Gray hairs at the beast’s necks bristled and they snarled and snapped.
Maya stepped into the middle of the scared, sick creatures. Sadness and pity flowed at seeing the ancestral throwbacks of every domesticated dog brought so low. Their gray coats were ragged and bare in spots. Growls curled up from deep in their throats. They guarded each other even with the stain of madness in their minds. Pain was evident in their tarnished golden eyes and crippled attack efforts.
Their pack mates weaved through the forest in a wide circle. The natural urge to protect was a product of their bound nature. The alpha couple howled and raced through the forest, calling on their sick brothers to move—to fight against these human invaders.
A strong breeze flowed through the trees and pressed back the wolf pack’s healthy members.
Maya offered a hand to a sick female who shook with fear and the ravages of the disease. The wolf’s instincts kicked in, and she lunged and sank her fangs deep into Maya’s hand.
Water seeped from her wound as Maya brushed the soft fur on the female’s head. Another set of fangs ripped into her leg.
Flint batted away the beast. “Maya, what are you doing?”
“I can give them a few moments peace before they die. I’ll heal. They will not.”
Maya stroked the female’s back. Sadness echoed deep as she felt their fight to live, to remain sane, even as the disease blanketed their minds. She released a wash of soothing, cleansing water through the female wolf, giving a temporary respite before the animal’s yellow eyes drifted closed for the last time.
Flint lifted the wolf into his arms and added her to the pyre.
Another wolf approached and the process began again until Maya arched in pain and collapsed. A blood-curling scream erupted as the disease streamed through her body. The heat of Flint’s bonfire scorched her skin, and the foul stench of charred flesh struck her nostrils.
Awash in the sooty flakes of death, she envisioned snapping teeth and ripping flesh as darkness took over, blackening her mind. Paralyzed in place with no control over her movements, black vultures picked at her cracked brain. Her vision clouded into a red-and-black mush. Lifted into the air by black wings, she fought off the sharp beak holding her and struggled to regain sanity.
The smell of salt water replaced burnt hair and flesh. A gull screeched before she was plunged into cool life-giving water. Clumps of her hair floated past her face. Her skin was puckered and pale. Maya opened her mouth wide and drank deep to eradicate the disease now rampant in her body. Not enough. She dispersed and became one with the sea. Each molecule healing on its own before coalescing once more and forming her human body.
“You are strong. A survivor. You are woman.” Mother’s voice whispered across the sea. “Call on Goddess Isis, Mother of the Universe, Mistress of the Elements, to heal with life-giving water. Ask for purification. Allow her to cleanse you with her golden light. Glorious Isis, come to my daughter, Maya. Free her and restore her fount of elemental gifts.”
Chapter 17
Quint’s attention was diverted from the papers in his hand when Pillar walked by the glass walls encasing his office. Veimhet Schwarz, his top research scientist, brushed against her in the doorway, even though the double doors offered ample space. The little German mouse had a ridiculous obsession with the pale blonde. However, Pillar’s preference for alpha males did not bode well for this scrawny creature. Schwarz’s prominent forehead receded into a hairline circling the back of his head. His ears stuck out in a cupped fashion, and his beady eyes were set close together. The little mouse preened like a lion in her presence.
Schwarz remained rooted in place, staring at Pillar. Images of her, disturbing even to Quint’s depraved mind, broadcasted from his mad scientist. No doubt Schwarz’s nights were filled with dreams of using her to further his inhumane experimentation addiction.
Quint cared not who used Pillar’s body. She had amused him for a time, but as with all things, the thrill waned, so he’d moved on to more daring prey. The current fascination humans had with bondage and dominance suited his nature quite well.
Safe words, however, did not.
He and Schwarz had finished a conference call with Jing Pingfang, a Japanese scientist, who offered advice on their studies. Pingfang was the foremost historical expert on Unit 731, a chemical and biological warfare research unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War.
Pillar’s visit actually pleased Quint, because now he wouldn’t be forced to endure Schwarz’s drivel about his experiments, or his tedious recitation of Pingfang’s information. The mouse chased after his mission in life as if it were a rare piece of cheese. His fondest desire was to create a soldier impervious to any and all forms of injury or chemical agents. And like him, Schwarz allowed no human laws to impede his goals. There was always at least one human immune to a specific disease, and they were tracking down those cases and conducting experiments. The lure of quick money made bringing in new test subjects easy. Death typically took them out.
Pillar sat before his desk. “You wished to see me?”
Quint sat forward in his chair and steepled his forefingers against his lips. “So, tell me, how are things back at the ranch?”
Pillar sniffed and glanced around his office. “They had quite the bonfire last night, gathering and burning the diseased cattle and wolves. Maya will be out of the picture for a while.”
Quint’s gaze sharpened. “And our boy? Is he still the same?”
Pillar squirmed after noticing his intense regard.
That’s right. Don’t disregard me.
“Yes, Terran’s still human.”
“I’ll give him a few more weeks before I intervene. I have some time to spare. Plus, running this lab with Schwarz has been entertaining, to say the least. I need you to follow-up on a rumor.”
Pillar flicked her hair over her shoulder and raised a brow in question.
“I need you to retrieve a girl in Switzerland, Violet Levina. From what I understand from Schwarz, her family dabbles in witchcraft, and the girl’s been hexed by a spell of extraordinary magnitude. It’s imperative she’s brought into the fold before falling into the hands of the Elementals. Not that I’d want to intrude on any of your plans, dear.”
Pillar shot a glance his way and inquired, “Where in Switzerland?”
“I believe you’ll find her near Meyrin, at the Franco-Swiss border. She’s currently employed at CERN. An expert in the field of Quantum Mechanics.”
“And why is she of interest?”
Ms. Inquisitive apparently needed a reminder of her place in his domain. Quint rose from his chair and walked around his desk to sit at the table in front of Pillar.
She leaned back.
Smart girl.
“Pillar, you seem to be laboring under a certain misconception. We are not partners. You chose this bargain and in doing so placed your life in my service.” He ran his hands over her knees and locked down on her upper thighs. “It isn’t important you know who she is or my plans for her. I asked you to retrieve her, and that is the end of the matter. No questions. No discussion.”
Pillar gripped his wrists. “Get your hands off of me.”
“Now dear, you used to like my hands on you. All over you.” He gripped her hips and yanked her onto his lap. Wrapping a handful of her hair in his fist, he used his grip to snap back her neck. “You are mine, my well-seasoned wench. Mine to do with as I please. I suggest you don’t forget who is in charge of our arrangement. You wanted your revenge and you’ll have it. I can just as easily take it all away.” He bit and pulled her earlobe.
A wash of salt crossed his tongue, so he thrust her onto the floor at his feet. “I tire of your constant pout, Pillar. I suggest using your time acquiring my prize in Switzerland to reflect on your future path. If not, we’ll end this right now.”
“I am not yours to bid. I do as I wish when I wish.” Pillar glared as she rubbed her hip.
Quint wrapped his
hand around her neck, and then he lifted her until her gaze was even with his. “Careful with that tone, my dear. I believe you forget with whom you’re speaking.” He threw her across the room and laughed as she coughed and sputtered. “Don’t come back without Violet.”
Chapter 18
Lying on top of the sleeping bag on her apartment floor, Maya rustled around, contemplating the current state of affairs in her ever-changing Elemental world. They had contained the infected wolves and incinerated the sick cattle, but that didn’t mean the disease wouldn’t continue to present. Verification the tainted feed was no longer in use at Crowder’s ranch was the next step.
What larger scheme was Quint planning? Perhaps during her absence, Nodin and Flint had investigated Quint and the ranch. On her way back from the ocean, she gleaned only a faint hum of their energy signatures. They weren’t far, but they weren’t in the immediate vicinity either. She rarely worried about their whereabouts, but they were supposed keep an eye on their reluctant future partner. She’d called Terran this morning using the phone in the gym below her apartment, but he hadn’t answered.
Frustrated by inactivity, she dressed and padded down the apartment’s back stairs. Perhaps shuffling amongst library shelves would provide clarity, and she could zero in on Terran’s location. Later, she’d waitress at Mo-swa and plunge into the patrons’ brew-filled minds to determine potential trouble. Wound tight after a three-day Pacific Ocean immersion, Maya was primed for the physical outlet of thwarting criminals.
Most nights, the voices in her head filtered out and only remained in her mental strainer if a half-baked noodle was present. The sheer volume of voices sometimes overwhelmed—but not tonight. Tonight, she’d chew those al dente noodles and spit them out.
With one foot raised to take the last step, Maya faltered, almost tripping as a wave of dizziness blurred her mind. She clutched the handrail to keep from collapsing, earning a wooden sliver in her palm. As she scraped at the splinter, an odd vibration trickled down her spine and a great roar erupted in her head. Maya clasped both hands over her ears and looked around at the people heading into the brick building’s first-floor gym. No one else seemed affected by the sound.
Her body wobbled and a fissure in the earth spread open at her feet. A searing pain jolted her head to the side, as if she’d been physically struck.
The crack grew wider and deeper.
Dizziness threatened and she fought not to teeter into the abyss. Taking deep shallow breaths, she tried regaining control as her inner waters boiled and steamed.
Earth beckoned, urging her to follow the path split open at her feet. Eyes closed, Maya let earth’s energy surge around her. Visions punched through her mind. A stream. Dust rising from boots. Clenched fists. Crazed male laughter.
Bright red blood dripped from a man’s nose and mouth—Terran.
As pain shot through her body, Maya gasped. No!
His elemental tie to the earth had reached across the miles alerting her to his extreme danger.
Taking her apartment steps two at a time, she thrust open the door, stepped inside, and misted. She shot back out and arrived at the stream in minutes. Terran’s beaten body rested half in, half out of the water.
Rage and fear converged inside her body and matched the red blotches marring his face and arms. His lips were swollen and his right eye was a half-closed, bloody mess. Internal injuries caused blood to dribble out his nose. Rocks stabbed her knees as she knelt beside him and laid her head upon his chest. His heartbeat was a faint thump against her ear.
Dust stirred from his perpetrators’ vehicle as they sped off. Tears fell from Terran’s eyes. His mind sought escape from the pain and welcomed the Reaper standing on the horizon. He tried to speak, but she quieted him with gentle murmurs.
Maya brushed tears from his cheeks and licked the salty substance from her thumb. “I believe I warned you about staying away from this stream. Now look at you beaten to edge of death.”
Terran’s hair lay on his forehead, matted with blood.
The water streamed red from wounds on the back of his head.
She compelled his mind to calm and release the pain.
Each Elemental received one additional gift. Hers was the ability to heal. She rarely used this gift, not believing in interfering with death’s plans. Today, she believed. Strongly. Dreams of a life with Terran remained buried deep in her heart, and she refused to watch him die.
The stream bubbled around her, seeking guidance upon sensing her need for additional strength. Maya drew Terran deeper into the water and wrapped her arms around his chest. As she spilled cool water down his throat, her healing elixir flowed into his body.
He drank like a man lost in a desert for weeks. With each swallow, her essence drifted into his body and repaired the injured internal organs.
Through their connection, she caught glimpses of men’s faces and portions of the fight he’d endured. Terran was strong, but no human could withstand the savagery of four men. She, however, was far from human and vowed they would pay.
Terran moaned and thrashed in the water.
The sound affected her heart’s deepest recesses. “No, my brave, Boffin. Be at peace. You are safe.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. Calm words were whispered into his ear, guiding his mind away from the trauma and pain of his beating.
More and more, Maya absorbed each tear, split, and scrape. Her body twitched and a scream dared to escape her lips as she cleared each blow.
Time to pull away and regain strength before continuing the healing process. She tugged Terran toward the bank.
Why did he return? How did the ranch hands know he was here?
Weakened by her healing efforts, she returned to the stream. Positioned just below the surface, her body rejuvenated. She kept her eyes above the water line and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest. Up and down. Up and down. The movement offered assurance they’d passed the critical point. As she swallowed water and floated in the stream, she trembled as battle dregs ejected from her body in a continuous flow.
Terran remained still and rested on his back, breathing steady and calm.
Her feelings for the brave man ran deeper than just desire or destiny. His will to do the right thing, and his bravery in the face of uncertainty, made him stand out from every human she’d ever known. Their connection proved real today. How else could earth’s call stretch across the miles? Terran would be an extraordinary Elemental. The troubling question remained, would he accept his role?
Worry for another time.
After rising from the water, she kneeled at his side, covered his mouth, and delivered a dose of healing liquid. Once his bones began to re-set and she healed the worst of his internal injuries, she gauged the distance to his truck.
Not far, because he’d parked along the bank. She prepared for his transfer by opening the truck’s back door then returning to his side. “All right, Terran, I’m going to carry you to the backseat now.”
After getting him settled, she used his ever-handy towel as a head cushion. His cheeks, no longer the pale white of impending death, blossomed with a mix of red and purple bruises across his jaw. A line of dried blood remained on his upper lip and across his left cheek from a nasal fracture. His breathing steadied, but his body shivered from the clinging wet clothes.
He opened his eyes and stuttered out. “My…Maya … you…you came.”
His rasped-out words were alarming. What did this mean? Was their link so strong, she would continue to receive his distress calls? Nodin and Flint had never used their elemental link with fire or air to contact her. Their mode of communication entailed mental messages. Terran’s use of the earth to reach her was an interesting discovery and, based on this experience, the call was wired to her alone.
Now was not the time for stewing over the implications of Terran using the earth like a cell signal. He stirred, so she seeped through his mind’s distress. “Sleep now, Terran. Release your pain. You’ll not die toda
y.”
Optimistic her gentle mental croon would hold him on their journey to the hospital, she kissed his forehead and the tip of his nose. She jumped into the driver’s seat and downed water from a bottle in the cup holder.
Flooring the truck’s gas pedal, she drove like the lead in a Nascar truck series dirt race. Pits in the road jostled her precious cargo, so she swerved to avoid the larger ruts.
On the highway, she kept the pedal flat against the floor mat during the final lap into town. The red-and-white emergency room sign loomed ahead. The truck tires squealed as she turned into the drive and slammed on the brakes. She hopped from the truck, rushed inside, and misted past the waiting room and checkin counter, heading directly through the double doors in search of a nurse. A shorthaired brunette with streaks of gray leaned against a counter, chatting with another nurse. Maya engaged her mind and convinced her to come out with a gurney.
After reforming, she and the nurse transferred Terran to the wheeled cot. Maya searched his memories by holding his head between her hands. She flipped through his mind for a complete picture of the four faces involved in beating him and leaving him to die.
“Show me, Terran,” she whispered. She stopped the gurney and rested her forehead against his. Visions of Crowder’s vet and three ranch hands broadcasted from his mind to hers. They had argued with Terran and accused him of trespassing. Terran turned his back to gather his things when a blow to the back of his head dropped him to his knees. Cowards. They attacked and beat him with a frenzy of blows and kicks. How had he survived the gang’s aggressive onslaught?
His breathing came in short rasps as he fought to resurface into consciousness. She kissed him, gushing her own blend of Maya Kool-Aid down his throat—a thick coating to brush over the pain. Breaking contact, she staggered back and did her best to focus on those around them.
“Are you all right, Miss?” With a perplexed frown, the nurse waited alongside the gurney. “What happened to him? Why are you naked?”
Maya looked into the nurse’s kind hazel eyes, held her hand, and nudged deep into her mind. “He was dropped off here in his truck. You will not remember me.”
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