by A. N. Sage
“I heard you and Shay talking at the hospital. She has every right to be worried.”
“What? Worried about what? Me?”
“Well, yeah. You haven’t been acting like you, recently.”
“I’ve just been stressed, that’s all.”
“You keep saying that, but I don’t really think that’s the case. You’ve been odd ever since you met that guy.”
“Who? Liam?” So that’s what this is about.
“I don’t trust him. You need to be careful. Especially when he’s around.”
“Why? Jake, is there something you’re not telling me? Because you’re acting very weird.”
“I just...” his face turned red, and he was nervously shuffling his feet, “I care about you, Rue. Not like a friend. I know we never talked about this, and I know you’ve been my friend since we were kids, but with everything that’s been happening lately I just needed you to know. God, I feel stupid for even making you listen to this.”
He managed to look up at her and smile. Her face was rigid, the wrong reaction but the only one she could muster at the moment. She had wanted to hear him say those words for so long, but now that it was finally happening, she couldn’t picture a worse time to hear it. Between the Elementals and Liam, she no longer knew what she wanted. Did she still care for him the same way she had before meeting Liam? And even if she did, was she willing to risk his safety by getting closer to him now?
“I freaked you out, didn’t I? I shouldn’t have said anything. This is probably not a good time.”
“No, it’s ok.” She grabbed his hand. “I’m just a little surprised.”
He pulled away from her and started walking again. “Just pretend I didn’t say anything. This was stupid.”
“Jake! Please stop!” She ran after him and grabbed him so abruptly that he spun on his heels to face her, not being able to bear another man turning her away today. “Please, don’t just walk away. With everything that’s just happened with Shay I’ve had no time to think about my own life. Or what I want.”
“I know. I think I was just hoping for a different reaction here.” She could see the disappointment coating his face like a thick layer of paint.
“And a few weeks ago, you would have gotten it. There’s a lot going on right now. Do you think you can give me a little bit of time to think? Just to wrap my head around it all?” That was as much as she could say without going into the details of why she wanted the time. Even now, Ruby knew that her feelings for Liam would not diminish so quickly.
“Oh. Yeah, of course. Just, not too long.” He teased.
“Wait! Aren’t you leaving with your dad, like, any day?” She just realized that she’d been so preoccupied with the resistance that she’d completely forgotten to check in with him about the trip.
“Oh, that. It’s on hold for now. There’re some urgent things we need to take care of here first.”
“Like what?”
“Just business stuff. Nothing fun. To be honest, after the incident at the bank, there’s a lot to get through. We have a ton of meetings with building inspectors to find the root of the problem. It’s been a nightmare.”
“Do they know what happened there?”
“Not yet. They’re saying it’s the weirdest thing; the building was new and well maintained, so they have no idea how it could just disintegrate.”
“Yeah, odd for sure.” Ruby said playing along. Good thing no one was questioning how a podium could catch fire, or a five foot and some odd girl could break a boulder in half. “Hopefully, they can figure it out. I’m just glad that more people weren’t hurt.”
“I’m glad you weren’t hurt.” He brushed a piece of hair from her face.
Shay will get a kick out of this one. She thought.
They walked to the subway in silence, while Ruby’s thoughts raced for miles on end. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any more complicated, she had to confront her feelings for Jake. What would she tell Liam if she decided to give him a chance? Would he even care? The thought of him not caring made her stomach turn, there was no denying that their kiss meant a lot to her. A lot more than it seemed to matter to him.
She tried to laugh at the situation, only she could manage to fall into a love triangle in the middle of an Elemental war.
Jake got off the train a few stops before her, and despite his insistence on walking her home, she managed to get him to leave. She needed time to think, but her mind was preoccupied with the resistance. They were no closer to finding out where the sword was being held, and she still didn’t know what she would have to do once they found it. She needed Liam’s help, and the only way to get it was to fill him in on her plan to end the war. He wouldn’t be happy about not taking control of the sword, but she was sure he would get on board once he heard her reasoning.
The announcement for her stop jarred her back to reality, and Ruby ran off the train, making her way to the resistance. Optimistic and full of hope.
Chapter 30
Cocoon of storm
“Hey! I thought you weren’t coming back for a while.” Liam was sitting up at the edge of his bed when she finally made it back to the resistance.
“Yeah. I wasn’t going to but there’s something that’s been really bothering me.”
“About us?”
“No.” She was done talking about them for a while. “About the sword. About this whole revolution you’re planning actually.”
“I don’t understand. Why are you even giving it that much thought?”
“Are you serious? You literally pulled me into this whole thing to help you get the sword and now you’re, what? Upset about the fact that I’m actually invested?”
“You’re right. Sorry. I just don’t know what else there is to it. We get the sword. We take over the power, and we control Air and Water for a change.”
“Don’t you think that sounds like more of the exact same problem? More generations of kids growing up in hiding, unable to be themselves?”
“We’re not like them. We don’t want to control anyone; we just want the sword to level the playing field.”
“But it won’t be level. Don’t you get that? Instead of them in charge, you’ll be in charge. Someone is always left powerless.”
“So, what do you suggest exactly? We live happily ever after?”
“Well, no. But kind of.”
“What does that even mean, Ruby?” He was looking at her like she was possessed. Nothing she was saying made sense to him. He’d been set on the same goal for too long to see another solution.
“I might have a different plan for the sword. When we get it, that is.”
“What plan, exactly?” He stood up, showing interest for the first time.
“I was thinking, since I can control all four house powers, maybe if I’m the one who holds onto the sword, we would have more leverage.”
“No way. No.”
“What? You’re not even entertaining the possibility? Are you that dead set on having more power that you won’t even try to do something with the sword that could benefit all four sides?”
“What would you know about it?” His anger came as a surprise. Liam was always the levelheaded one but something was different now. “You’ve been around us for all of ten minutes and think you’re some savior that’s going to swoop in and absolve us all? That’s ridiculous!”
“I’m not saying I could save anyone! I’m just saying we should look at other options that won’t result in more people getting hurt.”
“And you honestly think that after this many years in power, Air and Water are just going to go along with some Kumbaya life where we all hold hands and live in peace? No offense, Ruby, but I thought you were smarter than that.” His head shaking, he started walking away from her.
“First of all, you don’t have to act this way or belittle me. Second of all, I am trying to help all of you and make sure that humans don’t get caught in the crossfire. In case you’ve forgotten,
I thought I was human just a short while ago, so I still have a lot at stake in their world.”
“Well, right now, you’re acting like one them. Clueless and childish. Training you was a mistake. You weren’t cut out for this!” He stormed out of the room without another word.
She was hurt. Her eyes heavy with tears, not tears of sadness but of anger. How dare he speak to her this way? She deleted almost her entire life to help him with his mission and he wouldn’t even entertain the possibility that she might be right? Is this really the man she thought she was falling in love with?
She fell heavily on the bed, grabbing hold of the blanket with both hands to steady herself. She was shaking. Her tear-stained face felt like it was on fire, and the anger she felt just a second ago turned into stultifying sadness. She was sobbing uncontrollably now, trying to control the shallow breaths in hopes that no one in the hallway could hear her. Around the bed, the air began to turn into wind, encircling her body in a cocoon of storm. She lay there paralyzed with grief as a tornado danced around her, knocking all of Liam’s belongings out of place. Her Water abilities were leaving their mark.
Chapter 31
They’re going to die!
Ruby opened her eyes just in time to see a book fall off the wall shelf above Liam’s bed. She raised her arms defensively and managed to knock it out of the way.
“Oh crap!” She said, seeing the wind turbulence she’d created, and started to take deep breaths to calm herself down. The hurricane in the room subsided when Jenny, one of the older kids popped her head through the doorway.
“Ruby! We have to leave right now!”
She could see panic painting Jenny’s face. “What’s going on?” This couldn’t be because of what just happened with her powers, could it?
“You didn’t hear the alarm?”
“Huh? No...” She was embarrassed to admit that she didn’t hear anything over the sound of her own crying. Darting off the bed, she wiped her face and rushed towards Jenny. “What happened?”
“Something is going on. The elders must have set off the alarm. We have to get to the safe room. Now!”
Ruby started to run after her down the hall. Her mind clearer now, she heard the blazing cry of the alarm come into focus. There were other loud sounds all around. What was that? Screaming?
She slowed down and made a left turn at the atrium. She could hear more people in the cafeteria and rushed towards the voices, searching the halls as she ran. Despite their last conversation, she needed to find Liam.
The doors were closed. Ruby got closer to the windows and peeked in. There were four people huddled in the corner of the room. One of the Earth teachers was on the ground surrounded by three resistance members she hadn’t seen before. It looked like they were trying to protect her from something, rubbing their palms together and attempting to make their powers kick in.
Ruby followed their gaze to the other end of the room where a tall, muscular man was holding out his hands and muttering something. He wasn’t someone from Fire or Earth. Who was this imposter?
Her eyes searched the resistance members as they were struggling on the ground. Two had lost consciousness. The third, a girl about Ruby’s age, was grasping at her throat.
He’s Air! she thought, realizing that the room was being sucked free of oxygen.
Ruby reached for the door handle and was starting to push her way inside when Liam grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her back into him. Holding her tightly as she tried to wiggle out.
“Let me go!” she yelled, “They’re going to die!”
He didn’t bother answering, instead grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her onto his shoulder and carried her away from the cafeteria. His speed picked up, dragging her along while she struggled. The halls were a blur, her vision zeroing in on small details to try and discern what was happening, but Liam was moving too fast. She could see resistance members running out of training rooms, some were staying back and getting ready for attack. As she looked back, she could see more outsiders coming down the hallway, using their foreign powers to attack the resistance members fighting back.
She wanted to stay and fight alongside them or at least to reason with the attackers but Liam’s hold was too strong. He pulled open a door and threw her inside. Her body felt as if she had lost control of her legs. Tumbling forward, she tripped over someone’s leg and fell hands first on the ground. She was on the floor of a room full of kids and members of the resistance. A large clunking sound turned her around to see Liam pull shut a barrel lock and use his hands to melt it shut.
We’re in the safe room. She thought, as a large, rogue wave moved angrily outside, wiping the hall clear of people and debris.
Her eyes found Liam’s, but even with him there, safety was far from reach.
Chapter 32
It’s all destroyed
They got a signal from outside that it was safe to come out. Liam heated the lock until it could be pushed open from the outside and a few Fire resistance soldiers helped everyone out of the room. Ruby waited until all the kids were safely out and shakily made her way through the hallways.
The resistance had taken a big hit. Tables were turned over, walls were crumbled, and people’s belongings were scattered everywhere.
She watched as the remaining soldiers covered bodies with tarps and carried them away from the common areas. It was hard to tell which house they belonged to, but Ruby mourned them all the same. Death was death in her eyes, no matter who it took.
As she walked, her eyes moved through the crowd to find Liam. She pushed past the crowds gathering around the training rooms and made her way towards the greenhouse. From the looks of it, the wave of water created by one of the attackers that she saw outside of the safe room found its way here. Zag was already cleaning up the mess inside.
“Zag!” She ran inside and hugged him. “I’m so glad you’re ok!”
“It’s all destroyed.” His eyes were more than just sad, Ruby could see his heart was broken. “Everything we’ve created is gone.”
“We can fix it. I’ll help.” She put her hand on his shoulder, “Have you seen Liam?”
“Yeah. He came by just before you, said he’s going to his room to grab some things.”
Her stomach turned, she needed to find Liam. She’d be back later to help Zag with the plants, but right now she wanted nothing more than to make sure Liam was all right. Knowing him, this was something he was taking personally, and who knew what he would do in return. He was packing some things into a bag when she got there. She made her way towards him and reached her arms around his waist. Turning his body to face her, he stayed still for a second and then pulled back. It was as if he wanted to hold her, but something was getting in the way.
“Looks like they did some damage in here, too.” He said looking around the room. Ruby’s cheeks reddened; she knew the mess he was referring to was made by her when they were fighting.
“Right.” She lied, “What the hell happened out there?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Air and Water found our location. They were probably tracking us after what happened at the bank. We should have seen this coming. We should have been more prepared.”
“How could you have possibly known?” She was right, he was blaming himself for what happened.
“Because it’s what they do. They’re killers, Ruby. That’s all they are.”
“I really don’t think that’s true.”
“Even after all this?” He was pointing at the shattered glass in the hallway outside his room, “You still think you can reason with these people?”
“I have to believe that. Now more than ever.” She moved closer to him and reached for his hand. “We have to do something to stop this war once and for all.”
His hand jerked away. She could feel his anger as if it was her own. The heat was pulsating around him, and she knew he needed to calm down before the entire room was set ablaze.
“Liam, it’ll be ok. We will figure it
out.”
“We will not be doing anything. You coming here was a mistake, and me pulling you into all of this was stupid and selfish.”
“You don’t mean that. You need my help.”
“The only thing I need is for you to leave. I can’t fight if I have to protect you all the time. We’ll find the sword on our own. You need to go back home, Ruby.”
“Are you serious?” she couldn’t believe he was actually kicking her out when all she’d tried to do was help the resistance.
“Yes. It’s not going to work out. Please leave.”
There was no reasoning with him. She ran out of the room, holding back tears and pushing through people to get to her sleeping quarters. Once again, he had made her feel foolish for caring for him. When was she finally going to learn her lesson? He didn’t want her. It was time for her to go.
Her head was spinning, and she leaned on the hallway wall for balance. Her mind was full of images. Visions as clear as the broken walls around her. Glowing marks, giant waves, Jake, and then suddenly her parents. Their faces aglow in the midst of the chaos. There was a darkness all around, but her father's hand was reaching towards her, pulling her to him. Her back pocket vibrated, jarring her eyes back into focus. Reaching for her phone she saw her family’s number on the screen.
“Dad?” she said, still a little breathless.
“Ruby, honey, it’s your mom. We heard about what happened at the bank. Why on earth wouldn’t you call us?”
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to worry you.”
“You need to get out of the city, sweetie. Can you come stay with us for a few days?”
“I don’t know...”
“Your father says it’s not up for debate. We want you to come home right away.” Her mother's tone was strict, and Ruby was certain that arguing was not going to help. If she were being honest, she was relieved to have a reason to leave for a few days. She needed to get away from the resistance, the Elementals, and most importantly, Liam.
