IGINS: Elementum Novel

by A. M Martin

  "You screamed," Derrick says clearing his throat.

  Why yes. Yes, I did. And still, no one has produced me that robe.

  "Um. Yeah, Dagger dude just walked right in like he owns the place." I grumble.

  "I do." A deep husky voice rings out.

  I shiver. My toes are curling. Nope, not the cold water either. Now, what am I supposed to say? He owns the place. Must be fabulous to own a tent.

  "Oh." Amy's perky voice has me breathing easier.

  Surely she'll save me.

  "Out!" She screeches high and clear.

  Yes. I smile. Grateful to her.

  I hear the thud of feet leaving but don't dare open my eyes. I'm in this if I don't see them they can't see me mentality.

  “That must have been dreadful.” Amy mummers are coming closer.

  “Yes, absolutely horrid,” I say with a high fake English accent.

  “You know, this would work better if you’d open up your eyes.” Amy chuckles.

  My eyes pop open, and I see her standing beside the wooden tube with a smile on her face and a robe.

  I get giddy with having the robe.

  I get to my feet and shiver from the draft coming from the opening of the tent. Reaching out with prune fingers I take the black robe from her hands.

  “Is this silk?” I ask slipping the robe on and tying the waist strap in a knot.

  “Yes.”

  The robe is black and shiny, coming to a stop at mid-thigh, clinging to my wet body and every curve. Maybe staying in the bath would have been better. Considering how this thing is glued to my skin.

  “Come eat.”

  I look up and see while I’ve been worrying about the robe Amy has set out food on the wooden table. The smell rafting up from it makes my tummy growl letting me know I’m starving.

  I pad over, letting my feet slide through the soft fur rugs as I go. I plop down on the red puffy pillow and look at the plate.

  It’s wooden too. Is everything here wooden?

  There is some type of meat with a clear sauce, something that looks like a carrot but a bright yellow and a purple mash thingy. I don’t see any silverware. I shrug and pick up the meat taking a bite.

  Spicy flavor blasts my taste buds. It’s the best thing I’ve had in a while. I reach over and grab the black goblet taking a gulp. It’s sweet and tangy. Wait a minute.

  I look up at Amy, “Is this wine?”

  “Yes.” Voice whispers in my ear.

  My back tenses and I slowing set the goblet down.

  That was a man. Most definitely not Amy.

  I look over my shoulder and come face to face with shiny silver eyes. Derrick.

  I gulp and turn back around at his smirk.

  He takes a seat to my right. Quinn takes the one to my left and dagger dude is standing in front of the pillow on the other side of the table right in front of me.

  I watch his black eyes spark red. I blink. Did I just see flames in those dark orbs? I’m tired. That’s all it is. Just me being tired.

  I pop a yellow carrot in my mouth. It’s sweet.

  “Do you have a problem?” I mumble around my food watching dagger dudes eyes narrow as they run across my body.

  He’s taller than Quinn and Derrick. He has wide muscular shoulders with defined muscles in his arms, that he has on displayed with only the leather vest, which also shows some of his stomach and his hip bones, that has Ruins on them, going up under his vest and down in his pants. They swirl together. The red, blue and purple. He has the most I’ve seen so far. Thicker than what I could see on myself. He has a rugged look. Black stubble along his square jaw line, Runes on his neck too.

  A sneer forms on his face. I don’t think he likes me too much.

  “Basil, this is Rylan,” Quinn says.

  I watch as Rylan’s eyes widen slowly at something behind me. As I feel heat at my back. Prince has finally decided to join the party. His loud purrs ring out in the silent tent.

  “She’s an Eligere?” Rylan frowns, looking me over more closely.

  I bit my lip at his husky voice, that seems to be caressing my skin.

  His eyes sweep down, stating at my head and stopping at my chest.

  I cross my arms, giving him a dirty look at the same time Derrick jerks forwards a growl coming from his throat.

  Rylan looks at him, his head to the side in thought.

  “What’s Eligere?” I ask.

  “Elite. How can you not know that? Who are you?” Rylan growls stepping closer to the table.

  “She’s Basil.” Quinn says, standing up, “And it’s time for her to rest. She’ll be staying in your tent.”

  Rylan sends me another glare and stomps out of the room with Derrick and Quinn.

  “We’ll talk more first light.” Quinn says as he leaves.

  I shrug and go back to eating. After cleaning off the plate and finishing the wine. I get up and go behind the red curtain.

  It’s a bed room. A huge bed is the only thing in the space, with a black fur blanket.

  I’ll have a freak out in the morning. I just want to sleep now.

  Black flame eyes and a campfire smell seems to surround me as I pull the thick blanket, covering my body. My eyes close and I hope I wake up in my own bed.

  Eight

  I can’t breathe. I try to pull precious air into my lungs. I get a tiny bit. Not enough. My eyes jerk open. Blackness clouds my vision. I gasp and wheeze, sucking in nothing. I jerk and move. Wheeze. Something is crushing me.

  Soft light flares through and deep bone jarring purr vibrates through my body.

  Prince.

  “Off.” I try to yell. Instead it’s a muffled gasp scarcely heard.

  My chest expands as I suck in much needed oxygen. I go on like that for a minute or more. Sucking in big lungs full of air that burns my deprived lungs.

  “What in the he….”

  “Oh, my dears, you’re not prince,” I whisper scooting away from the cat.

  I land with a yelp on the floor, popping back up quickly looking at the not prince.

  He’s tiny, dainty looking compared to prince and solid black. No spots like my prince.

  I watch its small triangle ears turn and flicker; it’s pale blue eyes widening at me.

  I start a slow backwards crawl away from the cat. What’s it doing in here? Is it going to eat me? He’s not mine.

  “Sheba.” A hiss sounds from behind the red curtain.

  “Flocking cat.” Another hiss.

  The curtain swooshes open.

  I gulp. Rylan.

  I watch his dark eyes spark as he looks at Sheba? His gaze follows the cat to me.

  “What are you doing?” His head tilts to the side looking at my face.

  His eyes dilate no longer looking at my face but down.

  I look down and see the silky robe gaping open, partly showing my boobs and an inch from showing my lady bits.

  I squeal, jerking the robe in two different spots.

  His eyes narrow when he’s suddenly shoved to the side trapping over me and landing on the ground with a thud.

  We both watch as Prince struts through. And I mean struts. His head held high, tail slowly flicking in the air, steps cocky.

  He hops up on the bed and slowly starts circling the other cat. His wide pink tongue licks the other cats head before he plops down with a loud purr, laying his front leg over Sheba. They both stare at us.

  “Frack no.” Rylan scrambles to his feet.

  “Sheba come.” He scowls until she gets up off the bed coming to sit at his feet.

  Prince growls lowly in his throat.

  “Umm.” That’s all I got.

  I climb to my feet watching Rylan trading death glares with Prince.

  “Who does that belong to?” Rylan sneers.

  “Me.” I peep.

  He turns slowly, eyes sparking flames.

  “How? You’re just a child.” He grapes.

  For him thinking me a child he sure was looki
ng hard. Ooo. That just registered.

  “I am not a child.” I screech.

  His eyes flicker with revulsion. His board shoulders only just glance off mine as he passes me going through the curtain. I hear his intake of air as a tug in my gut tries to pull me his way.

  Oh no. NO no no no. What is with this gut pulling?

  I shudder. Is it a worm. Do I have some type of alien worm in my tummy?

  “That man I swear.” Amy’s voice scares a small cry from my lips.

  “You gave me a heart attack.” I bark, clutching my chest.

  “You say the perplexing things sometimes. Do you know that?” She gives me a baffling look.

  “Mmm, yeah,” I mumble sitting on the bed.

  “Where’s Quinn?”

  “He’ll be her shortly with first meal.” She mummers, handing me a bundle of clothes.

  “Uh, what is this,” I ask holding out four pieces of leather.

  “Covering silly.”

  There’s a pair of leather pants the martial missing from both sides. A corset, I think. It’s one long piece with lacing on both ends. And two long pieces with loops on both ends. What kind of clothes are these?

  “Here, I will help.” Her hands are straying towards the robe ties.

  I gulp.

  I grab the leather pants, pulling and tugging them up my legs. They don’t button. There are red leather cords lacing up the front. I tug em tight and double knot them. The pants lay low on my hip bone. Really low. They’re tight too. Like they’re painted on me. The missing material shows both sides of my outer thighs.

  “Are you sure this is what I’m supposed to wear?”

  “Certainly.”

  She holds the long piece in her hands and I dis robe. How else am I supposed to get that thing on.

  Handing it to me, I wrap it around my chest the ties handing at the back.

  “No, Turn it around.”

  All rightly then.

  Turing, it around, holding the top part closed she begins to lace up the red strings from the bottom like you would a new pair of shoes.

  It’s tight too. Pushing up my boobs for all to set eyes on and it cuts off right above my belly button. The jewel piercing shinning for all to witness.

  “Perfect.” She gushes nodding.

  “I’m showing a lot of skin. Are you sure this is how it’s supposed to go?”

  A sigh.

  She grabs one of the long pieces, slipping it up my arm and loops the red hoop around my middle finger and she does the same with the other piece.

  I look like a dominatrix. Mom would so kill me. I gasp, and my heart squeezes. I forgot just for a second that mom is still here. How could that happen?

  “Basil?” Amy’s voice is soft when I look up.

  “I’m fine.”

  She hands me a pair of black leather boots. No not black. The red is so dark it looks black. Sitting down I pull them on.

  Humoring myself, I stand up and give a twirl.

  “How do I look?”

  “Like a warrior. The Dragon hide with protect you well.”

  Wait what. Did she just say Dragon? I gawk at her back walking through the curtains.

  My feet pick up the pace. I’m so getting a history lesson on this place. Dragons. Oh, my. I want to see one.

  Nine

  I push through the gauzy curtains and come up short. My gut is pulling me in two very different directions. Making my body feel like it’s tiring to split in two. The worm.

  I gasp rushing up to Quinn jerking his arm.

  “I think.” gaps “I have a worm.” I screech.

  Quinn just looks at me mouth hanging open.

  “A worm.” Rylan sneers from the right sitting at a desk. “You let an infested worm girl sleep in my bed.” He howls at Quinn, standing up, hands flexing.

  “This isn’t about you right now.” I holler back. “Me. This is about me. So, shut the hell up.” I scream watching as his face shows disbelief.

  “There is some kind of alien worm in my belly. This damn place gave me worms.” I babble feeling the pulling go taunt. Wanting to move my body.

  “Basil. Calm down.” Quinn says.

  “No. No freakin way will I calm down. You did this.” I bawl out grabbing my belly.

  “What does it feel like?” Derrick questions from the left side of the tent.

  “Like something pulling me and two different directions. It’s ripping my stomach.” I yell hoarsely as it tightens yet again.

  I see Derrick and Quinn share a look.

  “What. What is it?” I say apprehensively.

  “It’s the Electus,” Quinn says.

  “What is that? What type of worm is it? Get in out.” I grip jumping up and down.

  “It can’t be,” Rylan says harshly looking at me with a dark look.

  “Ariea died,” Rylan says looking at Quinn.

  “No Rylan she didn’t.” Quinn sighs.

  Ariea? Who the hell is that and what does it have to do with this worm.

  “Are you saying?” Derricks gasp looking at Quinn then me. “No way.” He mumbles under his breath, looking at me strangely.

  I don’t care.

  “Woo whoo. Back to me. Get it out.” I say looking a Quinn, waving my arms.

  “Electus is not a worm Basil,” Quinn says sitting down on a pillow at the table. “Sit down and eat. I will explain.”

  Wait what. It’s not a worm. What’s pulling on my insides?

  “She said two directions,” Derrick says with a sneer looking at Rylan who stands stiff as a statue. His black eyes are blazing.

  “No. You will explain now. I am an Ignis Eligere. You will explain.” Rylan states, his ruins taking on a blue hue.

  Uh.

  “Basil is Ariea,” Quinn says.

  Wait, what.

  “No, I’m Basil.”

  How did we get from a worm to whatever this Electus is to me being someone else?

  Rylan’s runes glow brighter. I swear I see flames in his dark eyes as he stares at Quinn.

  “Ariea. Is. Dead. The king said so. You said so.” Rylan grinds out. His fingers are curling into tight fists.

  I feel heat lean up against me and jump slightly looking down. Prince. Woo, I feel a little bit better.

  Quinn stands up, his body becoming stiff, “Rylan you were only five at the time. The king thought it was best.”

  “He thought it was best,” Rylan says in a deadly whisper.

  Both of his arms go up in flame. And I mean literally. I squeak and stumble backwards as blue and red fire blazes on his arms and hands.

  “She was my Electus. No matter my age. I should have been told.” He screams, the flames flow across his chest.

  “Would it have been better.” Quinn screams back his ruins glowing red. “To know she is alive but on earth.”

  Earth? Wait that’s where I came from. I feeling like screaming to. All these lies and secrets.

  Quinn calms the glow going out, “She is here now.” Quinn states looking at me.

  I back up again.

  “No, I’m Basil. You’ve been drinking some funky kool-aid.”

  “No Basil you are not. This isn’t how it was meant to come out.” Quinn says hands on hips.

  I look to Derrick who has his arms crossed looking at me and Rylan who looks devastated one minute and happy another.

  “You are Ariea Lean DeFlame. Heir to the Ingis thrown. Only living ruler to the Ingis Gen. Melanie was your Cuto. Guardian who was given the task of protecting you in the Earthen realm. Who was also was tasked to teach you of your history which she failed at.” Quinn says shaking his head. “You where tucked into the realm to keep you safe when you were a baby. There was to many failed kidnaps. The king would not risk it anymore. He thought that would be the best for you.”

  My whole life was a lie. No. I will not believe that. It was real. She was my mom. I’m Basil. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.