Elemental: Chapter Two, Part 7

My jaw dropped. My mother? The same one who was constantly nagging about boyfriends and college? “My mother’s at home asleep,” I said slowly.

“No, your mother has been locked away for 17 years.”

“That’s not possible!” I crossed my arms, trying not to let his words sink in too deep. Suddenly I felt cold, and the fact I knew practically nothing about him seemed really important. Like it was reason enough to block out anything else he said and dismiss it as a lie.

“It is. And if you are not careful, they will reunite you,” he threatened, though his voice wasn’t as cruel and frightening anymore.

I was silent. Thoughts jumbled in my head and left me wordless. He was so serious I was somewhat convinced he was telling the truth, but the idea was ludicrous and I had no reason to believe him. I saw her all the time...unless—

“I could take you away. You would be safe. We take care of all the elementals,” he offered, his voice gentle and alluring after the long silence that had fallen between us. The scent of flowers filled the air. It might have been my imagination, but instead of finding it soothing this time, it made me doubly uneasy, almost nauseous.

The idea seemed okay, but fear swelled in my mind. What would I do without school, college prospects, or friends? How could I survive without the comforts I found every day, the security in the fact I had everything I needed? I couldn’t leave everything behind; it didn’t seem possible. Aside from that, how safe would I be with Drei should I trust him? I didn’t know. He had soothed and saved me, yes, but that was when people still expected to see me. If I ran away, that expectation decreased to nearly nonexistent and what would he do then? Would he still be safe?

“Who is we?” I asked instead, attempting to think about something that didn’t bring so many unanswered questions to light.

“Vampires, like myself,” he answered, as if trying to prove I could trust him.

I scoffed, more out of terror than disapproval. “You’re out of your mind,” I insisted, trying to calm myself. It wasn’t working very well. “First bounty hunters, then my mother, now vampires? This is—this is a total joke.”

My mind repeated those final words, trying to convince me that was the truth. It fit into the boxes of my life; the rest of it didn’t. I could even make a box for being an elemental, and stretch things to make it fit, but I wasn’t going to try for everything else if it was easier to deny it all.

But my heart refused to believe he was lying. It argued I had always suspected this harsher reality, even if I never wanted to admit it.

Wanting to escape that place and the gut-wrenching feeling my world was collapsing, I forced Drei away from me and dashed back through the park. I was able to escape him easily enough; I wasn’t as lucky with his words.