by Mia Hoddell
“Do you mind if I wait in the car?”
He didn’t say anything, just pulled the keys out of his jean pocket and handed them to me, probably guessing that I was embarrassed.
I hadn’t been sat in the car long when my phone started to vibrate.
“Hello.” I answered before checking the caller ID
“Rea?”
Oh my god, why can’t I just learn to use caller ID, it would save me so many awkward calls? I thought as I heard Ian’s voice on the other end of the phone.
“Um what do you want Ian? I’m a little busy right now.”
“Busy doing what?”
I sighed at the intonation in his voice, suspiciously accusing me of something.
“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing. Why did you phone?” I looked at my fingernails as I waited for him to reply.
“I just wanted to apologise for what happened the other day and was hoping it wouldn’t ruin the chances of us staying mates.”
Mentally I groaned. This was the last conversation I wanted to be having right now. My silence must have gone on too long as he spoke again. “So, what do you think?”
“Yeah sure, whatever,” I said dismissively, my attention caught by something at the other end of the car park.
Forgetting I still held the mobile to my ear I screamed as I realised what I was staring at.
“Shit that hurt Rea. What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t answer him. The Elemental that I had seen was now facing me, obviously attracted by my scream.
“Rea what’s going on?” Ian sounded panicked by my sudden scream and silence.
“Sorry...I have...I have to go,” I stuttered, while not taking my eyes off the being. Hanging up on Ian I dialled Kai’s number and he picked up on the second ring.
“Rea what is it?” His voice was wary and alert instantly.
“There’s an Elemental outside and it’s sort of staring at me. I think it’s an earth one,” I whispered, afraid it would hear me.
“OK, I’ve just paid, I’ll be there now.” As he spoke I watched the Elemental move closer towards me. It got so close that I could clearly see its features. The top half of its body definitely appeared to look like a human woman’s figure and it had long sleek hair, cascading over its shoulders.
When my eyes saw its face I gasped. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. Every inch of its complexion was flawless and perfectly in proportion. The beauty was unnerving, especially as I had seen the creatures in action.
As it came closer towards me I looked more at its body. Green tendrils that looked like flames, entwined with ivy immersed the being’s body, surrounding it with its elements energy. The colour became more pronounced at the base of it where its feet should have been if it were human.
The being looked so delicate, dressed in its ivy gown, as it drew nearer. I found it impossible to look away and it kept staring at me too. It was like the rest of the world didn’t exist and it was just me and her. Then suddenly her face changed into an ugly mask of pain. The Elemental began to shake uncontrollably before the green flames that surrounded it started to tighten around its body, engulfing it.
There was a sudden flash of light which caused my arm to instinctively rise to shield my face and then nothing. When my eyes had adjusted I saw Kai stood on the other side of the car park, near the shop’s entrance, holstering a gun. He picked up the few bags he had and broke out into a run before hurriedly packing the shopping away and getting into the driver’s seat.
For the first time since I’d known him, Kai acted like he was scared or at least really worried.
“We have to get to my house in Rinsk,” he stated, pulling out of the car park too quickly.
“Kai what’s wrong?” I asked, freaked out by his reaction. I mean he had just gone up against at least twelve Elementals a few hours ago and he hadn’t looked like that.
“That Elemental saw you. It got so close it could see every detail about you so I’m guessing it also saw the necklace.” I gasped at the realisation. I had forgotten all about the necklace when staring at the Elemental.
“Why does that matter though? You killed it, it’s not like it can tell any more of its kind.”
“It has told them already.”
I gave him a confused look, as I was not sure what he was saying.
“The Elementals are all connected. They are the heart of this island and were the first inhabitants before us, or your ancestors to be exact. This is sort of like their island and they can communicate with each other. We are not sure how but we guess it’s like telepathy. Anyway that Elemental would have already told them about you and the necklace and its death will have been recorded because of the loss of energy.”
He sighed before continuing. “Which means, they know you are in possession of the necklace and your last position on Mavera. They also know you are either dangerous and can kill them or you are with someone possessing the knowledge to kill their kind, neither of which are good things. They’ll really be looking for you now.”
I was scared out of my mind by his statement but there was a small part of me that couldn’t quite believe something so beautiful, pure and perfect could be so harmful.
“So we have to get to Rinsk quickly to try and avoid them following or finding us.”
I muttered an okay nervously, as we sped down the motorway, with Kai driving way over the speed limit everywhere.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The drive to Kai’s house seemed surprisingly short to me. Although that was probably due to the fact that I fell asleep more than once on the journey. However I awoke more frequently as the road increased in roughness and I ended up being thrown about more often, so I soon gave up on trying to sleep after hitting my head on the door a few times.
“How can you stay awake for so long?” I asked my voice groggy from tiredness. I stretched to try and ease the ache in my muscles but it was undoubtedly difficult in the cramped, confined space of the car.
“I’m used to going long periods of time without sleep. Being an E.K on call twenty-four, seven does have some consequences. I only get about three hours maximum, four if it’s a good night.” He shrugged off the comment like it was no big deal but all I could think of was that I had trouble staying awake after getting nine hours.
Who knows what I’d be like if I only got three hours.
“How long have we got left until we arrive?” He glanced at the glowing, red clock on the dashboard that read 7:08pm, meaning that we had been in the car for two and a half hours.
“Only about another twenty minutes. It’s taking longer because I had to slow down. This car isn’t built to drive on roads like this.”
As he spoke I checked out the surroundings. It was just starting to get dark outside but I could still see the black outlines of the trees that surrounded us on either side of the narrow road.
“Why are we in a forest?” I asked, a slight hint of fear creeping into my voice as I was unnerved by the fact that we were in a place where Elementals were most likely to inhabit.
“Because the house is located in the forest. Don’t worry we’ll be safe there, I’ve hardly had any Elemental sightings when I’ve stayed here,” he said, but something about it didn’t sound very encouraging.
“And how often do you stay here?” I said slowly, my tone wary.
“Whenever I’m in the area.” His avoidance of a definite answer unnerved me even more as I knew what he was going on to say.
“I have to say, that isn’t very often, but the four times I’ve been here since buying the place have been peacefully silent.”
I was dumbfounded by his statement and my eyes were wide in shock as I watched him to see if he was joking. I saw nothing that led me to believe that or to make me doubt his words though.
“You’ve only been here four times?! How do you know this is a safe place then? It could be crawling with Elementals for all you know.”
He laughed at my sudden outburst
of panic.
“I did check the place out before I bought it you know. I mean, being an E.K, it isn’t exactly wise to buy a house near heavily populated Elemental areas. Well unless you’re looking for trouble. I found nothing to question the safety of the house and because its main purpose was to be a safe house, I was extra careful in my research. Please trust me, I do know what I’m doing you know.” He glanced at me momentarily before returning his eyes to the road.
“Well that makes one of us...” I murmured under my breath, which only gained me a small smile as regrettably I agreed with him about knowing what he was doing.
With the easy conversation that began flowing back and forth between us the time went by almost too fast. It had only seemed like a matter of minutes when a shadow darker than the rest began to appear in front of us. The headlights then started to catch on the glass, reflecting the light back at us. Due to the fact that it was dark, I wasn’t able to see much of the exterior as Kai pulled up in front of the door, however I promised that checking out the house was the first thing to do in the morning.
“Well this is it,” he stated as he turned off the engine and headlights, plunging us into a darkness I had never witnessed before, what with spending my whole life in a city. He spread his arms out in front of him as we both got out of the car and walked towards the front door. Opening it Kai moved through the house switching on lights as he went. I just stood in the hallway awkwardly, unsure what to do. Kai soon came back speaking to me though.
“You can take a look around Rea, you don’t have to just stand there. I’ll go get the bags, just make yourself at home.”
It felt kind of weird to be in my boyfriend’s house, especially as I was planning on staying there for the foreseeable future.
We are only seventeen and nineteen and we are already living together? What have I got myself into? I mean I know the circumstance are quite extreme but still, living together? I thought questioning what it would be like to live with my boyfriend. How many seventeen year olds live with a boyfriend. It’s just ridiculous. Oh my god, where does he expect me to sleep? Please say this house has more than one bedroom. I started to panic as I overthought the situation and I couldn’t move from the hallway until Kai returned.
“You okay Rea? You look like a rabbit caught in headlights.” He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of my mental dilemma.
“Yeah I’m fine, just a bit overwhelmed. It’s a lot to take in.” He put the bags he was carrying on the floor while shutting the door with his foot. Taking my hand he started to pull me through the house, becoming an excited tour guide momentarily.
“Living room, kitchen, bathroom.” He listed off the rooms, only giving me a brief glance of each. They were all simply furnished, containing only the bare minimum and essential items. The house did surprise me though as everything was shockingly modern and stylish. I had been expecting a log cabin in the woods, not some modern, fancy designed house that looked like it belonged as a penthouse in one of the most expensive hotels.
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting this. It’s so...stylish.”
He laughed as he led me up the stairs. “What are you trying to say? Don’t you think I’m stylish?” He gestured to his chest, with a cheeky grin on his face.
“Stylish? You? All you wear are faded black jeans and an assortment of T-shirts. You may be good looking but you are definitely not stylish.”
He laughed at the truth in my words and pulled me further up the stairs, his arm around my shoulders.
“Oh well, just because I’m not, it doesn’t mean I can’t have this house. I liked it so I bought it. There isn’t much here though because I’ve never stayed long enough to furnish it past the essential items. I like the openness of it all though, it feels less restricting.”
I nodded as he guided me across the landing.
“There are two bedrooms, I normally sleep in this one but you can take your pick.”
Relief coursed over me as he answered one of my silent fears.
“Of course, you could always stay with me,” he hinted before smiling at the look of horror and panic that passed over my face.
“Calm down Rea, I was only kidding. Although the offer is always open.”
I swatted his arm playfully, trying to shut him up but all it did was add to the grin that was growing on his face. I could feel myself starting to get embarrassed as he laughed at me.
“I’ll go get our stuff and bring it upstairs, you take a look at the rooms and decide which one you want.”
I think he did this as he could feel my embarrassment and wanted to give me some space but I wasn’t sure as he seemed to enjoy it too much.
I walked into the first room that Kai had said was the one he usually stayed in. I knew already that I wouldn’t pick it as the idea of sleeping where he had sort of freaked me out. I was merely being nosy by pretending to consider the room. Like the rest of the rooms in the house, it was simple, minimalistic and only contained the basic items needed in a bedroom. A large cream, double bed lay against the centre of the left wall and a table was placed either side of it. Besides that the only other items were a wardrobe and a door leading off to a bathroom.
I walked to the far wall that lay adjacent to the bed. The whole side was made of glass, giving what I presumed to be a great view that immersed you in the forest during the day.
With the prospect of Kai returning any second, I didn’t have the nerve to start looking around his room even more than I had. I left everything as I had found it, and headed down the hall to the room that I would be staying in.
It was exactly like Kai’s room. There was a rich blue, double bed adjacent to another glass wall and the only other furniture was a desk, wardrobe and a bedside table. There was only one other noticeable difference and that was that there was no bathroom. Great, I sighed. Please don’t tell me I’m going to have to share his shower, I thought as I jumped at the soft touch of Kai’s arms winding around my waist while his head peered over my shoulder.
“So which room do you want?”
I could feel his breath on my ear as he spoke, which sent a shiver down my spine. My heartbeat also quickened at his voice and touch, only adding to the confirmation that I was making the right decision by not choosing his room or him.
“I’ll, um, I’ll have this one.” I had suddenly found it hard to think straight and my words came out in a raspy stutter.
He chuckled, obviously aware of the effect he had on me. “Yeah OK, I thought you would. You’ll have to share my shower though.”
I groaned inwardly, his comment speeding up my pulse even more as his words made me play images in my head I didn’t want to consider.
“I’ll be downstairs getting us something to eat. You can join me if you want, or you could unpack, take a look around or take a shower if you feel like it. I’ll call you when it’s ready ’kay?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak again while he was so close to me. He placed a soft kiss on the nape of my neck before unwinding his arms from around my waist and leaving me in the room on my own. Is it always going to be like this? I don’t know how long I can hold out under that kind of attention from him, I thought as I leaned back to fall on the large, plush bed.
I sunk into the heavenly mattress as I hit the bed. It was probably the comfiest I had ever been as I lay there staring at the ceiling, trying to calm my heart rate.
I had just about composed myself when I decided to take a shower, but at the thought of being in Kai’s room once again, my pulse spiked and rapidly increased again. Get a hold of yourself Rea! It’s just a shower. Think of it as being in a hotel. I mentally berated myself as I dragged myself off the bed to get one of the towels we had bought out of my bag, before heading back towards Kai’s room.
In keeping with the general theme of the house the bathroom was of course modernised and almost futuristic. With five separate shower heads, I really didn’t want to move from under the powerful, warm jets of water that wer
e massaging my shoulders and easing the tension I didn’t even know had built up. Eventually though, I accepted that I had probably spent way too long in there anyway and reluctantly I turned it off. It was only then that I noticed how much steam I had created by putting the shower on the maximum temperature.
I stepped out of the shower and onto the cold tiles, wringing out my hair before wrapping a towel around my body. Picking up my clothes I gathered them and held them tightly against my chest as I peered out of a little slit in the door. I hoped I could make a dash for my room before Kai called me as I didn’t want to run into him half naked again. Luckily the coast was clear so opening the door fully I began to make my way across his room.
When I was half way towards the door I heard the sound of someone turning the handle and before I could call out to stop him, Kai was in the room and staring at me. He didn’t even apologise as he stood there, taking in my bedraggled, knotted and wet hair that was dripping onto my bare shoulders and eventually trailing onto my towel. As his eyes wandered over my half naked form I saw him gulp and a blush began to rise in my cheeks. When he eventually met my eyes, his lips were parted slightly and his breathing had increased a little.
“Dinner is going to be ready in five minutes,” he said in a husky tone before slowly turning to walk out, his gaze lingering slightly longer than I would have liked.
“I’ll be down in a minute,” I said, irritated but also shocked by his reaction to me as I had never experienced causing a reaction like that from someone. Not even Ian had seen me in that state and we had been together two years. I hadn’t moved a muscle as he watched me, too stunned and nervous but as soon as he had gone I scurried out of his room and back into my own.
Slamming the door slightly too hard as I shut it, I leaned against the other side, taking in deep breaths. This is going to be so much harder than I expected. How can I stay here with him acting like this all the time. I know he’s my boyfriend but this is all too much too soon. I mean we are practically living together now.
Once I had finished my mental break down I managed to get changed into my long pyjamas and dry my hair before heading downstairs to face Kai again.
