Broken Elements (Elements, Book 1)

by Mia Marshall

  “Don’t walk away from me. Don’t you dare walk away from me while I’m trying to explain.” The menacing words were caught by the wind and carried swiftly away from me, leaving me with only a whispered threat.

  But he was a threat. While my heart could still barely believe his transformation, my body shared no such reservations. My heartbeat had accelerated, and the adrenaline coursing through my veins focused my senses, readying me for whatever came next.

  Brian was considerably more muscled than I was, but he wasn’t taller, and I was faster and could command more magic. I could handle him. I took a long breath, seeking to calm myself as much as possible, and reached out with my magic, grasping the plentiful drops that hung all around us, preparing to pull them toward me if needed.

  “You need to leave, Brian. I don’t want to hurt you, but you need to leave now. We can talk about this when we’re calmer.”

  “What, so you can tell everyone what a big, bad man I am? So they can protect you? We all know you can’t protect yourself. I can protect you. I can tell you who you are, Aidan Brook, and you’ll never be helpless again. Don’t you want to know?”

  Aidan Brook. Aidan Brook. My own name circled inside my head, spoken simultaneously by the man in front of me, the one at the campsite, and the creature taunting me inside the warehouse. The memory I’d glimpsed a moment ago fell sharply into place. Devoid of reason, Brian’s voice became the voice of my nightmares. Lightning flashed as my entire world shifted, and thunder followed close upon its heels. The storm was nearly upon us.

  “No.” I shuddered violently, the force of this knowledge threatening my own grasp on sanity. “It can’t be you.”

  He watched the realization dawn across my face, and he smiled. He smiled as I recognized him for the killer he was. “I know it’s hard to process right now, but you’ll come to understand, soon. I had reasons, I promise you. I never wanted you to find out, but maybe this is how it was meant to be, all along. You and me, with no secrets.”

  Mentally, I reviewed my escape options. Brian stood between me and the house. Mac’s trailer lay at least two hundred feet away, hidden by the trees. I could probably outrun Brian, but my hindbrain rebelled at the thought of having him at my back, regardless of his weak powers.

  My eyes snapped to his. “I’ve seen your power. You might be able to freeze a heart, if you kept the magic in reserve, but never anything like what I saw at the campsite.”

  “Funny thing, Aidan Brook. My mother was so old that she simply could not be bothered with a child, and she handed me off to her many times great-granddaughter. She left me to be raised as a human.” He spat that final word.

  I took a single step back and stopped before I could alarm him. “Then your mother was…”

  “Pure ice. I could have grown up on the Alaska glacier with my rightful family, surrounded by the ways of my people, but instead I was raised far from my birthright. Surrounded by so many weak people, I learned to hide who I was.”

  One more step. “And your partner? The earth? Who was that?” Half a step, pause.

  His eyes narrowed, letting me know that my slow retreat had not gone unnoticed. He reached out one cold hand. “Leave here with me, Aidan, and I’ll introduce you. I’ll tell you everything you want to know, and a few things you never even guessed. Please.” Once again, his eyes were open and vulnerable, a man asking a woman for her approval.

  The rain came at last, falling on us both in heavy sheets. Brian did not move. He stood with his hand extended, hair flat against his head and clothes sticking to his body, and waited for my answer. For a moment, he was both my enemy and the friend I remembered. “I can’t, Brian. You know I can’t.”

  The spell broke. He rolled his eyes, letting out an exaggerated sigh, the way he used to do before teasing me. “I hoped to do this the easy way.” He gave a quick wave of his hands, and I felt ice crystals form on my fingers and knit together. It was the most delicate sheet of ice, easily breakable, but it moved too fast to be counteracted. It circled my arms, covering my coat sleeves, before reaching my bare neck. “Know that I have to do this. I don’t really want to hurt you.” The ice wrapped around my throat and tightened, stealing my breath.

  Even as my windpipe closed, I fought against the panic. Fortunately, with water everywhere, my magic required less focus. I messily swept the torrents of water into a single stream and thrust it toward Brian, aiming it at his nose and mouth.

  It was quick and efficient, if inelegant. Several mouthfuls entered his lungs before he froze the rest in midair, just as he had when I’d attacked poor, unsuspecting Rob at the campsite. It took his focus from the vise around my neck, freeing me.

  Even as he coughed up rainwater, I became aware this was a battle I could easily lose. Brian—the killer—was more powerful than any of us had ever guessed. I sprinted toward Mac’s, heels sinking deep into the newly formed mud. Even so, desperation gave me speed, and I pushed through the blinding rain, unable to see anything but the warm light of the trailer.

  I wasn’t fast enough. I only made it fifty feet or so before I was brought to a crashing halt, the sheet of rain before me turning easily into a narrow wall of ice. Momentum worked against me, and I was unable to stop. I charged into it at full speed, bouncing off the ice and landing on the ground. I immediately rolled into a small protective ball, guarding the injuries just sustained and the ones that seemed almost certain to follow.

  “Mac!” I screamed, one long guttural howl. The wind stole the words from me and carried them away, and I did not know in what direction my desperate cry was taken. We were still so far from the house, so far from the trailer, and Brian was already upon me. His hand fisted in my hair, and he yanked my face upwards.

  “You cry for that beast? What is it with you and shifters? You dated two of them in college, and you didn’t even know what they were! You date them and give me nothing. You want his help, but you spurn me? Damn it, I would never hurt you, Aidan. Never. I just need you to be quiet for a few minutes, so we can get out of here. Can’t you just try to understand?” His expression alternated between angst and anger, but this time, when the coil of ice encircled my throat, his focus was absolute. Spots appeared in my vision, and my head grew light. I desperately reached for my magic, just as consciousness began to desert me. “Shhh. Just relax. I promise you’ll wake up soon.”

  Unable to fight, I felt my body succumb to his command. My eyes slowly drifted shut.

  “Damn it!” The pressure lessened, and I blinked my eyes open. Brian was now several feet away, dodging fireballs being flung toward him with remarkable speed. The rain was rapidly extinguishing the flames, but she was starting with such large weapons that they were still dangerous, even after sailing twenty feet through the air.

  “Sera!” I croaked, fingers clawing at the ice that still surrounded my neck. She barely glanced my way but began circling toward me, throwing defensive flames the entire way.

  When she reached me, she knelt down and placed one hand on my neck, slowly melting the vise. “I thought I heard… sorry, Ade. Didn’t mean to cut it so close.”

  I took a long, ragged breath. “You wanted to swoop in at the last minute. I was right. You’re totally the dramatic one.”

  She helped me up, and we faced him together. Brian stared at us, debating whether this was a battle he could win. He took one step forward, eyes on me the entire time. He wrapped a similar coil around Sera’s neck, which she easily removed with a touch.

  “You want to play?” she asked. “Let’s play.”

  She stood upright, eyes made of iron. She gave no indication that the man before her had ever been a friend. She sent a stream of fire to him, wrapping it around his body like a prison, but the rain immediately doused it. Annoyed, she gathered an enormous fireball together and flung it toward him. He neatly sidestepped it and laughed.

  I felt fear build within me, and the anger that seemed to always accompany it. I tried to ignore it and reach for the water, but it was a
pathetic attempt. I could do nothing to him the elements weren’t already doing.

  The storm was now directly over us, the lightning and thunder striking simultaneously. A silver tongue of electricity crashed through the trees directly to our right, finding one dead tree hidden within the more sodden ones. It was instantly aflame, a weak fire that fought to survive in the downpour. With Sera’s energy feeding it, the flames steadily grew, becoming stronger than they had any right to be in this weather.

  “I don’t think you’ll win my game, Sera,” he taunted. A moment later, she gripped her chest, eyes bulging. Her entire focus went inward, redirecting her own store of heat to her heart without damaging anything. I was certain she had never done anything like this before, and I did not know if she could succeed.

  She stumbled to her knees, face drawn and pained. I ran to her and placed my own hand over her chest. I could feel her heartbeat, but only barely, and it seemed to be slowing.

  “Stop,” I begged Brian. “You’re killing her. Stop.”

  “Just come with me, Aidan. Come with me and I’ll stop,” he cajoled. His face turned slightly, looking at someone just over my shoulder. “One step closer and they both die.” He spoke calmly, and I didn’t even realize what he meant until I felt a slow chill seize my own chest. I clutched my own chest and stared at him. Brian offered a casual, apologetic shrug.

  “Aidan!” The storm was passing, and Mac’s frantic cry reached me clearly.

  “Stay back,” I gritted out. My heart was beating slowly, but it was still beating.

  I wasn’t sure how much longer Sera could say the same. She was channeling all her energy inward, trying to warm herself without causing any fire damage, and it looked like she was struggling to find that balance.

  Mac might be able to pummel Brian in a physical match, but he had no defense against an ice powerful enough to easily freeze three hearts simultaneously. I remembered the hatred Brian revealed when speaking of Mac and knew he would not hesitate to kill him. I wasn’t even sure Brian would let Sera live.

  I needed to get him away, before I lost two more of my friends.

  “Stop. I’ll go with you.” The words were whispered, but he knew the moment I stopped fighting him.

  He nodded grimly. “Come here. When you reach me, I’ll release her.”

  “Don’t do it.” She spoke between gritted teeth, still trying to warm her own heart.

  “It’s not even a choice,” I said. “You’re my best friend, you idiot.”

  I started to walk toward him, ignoring Sera’s expression that suggested she had a few more arguments she’d like to make. I only made it a few feet before a black ball came hurtling out of the darkness. It landed on Brian’s chest, clawed his face several times, then took off into the trees before he could react. The entire attack took mere seconds, but that was all the time Sera needed to recover. She stood, simultaneously preparing more fire.

  Brian scanned the yard, weighing the likelihood of success against a fourth opponent. I could just make out the cat circling back around, preparing for a second attack. No one spoke.

  I dared not look away from Brian. From behind me came a roar that seemed to shake the very earth, louder than any storm could ever hope to be. Heavy footfalls moved in my direction, and a massive dark bear moved in front of me and Sera, nearly blocking us from Brian’s sight. He stood on his hind legs, a full seven feet of muscle and rage, and screamed. I peered around his side to see Brian slowly backing away. It was the only thing he could do. I had seen Mac’s eyes, and Brian’s death lay within them.

  “You’re not leaving, Brian.” Vivian’s voice carried to all of us. He turned in her direction, a growing look of disbelief on his face. Glancing down, I saw the cause. Vivian had wrapped earth around his feet and ankles, effectively trapping him.

  Even that did not render him weak or contrite. He shook his head, amusement plain as he looked at her. “Really, Vivian? You think you can hold me?” He glanced around at his surroundings, then looked at each of us in turn. “Yes, you’ve got me. Look how very helpless I am. Whatever will you do with me now?”

  Sera refused to play. “Us? Nothing. We’re not killers. We’ll let Josiah decide your fate.” She pulled out her phone, but before she could even finish dialing, a horrendous noise caught our attention.

  Brian laughed, delighted. “Ironic, isn’t it? The fire forgot about the fire.”

  He was right. Fueled by Sera’s energy, the fire had clung to the dead tree throughout the storm, hungrily eating away at the dry wood. The loud cracking we’d heard was the sound of wood splitting. As we watched, the burning tree toppled toward the ground, heading directly for us. We scrambled, moving hurriedly out of its path. When it landed, it fell on nothing but empty earth.

  “Is everyone okay?” Vivian asked. Sera and I were on the ground, several feet from the tree’s new location, and Mac hovered above us, shielding us with his body. I could see Simon running the length of the tree, meowing loudly but clearly unhurt. We were safe.

  Then we realized what Simon was saying. Brian was gone.

  Chapter 21

  We retreated to the living room, huddling together for comfort and acutely aware that where once there’d been six, now there were only five. The gap created by Brian’s absence was a silent recrimination, a reminder of our faith in one so undeserving of that trust. I was sipping heavily honeyed tea to coat my throat, and I kept catching Sera pressing a hand against her chest, whether in memory of Brian’s assault or to hold the pain within, I could not say. Physically, we were fine. Our emotional state was an entirely different matter.

  Sera paced, and energy sparked and crackled across her skin. The way her heels spun on the carpet, I worried it would ignite from the friction. I knew she wanted to burst through the door, start her car, and pursue Brian wherever he might flee. She only remained in the cabin because we had absolutely no idea where to begin our search. Her frustration kept her moving in circles, insisting on action of some kind, no matter how impotent.

  Mac leaned against the wall, arms crossed, face still. He and Simon had attempted to track Brian after he escaped, but the scent disappeared at the river and did not appear on the other side. They’d remained in animal form only a short time after confirming that he was gone, but the beast still stared through Mac’s eyes. They remained the same color in both animal and human forms, but there was no mistaking the difference. What I’d seen the first morning on the deck was a mere shade of what I now witnessed. His friends were safe, and he would keep us that way, but anyone else who entered this room would find themselves broken and bloodied.

  Vivian pulled her legs up into a tight ball and sat perfectly still, gaze fixed at a spot in the distance that no one else could see. After shifting, Simon had changed into a clean outfit and was now sitting on the sofa, looking pristine and unconcerned.

  “I never really liked him,” he said, picking idly at a non-existent piece of lint on his sweater. We all stared at him. “I mean it. He always seemed a little too glib for me. People should care about something.”

  “He cared about his uncle,” I said.

  “You think that was an act?” asked Sera. “How much of everything he did was an act? Maybe staying close to his uncle just gave him a chance to alter the police report years ago, making us believe he was dead.” Disgust suddenly clouded her features. “Damn it. You realize this means Carmichael was right about Brian? Please don’t make me admit that to him.”

  Vivian released a short, harsh bark of laughter. “I was raised by one of the nation’s premier psychiatrists, and I saw nothing. My mom would be so ashamed of me.”

  I scooted over to her and squeezed her hand. “Don’t blame yourself. You couldn’t have known.” I spoke the words as much for my own benefit as for hers. “None of us could have seen what he was. That man tonight, I swear he wasn’t the Brian we all knew. It felt like someone else was looking through his eyes, and our friend had vanished completely.”

  “B
ut this has been inside him for a long time,” Vivian argued. “He killed people. If he ever was sane, that was a long time ago.”

  “When he killed his girlfriend,” Sera said. The realization caused her to drop in place, the memories too dreadful and too heavy to continue pacing. “And our other friends. He killed them, and just kept being our friend. Oh, god. He helped kill Christopher.” Her voice broke on the final word. I had never seen Sera so close to crying before.

  I walked to her and forced her to look at me, giving her something else to focus on. “Before, it wasn’t about us. He killed some people we knew, but he also killed strangers, any human that dated elementals. I think, years ago, he just wanted to kill. It fed his sense of superiority. It was more directed this time.”

  Sera’s control was already returning, her sharp mind reviewing all the previously incomprehensible actions. “He was sending a message. And I don’t think he meant it for me, Ade.”

  I shook my head. “He killed men you dated, too.” The evidence of Brian’s obsession with me was mounting, and I would clutch at any straw to keep from being the focal point of his insanity. But even as I spoke the words, I saw one simple detail we had all missed. “The first two deaths were men I dated. Both shifters, and god, if you had heard the way he spoke about them.” I glanced at Mac and Simon. “He drank the pure-blooded Kool-Aid on this one. He hates shifters. Cal and Mark were the first to die. Mark was found later, so we missed the order.”

  Sera caught on quickly. “And when no one told you about Cal, and Mark’s body wasn’t found…”

  “He killed Christopher. The one person whose death was guaranteed to bring me back.”

  Sera started speaking faster. “And then he made sure we found him. The earth must have killed him, and they dragged him away from the water.”

  Vivian caught on. “That depression, it could have been caused by a sheet of ice. It would be a nice, easy path from the water to the trees.”