“Oh, so no big deal, right?” he joked.
I splashed him with water, then switched roles and started washing him. “Ha, ha, very funny. I just feel terrible for taking my mom away from Kiera, and I'm also angry that my sister was kept from me. I had to grow up without my mother and my sister because of this stupid Prophecy.”
“You can't live in the past, Brie—you have to live in the present. Kiera is here now, and hopefully you can make up for lost time. You have your Dad, Kimber, and me, too. We are all here for you.”
“I know, thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you.”
“I love you, too, mi amante, until my last heartbeat. Do you feel better now?” he asked, caressing my face.
“Yes. You gave me just what I needed, and more,” I said flirtatiously.
“Well, I'm glad to have been of service. I'm available anytime,” he flirted back. We finished showering, then hurriedly got ready and rushed downstairs. I was hungrier now after our steamy shower session, and I hoped the pizza had arrived. Thankfully, it had, and Kiera yelled to us from her room, “It's about time! The pizza is probably cold by now.”
My cheeks heated in embarrassment. Jace chuckled as he grabbed a slice of pizza and handed it to me. I grumbled my thanks as I grabbed a plate and another slice before sitting down at the table. Jace sat next to me, and we ate in comfortable silence. Just being next to him caused our bond to hum happily. When we were finished, I cleared our plates and told Jace I was going to check on Kiera. I knocked on her open door, and she responded, “Come in.”
“Hey, I just wanted to see how you were settling in. Do you need anything?”
“No, I'm good. I might need some ear plugs, though,” she teased.
“Sorry about that. Our bond gets out of control sometimes,” I replied.
“I wouldn't know. Is it as great as everyone says it is?”
I sat down on the bed next to her. “It's amazing. Unlike anything I've ever felt before—especially when we…you know. He really does complete me, as cliché as it sounds.”
“It sounds like a dream come true. I can't wait until I find my twin flame,” she said, then paused. “So, I think we have some catching up to do little sis.”
I nodded, “I agree. I can't believe I've had a sister this whole time. How old are you?”
“I'm 23. You just turned 18, right?”
“Yeah, last Friday. Where are you from?”
“Born and raised in Sacramento.”
“You look just like Mom. Well, at least in the pictures I've seen of her.”
“Yeah, that's what my dad says. And when your dad picked me up from the harbor, his expression pretty much said it all,” Kiera replied, laughing.
“What did he say?”
“Not much, but he was stuttering quite a bit. He finally managed to introduce himself, and then get me here.”
“Well, I'm glad you decided to come. I need all of the help that I can get,” I joked.
“You seem to be doing just fine. Especially with your twin flame,” she said as she winked at me.
“Yeah, he's definitely the best thing to come out of all this craziness. I don't know what I would do without him.”
“He's that UFC fighter, right? Jace Vasquez?”
I chuckled, “Yeah, that's him. I'd never even heard of him before, but everyone else seems to know who he is.”
“Well, he's pretty famous on the mainland. He fights all over California. My dad loves watching UFC fights, so I've seen him a few times on T.V.”
“He had to stop fighting because of me. I can't leave the island and we can't be apart so he moved here and canceled all of his upcoming fights. I feel so bad.”
“Why? Don't tell me that you can't see how in love with you he is. He's totally head over heels for you!”
“I know, I know. I just feel guilty that he had to uproot his whole life for me.”
“Well, I don't think he minds, so stop worrying. Life is too short to take anything for granted. Enjoy every moment you have together.”
She was right. I was going to cherish what Jace and I had. Some people go their whole life without finding their true love, and I was lucky enough to find my soul mate at eighteen, let alone live for eternity with him. “Thanks. It's nice to hear an outside opinion other than just Jace's. He's like obligated to say those things,” I joked.
“Yeah, I guess he is,” she replied, softly chuckling. “What do you think about the Prophecy?” she asked, changing the subject.
“I think I'm still in shock about it. I can't believe I have to defeat a God. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do.”
“It's some pretty heavy shit. I've heard stories linked to the Prophecy about you being able to harness Akasha,” she said excitedly.
“What?! You mean the fifth element?”
She nodded her head enthusiastically.
“Akasha, the pure energy of celestial beings and the heavens, also known as Aether?”
“So, you've heard of it?”
“Well, yeah, I've read about it in my mythology books, but never anything involving me controlling it,” I replied.
“It would definitely help us. We are going to need something pretty powerful to stop a God.”
I didn't respond—my brain was going a mile a minute analyzing this new information. Could I really be capable of harnessing Akasha, the purest form of all matter? I've read that Akasha is what stars and some planets are made of. How could I control something that volatile? I can barely control my own powers, let alone the raw energy that is Akasha. I wonder if the Oracle knew anything about this. I guess it didn't matter if she did since she wouldn't tell me anyway. She would just answer me with some cryptic nonsense. I needed to see what Jace thought.
“Hey, are you alright? You spaced out over there,” Kiera said with concern.
“Yeah, I was just thinking about everything. I need to talk to Jace,” I said, pausing. “Are you sure you have everything you need in here?”
“Yep, thanks for letting me stay here. I think it would be awkward staying at your dad's.”
I stood up and moved toward the door. “Yeah, it probably would considering you are like Mom's twin,” I joked. We both laughed. “Remember, let me know if you need anything.”
“I will. Thanks again, little sis.”
I turned to walk out the door, a warm smile on my face. I had a sister, and a cool one at that, not one of those snobby, I'm too good for you, older sisters. I went in search of Jace, and found him out in the backyard, shooting fireballs at the large rock I practiced on yesterday. He was so graceful, and I hoped that I could eventually use my powers as fluidly as he used his. “Hey,” I called out to him.
He stopped his shooting and turned towards me, a huge grin taking over his mouth when we locked eyes. Butterflies swarmed my insides, and the familiar tingle spread throughout my body. “Hey beautiful, how was your girl talk?”
“It was good. Kiera is really cool,” I replied, pausing to bite my lower lip.
“Go on. I can tell there is something you want to talk to me about.”
“How do you know me so well already?”
He shrugged, smirking. “A perk of our bond, mi amante. Now out with it,” he coaxed.
I released a breath before starting, “Well, Kiera mentioned that she heard that I would be able to harness Akasha. Have you heard anything like that?”
He remained silent for a few moments before replying, “Not anything having to do with you.”
“Well, what do you think about it?”
“I'm not sure. Akasha is pure energy, so I don't know how safe it would be for you to use it, or if it's even a possibility.”
“Yeah, but it would definitely give us an advantage. I wanted to do some research on it, see if we can find out more about harnessing it.”
“I don't know if that's a good idea, Brie. You should focus on controlling the powers you already have first.”
“Yeah, you're right,”
I said, pausing. “But do you think that there's a chance I could be able to?”
“With you, anything is possible. Your powers could be limitless,” he replied.
“I just want to be as prepared as possible, you know? Use any resource available to us.”
“At what cost, Brie? You could be hurt, or even worse, killed, by trying to harness Akasha!” he said, raising his voice.
“If I can't figure out how to stop Uranus, we'll all be dead anyway!” I screamed back at him, fighting tears. I didn't understand his outburst; he was being strange ever since I brought up Akasha. “What aren't you telling me, Jace?”
His jaw tightened slightly, and I knew him well enough to know that something was bothering him. He looked torn as he seemed to decide whether or not to respond to my question. After a few seconds, he sighed, and then said, “I've heard rumors about the One being able to harness Akasha, but I think it's an old wives' tale.”
“Then why are you so upset? And why in the hell did you lie to me?!”
“I just didn't want you getting any ideas about trying it—it's too dangerous.”
“You let me make my own decisions. I will do what needs to be done to save the world.”
“But, Bri—”
“Don't,” I spat, cutting him off. I stalked away from him out of our backyard and towards a secluded area of the beach to train by myself. The thing I hated most was being lied to, and it hurt me that Jace did just that to me. Lying to me would never earn my trust. How were we supposed to complete the bond if I couldn't fully trust him? I shook the thoughts from my head as I found an enclosed area in between two sand dunes where no one would be able to see me. I wanted to practice more with my Air, specifically with how to lift things using the air like Kiera did.
There were several small shells and rocks strewn around the sand that would be perfect to practice with. I focused on a medium-sized shell, and visualized it lifting in my mind. Nothing. I tried pushing from underneath it with the air, but that just caused it to shoot straight up, with no control whatsoever. As I was concentrating on a smaller shell, I heard the sound of sand softly crunching beneath footsteps. “Go away, Jace,” I yelled.
“You and Loverboy having problems?” responded a familiar voice. I turned around to see a bruised Kyle standing on top of one of the sand dunes.
“What do you want, Kyle? You can't touch me here,” I reminded him.
“I know, but the same circumstances don't apply to your flame. Now why would you walk off by yourself and leave him vulnerable like that?”
Fear gripped me like a vice, almost choking me. Jace could take care of himself, unless he was outnumbered. I needed to get out of there and find Jace. Hopefully, they hadn't figured out where our house was. “Don't touch him,” I seethed.
“Oops, too late,” he replied, snickering. I was done standing around and talking. As soon as I decided to move, I felt pain in my upper arms, like someone was grabbing me forcefully, but nothing was touching me. Then, I felt a sharp sting in my jaw—damn it! They already had him! I needed to get to Jace, and as I made my way from between the sand dunes, Kyle stopped me, “Not so fast. I think you shou—"
I didn't let him finish—I blasted him with a fireball, and he immediately fell to the floor in an attempt to put out the flames. From what Jace had told me, Elemental flames were almost impossible to extinguish. I flung him with my Air over several sand dunes and rushed back the way I came. I ran as fast as I could, tripping over the soft sand and falling several times. I could hear the sounds of a scuffle, and saw five figures in the distance. I pushed myself harder, and soon I could see Jace fighting off four other men. He was shooting fireballs in all their directions, and the men retaliated with their own elements. Two put out the flames with a stream of water, one forced it up into the sky with his Air, and the last one was just dodging Jace's attacks. He was probably the one causing the ground to shake under Jace, knocking him off balance. My own back ached when he fell to the ground, and as he was thrown off-guard, the Air Elemental lifted Jace and threw him into the ocean. The Water Elementals then forced the water to submerge Jace, keeping him from surfacing.
This is exactly what I feared would happen, and it was all my fault. Rage consumed me, dominating my other emotions as it took control. When I was close enough, I shook the earth violently to shove them all on their asses. From the surprised expressions on their faces, they hadn't seen me approach. I glanced over to make sure Jace had been able to come up for air, and then I resumed my assault. The men had composed themselves, and were preparing to counterattack, but I had other things in mind. I commanded the wind to blow ferociously, whipping a frenzy around the four Elementals. Sand, rocks, and shells pelted them from every direction, and I erected a protective shield to keep from being injured by my own attack. I directed the wind to circulate around the men before I lifted them up into the beginnings of my tornado. I forced them to ram into each other as they were tossed around inside, spinning faster and faster as I increased the velocity and intensity. Their bodies went limp from the barrage of wind and objects whirling around and into them inside the funnel.
The tornado disappeared as swiftly as I had manifested it. I dropped the four, unconscious Elementals to the ground from about twenty-five feet up, each landing awkwardly from the fall. I rushed out to Jace, who was lying on the beach, waves lapping up to his stomach before receding back out into the ocean. He was lying so still that I feared he was dead, but since my heart was still beating, I knew that wasn't the case. Still, the sight of Jace lying unmoving caused emotions to surface that I had never felt before. Fear, concern, grief, and anger ravaged my body, causing me to tremble from their intensity. I shakily checked his body for injuries, and found several head wounds and bruises to his torso, along with what looked to be a broken rib. I didn't see anything that would render him unconscious, but I thought back to when he was submerged, and realized he probably had water in his lungs. Tears streamed down my face as I began CPR, and after my third set of breaths and chest compressions, Jace finally coughed up the water. He was still dazed, and before I could heal the rest of his injuries, someone pulled him out from under me.
“You, bitch!” Kyle screamed as he tried to drag Jace away from me. He smelled like burnt meat and fabric, and his skin was blistered from burns on his arms and neck. Part of his shirt had been singed away, revealing more burns on his chest. Nothing mattered to me but saving Jace, and my fury once again peaked. I erected a protective shield around Jace, causing Kyle's hand to bounce away from where he once held onto him. I focused on the feelings conjured by this incident, letting the hate, fear, and anger boil within me as I harnessed power, increasing it for my attack. The air vibrated around me, rippling outward with the force of an explosion and sending Kyle backwards into the ocean, about sixty feet away. I returned to Jace, who was now clutching his side where the broken rib was. In return, my side felt like a knife was plunged into it, and I could only imagine what Jace felt. I gently placed my hands on his ribs, causing him to wince. Slowly, I could feel his rib mending itself and popping back into place. I healed the rest of his injuries and then helped him stand up. I softly kissed his lips before we made our way back to the house in silence. I knew his pride was hurt because I saved him, but he would have to get over it.
I led Jace up to our bedroom after answering a multitude of questions from Kiera. I laid him down on our bed after removing his wet clothes, deciding that a bath was probably a bad idea considering he almost drowned. Oh my God, he almost drowned! Tears once again flooded my eyes at the fact that I almost lost him because I stormed off like some bratty child over something so insignificant. The angry expression on his face softened when he saw my tears. He pulled me down next to him and I buried my face in the side of his chest, my head right under his armpit. “I'm so sorry, baby, so sorry,” I cried.
“It's okay, mi amante, I'm fine,” he replied, trying to soothe me.
“No, it's not okay! You almost died because
of my stupid tantrum!” I sobbed.
“Well, I didn't because you were there to save me. I think you made up for it.”
“I'll never make up for it. Nothing could ever justify you almost dying.”
“Almost dying—the key word being almost. You saved me, baby. Now let's move on and get over it. We have bigger problems ahead of us. You have to be prepared that I may almost die several times during our journey.”
“No! I promised I would never let anything happen to you. Then I go and leave us both vulnerable to an attack!”
I continued to cry as Jace unsuccessfully tried to calm me down. Never had I ever been this inconsolable, even after waking from the nightmares, but Jace almost dying because of something I did had struck me deep down in our shared soul. Feeling our bond start to slip away from me during the attack was something I never wanted to endure again—I had been so focused on fighting that I couldn't even grasp the severity of it. Now that everything was over, I was assaulted by the raw emotions raging through me, releasing themselves through my tears and racking my body in sobs. He held me to him, my head propped on his chest as he stroked my hair, but it was no use. The day was taxing on my emotions, and what happened was more than I could bear. I was so distraught, I couldn't understand anything that Jace was saying to try to calm me, and, eventually, I cried myself to sleep.
Damn it! I hated when she cried, especially when I couldn't console her. I didn't know what to do since my touch didn't seem to be helping to ease her distress. I was thankful she was sleeping, since using her powers to rescue me surely drained her. I was the one that needed to be the rescuer, to be strong enough to protect her, not the other way around. I wondered if those asshats knew where we lived. They were so close to our home when they attacked, so they must have an idea. I needed to take extra precautions—have a security system installed like the one at my condo, complete with motion sensors, and cameras surrounding the perimeter. At least they couldn't harm Brielle here. If they could, I would have to hire a 24/7 bodyguard to follow her around, and she would hate that.
Envisioned (The Elemental Prophecy) Page 14
