The Elementalist: Journey to Zlorta: Adult Fantasy Paranormal Novel (Elementalist and Guardian Series Book 1)

by S. N. Hunt

  “Head on in. I will grab your bike. Where do you want it?” Jason asked over the thunder.

  “I leave it on the front porch. Hopefully, it will be dry by morning.”

  Sarah jumped out of the car and ran up to the porch. By the time she made it, she was soaked through. The raindrops hit like shards of ice against her skin. She quickly unlocked the front door and went in. She turned and watched Jason bring her bike onto the porch. He stood on her front porch and shook like a dog to get some of the water off him. He turned and smiled at her through the doorway.

  “That’s a lot of rain. Mind if I come in and dry off for a bit? You got anything warm to drink? This rain is freezing!”

  Sarah smiled and held the front door open. Though she didn’t like him, she couldn’t bring herself to be mean to him. He had gone out of his way to help her. She walked into the kitchen, grabbed the kettle, and started filling it.

  “Is tea okay? I don’t drink coffee.” She asked shyly.

  Jason laughed, “How do you not drink coffee? It’s like a lifeline to me. I wouldn’t even make it out of bed without a cup. Tea will be fine though, as long as you have some sugar.”

  She set the kettle on the stove to boil. She turned around, and saw Jason had come up to the island in the kitchen. He leaned against it and smiled lazily at her.

  How does such a big guy move so quietly?

  “I have sugar and honey. Have a seat. The kettle will take just a moment.”

  Jason came around the island and stood in front of her. He put his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down and attempted to press his lips to hers. Sarah moved her face to the side, his lips skimming her cheek. Disgust rolled inside her. She pushed her hands against his chest, breaking his grip on her shoulders. She took a step back away from him.

  “I am sorry, Jason, but I think you should leave. Thank you for the ride and give my regards to your father.”

  At her comment, he laughed loudly. She started getting angry and turned her back to him. He grabbed her roughly around the waist. She felt the counter tile digging into her back after he spun her around. He pressed against her, grinding his hips into her.

  “I see the way you look at me. You know you want it. I bet your panties are wet just thinking about me.”

  “Jason, I think you need to leave!” She yelled as she pushed against his chest. She might as well have been pushing a concrete wall. He didn’t budge an inch. She reached a hand up to smack him. He caught her wrists and forced her hands down between their bodies. He leaned his weight into her, trapping her between him and the island.

  Jason laughed and grabbed her by her hair. He pulled her head back as he pressed his lips cruelly against hers. She bit his lip hard when he tried to force his tongue into her mouth. He cried out and smacked her hard enough for stars to swim in her vision.

  “You bitch! You are going to pay for that. I was going to take it easy and just fuck your pussy. But now, I plan to fuck your ass too.”

  Sarah screamed as he turned her around on the island, bending her over the top of it. He grabbed her hair roughly and pulled, arching her back. He leaned against her and used his weight to keep her in place. She reached up and clawed at the hands holding her hair. He let go of her hair and the click of his belt coming loose echoed in the kitchen. He grabbed her hands and wrapped the belt around them. Effectively, tying them behind her back. Grabbing the waistband of her slacks, he started pulling them off. He tore at her underwear, ripping them. He slapped her ass cheek hard and ground his hips against her.

  “You have no clue how long I have wanted to get a chance at you. I begged the old man to let me step in for a day. Be the boss, to get close to you. Little does he know as soon as he is gone, I plan to sell that damn company to the highest bidder.”

  She heard him undoing his fly. The sound of his pants hitting the floor sent a shudder through her. He pressed his member against her ass. She tried to kick out, but his legs had her pinned in. He laughed and slapped her ass cheek again. The sting took her breath away.

  “And when this is all over, you are going to fucking thank me. You want to know why? Cause no one else will give two shits what the poor little orphan has to say. Your word against mine. And mine carries a lot more weight than yours in this town. So you might as well….”

  Jason cried out loudly behind her and suddenly his weight was lifted from her. Snarls and screams rang out from behind her. The crunch and snap of bones was loud in her ears. Slowly, she straightened and looked behind her. Sarah screamed and turned to run. Her legs got caught up in her slacks that were still around her ankles. She fell hard onto the floor. Twisting around, she kicked off her pants and scooted away from the scene in front of her.

  The largest black wolf she had ever seen was gnawing away on Jason’s throat. The thing snarled and crunched at the bones in his neck. Its thick tongue lapping at the blood as it pooled on the linoleum floor. She watched in horror as the beast turned and looked at her. Its eyes glowed bright green in the lights. It growled low as blood and gore dripped from its snout. It stalked her way slowly. She gasped and scrambled to her feet. The beast roared and rose on its hind legs. She screamed and covered her ears.

  Someone grabbed her from behind. She was shoved back and to the side. She fell onto the carpet of the living room area. Feeling the sting of a rug burn as she landed on her knees. The sudden movement had her disoriented for a moment. When she recovered, in her kitchen stood a black-cloaked figure with its back to her. A roar filled the room, and the beast gnashed its teeth. The figure stretched out a hand and a blue sword of light appeared. It lunged toward the figure. The figure turned and sliced through the side of the beast. Blue blood sprayed from the wound. Howling, the beast turned down the hall toward her bedroom. The sound of glass breaking echoed through the small cottage.

  The figure stood still for a moment, as if to ensure the beast wasn’t coming back. It let out a sigh and released the sword. The sword vanished as if it had never been there. The figure turned slowly toward her. Sarah’s eyes went wide and her mouth opened in a scream. No sound came from her throat as she fainted in a crumpled mess. The last thing she saw was the dark cloaked figure with the strange embroidered silver symbols reaching for her.

  Chapter Three

  The rain has stopped.

  Sarah’s first thought as she woke up. Her head pounded, and she was jostled around in her seat. She fought hard to open her eyes.

  Where am I? Am I in a car? Do I have pants on?

  Cautiously opening her eyes, she found herself buckled into the seat of a car. The interior was black and the dash lights a weird blue-white color. She quickly ran her hands down her thighs and glanced at her lap. She had on her pajama bottoms. Her cute light blue and pink bunny covered pajamas. Though who had put them on her, she wasn’t sure. Then the night’s events flooded her mind. She closed her eyes and hung her head in her hands. The tears flowed down her cheeks. Shock set in and her hands shook. Her breathing and heart rate sped up.

  Oh, my god! Jason is dead, and I saw the figure from my dreams! It is a dream! I just have to wake up! Wake up!

  “Please don’t cry. We have a long way to go and rain will make it worse.”

  Sarah jolted in the seat and turned to the driver’s seat. The black-cloaked figure didn’t even look at her as she stared at him. His voice was low and sent a shiver down her spine. Despite the fear bubbling up in her chest, she found his voice pleasant. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She tried to shrink into the leather seat she sat on.

  “Where are we going? Are you going to kill me? What does my crying have to do with the rain? And who put these pants on me?”

  He chuckled, “We are going to a gate to get to the Veil. There happens to be one in the forest near your home. Why would I have saved you, if I planned to kill you? Your emotions affect the weather. Have you never noticed? Lastly, I put those pants on you. I thought perhaps it was preferable than having nothing.”

  Sarah looked
at him in confusion. Her fear gave way to anger. She had been saved, then kidnapped by a mental patient. A mental patient that appeared nightly in her dreams. A nightmare that had caused her to wake up in a panic for a month.

  “Veil? Gate? What the hell are you talking about? Maybe you didn’t want the wolf to kill me. Maybe you wanted to do the honors. And my emotions have nothing to do with the weather.”

  The figure chuckled and continued to drive. She scanned outside the car windows. Nothing but pitch-black night and trees greeted her. Little droplets of rain had fallen and caused rivulets across the glass. But it was just a sprinkle and had already stopped. In its place, the wind had started to blow hard against the trees.

  “Being angry isn’t better. Once outside the car, that wind will blow right through those PJs. And you are welcome. One for saving you and two for covering your naked ass.”

  He isn’t driving extremely fast, I could jump out.

  She reached down for the door handle with one hand. Her other hand searching for the seatbelt. She glanced over at him.

  “The door is locked and jumping out of a moving car isn’t the best option. Also, do you even recognize where you are? Sarah, you are safe with me. The beast you saw is still out there. I wounded it, but Darien always heals. He will hunt you.”

  “I never told you my name. That beast has a name? On that matter, who the hell are you, and what is going on?”

  He chuckled again. The sound sent another shiver through her. A curl of warmth wound in the pit of her stomach. Confused, she squirmed in her seat. She didn’t think he would tell her anything. Least of all his name. After all, he was kidnapping her.

  “I know all about you, Sarah, including your name. The beast indeed has a name. My name is Micheal. As for what is going on, that will have to wait till we cross the gate and you are safe. The car can’t go on from here. Please don’t run. I will catch you and carry you if need be.”

  He slowed the car and put it into park. The click of the car unlocking filled the small space. She watched him get out of the car, not even removing the keys from the ignition. He stood and leaned against the car door, waiting for her to get out.

  I’ll get out and make him think I will go with him. As soon as he takes off walking, I jump into the driver’s side and take off. I never learned to drive. It can’t be that hard.

  She stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind her. She tried not to let her nervousness show. They were at the end of a dirt road. The forest rose in front of her, dark and foreboding. He straightened and cautiously came around the front of the car. He approached her as if she were some wounded animal. She swallowed her fear down. She came up next to him and studied her kidnapper. He was tall, well over six feet. The top of her head only came to his mid-chest. He tilted his face down at her. Nothing but a black void greeted her. She couldn’t tell if it was a mask or if he didn’t have a face. She shuddered as she stared, her dream fresh in her memory. The surrounding shadows seemed to cling to him. The silver symbols on his cloak, the only thing distinguishing him from the night.

  “No fight? You are not a very good victim.”

  “You said not to run. I prefer to walk on my own.”

  “Who said we were walking?” he said with a chuckle.

  He reached a hand out toward the car and grabbed a bridle out of the air. Sarah looked to her left. Where the car has sat parked, now stood a black stallion. The stallion nudged Micheal and pranced in place. Micheal reached up and stroked the horse’s snout. Sarah took a step back. The horse was massive. It looked down at her and huffed.

  “Where the hell did he come from? Where is the car? I am insane. The sleep deprivation finally cracked me wide open. That is the only explanation. I’m nuts, bonkers, certifiable. When the meds make it through my system, I will wake up from this and be in a straight jacket. The docs will have a field day with this one. Oh, my god!”

  She started hyperventilating. She crouched down and put her head between her knees. Her eyes screwed closed. Overhead she heard thunder rolling. Tears welled up in her eyes. Little raindrops sprinkled over her skin. Suddenly she was lifted into the air and she let out a shriek as she landed in front of Micheal on the horse.

  “We don’t have time for this. The gate is ahead. Darien is prowling nearby. I must get you to a safe place. Lucifer will carry us both safely.”

  With a flick of his wrist, the horse took off. She let out a scream and clung to the arm around her waist. Micheal tightened his grip around her and pulled her back against his chest. She could sense him against her back, his thighs against hers, his arms wrapped around her. With each step Lucifer took, the muscles in his body bunch and release. It was as if his muscles had muscles. It seemed too intimate as the heat curled low in her belly. She suppressed the urge to squirm.

  Great, not only am I hallucinating, but I am attracted to my hallucination. I have never been attracted to anyone until now, and he is not real. You have really lost it this time, Sarah.

  The chilly night air breezed past them. The rain had stopped, but the temperature had fallen. She shivered as her skin started to chill. Her blouse and pajama bottoms gave little warmth.

  Neither does he. That cloak must be super-insulated to not allow his heat through.

  She could sense his body against her back, but no heat at all. She touched his arm for a seam in the black fabric that covered him. As she reached the end of his sleeve, he grabbed her hand.

  “I realize it is cold out. But my skin will not give you any heat. I don’t produce any.” He growled in her ear.

  The growl sent a shiver through her. Heat flooded through her veins. Wetness seeped between her thighs. This time she squirmed. His arm tightened against her and he growled again. Her skin was flushed and hot. The cold air flowed over her like a balm.

  She swallowed past the dryness in her mouth and asked, “How is that possible? Everyone produces heat.”

  He didn’t answer and squeezed her tightly once. She assumed that meant the conversation was over. They rode in silence for what seemed like hours. The wind died down, and it quickly became humid. Her skin got hot and sticky. The feel of him against her and the slow sway of the horse beneath her sending little bolts of heat through her veins. He finally stopped the horse and dismounted. He helped her from the saddle by lifting her and setting her down away from him. Much like an adult that doesn’t like children sets a toddler down.

  “We are at the gate. Going through it can be disorienting for the first time. I would advise you to hold on to the saddle and walk through with your eyes shut.” His voice sounded husky.

  She looked around the clearing they had entered. She saw nothing but trees and more trees. The sky above was pitch black.

  “There is no gate. I just see trees.”

  “Not everything is as it seems. Just cause you can’t see it doesn’t mean it is not there. Please lay your hand on the saddle and I will guide us through. No matter what, do not remove your hand. This bracelet will suppress your powers, here you just influence the weather. In the Veil, it will be much more than just a downpour. You will wear this til you learn to control them.”

  He grabbed her wrist and snapped a bracelet on. It was a silver link chain bracelet. Nothing fancy. She could see no clasp, though.

  “How does it come off?”

  “It will come off when I want it to.”

  I should run! Just take off into those woods. But where to? Back to Jason’s body on her kitchen floor. They would probably blame her for his death.

  She saw that Micheal stood watching her. She squared her shoulders and laid her hand against the saddle. As soon as he turned his back, she took off running. She made it to the trees before he caught her.

  Damn, the big bastard was fast!

  He threw her up over his shoulder. She landed on her stomach with a groan. The force of it knocking the air from her lungs.

  “We can do this two ways. You walk on your own through the gate. Or I tie you to Lucifer’s
saddle. Your choice, princess.”

  She cried out and started beating her hands against his back. He sighed and slapped her bottom hard. She instantly stopped and thought about her options.

  He smacked the back of her thighs and said, “One….. Two…”

  “Fine, fine! I will walk.”

  She felt the sting of his swats and held back tears. She had never been spanked or slapped in her life. It hurt.

  “If I set you down, no running. You run again and I will tie you to that saddle. Then I will make you regret running. Those two swats will be minor in comparison.”

  She swallowed hard and shook her head yes. He shrugged and bounced her on his shoulder.

  “Words, princess. Use your words.”

  “I will walk. I promise not to run. I swear.”

  He set her down and placed her hand on the saddle. She struggled to keep back her tears. She felt like a disobedient child that had been caught in the act.

  “Keep your hand on the saddle. Close your eyes and it will be over soon.”

  He walked them forward to the center of the clearing. The air shimmered in front of them. She expected him to chant or wave his hands around. Instead, he just kept walking.

  No way am I shutting my eyes. This is my hallucination! And if I am going to go along with it, I am going all the way.

  The surrounding forest started… melting. It was the best way to describe it. It was as if everything around her was made of chocolate and it was all melting in the sun. She stared at the saddle where her hand lay. The saddle was melting into her hand. She gasped and pulled away. Micheal grabbed her wrist and forced her to keep her hand on the saddle.