by Lela Grayce
There was a part of me, a long buried part of me, that wiggled its way into my mind and I was forced to acknowledge its presence. That part of me longed for someone to share my life with, to travel the journey of life beside me. I am lonely. Realization hit me like a punch to the gut. The want I felt for something more, a future to build and look forward to, was so blindingly obvious to me now. I wanted more out of life than scouting and protecting the village. I wanted lazy days and to laugh until it hurt. I wanted a family of my own to come home to. I wanted to protect, care for, and love them. But that all started with a girl.
Grunting in frustration, I put both my hands behind my head and gazed up at the star-filled sky. The moon beams lit up the night, giving everything an ethereal glow. My connection to water was there in the back of my head. Its familiarity soothed my anxiety and worry over this new development. Water had always been accepting of me. It had never steered me wrong, and Nuri was just as much a child of water as I was.
I took another deep breath and turned back to my oldest friend. “You're right,” I said seriously, “I am lonely and I want something more from my life than the same thing over and over again.” He smiled wide at my words and I could clearly see the fangs he usually hid so well. I held up a hand before he could speak, much like he had done to me earlier. “You are a great friend and you've helped me. Not only have you helped me connect to water more intimately, but you've helped me protect those I care for.”
Standing, Nuri held out his arm and I grasped his forearm in a friendly shake, but it said so much more. Releasing his arm, I went back to my previous sitting spot and settled down as Nuri took his position once more. “Now, how does this work? Can you tell me about her?” I asked. A small surge of excitement zinged through me and I could feel my heart pick up its tempo.
“I can tell you what I know. To start, her name is Elara.”
“Elara,” I repeated, letting the name roll around in my head and liking the way it sounded when I said it out loud.
“She's also a child of water,” he said, assessing my face, probably watching the emotions dance across it. My heart swelled as he said this, because the thought of sharing my connection to water with someone was an exciting thought. “Before you get too excited, I don't think she knows she's a child of water. She called to it and it drew me, but I don't think she realized what she was doing,” he said, his eyes glazing over as he remembered. “Oh, and she's on Earth.”
“What? How did you find her?” I asked, surprised.
“To find her, I connected to water, then concentrated on you and your connection to water. I could follow the connection to you, but there was also a faint connection that led away from you. That is the one I followed. At first, I thought I was doing it wrong, because the connection kept bringing me to this waterfall on Earth, but there was never anything there. Until earlier today.” He paused, crinkles appearing again between his eyes.
“What happened?” I asked, completely enthralled in his retelling of this adventure.
“She had her lower arm submerged in cool water and she was crying,” he said calmly, watching me again.
“Why was she crying?” I asked, surprised I was so concerned for someone I had never met. The thought made me uncomfortable, so I pushed it aside for later analysis.
Nuri’s eyes flashed. “Someone hurt her.”
Unreasonable rage blossomed and I saw red. “Who hurt her?” I seethed, again surprised by my instant protective reaction to anyone hurting a girl I had never met or even seen. “Tell me everything.”
“I have something better,” he said slyly with a touch of angry undertones, “I'll show you.”
Chapter 5
*~ Elara ~*
* * *
The next day of school started off decent and continued to be not terrible, which was an improvement, but I was sure it was mostly because I kept thinking about the strange guy I met at the falls yesterday. On the drive home, I'd decided to keep him a secret for now. Who would believe that I had met a shirtless, dripping wet guy who healed my very injured wrist with only a touch anyway? Yeah, even I think it sounds crazy.
The plan was to continue going about my day-to-day life without drawing attention to myself. On any normal day, it would be no problem, but today had just been off for some reason. It was more than Nuri clouding my thoughts, though. I couldn’t shake the unease I felt at realizing he’d said the same phrase my father always had. That realization threw me for a loop. I kept replaying it until a headache formed behind my eyes. I was also trying to decide if I should go back to the falls after what happened yesterday or just go home. I had promised him that I would, but if he's a figment of my emotional imagination, does that mean I promised myself?
“You okay, El?” Kaelyn asked, a worried look on her face.
“Yeah, I didn't sleep that great last night.” Which was true. I couldn't shut my brain off. It just kept replaying the encounter with Nuri over and over again. I woke up cranky, with questions coming out my ears and an overwhelming need for caffeine.
“That stinks. Got a lot in your mind?” she cautiously asked.
“A bit. Why?”
“Usually when you come home from the falls you’re… I don't know, calmer. You have more of a peaceful aura. Last night, you seemed moody and agitated about something,” she said, shrugging unapologetically.
Sometimes I forgot that Kaelyn was so intuitive when it came to me. Usually I was that person, but ever since the breakup, she had gotten scary good at reading me. I was equal parts alarmed and touched by her worry for me.
“I'm okay. I was thinking at the falls and it reminded me of some things and I got all weird,” I answered truthfully, but still tried to keep it vague.
Kaelyn frowned at me, but soon replaced her disapproving glance with one I couldn’t quite read. “It'll get better. Just give it time.” She cleared her throat and leaned forward. “There is something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Instantly alerted at her tone, I focused solely on her. “What's up?”
Her hands were wringing together like she was nervous, but Kaelyn had never shown any outward sign of nervousness in all the years I had known her. “There were agents at my last tournament and afterward, I was approached by a few.”
“A few?” I scoffed, knowing full well that what she meant was that she had been approached by all of the agents, because they always approached her when they showed up to those things.
She smirked at me, her confidence peeking back out. “Anyway, there was a lady who approached me. She had the look and feel of an agent, so I sat and listened to her pitch.” Her eyes went distant and she continued after my not-so-subtle throat clearing. “She's part of an organization that recruits fighters and prepares them for the fighting circuit and then manages them.”
“But isn't that what most agents do?” I asked, frowning.
“In a way,” she said vaguely. “Look, you know what happened last time. I was taken in by pretty words and I'm damn lucky that I got out before I went any deeper. Most agents have that vibe or a variation of it, but she was different, very professional. And after extensive research, her credentials check out.”
“Okaaay,” I drew out the word. “What exactly does this mean?”
She took a deep breath then let it out slowly. “It means I'm considering the offer, because I need to think of my future. I have no other talents or options open to me. Fighting is what I know, so if I can make it a career then I will.”
Looking at my friend, I couldn’t help but remember the time she was promised a full ride on the fighting circuit with the top fighting instructors. I also remembered the persistent pressure of her parents to do it. Turned out the agency appeared legit on the surface, but they dealt in underground fighting rings that took young kids and pitted them against others in their age groups. The betting was big, but the payout for the fighters was pathetic. Many fighters got into debt and were forced to fight more and more to pay them off. It was ri
gged to keep the fights going.
Kaelyn participated in a couple fights and did relatively well for how young she was, but she knew something was wrong. Jonavan and I could tell that something was off with her. When we asked questions, her answers were vague and she avoided continued conversation on the subject. Curious and needing answers, we had followed her and her parents to the next fight. We snuck in just in time to see the end of a fight where the bouncers had to drag an unconscious kid off the court. He couldn't have been older than fifteen. Kaelyn's fight followed and, due to being exceptionally gifted in hand-to-hand combat, she had done really well.
From our hiding spot, Jonavan and I had listened in as Kaelyn’s parents betted for her to win and got a huge amount of money. They were using her and her love for martial arts as a cash cow. So Jonavan and I did what anyone else would do in that situation; we went to my Dad.
The ring was dismantled. Kaelyn’s parents had been charged and convicted. Instead of sending Kaelyn into the foster care system, the judge granted her emancipation and full control of her parents’ estate. Finding tons of debt, Kaelyn sold their property for a decent amount, paid it all off, and had some left over to buy her condo in which we both lived.
“That’s not true about the talent and options part. You know that the police force would take you on as an instructor in a heartbeat. And you know my Dad would put in a good word for you,” I said.
“That’s true. He has mentioned that before,” she replied and must have been thinking of the annual police force BBQ that she attended with my family. The older vet officers got a kick out of sending the rookies up against Kaelyn in hand-to-hand. She gained a lot of respect from the boys in blue just by showing that she could hold her own. There had even been some talk about her joining the force.
“Just do your research if this agent’s pitch interests you. You could have my Dad and his buddies look into it if you still have questions,” I said, imploring her with my eyes to be careful.
“Yeah, I’ll ask him next time we go home for the weekend,” she stated resolutely. “The agent’s company is in Havana Ridge, which is on the other side of the state. If I did decide to move and begin that whole thing, I was going to see if you’d move with me. Get you out of this town and away from the toxic people.”
Pausing, I considered what she was saying and realized that if she had asked me yesterday afternoon, I would have jumped on the idea to leave this town and its hate in the dust. But now, after meeting Nuri at the falls, I had so many more questions than answers. The thought of leaving the falls far behind gave me anxiety, but I really needed to think about the offer. “One step at a time,” I responded before we both settled into a silence that was comfortable except for the small undertone of something I couldn’t quite place.
By the time the school day ended, I was a bundle of nerves, both anxious and wary about going to the falls once more. A part of me felt that Nuri was a figment of my imagination and I needed to be carted off to a psych ward, but the bigger, louder part was curious as hell to know more about him. So, trying to act as normal as possible under the ever-watchful eye of my bestie, I grabbed my gear and headed to the falls.
When I arrived, the small picnic area was much busier than normal. The covered portion seemed to have a birthday party in full swing and a few other families and couples were spread across the open area. I ignored them, trying my best to act nonchalant as I slipped between the bushes and headed down the embankment to my spot. The roaring water and familiar scent of the falls was a soothing balm to my anxiety, and I could feel the tension leave my shoulders as I breathed in the familiarity of it all.
My spot was empty as usual and a small twinge of disappointment bloomed in my chest as I took in the distinct lack of a shirtless man. Maybe I had imagined it all. I settled myself into my normal spot and stared at the rippling water, feeling my focus slip away from me, as it normally did when I came here. Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice the unusual ripples of water drawing closer to my spot. My thoughts were broken as a hand reached up, grabbed the edge of the deep pool, and a figure pulled itself up.
Nuri’s beautiful face broke through the surface of the water and I marveled at how incredible he looked. Nuri could only be described as sexy. The aloofness of his looks only made his sex appeal stronger. Nuri’s looks were completely captivating. Everything from his angular features to the sculpted planes of his chest and abdomen drew the eye and the movements tantalized and teased.
“Elara?” his sultry voice said. My mouth went dry and heat blossomed all over as he did his crawl thing through the water.
“Elara?” he repeated, closer now, capturing my full attention. He was so beautiful. His pale skin looked silky even when dripping with water. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was touch him.
“Elara,” he said more forcefully than the other times, which shook me from my trance. “Are you well?”
I noticed that I was at the edge of my spot, though I had no memory of moving closer to the water’s edge. Nuri was a good distance from me, sitting in the water again, watching me warily. I attempted to reign in my hormones. “Sorry I don’t know…” I muttered, but trailed off when I made the mistake of looking at his face and becoming mesmerized. Again.
Nuri watched me with a puzzled look on his face as he studied me intently. He took a sudden and deliberate breath through his nose and his eyes went wide with surprise. He breathed out a soft sound of recognition. His brows furrowed in concentration for a moment and then he turned his full attention on me once more, which made my heart do weird, fluttery things inside my chest.
“Elara,” he said with an inflection that wasn’t there before, but nonetheless captured my full attention. “Touch the water,” Nuri purred, and without hesitation or thought, I obeyed.
As soon as the water touched my skin, a cloud lifted from my mind and clarity replaced it. I flushed red, embarrassed at my behavior as the shock of the icy water jolted me. I started to remove it, but Nuri shouted.
“No!” he exclaimed, making me jump. “Don't remove your hand from the water. If you do, my allure will capture you again.”
“Uh, what?” I asked ever so eloquently.
“It's difficult to explain and will take some time.”
“Okay.” Annoyed, I rearranged my legs so I was sitting cross-legged on the bank. Nuri moved closer as I did this and settled himself in the shallow cold water like it had no effect on him. “Aren't you cold?” I blurted out.
“No, I'm not cold,” he stated, confused.
Welcome to the club, junior. “The water is freezing and you always just sit in it like it's no big deal, even while I'm shivering and well on my way to frost bite.”
“Oh.” His eyes widened in recognition. “The water is cold to you? I can fix that, but I need to touch you again.” A knowing smirk appeared on his face that I wanted to slap off.
Instead, I nodded my permission even though I was certain my face was now a few shades redder. Still smirking, Nuri approached my position steadily before settling once again in the water about a foot in front of me. His overly warm fingers touched my numb ones that were still in the water and I shivered. He went still, his eyes unfocused as he did something, and suddenly the water wasn’t an icy temperature anymore. It was warmer and comfortable.
“What did you do?” I asked, putting my other hand in the water as he withdrew his fingers.
“You are a child of water, so you can change the way your senses interpret it. I did it for you this time and it should hold, but only for this body of water. You'll have to do it yourself other places.” Nuri settled into his seat, beaming at me.
“Okay, we'll come back to that, but for now, tell me what happened before,” I said, fighting a blush again.
“Before? When you found me extremely attractive?” he asked smugly.
“Yes, that embarrassing turn of events.”
If Nuri noticed my red face, he didn’t comment on it, “That was my allure. It’s part of
my nature. All my people have it to some degree.”
“How does this allure work? Why do you have it? Is it part of the magic you mentioned yesterday? What exactly are you?” Rapid fire questions spat from my eager mouth. I grinned sheepishly, but Nuri didn’t seem offended.
“My allure comes from my aura or spirit; it just appears appealing to humans. I have this type of aura, because that's the way the goddess made us. What I did to change the temperature of the water was a type of magic, yes. All I did was help connect you to water, not fully, but enough to help regulate the temperature you feel. Now, for the last question I will answer, I was hoping to go about it a different way, but since you asked me straight…I'm a kelpie, Elara.” He said it matter-of-factly, with no hesitation and a straight face.
I blinked at him, then blinked again, but his face didn't change. “You aren't joking, are you?” I stated, not expecting an answer.
Nuri just sat there while I tried to process all of what he had said. The allure part wasn’t too hard to grasp. Some people were more attractive than others and it wasn’t based solely on looks. It could be their personality or the attitude they had. The magic part of all this was still hard to fully comprehend, but I couldn’t think of another explanation for how my wrist was healed and how the water wasn’t freezing anymore. The last part, however, I couldn't even begin to understand.
“What's a kelpie?” I asked.
Nuri smiled a genuine smile, which helped put me at ease. “According to the lore of your world, kelpies are malevolent spirits that can shape-shift from a horse to a human. They lure women and children to them and then they drown them to offer as sacrifices to gods or goddesses of water. That is just one of the mythological stories about kelpies. Almost every culture on your world has legends about us. Some versions are friendly while others are terrifying.”
“So are you a friendly kelpie?” I hesitantly asked him.
