Air: The Elementals: Book One

by Jennifer Lush

  “Can you please stop using the word puberty?” Lilah begged in frustration.

  Todd and Abby laughed. “What?” her uncle asked. “Embarrassed?”

  Lilah glared at him without answering.

  They sat in a silence for a few minutes more. Lilah was trying to process everything. Jackson. Her abilities. He was her match. She didn’t know anything about him, but he would be the one by her side for eternity.

  “Here, let me try to help,” her mom offered an olive branch.

  “How?” Lilah asked.

  She thought for a moment before answering. “I had this problem before. We all have.”

  “Not all of us,” Uncle Todd butted in.

  If Jackson was her match, that meant there were only two in the family who had yet to find theirs. Maddie was one, and Uncle Todd was the other. Hard to believe that after almost a millennium he still hadn’t found her. The story passed through the family was that he had been in love once and strongly believed the woman to be his match. He had been horribly wrong. Ever since, he had never even wanted to try to find his match and was probably quite thankful he hadn’t.

  “Most of us,” her mom said. “This is what my mom taught me to do. Close your eyes.”

  Lilah listened to her mom’s instructions and shut her eyes tightly.

  “Don’t try so hard. Relax.”

  She stretched her neck, leaned back and gently closed her eyes.

  “Okay. Let the images come to you. Don’t try to fight them.”

  “That won’t be hard,” Lilah scoffed.

  “Shh. Focus.”

  Lilah let the image of Jackson bent under the hood enter her mind. “Okay. Done.”

  “Now, picture a door.”

  “A door?” Lilah’s eyes shot open, and she looked at her mom questioningly.

  “Yes. Any kind of door. A house door. Barn door. Your pick. Close your eyes,” she insisted.

  Lilah started over, picturing a large barn door this time. “What next?”

  “Close the door over him like you’re locking him in the room.”

  This was sounding stupid, but she did as she was told. The barn door slid to the side and shut in front of Jackson. Well, it almost worked she thought. I’m stuck with an image of a barn door in my head instead of a creepy stalker crush cam.

  “Open your eyes,” her mom told her.

  Lilah looked at her mom, and then her uncle who appeared pretty curious about the process himself.

  “Did it work?” he asked her.

  She was about to tell him about the barn door that was stuck in her mind when she realized it was now gone too. The surprise must have shown in her face because her mom’s laughter rang out shrilly.

  “That’s exactly how I reacted the first time I did it.”

  “Can I get him back?”

  “Anytime you want. Just go back into your mind and open the door.”

  Lilah closed her eyes and tried it. Door open. There was Jackson wiping his greasy hands on a shop towel. Door closed and nothing.

  “Well, have fun tonight,” her mom drew her away from her thoughts.

  Lilah looked at her surprised and unsure of how to respond.

  “At your party,” her uncle added.

  Lilah looked back and forth between them her excitement growing. “Really?” she asked. “You mean I can go?”

  “If he’s your match,” her mother began.

  “He is her match,” her uncle corrected.

  Her mom shrugged and smiled, “He’s your match. We can’t stand in the way of that. We couldn’t if we tried.”

  “Thank you!” Lilah squealed, jumping up from the recliner. She hugged and kissed them both then ran off to get ready for a date that wasn’t to happen for another eight hours.

  Later that evening, Lilah nervously paced the porch. She tried to calm herself sitting in the swing and breathing deep, but it was no use. Up she would go to pace to one end then the other. Back to the swing and repeat again. Her date with Jackson was an hour off, and her nerves were working overtime.

  She continued this pattern for some time until Gene and Sara came out to join her. “I love you, doll,” Sara said, “but your energy is setting the entire house on edge.”

  Lilah had been pacing, but immediately retreated to the swing. She took a couple deep breaths, and was about to get up and start walking again. She caught herself, slunk back, and groaned, “I can’t help it.”

  Gene sat down next to her, “You know you have nothing to be nervous about.”

  Lilah’s mouth dropped and her eyes opened wide, “How can you say that?”

  “It’s a done deal.”

  “I know, but I’m still nervous.”

  Sara looked up out of the corner of her eye like she was trying to see something inside her mind, “I remember being nervous like this over a first date once, but it was before Gene.”

  Gene raised his eyebrows with interest. “Before me? Who was this guy?” he asked as though he was upset, but it was obvious he was playing around.

  “His name isn’t important,” Sara told him. She looked at Lilah, “when I think about it, the first thing that stands out is he wore a cream colored shirt on our first date. It’s weird how your memory prioritizes what details to hold on to.”

  “Anyway, I was nervous. I knew he wasn’t my match, but I worried about everything else. Would he be a gentleman? Would we have fun? Would everything go smoothly? And I could answer all those questions! I knew what was going to happen. It didn’t matter. Still got my nerves going.”

  “So you weren’t nervous with me?” Gene asked her.

  “No, I was a little, but not like this,” Sara told him pointing to Lilah.

  “Is there anything we can do to help?” Gene asked Lilah.

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. I would think knowing it’s going to work out beforehand would eliminate the nerves.”

  “What are you nervous about exactly?” asked Sara.

  “That’s what I’m nervous about. I’ve met him. Briefly,” Lilah added. “It’s just….” she sighed.

  Lilah shook her head and looked across the porch as if she’d find the answer. In a hushed voice she finally manage to say, “I know that tonight I’m going to start getting to know the man I’ll spend the rest of my life with only the rest of my life means so much more for us than it does for others.”

  “I still think that should take the worry out of it,” Gene told her.

  Sara shot him a look that told him to be quiet. “Go on,” Sara coaxed.

  “I’ve never thought about it.”

  “Thought about what?”

  “About who my match might be. Mom used to tell me stories of how she would daydream about who he was, his looks, interests, everything. Of course, dad wasn’t anything like she had imagined, but he was also better than she had imagined. I’ve never given it any thought. I thought I had time. A lot of time!” Lilah’s anxiety was growing again. “I mean how old were you when you found Gene?”

  “I was one of the younger ones myself. I was seventy-seven.”

  “Now, she’s an old lady of two hundred and twenty-six,” Gene said and leaned toward Lilah mouthing the word, “Woah.”

  Sara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. Gene winked at Lilah, “She likes ‘em young too. I’m only one hundred and seventy-five.”

  Sara playfully kicked at him, “You hush.”

  Gene raised his hands his eyes sparkling, and said, “Hey, get mad all you want, but the numbers don’t lie,” before smiling at his wife.

  “I’m only twenty-one.”

  Gene and Sara became serious again. “You’re the youngest yet,” Gene said and gave her leg a quick squeeze.

  “Yeah,” Sara inhaled deeply and let it out. “You be nervous all you want. You’ve had a lot thrown at you in the day or two. It’ll be over soon.”

  Lilah looked at her puzzled.

  “It’s about time for you to leave isn’
t it?”

  Lilah glanced at her phone. It was twenty till seven. “Oh crap!” she jumped off the swing and ran into the house looking for her mom.

  Sara sat on the swing next to Gene and lay her head on his shoulder. They leaned back, and he put his arm around her pulling her close. “Do you think this is a good idea?” he asked her softly.

  “Lilah and Jackson?”

  “Yes. The timing is off.”

  “The timing seems off to us,” she told him. “The universe knows what it is doing.”

  “I suppose that’s right,” he said kissing the top of her head softly.

  Lilah climbed up into the cab of Jackson’s truck, and he closed the door after her. Her nerves disappeared the moment she looked into his round sky blue eyes. Jackson walked around the front of the car, and she studied his every movement. He got into the car next to her, and put it in drive.

  “I’m really glad you came,” he said as he maneuvered through the busy parking lot.

  Lilah smiled as if by instinct. She nodded trying to find the words, “Me too. I’m glad you asked me.”

  “I actually wanted to talk to you last night. I just didn’t work up my nerve before…” his voice trailed off. “Before you left.”

  Lilah remembered his internal struggle to approach her and said, “I know.”

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized her mistake.

  “You know?” he asked more amused than anything. “How would you know?”

  Lilah shook her head. “I meant, well,” she struggled for an explanation. Lilah sighed, “I wanted to talk to you too. I was trying to say I know what you mean about working up the nerve. I just, it wasn’t,” Lilah flushed. “It came out wrong.”

  It was Jackson’s turn to beam. He turned onto the main highway headed out of town the opposite direction of the farmhouse. “So you’re new in town?”

  “Yeah, visiting family,” Lilah replied with the story her mom had her rehearse.

  “Oh,” Jackson seemed disappointed. “You’re not going to be here long?”

  “Not sure actually. There’s talk. It’s all kind of up in the air now.”

  He nodded and kept his eyes on the road.

  Lilah knew he was thinking that it was just his luck to finally meet someone who wouldn’t be sticking around. “But, I guess whatever happens, I can always visit awhile longer…if I had a reason to stay,” she shrugged.

  She felt him relax. He turned his signal on and began to slow down. Jackson was about to start his turn when terror filled Lilah.

  “Wait!” she yelled out and reached a hand toward the wheel.

  A red sports car veered around the bend in the road just head careening fast. The driver almost lost control of his car. The car flew past them, and both Lilah and Jackson craned their necks to watch it as it disappeared behind them. If Jackson had made his turn, they would’ve been hit.

  He flashed her a quick smile that was hiding his jitters, “I didn’t even hear it. Thank god you did.”

  She simply smiled at him not sure what to say. He was extra cautious before turning on the country road this time. Lilah looked out the window at the sun that was setting taking deep breaths trying to ignore the images of the wrecked red metal and pained screams that were happening now not far from them. The sky was painted with shades of purple, orange and red. She found herself thinking about how sunsets never lost their appeal, and she hoped they never would no matter how many hundreds of years she lived.

  “It’s only a few minutes out,” he cut into her thoughts. She looked through the windshield again at the winding country road. “Where are you from?” he asked.

  “Florida,” she responded as it was the most recent place she had lived.

  “Florida?” Jackson repeated. “This must be a big change then.”

  Lilah held up her gloved hands and said, “I bought these two days ago. I’ve never had to have them.”

  Jackson laughed, “I bet not. So do they do bonfire parties in Florida?”

  “Probably. They do parties, and there are bonfires. I’ve never been to one though.”

  Jackson stole another glance before directing his attention to driving again. “It’s a lot of fun. You’ll see.”

  Lilah just smiled at him. She already knew she’d enjoy the night.

  He slowed down and peered forward to find his turn. The car veered to the left and started down a long and winding lane. “This place is owned by my buddy Sam’s dad. This is,” he grinned and looked at her, “kind of like that back entrance to the property.”

  “No one’s supposed to be here?”

  He shook his head. “His dad knows we get together out here. He doesn’t want Sam telling him about it or rather asking him every time. As long as we don’t cause trouble, Sam’s dad doesn’t care.”

  The tree lined lane opened into a large empty field. There were already about a half dozen cars and trucks parked along one side. Jackson turned around and parked along the lane facing the road. “We’re a little early,” he shrugged. “But once the sun sets, this place will be packed.”

  He unbuckled his seat belt, so Lilah did the same. They opened their doors and climbed out. She walked to the rear of the truck, and Jackson was already waiting on the other side. He held his hand out to her, “Ready?” he asked.

  She smiled and nodded taking his hand. He led her off in the direction of the pile of wood that was starting to catch. “Is that a couch,” Lilah asked.

  Jackson stopped and tilted his head to the side for a moment before looking at her. A grin spread over his face, and he nodded slowly. “It is,” he said with pride. He pulled her closer to him and started walking, “This is how we do it out in the hicks.”

  Lilah met a mirage of people over the next couple hours. She had promised herself she wouldn’t veer into people’s private thoughts tonight. She’d just be normal for a change. Her vow didn’t last long. There were too many names to remember.

  Jackson had been wonderful all night. He never left her side. He never introduced her as his girlfriend, but he made sure everyone knew they were there together by the way he would hold her hand or drape his arm over her shoulders and pull her close. He also never left her alone in a sea full of strangers.

  The night wore on, and the bonfire was down to a normal blaze when Lilah first saw her. It was the witch she had noticed days before at the restaurant. She was with a group of friends. Lilah tried, but they were all blocked. No doubt under a protection spell. The witch veered off straight toward her and Jackson.

  When Jackson saw her he whispered to Lilah, “I want you to meet someone. She’s a witch.”

  Lilah was taken aback. Her thoughts raced. How did he know? She tried to read him for answers, but didn’t have enough time.

  He yelled out, “Lee-Lee!” and went to her. They hugged quickly, and Jackson made the introductions. “Lee-Lee this is Lilah, she’s new in town. Lilah, this is my oldest and dearest friend.”

  “My name,” she started to say while giving Jackson a stern look, “is Everleigh,” she turned to Lilah and smiled. “This buffoon is the only one who gets away with calling me Lee-Lee.”

  “That’s because you love me,” Jackson grinned.

  “Keep calling me Lee-Lee and see how long that lasts,” Everleigh told him.

  They laughed. Lilah smiled at them still intrigued by Jackson’s comment. Everleigh studied her for a moment and Lilah briefly worried that maybe somehow she could make the connection. Air and Earth, face to face. They weren’t enemies by any means, but the Elementals did tend to stick to themselves for the most part.

  Everleigh nodded like she had just figured something out, and Lilah held her breath. “He’s a good guy though. One of the best if you ask me,” Everleigh told her.

  “Aww see? I knew you loved me,” Jackson batted his eyelashes at her. Everleigh lightly punched his arm.

  “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show,” he said.

  She shook
her head. “Bad accident near my house,”

  Jackson’s face was filled with questions. “Car accident? Everyone okay?”

  “Yeah, there were police and rescue vehicles all over the place. I waited to leave. Didn’t need to be trying to get around all that.”

  “Wow. Who was it? Anyone local?”

  “I don’t think so, and I don’t think whoever it was survived,” Everleigh answered.

  Lilah was aware that Everleigh knew more than she was saying just as she did. It was an out of towner driving a red sports car. One fatality.

  “Man, that’s horrible. What is with people driving crazy? Lilah and I are were almost in an accident earlier ourselves.”

  Lilah nodded at Everleigh backing him up. He had no idea it was the same reckless driver.

  “Well, I got to get back. My cousin is in town and doesn’t know too many people. A little shy too. Can’t leave her for long.”

  They said they’re goodbyes to each other. “She seemed nice,” Lilah told Jackson.

  “Lee-Lee and I have known each other forever. Her mom used to babysit me.”

  “Why do you call her Lee-Lee?”

  Jackson shook his head. “You know, it’s funny. For a long time, I actually thought that was her name.”

  Lilah bunched her eyebrows and looked at him questioningly. “Yeah, I guess I couldn’t say Everleigh correctly, so I started calling her Lee-Lee. It just stuck. I don’t remember any of this. Her grandma tells the story every time I see her.”

  Lilah didn’t say anything. She was trying to get a read on how he knew about Everleigh. She didn’t have to.

  “She’s my oldest friend. The best kind of friend you could hope to find.”

  “Then why did you call her a witch?” Lilah asked.

  “Because she is.”

  Lilah rolled her eyes and hoped it looked sincere.

  “No, I mean it. She’s a witch. Like spells and circles. And whatever witches do, witch.”

  Lilah was amused and shocked. Her family’s secrets were never shared with anyone who wasn’t in an Elemental family, and even then, rarely shared outside of Air. She had never given a thought to how other Elemental lines handled their secrets. Sure, people knew about witches, vampires and werewolves, but most of what people think they know wasn’t real.