The Elementalist

by Melissa J. Cunningham

  He looked to me as Adam gestured, his eyes boring into mine. His mouth tightened, and his eyes squinted almost imperceptibly. He moved so quickly—yet so silently—that I was amazed when I found him standing right in front of me before I could even blink.

  “The Guardian and the Elementalist.” He took my hand in his large, icy-cold grip and brought my fingers to his lips. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  I repressed a shiver as his lips met my knuckles, and even though I yearned to yank my hand away, I didn’t, knowing instinctively that this man was dangerous. I kept my opinions to myself, but Claire took this moment to speak up.

  “Say something!” she hissed.

  I ignored her.

  “Say something, you stupid idiot! He’s revered in my religion. He’s the god of the elements. Say something!”

  I was too afraid. This man radiated evil like the mist that wafted off a lake at sunrise. More than ever, I wanted to escape. Up until now, I had managed to remain in control over Claire, able to hold her back, but while I quaked in fear before this powerful demon made real, Claire muscled her way to the surface, pushing my consciousness out of the way. I didn’t even have the presence of mind to stop her.

  Once she was in command, she smiled and bowed to this leader of hers. “My Lord, I am more honored than words can express.”

  Bas Iblis smiled, his whole demeanor changing to one of amusement. “Of course, my child. You are The Elementalist. I am so happy you have finally made your entrance.”

  “This,” Adam said, still kneeling, “is Claire Balister. The Host.”

  “Yes. I perceived the shift.” He smiled even more warmly, if that were possible, and then sat on the chair that was situated beside us. We continued to kneel at his feet as though we were his subjects. I was horrified, feeling the bile rise in my throat, but I couldn’t do anything about it. Claire had total control.

  “You please me, child,” he said to Claire, cupping her chin. “You have done well. I know it is difficult hosting another soul inside of you, but we sent her to you for a reason, for safekeeping.”

  “You did?” Claire answered in awe.

  “Of course. Did you think we were unmindful of you? That it was a mistake?” He smiled again and shook his head slowly back and forth. “There are no mistakes, my dear. You will hold this soul inside you until the proper time. Do not give her control of your body again. I have been waiting for this moment for too long. Nothing can go wrong. And no one will be allowed to interfere. Do you understand?”

  Claire seemed to shrivel before him, and so did I, pulling back even further into the recesses of her mind where it felt safer. She nodded, her lips trembling.

  “Good.” He turned to Adam and held out his hand. Adam took it, his head bowed between his outstretched arms.

  “Yes, My Lord?” Adam said, his voice slightly muffled.

  “Your job will be to keep this host safe until the fourth Blood Moon. Do you understand, Asmoday? Your life depends on it.”

  Adam nodded. An instant later, Bas Iblis was gone, and I trembled in terror.

  29

  ~First Kiss… Again~

  Alisa

  It was harder to take back control this time. I had to wait until Claire fell asleep, but it took three days. She had been taking caffeinated painkillers every few hours, washing them down with energy drinks, all in the effort to keep me at bay. By the time her eyelids closed, I was desperate and ready to burst out screaming.

  Once Claire was snoring, I pushed my way forward. Her soul didn’t even put up a fight. She was completely out. I took a deep breath, loving the feel of air in my lungs, an ebb and flow I would never tire of. How wonderful it was to have a body again. How remorseful I was that I’d given up mine on what now seemed like a whim.

  Even though I felt exhausted and this body was beyond tired, I couldn’t possibly sleep. I kept getting the feeling that things were coming to a head. I didn’t know how much longer I’d have to convince Brecken of who I was, and even if I couldn’t, I wanted to see him just one more time… just in case.

  Sneaking out of the house was easy since Claire’s mother seemed blissfully unaware of everything. How could she be so blasé about her own daughter? It was almost as though she thought that ignoring the problems would make them go away. She had to know her child was participating in black magic down in the basement.

  There weren’t many cars on the road, so the drive across town was peaceful and therapeutic. It had rained, and the asphalt glistened under the streetlamps like tiny diamonds that had been tossed from the sky. A familiar song came on the radio, one I used to love, so I relaxed, singing along. For the first time in days, I felt a serenity that had been missing from my life. Spiritually and physically. Things were going to work out. I just knew it. Everything would go back to normal.

  Stillness reigned, and one lone streetlamp glowed just beyond Brecken’s house, creating deep shadows in the park. I stopped a couple of houses away and killed the engine. Gazing across the street, I marveled that this was the place where he lived, ate, and slept. His dad’s big, old plumbing truck sat in the driveway, a pipe rack and tool bins in the back.

  Nostalgia filled me as I noticed the well-manicured lawn. It was only a small patch, but at least it was green compared to the others. Someone had planted flowers next to the porch—pink Asters and golden mums. So quaint. So homey.

  With a sigh, I decided to quit torturing myself. I didn’t want to get caught staking out Brecken’s house in the middle of the night. That would look great on Claire’s record—a night spent in jail. But just as I was about to turn the key in the ignition, someone turned the corner and drove toward me, their single headlight shining right through my window. I ducked down, hoping they wouldn’t notice me when they passed by. Except they didn’t pass by. They slowed down and stopped… right next to my car.

  Kill me now.

  Slumping further in my seat, I tried to peek out of the window.

  Brecken stood there, straddling his bike, peeking in at me. His brows were furrowed in confusion, and he held his helmet in one hand. “Claire?”

  “Oh, yeah. Hi.” I scooted to a normal position, my heart racing, trying to think of a way out of this.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Um, well, that is actually a long story.” I laughed, trying to hide my mortification. There was no way out of this. “I, uh…”

  His eyebrows furrowed.

  “Yeah, um, this is probably a bad time to come for a visit.”

  His motorcycle rumbled softly, but in the stillness of night, it sounded like a monster waking, and I was sure the whole neighborhood could hear it. A porch light came on, lighting the whole street. Seriously, I wanted to die as my humiliation grew. Brecken waved to the old man who’d opened the front door.

  “Sorry, Mr. Hatoshi. We’ll leave,” Brecken called to the aging figure with a wave.

  The man shook his head, mumbling something under his breath, but went back inside and closed his door.

  Brecken shrugged it off with a laugh. “Come down to my house. We can talk in the park if you want. I’m not tired yet. Are you?”

  I shook my head, never imagining Brecken would still be awake at this hour, let alone riding around on his motorcycle. On the one hand, I was flipping cartwheels, astounded at my good fortune. On the other, I still wanted to melt into the ground, dismayed to be caught snooping, like a Peeping Tom.

  He took off ahead of me and parked in his driveway. I pulled to a stop at the curb. We walked to the swings in the park, far enough away from his house that we could speak without the sound carrying.

  A cool breeze blew softly, and I pulled my jacket around me tighter before sitting down on a lone swing that swayed in the night wind. I couldn’t believe I was doing this. I couldn’t believe I was alone in a park with the guy I loved, in the middle of the night, and he didn’t even know it was me! Maybe I should be wondering why he was alone in a park with a girl he hardly knew.
r />   “I didn’t peg you for someone with so much courage,” he said, sitting in the swing next to me.

  “Oh?” I wasn’t sure what he meant, so I waited for him to explain. I couldn’t begin the conversation even if I’d wanted to. My heart was still pounding with mortification. There was no way he’d ever think of me as normal again.

  “Not many girls would have the guts to drive around this neighborhood during the day, let alone in the middle of the night. There are some pretty shady people around here.” He was digging—trying to figure out why I was there. He couldn’t be stupid enough to think it was a coincidence.

  I chuckled and said, “Yeah. It does look bad.”

  He didn’t disagree with me, only lifting his eyebrows as he waited for an explanation. Now I felt even more stupid. What should I say? There was no way to explain this.

  “Most girls who want to make out are a little more direct. All you had to do was say so, or were you going to throw rocks at my window to get me to come out?”

  “What—?” I sputtered, a crimson blush erupting on my face. Even though it was dark, I was sure he could see it. “No!”

  “Hey,” he said, his hands raised in defense. “I don’t judge. I was just curious.”

  I turned away, unable to meet his eyes. Was there any way out of this that left me with a shred of dignity? Shaking my head, I made a decision. I had to tell the truth. We had too much history to play this stupid game. I didn’t have time to waste with flirting. I had to get through to him now. I had to make him remember our time together. I had to be brave.

  “Brecken. You and I already know one another… really well.”

  “We do? From where?”

  This was it. The big leap. I was going to say it out loud. No hesitating. No fear. “My name isn’t Claire, and I am not a new transfer student who just happened to have all your same classes.”

  “Just for the record,” he said, “I think the name Claire suits you. Are you in the Witness Protection Program or something? You really shouldn’t be telling me if you are.”

  “Good… grief, Brecken. No. I am not in the Witness Protection Program! I was a guardian… your guardian. My name is Alisa. Alisa Callahan. Please don’t tell me you don’t remember at all.” I took a deep breath, trying to slow my pounding heart.

  He stared, his mouth open and ready to catch flies. His face, which was absolutely beautiful, was so easy for me to read, and I could tell he was not sure what to say. I was pretty sure he thought I was nuts, but he was nice enough not mention it.

  Without saying anything, he stopped the swaying of his swing and walked over to me, his legs straddling mine, so I couldn’t move. He placed his hands over mine on the chains and leaned down, our noses almost touching. I could smell the mint gum he’d been chewing, and an ache grew inside me.

  “It doesn’t matter who you are or why you’re here, but moments like this don’t come along every day. Something tells me not to let you leave too quickly.” A slow smile lit on his lips as he closed the space between us. He leaned forward and his mouth pressed gently against mine. Our lips were the only part of our bodies touching, and yet it felt like he completely covered me. Instinctively, my arms reached out and wrapped around his neck, lifting me from the swing and bringing us together. He didn’t resist, pulling me close, his mouth opening just enough to make me gasp in breathlessness.

  His kiss deepened, the ache inside me expanding and filling my whole body. The nagging thought that he was doing this with Claire, and not me, stabbed at my heart, but I’d missed him so much, needed him so much… how could I make him stop?

  30

  ~Happy Medium~

  Alisa

  We stayed in the park long enough to become dangerously hot and bothered, so I ended our make-out session, and it was way harder than I’d anticipated it would be. I pulled away which felt physically painful—making me want to scream out in protest—and said a hurried goodbye before things could go any further. Brecken seemed mystified, but I couldn’t justify kissing him if he didn’t know who I really was.

  On the way home, I felt Claire beginning to stretch and wake up, mentally speaking. It didn’t take her long to realize I was back in the driver seat, and she roared her frustration, pounding on my will, to make me let go, which caused a throbbing headache to erupt behind my eyes. I was still stronger than she was, so I held onto the helm.

  “Get a grip,” I said out loud.

  “Bas Iblis said not to give you control!” I heard her sobbing somewhere in our consciousness, and I almost felt sorry for her, but not enough to let go or apologize. “You needed a rest anyway,” I said. “All work and no play makes Claire a dull girl, you know.” I laughed at my joke. She didn’t.

  “Whatever. Just wait until Adam comes back. You’re dead.”

  I ignored her, not giving her prophetic words any credence, and concentrated on driving. I snuck inside her house as quietly as I could when I got there.

  “Where did you go, anyway?” Claire asked, once we were tucked in bed and lying in the dark. I was tired and didn’t want to have a conversation with her. It was amazing how exhausting it was to work a human body. Being spiritually tired wasn’t anything like being physically exhausted, and I hated how often I needed to rest now. It felt like a huge waste of time.

  “I went to my boyfriend’s house,” I answered.

  “In the middle of the night?” she asked, horrified. Then, in rapid-fire succession, she threw out accusations and questions. “What did you do? You better not have done anything I’ve never done before! He better not have any diseases!” She was furious, and her temper spiked. “I’m a virgin!” she screamed, pounding against my control. “I swear I’ll kill you if you ruined that for me! I swear I will!”

  The barrage felt like peppered gunshot. I was shocked into silence, but after she finished and took a figurative breath, I hurried to insert, “We didn’t do that. Geez.” It was quiet for a moment as though she was contemplating what I’d said, wondering if she should believe me or not.

  “Have you ever done it?” she asked.

  “What? None of your business.”

  “Well, as long as you’re here, it’s something we could talk about.”

  “I’m not having a conversation with you about sex.” I rolled over and scrunched my eyes shut, remembering the way Brecken’s lips had moved over mine. Man, I’d give anything to feel that again.

  “Did you do it with him before you died?”

  “Argg! I didn’t even know him when I was alive,” I said without thinking.

  That seemed to surprise her. A second later, she spoke again. “You mean you met after you died? How is that even possible?”

  I took a deep breath and got ready for the long conversation I didn’t want to have. Starting at the beginning, I explained about my suicide, how hard my life had been, and about Mr. Roland. Everything. I didn’t know why I confided so much, but at the moment, she felt like a friend, and I needed that desperately, as insane as that sounded.

  “I think I remember hearing about Mr. Roland… in the newspaper or something. Wow,” she mused.

  I sighed in exhaustion. “Yeah.”

  “So then what?”

  I continued to explain how everyone in heaven had a job, that there was no rest. At least the kind I’d wanted. Then I explained about being a guardian, and that Brecken had been my charge, how he’d had spiritual gifts that gave him the ability to see me and hear me, and how hard that had made it.

  Claire listened with patience to the whole story, asking a question here or there, but always wanting me to finish. Finally, after a long pause, she asked, “Is there any way I could get a message to someone?

  “To who?”

  “My grandmother.”

  “Not at this point. I’m kind of stuck here now.”

  “But once you’re unstuck?”

  “Maybe.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to pass along any messages for Claire. She’d been awful to me so far, and now that
I knew she was the reason I was trapped here, I found it hard to want to help her. Even though she’d been nice throughout my story, I didn’t trust her. Not yet.

  “I just want to know if my grandmother is okay and happy.”

  I could understand that. I’d felt the very same way about my gram, and I didn’t have the heart to be cruel. Maybe it was the guardian in me. There was a tiny piece of me that wanted to help Claire, and even comfort her.

  “I’ll give her that message,” I said. “If I can find her. I’m sure she’s up in Elysium somewhere, working and happy.”

  “Where do the evil people go?”

  “Was she evil?”

  “Of course not. I… was just wondering.”

  I hesitated, not wanting to talk about Soul Prison. I knew quite a few people there, and thinking of them… well, I just didn’t want them to know I was thinking of them. Too many people in Soul Prison wanted me dead… on an eternal basis.

  “Well, yeah. There is a place,” I said, being evasive.

  “What’s it like?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “Why wouldn’t I want to know?”

  “Because it’s not a good place, and I don’t really want to talk about it,” I said.

  “Did you ever go there?”

  Memories of Soul Prison washed over me. The taste that had coated my tongue when I’d visited, metallic and hot. The smell of burning tar, the screams in the darkness. It was all still there, and I shivered unconsciously. “Yes. I went there.”

  “Why?”

  “Geez, Claire. I said I didn’t want to talk about it. It was awful, and you don’t want to know. Really.”

  She went quiet for a moment, and then said, “I’m afraid I’m going there.”

  “To where? Soul prison? Why would you think you that?” Sure, she had done some bad things, but from what I understood, she hadn’t done any of it maliciously. She was more naïve and stupid than anything else.