through the crowd, searching for him. Her mind was racing.

  “Over here.” She heard him say behind her.

  Spinning around, she saw him. He moved quickly toward her, hooked her arm in his and pulled her through a black door that was just behind them.

  Her hear raced as he pulled her along. He walked her through the dark, moving surely, as if he had been in the room before. He flipped a switch and she saw a long hallway that was lined with cameras; one every five feet. Neither spoke as he pulled her through a small doorway at the end of the hall and then up a staircase.

  “Shawn?”

  He put his hand over her mouth. “Shh. The cameras.”

  At the top he used his boot to push open every door they passed. The rooms were all different. Brea followed him silently, confused. He stopped in front of a set of double doors at the end of the hall. He turned both knobs. “Locked.” He whispered as he ran his hand over the knob. Brea heard the click of the locks opening. He pushed her inside and shut the doors behind them as the camera moved away from them. Inside there were five beds with medical equipment all around them. It looked just like a hospital. He moved across the room and pushed open an adjoining door. He tugged Brea into the small storage room and stopped. Brea fell completely still as she watched him.

  He turned on her, “What are you doing here, Brea?”

  “Me? What are you doing here?” Brea responded, defensive and not a little freaked out.

  “Following you. More importantly, what are you doing with him?” Shawn demanded.

  “None of your business.” Brea said as she took a step back.

  “Brea, you shouldn’t be here. I don’t want you involved with these people.”

  “What makes you think I care what you want?” she asked.

  “Brea.” He grabbed her hands, “What would Ava say if she knew you were here? If she knew that you are hanging out with one of them, playing with dark magic.”

  “I…” Brea stopped, tripped up for a moment as she realized he knew about the magic. She shook her head, “She knows I’m with him, Shawn.”

  “She knows?” She felt a little better knowing she’d rocked him back on his heels with that one.

  “Shawn, I should go back before Caslan finds you here.”

  He grabbed her, “Brea, please, just leave here.” He looked down at her, “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “I know exactly what I’m doing,” she stood a little straighter, indignant now.

  “What’s that exactly?” Shawn asked.

  “Helping Ava find the missing women.”

  “Brea, you’re not going to find them here. This is crazy, you…”

  “Do you know where they are?” she interrupted.

  “No,” he said, looking away. “I think they’re planning on bringing them here. They put those beds and all this medical equipment in a few days ago.”

  She felt her insides freeze, “What are you really doing here, Shawn?”

  He lifted his chin slowly. “I told you, I was following you and checking things out.” He moved to the door and peered out, “I’m getting you out of here.”

  “No, you’re not.” Brea darted ahead of him. “I’m staying. Caslan is the only one who might be able to help us find those missing women and if he sees you, he won’t help us.”

  “Brea, wait!” He grabbed her by the arm, “Brea, he’s not helping you. Please stay away from him.”

  “Shawn, you’ve moved on. Let me do the same.”

  “You’re dating him?” he looked at her questioningly.

  “No.” Brea looked away, “Not exactly.”

  He grabbed her and spun her around. His big arms wrapped tightly around her. His whisper tickled her neck sending chills all over her body. “Brea, listen to me. You can’t trust Caslan. He’s using you, anything he says is a lie.”

  She lifted her chin. “How would you know that?” She inhaled deeply. His smell waking up every fiber of her body.

  “Because. He’s using you to get to me.”

  “You? What are you talking about?”

  He stepped back. “Brea, I can’t explain this right now. I just need you to trust me.”

  “Trust you?” Brea walked ahead. “I don’t trust anyone, Shawn, especially you.”

  She saw the hurt flash in his eyes as soon as she said it. “Brea, please try to understand that things aren’t always what they appear to be.”

  “Obviously.” She tilted her head, “I don’t need you checking up on me.” She folded her arms, “If that’s really what you’re doing?”

  “Just come with me. Please, just let me get you out of here.” He was almost begging.

  “No,” she said stubbornly and folded her arms.

  Shawn grabbed her hand. “Dammit, Brea. You need to see this. Come on.”

  Brea followed behind him. Hallways and doors passed in a dark blur. The only thing she could concentrate on was Shawn’s hand firmly intertwined with hers.

  As they moved further down the hallway, they began to hear voices. He motioned for her to stop.

  “I have to go back to Caslan,” she whispered. “Hold on. I know that voice.” She hurried past him to an iron railing that looked over the same area she and Caslan had seen before.

  Shawn came up behind her as she ducked down to listen.

  “Is everything ready?” a man was speaking.

  “Yes.” A familiar female voice answered.

  “Are you getting anywhere?” another man asked. “The island is always protected by over a hundred guards.”

  “Did you do the experiment?” the fourth man wanted to know.

  Brea felt her body shake as she recognized the voice. Bianca? She shook with anger and tried to stand up. Shawn grabbed her, pulled her back down and covered her mouth. “Are you crazy?” he whispered against her ear.

  “That’s Bianca.” She whispered back.

  “I know.”

  “You know?” She spun around.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I’m getting really tired of hearing that. I know this much, you’re not really here to check on me.”

  Shawn’s eyes answered for him. Brea felt her chest tighten. He didn’t say anything, just looked at her.

  Bianca’s voice echoed up to them, deepening the pain Brea felt as she looked at Shawn. She’d deny it to her last breath, but she really had trusted him, and it hurt to feel that trust wither and die.

  “I did,” Bianca was saying. “It worked on a small scale, but that storm has always been there. I don’t think the True Elementris even knows how to stop it.” Brea pulled away from Shawn and leaned her forehead against the railing so she could see better. She stared in disbelief as she saw Bianca talking to Caslan and three men dressed in suits. Caslan turned towards them. Brea plastered herself against the wall and peeked around. She felt her heart stop. “Shawn, how did you know Bianca was here?” she whispered. “Why are you with her if she’s helping them? What the hell is going on?” He covered her mouth with his hand and urged her back towards the door. “I told you, it’s complicated,” he said after closing the door behind them.

  “We have to get you out of here, Brea. Why do you think Caslan brought you here?”

  “To find out more about the missing women.”

  Shawn shook his head. “He wanted you to see Bianca and me. He wanted you to think…”

  �
��Think what? That you’re helping them too?” She stepped closer, “Are you?”

  “It’s complicated, Brea.”

  “That’s your answer to every question I ask you. How about you uncomplicate it for me. Now.”

  “I can’t, we don’t have time.” He walked her back the way they had come. Brea was trying to make sense out of the situation she currently found herself in. She had hundreds of questions, and nobody was providing answers.

  Shawn stopped at the door they had originally come through and turned toward her. “I need you to trust me, Brea. Everything Caslan has told you is a lie.” He stared at her and then pushed the door open a crack. “You’re going to walk out of here. We can’t walk out together. You’re going to tell Caslan that you want to leave. Tell him you want to go home. I’ll find you. No matter what he says, tell him you have to go.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To take care of something.” She felt the intensity of his gaze as if he had physically touched her.

  “Wait!” Brea grabbed at his T-shirt, bunching it in her hand. Her heart doubled its beat and her breath caught in her throat. She felt the familiar warmth that Shawn seemed to radiate travel down her whole body and wake all of her senses at once. “Did you really come here to check on me?”

  “No.” He looked away, “I never expected to find you here,” he said and then he disappeared into the crowd.

  “Why was he here?” Ava didn’t know that he was here. If she had known, she wouldn’t have agreed to meet with Caslan. “Shawn hadn’t told them? Shawn wouldn’t betray Ava and Alec, right?” Brea raced after him. There were so many people dancing; the black smoke blurred her ability to see even more.

  She turned in a circle. People danced all around her, bumping into her. She looked down and watched the black smoke swirl around her bare legs wondering what was in it. She felt sick to her stomach.

  “There you are!”

  “Caslan!” Brea gasped as he grabbed her by the arm.

  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He smiled and slid his hand down her arm to take her hand.