Earth: The Elementals Book Two

by Jennifer Lush

  “Where’s Jackson?” she asked, realizing she hadn’t seen him for a long time.

  “What do you remember?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Try.”

  “I am, but nothing is making sense.”

  “Hmm,” he looked disappointed. “It must not be done running its course yet. I’ll be right back.”

  “Running its course?” she asked to his disappearing back, as he ran swiftly up the stairs. The spinning had stopped, but her head throbbed like it was the worst hangover she had ever experienced.

  Judd was back in a flash with his arms full. “Here,” he handed her a bottle of water before opening a bottle of aspirin. “These are for your head,” he said, dumping a couple into her hands.

  Everleigh wondered how he knew her head was killing her, but thought she must have said something that she couldn’t remember now.

  He sat down on the sofa will a small black case and unzipped it. Inside were several medical tools, and he pulled out a pair of surgical scissors.

  A brief image of a nurse bending over a tray of surgical implements flashed in front of her eyes. “Was I at the hospital?”

  “Good. You’re remembering.” Judd turned to her, and tilted her head into position.

  HIs arm sparked another flash. There was so much blood. “Did I...?”

  He paused and waited for her to finish.

  Everleigh looked from him to his wrist then felt the side of her head again. “I drank…” She couldn’t finish saying the thought out loud.

  “I healed you,” he emphasized.

  “But why was I... How did this happen?”

  “Think,” he coaxed. “You were in the garage.”

  “Yeah, I was.” It was coming back to her now.

  He tilted her head again. “I’m going to need you to sit perfectly still while I do this. No sudden movements.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” she nodded, knowing not to move around during something like this. “Where’s Jackson?” she asked, as he began to cut through the sutures.

  “In the garage,” he replied calmly, concentrating on her head.

  Everleigh didn’t give it a second thought. Jackson spent a lot of time out there tinkering with one project or another. Of course that’s where he’d be, but she felt like she knew that already somehow.

  “Halfway done,” Judd announced, pulling another suture through the skin. “I should’ve taken these out sooner, but it looks like the marks are fading.” He turned to look at her face. “It’s just slow going.”

  Judd went back to work removing her stitches leaving her to wonder how she fell like she did and just what she was doing in the loft anyway. She never went up there anymore not after Judd cleared out everything years ago. It came back to her like a flash of light, “Jackson!” she screamed, and jumped up.

  With his hands in the air like he was caught up in an armed robbery, Judd sat terrified staring at her. His normally pale skin had turned almost fluorescent white as what little color he had drained from his face. The surgical scissors had been torn from his hand when she moved, and they bounced on the floor several times before finally coming to a rest.

  “What are you doing?” he practically screamed at her. “I nearly gouged your eye out! Or worse!”

  “Jackson. He’s...dead.” The words were hard for her to spit out.

  “What are you talking about, Everleigh?” He picked the scissors up off the floor and took them into the kitchen to sterilize them again. When he returned, he ordered her to sit back down.

  “There is only one remaining. Let us try to get this done.”

  Everleigh listened and sat still while he finished. It was becoming harder not to unleash the tears that wanted to break free. Jackson was dead. She had heard his dad say it himself. ‘What was it he said? He had to hide the body?’ she tried to remember. It was difficult and made her head pound harder, and she was finding it difficult to grasp on to more than flashing images.

  “There,” Judd said, as he pulled the last stitch through. “We’re done.”

  She didn’t move a muscle. She was terrified of what Judd might do to her. The kindness he had showed her by caring for her would surely disappear when he learned she was the reason Jackson had been triggered. She was the reason he was dead even though she didn’t yet know how he had died. It had to be her fault.

  “Now what’s this business about my son?” Judd asked, as he picked up the black case and stitches taking them to the kitchen to dispose of them.

  Everleigh didn’t know how to answer him. There was no way around telling him the truth. He would find out for himself eventually. Knowing she needed to come clean about what had happened, and actually telling Judd the truth were two different things. It was proving quite difficult for her to speak to him.

  He walked into the room and motioned for her to follow him. “Let’s go to him.”

  She followed him out the door to the garage. Even in the darkness, she could see where the side door was busted from when Jackson tried to maul her earlier. They went inside, and Judd walked to the old Firebird Jackson had been fixing up for ages. He grabbed one corner of the drop cloth partially covering it and yanked it off in one movement. He opened the passenger door of the car and stepped back allowing Everleigh to see inside.

  “There he is,” Judd pointed out. “Sleeping like a baby.”

  Jackson lay in the seat covered by an old blanket. Even several feet away, Everleigh could see the rise and fall of his chest with each breath he took. “But I thought he...was dead.”

  “What would make you think that?”

  “You. You said you had to hide the body before the police came.”

  Judd cocked his head to the side in thought, then grinned. “Yeah, I guess I did say that, didn’t I?”

  He slammed the door of the car shut loudly, and Jackson’s eyes shot open. He looked as confused as Everleigh felt not long ago. “What happened?” he asked sitting up and looking around. “Why am I in the Firebird?”

  “Get in the house, son. We’ll talk there.” Judd walked to the door then looked to see if Everleigh was following. “Dear, I didn’t mean his dead body. I meant his unconscious body.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “Tranquillizer gun,” Judd laughed. “Never leave home without it.”

  They went to the kitchen where they waited for Jackson to join them. “I’m going to whip up some breakfast. You hungry?”

  “What time is it?” Everleigh craned her neck to see the clock on the microwave near where Judd stood.

  “It’s not even nine o’clock. The night isn’t over yet. You know my boy will walk through that door half asleep and feeling starved. Breakfast will be the fastest meal I can whip up for him. I might as well get a start on it since I know what’s coming.”

  Everleigh laughed at how true it was, but it was quickly stifled when she saw the look he shot her. The front door opened, and Jackson wandered inside looking half asleep saving her from what was sure to be an awkward exchange with his dad.

  Jackson saw the pancake mix on the counter near his dad. “Oh, good. Breakfast. I feel like I could eat a buffet out of business. How long was I out?”

  This time it was Judd who laughed, flashing Everleigh an ‘I told you so look.’ “You slept pretty hard. You’ve been out about eight hours or so.”

  “I don’t even remember going into the garage,” he confessed, sitting down near Everleigh.

  The next few minutes passed in silence. Everleigh wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t unheard of for Jackson to experience blackouts, but she wondered if she should tell him what happened. She was also deathly afraid of Judd finding out the reason for Jackson’s behavior.

  Soon the pancakes were done, and Judd set a plate in front of his son that was piled high. “Coffee?” he offered Everleigh.

  “Yeah, that would be nice. Thanks,” she said nervously. The intimidation she always felt when she was near him was back in full force.
<
br />   Judd set three mugs on the table then filled them all before setting the carafe down. He pulled out a chair and flipped it around straddling the seat and resting his arms on the back. “Alright,” he looked at each of them. “Everyone good?”

  “Yeah,” Jackson mumbled with a mouthful of food.

  Everleigh barely smiled in response.

  “Good!” Judd said with a little too much enthusiasm.

  Even Jackson gave his dad a questioning look after it.

  “Now, would one of you two dear kids kindly tell me why the hell my son tried to kill his best friend this afternoon?” he demanded, striking his fist on the chair back so hard the top brace splintered in two.

  Everleigh jumped and cried out. She was afraid to move away, but she was just as scared to stay in her seat.

  Jackson stopped eating and even pushed his plate away. He never turned away food. “That’s why I don’t remember going into the garage.”

  “You don’t remember because I had to carry you in there after pumping you full of enough tranquilizers to kill a horse. Hell, if I’d been two minutes later coming home, your girl here?” he pointed to Everleigh. “She’d be dead. I have no doubt.” His anger cut through the room, and almost every word he said made Everleigh feel physically ill.

  Judd took a long look at Everleigh and noticed the way she squirmed. He hung his head a moment and calmly said, “I’m sorry, honey. I wasn’t thinking about my blood still being in your system. That’s why it’s hurting you right now hearing me so mad.”

  “Your blood?” Jackson jumped from his seat, and his dad quickly rose to meet him.

  “Sit,” he ordered his son.

  “Why the hell, dad?” Jackson’s eyes were wide, and he started to pace the kitchen.

  “Jackson! You need to sit and calm down before you work yourself up again. Don’t make me use that tranq gun again tonight.”

  It didn’t look like he was going to at first, but then Jackson sat down and worked on his breathing.

  Everleigh stared at the table with her arms folded across her chest tightly hugging herself and rocking back and forth. Tears were flowing down her face, and she was too frightened to do anything else.

  Judd sat between them again and turned to her. “Calm down, Everleigh. You’re safe. You’re at peace. You have nothing to be scared of,” he told her softly.

  She took a couple more ragged breaths then it was over. Everything about her composure changed. She looked and felt more relaxed, and the tears stopped. Her eyes closed as she rolled her head from side to side stretching her neck. When she opened them, she saw the two men watching her, and she smiled.

  “Dad,” Jackson looked down. “Don’t do that. She’s my friend,” he said, sounding forlorn.

  “That’s exactly why I did it, son. There’s no need for her to tremble so hard she shakes the table when there’s no reason for her to be afraid. I can take that fear from her right now. It’s a gift.”

  “But why, dad? Why did she…?” Jackson couldn’t say the words.

  Judd reached over and turned Everleigh’s head to the side. “See those faint marks there?”

  “Barely,” Jackson squinted to see.

  “That’s where her stitches were,” his dad pointed out.

  “What happened?” Jackson understood now why his dad fed Everleigh his blood, but not what caused the injuries in the first place.

  “That’s what I want to know. Something happened between the two of you. When I came home, you were moments away from finishing her off.”

  “I did that?” The look on Jackson’s face broke Everleigh’s heart.

  “No,” she told him. “It happened during it, but it wasn’t you directly.” She could tell it really didn’t do anything to make him feel better.

  “Well,” Judd turned the chair to face her. “My son is having one of his infamous blackouts, so it’s up to you to fill me in…to fill us both in…on what caused him to lose control this afternoon.”

  Everleigh was too nervous to speak. She knew if she didn’t start talking soon Judd would order her to, and she would have no control over what came out of her mouth. It would be better to talk now while she could decide what to say and what to leave out if she needed to omit anything. Their eyes were on her. She wasn’t looking at them, but she could feel their stares penetrating her skin.

  “I wanted to see if you had told Jackson anything,” she began.

  “Told me about what?” Jackson asked.

  Judd held up his hand to silence his son. “Go on,” he encouraged.

  “I don’t know much. I only know a storm is coming,” she glanced up at Judd, then quickly darted her eyes away again. “So to speak.”

  “You are not wrong,” Judd told her, nodding and encouraging her to continue.

  “I told him about my cousins receiving the calling, all six of them.” She looked at Jackson to see if there was any spark of memory when she said this, but he looked just as surprised now as he had earlier.

  Everleigh waited before saying anything more. This news had sent Jackson off the edge earlier, and she didn’t want a repeat of that seeing as how it was like he was hearing it again for the first time because of his black out. So far, he seemed okay.

  Judd noticed her hesitation. “He’ll be fine. There’s still enough drugs in him to keep him calm even if he is awake and moving around.”

  “I knew he would be upset with me that I hadn’t told him sooner, but I didn’t think it would trigger...it would trigger...” she didn’t want to say the words.

  “Why didn’t you tell me? We talked all the time, and all you ever said about them was that they were visiting.” Jackson was hurt.

  “I wanted to wait until I knew more. You weren’t here, and I was afraid it would make you come home thinking I might need help. I wanted you to live your life for a change instead of always having to look after me.”

  Jackson picked up his fork and spun it through the syrup on his plate. “Looking after you isn’t something I despised doing. I’m your friend, Lee-Lee. I will always have your back,” he flashed a sheepish look, as though he realized he didn’t have her back this afternoon while he was saying the words.

  Everleigh wanted to say more, but Judd lifted a finger to his lips looking at each of them to ask for quiet. Judd griped the back of the chair with both hands and started bouncing his leg while he thought it over. “That would be my fault.”

  “You weren’t even here, dad,” Jackson leaned back, frustrated. “Or is that what you mean? It’s your fault because you weren’t here.”

  Those words set Judd off. “Your friend is alive because I got home when I did, Jackson. Think about that,” he said, tapping the side of Jackson’s temple hard. “You were going to kill her.”

  He looked to Everleigh. “Jackson told me not to be late because the two of you had to run to Trinity. Were you planning on telling him then?”

  Everleigh winced because it was true. It had crossed her mind already that if the day had gone as planned, her body would be found in a field somewhere. Her death recorded as an animal attack.

  Judd sprung to his feet and paced the room. “I know you’re both young. This life isn’t exactly new to you as you grew up in this world, but neither of you have much experience with it yet. There’s enough for me to worry about without having to wonder if either of you are out doing something stupid.”

  “You’re right, dad,” Jackson told him.

  “And you…” Judd swung around to eyeball his son. “You’re going back on your medication.”

  “Dad!” Jackson objected.

  “End of discussion, son. Look at her!” Judd grabbed his son’s head, and turned him to face Everleigh. “How would you have lived with yourself?”

  Everleigh saw Jackson’s eyes fill with tears, and she tried to comfort him. “It’s alright, Jackson. Everything worked out. We’re fine. I still love you.”

  “It’s not fine!” Judd bellowed. “Do you know what Eloise would’
ve done to him? He’d be dead right alongside you.”

  The distraction was enough for Jackson to pull loose from his dad, and he jumped to his feet. “Did you ever think about how this is your fault?”

  Judd looked like he had been punched. “My fault? Because I was late? Looked to me like I got here right on time.”

  “No, dad. It’s because you still baby me all the damn time! Just because of what happened...” Jackson looked away. It was still a hard subject to talk about.

  “Because of your mom, right?” Judd finished for him.

  Jackson didn’t say anything, and Everleigh could tell he regretted bringing it up.

  “I’ve kept you safe. That’s what I’ve done. I moved you here, and I begged Eloise to help me protect you which she graciously has done since you could barely walk.” Judd rubbed his temples. Talk of his late wife always hit him hard.

  Everleigh wasn’t sure if she should interfere or not. She knew Jackson had been feeling this way for quite a while. They needed to talk it out, but not like this. The tempers of the two of them could level the town if they didn’t keep control of their emotions. It was going to be difficult for him to hear this, but she knew what she had to do. “Jackson, maybe going back on the medication for now isn’t such a bad thing.”

  As soon as the words were out, she wished she hadn’t said them. The hurt in his eyes could be felt in her chest. They had always been so close. The last thing she’d ever want to do is cause him pain, and she could tell he thought she agreed because of what happened this afternoon.

  “Well, at least one of you is starting to make some damn sense,” Judd announced sitting back down.

  “Jackson, please,” Everleigh begged, pointing to his chair and pleading with her eyes.

  Reluctantly, he sat down, but pulled the chair as far from the table as he could first. He crossed his arms and outstretched his legs staring at his feet.

  “Go on, Everleigh.” Judd nodded toward Jackson while looking at her. “Tell him.”

  She hated being the bad guy. “All I’m saying is the worst isn’t over yet. There’s going to be other blows coming at us. The medication might be a good idea until we’re on the other side of this thing.”