The Awakening

by Rochelle Southwick

  “Help me end this war with the rebels. So you and I can give us a shot.” I watched as the smile grew on his face.

  “Hell yeah I will help you.” He said. His face got serious for a moment. “Bea.” He breathed.

  I leaned down and ever so softly pressed a kiss to his lips. I pulled away and began explaining “I know you said no more of that until I’m safe but I couldn’t help it.”

  He reached up and pulled me back down to him; he kissed me a little more roughly but with so much passion, I could feel electric pulses down to my toes. “When this is over I will kiss you again, just like that. For now you best go, before I won’t let you and before Mitch throws a fit.”

  I nodded and stood. “I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

  “Don’t be surprised if I contact you before then.” He said with a smile.

  I stepped back towards the door, not wanting to leave but knowing it was for the best if I did.

  I opened the door and could feel the icy tension the moment I hit the hallway. “What the hell, Bea.” Mitch said before the door was even closed.

  “What?”

  “After everything I told you, you let him maul you like that? Don’t you value yourself? Your reputation?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You don’t know? It’s been all over the place, he’s been with so many girls since he got here no one can keep track.”

  Rolling my eyes, I passed the receptionist’s desk, waving as we went. Pressing the button for the elevator, I folded my arms across my chest, not wanting to listen to Mitch anymore. Not that he got the hint he was still going on about how horrible of a person Jake was.

  The elevator opened, and we stepped in. I pressed the button for the ground floor. As we went down, I felt as the elevator came to a stop.

  “What the hell?” Mitch said breaking his bashing on Jake to question the situation we found ourselves in.

  The emergency phone in the elevator rang. I picked it up, praying that it wasn’t Claire. “Hello?”

  “Hello there, try to remain calm. We are working on getting the elevators moving again soon. Everything will be okay.”

  “What is wrong with it?” I asked, cursing my luck of being stuck in a tiny elevator with Mitch.

  “We are diagnosing the problem now and will call you again as soon as we know something. Again, please remain calm.”

  The phone went dead. I hung up and looked at Mitch, “well we are stuck for the foreseeable future.”

  “Great. Now maybe you will listen to me. As someone who cares about you, I just want you safe. Meaning safe from people who you don’t even realize are bad for you.”

  “You think Jake is bad for me?”

  “I do! He isn’t good for anyone around here. Think about it. We didn’t have nearly the issues with the rebels before he showed up! Now they are all over the place.” He walked towards me. “He’s got you brainwashed Bea! I need to help you get out of it!”

  He stepped even closer. I felt the wall of the elevator behind me. “What are you doing?”

  “Saving you from yourself.” He said and then he caught my wrists in his hands. I felt the cuff around my wrist before I saw it. It was one of the same ones that I had put on his sister, the one that cut off magic.

  “Mitch! What the hell!” He pressed me against the elevator and one hand still held my wrist the other came up behind my head. He pulled my head towards him while pushing me against the elevator with his body.

  He pressed his lips to mine; I fought trying to get away. He opened his mouth and began trying to get his tongue in my mouth. I felt helpless without my magic, but I wasn’t, I couldn’t go down like this. Mitch was losing it and I didn’t know how far he would go before he came to his senses.

  He pulled back for a moment whispering, “come on baby, just let it happen.” Before crushing my face again with his.

  I wanted to laugh, but I was afraid of what he would do.

  The phone rang, and I reached for it. “Hello.” I said, trying not to let my voice crack.

  “Hello, the elevator should resume again here in just a few minutes. Would you like me to stay on the line until it does?”

  “Yes, sir.” I responded.

  As promised the elevator began moving again. Mitch took a step away from me when the elevator jolted and began moving.

  When the bell dinged, and the doors slid open I couldn’t get away fast enough. I dropped the phone and stepped out of the elevators. I instantly pulled my phone out of my pocket again and dialed mom.

  “Hey, I need you at the hospital. Now.” I said, not even waiting for her to say hello.

  “Are you alone? Where is Mitch?” She asked me.

  “Not far enough away as far as I’m concerned.”

  She must have heard the panic in my voice because she said, “What happened Bea?” And I heard her laptop snap shut.

  “He’s right here.” I said looking over at Mitch who was smiling sadistically at me.

  “I’m coming. Go back upstairs to Jake and wait with him.”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “Bea if you feel threatened by anyone you use your magic and lay them out on their ass, do you hear me?”

  “Mom.” I said, tears threatening to come. “I can’t.”

  “Get to Jake. I’m not talking as your mother, I am talking as your elder.”

  I nodded and hung up. “An elder has given me a directive.” I told him and then went towards the stairs. I wouldn’t let myself get stuck on the elevator again.

  I walked up the stairs, Mitch a few steps behind me. I made it to Jake’s floor, nervous and very aware of Mitch still walking behind me.

  I knocked on Jake’s door and then let myself in. The door closed behind me, and I didn’t hear Mitch trying to open it.

  Jake looked up at me as I walked in. “Bea? I thought you were leaving?”

  At his words, I lost it. Tears started streaming down my face. Instantly his face turned to concern.

  “Bea, what happened?” He held his hand out for me and I made my way to him. He scooted over, making room for me to sit next to him. He pulled me into his warm comforting arms and I melted there. Holding onto him and letting the tears run freely down my face.

  When they finally stopped, he asked again. “Bea what happened.”

  I quickly explained what happened. When I got to the part about me kneeling Mitch he said. “That’s my girl.” And then let me continue.

  “I am going kill him.” Jake said when I finished trying to pry off the cuff. “Don’t you try to talk me out of it. He’s dead. How the hell do you get this thing off?” He asked, still prying at it.

  “As far as I know only a special spell can get it off. You know who doesn’t know that spell? Me. Not that I could get it off, anyway.”

  Mom walked into the room a few minutes later. She saw the cuff on my arm and asked me to explain. I again went through the experience wanting to cry.

  Mom was livid when I finished. She pulled out her phone and called Malcolm, “I am not taking Bea out of this room until he is gone.” She reiterated the story to him. She hung up and a few minutes later Malcolm came into the room.

  “Bea, I am so very sorry for my son’s behavior. I can’t even believe he did this.” He stepped closer to me. I flinched closer to Jake, his arm wrapped instinctively around me. “It’s okay Bea, I’m just going to get that cuff off you if that is okay?”

  I looked at mom; she nodded, and I raised my wrist to him. “What was that wayward boy of mine thinking?”

  He said a spell under his breath and the cuff came off. I quickly put a shield around myself and Jake and pulled my hand away. I felt magic rush through my body.

  “It’s okay Bea, I will go talk to Mitch to see if I can figure out what is going on with him.”

  “I can tell you what is going to be wrong with him.” I heard Jake think. I smiled slightly and leaned into him.

  “Well, I can see that you are saf
e here. I am going just down the hall to the waiting room. I’m not leaving without you. No rush, I can work on a few things while I wait, no funny business.” Mom said and took her leave.

  I listened to Jake’s heartbeat, letting the sound calm me. I looked up at him, I could tell he was thinking very seriously.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “Whether you would still like me if I kill him.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “I’m serious.” Jake said. “I can’t let him get away with treating you like a piece of meat.”

  “He’s been acting really strange. This isn’t the same Mitch I’ve known for my entire life.”

  “Yeah, well, people change.”

  “He claims this entire thing was because you brainwashed me. That I shouldn’t want to be with you because you get around.” I felt awkward telling him this.

  “I’m sorry he told you what now?”

  “That you ... you know ... have been...” I awkwardly rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand. “He asked if I valued my reputation…. Because you have been with a lot of girls ... since you’ve been here.”

  He sat in silence for a few minutes. “I haven’t been with anyone, not ever.”

  I glanced up at him, his cheeks were red and I could see that this was as painfully awkward for him as it was for me.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, you don’t get to apologize for his backward assumptions.” I could feel Jake’s eyes on my face.

  “Okay. But I refuse to have him as my guard ever again.”

  “You don’t have to. As soon as I get out of here, I will be right there next to you. No one else aside from your mother is going to guard you. I’m done. I will not have you killed or molested in elevators.”

  “You take your job very seriously.”

  He reached for my hand and then waited until I looked at him. “Bea this isn’t just my job anymore. I can’t let anything happen to you. If something happens to you, I don’t know what I would do. I... I love you Bea.” He ran his hand through his hair. My heart raced as he said the words. “I know we talked about this. And I don’t expect you to say it back. I just want you to know, I am not just here because it’s my job. I’m not just here because it ups my social status. I’m here for you, Bea.”

  I chewed his words over. “I know, I lo…”

  “You don’t have to say it just because I did. Or because you feel bad for me.”

  “I’m not. Do you think I’m that superficial?” I asked him, pulling back to look him square in the face. “I love you, Jake. For you. Not because you had a rough childhood. Not because you said it first.”

  He smiled.

  “But you know we really shouldn’t act upon any of this until after the rebels are taken care of. And maybe Mitch too, for that matter.”

  Seventeen

  Mom spent several days at home with me until they released Jake from the hospital. She had also banned Mitch from the house, not wanting to deal with him harassing me.

  Malcolm understood and soon Mitch wasn’t allowed to leave the Elders building and was cuffed. They were running tests and other things on him. Apparently I wasn’t the only one to notice the weird things he had been doing.

  In the days since he had attacked me in the elevator, he had spray painted the statue in the center of town. Took a baseball bat to several mailboxes. Not to mention he stole a Corvette from a dealership and took it joy-riding.

  I could tell that Malcolm was stressing out he kept calling mom for advice. In fact, it was her idea to bind him to the Elders building. I was sure it would piss him off when he heard it was her idea.

  Mom had me block his number from my cell phone after he kept calling and texting me. Some texts and voicemails weren’t the most appropriate. I didn’t understand what was going on with him, but I hoped they figured it out quickly.

  I was happy when the door-bell rang and I opened it to Jake and Mr. Ellis. “Now Jake, make sure you two are taking it easy. You just got released.”

  “Yeah, I know. Thank you.” Jake said with a smile. He seemed more chummy with Mr. Ellis than he had before.

  Mr. Ellis left and before he left the street, we were on our way out to my truck. I decided that it was my turn to drive, and we began making our way up to see Zeeda.

  “I see you and Mr. Ellis are doing good.” I mentioned as I put the truck in gear and started the drive out to Zee.

  “Yeah, he and Mrs. Ellis took great care of me while I was in the hospital. Not that they don’t already, but Mr. Ellis was there every night to play battle-ship with me and Mrs. Ellis kept me well stocked on food that wasn’t hospital food.”

  I smiled. “They are kind people.”

  “Yes, you are right. I just wish I knew how to treat them.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked as I flicked on my turn signal.

  “Well, my own parents didn’t act like this so I don’t know what is normal. How does a normal kid treat his parents? Do I treat them like they are family? It’s all so complicated.”

  My heart broke for him. “Oh, Jake, you will know when the time is right.” I said, not knowing what else I could say to comfort him.

  We made it up to Zeeda’s mountain, and I called out for her. She came bounding through the trees and when she saw Jake she ran straight to him; she slowed just in time and gracefully leaned down to press her nose to his shoulder.

  “I’ve been replaced!” I teased, smiling at the two of them.

  “Never!” Zeeda thought. “I’m just glad he’s okay.”

  “You and me both.”

  “Hey Zeeda, I know you don’t like hurting people. But what if that person hurt Bea?” Jake asked her.

  “Jake, don’t manipulate Zeeda!” I scolded.

  “Who hurt Bea?” Zeeda snarled, her lip curled back showing a row of sharp teeth. I had never heard her snarl before and the sound made me jump.

  “Don’t worry about it, Zee. I hurt him worse.” The last thing I wanted was for Mitch to get ripped apart by my dragon.

  “You take the fun out of everything. He deserves what is coming to him!”

  “No.” I said. “Right now they are still doing tests. He could be being manipulated, we don’t know yet. When we do, if he’s just been being an ass, then you can do something. Until then, no.”

  “Manipulated or not, he is scum.”

  “I just wanna know who’s on my list.” Zeeda thought.

  “There is no list, Zee. I’m fine. I promise,” I shot a look at Jake. “Not a word.”

  “Okay, okay, I will wait. For now.”

  I began brushing off my magic. I hadn’t really been able to practice since the day I ended up in the hospital. Mom would only let me do minor spells in the house. I remembered back when dad was home; it was before I had been placed and dad was helping me work on some skills to show.

  We were in the living room; he had me aiming at the fireplace in case anything went wrong. The spell was simple; I was just supposed to light a simple fire in the fireplace. That’s when all hell broke loose. I said the spell, and the fireplace exploded ash all over the living room, and me and dad.

  Dad had looked over at me, his eyes even more blue with the ash all over him. The stunned look on my face must have been hilarious because he busted out in thunderous joyous laughter. Mom came in and flipped out. She and dad spent the next hour trying different cleaning spells to get the ash out before calling someone more experienced in a magic reversal.

  I smiled at the vivid memory, dad’s laugh etched into my memory.

  “Bea are you okay?” Zeeda asked coming over to me. She stretched her nose out and touched my cheek. I reached up and touched my other cheek, I hadn’t realized there were tears spilling over my cheeks until she came over.

  “Yes, just thinking about my dad. I just wish we knew where he was.”

  Zeeda looked at me, her head cocked to the side. “I may be able to help with that.”

  I turned my at
tention to her. “What do you mean?” At this point, Jake was also interested in what she was saying.

  “It’s possible that I can smell genetic codes. Meaning I could smell someone and know if they were related to you. I could fly over the city and see if I get a bead on him.”

  “No. Absolutely not.” I said. “You have to promise me you won’t do it. It could be dangerous. Someone could see you. I am not risking losing you for a possibility that we don’t even know could actually work.”

  “Okay, okay. I won’t, I promise.” Zeeda promised me. I could see the wheels turning in her mind, but I knew she wouldn’t break a promise.

  We stayed for a few more hours until Jake started getting tired and then we went back home. We hadn’t mentioned what we had said in the hospital and part of me didn’t expect us to. We had decided that we weren’t going to act on our feelings until after the rebels were stopped I expected we would both keep that in mind.

  Mom ordered Thai food for dinner and we ate in silence.

  “Well, you two are awful quiet.”

  “Yeah, it was a long day. We are both exhausted.” I moved my fork around my plate, trying to decide if I really wanted to eat or not.

  I sighed thinking about Zeeda not knowing if she would try to look for dad. I looked at Jake; he had the same worried look on his face that I did.

  Eighteen

  Three days later we still hadn’t heard anything about Mitch. We knew that he was still with the elders, but that was it. Mom didn’t even want his name mentioned after everything that he had done.

  ‘Bea.’ I heard a voice in my head whisper, the voice was muffled and strange. The voice was familiar, but the sensation that I got when it was the clan talking was gone. ‘Bea.’ It said again.

  ‘Who are you? What do you want?’ I felt my guard fly up. I couldn’t help but worry if it was an outcast member of our clan. Someone who turned to the rebels like Claire had.

  The hair on my arms were standing on end. ‘Soon you will understand, Bea. Soon you will know.’ The voice said and then as quickly as it came it was gone. Chills ran up and down my spine. I rushed towards my bedroom door, I stumbled near the exit. Knocking several items off of my dresser. Among them was a music box. It tumbled haphazardly through the air. It landed with the lid cracked open and the familiar tune of Clair de Lune sang out.