Hidden Embers

by Amanda Perry

  “U-u-uh, th-th-thank y-y-you?” I mumble, not knowing what else to say.

  He grins down at me. “You can call me Freddie, sweets.”

  I’m at a loss for what to say to him, but luckily, I’m saved when Jaxon starts to sing under his breath, “One, two, Freddie’s comin’ for you. Three, four, better lock your door. Five, six, pick up your crucifix. Seven, eight, stay up late. Nine, ten, never sleep again.”

  I’m not sure what he’s referring to, but I don’t get a chance to ask before Cassie bursts into a fit of giggles. Dad and Leanne try to hide their chuckles, but Caleb simply glares, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, his teeth clenched, and his jaw set. I’m glad his anger isn’t directed at me. I know it isn’t because he’s sending the scary glare at our waiter. I’m still not sure what exactly is going on.

  “I think we would like to switch waiters, please… Freddie,” my father insists while trying to keep a straight face.

  Freddie glares at everyone, then turns to me and says, “Your loss,” before stomping off toward the kitchen.

  I’m left trying to work out what he thinks I’ve lost and why everyone else seems to think he’s wrong and I haven’t lost anything.

  The rest of dinner passes quickly with delicious food and mindless chitchat. We end up with a new waiter, an older gentleman by the name of Bill. He’s quiet, but efficient. Instead of appearing silly by asking what happened, I decide to wait.

  ~

  Once back in our hotel room, Caleb and I settle in to watch a movie and relax for the evening. I use the quiet moment to figure out what happened at dinner and what I missed.

  “Caleb,” I whisper during a slow spot in the movie.

  “Hmm?”

  “Why did Dad switch waiters at dinner?”

  He stiffens beside me. “Why? Did you not want him to?”

  He sounds upset by the idea, and I don’t understand why.

  “No, I didn’t mind. The first one made me a bit uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem to do anything wrong. I just don’t know why Dad didn’t like him.” I muse. “None of you seemed to like him, actually.”

  “Baby girl, you’re perfect.” He chuckles and pulls me in for a hug. “He was flirting with you, baby. Jaxon also told me when he’d walk away from the table and go to the waiter station behind us, he would stare at you and talk to the other waiters, pointing and making lewd gestures your way. He’s lucky I didn’t burn all his hair off, but I didn’t want to cause a scene, and Mark took care of it before I could.”

  “Oh,” I murmur, a bit surprised.

  Is that what flirting is like? It just seemed creepy to me, but maybe that’s because I’ve never had anyone flirt with me before. I shake it off and continue watching our movie.

  Then another thought occurs to me. “What was that song Jaxon was singing?”

  “Don’t worry about it, baby girl,” Caleb says with a grin. “You have enough nightmare’s as it is.”

  He doesn’t allow me to press the matter. Instead, he places a gentle kiss on my lips.

  The kiss doesn’t stay gentle for long, and we miss the entire second half of the movie.

  ~

  After Caleb makes sure I receive a thorough goodnight kiss, we decide to head to bed. We need to be up early for my meeting, and I don’t want to be too tired during the test tomorrow. It doesn’t take him long before he’s in a deep sleep beside me.

  I lie staring at the ceiling for hours, trying to get my mind off the tests in the morning. We need to be at the council’s office by eight, and its already midnight. I should find a way to get some sleep, but I can’t seem to stop thinking about what would happen if I fail tomorrow. Will the Fallen win this so-called war? Will my new family hate me? Wouldn’t that mean Caleb and I can’t be together? If I really am this Chosen person, will the Elementals be upset I’m so new to their world? Will they want to follow a girl that wasn’t trained her whole life like they’ve been?

  This leads to thoughts of my success. Will my feelings for Caleb change? Won’t people be after me all the time because I’m supposedly this big powerful person? Can I handle leading people I’ve never even met to some victory? I can’t even squish a bug without feeling guilty. How am I supposed to kill a Fallen? I understand they’re really more like soulless demons, but they used to be people, right?

  Is it sort of the same as killing a zombie? Now, I’m comparing real life Fallen to fictional zombies. I’ve officially lost it. Then again, if someone had asked me a month ago if Fallen were real, I’d have called them crazy. Maybe zombies are real, too. I shift to my side for the millionth time and come face to face with a wide-awake Caleb.

  My eyes widen, and I squeak in surprise.

  “Baby girl,” His voice is rough with sleep, and it does strange things to my heart rate. “Why are you still awake? And why can’t you keep still?”

  “I didn’t mean to wake you,” I whisper. “I can’t stop thinking about tomorrow, and it’s making me restless.”

  “Come here.” He rolls onto his back and shifts the covers, making it easier for me to slide closer to him. “Lay your head on my chest.”

  I do as he says, and his left arm comes to rest on my back, while his right hand takes hold of my left resting our joined hands on his stomach. He massages my back slowly as he kisses the top of my head.

  “You’re amazing, baby,” he whispers. “You shouldn’t worry because I know you’ll pass. Your dad and Leanne know it, too. Even Cassie and Jaxon know you’ll get through tomorrow with no problems. We’ll all be there for you. Now try to get a little sleep before we have to wake up, okay?”

  I nod against his chest and curl tighter into his side. His left hand continues to slowly rub small circles on my back. It’s incredibly relaxing, and I melt into him even more.

  “Caleb?” I mumble as I start to doze off.

  “Hm?” He sounds just as sleepy as me.

  “Are zombies real?” I ask, thinking of my earlier worries.

  Caleb’s chest vibrates with laughter. “Go to sleep, silly girl.”

  It isn’t long before the smooth rhythm of his hand on my back puts me in a deep sleep.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  In the morning, talk is minimal while we dress and prepare to leave. Cassie comes over to our room and curls my hair for me. She finds a pair of skinny jeans and a black v-neck shirt for me to wear. She adds a pair of black cowboy boots and deems me ready to go. At first, I worry I’m dressed too casually for a meeting with such important people, but Cassie assures me the setting is casual. Plus, I need to be able to move around easily during the test, and if I’m in a dress or skirt, it might be difficult.

  Dad and Leanne drive with Jaxon and Cassie. Caleb and I take his truck.

  “You look gorgeous,” Caleb murmurs as he helps me into his truck. “You’re going to do amazing, baby. I promise.”

  After settling in my seat, I turn to him. “Thank you, Caleb.”

  Other than the quick exchange, our ride is silent. We’re both simply too lost in our thoughts. All the what-ifs from last night come back to me on the way. I try to push them away, but I feel like I’m drowning in doubt.

  I know I need to hold it together long enough to finish this test. I’ll pass, or I’ll fail. I can deal with the consequences of either afterward.

  “Baby girl,” Caleb’s hushed voice brings me out of my thoughts. “We’re here.”

  I glance up to see a tall, unmarked building. It appears abandoned, probably to ward off suspicious people. No one would think to look in an empty building for important supernatural people, would they?

  With a nervous sigh, I open my door and follow Caleb to the heavy metal door in the back of the building.

  Dad, Leanne, Cassie, and Jaxon already wait at the door for us, tension etched on their faces. Are they assuming I will fail?

  Dad takes out a key from his pocket and unlocks the door. I follow everyone inside and through a bunch of dark and creepy hallways. If I didn’t
believe this building to be abandoned before, I sure do now.

  “Is this the part where you guys kill me?” I ask, trying to lighten the tense mood.

  Jaxon and Cassie snicker, while Dad responds, “No, kiddo, we aren’t at that part of the movie yet.”

  I scoff at his quick retort but stay silent. After what seems like miles of dreary hallways, we come to an elevator door. Once inside, Dad presses the button for the basement, then puts a code into a hidden keypad. This gets better and better.

  Caleb seems to pick up on my unease. He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me close to his side. I wouldn’t be able to handle the hidden keypads and creepy hallways without him.

  “Does everyone know the code to the secret dungeon or just you?” I ask my dad, only half kidding.

  He shrugs, trying to hide the grin taking over. “They only give the code to the cool kids.”

  Leanne snorts at him, rolling her eyes. “You get the code when you make an appointment with the council. Every code is different. This way they know who’s coming before we even get to the bottom floor.”

  “That’s handy,” I admit. It’s a smart security feature, also.

  When the elevator stops and the doors open, I freeze in my tracks, shocked by the sleek and clean lobby. Behind the lobby desk sits a stunning woman with long auburn hair. She’s impeccably dressed in a navy-blue blazer. As we enter, she glances up, and her eyes go straight to Caleb. She gets a wide grin on her face, and jealousy courses through me at lightning speed. He’s mine; he said it himself. I don’t want girls this perfect gawking at him. He might change his mind about me.

  “Good morning, Caleb,” she purrs, and anger to rises in my chest. “How have you been?”

  “Fine, Britt,” he replies in a clipped tone. “Riley has an appointment with the council.”

  “Okay.” She glowers at his obvious dismissal. “I’ll let them know you’re here. Have a seat.”

  We take a seat on the pristine leather couches in the lobby and wait, but it’s not long before Britt comes back and gestures for us to follow her. She leads us down a hallway with glass walls. I peek into different offices as we continue along. The place has the appearance of any other business until Britt opens a set of double doors at the end of the hall.

  When Britt steps out of the way and allows us to walk in, my eyes pop wide. The room could hold a thousand people easily. About twenty chairs line the back wall, seemingly set up for an audience. The rest of the room has the appearance of a high school gymnasium. Light-brown vinyl covers the floors from wall to wall. There aren’t any windows, but the light fixtures above give off plenty of light. On the back wall of the room, a platform holds a long wooden desk. Behind the desk sit four people, who seem to glow with power and importance.

  “Hello, welcome!” A fiery redhead in about her late thirties calls to us. Her olive-green skirt and black button-up blouse pair well with her long, curly hair. “I’m Scarlett, the Fire representative on the council. These are my fellow council members. Misty represents Water.”

  Misty gives a small wave, though she seems lost in her thoughts. She also appears to be in her late thirties. Her shiny black hair is cut into a short bob. She’s wearing a bright-blue dress with a brown belt around her waist.

  Scarlett continues the introductions by pointing to a man with shrewd eyes and a permanent scowl. “Forrest, he’s our newest member, and he represents Earth.”

  He doesn’t give off friendly vibes like his fellow council members. His medium-brown hair is curly, but cut short and gelled back. The top two buttons of his dark-green button-up are open and the long sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. He seems too young to be a council member, no older than his mid-twenties. By the glower being sent our way, he’s clearly made up his mind to hate us before we’ve even entered the room.

  “Finally, we have Jett, he represents Air.” Scarlett points to a man with glasses, in his mid-sixties. He wears a dark gray suit with a white button-up shirt and a silver tie. His hair is salt and pepper colored, and his eyes crinkle around the sides, giving me the impression he laughs a lot. “I believe most of us have met on one occasion or another, however with a few new faces on each end would you introduce yourselves again, please?”

  “Yes, of course. I’m Mark, Air. This is my wife, Leanne, Earth. That’s our son Jaxon, Earth, and his Soulmate, Cassie, Water. Finally, our daughter, Riley, and her Soulmate, Caleb, Fire.” Dad goes through the introductions smoothly.

  I’m a bit shocked when he claims me as the daughter of both of them, but I don’t comment. I’ll figure out my feelings on that later. Now’s neither the time nor the place.

  “Riley, what is your affinity?” Jett asks in a rough, scratchy voice.

  “That’s actually why we’re here,” Caleb admits before I answer Jett. “We have a bit of a situation with Riley.”

  “Situation?” They exchange glances between the four of them.

  “Please tell me you did not tell a human about us, then bring her here!” Forrest roars.

  “Of course not!” Jaxon snaps, taking a step toward Forrest.

  “Riley, dear, please step forward,” Misty requests calmly, interrupting Jaxon and Forrest’s almost fight. I peek at Caleb, and he gives me an encouraging nod. I take a few steps forward, putting myself directly in front of the platform. “What is the situation your family speaks of?”

  “I- I- I—” It’s as if my brain forgot how to send words to my mouth. I take a few deep breaths before trying again. “W-w-well, I h-h-have an a-a-affinity for all f-f-four e-e-elements, I g-g-guess,” I whisper, frowning at the ground.

  Gasps echo through the room. Lifting my gaze, I find both Misty and Scarlett with their mouths wide open. Jett appears skeptical, and Forrest seems annoyed.

  “We have heard that three times this past week. We don’t have time for your attention seeking,” Forrest grits out through clenched teeth.

  “Let her prove herself, Forrest,” Jett chides, still a bit skeptical, but also curious.

  “H-h-how?” I ask quietly. “I w-w-was told I’m s-s-supposed to p-p-pass a t-t-test?”

  “How long have you known about these supposed gifts?” Scarlett asks, regaining her wits.

  “W-w-well, I f-f-found out a-a-about the first on m-m-my birthday,” I murmur. “The r-r-rest have just sh-sh-shown up r-r-recently.”

  “I think we need to hear this from the beginning.” She settles back in her seat for my story.

  After receiving another encouraging nod from my family, I explain everything. Starting with my birthday and Samael, the fire in my room, making the paper float, then soaking the bed to wake myself up, and finally thinking of a tree house and the apple tree and growing a twisted, sad little root.

  I skip over the more personal parts, especially about my mother and my life growing up. They listen patiently, never commenting on my sputters and stumbles even though it makes the story twice as long. They don’t react when I finish, remaining silent for a long stretch.

  “Show us,” Jett orders finally. “Did your family explain the testing process to you?”

  “Y-y-yes?” I wish I could be any place but here right now, this whole situation makes me too nervous. My stutter has gotten worse, and my body shakes visibly from fear.

  Jett speaks up again before my fear turns into a full-blown panic attack. “I’m not going to lie to you, Ms. Storm. Forrest is telling the truth when he says we’ve had a lot of Elementals come in here claiming to be the Chosen. The process is the same for all of them.”

  “P-p-process?” My nerves reach a peak as I glance from the council to my family and back again.

  “We don’t want your family to help you along in any way,” Forrest sneers.

  “Wait just a damn minute!” Jaxon lurches toward the council, particularly Forrest, again.

  I think it’s safe to say the two of them won’t be the best of friends anytime soon.

  Dad places a hand on Jaxon’s arm, pulling him back.
“Jaxon, calm down.”

  “Apologies for Forrest’s bluntness, he doesn’t have anything resembling a filter,” Scarlett continues where Forrest left off, rolling her eyes at her fellow council member. “We have to clear the room. It’s standard for every test where someone is claiming to be the Chosen.”

  “You think we’d try to cheat for her,” Caleb accuses. “That’s crap. We aren’t leaving her alone. We said we would stay with her. I’m not about to break my promise to her. You can all just—”

  Before he continues, I turn and put my hand up. “It’s okay, Caleb. I can show them whatever they want to see. I have nothing to hide.”

  He frowns down at me before his shoulder slump in resignation. “Fine, but we’ll be right outside the door. Call for us if you need us.”

  They shuffle out of the room, Jaxon and Caleb the last to go. They clearly aren’t thrilled about leaving as they send petulant glares in Forrest’s direction.

  When the door closes, Forrest speaks again, so I swivel to face my testers. “For the Chosen, we don’t have you do the normal test. We have a more complex test for you. We require you to show us you can manipulate all four elements at once.”

  “A-a-at t-t-the same t-t-time?” This isn’t what I expected. I’ve never used all four elements at the same time. There’s no telling if it’s even something I’m capable of. “H-h-how?”

  “Diamonds.” Scarlett grins mischievously.

  The blank stare I give her must be a clear enough sign of my confusion.

  She chuckles as she goes about explaining. “Form us a diamond. We have earth you’ll use in that room.” She points to a closed door in the corner of the room. “There’s no flooring in that room. It will give you all access to the earth. You need to locate the coal in the earth, use the fire to heat the coal, the air pressure to form and shape the diamond, and the water to clean it up. All without touching the elements.”