Elemental

by Debbie Kump

  Elemental

  The Elementals Trilogy Book 1

  By

  Debbie Kump

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  World Castle Publishing, LLC

  Pensacola, Florida

  Copyright © Debbie Kump 2016

  Smashwords Edition

  Paperback ISBN: 9781629895703

  eBook ISBN: 9781629895710

  First Edition World Castle Publishing, LLC. November 14, 2016

  http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com

  Smashwords Licensing Notes

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

  Cover: Karen Fuller

  Editor: Lisa Petrocelli

  DEDICATION

  For Mom and her unwavering support.

  PROLOGUE

  Chicago, Illinois, October 8, 1871

  Some might yearn for immortality. For me, it was a curse I couldn’t escape.

  Under the cover of darkness, I raced across a field of reaped corn, hiking my filthy, ragged dress up around my knees as I ran faster than my legs liked. Spotting a lone oak poised in the middle of the open land, I paused briefly behind its massive trunk, trying to determine if my pursuers drew near. My wild eyes darted across the open terrain scarcely lit by the sliver of the crescent moon. The field sounded unnervingly silent. I couldn’t hear a thing over my heart, hammering, threatening to break free of my chest. Or my pulse thundering in my ears.

  An old, weather-beaten barn lay not far ahead. Certain to find it vacant on this unseasonably hot and dry autumn Sabbath eve, I took one last glance over my shoulder and aimed my mad dash for its wide door. My lungs seared with pain as my feet flew over the uneven ground. By the time I reached the rustic barn, I gasped for a decent breath, something I didn’t have the luxury to afford. I prayed the hinges wore a fresh lube of oil and cautiously pushed the door ajar to steal inside.

  The dank smell of soiled hay and animal dander filled my nostrils. I quietly closed the door and secured the latch behind me then turned, searching for a good hiding place in the thin moonlight that seeped through the lone window high up in the loft.

  Tiptoeing across the earthen floor, I passed two dairy cows that lowed, slumbering on all fours. The horses’ watering trough looked awfully tempting, but I didn’t dare pause to quench my thirst. One second wasted could mean certain doom.

  Entering the next stall, I crouched behind a chestnut mare with white socks and a stripe down her muzzle. She whinnied softly when I closed her door with a slow creak.

  “Shh, shh. That’s a good girl,” I cooed, placing a gentle hand on one flank to keep from alarming her. I sank into the shadows of her stall and listened for footfalls outside.

  Minutes passed. Too many, in fact.

  Though I didn’t dare leave my hiding spot, a small part of me rejoiced, almost certain I’d lost them this time. My racing heart gradually calmed and my breath returned, filling my depleted lungs.

  Somehow, I managed to elude the three of them. In the morning, I’d head into the city and find passage across Lake Michigan to settle somewhere up north. It didn’t matter much to me where I went, so long as they lost my trail.

  A small smile played across my face. Safety. Normality. It wasn’t too much to ask for, was it? A chance to be like everyone else? At least for a short time.

  Suddenly, a violent gust of wind rushed against the barn, splintering the latch and making the door fly open. A gasp escaped my terrified lips.

  Skye found me.

  Not the Skye you once knew, I reminded myself. That Skye is dead.

  She appeared just a fragment of her former self, but I’d always remember her as my trusted companion those days we spent together…until Gaia and Hydros caught us. They tortured Skye, eventually crushing her soul into submission in their power-hungry quest for total domination.

  I vowed I wouldn’t let myself suffer the same fate. So I paid for that decision by living in constant fear.

  Through the panels of the mare’s stall, I saw Skye swagger into the barn. Her long blond hair whipped wildly across her face. She turned toward me, her eyes shining like quicksilver in the scant moonlight as she commanded the air to obey her every whim. Her feet treaded softly upon the earth, the air alone bearing all her weight.

  Her powers had grown; she couldn’t do that before. No wonder I didn’t hear her outside the door.

  Skye’s voice rang clear and confident through the still night. “I know you’re here!” A startled mourning dove fluttered amidst the rafters, filling the barn with its chilling cry.

  I shuddered with fear. My legs cramped from holding the same position for so long. Still I said nothing.

  “You can’t run forever, Pyr,” she boomed.

  I flinched, despising it when she used my given name instead of calling me Jordan. It reminded me of a destiny others had selected for me, not the role I wished to play in my future. Ignoring the burn in my legs, I ducked lower beside the mare, praying Skye would abandon her search.

  She crossed the floor, quiet like a cat slinking upon its prey. She pushed open one stall door after another with a brush of wind. Only a matter of time remained before she’d spot me. I clenched my teeth together to silence their fearful chattering.

  “You know what we want,” she called. Her voice resonated through the hot, stagnant air.

  I did. But I promised myself I’d never agree to her demands…not for as long as I lived.

  “Join us…or die.” Her words sent a chill down my spine. Echoing her threat, the wind instantly picked up, stirring the straw into tiny dust devils that swirled across the floor, fanning out in search of me.

  I was afraid to breathe.

  Next to me, the chestnut mare pawed nervously at the ground. Skye turned, sensing my presence. She lifted one hand toward the stall door and sent a sudden gust that slammed it wide open to expose my hiding place.

  I screamed, raising my hands to block Skye’s brutal wind. In an instant, my fear and anger fueled a blinding pain that radiated from my chest and down though my arms. I wailed in agony when bursts of flames shot from my palms, right at her face. The pain abruptly ended, ejected from my body with a sudden pulse of heat. My effort didn’t stop Skye.

  She shielded her head at the last moment, redirecting my fire toward the ground. The straw scattered across the barn floor ignited, spreading out toward the stalls. Within seconds, the blaze grew uncontrollable. Wooden support beams and stall doors caught flame while the tongues danced higher and higher. Stunned by the blazing light, the animals bleated and moaned, panicking in the insufferable heat.

  “No!” I screamed through trembling lips. I never meant to harm these innocent creatures. I hated my powers and the hurt they inflicted upon me, so I used my fire strictly for defense.

  Desperate to escape the burning barn, the livestock broke free of their stalls, bumping into each other and Skye on their frantic way out the main door. Using this commotion to my advantage, I climbed on the mare and straddled her bareback. With a swift prod of my heels into her sides, we raced out of her stall. A flaming beam dropped from the rafters. I tugged the mare’s mane to one side to dodge the falling incendiary, and then sprinted through the barn door in the midst of the other animals.

  Knotting my fingers in her mane, I gave another kick of my heels in encouragement to pick up the pace. Not until we crossed half the field did I dare a glance behind me. The barn blaz
ed brightly, a raging inferno against the deep night sky.

  Guilt riddled my stomach for stealing the farmer’s horse—even worse for torching his barn. But I had no choice. I shuddered, recalling painful episodes from my past…and the horrors that could befall humanity if Skye had actually caught me back there.

  I ducked lower, pressing my head close to the mare’s bobbing neck. Her breaths came in ragged bursts, like a thoroughbred pushing itself to finish the last leg of its race.

  Daring another peek behind me, I spotted a figure moving in the distance. Sure enough, Skye pursued me on horseback. Her blond hair flailed up and down as she closed the gap.

  I turned down a street called DeKoven and headed toward the city, hoping to lose her in one of the alleyways. The mare’s horseshoes clomped with each swift step down the dusty street. But she soon tired, strained from exertion. I pushed her too hard too fast, I realized with dismay.

  Glancing over my shoulder again, I saw Skye close behind. Ignoring the pain from my last unsuccessful attempt, I raised one hand and aimed another blast of fire at her. The burn resonated from my core and out my arms and my palm exploded with a shocking burst of heat and light. She manipulated it to her will, using the wind to lash the fire against the sides of the buildings lining the street.

  Gasping in horror, I watched a building catch flame. Dear God, what have I done? Crippled of my one defense, I pressed forward, the fire in close pursuit. It didn’t matter that I refused to fight back. Skye had effectively turned my powers against me, driving the fire from one rooftop to the next on the cusp of her superheated wind, generating a raging conflagration that pierced the blackness of night.

  I spun down one side street after another, yet the flames persisted, lapping at my heels. The mare panted heavily, her stride continuing to slow as she succumbed to fatigue. Up ahead, I spotted a bridge—my only hope for confining the blaze. We crossed the arc that spanned the Chicago River and turned up its banks.

  Pausing briefly, I caught a clear view of Skye on the far side of the river. An intense scowl fixed upon her face. Then, with all her might, she unleashed a powerful wind, catching the embers and rocketing them clear across the bridge. The sparks landed on a church rooftop, quickly igniting it as well.

  I swallowed hard. My plan failed. There was nothing left to do but run.

  Riding forward with her hand extended, Skye created a swirling gust that enabled the flames to leap from one frame house to the next. I peered over my shoulder once more. The tired mare lost her footing and tripped in a rut on the dry, hard-packed street.

  The world around me slowed, my fingers slipping through her mane. I soared over her head and landed flat on my back. Unable to move or breathe, I lay there for a moment, thinking, Please, God, let this be the end. For me, not the horse.

  Rolling my head to one side, my eyes found the mare. She seemed frightened but uninjured. Exhausted, she staggered to her feet. I shot her a small, grateful smile, hoping she could find her way home. Then I closed my eyes, wishing to find peace at last.

  The sound of horse hooves jarred me awake, and Skye ground to a stop by my side. A flood of adrenaline rushed through my veins, forcing me alert once more.

  “That was far too easy,” she snarled and leapt off her horse’s back. Flames of burning buildings danced behind her head, making her whitish hair glow wickedly in the firelight. Her stormy eyes bore into my skull as she neared, relishing in my defeat.

  I blinked, surveying the scene to search for a final escape. Cries of panic filled the air. Residents dressed in nightclothes took flight from their homes, their arms laden with whatever meager possessions they could carry.

  Off in the distance, I saw Gaia and Hydros, strolling casually down the street, the chaos surrounding seemingly inconsequential. Gaia’s iridescent emerald eyes held mine. Her lips turned up in a malicious grin. Unruly russet hair framed her evil face, accentuating her desire to torture me into submission. Hydros followed a step behind. Her dreadfully deep blue eyes contrasted sharply with her flowing dark brown hair that glinted gold and orange in the light of the blaze.

  Skye, Gaia, and Hydros—The Three, I called them—together again. Now with me, the fourth Elemental, they would be unstoppable.

  But I couldn’t let that happen. My lower lip quivered while I glared at Gaia’s iridescent eyes, feeling nothing but hate for the one who robbed me of everyone I loved and everything I owned. If I couldn’t battle Skye alone, I wouldn’t stand a chance against The Three with their powers combined.

  Summoning residual strength I didn’t know I possessed, I flew to my feet and dashed toward the nearest flaming home, desperate to escape despite the inevitable pain I would endure once more.

  “Stop her. Don’t let her jump again!” Gaia cried, sprinting down the street with Hydros close behind.

  I slowed, casting Skye a pleading glance. She blinked. For a brief moment, a conflicted expression passed over her face. There’s still hope for her, I thought, making my heart suddenly grow lighter. Perhaps I might rekindle our friendship and build a new alliance that could destroy Gaia and Hydros. Only then would I redeem myself for losing Skye in the first place and avenge the wrongful deaths of my family and friends.

  A small smile flickered across my lips. I reached out my hand, offering her a chance to join me. But Skye’s face suddenly hardened. She’s hasn’t forgiven me…not yet, at least. I realized with dismay that my redemption must wait.

  Clenching her jaw, she shot a blast of wind, knocking me to my knees. I skinned my palms while bracing my fall, yet didn’t relent. Leaping to my feet, I ducked inside the house where fires raged in the windowpanes.

  “No!” I heard Gaia shout when I sprang into the middle of the flames. She and Hydros raised their hands toward me, ready to unleash destructive forces to halt my jump, but they were too late.

  A golden blaze surrounded me, quickly consuming my arms, my face, and my hair. My scream died in my throat. The intense heat sucked the breath from my lungs and drained the life from my body. The rising temperature permeated my exterior, seeping inward until it licked my core. Though the excruciating pain soon grew unbearable, I persisted, uncertain of any other way to evade their clutches. I remembered how terrified I felt the first time I endured a similar agony. I discovered as an Elemental, not only did I possess the power to create fire, but I also could perish from this time and begin life anew. One catch existed, however…where and when I turned up remained outside my control.

  A final cry rose from the depths of my searing throat. I watched a deep darkness engulf the burning city of Chicago, marking the end of my existence in this world. While Gaia’s frustrated face shifted to black, my pain dissolved into a deep sense of gratitude for eluding The Three once more. Still, an inevitable dread clouded my joy. Despite my narrow escape, a frightening confidence filled my heart. Just like every other time, it wouldn’t be long before they located me again.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Near Pacifica, California, Present Day

  It’s hard to know how long I’d lived when I couldn’t remember how many times I’d died.

  The impenetrable blackness from my former existence soon faded in this new life. At first, the dark gradually softened into a dim, hazy light. I squinted my eyes, trying to focus beyond my tight skin that stung from my fiery exit and my bruised back that screamed in pain from my spill off the mare in the flaming streets of Old Chicago. I wanted to lay still and rest, if only for a moment, but I couldn’t allow it. If I stayed in one place for too long, the other Elementals would find me with ease.

  Within moments, the light grew brighter and changed into an abrupt display of yellow and orange—all too familiar in color, sound, and heat. I blinked into the crackling light, shocked to see tongues of a developing forest fire dance upon the hilltop and surround my fallen form. A frantic scan of the area revealed no one else’s presence…not yet, at least. Still the danger loomed. I forced myself to ignore the aches that plagued my body and scrambled
to my knees before the fire threatened to reach my very spot.

  The heat from the fire pulsed in waves, leaping from one treetop to another. Flames sputtered and spat around me. I wobbled on unsteady legs, attempting to gauge my surroundings. I noticed a burning evergreen nearby, recently struck by lightning, I guessed. Sweeping branches filled its tall trunk, now completely immersed in flames.

  Well, at least I didn’t start this fire. I gritted my teeth and started a slow, painful trot downhill. Each agonizing step worked to loosen my sore muscles until my pace grew steady and strong. The dry underbrush behind me crackled loudly, fueling the flames that spread with uncontrollable speed across the hillcrest.

  Though I distanced myself from the center of the mounting blaze, I found little relief. Instead, a sudden fear surged through my veins. I dared a glance over my shoulder, searching the fire for the darkened forms of the Elementals: Skye, Hydros, and Gaia. So far, I spotted no one, but I knew I must remain vigilant. The background noise of the fire made it difficult to listen for their approach. I willed my legs to move faster, allowing no time to catch my breath when one thought persisted above all others—escape.

  My eyes darted madly as I scanned my surroundings, searching for The Three. Aside from the hissing fire far above, I heard nothing. I thought I might have lost them, at least for the moment.

  I pressed onward, away from the heat. Racing down the hillside, the pungent odor of burning brush and dry leaves eventually receded, replaced with the sweet smell of a eucalyptus grove. With streaked paper-thin bark peeling in soft earthen hues and long sickle-shaped leaves dangling from their branches, the eucalyptus trees enveloped the sky in a lush canopy. Far off, I heard the distant crash of the ocean against a rocky shore, much louder than the familiar sound of waves that lapped the pebbled beaches of Lake Michigan.

  Where am I? I wondered, though I knew one thing. This definitely wasn’t Chicago anymore. But if I could jump to this place so fast, there was a chance they could, too.