by Evie Del Mar
My flight to South Carolina was quiet. About 30 minutes after take off, I had fallen asleep, dreaming of the mysterious crystal blue eyes. They were so captivating, yet alarmed when they looked at me. I heard the voice that went along with them.
“You’re going to be ok,” he whispered. What was it about this voice that had me so mesmerized and calm?
I was startled awake when the pilot came onto the intercom. “If everyone would please take their seats and buckle up. We’re about to make our descent."
I had no interest in looking out the window at my new “home”. Childish? Maybe. I knew I wanted to see new places, but I thought I’d do that with my parents by my side. If I looked out now, it’d only be a hurtful reminder that I was here by myself, which would then cause the waterworks to start falling from my eyes again, and I most definitely did not want that to happen in public.
I closed my eyes and braced myself when the plane landed on the runway. When it came to a stop, I gathered my things from the overhead compartment and slowly made my way to the front of the plane.
I had no idea where I was supposed to go to retrieve the rest of my bags, so I just followed the crowd, hoping I was heading in the right direction. We all made our way to the baggage claim, and my bag was the first one I saw. With a sigh of relief that it didn’t get lost, I walked towards the carousel, and heaved my larger bag over my shoulder. I turned around, not sure what I was supposed to do now. I had no idea where I was supposed to go find Mr. Marshall. Guess there was only one way to find out.
As I exited the baggage claim area, I abruptly stopped. Standing right in the middle of the crowd, with an irritated look, was Mr. Marshall. I internally groaned and thought about how awkward the ride was going to be with him.
“Hi, Mr. Marshall,” I said with a smile, hoping to start our first conversation since meeting.
He just stared at me, grunted, and then turned to make his way outside. I definitely got the hint that he did not like talking.
As soon as I stepped outside, a slight breeze ran across my face, brushing my hair behind me. I immediately froze and inhaled. I smelled…salt, from the ocean. I had no clue how I knew that, or why it captivated me. I gasped as I felt like I was just zapped by an electric current. My whole body was buzzing with excitement to see the ocean for the first time.
Coming out of the trance, I realized that Mr. Marshall had been trying to get my attention. He cleared his throat right next to my ear. Startled, I shook my head to clear the haze and crawled into the car. With a “harrumph”, Mr. Marshall put the car in drive, leaving the airport behind us.
I couldn’t help the feeling of desire as I looked out the window while we drove by the coastline. I couldn’t believe that I was finally looking at a beach, let alone an ocean! I started to feel the electric current again, only this time stronger. The longer I stared at the water, the more I felt like something was taking a hold me. At the first available opportunity, I would head right to the shoreline.
I continued staring out the window, planning my grand scheme to get away to the water, when we turned off the main road, and away from the coastline. I whimpered a little in the back seat as I was being pulled away from the calming effect the water had on me.
After turning, Mr. Marshall started taking quite a few back roads. Where the heck was this place and why is it so far away from civilization?
The last road we approached had numerous trees aligning each side. Their branches reached out and interlocked with each other, creating a canopy above us.
Finally, a large white two-story house came into view. With four large columns holding up the front entrance, and shutters on every window, my mouth dropped at the sheer size. I thought of Mr. Miller and his son and wondered why this house would only have two occupants.
We drove closer to the house and reached a metal gate with an insignia of two large “S”s plastered on the front. Mr. Marshall pushed a button on the intercom near the gate. “I have Melody Jackson,” he said grumpily.
I quickly averted my gaze away from the house and stared at Mr. Marshall. Did he just speak? As if sensing my stares, Mr. Marshall looked at me through the rearview mirror and rolled his eyes, but not before I heard him grumble, “Don’t get used to it, kid.” The gate swung open for us to drive through.
On the far side of the property, I saw a small, glass encased building. A girl was in the front yard watering the surrounding plants. I thought I saw her mouth moving a little, almost like she was talking to the plants, before she looked up at us. She waved and gave me a warm and welcoming smile. She looked pixie-like, with a cute, dainty face. Her light brown hair trailed down her shoulders in braids, and small, rounded glasses sat perfectly on her nose. She wore a green dress that flowed easily though the breeze. The way she took care of the greenery, she looked like someone who belonged in an arboretum.
As we got closer to the house, the name F. Wales Academy was inscribed near the top of the building. Academy? Nervously, I looked at Mr. Marshall.
“Um…I thought we were going to see Mr. Miller at his house?” As expected, he didn’t respond.
Mr. Marshall headed towards the end of the driveway and parked the car right in front of the house entrance. Hesitantly, I got out of the car, not knowing what we were doing here, when I was hit with the familiar tingle again. I was so preoccupied by the “academy” and “nature girl” that I hadn’t noticed we were close to the ocean again. From here, I could hear the melodic sound of the waves crashing.
Without even realizing what I was doing, I started walking toward the sound, desperate to hear it up close and to feel the waves hit me as they made their way to the shore. It felt like being in a dream, where you’re semi-awake but have no control of what your body and mind do while you sit back and watch the dream take its course.
I was suddenly jerked back by someone grabbing my arm. I quickly turned around, ready to punch whoever put a stop to my new obsession, but then stopped when I noticed it was Mr. Marshall. Without giving me a second to respond, he started pulling my arm harder, and hauled me toward the entrance of the building. For such a fragile looking old man, he sure had some muscle.
We walked inside, and the first thing that caught my eye was a beautifully crafted staircase leading up to the second floor. The black railing had intricate spirals that followed the ceramic tile stairs all the way up. To my left was a room that was lined with different weapons, from long sticks and staffs, to long and short bladed swords. Along the wall sat a set of arrows next to a curved bow, and nunchucks. I stood there looking, with my mouth wide open, at the various weapons in this room, wondering why such a place would need weapons.
Realizing I wouldn’t be getting any answers just standing here, I moved on to a room filled with computers and shelves upon shelves of books. I had already begun to wonder if this place was more of a school than someone’s house. However, the weapons room didn’t feel like any school I was familiar with.
I turned away from the computer lab and found what looked like a kitchen further down behind the staircase. I noticed movement in one of the corners. A guy leaned against one of the counters with a bowl sitting in his hands. For a brief second, it looked like the bottom of his bowl had turned red, or was it his hand? I shook my head, blaming my delusion on lack of sleep.
The guy looked up from his bowl and caught me staring at him. He gave me a sly smile while he ran his hand through his long brown hair, brushing his bangs back from his forehead. I gave him an awkward smile, embarrassed for being caught staring.
Following Mr. Marshall, we veered off to the right of the staircase and down a hall, but something caught my eye, forcing me to stop. Attached to the wall were six paintings, each one with a different colored circle around a picture. The first circle was red with a flame inside. Beside that was a bright yellow circle with the sun. The next one was green with a tree, followed by a white circle with what looked like tornadoes inside. Continuing down the line was a purple circle with a smoke
cloud, and the last one was a blue circle with a curling wave. The blue circle painting attracted my attention the most. You would think with all the strange things I’d seen and felt here that I should be running for the hills. What was it about this place that made all rational thinking vanish?
Mr. Marshall knocked on a door, bringing me out of my thoughts. I quickly walked to stand next to him in front of a mahogany door with the name Tony Miller – Director written on a plaque.
“Come on in,” a grizzly voice said on the other side of the door.
Mr. Marshall opened the door, and we came face to face with a slender man, leaning back against a desk, with his arms crossed. He looked up as we entered the room and gave me a welcoming smile. He had salt and pepper hair and creases around his eyes that aged him more than he probably was. I could safely assume that this was the infamous Mr. Miller.
“Ah, Miss Jackson. It’s a pleasure meeting you,” he said as he extended his arm out for me to shake his hand.
“Nice to meet you,” I replied.
My eyes wandered behind Mr. Miller, where a tall male had his back to me, staring out the window. Seeing my focus on the young man behind him, Mr. Miller leaned off his desk and gestured toward the other male. “Miss Jackson, allow me to introduce my son, Cole.”
At the sound of his name, Cole turned away from the window to look at me.
I gasped.
Staring back at me were eyes similar to the ones that hadn’t left my thoughts since the accident. They were a wonderful shade of crystal blue, a shade that shouldn’t exist on any human being. When he blinked, it was as though a pair of curtains closed, shutting out a view of the sea. A girl could drown in those eyes, and it wouldn’t be the worst way to go.
To complement those dreamy eyes was shiny, jet-black hair, the sides shaved to make the top longer than the rest. What I wouldn’t give to run my hands through those luscious locks.
He had a chiseled face and the muscles in his arms bulged out underneath his broad shoulders, making me wonder how often he worked out. He was tall, possibly six foot, three inches, where I was a mere five foot, five inches. He definitely towered over his father.
Cole walked over to me with an outstretched hand. He introduced himself with a smile. “Hey, I’m Cole,” he said. Dear God. Just his deep, husky voice could make any girl melt. It was also familiar in a way I couldn’t place.
I took his hand, ready to introduce myself, but of course, I couldn’t find my voice. “Um…” was all that came out. All I could think about was his hand in mine and how perfectly it fit. I internally groaned.
Great job, Melody, real smooth.
Cole chuckled a little and released my hand. I swore he could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks.
“Ahem,” Mr. Miller cleared his throat, snapping our attention away from each other. “Cole, maybe you should go and join the others outside for some practice for a little while.”
Cole nodded his head. “Yes, of course, Father.”
Without saying another word, Cole headed to the door. Before walking out, he looked back at me, giving me a smile. I was so enchanted by this guy and I had no clue why. I literally just met him. What was wrong with me? You would’ve thought I landed in some Nicholas Sparks novel.
As soon as the door closed, I felt like I could breathe again. That guy was definitely going to cause me a lot of trouble. I shook my head as I tried to get my thoughts back in order, and turned my attention back to Mr. Miller.
“Mr. Marshall, you’re free to go. Thank you very much for escorting Miss Jackson here,” Mr. Miller said kindly. Mr. Marshall nodded in agreement and left the room, leaving me alone with Mr. Miller and quite a lot of questions that demanded answers.
Before I could get a word out, Mr. Miller pulled out a chair, across from his desk. “Please, Miss Jackson, have a seat.”
“Please, call me Melody,” I said, hesitantly, as I sat myself down in the chair. Mr. Miller headed to his own chair on the other side of the desk. “Now, I’m sure you have some questions for me, so feel free to ask away.” He folded his hands on top of his desk.
I took a deep breath and tried to control my racing heart at the possibility of finally getting some answers. “Mr. Miller, why am I here? I mean no offense to you, but I just lost my parents. I’m still trying to comprehend that, and then to find out I was being shipped off to be with some complete stranger? I figured my parents would’ve at least told me something about you, considering they’re trusting you with my life. Why is there a freaking weapons room in a school? This is a school, isn’t it?” I realized that I was babbling as my thoughts started rushing out of my mouth without my consent.
Mr. Miller just chuckled to himself. “Please, call me Tony. Everyone here does. As for your questions, let me ask you just one: have you ever heard of The Secret Six?”
I shook my head, wondering how that was going to answer my questions.
Tony stood up from his chair and turned to walk toward the window. “There are six elements of life: fire, earth, air, light, shadow, and water.” When he said water, he turned his head over his shoulder to look at me.
I felt like I had been put on the spot. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
He turned away from the window and smiled. “You’re the one we’ve been waiting for; our beloved water elemental.”
I busted out laughing, thinking this was all some cruel joke, or an ice breaker to get me to feel comfortable and relaxed before showing me to my room and leaving me alone. When I noticed he didn’t join me in laughter, my blood became ice cold.
“Wait, what? Are you serious? Come on, you expect me to believe there’s ‘magic’ in the world?” I used quotation marks with my fingers around the word ‘magic’ to get my sarcasm across.
Tony didn’t bat an eye. “Yes, I do in fact expect you to believe it because it’s true.”
“Ok, you’re crazy, and I’m leaving.” I stood up and made my way to the door.
“Have you ever been to the beach? Or been around any body of water?” Tony asked.
I froze with my hand merely inches from the doorknob. Something behind the tone of his voice made my breath catch. I slowly turned to face him. “How did you know that?”
Tony gestured back to the chair I sat in seconds ago, smiling. “Let me tell you a story…”
CHAPTER THREE
“A long time ago, when Earth was created, the Greek gods and goddess of the elements wanted a way to protect Earth and its inhabitants from harm: Hephaestus- God of fire, Aeolus- God of air, Apollo- God of light, Poseidon- God of the sea, Gaia- Goddess of earth, and Erebus- God of deep darkness and shadow.
“In order to maintain peace and protect the people, they created a being of pure power, known as ‘The Solution’. They each created a crystal from their own power and, together, forged it into a key, which became The Solution’s life force, giving it energy.
“Hundreds of years went by with The Solution doing exactly what it was supposed to do. It became a beacon of hope for the people. When water was scarce, The Solution provided rivers to drink from. If trees were torn down, new ones were planted in their place. Fire was able to keep people warm, while wind helped sailors travel. On cloudy days, the sun’s rays still found their way through the clouds, and shade was available on harsh, summer days.
“Eventually, The Solution grew tired of its mundane lifestyle. It wondered why it was created with all these powers to simply be a slave to mankind? It began wreaking havoc and mass destruction everywhere as a way to embrace what it thought was its true destiny. It destroyed villages with its fire, created massive floods, and caused uncontrollable ships to sail into rocks with enormous amounts of wind.
“Overseeing what their creation was doing, the gods and goddess stepped in. Learning from their past mistake, they hand picked six mortals, and gifted each with one of the six elemental powers. This group became the first Secret Six.
“Together, the Secret Six was able to defeat The So
lution, but not completely destroy it. Instead, they were able imprison the being in a cage, locked with the same crystal key that previously gave The Solution its power.
“Each generation of the Secret Six is specifically chosen and deemed worthy of harnessing their powers by the gods and goddess. With those powers, they are tasked with protecting the crystal key from whomever may seek it, so that The Solution will never be unleashed.
“For thousands of years, the Secret Six was able to protect the crystal with the help of intensive preparation and training from the preceding generation. The water elemental in the previous group was someone you knew; Holly Watson.”
At the mention of my mom, all the air in my lungs became trapped, and I couldn’t breathe. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that Mom, who was a simple accountant, had been involved in this all along, and never told me. Did this explain her strict rules? Because she knew what was really out there? Magic and evil beings?
“One of the members in Holly’s group, Peter Jones, had the element of air. Upon hearing the story of The Solution from his teacher, he became fixated on the power The Solution held. He soon was obsessed and craved the power for himself. So, he stole the crystal key and ran away into hiding.
“While he was away, he created an army of followers, promising them immense power. They became known as ‘The Brotherhood of The Solution’, or ‘The Brotherhood’ for short. Their ultimate goal was to unleash The Solution and join it in its quest for chaos and destruction.
“Holly and the others knew that they had to recover the crystal key at any cost, before The Solution could be released. Together, they hatched a plan and were able to sneak into The Brotherhood's compound, but eventually were captured.
“Holly was held in a room with her guard, Max Jackson, separated from the others so they couldn’t form another plan. She had been held captive for two years when she found out that the other four members of her group were tortured and killed. All alone, she began to grow depressed, so she lashed out at Max, telling him to go ahead and kill her because she didn’t know what to do now that everyone she knew and loved was dead.