Evan Elemental (The Evan Elemental Series)

by Crystal Groszek

  "Whatever." Jessie flashes me an impish grin and bounces back to the guy before I even get the word out. I roll my eyes and take a seat on a nearby bench improvised out of two stumps and a two-by-four.

  I take a cursory glance around the clearing and notice a boy with flaxen blonde hair and dark eyes watching me. When I catch his eye he looks away quickly. I feel power, different than what I'm used to, bubble up inside of me. It's the power that comes from being the most beautiful girl in the room. I can self deprecate and ignore it all I want but I know the truth, that I'm not exactly lacking in the looks department. Even Jessie admitted it once. Of course, she was drunk and didn't remember the next day.

  I stand up and walk over to the pitiful bonfire under the pretense of warming my hands. It doesn't take long for footsteps to sound behind me. "I don't think I've seen you before."

  I turn my head slightly and look over my shoulder, giving him a half smile. He's handsome, sure, but I feel nothing. I know that if I wanted I could have him, but I don't want anybody but Lex, and a few weeks, or even months, won't change that. I look back at the nearly dead fire and squint my eyes. I put all my focus and concentration on the fire and suddenly it roars to life. The boy steps back, cursing. I can feel the warmth dance across my skin, but it doesn't burn me.

  All eyes are on me now, but I play it cool and just shrug. Inside, I'm exhilarated. My power is getting stronger every day; I can feel it. I don't need to be fucking around in the woods with a bunch of kids. I'm better than that.

  I'm just about to call Albert and have him pick me up, when I feel a tap on my shoulder. It's that guy again. I bite the inside of my cheek and force a smile.

  "Are you okay?" he asks, his forehead wrinkled cutely.

  "Hm?" I reply, as if I don't have any idea what he's talking about.

  "You almost got burned to death," he says, his voice laced with confusion and a tinge of curiosity.

  "Oh. Uhm, I'm okay. I run cold anyway," I respond, lifting my shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. It's taking a lot of effort to keep the smug grin off my face.

  He gives me a shy smile and I feel bad for not being attracted to him.

  "I'm Josh." He looks at me expectantly and he's so polite I'm surprised he doesn't offer me his hand for a friendly shake. Then again, we're teenagers at a kegger in the middle of nowhere, so I guess that wouldn't really be appropriate.

  "I'm Evan. Evan O'Fion."

  He gives me a thoughtful look before responding. "That's an interesting name. You from around here?"

  "No."

  "No one comes to Price just to visit. It's too boring." He eyes me inquisitively, but his tone is teasing.

  "Just because I'm not from here doesn't mean I don't live here." I try to look bored, but for some reason this conversation is making me nervous.

  "We don't get a lot of new families." This time his tone is plain. I shrug my shoulder again and give him what I hope is a playful smirk.

  "You're nosy."

  His lips turn up back into an easy smile. "Just curious," he replies, looking away. I can tell he's not even close to letting it go, but I'm not sure how much I should tell him. I silently curse myself for being so paranoid.

  "I didn't move here with my family," I explain, my voice tight with apprehension. "I came to live with my grandmother." I feel somewhat satisfied with that half-truth.

  "Who..." he starts to ask but the sound of footsteps crashing through the woods interrupts his interrogation. Everyone stops talking to watch as a group of ten or twelve people enter the clearing. The sight of the girl who leads them makes my blood run instantly cold. It's none other than Delia Holloway. Instead of the neat little skirt and sweater set that she wore to tea, she's dressed in denim cutoffs and an eyelet halter-top. Her blonde hair is tied high in a ponytail with a red satin ribbon.

  Delia's eyes wander around the clearing before they land on me; her lips curl up into a cruel smirk. I straighten up to my full height and shake the hair from my shoulders, giving her a smirk of my own in response.

  "Evangeline," she coos, her voice deadly cold and mocking as she stretches out every syllable of my given name. "I see you finally left that dreary mansion to join the living."

  The emphasis she puts on "living" makes my stomach curl.

  "If this is what you call living, then yes." I look her straight in the eye without so much as flinching. Her eyes slide from me to Josh.

  "Joshua. Long time no see." Her tone is casual, but I can tell the statement is loaded. Josh shifts uncomfortably and rubs the back of his neck without responding.

  "Mom's pissed," she continues, unaware or uncaring of his discomfort. "You were supposed to come to dinner yesterday."

  My eyebrows shoot up involuntarily. Mom? I glance at Josh to find him looking at me apologetically. There is no way he can be related to that bitch.

  "Yeah, well. I have my reasons," he replies finally, not taking his eyes off of me.

  I glance at Delia who rolls her eyes. "Whatever. I'm here to party, not deal with your bullshit drama."

  Her eyes scan me one last time before she turns and is absorbed back into her clique. I turn to see Jessie staring at me with wide eyes; my face grows hot with the now familiar sensation of a blush. I am so not ready to get into this with her right now. Luckily, pretty-guy distracts her again and I'm momentarily saved from another confrontation.

  "I'm sorry about that." Josh says softly, bringing my attention back to him.

  I let out a tired sigh. "It's not your fault."

  "How do you know my sister?" he asks, his tone hesitant and his expression pained. He must be used to apologizing for her. I ignore the warning bells that the word "sister" set off and do a decent job at feigning indifference.

  "I met her at tea, with the ladies council."

  Josh's eyes widen slightly. "You're Magda Price's granddaughter?" he chokes out.

  "You didn't know already?" I ask, cocking my head to the side, eyebrow raised.

  Now that I know whose bloodline he shares I'm ever more reluctant to open up to him.

  "No. You seem too nice, anyway," he replies slyly, his mouth turned up at the corner.

  I can't help but grin. "Luckily, for both us, some traits aren't genetic."

  .

  Over the next few hours the party starts to pick up. Delia is the center of attention at all times which I don't mind since that means no one is paying attention to me. I'm having a pretty good time, anyway, talking to and getting to know Josh.

  "You're not still in high school, are you?" I ask in mock disbelief when he tells me he's looking forward to school in the fall.

  "Yep. It's my last year," he answers with a smirk. "I like school, because Delia generates enough attention to herself that my parents tend to forget I exist."

  "Wait. Hold up. You're a senior? I thought..."

  Josh lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Yeah. We both are." He looks at me and smiles. "Twins."

  My jaw drops slightly making Josh laugh. "Dude. My condolences."

  "Dude?" Josh's laugh comes out like a bark, which is kind of cute. I just shrug and raise my eyebrows.

  "You wanna get out of here?" Josh asks once his laughter dies down.

  "Oh," is all I can manage, the atmosphere suddenly awkward.

  Josh's eyes go wide. "No, no. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant this party sucks and there's this coffee bar that's open practically all night. It'd be better than this shit." He shrugs and attempts a friendly smile.

  I exhale, relaxing. "That sounds cool, but I'm here with my friend." I turn to look over to where Jessie has been with that guy all night. Except, she's not there. I stand up and scan the clearing, panic rising in my chest. There are too many people though, and I can't tell if she's still around or if she left. It wouldn't be the first time she left me high and dry at a party.

  "Looks like she bailed," Josh says as he stands to help me look.

  I know better than to worry about her. Jessie's always taking off with som
e guy she barely knows. Somehow, she always manages to be fine, but it doesn't stop me from being terrified for her. I stand on my toes and examine every face in the crowd. Then I see her. She's standing next to Delia and Delia is whispering in her ear. I suddenly discover in myself a new capacity for anxiety. Fuck.

  As if they can sense me staring, both girls look up. Delia's eyes lock with mine and a slow wicked smile spreads over her face. My skin breaks out in chills and I am dangerously close to vomiting. I sense Josh come up close behind me, the tension rolling off his body.

  Delia sneers at me. "Evan. Going somewhere?" she calls across the clearing, her voice beyond frigid.

  Jessie raises her eyebrows and glances between the two of us but doesn't say anything.

  "Maybe," I reply, not breaking eye contact with Delia, even though I'm sure I'm going to get frostbite from the icy malice in her eyes.

  Delia is the first to look away. "God, you're boring," she says finally.

  Just when I think that maybe I'm going to get away from this ordeal unscathed, Delia starts walking toward me. Her steps are slow and deliberate; it's that same unnatural way of moving that I noticed before. It takes all my self-control not to step back, not because I'm scared of her, but because she's creeping me the fuck out. I inhale slowly and concentrate on the fire nearby without taking my eyes off her. I focus on pulling its power into myself. The flames flicker and wane and I feel the heat swell beneath my skin. Delia pauses and clenches her jaw. Her eyes betray a hint of fear but she continues stalking toward me.

  "Stop," I demand, lifting my hand out in front of me. At my will I feel heat concentrate in my palm before I send it in one pulse from my hand. The heat swells into an invisible barrier. Delia stops, her eyes widen slightly but her brow quickly melts into a scowl, masking her uncertainty.

  "Look, Delia. Whatever you have against me, get over it. I'm not going to engage in some stupid, small town rivalry for best hair or whatever." I lower my hand, but I can still feel the energy in me and around me.

  "That's pathetic," Delia scoffs. "You are pathetic. You may be a Price but you'll never be one of us."

  Suddenly my power evaporates, leaving me feeling slightly weak. I tear my gaze from Delia and take a look around at all the faces staring at us, waiting to see what will happen. They're mostly drunk and confused, but some are slowly filling with mistrust bordering on hate. She's right. I didn't know anything about this place or anyone in it until a couple of months ago. Even now that I'm here, I don't know anything about it or feel any connection to this place; I don't even think I want to. I look back at Delia and see the satisfaction in her face because she knows she got to me.

  "Evan, we should go," Josh says in a low voice, taking hold of my elbow. I nod slowly, careful not to take my eyes off of Delia.

  On the way out of the clearing I pause and look at Jessie. "Jess?" I say, nodding my head back toward the path in the forest.

  Jessie bites her lip, a telltale sign that she's about to disappoint me. "I think I'm gonna stay Ev," she replies, her tone casual even though there's an apology in her eyes.

  I turn without another word and leave.

  Chapter Eleven

  "Hey!" Josh calls from behind me as I make like a bat out of hell through the woods. It's so dark I'm practically blind, making it so that I'm stumbling through the woods more than running, scraping my hands and arms against tree bark as I go. Josh is following close behind, but I'm doing my best to ignore him.

  "Evan! Come on. Do you even know where you're going?" he calls out in a breathless attempt to rationalize with me.

  I stumble over a tree root and brace myself against its trunk to keep from falling. I'm barely winded, but my heart is pounding violently.

  My momentary pause allows Josh to finally catch up with me. "What was that all about? With my sister?"

  My already strained heart leaps to my throat and I start moving again, this time pushing harder through the tangle of trees and rocks trying to get away from his questions.

  "If you talk to me, maybe I can help you," he says, trying to grab my elbow to stop me but I yank it away.

  "Fuck off, Josh," I mutter loud enough for him to hear me.

  I hear him sigh loudly but I keep going determined to get out of here and put as much distance between Delia and myself. Between this whole night and myself.

  "Evan!" Josh yells again, his voice demanding and no longer pleading.

  I stop dead and turn to face him, seething. He's red faced and winded, which makes me smirk.

  "What?" I ask, my voice deadly calm.

  The wounded look on his face makes me relax a little. He doesn't have anything to do with what's happening; I know that. I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest waiting for him to speak, my resolve already cracking.

  "I-uhm. I'm sorry?" he says, wincing.

  He sounds so pathetic I have to laugh. "For what?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

  "My sister. She can be so..." he trails off.

  "Malicious?" I finish for him. I bite down on my bottom lip to hide my grin.

  Josh lets out a short laugh. His shoulders relax slightly as some of the tension between us fades. He's cracking just as easily as I am. "Yeah, and jealous," he says finally. "My parents are kind of on her case all the time, to be perfect. I got it easy. I've been at boarding school most of my life."

  Both my eyebrows shoot up this time. "I thought you said you go to Price?"

  Josh pauses before responding, considering his words. "I do," he says slowly, "now. When I said earlier it was my last year, I meant first and last."

  That explains so much: why he's so easy going, why he seems so clueless about whatever the hell is going on in this town. I nod but don't say anything, hoping he'll explain further.

  "So, do you?" he says after an awkward beat.

  My forehead wrinkles in confusion. He's the one who's supposed to be giving answers. He didn't even ask a question. "What?" I ask, annoyed.

  His face melts into his trademark easy smile. Even in the dark I can see the amused glint in his eyes. It's unsettling how familiar he is to me already. "Know where you're going?" he asks gently, a hint of playfulness in his tone meant to assure me he's not being an ass.

  "Right now, or for the rest of my life?" My voice is dripping with sarcasm but I give him a playful smirk.

  Josh crosses his arms across his broad chest and scrunches up his face as if in deep thought. "Well," he says, "I was thinking more like right now, but we could talk about the other, later, if you want." He matches my sarcasm beat for beat. I can't bite back my smile any longer.

  "To answer your question, no. How about you?" I cock my head to the side genuinely curious what his answer will be.

  Unfortunately, it's not real helpful. "Boarding school, remember? I haven't spent more than a month here since I was ten, and I didn't really spend that time tramping about in the woods." He shoves his hands in his pocket and glances around. Even though we're lost he appears completely at ease.

  I let out an exaggerated sigh and wrack my brain for some magical answer, but I can't remember the path Jessie and I took to get to the clearing. As sober as I am now, I sure as hell wasn't when I got myself into this mess. Wherever the path is, I have little doubt we're nowhere near it now, not that I can tell in the pitch-black forest. I let my gaze trail up to the night sky, the only clear thing tonight.

  "I'm gonna try something, but you're not allowed to ask me how or why, OK?" I ask without looking at Josh.

  "Okay... does this have something to do with what happened back there, with the fire?” His question surprises me; maybe he's not as clueless as I thought.

  "I said no questions. Now, let me concentrate."

  I turn away from him and close my eyes. I have no idea what I'm doing but I have to try to do it, if that makes sense. Breathing seems to be the key to focusing my energy, so I draw in a deep breath and hold it for a second before exhaling. I repeat the exercise a few more times, all the while conc
entrating on finding a way out of here. I take one final deep breath and count to ten while I hold it in. On the exhale I whisper, "Lead me." I feel completely stupid and I'm sure I failed, but then I feel the wind stir almost imperceptibly. It's possible it's just a coincidence. As if sensing my doubt the wind picks up speed, whipping around us, fierce yet gentle. Demanding, yet reassuring. An old friend.

  Suddenly, my eyes snap open and my body begins to move of its own volition, as if it knows the way without me telling my brain where to go. I run smoothly through the woods, no stumbling and scraping this time, as I follow the invisible path laid out by the wind. I can hear Josh struggling to keep up with me but I don't slow down or stop, I can't.

  "Evan! Slow down!" he shouts, his voice betraying how much work he's putting in to keep up.

  "I can't!" I shout back. Somehow I pick up speed, my body pushing itself beyond its capacity.

  In what seems like an instant later, the sensation of open air engulfs me and the forest floor gives way to asphalt as I burst from the woods. The supernatural energy that's sustaining me evaporates, leaving me weak and breathless. I bend over and brace myself with my hands on my knees as I try uselessly to catch my breath. You'd think with all the running I've been doing lately I would be in better shape.

  "What. The. Fuck. Was that?" Josh pants as he comes up beside me and crouches down in a similar position, except he's clutching a stitch in his side.

  I want to laugh but I'm too out of breath. "I have no idea," I manage to choke out.

  .

  Once he can tell about where we were, Josh calls one of his friends to pick us up. We stand in silence while we wait, which is somehow not awkward even if it is loaded. I can tell he wants to ask me a million questions but, thankfully, he refrains. I remember when Lex said he didn't want to have to lie to me and I now understand exactly what he meant.

  Headlights come around the bend and light up the road, stirring me from my thoughts. I can feel Josh relax even though we're feet apart. I almost feel bad for making him uneasy. I rationalize that he didn't have to follow me out here, but I'm sure he was trying to be nice and I should probably give him a break, right? Fuck.