by A. N. Sage
“Here’s the coffee, they’re bringing the fries out soon. The guy said they’re making a fresh batch for you.”
“They haven’t made a fresh batch here since the nineties,” Ruby laughed, “it’s sort of an inside joke in this place.”
“Oh. Well, that’s healthy.” Liam sat closer to her this time and was in danger of completely crushing her bag. Getting the hint, she moved it to the other side of the booth seat.
“So?” Her eyes locked on his.
“What? Oh, right! How did I know you’d call? Honestly, it was just a feeling. I figured you’d come around sooner or later once you’d had more incidents with our world, but there was no way to know when I’d hear from you again. I guess I was hoping you’d call, so that worked out well.”
“But you understand how everything you’ve said sounds, right?”
“Of course, Ruby. But once you’ve had contact with our world it’s like the doors just open and it’s all around you. We see it all the time with new Elementals, once they get their first power, they’re hooked!”
“Elementals?”
“Right, sorry. That’s what we’re called, I guess. I’m not sure where that came from, but it’s been this way since anyone can remember.”
“So, these powers, how do you know you have them?”
“It’s not really something you have. Usually it starts with a feeling, like you’re outside of your own body except in this case you’re outside of the world in a way. Different Elementals have different sensations but for the most part it has something to do with the house you belong to. Take my house for example...”
“Fire, right?”
“Yes! Exactly! We’re known as controllers of heat and flame, so our feeling usually starts in our hands.” Ruby remembered the heat that came off her own palms, could she be like him?
“So, what happens after you get this feeling?”
“It usually starts slow. Most of us get our powers when we’re just kids so the first step is learning how to control them. I mean, I couldn’t tell you how many things I set on fire when I was a kid!” Liam lowered his voice, suddenly realizing how crazy this would sound to anyone who could overhear. “But you learn to be in charge of that. We have a pretty good support system in place.”
“Support system?”
“Basically, our parents are pretty good at being open about who we are so we’re not shocked when it happens. Plus, we make sure to stick together as much as we can. We have kind of a central area where we can all get together and learn from each other. The older generation teaches the young ones, so we pass on information that way. It’s hard sometimes, we’ve gotten so used to hiding from regular humans that we’re always scared of being found out. And you don’t want to trust the wrong house, of course.”
“Wait, there are wrong houses and right houses?” Ruby furrowed her brow; this was starting to sound way too complicated.
“Not wrong, just not our side. Remember when I told you about Air and Water? Their control over us?”
“Yes...” she vaguely remembered. In Ruby’s defense, she got this information back when she thought he was a nutcase, an opinion that was still lingering in the back of her mind.
“Well, turns out that Fire and Earth Elementals actually make a pretty good team. A few generations ago, our great-grandparents made a pact to regain their freedom and that’s how the resistance got started.”
“So, it’s an actual resistance? I thought you were just being dramatic.”
Liam laughed, “It’s pretty intense, I know. We do our best to give people the option to not join, but most families opt to help. I started training when I was fourteen, I think.”
“Like, physically training?”
“Not only that In order to succeed in this, we need to find the sword, but we also need to infiltrate the Air and Water houses to retrieve it. We’re getting pretty close, but since we don’t know who the Elementals are, it’s difficult to pinpoint a location. Basically, we’re looking for a needle in a haystack while blindfolded.”
“So, that’s where I come in, I guess.” Ruby couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face. He was only interested in using whatever ability she seemed to have.
“Well, hopefully. If you’re willing to help. I get this isn’t your problem, but you can’t very well go back to the way things were now that you know, can you?”
“I mean, no. I guess not.” Going back to the way things were was the last thing on Ruby’s mind, all she wanted was to protect Jake from all of this. “So, these powers you were talking about, do any of you see things?”
“What types of things?” He leaned in closer, and Ruby could feel the warmth from his body.
“Like something that might happen... Not literally but just like a bad dream. Except not at night.” She had no idea how to describe what she saw and was starting to feel foolish even saying anything. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the sparkle of a ruby stone on his right ring finger. Funny, she didn’t take him for the jewelry type.
“Did you see something, Ruby? What happened?”
“Well, it’s why I called you here actually. The first time on the subway, I saw some weird marks on one of the guys. Like glowing blue triangles with some weird lines on them. They were all over his arm. And I’m pretty sure I saw him pull out some sort of diamond, but I could be wrong.”
“So, he was Air house.” Liam whispered under his breath. “And you’re not wrong. That was a diamond. Elementals can tap into the powers of their house stones to elevate their powers. That’s why the sword makes us so much stronger, it’s powered by the stones of the original Elemental elders.”
And it explains the ring he’s wearing. She thought. Probably a house stone.
“Uhm, ok, I guess. Anyways, yesterday I was looking at some photos and had... like a vision or something.”
“What exactly was it?”
“It was Jake, he was in some kind of danger. It was as if I was watching him die.” She cringed at the thought of remembering the vision again.
“Who’s Jake?” Liam quickly asked. Was there a touch of jealousy in his voice?
“He’s my best friend since we were kids. I would die if something happened to him.”
“So, you’re saying you can see what’s going to happen?”
“I don’t know, Liam. You tell me. You’re the expert here.” Ruby was getting a little annoyed. She was the one that was supposed to be getting her questions answered and not the other way around.
“Sorry. I know you must be scared right now.”
“That doesn’t even begin to cover it! I was just minding my own business, trying to stay afloat in school, and all of a sudden there are powers, and marks, and Elementals. Some strange guy shows up out of nowhere and tells me he’s part of some secret resistance group that I am now somehow involved in. What’s worse is that when I try to get answers, I just get more questions added to the list, and now my best friend’s life might be in danger!”
Ruby was shaking, she hadn’t even realized how frustrated she had become. Her cheeks flushed red as they often did when she became uncontrollably sad. The idea of something happening to Jake made her want to break out in tears but there was no way she was about to let this guy see her that upset. She looked at Liam but his eyes were open wide and looking elsewhere. She followed his gaze to her coffee cup and saw the liquid swirling in a circle. There was a mini tornado in her cup.
“Have you done that before?” Liam asked.
“No, this is new. Wait, are you saying I did that?” Ruby was terrified. Liam reached over and put his hands on hers. The heat from his palms relaxed her and she started to breathe slower. How did he do that and why did it feel so good?
“I think so, I can’t do anything to water so that must have been all you. I know this is more to add to the pile, but trust me, I will help you. You’re safe with me, I need you to know that. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Because you need me for
your little plan, right?” she scoffed.
“No, Ruby. Because you’re scared and you don’t deserve any of this.” He squeezed her palms and smiled, “you said you tried to get answers? Don’t tell me you went online for this.”
“Obviously not. What would I even search for? Elemental Gods in Westerlake?” Ruby laughed, “I went to see a doctor. I thought I was going crazy. That’s where you followed me to yesterday.”
“So, what happened?”
“That’s the funny part. My grandmother was hospitalized for being unstable so I thought it might be something genetic. I told my doctor that, and she assured me that everything was fine but then I read some of my grandmother’s file and there were notes there on similar things happening to her. At first, I thought she was just trying to keep me calm, but now I’m not so sure.”
“You think she knows more than she’s letting on?”
“I honestly don’t know what to believe anymore.” Ruby looked down at her phone to check on the time. As much as she wanted to stay with Liam, she wasn’t getting the answers she needed from him. Jake was still in danger, and she had no idea what the danger was or how to help. “I have to go. I can’t be late to class or I’m in trouble.”
She threw her phone in her purse and started to get up.
“Will you promise me you’ll call me later?” Liam asked.
“Uhm. I don’t know.” She didn’t want to promise anything, a part of her was still hoping she’d wake up from this nightmare. “Just give me some time, ok? This is a lot.”
“Will you at least do me a favor and text me if anything strange happens? Especially if you think you’re in danger?”
Ruby didn’t know what was worse, having her life upside down or having Liam be worried about her. Was he concerned because she was important to his plans, or did he genuinely care for her? She felt uneasy, like he wasn’t telling her everything, but if there was any more, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to hear it.
“Sure. I promise.” She said loudly, as she squeezed through the door. What she needed right now more than anything was schoolwork and a dose of normality.
Chapter 12
Extraordinary after all
Ruby spent the rest of her day feeling sick and disconnected. A part of her wanted to forget everything that happened and dive into her classes with the clearheaded determination she had before. Unfortunately, a much bigger part beckoned her to her new reality. A life where Elemental beings were fighting a war beneath the shadows of normality. She rubbed her palms together. The heat from Liam’s hands was still lingering on her fingertips.
“Girl! What happened to you?” Shaylah bounced down the hall towards her. Her violet, ostrich feather blazer swung from side to side. She threw her arm around Ruby and drug her along the row of lockers.
“What do you mean?” Ruby shrugged, pushing the feathers out of her nose with her hand.
“You were supposed to meet me for lunch? Remember? ’Cause you were such a tool before and skipped out on me. I’m starting to think you’re trying to get rid of me, here.”
“Oh, my God, Shay! I’m so sorry!” She knew Shaylah didn’t mean it and was just trying to get attention, but she had ditched her friend twice in a row, now. “Something came up and I totally blanked.”
“You mean ‘someone’?” Shaylah’s face looked sneaky, like she was fishing for information she already had.
“Huh?” There was no point in acting clueless, Shaylah obviously knew something but she needed to know how much dirt she had on her.
“I went looking for you at The Library, figured you might have thought we were meeting there. Like usual.”
“Oh.”
“So... are you going to fill me in?”
“On...”
“Don’t act dumb, girl. Who was that guy? It looked like a pretty intense date. Is he from school? I’ve never seen him here. And trust me, I’d remember him.” Her friend’s reaction was exactly what Ruby expected it to be.
“He’s just a friend, Shay. Calm down.”
“I’ve never seen this friend before...” she was unrelenting.
“Well, he’s a new friend. We’re working on a project together. It wasn’t a date.”
“Looked like a pretty hot project...” Shaylah winked and bellowed one of her dramatic laughs.
Ruby started giggling uncontrollably. Something about Shaylah’s laughter was absolutely addictive. “Ok, creep. Why didn’t you come say hello when you saw us?”
“Oh, you know. I figured if you’re finally getting some, I shouldn’t play third wheel.”
“Geez, Shay. Again, we’re just working together. It’s not a big deal.” She didn’t like lying to her friend, but she couldn’t very well tell her the truth, and starting to dissect her feelings for Liam now would not help the situation.
“So, where did you find this hottie anyway? He looks older.”
“I met him online in a group.” Ruby lied, “he works in the field I’m hoping to photograph. And he’s not that much older. I don’t think.”
“Well, good play. You should bring him around campus more often, might make Jake jealous enough to finally make a move.” She pushed Ruby with her elbow and almost knocked her off her feet. Shaylah tended to forget how strong her Amazonian body was.
Damn it! Jake! Ruby steadied herself back on her feet. She had completely forgotten to check in on him. What if something had happened?
“Shoot. I have to go pick up a book from my prof really quick. Wanna hang out tonight? We can do wine and face masks? It’s been a while.” She felt bad, running off on her friend like that, but she needed to call Jake immediately. When she was sure she was far enough away from Shaylah, she picked up the phone and dialed. There wasn’t much of a wait before Jake finally answered.
“Hello?” He sounded flustered, “Rue?”
“Hey! How’s it going?” she could feel her cheeks blushing as they often did when they spoke.
“Is everything ok?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You never call me. I thought something happened.”
“Oh, no, all good. Just wanted to see how you’re doing.” He was right, Ruby never called him. She was starting to feel quite foolish now.
Just make sure he’s ok and get off the phone, she thought.
“I’m good. Just busy. Dad wants me to start putting in some work at the bank so I can get the hang of the family business. Looks like I’ll be taking the reins sooner than I thought. He wants me taking over the district pretty much right after we graduate.”
“I thought you weren’t sure about going into financing?”
“I mean, I’m not. But I don’t think I have a choice. The fam has been working in banks forever.”
“Yeah, but doesn’t mean you have to.”
“I know. It’s worth checking out, though.”
“Jake Okenos. Financial Overlord of Westerlake.” Ruby teased. Jake was definitely downplaying his family’s influence. When he said working in banks, what he actually meant was controlling all of the finances and goods coming in and out of Westerlake. When they were younger, she could never imagine her misbehaved best friend taking control of his family’s business. But lately, Jake had been groomed into a proper young man who was beginning to resemble his father more and more daily.
“Ugh, stop. It’s not that bad.”
“I’m just kidding. It’s actually pretty cool. I’m proud of you, Jake.”
“Well, thank you. But don’t be proud just yet. I have to fly to China next month to shadow dad work his magic. Not looking forward to it at all.”
The idea of Jake leaving so soon made her nervous. What if what she saw had something to do with this trip? Was he putting himself at risk by going? She needed to figure out what her vision meant, fast.
“Don’t worry. Once you get there, you’ll be fine.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince Jake or herself. “I’m sure it’ll be more fun than you think.”
“Yeah
, I guess.” Ruby could hear him smiling on the other end of the line. “Hey, are you around this weekend? I’m feeling like I should redeem myself for that terrible movie choice the other night!”
“Sure! Just let me know what day.” What better way to keep him safe than to stay close to him?
“Great! Let me check with my dad to see if he has anything planned and I’ll text you.”
Ruby’s head was starting to hurt. She still didn’t know what her vision meant and now there was a timeline on figuring it out. She couldn’t very well go to China with him or glue herself to his side for the rest of his life. Not that she would mind that very much. She needed more information and there was only one place she could think of that could help figure this out. She needed to get Liam to introduce her to the resistance. He said something about older Elementals, maybe they would know what her vision meant.
She picked up her phone and texted Liam’s number. If she was going to help Jake survive whatever imminent danger he was facing, she needed to know everything she could about the Elementals and her own role in it all. For the first time in her life, Ruby felt like she might be extraordinary after all.
Chapter 13
Buckle up, sister
The sun was just coming up when she met Liam early that morning in front of a pawn shop, just five blocks away from her apartment. When she spoke to him last night, Liam said that if she wanted to learn about his kind, she needed to walk in their shoes. She was going to meet the resistance after all. As frightened as she was, Ruby was excited to find out more about them and meet more Elementals. Despite trying to keep a level head about it, deep inside she knew that Liam was telling her the truth about his kind. Maybe she wasn’t as crazy as she originally thought she was.
“I thought we were going to this secret lair of yours, not shopping for used jewelry.” Ruby smirked when Liam rounded the corner towards her.
“Ok, first of all, keep your voice down please. The whole point of a secret meeting area is that it stays secret. Second of all, it’s not a lair. Think of this place as...” he searched for the right word to describe what he was about to make her witness to, “a community center.”
