The Protectors

by T. N. Simmons

  “I can try.” I concentrated and watched as the droplets floated back into the tank, leaving us dry. Even his handy notebook.

  “Amazing!” Corbin said as he pulled out his now dry notebook. We had one more to try. I sat down at the table with the candle.

  “What do I do?” I asked as I stared at the white candlestick.

  “Think about lighting the candle.”

  I concentrated and stared at the tiny wick. Nothing. I took a deep breath and tried again. Still nothing.

  “Let’s try this.” Corbin made the flame come to life with a single bout of air.

  I looked at him in astonishment.

  “That’s nothing compared to your water abilities.” He chuckled.

  “What do you want me to do with it now?” I asked as the flame danced in the shadows.

  “Try to manipulate the flame.” He pulled up a chair and sat beside me. “See if you can make it get bigger or if you can hold the flame in your hand.”

  “Are you crazy? I’m not holding fire.”

  “Don’t worry. If you harvest the element of fire, it won’t burn you when you’re in control. You might feel some warmth, but do not fear it.”

  I focused on the flame, and it started to get bigger and bigger. I opened my hand and imagined the flame coming to me. It did just as I wished. I held the fire in my hands and it didn’t burn. I tossed the ball of fire from one hand to the next before I sent the flame back to the candle and blew it out.

  “I can’t believe this is all real,” I said as I stared at the unlit candle. “That was so incredible.”

  “It is amazing how fast you are revealing your abilities.” Corbin took out his notebook again. “It usually takes weeks to develop a skill. It’s a very good thing, too, given our situation. The ability to manipulate fire, but inability to attain it. Interesting,” Corbin mumbled and jotted down the information. “Well, I think it’s time to go change into our workout clothes.”

  I found the ladies’ locker room and went in to change. It was clean, and each locker had a lock with a key in case someone wanted to secure her belongings.

  Corbin had packed each of us a bag with snacks and clothes earlier. I pulled out my clothes and a bottle of water. I was a little nervous about hitting the gym. I had never stepped foot in one.

  I changed clothes and stepped out of the locker room to wait for Corbin. The gym was set up with machines on one side and free weights on the other.

  “Today we are going to work those pretty legs of yours,” he teased, as we walked over to the treadmill. “We’ll warm up here, then it’s off to squats. A lady’s best friend.”

  “I assure you none of this is very friendly.” I was already getting out of breath on the treadmill. When that torture was over, we managed to do about thirty squats, twenty-five lunges, and we jumped up on a box. I still don’t know what that did, except it almost made me bust my bottom several times. We had worked out for an hour, and I was sweaty and exhausted.

  “Corbin, I am in desperate need of a shower and food.” I retied my sweaty red hair into a messy bun on top of my head.

  “Okay, not too bad for a first day.” He held my sweaty hand and led me out of the gym. My heart skipped a beat every time he touched me. “Tomorrow, we’ll start off in the spell room, then taekwondo, and of course we’ll end in the gym.”

  We walked home, and I thought my knees were going to give out on me several times along the way. Corbin took a shower, then he called to talk with his father while I soaked in the Jacuzzi tub.

  I ran the water and sprinkled in some of the rosewater bath salts. The smell was relaxing as the soft jets and warm water eased my tired muscles. I got out of the bath and put on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top.

  Corbin was in the kitchen, cooking. “Want some help?” I asked in a flirty voice.

  “Sure,” he replied and then he taught me how to make his grandparents’ secret spaghetti. It was fun slicing vegetables and boiling noodles with him.

  I enjoyed his company. He made me laugh a lot, which I desperately needed. We ate the amazing dish and cleaned up the kitchen. Afterward, we went into the living room and sat down on his brown leather couch.

  “Do you like to play card games?” he asked.

  “I only know how to play a few.” I grabbed a soft brown cover and placed it on my lap. “I never really had anyone to teach me.”

  “How about UNO?”

  “Oh, yes, I have played that one before.” I smiled.

  He pulled open a drawer of the coffee table and set up the game for us. It was so much fun. I never had that much fun with anyone except Krista. My mind wandered to her again. We put away the cards, and I teased him about losing.

  “I won, by a long shot.” I smarted off.

  “You just wait, that was beginners luck.” He put the cards away. “I’m going to kick your butt next time.” Then he tickled me on my stomach. I squirmed my way onto the floor laughing.

  I was worn out, and that incredibly soft bed was calling my name. He helped me up off the floor, and we hugged each other goodnight.

  “Thank you for helping me, Corbin.” I looked up and into his eyes as we released our hug.

  “Jai, I have never met someone so determined and loyal in my life. It is my pleasure to help you any way I can,” he whispered.

  His breath warmed my nose. Our faces were so close. I wanted to grab him and let him see how I felt about him, but instead I pulled away.

  “Thank you for that.” Was all I managed to say. We turned all the lights off and went to our rooms for the night.

  I climbed in the bed and felt sick to my stomach as I realized I was in a comfortable bed and Krista was probably scared and going through who knows what. I couldn’t stop the tears from flooding my eyes. I knew I had to save her soon.

  I woke up at seven in the morning and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. Corbin was already up and had breakfast waiting for me. Man, that guy was a morning person and loves to cook breakfast.

  “Good morning,” I said, as cheerfully as I could, given it was early and I needed my coffee.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he said and sat a plate of food in front of me. I gobbled it up quickly and began cleaning the dishes while he worked on some paperwork.

  “Did you sleep well?” he asked when he was finished.

  “Like a baby.” It dawned on me again that I didn't have my nightmare anymore and I was thankful.

  “Good, because I’m going to kick your butt in taekwondo today.” He dried the plate I had recently washed.

  “Well, that’s very likely. I usually run from confrontation, but that is a thing of the past.” I playfully punched the air with both my hands.

  “I’m teasing, we’ll go easy on you today.” He slapped me on to the bottom.

  I jumped. I wasn’t expecting it, and I laughed because it was funny, and I secretly enjoyed it.

  We got to the training room by eight-thirty and went on into the spell room. The building was empty.

  “Where is everyone?” I looked around at the empty rooms.

  “It’s hunting day, and I’ve decided I need to stay back and help you.”

  We walked into the spell room. It was painted a pale yellow, making the room appear bigger than it was.

  There were herbs of all kinds lined up on shelves along the wall. There was a bookshelf full of different leather-bound books. Corbin grabbed a book off the lower shelf, opened it up, and sat it on a large center island table. Its pages looked old and delicate.

  “Shouldn’t we have on gloves?” I looked at the worn pages.

  “No, these pages are stronger than they appear.” He continued to flip through the book.

  “What do they say?” I tried to read the book over his shoulder.

  “These spells are simple. We’ll start with them to see if you can practice original magic. If you can’t, that’s okay, too. It just means you only draw from the elements. The only way to know what you can do is to t
ry everything.”

  I needed that gentle reminder. It bolstered my confidence. Then I read the first page aloud. Corbin placed a pot of soil in front of me.

  “Should I like wave my hand around or something?” I asked, not really understanding what I was supposed to do.

  “Nope, just concentrate on the seed and repeat the incantation three times.” He instructed.

  From the dirt, one may grow,

  How, no one must know,

  Rise and bloom,

  To brighten this room.

  I repeated it three times and watched as a seed began to slowly sprout and grow into a beautiful yellow rose.

  “Wow! I can’t believe I did this. It’s all just overwhelming and exciting at the same time.” I sat and allowed the moment to sink in.

  “I’m sure it is. I can’t imagine how you are feeling learning that you have had this power locked inside you all these years.

  I was raised knowing what I am and all about magic. To learn now that you are older must be frightening. I also realize it’s a lot to take in at once.” He sat beside me and took my hand. “I’m sorry you’re having to find out this way. I know it’s not easy.”

  “It’s not that. I just keep thinking if I had these gifts growing up, maybe my life would have been much better.” I sighed.

  “Just remember, you are who you are because of your life experiences. You might not be the incredible person you are today if it played out differently.” He kissed my hand, sending tiny shivers up my arm.

  “I suppose that’s true. What’s next?” I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. We worked on several other spells with success.

  “We can note that you also have original magic to your list of abilities. Now, off to taekwondo.”

  We walked into the large room. There was a big mirror the entire size of the wall on one side and a blue mat on the floor. Several trophies were placed on a shelf in the back. There was what looked like a leg stretching machine and a punching bag near the back as well. A blond-haired man walked up to me.

  “Hello, I’m Shaun.” He offered his hand for a handshake. His eyes were hazel, and he had prominent dimples on both cheeks. He was about the same height as me five-feet, five-inches to be exact.

  “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Jai.” I shook his hand.

  “Corbin has told me a lot about you. So, you’ve never taken any type of self-defense classes before?” Shaun asked.

  “Nope, I’m not much of a fighter. However, certain circumstances require the trade.” I smiled to let him know I was ready to learn.

  He began by teaching me the tenants of taekwondo and how to become more comfortable screaming, as predators tended to run from loud encounters. It also alerted others that assistance was required.

  It felt weird yelling for no reason, but I did as he said. We then practiced jump kicks and punches. He had to keep reminding me not to tuck my thumbs into my fists. We practiced for what seemed like hours.

  Shaun was very patient with me and was good at helping me when my feet didn’t want to cooperate with my brain.

  We followed the same routine, day in and day out, for over a week. Shaun explained the color belt system to me. It’s likely to take me years to achieve my black belt, but he says I am well on my way. I was getting faster, stronger and more confident each day.

  Chapter Seven

  Home Sweet Home

  The day had come to move into my parents’ home. It had been repaired, cleaned, and stocked with food. I was extremely excited, but I wasn’t ready to leave Corbin. I had grown so attached to him the last twelve days, and the thought of being alone was overwhelming.

  “Corbin, can I ask you a favor?”

  “Of course, you can. What’s bothering you, beautiful?” He walked over to me.

  “Well, I know my home is ready, but I’m really nervous. I know there is this room I’m supposed to find, and I’m supposed to be so excited, but I’m not ready to leave you.” I blurted it all out like one long, connected sentence, all the while tears flooded my face.

  “Hey, love. Don’t worry. I’m not leaving your side. I’m coming with you. The truth is, the more I’m with you, the more I want to be with you. I can’t get enough of you, sweet Jaime Weaver.”

  I looked up at him and met his gaze. My heartbeat raced. His lips were so close to mine, all I had to do was lean in. Instead, we stayed still, inches from each other, breathless. I knew what I wanted, but I was so afraid of attaining it.

  The doorbell rang and snapped us out of what could have been a truly magical moment. With a flushed face, I opened the door revealing my grandparents.

  “Good afternoon.” Grams smiled at me and dangled keys in front of my face. “I have the keys to your new house.”

  “We should head over there as soon as possible.” Corbin handed me a black leather jacket out of a coat closet.

  “If there is a secret room in that house, the construction crew was unable to locate it,” Grams said. “Also, the scouts have come back bearing an unpleasant message for you.”

  My stomach knotted, and my throat constricted in fear that something had happened to Krista.

  “What is the message?” I grabbed my Grams hand tightly.

  Gramps opened a piece of paper and read from it. “If you do not deliver the amulet by sunset Friday, they will drain your friend Krista dry, along with the other fifteen scouts they captured.”

  “If it’s the amulet I think it is, we haven’t seen that since your mother disappeared.” Grams walked over to get a look at the note. “It was a gift, but we never found out who gifted it to her. It was said to contain the fifth element, Aether. Your mother was convinced she was able to capture demons and send them to other dimensions using it.”

  “That’s what your mother was talking about in her letter, the fifth element?” Corbin looked over at me.

  “Mom mentioned that it merged with me somehow. Is that possible?”

  “I’m not sure, dear. Aether is not noted much in our archives. Therefore, we know very little about it. Roberta did some research and said it can open other dimensions or speed up and slow down time by creating ripples. She was convinced she could do this while wearing the amulet. We must find it.” Grams tone revealed her urgency.

  All I could do was stand and listen. The bubble in my throat swelled, and I couldn’t speak. What if I couldn’t find the amulet? I didn’t want to face that thing again, but I knew I must be strong for Krista.

  “No time to waste. Let’s go, Jai. We can get our things later.” Corbin pushed me out the door.

  “I’ll meet up with you later,” Gramps said, his voice sad. “I have to go explain the situation to the families of the missing scouts.”

  We jumped in Mary’s little blue Toyota truck and headed to the Weaver plantation. I stared out the window, but my mind was focused on Krista. When we got to my new home, I burst out of the vehicle clutching the house key tight in my hand.

  The house was even more beautiful up close.

  “Your grandfather built your mother and father this house after they got married,” Grams said as she walked up the steps.

  I placed the key into the lock and opened the door. We all walked in and were greeted with a fresh breeze, courtesy of an open window, which allowed the scent of fall to welcome us.

  Tears welled in my grandmother’s eyes. “I just miss her so much.” She placed her hand over her heart.

  I patted her back to try and ease her pain as I looked around. The floors were white marble, and the walls were painted a light shade of gray, allowing the open floor plan to look even larger than it was. The spiral iron staircase leading to the second floor looked inviting, but my heart pulled me in a different direction. I walked down the long hallway.

  There was a room to my left that contained a bed and a dresser, but it wasn’t where my heart was leading me. I kept walking to the next door on my left, and I opened it to find the room was set up for a baby.

  That baby was me.
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  The room was painted a precious rose pink. White curtains laced with pink flowers framed the wide windows. A wooden rocking chair accented with a dark rose-colored cushion sat in the corner, waiting for a rider who would never come. And the closet was full of clothes that were never worn. It was all set up beautifully for me.

  I pulled out one of the dresses and held it in my hand. It was so tiny. Why did this happen to me? Why couldn’t I have had the life my parents wanted me to have. Emotion flooded my mind and I couldn’t hold back my tears.

  I walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer. There was an encryption on the inside that I couldn’t read. “What does this mean?” I waved my hand to motion my grandmother to come inspect my findings.

  Grams and Corbin rushed over to see what I was talking about.

  “That’s an old language we haven’t used in decades,” Corbin said, then he moved out of the way for my grandmother to see.

  “To find what you seek, you must explore where the baby sleeps,” she read.

  We all rushed over to the baby crib and began inspecting it for any clues.

  I pushed it out of the way, so we could get a better look at the side facing the wall, where we found a small outline. At first glance, it just looked like a hole or damage to the paint.

  I squatted to get a better view. I knew that shape. I pulled off my bracelet to see if it matched. The initials fit perfectly. I placed the bracelet to the hole, and the wall slid open and revealed the secret room. Inside, maps, books, and potions were scattered about.

  “It looks like they left in a hurry.” Corbin said and picked up some broken glass.

  I walked over to a baby blanket rolled up on the floor. When I picked it up, a necklace fell out.

  There it was, the famous amulet that meant life or death to my friend… and perhaps the only thing leading me to my parents.

  “Grams, here it is.” I held the end of the silver chain attached to the oval-shaped turquoise amulet. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I had a feeling it was in fact what we are searching for.