Eternal Elements

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I woke up to the sun shining through the curtains of my bedroom window. At least, my new bedroom. My hand is resting on my cheek and a worn out copy of Pride and Prejudiced resting on my stomach. Marian let me borrow it from one of the shelves in the living room. I stayed up a little too late last night reading it. Since I never read it before Marian gushed about it until I surrendered and went looking for it.

I climb out of bed and dressed in a green shirt and jean cuttoffs. It's been exactly one week since Russell brought me here and the only thing I'm excelling in is slowly dying. My 'roomies' all have different ways to teach me. Lucius likes to sit me in front of a candle and try to move it. To feel its energy. That was a bust.

Russell takes me to a field, sits me down and tries to make me feel. No, I'm being serious. He says the way that he learned is that he needed to tap into certain emotions. We've tried happy, angry, weirded out, and most of all: annoyed. I dreaded the days when it was his turn to teach me. I was all hyped up with bubbled energy around him and it was hard to think straight.

Marian thought yoga would be the best. She thought I needed to be tranquil. As much I loved those warrior positions and such, I pulled a muscle in my leg and she carried me to Russell so he could massage it. Talk about awkward. He wouldn't stop laughing when Marian told him what was wrong with me. It hurt like Hell at first but then it was as blissful as the massage he gave me during Michelle's party.

I walked out of my room and headed towards the living room, pulling my curly hair into a loose bun. Marian showed me a cool trick when I got out of the shower yesterday where she took all of the water out of my hair. It left my hair silky and manageable. It was the only time I wore my hair down since it went ballistic on me.

Russell came up to me yesterday also and commented on how curly it was. At first, I thought he was making fun of me but when he took a strand and tugged at, my walls went down. He said it was good my body was reacting to my fire. Which means my hair is suppose to go crazy. That moment ended quickly

Oh well.

Marian and Russell were sitting in front of the small T.V. I was about to ask what they were watching when I recognized Timothy Hutton duck taped to the toilet. My parents favorite movie.

“Where's Lucius?” I asked.

Russell's eyes darkened, the blue in them looking demonic. I called it when I said he was creepy, didn't I?

“He just went outside.” His voice was clipped.

“Alright then...”

I headed out the door and spotted Lucius over by the woods.

“Hey Rock Man!” I yelled, running over to him before he got lost in the trees.

“Hey. I was just going for a walk.” He smiled and ran a hand through his dark hair.

“Mind if I join you?” I asked, lacing my arm through his.

“No problem.” He laughed.

We walked a little ways in before he broke the silence.

“I don't just throw rocks at people you know.” Lucius said, referring to the 'Rock Man' comment and taking a seat on a fallen tree log. I sat beside him, a tree limb brushing against my back.

“Will you show me then?” I asked, curious to his other abilities. He flicked his bangs to the side and studied me with his deep brown eyes. As I watched, the green and gold flecks in his eyes grew more prominent.

“Sure.” His slid off the log and sat Indian style in the dirt. I craned my neck to the side so I could get a good look at his face. His expression was closed off and intent as if he was searching for something I couldn't begin to imagine. I heard his breathing increase for a moment and I slowly went down on my knees next to him as if I needed to get closer. The intensity in his posture frightened me and his palms were pressed deeply in the dirt.

As I stared at him, I faintly heard a rumbling around me. I blinked harshly and looked down at the ground near me. The spots of dirt around me grew fresh, spring grass. I gasped as the blades poked up around us. In a smaller spot where the grass had not grow, something was sprouting up.

A white Lily flower.

My mouth popped open in awe. I glanced back up at him and found that his eyes were open and he was smiling.

“Do those even grow here?” I asked, my eyes widening.

“I don't know.” he shrugged. “I can connect to the natural world and use tree limbs, rocks, and other things as weapons.” He sighed, suddenly tired. “I've had a lot of practice.”

“Wait,” My eyebrows knit together. “it takes air and water for a flower to grow—for anything to grow. How can you do it all by your self?”

“The million dollar question.” He smiled. “That's exactly what Russell and Marian wanted to know.”

He stood up and cracked his neck.

“I don't exactly know how it all works. It's weird...I mean we are all suppose to be at the same level but some of us have more advantages than others. Just look at Marian.” He ran a hand through his hair. “She can freeze water. We don't have things like that.”

“But it's water....so doesn't that mean she can control it however she wants? She is the water carrier.”

“That's true.” He rubbed his chin. “You'll have to talk to Russell if you want more insight about it.”

Russell and I were civilized when it came to talking to each other. Especially when we were alone. That still didn't take away the fact that every time I saw him I wanted to rip our clothes off and melt into his arms while pressing my mouth to his. I wish I knew where the source of attraction came from.

So I could kill it.

I sighed and we started walking back to the main house. When we made it close, I took a moment to look at the scenery. There were a bunch of barns around here. Small and large. A few tool sheds and a large spanse of land. There was a field a little ways from the woods that Russell called the training field. There was a tool shed there too. I was told it was filled with training stuff.

Russell was standing outside, leaning on the railing of the entrance. Lucius went inside but I stayed outside to talk to him.

“Hey.” I said, leaning against the railing with the back of my arms.

“Hey.” His voice sent waves to my body. I. Am. Suffocating.

I took a deep breath and launched into my confusing theories and such about how much we can control concerning our abilities and elements.

“It's sort of a mystery.” He started. “ Emorex was indeed a being of the elements but her powers were branched out in different ways. Not only could she control elements, she could do things with it. She could heal, she could make things grow, she could fly by using air. She could...she could do anything.”

There was admiration in his voice which sent scorching hot jealousy down my body. Which was ridiculous. I was practically apart of Emorex. So was he.

“Oh.” I sighed.

“Don't worry.” He patted my hand and I scowled. He threatened to break out in a smile which took my attention to his lips. I unconsciously leaned a bit forward. So did he.

Oh shit. He moved his arm so he was covering me. Trapping me.

“Once you are able to control fire, you can create it. You'll be one heck of a fireball, Rubylocks.” He smiled and leaned his forehead against mine. I couldn't breathe. Then he swallowed and turned around, walking back inside.

He was going to be the death of me.

I'm going to die one happy Gal.