“Using our power to track where they were, we crept up to the top of a ledge they would pass under. When they were where we wanted them, we attacked. Little did we know it was a group of six Light children. Abby and Lorna attacked first. Their magic took down five of the boys. The sixth was stronger than the others, but not strong enough to keep control of his power. It leapt from him and killed Abby and Lorna instantly. Immediately I knew what it was. The power of a Life elemental. Luckily for me, the boy’s energy was drained too quickly and he collapsed.”
I flinched when I heard my mate gasp. Again, she was reminded of the monster she was forced to bond with. I really wasn’t worth saving. When Nathaniel continued his story, I listened again.
“After checking on Lorna and Abby, I quickly checked on the other five boys. I knew none of you were normal Light children, and that the elementals had a hand in your lives. I didn’t dare hurt the boys for fear of the elementals taking revenge on me. The boys were injured, but alive. I started to heal them as the sixth child crawled into the trees and vomited.”
“Your Aunt Mercy appeared to me after I checked all the boys out, and she told me what you are and that I was to tell no one about you. I have watched over you boys as your Aunt Mercy also charged me to that evening, and I am sorry for the consequences that have come from our mistake. Lorna and Abby got the easier consequence, and many times I have wished Lord Carmon had killed me as well. Instead, I have seen the darkness that has driven your lives.”
After the revelations of the day, I really wanted time with my mate. I needed to make sure she was indeed okay after killing the demon. She needed me to help her through her feelings after her first kill, and the story Nathaniel had just told was proof of what could happen if no one was there to help you.
“Okay, everyone, time to leave. I need a break, and a nap. Hamilton’s stay with my brothers, and do as they say. Adam is in charge. Drew is his second.”
“Actually, Lord Carmon,” Nathaniel said. “I might as well mention this now because every theory comes back to it.” He waited till he had everyone’s attention. “I suspect, and it seems true, that the Hamilton’s are not the intended target after all.”
“Then who is?” I asked, again furrowing my brows in confusion.
“You.”
Chapter Ten
Sylee
“What?” Carmon asked. He had stiffened next to me.
“But the witches were attacking my family. How can Carmon be the target?” I asked, trying to understand how this man thought my mate was the target.
“I’ll have to talk to my contacts first before answering any questions.” Nathaniel held up his hand before anything else could be said, “For now, I will set up a magical barrier that will protect anyone in this room. Lord Carmon.”
Carmon interrupted. “Please leave the title off,” he begged.
“As you wish. You are to remain in this room until I return. If I need to, I will place a house arrest spell that will keep you locked in here. By the time you break it, I’ll be back, and I will not be happy. If you want answers then stay here.” With that, Nathaniel disappeared into thin air again.
Carmon rubbed his face while gruffly ordering everyone to leave the room. The food my parents had ordered for us had arrived during Nathaniel’s story, and I was starving. I hoped it would help Cal’s mood a little, so I got up and brought our containers back to the bed. Carmon’s contained a very large hamburger and mine a chicken salad sandwich. Carmon ate slower than normal, and I could tell he was thinking.
After he ate half his burger, he stood up and started pacing. I was not comfortable, and had stopped eating to watch him. After he had paced for a few minutes, without warning he lashed out at the table and chairs. I released a shriek, and then covered my mouth. I knew my eyes were as large as saucers. The table set was nothing but wooden splinters in seconds. After his attitude change since he had found me in the forest, I had tried to move past his bad attitude and my fear of him, intentionally forgetting what he was capable of. This was a startling reminder.
The door from the hallway burst open and Chris dropped the key on the ground after he and Drew entered.
“Sylee, bathroom. Now.” Drew ordered, advancing on Carmon. I couldn’t move. I really tried. “Sylee. Move, please. You do not need to see this.”
I moved. Somehow, I moved. Chris closed me into the bathroom and I sank to the floor in the corner between the wall and tub, shaking horribly. I could hear the brothers. Drew and Chris warned Carmon to calm down. I don’t think it worked because moments later I heard fighting. I had seen fights before, and they had never bothered me, but the sounds coming from the room were so intense I wondered if there would be anything left out there when I returned.
After a few minutes, the fighting stopped and Chris entered the bathroom. His left arm was hanging by his side and his face was a bloody mess. He started cleaning the blood away without looking at me. When he was done, he turned to observe me, huddled in my little corner, arms wrapped around my legs. My head had been buried in my knees until he came in.
“I’m sorry. He doesn’t lose it often, but when he does, it’s easier to get a good fight in, and release the buildup. We all go through it, so give him a break. He’s upset that you saw and heard it. Come on out when you’re ready,” Chris said, leaving me alone in the bathroom. He did not close the door, though.
I heard the door to the hallway open and close. Then the bed springs groaned as someone sat on them. I knew it was just my mate and I in the room, but I was not ready to face him, and I could tell he felt the same about me. We sat there for what seemed like hours, but was probably closer to twenty minutes. Finally, I was forced from the bathroom. The hard, cool tile had my butt hurting, and I wanted to be comfortable again.
When I walked out of the bathroom, I saw the room was in about the same shape as when I had been forced to leave it. The damage was solely to the table and chairs. My mate sat at the end of the bed, but did not look at me when I grabbed my bag so I could dress. I skipped the makeup. He’d seen me without it so much it would probably be a shock to his system to see me wear it every day.
He had not moved while I was gone. Finally, he seemed to notice me when I laid my bag on the ground again.
“How badly did I mess us up?” The despair in his whisper was heartbreaking.
I did not know what to say to him, and he let out a large gust of air, “I promised you that I would never physically harm you. I will always keep that promise. I am sorry I scared you.”
I tried to lighten the mood. “Do you often destroy innocent furniture?”
“No, Love. Usually it’s Drew or Adam that loses control. Mostly Drew, but we are all known to let our emotions out violently instead of talking about them. I will make an effort to not destroy more furniture.”
“Okay. Let’s start now, then. Talk to me, Cal. Tell me anything. I know you had a lot going through your mind while everyone was here.”
“Where to start?” He let his face fall into his hands. His elbows rested on his knees. In the bathroom, I had been prepared to write off our relationship. I did not want to be with someone so violent, but looking at him now, I was glad I had not gone down that path.
“Pick one thing you want to tell me, and we’ll go from there,” I sat beside him at the end of the bed.
After a minute, he started talking. “I want you to be honest with me. How are you holding up after your first kill? You’ve heard about mine. I do not want you to have anywhere near the same story I did. I absolutely do not want you to hate yourself for it, and go down a damaging path. Trust me, you know I’ve been there, and I’m crawling out of a huge black hole. I want to help you anyway I can.”
I sighed and my shoulders sank. I didn’t want to think about it, but I needed to. Either way, he was not going to let me keep my emotions to myself. “I wasn’t prepared for it. Usually a Light warrior out on their first mission knows that they will likely kill someone, and they mentally
prepare for it. That probably doesn’t help a whole lot, but at least it’s something. I just knew I could not let him live to kill you.”
“He wouldn’t have let you live either, Love,” Carmon added. I knew that, but I was trying not to give myself too many excuses for my actions.
“I knew what I had done, and then moved on to the next demon with the intent to kill him as well, but then he just fell over, dead. Then you were hurt, and it wasn’t until Jeff said you were going to live that it fully kicked in what I had done. I had a meltdown, and they brought my mom down to help me. I really am doing much better, Cal. If I ever doubt that what I did was necessary, I will come to you, and I know you’ll help me through it.”
I laid my hand on his forearm and he covered it with his hand. “That’s all I ask.” He looked me in the eyes with a bit of apprehension.
“Why did the demons just fall over dead?” I asked him.
“Remember in Nathaniel’s story when he said his friends were killed by a Life elemental?” I nodded. “I can rip the life force right out of a person. They die instantly. It takes an enormous amount of energy most of the time, but if I’m desperate, I can do it, and after hearing you scream I was very desperate.”
“Was that story Nathaniel told accurate? How old were you? Nathaniel only gave a time estimate.”
“Yes. It was accurate for as much as I remember. I was five years old, so it’s been a while, and it was a lot for my young brain to handle. Hearing it brought back so many memories that have been buried for a long time.” I could see a haunted expression in his eyes. No wonder he wanted to make sure I was okay. He’d had a horrible experience, and from what I knew about his family, he had not had the support a child should have been given.
I needed to do something for my mate. He was a strong man, no doubt about that. I would never be able to come out of an attack with demons and then be ready to go back to work. I would instead hide under my bed. What kind of horrible experiences had he been through that made him just bounce back like that?
I decided on my action, and I slowly stood from the bed. Carmon looked at me with an air of defeat. I decided then that I would not give up on him so easily anymore. A week ago, I would have helped beat him with the demons, but now, I could see why Bard always kept his hope alive. Carmon’s fate was not fixed. He only needed the help he should have received fifteen years ago. That did not mean I was going to take it easy on him. He had a lot of work ahead of him.
I took the few steps needed to reach my mate, and sat on his lap, putting my arms around his neck. He pulled me close and held me a long time. I could hear him sniffing, but knew he wasn’t crying. Finally, I had to know what he was doing.
“Your blood smells wonderful, Love. I’m just sniffing and remembering how it tasted,” he admitted, burrowing into my neck more. I giggled when it tickled.
“I wish I remembered what yours tasted like. I remember it was good, but I was not expecting to taste it, and the shock distracted me a lot.” I did wish I remembered.
“You can find out now, if you would like.” Carmon’s voice grew husky, and I swear it dropped an octave. A shiver ran down my spine, and I knew he felt it when he winked at me.
“How?” I needed to move past my body’s reaction to him, and honestly wondered if he was going to cut himself like he had the first time. Was I ready to drink blood again? The idea was weird, but a part of me wanted to taste him.
“As my mate, Sylee, you can bite me at any time. I will never deny you, but I am not going to cut myself again. The bond allows my blood to taste good to you, just as your blood tastes good to me.”
I would have to bite him? He must have sensed my hesitation.
“When a bond is completed, the human always bites the elemental. I cut myself because you would never have bitten me. If you’re not ready, it’s okay.” I knew he wouldn’t push, but I also sensed this was very important to him. He had forced me to drink his blood before, and now he hoped I would voluntarily do it. I just did not know if I was ready for that next step. Sure, we’d had a good date, but it was still only one date.
“Soon, Carmon,” I finally decided. He nodded and gave a small smile, but I could tell he was disappointed.
“We’ve had one date, Cal. I still need time. You did just turn our furniture into toothpicks.” He stiffened under me. “I know I have already had your blood, but when I bite you, I want to be in love with you like I should have been the first time.”
“I understand,” Carmon replied. He did not push me, and I was happy for that.
We spent the rest of the day talking, watching TV, and playing some games our families had dropped off to us. We also had visitors, like my parents, who came to check up on us. I could have left, and when everyone else went to dinner, Carmon told me to go, but I couldn’t leave him alone when he had no choice but to stay put. I really was liking this new man.
I learned so much about Carmon while on house arrest with him. He told me everything. Some things were hard to hear, like when he would talk about a job, and his old, unrepentant feelings would creep in. If he noticed, he would correct himself, but sometimes habit kicked in and he wouldn’t notice. I asked him a lot of questions, and he never denied me an answer.
He did the same with me. In fact, I’m sure he had me talking way more than I had him talking. His eyes shown with happiness the rest of the day after the table incident. He also kissed me a few times. He did not let them become as heated as our first while we were laying on a bed, alone. That didn’t mean they weren’t enjoyable. I knew our first kiss had been the first for both of us, and it killed me how good he was at it already. I knew I was not that good yet. He had laughed at me when I expressed my frustrations, and told me practice makes perfect. He then proceeded to “practice” with me.
I snuggled with him that night again. He kept me warm and the air conditioner kept him cool. It worked out great.
******
Thankfully, Nathaniel returned the next morning after breakfast. I was going crazy from boredom, and I knew Carmon was probably worse, though he hid it well. Much better than I did, anyway.
Everyone was again grouped in our room since Carmon was not allowed to leave.
“So, what did you find out?” Carmon asked when everyone was settled.
“Nothing that is going to make you happy, but more than I intended to find,” Nathaniel replied vaguely.
“Well, that’s a whole bin of nothing,” Isla muttered.
“Commander,” Nathaniel started again, “May I suggest the younger Hamilton’s not be present for this conversation?”
Isla and Paul both stood in the “Hamilton Stance”, arms crossed chests and feet spread apart, that Carmon was becoming familiar with. Before they could utter a single word to my mate, he held his hand up and glared his icy stare at them.
“Isla and Paul, I know you want to be here for this, but if Nathaniel advises you leave, I will take that advice. You will be filled in on our plans later. Do not argue with me. I may be nicer now, but I am still in command and your lives are still my responsibility. Do not disobey my order. Go to your room. Ruby and Dalton, please accompany them.” Carmon’s demeanor left no room for arguments, and my siblings, mom, and Dalton left.
Okay, so when he wasn’t yelling at me or ordering me around, I found his dominance a big turn on. Especially when he kissed me. Hold up hormones. Back to the business at hand.
“The Hamilton’s were a trap,” Carmon said after the door closed. My head whipped toward him in surprise. Where had that come from?
“Yes.” Nathaniel nodded.
“Who set this up?” Carmon asked.
“Manuel Jursey.”
My mate gasped, and his brother’s mouths hung open. Who was this guy they were so shocked about? When I looked at my father, I noticed he had even gone very pale.
“Who?” I asked when no one wanted to explain.
“Thank you, Mr. Turnclaw, for having my younger children leave.” Dad told the
witch.
Oh boy, the person they talked about must have been a big deal, and not in a good way, for my dad to be grateful my siblings were not there.
“Cal?” I turned to him.
“Sylee, if I asked you to go down to the room with your siblings-.”
“No.” The word was clipped. My blood heated at the idea that he would even think about asking me to leave. “You are my mate. This man wants to hurt you. I want to know who he is and why. And for the record, Commander, you will never ask me to leave a conversation like this again.”
“Understood.” Carmon took my lecture in stride, and I was sure his mind was still stuck on the name Nathaniel had mentioned. Just as I was going to ask about the name again, my mate started explaining. “Manuel Jursey is the Warlock. The Warlock is the title for the leader of the Harbor Witches. He is supposedly the strongest witch.”
Nathaniel took up the explanation when Carmon stopped. “The Warlock governs the witches. He normally does not do jobs of his own. He will contract to do a job, but then he will send other witches to do it for him. Those witches receive a small portion of what the Warlock was commissioned. The Warlock rarely puts a hit out on a specific person. When he does, it’s a free for all. Any race is eligible for the reward on the mark’s head.”
Oh, so that was why everyone was acting so shocked. I turned to my mate, and I saw the tension in his jaw. Every evil creature on the planet would be after his head. That was why the demons attacked him, and left his brothers alone.
“What did you do to earn a hit like this, Commander?” my father asked. Exactly what I wanted to know as well, but did not have the experience to know I should ask.
“I do not know,” Carmon said, running his hands through his hair. I could tell he was still in shock, but I had no idea how to help him.
“He has not done anything.” Everyone looked at Nathaniel. “Well, he has not done anything yet, but Manuel has a plan for something very evil, and Carmon is the only one who will be able to stop him.”
Life and Water: The Elementals: Book One Page 16
