She morphed into her human form and stood her ground before him.
Flint appeared at the barn door, and a blast of heat struck her balled fists. “You want to play with all that power, little girl?”
Her need to evict all this emotional turmoil erased all rational thought. Eagerness for a true fight rippled through her body.
Flint stepped closer, his lips curved in a half-smile. He blew her a heated kiss.
The blast of heat struck her face and dried her throat. “I’m through with these fools. Do with them what you will. I’m done.” She blasted out of the barn like a feral waterspout.
Away from Flint. Away from Nodin. Away from everything tying her to earth.
For weeks, they had worked tirelessly discovering which animals were infected. Flint burned them once she and Nodin gathered them. The science world now knew the BSE vaccine was false. Nodin used his mental influence to lead Dr. Houser, head of the Prion Institute, to the truth.
How much longer must she serve the earth and its people? How many days of suffering would she endure in a fog without Terran?
Nodin held no sympathy, telling her to stop pouting and believe in Mother’s plan. She tossed back that following that path had worked out just peachy for him. Her sarcasm had gone unappreciated.
Snowflakes lit the skies in Wyoming. The water no longer freely flowed, and the temperatures were tipping toward frigid.
After her outburst today, she needed isolation and warmth.
She drifted south, traveling as a storm cloud through the sky. Coasting along, until she reached the warm waters of the Kaulakahi Channel, the watery passage between Hawaiian Islands, Kaua’i and Ni’ihau.
Ni’ihau, the Forbidden Island, where she’d first learned and adapted to her new life as an Elemental. Her solitude. Her escape. She’d drink salt-water cocktails and soak up the sun—until Terran returned. She could only hope that as he began his journey through his new life as Earthman, he would start by finding her.
Chapter 39
“At least Maya will be around to hose me off.” Mumbling to himself, Terran swiped at the dirt clumps clinging to his arms and legs
At a farm in the Ukraine, each day he’d grown stronger by lying in a pit of rich, black soil. He emerged frequently, like a real life version of dawn of the dead, to eat plants, and discuss his new existence with Mother Nature.
As he gazed across an empty field where farmers would soon be planting wheat or barley, he acknowledged the passage of time. It was time to leave. Head home to the people that loved him.
Fear for their safety overwhelmed at times, but the first step in his new journey was hindered by inner turmoil and physical weakness. Terran shuddered as he remembered Quint’s dominating power that fateful morning at the campground.
A depraved malice had violated his mind and body, traveled along his veins, and threatened his humanity. But Maya, his Maya, remained strong. She alone kept him sane.
What did healing him cost her? Where is she now?
His gleaning powers were not yet under his control. There hadn’t been anyone with which to practice in this remote corner of the world.
The flat field before him was covered with remnants of winter’s snow. Three months ago, he’d been surrounded by white and not only in his environment but also in his mind. A blank slate in a new consciousness he hadn’t asked for, nor desired to achieve. Adjustments to his Elemental life tossed him through a gamut of emotions. Denial. Rage. Helplessness. Fear. Anger.
His welcome into this new world had started with a mouthful of dirt. His eyes blinked open and were instantly speckled with black. His scream was muffled as he shot up from his shallow grave. He gasped for breath and shivered in fear. The effort involved in rising so quickly tired him and he collapsed. He frantically searched back and forth as he’d tried to understand where he was and how he came to be there.
A soft hum sounded through his body, calming him, and the earth folded against him, like a soft fleece blanket. Its energy began warming his skin, giving him strength, which flowed through him and cleared his mind.
He drifted in and out of consciousness those first days until finally, he was overwhelmed with a strong need for the sun and sprouted from the earth. Glancing around, he felt connected to every blade of grass, every chunk of bark, every leaf on every tree. A link forged to them all. The water, the sky, the earth’s hot core settled in perfect harmony and alerted him to his change in circumstances.
He was an Elemental—Earth.
Did he want this? He couldn’t change back, could he? Where was he? How much time had passed since the fight at the river?
He lifted his hand in front of his face, looking for obvious changes, but saw none. At his core, a strong energy flow pulsed just under the skin. Unseen but felt.
Aware of the powers Maya said he would receive; he’d done a little test. He listened with his mind and heard the flap of a bird in flight, the soft chirping of a cricket, the scurrying of a mouse. How far could his mind travel? He’d reached out further and further until he’d heard voices that spoke of their farm and found minds full of pleasant visions of children playing by a hearth.
The only shelter was a weather-beaten barn, decades old, in an empty field. A rustling sound came from under the faded planks.
How can I see without my glasses? Wait, am I wearing glasses? No, he wasn’t wearing anything. At all. Of course. He rolled his eyes and laughed hysterically. Nudity was par for the course as an Elemental
He headed for the sanctuary of the barn, curious as to what was inside.
Mother Nature stood just as he remembered her—tall, majestic, glittering with a fantastic mixture of golds, greens, and browns. She waved a hand before her, indicating a cornucopia of vegetables laid out on a makeshift table of old wood.
She had asked him to sit and eat, gather his strength and feed on the bounty of the earth.
That awakening had taken place over three months ago.
After his mental walk down memory lane, once again, Terran entered the barn and found Mother Nature standing by the table. “What’s for dinner? Steak? Pork Chops? Ribs? How about an ice cold beer?”
Mother laughed, a musical chime, and pointed to a carrot pile on the table.
He walked over and picked up a carrot. “I’ve never eaten so many carrots in my life. No wonder I no longer need glasses. The next time I look in the mirror, I expect to see Bugs Bunny staring back.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “How are you faring?”
A twinge of guilt rumbled through him, because she was always so patient and kind. Those two words did not in any way describe his behavior the first time he’d walked into this shelter. A colorful speech had flowed freely from his mouth. His human mother would not be proud. Petulant and pissed were light indicators of his attitude during that time. He’d made clear his displeasure at having this Earthman life and all its responsibilities foisted upon him.
But they were past that now.
He twirled a carrot by its leafy, green root. “I’m well. I no longer feel weak, nor that constant tug toward earth to restore my strength. I’m ready.” He sat and ate in silence.
They had already argued and debated his questions: What are my gifts? What do you expect from me? Can I visit my parents? Where are Nodin and Flint? Are they taking care of Maya? How is she? Where is Quint? How do my powers work?
Can I die?
Laughter and tears had filled the barn as she’d calmed his fears and entertained with her version of earth’s history.
Though Mother had patiently explained everything, once he left this barn, he would be on his own. Reality would come crashing down and he’d make many mistakes.
Whispers constantly resonated in his mind. They remained too remote to glean. Could he handle all the clambering voices? How would he muddle through enough to determine who truly needed his help?
“Mother, how is Maya?” Terran rubbed two fingers against his chest bone where a dry ache had spr
ung. The only cure was a drink from Maya’s spring. He had almost died and hadn’t revealed his feelings. At the time, he’d had less than a week to reconcile who and what she was. He understood so much more about her now. Forever may lie before him, but he swelled with impatience to see her again.
“You ask after Maya, but your true question is when will you see her again? I agree it is time for you to leave. I have given you all the guidance I can. You must walk the path to truly understand this Elemental life. However, I have one more revelation to disclose. As you are aware, Maya received the extra gift of healing.”
Mother circled the table and came to stand beside him. She placed a finger under his chin and added a push of pressure so his gaze met hers.
Her eyes flashed bright green before settling to moss. At times, she was like a mood ring from a grocery store candy dispenser—interchangeable and spooky.
Her eyes turned brown, and she quirked a grin. “Terran, listen, please.”
“Sorry.”
She nodded and continued, “You are the circle of life. You are solidity and stability. You are tactile and real. Within your circle, air, fire, and water meet. Without your grounding force, they would fall into chaos. Your extra gift is the ability to control them all—wind, fire, and water. All four Elemental gifts are yours.”
“But, I haven’t felt anything. I don’t know how to—” One gift carried enough complexity for a lifetime or even a peri-mortal lifetime. How would he control all four?
Mother placed a single finger against his lips. “The Elementals will teach you. Guide you. Your connection to the earth will remain the strongest, while the others will serve as needed. Use these gifts wisely, my son.”
“I know I need to leave, but I’ll confess to you what I’d never admit to another. I’m afraid I won’t adjust. I’m afraid of Quint. What is normal now? Earthman is fighting against an army of science soldiers in my mind. It’s a war of the worlds in there.” Terran pulled on his hair, creating tufts.
“You may scoff at Nodin’s quotes, but let me offer one now. D. H. Lawrence wrote in Phoenix II, ‘Man is a thought-adventurer. Which isn’t the same as saying that man has intellect…. Real thought is an experience. It begins as a change in the blood, a slow convulsion and revolution in the body itself. It ends as a new piece of awareness, a new reality in mental consciousness. On this account, thought is an adventure, and not a practice. In order to think, man must risk himself. He must risk himself doubly. First, he must go forth and meet life in the body. Then he must face the result in his mind.’”
Mother gently brushed a hand through his hair. Warmth and comfort flowed from her touch. “I cannot answer all your questions, Terran. So many things you must discover on your own. It is time for your adventure to begin. Take risks. Go forth.”
He paced in front of the table, tapping a carrot in his hand.
Thought-adventurer?
At this point he was still too flabbergasted to delve too deeply into his thoughts. “Where am I to go? To Maya?”
“Yes. She is lost in worry. Soak in your reunion. You may be peri-mortal now, but savor time. Many dangers exist. Do not become complacent. Your existence is not guaranteed. Love your brothers and care for Maya. Although she is an Elemental, her heart beats the same as any girl. Quint still wishes to control you. You must prepare yourself for battle. His defeat will come at your hand.”
“How will I defeat him? What about Violet Levina? Her powers far surpass mine.”
“Violet’s time will come. Yours is at hand.”
Chapter 40
Maya refrained from rolling her eyes as Randall Neville ran his fingers down her arm. His immaculate business suit and the gray-lined temples of his perfectly layered hair highlighted his metro-sexual lifestyle. The ring on his manicured left finger had disappeared into his travel bag pocket. A tanning bed smell remained on his skin. Always a pungent odor—Eau du baked sweat.
Neville droned on, “…and so I’m down here leading the conference on bio-engineering. This is the third year I’ve made this business trip. I’m set up in the platinum suite at the Hawaiian Bay Resort. The views get more beautiful each year.” With that comment, he ran a finger across her jaw.
Neville had approached moments after she arrived at the resort’s beachfront bar. As the sweetener to his arrival, he had the bartender deliver a fruity concoction decorated with a neon pink umbrella and speared with pineapple wedges. Bored with her island isolation, she came here to vent frustrations on troublesome bar patrons. Tonight, she struck gold at the end of her rainbow-flavored drink.
Neville flashed his gold card, so sure she’d be lured in by his high-dollar symbols. His plan entailed adding her to the string of women who’d spent a horrific night on his 1500 thread count sheets. When away from home, Neville discarded the rules of decency and his wedding vows. Unfortunate ladies had left his hotel room victims of a sexual dominant. Safe words went unheeded. His dark nature was revealed in angry shades of scarlet left on his victims’ pale skin.
Maya played a submissive role, shyly peering from under her lashes every time she spoke. “Oh, I’ve never seen a platinum suite. I bet they’re luxurious.”
I’d love to stab him in the eye with my straw.
Maya twiddled with her drink’s paper umbrella and wrapped her arms around her middle. She smiled when he drew closer and rested his arm on the back of her chair.
That’s right, strutting peacock, come get your feathers wet.
“Thanks for my drink. It’s so pretty. Where did you say you’re staying again?” She sipped her drink and twisted on her bar stool so her knee brushed against his thigh.
A rush of heat shot through her body that hadn’t initiated from alcohol burn or interest in Neville. She choked, eyes watering as she coughed. Her nostrils burned as the drink spilled out her nose. Grabbing a napkin, she blotted her nose.
What is Flint doing here? Asshole.
“Excuse me. Must have gone down the wrong pipe.” Maya coughed and sputtered.
Neville patted her back. “Let’s head back to my suite. I’ll get you a glass of water.”
Her internal temperature flared, flushed through her system, and sparked into lust. She stepped off her seat and wrapped both hands along the bar’s edge to maintain her equilibrium.
Something was off. This feeling was unfamiliar, yet amazing. A light draft swirled around her tied hula skirt, and a heated breeze danced down her back. What is happening? An invisible hand caressed her body. Only one person evoked this response.
Neville reached out to steady her—
A hand batted him away.
A hand that led to a broad chest covered in a white T-shirt with neon pink letters asking, Where’s the Beach? Her gaze travelled down to a red-and-white hula skirt, tied around a tapered waist.
Then he spoke, “Maya, sorry to keep you waiting.”
Her knees wobbled and she leaned against his body. Balsam and cedar flared in the air, filling her empty heart with their warm, welcome scent. Colors appeared before her eyes once more, and her link to the earth returned.
Terran held her close—an umbrella after months of pouring rain.
“Who are you?” Neville slammed his Scotch on the bar.
With a grin, Terran extended his hand. “I haven’t quite figured that out yet. And you are?”
“He is leaving,” Maya interjected.
Terran’s hold on her waist tightened. “Yes, he is.”
Neville raised his hands, palms out, toward Terran. “She approached me.”
Terran laid a hand on Neville’s shoulder. “You will remember you are married and act according to your vows. You will no longer hunt these tropical shores for women to sate your fetish. Finish this trip, but do not ever return.”
Maya detected immense power emanating from Terran as it flowed over into Neville. The mental stream gleaned strong, powerful, overwhelming. How could he appear so calm after everything that had happened? Why was he here?
&
nbsp; Giddy laughter threatened to escape.
Neville shook his head and knocked Terran’s hand from his shoulder. He peered down his nose. “Nice skirt.”
“I know, brown is more my color, but we could try black and blue. You decide.” With a gentle nudge, Terran shifted her behind him.
Neville raised his glass in a mock toast and retreated.
Terran turned and cupped both sides of her face in his hands. He trailed his thumb across her lower lip.
She clutched his arms in case she fell from shock.
Using his thumbs, he wiped at the tears pouring down her cheeks.
Is he angry? Does he think I am interested in that man? Why isn’t he speaking?
She prodded into his mind.
“Don’t delve.” He pinched her chin. “We’re on an even keel now, but will only remain so if you allow that one privacy. May we leave here? I’d like to speak privately.” He pulled her away from the bar toward the ocean.
Every gentle touch, every husky word, brought hope. “I’m not sure. I don’t know where to go.”
“Take me to your island.”
“My island? How?”
His lips lifted in a cocky grin as he answered, “Through the water, of course.”
Her thoughts remained in a fog as he led her to the ocean’s edge. The water’s familiar feel lapped against her feet and ankles, bringing back reality.
All her fears and worries melted into the surf. She jumped him—arms, legs, and mouth locked tight. She kissed him and ran her hands over every reachable inch of skin.
Alive. He’s alive.
She refused to care if he didn’t want her this way. She’d take this heated moment to make up for months of despair. Her emotional dam had burst, and this beach side reunion wouldn’t be complete without a kiss in the moonlight.
Terran matched her ardor. He slipped his hand beneath the navy blue triangle covering her breast.
Their kiss wasn’t enough. They were still too far apart. Where to begin? Where to touch? A multiple-choice test lay in black and white before her, but the only answer was a long drawn-out essay and he held the pen. What would he write?
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