Vampiric: Chapter Eight, Part 3

The night of the broadcast, Caroline took Ian and me out to a restaurant for dinner, her way of ensuring I was going to eat something. She may not have noticed my sleeplessness, but she had noticed my eating habits. They discussed if everything had been triple checked and if there were enough cars to carry everyone. According to all the files I had looked over the past weeks, the group had expanded considerably—at least quadruple the size it had been at the first broadcast; we were large enough to be seen as a real force of reckoning.

We were back at headquarters before most had arrived, but a few people were milling about anxiously. Caroline reminded me I could work up in the office some more if I wanted, but Ian would fill in for me tonight. She didn’t believe I was emotionally ready for the task.

As I walked toward the stairs to the office, I noticed Drei standing in the shadows, hands buried in his pockets. Before I knew what I was doing, I was in front of him, feeling something for a change. Feeling anything was frightening and a relief.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, trying to keep the sudden press of tears at bay. “But nothing happened. I should have talked to you about it sooner, but I swear it’s not what you think.”

He looked over my head and then to the left as though scanning the thin collection of early birds.

“Listen to me,” I cried, forcing him to face me even if I couldn’t force him to see me, to acknowledge me. “You’re wrong, Drei. Okay? For once, you’re wrong.”

“I am not mistaken,” he said icily, refusing to meet my gaze.

A burst of air pinned him against the wall, and I was there, standing inches from him. Anger and hurt raced through my veins and logical thought failed me. I wasn’t even sure what I was doing, or planning to do. “You are. Just listen to me, will you?”

“There is nothing for me to hear.” He turned his face away from me.

“That’s not true!” I shouted, wanting to make him listen. He had looked at me when I started to assert myself, maybe he’d listen if I did something else. If I didn’t give him any other choice, I could force him to face me…see me…hear me. Maybe even believe me. Instead of just being stuck in his own head and his own pool of pity, too blind to see the damage he was causing.

Caroline interrupted, stepping between us and forcing me away from him.

“Just let it go, Abs. Let it go; it’s easier;” she ducked her head around to try blocking my view of him.

I fought to move around her, to close the gap she was creating, but it was half-hearted at best; I didn’t want to hurt her. “He needs to listen to me,” I cried, tears searing my cheeks.

“No, Abs. He doesn’t want to and you can’t force him,” she said sternly. “All you can do is leave him alone.”

“But I can’t,” I argued, wishing she’d go away. I didn’t need her to tell me what I was doing; I could figure that out for myself if I really wanted to. With the tears, though, the anger was draining quickly and, with it, the last of my energy.

She led me up to her office, sitting me down in the chair and squatting before me; she wrapped her hands around mine. “Work, if that’s what helps,” she ordered. She bit her inside cheek as if holding back some other choice comments. I guess she figured one of us had to rational and that wasn’t going to be me. “Trying to change him isn’t going to do anything except hurt you more.”

I tried to tell myself she didn’t know what she was talking about, but she was right. I had been fine feeling nothing, and now I felt like I was just in a new mess altogether. So nodding, I quietly said, “I won’t leave the office until you’re all gone.”

“Good,” she said, relief washing from her. “This is in your best interest, Abs. I’m not trying to be a bully, you know.”

“I know.” I wasn’t able to meet her gaze. I would have told her it was hard, start to let her help me a little, but I couldn’t. It seemed every time I let someone in, something went wrong. They either left me or told me to leave them, always after they hurt me.

Despite my earlier intention of doing some more sorting, I couldn’t bring myself to move from the chair. For a while I just stared at the stacks of paper everywhere, trying to figure out why I had approached him. What had I expected to happen? When I didn’t find an answer to that, I listened to the pre-show jitters downstairs, letting their words drown out my thoughts. It was easier than actually thinking. Thinking was dangerous for me. Who knew what I would do? I certainly didn’t.

After the cars all drove into the distance, I left the office, deciding to walk back to the apartment. The cool night air calmed me a little, and the hidden stars seemed to twinkle louder than usual, as if trying to comfort me; the moon watched, and I let her. When she felt the time was right, she would do something, I guessed. So I questioned how long that would be. How long until I could hold him again and know he loved me?

Elemental: Chapter Eleven, Part 6

I chose to forego my sleep—not that I had been sleeping much anyway—and seek Drei. It was quite a hike to where Valetta guaranteed I would find him. The pine trees relented to my passage, almost in assurance I would get there.

The sun fell daintily though the branches and pine leaves, scattering light across a rocky ledge. Drei sat in the dappled light, gazing across the hilly landscape where black birds took flight in search for unfortunate mice and insects, or new nesting grounds.

“I’m sorry,” I said, standing a few yards away, “for scaring you.”

His gaze swiveled around as if searching for the source of the sound. When his amethyst eyes met mine, he shook his head gently, sighing. “I should apologize;” he seemed to search for the words to say, unable to hold my gaze for long. “You saw Nick as a person with a heart instead of a disagreeable occupation.”

“What happened to him?” I was timorous at the possible answers running through my mind. Depending on whose idea it had been, the options seemed to range from bad to worse, not finding any happy medium.

“I offered him a place with us, under our protection,” Drei said. “He turned me down, and I will not pretend I was not somewhat joyous. It would be too suspicious following us afterwards, he reasoned. Then he proposed his plan.”

“His plan?” If it had come from Nick, I was almost too afraid to ask. It was worse than if it had been Drei’s plan. In my imaginings, at least.

“He had us beat him, a real thrashing. Valetta ensured we avoided beating him senseless—it was a wondrous feeling,” he admitted, his features lighting up. I shook my head; I couldn’t help it. They were my guys and I should have known there would be violence somewhere in the plot. Okay, I did know, but I was hoping there wouldn’t be. “Then we hogtied him and left him afloat on the lake in a boat he found behind one of the cabins.”

“That sounds like Nick,” I admitted, a slight smile playing across my lips. “He always liked the big twist of surprise and huge impressions.”

Drei seemed like he was about to say something—he would turn to me, or part his lips slightly—but he didn’t for a while.

“What?” I asked, sitting next to him.

“We know why the government killed his family.”

“I know,” I replied, quietly. When he gazed at me with wide eyes and raised eyebrows, I continued, “He told me—I don’t think he meant to—when he told me he was—you know.”

“Are you still upset with him?” Drei looked away again.

A sigh escaped me; I had known this was inevitable, just as he had known this conversation was coming sooner or later. “I won’t lie. I miss him—a lot more than I thought I would.”

“Do not fret;” Drei smiled at me. “Nick is bound to show up somewhere down the road.”

“Did he say anything…before we left?” I asked, unable to help myself. I knew he had talked to me, but what would he have said to Drei or anyone else? And did he tell them something he didn’t tell me? Like I really wasn’t going to see him again? I knew Drei said I would, and Nick, too, but that didn’t mean they weren’t conspiring together; I could see Drei agreeing to go along with it.

“How about you watch?” Drei suggested, as he settled back. I sat across from him and watched as he closed his eyes, summoning the memory; I viewed it as it played above his head.

“You may join us,” Drei offered, hands buried in his pockets.

Nick chuckled. “It’s polite of you to ask, but you know I can’t.”

“It would be for her. Not for me.” Drei paused, struggling with the words. “She needs you.”

Nick shook his head, a slight curve to his lips. “We both know she only needed me as a substitute. A temp, if you will. And we both know,” he added, “that the unknown risks of me following outweigh any good I may or may not do.”

“I thought I would offer;” Drei shrugged.

“That’s a good thing, man;” Nick smiled. “It means you’re noticing her as a person, not just as another elemental needing to be saved from the oppressor’s inexplicable wrath.”

“I will take that as a compliment…?” Drei said, furrowing his brow.

“That’s what it is. Look, just don’t leave her lonely again, or I may just have to pop back in.”

“You can be sure she will be well accommodated on that front.” Drei stood taller—if that was even possible—as if to emphasize his point.

“Good.” Nick turned to leave but whirled around again, an index finger raised skyward, a devilish grin on his lips. “One more thing. We have to make this look believable….”

Drei sat up again, his eyes open, cutting me off from whatever came next.

“He has a good heart,” he said good-humoredly, sincerely.

“Yeah,” I agreed, beginning to feel sleepy.

“You have yet to achieve a good day’s rest.”

How did he always know? Then I remembered what Valetta had said. The two of them, they see everything. I should have expected as much.

Scooting over so I was next to him, I leaned against Drei—too tired to even fathom the walk back—and he smoothed my hair back from my face, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. His embrace really was comforting. And there was that luscious scent again. Smelling it now made me realize I had begun to miss it.

“Sleep is important,” he whispered, pulling me under whatever spell he had over me. I didn’t fight it; it was pointless to try. Besides, sleep sounded amazingly wonderful. And Drei made the comfiest pillow.

Elemental: Chapter Eight, Part 4

How could everyone be happy? Like we used to be? Drei would be overwhelmed if Nick left this minute. He’d behave as though Nick had never been here; but then Nick and I would be depressed. There was something about Nick I needed, and was it so wrong to feel needed in return? If I left with him, would Drei still be happy? Would I be at peace? Or would missing Drei overshadow any hope at serenity?

The scenarios played through my mind, each ending with someone hurt. It didn’t seem there was a way to keep everyone happy. Though I needed to decide something, I didn’t know how to make it up to Drei or Nick, or even make myself feel better.

Late in the afternoon, while Nick was playing kickball with the children, I watched Drei call him aside. Curious, I brought their conversation to me, my heart breaking even more.

“Where is Abriel?” Drei demanded, his voice low and violent.

“She’s taking some time off,” Nick responded carefully, not giving in to his fear of Drei, but not fighting…yet. “She needs time to think or something.”

“What did you do?” I watched him grab Nick’s shirt with one hand and shake him threateningly.

“What did I do? What about you?”

“Do not speak to me that way!” Drei growled, lifting Nick off the ground. Nick grabbed Drei’s wrist to support himself. “This is your fault; if you had never come she would have been perfectly fine.”

“Since I came she’s had someone who’s there for her, unlike the way you were treating her.”

Just as Drei wound up a fist to pummel Nick, I forced them apart, a blanket of air catching Nick before he hit the ground and Drei before he lost his balance. Both of them looked around as if expecting to see me; when they didn’t, they went off on each other again, this time keeping their distance.

Their argument made me resolve to figure out something, anything. Continuing on like this would ruin the entire camp, and over something as little as with whom I wanted to spend time. I couldn’t let that happen and be my fault; I didn’t want to destroy everything.

But I couldn’t stop anything if I was unable to decide on a course of action.

Elemental: Chapter Two, Part 11

I was in the bathroom, applying a new coat of lip-gloss when Heather and Sara thundered in, livid at some tidbit of gossip they had acquired. Typically, when gossip disturbed them—before they called for a shopping day—they came to the girl’s restroom to scream at each other about the incredulity of it all until they felt better. Then they morphed back into smiling snakes with perfect hair and made the appropriate phone calls for hooky.

Just as I had put everything back into my purse, Heather smacked it off the counter, sending the mascara, blush, and other contents skittering across the white tiled floor. My gaze rose to meet theirs and it was apparent this was not the typical tidbit of upsetting gossip.

“What have you heard?” I asked coolly, not wanting to suffer more of a verbal thrashing than needed.

Sara shoved me backwards, a sink jabbing me hard in the side as I stumbled. “Everything!” she screeched, her features transforming into a distorted form of spite.

I grabbed the sink and used it to steady myself as I looked back to her; I was thoroughly befuddled as I had no idea what “everything” meant. Violence wasn’t in her usual modus operandi, though, so whatever the gossip was, it was personal.

“How you plan to steal my boyfriend,” she vociferated, slapping me across the face. Her new manicure broke the skin of my cheek. “How you’ve already been fucking him!” She landed another cruel blow, her nails feeling like an animal claw on my cheek. “How you’ve been fucking him since this summer…and it explains why you never gave names!”

A hailstorm of blows poured upon me, knocking my from my feet; I was too stunned to think of some definitive action to take other than to shield my face and make myself as small a target as possible. I knew I couldn’t continue accepting this torment as that would possibly result in the eventual bludgeoning of my skull, but my mind seemed frozen when it came to offering solutions. It didn’t help that her acrid voice continued to echo in my thoughts, chasing away the few frail attempts my mind tried to make at thinking. She would have to tire eventually, or someone would come into the bathroom. As she took up kicking at my arms and shins, I tried distancing myself from it all, numbing my body to the blows and blocking out her voice.

It wasn’t until she proclaimed me numerous, colorful names of increasing insult that my mind made itself up without my knowing it.

“Stop!” I yelled, a gust of air forcing her away from me. My voice sounded cold and distant; it wasn’t mine, though I knew the words came from me. Inside, it felt as though some part of me had awoken and taken control. I no longer dominated my body. Some other entity, who had seen enough of Sara’s petty battle, did. It stood taller, straighter, and radiated with a divine anger that sent Sara and Heather whimpering into the hallway.

Slowly, my body followed.

The two had already gathered a crowd that imprisoned them. My body's gait stopped some distance from them. When their terrified faces met my gaze, my lips spoke, a slow, deep sound erupting from my throat.

“What right have you to judge based on rumor?” the unfamiliar voice thundered. “What right have you to blame your faults on another?”

Sara seemed to pluck courage from the curious onlookers. She stood and moved towards me, wobbly on her feet, but determined.

“Bitch! You think you’re hot stuff screwing around and lying to everyone!” she screeched, lunging to recommence her attack. I sent her slamming into the lockers where she slumped to the floor, cradling her head in her arms.

“Leave me alone,” the voice said slowly, articulating every syllable so she’d be sure to understand through her concussion.

With that, whatever had been inside me disappeared, leaving me with a strange sensation of having too much room in myself. Realizing everyone was staring at me, I walked away as calmly as I could manage, the crowd parting to let me through. Shocked, horrified, and curious faces looked on. No one said anything, though. They were all terrified...of me. This fact didn’t hit me until much later as I sat at home listening to music.