Fallen Elemental (Evelyn Storm Series Book 1)

by Tamara White

  Holy Crap! How did I not notice what I was drawing?! On my paper, I have drawn a picture of the guys. It’s a picture of Kylan, Mike, Teddy, and Dane standing in a circle protecting something in the middle of a field. Kylan has balls of fire in his palms and snaking up his arms, Mike looks like he’s in a tornado with his arms reaching out in front of him, Teddy’s crouched with one hand touching the ground with a fierce expression on his face, and Dane is standing in a kind of bubble while it rains on him inside.

  I can’t see what they’re protecting but by the looks on their faces they would die to protect it. It looks like a person huddled between them, but it’s not the clearest picture I’ve drawn.

  Wow, I can’t believe I drew something this unbelievable and magical. I look at Mike who still looks a bit freaked out. I don’t know why, but it’s starting to make me feel weird, so I grab my bag and picture, and make my way out of the class.

  “Bye Mike,” I call back to him. He looks frozen to his seat. Maybe he just didn’t realize how good of an artist I can be.

  Mike

  It’s pure luck that I look over and see Evie’s drawing. What I see, shocks me to my core. I figured she must have been tapping into her foresight because I could feel her power lightly breezing through the room. Not that any of the other students could feel it since they were all human. Evie has drawn a picture of all of us protecting her and using our elements.

  Guys, I think Evie just used foresight and the image she did is pretty scary. I project the image to the guys and feel their unease. I think one of us should follow her just to make sure she stays safe. My gut is telling me something bad is going to happen. I wait for the guys to digest it all. My feelings are never wrong. One of the perks of having the gift of foresight. Dane ends up agreeing to follow Evie and keep her safe.

  What should we do? Should we head home and start doing research? Has the council found out who her parents are yet? It might help us determine which elements she will have. Teddy and Ky sound a little worried, which is how I feel.

  We’ve been waiting for the council to contact us and give us more details about Evie, but so far nothing else has been said. All we knew coming here was that a female elemental would be coming into her powers soon and she would need us to guide her.

  Evie

  I’m almost to my car when I hear someone calling me “Evie wait up!” Turning back to the school I see Dane coming towards me. I lean against the hood of my car and wait for him.

  Studying him from a distance, I see just how hot he is. Chocolate hair frames his face and highlights his blue eyes. Wearing jeans and a t-shirt does nothing to hide his physical shape. It would be hard to maintain his shape when he’s pure muscle. He’s over 6 foot that’s for sure, but not by too much maybe 6 foot 1 or 6 foot 2. He smiles at me like he can hear what I’m thinking, that would be embarrassing. I’ve never been happier to know no one can hear my thoughts.

  “Hey where are you off to? Don’t you still have another subject?” he asks me.

  I debate on whether to tell him where I’m going or invite him to come with me. I decide to invite him along if he has a free period too. It might be nice to pretend for a moment I have a friend who is there for me.

  “Well, actually I have a free period and so I was going to go to my favourite spot to relax until I head home,” I add “you’re welcome to join me if you like? I can drop you back at the school or your house when you want.”

  Dane smiles “Sure I’d love to tag along, as long as I’m not intruding?” It’s so sweet but the company would be nice. I’ve never shown anyone my private spot.

  “No, it’s not a problem I don’t mind.” I’m actually excited to find out more about Dane. He seems like a nice guy.

  “Hop in,” I gesture to the passenger side. No one drives my baby but me.

  Chapter 5

  Evie

  We make small talk on the way to the forest south of town. I learn that the guys have no siblings and that they were raised together since birth, so they consider each other brothers. The guys have a few skills to help them get paying jobs when they move towns. Not that they need it, their parents are able to support them, but they choose to have independence.

  Kylan likes to tinker with cars. He knows about mechanics and can usually find work in local garages. At each school, they had some kind of shop class he could take. He also has an uncle that owns a garage. Kylan works there during the summers.

  Mike likes to work out, and can easily get a position as an assistant trainer in local gyms. His parents are famous weight lifters, so he grew up with it until he turned 16. Then he decided he wanted to learn more, not for the competition side of things, but just to bulk himself up. He also helps the guys with their weight lifting when they want to get in shape.

  Teddy doesn’t do too much, relying on his parents’ income and his trust fund to support himself, but he still likes to do environmental work for the fun of it. “He’s passionate about the earth,” Dane explains.

  Dane likes to find work in martial arts facilities. Dane’s proficient in Judo, Jujitsu, Karate, Krav Maga and Tae Kwan Do. There are a few others he knows the basics of, but he didn’t feel the need to continue learning all of them. He learnt self-defence because he was picked on at school when he was younger. Sometimes the guys wouldn’t be there to help him, so his father allowed him to learn self-defence.

  We get to the forest and I put the car in park.

  “Um, Evie, you realize we’re at a forest, right?” Dane asks me while looking around.

  “Yes Dane, my special place is about a 10-minute walk in the forest. There isn’t a trail exactly but you’re welcome to wait in the car if you feel safer here,” I challenge. He seems like the type of guy who won’t let me go alone, so I know he’ll follow me.

  We walk in silence with him following me so he doesn’t get lost. I’ve been here so many times over the past year that I know exactly where to go.

  The first time I came across my field of peace was the day before I turned 17. I’d just been dumped and laughed at for my inexperience. All I wanted was to run away and never be seen in public again. I ran into the forest tears streaming across my face, when I found this lovely field filled with dandelions. Laying down in the middle of the field I vowed never to get involved with anyone at that school again. I should have known Liam put Billy up to it, but I wanted to believe someone liked me so I ignored my instincts. Safe to say I’m wary now and listen to my instincts. Maybe that’s why I like the new guys so much. They haven’t been corrupted by Liam and his gang yet.

  I can see my field up ahead and run into it. Closing my eyes, I breathe in the slight fragrance of the dandelions and wildflowers. When I open my eyes, it’s to see Dane staring at me. Seeing him looking at me like that makes me blush, so I turn and walk to the apple tree on the other side of the field.

  The field is small, about the size of a house really, but it’s just grass, flowers and dirt surrounded by trees. There are purple and white wildflowers that grow around the edge of the field and dandelions go throughout it. I climb up a few branches of the apple tree and grab my backpack down.

  I stashed this here a couple months ago, after a bad day at home. It has enough supplies in case I need to get away for the day, and even stuff here if I want to stay the night. There’s water bottles, chips, protein bars, candy, a towel, sleeping bag, two spare changes of clothes, a pair of pyjamas and two thousand dollars in cash. I drop the bag to the ground and make my way back down. I see Dane looking up at me with admiration.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Nothing. You were just so quick up the tree and down again. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were a monkey,” he laughs.

  I blush from the compliment. Climbing is like second nature to me, it sometimes feels like I belong in the trees. I open up my pack and pull out a couple bottles of water and snacks for us to munch on.

  “Wow, you have everything in there. Do you mind me asking why you ha
ve an emergency pack ready to go and hiding in a tree?” Dane asks me.

  I’m not too sure if I should I be honest or not. I mean, what if I tell him about my life and he’s disgusted and walks away? The guys are the best thing to happen to me since I moved to town. I don’t know if I could stand to see them walk away or look at me with pity. I decide to take a leap of faith and tell Dane everything. My instincts have been telling me I can trust the guys, but I guess we’ll see after they know the truth.

  Dane

  Seeing Evie walk into this little field has me staring, she’s so beautiful and doesn’t realize it.

  I’m in awe watching her climb up the tree and throwing down a pack full of supplies. It makes me curious to know what elements she may have.

  She has shown traits for Air and Fire so far and climbing the tree like that would associate with Earth. The bag she has, is clearly meant for running away. She has food, water, cash and other necessities used when sleeping outside. It makes me wonder how many times she has stayed out here. I decide to risk it and ask why she has the bag. So many looks go across her face before settling on acceptance.

  Evie

  “Dane, the reason behind the bag is not good. I’ll tell you, but you have to promise me you won’t tell Kylan, Teddy, or Mike until I’m ready to. I don’t want this to change how you see me, but it probably will.”

  Dane is looking very serious and I see he’s thinking over my words before he responds “Evie whatever you tell me I promise it will stay between us until you’re ready. Ok?”

  I’m so nervous but, who knows, maybe it will feel good to talk about it to someone who doesn’t know me.

  “Ok, so this bag is my emergency escape bag. I stashed it here not long ago in case I ran away from home. My home life has never been the greatest, but over the past few years it has gradually escalated and I don’t know how much longer I can stay there. I love my parents and compared to what other people get I am better off than most, but being hit when you make a mistake takes a toll on a person,” I hear Dane gasp but continue on, if I don’t say it all now I never will.

  “It used to be smacks across the head for being stupid. I think it started when I was around ten years old but may have been earlier and I just repressed it. Assuming it was normal for a parent to smack their child when they had misbehaved, I never said anything to anyone and just accepted it. When we moved here and I started school, I was expected to cook and clean while my parents worked or lounged in front of the television. The first time I cooked dinner I thought I had done a good job especially since I knew hardly anything about cooking, but the chicken was dry. As I cleaned up after dinner my father came into the kitchen and started hitting me. I didn’t defend myself, I think I was in shock that he was actually hitting me. The last thing I remember is hearing him say ‘Don’t feed us anything less than perfection.’ before I blacked out.

  After that, it became pretty often that he’d hit me if did something wrong. I put up with it and just tried to do my best. Making dinner one night after my mother had done grocery shopping, I realized my mother had forgotten herbs, so I just didn’t add them, hoping it would taste the same and that he wouldn’t notice. I mean he rarely looked at the recipe books anyway, so I figured I could get away with it. That was one of the worst beatings I ever had. It took ten days for the bruises to fade.

  So, from then on, I kept my own supply of groceries in case she forgot other stuff. I always wondered if she forgot the herbs on purpose because she knew what would happen if I didn’t make it correctly.

  I managed to make it a couple months without screwing up again until I found out I was adopted. I had dropped a folder of paperwork in my father’s office while I was cleaning it. As I picked it all up, I saw my birth certificate. It had listed my parents as Max and Amelia Storm and I was shocked, so much so that I burst in to the lounge and asked them why it said I had different parents. My mother looked livid but my father looked calm, and that’s when I knew I had made a terrible mistake. He slowly walked towards me, took the birth certificate from me then punched me in the face and once I was down, he didn’t stop. I don’t remember most of it but I remember the pain. I woke up in the morning in my bed. My mom came in and said I wouldn’t be going to school until the bruises were gone.

  My father was always good enough he never broke a bone, but the bruises this time were in places anyone could see, meaning my face shoulders and legs. That was six months ago and the day I decided I needed to leave.” I stop and wipe at the tears on my face. I didn’t realize how much it hurt me that they treated me this way.

  Parents should love and nurture you, but mine have never given me that. I avoid looking at Dane, I don’t think I could stand to see the pity in his eyes. A couple minutes go by and I leave him to digest everything. I hear Dane getting up, he must be disgusted and trying to leave without me noticing. Seeing his shoes in front of me I look up at him, and I’m shocked to see admiration in his eyes. I expected revulsion not admiration.

  He crouches down in front of me and cups my face with both hands before leaning in and kissing me. I sigh, he places a kiss gently on my head then my right cheek, and my left cheek before landing on my lips. I’m not sure if I should kiss him back at first, but he runs his tongue along my bottom lip and I open for him touching my tongue to his.

  At first, I worry I’m not kissing him right, but my instincts take over this kiss and all I feel is an overwhelming need to make it last forever. I rise to my knees and lean into the kiss. Dane ends up falling on his back with me landing sprawled on him. We laugh and he moves me so I am lying on my side facing him.

  He brushes the remaining tears from my face “I am so sorry you have experienced so much hurt in your life Evie, but if you give us a chance, we will make sure no one hurts you again,” he says with compassion in his eyes. I can’t believe how lucky I am that I met the guys. It’s only been a day and I feel like I’ve known them forever.

  “When will you leave? Where will you go? How will you survive by yourself?” Dane questions me.

  I hesitate before answering but decide I may as well keep being honest. “Well, I don’t plan to leave until I know I have no choice left. I want to finish school and get my diploma before leaving, rather than having to find a new school to enrol in. I’m not sure where I will go yet, but so far anywhere is better than with my parents. And I have two thousand dollars saved up from cash jobs I have been doing to get me started until I find a job.” He looks impressed by what I said so I guess he thought I had no plan.

  Like I wouldn’t plan before leaving. I’m not stupid. I hate that the guys act like I am some dumb girl with no ideas and can’t defend myself. I’m starting to wonder about their intelligence levels.

  Shit sorry Evie we keep underestimating you. I sigh, wishing Dane would say those words and not my brain, making up his voice.

  Dane

  Crap! We really need to stop projecting back to her, but it’s hard not to respond when we get some thoughts so strongly as if she is projecting them on purpose. We’ll have to teach her how to control it. She should only be able to project with her family and bonded but we haven’t bonded yet so I don’t understand why we are getting a lot of her thoughts. I notice Evie checking her clock again. That’s like the fourth time since we got here she’s checked the time. Maybe she has a curfew?

  Evie

  Looking down at my watch I feel a wave of excitement go through me, only 17 minutes to go. According to my birth certificate I was born at exactly 3:13pm eighteen years ago. Its 2:56pm now. I don’t know why I am obsessed with the exact time of my birth but I have been for the last 3 years. My parents said they never remembered the exact time, but I saw it when I found my birth certificate.

  “Do you need to get home?” Dane asks noticing me glance at my watch.

  “No, I’m just waiting for my birthday. I’m officially 18 in another 17 minutes” I smile at him.

  His face goes blank. “Today’s your birthday?! Shit I
’m sorry Evie but I have to call the guys to come here right now. I promise I’ll explain after I talk to them,” he walks to the other side of the field pulling his phone out and dials someone. I stare after him wondering why he’s freaked out.

  He finishes his call saying, “Hurry we only have 14 minutes.” I wait for him to start talking but he just paces back and forth in front of me running his hands through his hair.

  I can’t stand it anymore. “Dane what’s going on? Why does my birthday matter to you and why did you have to call the guys?” I wait for him to speak.

  He stops pacing and faces me. “I’m sorry Evie. We thought we had more time and that we could ease you into the news rather than just spring it all on you at once but we have no choice. We have 13 minutes to tell you as much as we can. When you turn 18 something will happen to you, but I don’t want you to be afraid. The guys are coming and will be here in time to protect you. We should have done research once we knew who you were, so we could tell you and for that I am truly sorry. Please don’t run I need you to hear me out,” Dane says pleading with me to stay and listen.

  Part of me is telling me to run but my instincts are telling me to stay and listen, that I’m safe. “Ok Dane, I promise not to run until you finish telling me but after that I can’t promise anything,” I cross my arms and look at him.

  All he does is chuckle before starting. “Evie you’re an Elemental. An Elemental is a being descended from angels that can contain the powers of Earth, Air, Fire or Water. Your birth mother was an Air Elemental but was born from an Air and Water Elemental. We thought she had both elements, but she only had Air. Your birth father was a Fire Elemental born from an Earth and Fire Elemental. He was able to use both Earth and Fire but Fire was his most commonly used element. Elementals are all around the world and it is rare to get a crossing of Elementals as we like to stick near others of our own Elements. In our world, the friendship between Kylan, Teddy, Mike, and I is considered unnatural as we are all different Elements, but our parents allowed us our friendship and we have now become some of the strongest elementals out there. On an Elementals 18th birthday, the minute they turn 18, their powers break free. We don’t know what Element you will show but you have shown signs for all so far which could be just from your parentage. The procedure we follow when an Elemental receives their power is that they are in an isolated area with another of their power to help them control the element. That’s why I called the guys. I’m a Water Elemental, Teddy is an Earth Elemental, Mike is an Air Elemental and Kylan is a Fire Elemental.”