The Elementalist

by Melissa J. Cunningham

  Sauntering upstairs, he got some cold cereal for breakfast. He poured the milk and sprinkled on sugar… going through the motions… knowing Lilim was watching. He heard her constant babble, but now that he realized what she was trying to do, her power was hugely diminished. She felt like a tickle, a bug he could squash, but what fun would that be? He’d let it go, hoping to lull her into a sense of over-confidence.

  Sitting down on the couch, he flipped on the TV and put his feet up on the coffee table, munching down on Corn Flakes, his mind going a million miles an hour even though no emotions showed outwardly on his face.

  Finally, he said, “Lilim. Show yourself. I need to ask you something.”

  She appeared on the other side of the coffee table, her hands clasped before her. “You called?”

  “Since you’ve been following me around like a lost puppy, I figured it was time we had a chat.”

  “All right,” she said, looking curious.

  Brecken set his empty cereal bowl down and leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees in a relaxed pose. “I would like the truth from you.”

  She lifted one eyebrow and cocked her head. “When have I ever lied?”

  He inhaled slowly, trying to keep his temper in check. “Please don’t start now. We’re both already in the depths of misery. I would just like to know a few things, so I can know where to go from here.”

  Lilim’s eyes narrowed. “Ask away.”

  “First of all, where is Alisa? I know the demons have control of Idir Shaol, at least I suspect they do, and that is where I think Alisa went.”

  “You’re right about that. We do have control of that adorable little hamlet. We threw a splendid coupe that no one suspected was coming. It was almost too easy,” she said with a smile.

  “And my other question?” Brecken said.

  “Ah, the Guardian.” Lilim sat down in a comfy chair kiddy-corner from Brecken and crossed her legs. “She presented one problem after another, guarding you, and then saving you from Lamia. We needed her out of the way, which was why we used the Elementalist originally, but your little girlfriend has proven far wiser than we anticipated. She found her way out of that body.”

  “Claire Balister’s body.”

  “Yes,” Lilim answered as though she thought him an idiot.

  “What happened to Claire?” he asked.

  “Nothing. She is still alive and well. Out of the picture though. We no longer need her. We strung her along when she had value, but now she doesn’t.”

  “And Alisa?” Brecken asked as though he didn’t really care. At least he didn’t want Lilim to know how much he really cared. He turned, his arms crossed over his tanned and muscled chest. He noticed Lilim staring, and even though this body was young, and he still had room to grow into a man, he was beautiful. He’d be back to what he looked like—as the Undoer—in a few short years. Full grown. Powerful. And deadly to demons.

  But he needed to tap into those abilities now. Not later.

  “She… uh…” She lifted her gaze to glance at his face. “She is in Gehenna, from what I heard. I don’t keep track of her. I couldn’t care less where they toss her.”

  He straightened, his arms falling to his sides. He could no longer hide his feelings as the horror of Alisa’s situation hit him. “Gehenna? Are you sure?”

  A small smile came to Lilim’s face. “Why? Does that bother you? Are you worried about your little guardian?” Lilim disappeared and reappeared instantly right before him. She straddled his legs, leaning close enough that she could kiss him if she had a corporeal body. “She’s been there long enough now that she has become a babbling idiot.” She trailed a finger down his chest and to his stomach.

  He breathed in her foul stench and pushed her away, getting up. Her seductions didn’t work on him anymore. It wasn’t even hard to walk away, but she followed him into the bathroom to pester him more. He ignored her while he showered and dressed for the day. In front of the mirror, he stared at his reflection as though it could tell him something… how to proceed, how to save Alisa. The only way to get where he needed to go would be to die. To commit suicide. But that would make him powerless… and damned… at least for a long time.

  He’d never studied anything here on Earth that would help him communicate with the other world. He hadn’t needed to, but he did have the need now, and he knew someone who could.

  Hurrying, he found his phone and looked up Claire’s name and address, finding her info easily. Then he turned to Lilim, who stood just behind him. He stretched out his arm, his palm an inch from her face. “Lilim of the underworld, I command you to leave me. You are no longer allowed to follow me or be in my presence.” He pointed his finger and touched her on the forehead. She was too surprised to do anything but watch with dreaded fascination. A brilliant light flashed around them, and she disappeared without a word or argument. He should have done that sooner. He really was an idiot.

  Hopping on his motorcycle, he revved the engine and raced to Claire’s house.

  47

  ~A Dangerous Request~

  Claire

  Claire sat in the basement, looking at the herbs and vials she had collected over the last few years. It all sat in a box, untouched, and she was ready to throw it away. Having the King of Hell appear in her basement and not recognizing him for who he really was had been enough incentive to destroy these playthings. A shiver rippled over her shoulders. How could she have been so stupid? And all this time she’d thought she was doing something great, something important.

  The roar of a motorcycle pulling into her driveway brought her attention back to the present. The doorbell rang, and she waited silently to see if she could recognize who it was. A masculine voice she didn’t recognize asked for her by name.

  The guy waited for her in her living room, sitting on the couch. From his black leather jacket, to his dark, windblown hair, he oozed something… primal. Her heart began to race and even though he seemed familiar—like she should know him—she couldn’t quite put her finger on how. Flustered, she knew he was more than what he seemed, but she couldn’t think of anything to say and couldn’t even get her mouth to work. This had never happened to her around a boy. Ever.

  “Uh… hi,” she said, finally finding her voice.

  He stood when she walked into the room. “Claire? I’m Brecken Shaefer. You don’t know me but—”

  “Brecken Shaefer. You’re Alisa’s boyfriend,” she whispered in astonishment. “I’ve seen you before.” And then it all clicked into place. Alisa had studied with him at the library and she remembered seeing him in class a couple of times. But Alisa had been in charge of her body at those moments, so the memories seemed like wisps of dreams.

  “Uh… yeah.”

  Heat rushed through her body and a blush flooded up her neck, filling her cheeks. He could see it, she was sure. She turned away, embarrassed, the uncomfortable silence growing painful. One of them needed to say something, but it was not going to be her. He shuffled his feet and glanced out of the front bay window.

  “So, you go to Hill Valley High?”

  “Yeah. And you go to Ocean Side.”

  He nodded.

  “You can sit down if you’d like.”

  He did.

  She did.

  The silence stretched.

  “Well, I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here.” He chuckled, looking away, and then glancing back at her.

  Claire knew her mother was listening from the kitchen, and Brecken probably realized it too. They needed some privacy or this conversation would go nowhere. “Want to sit out on the porch?”

  “Yes,” he hurried to answer.

  There was a porch swing on the lawn far enough away from the house that they wouldn’t be heard, but close enough that she felt safe.

  “This is really weird.” She glanced at his face and then his mouth. He had kissed her with those lips. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, wondering what they would feel like now. The memorie
s were only whispers, but they were there, even though they weren’t hers. A part of her wished they were. Sitting this close to him made her breathing hitch and her heart beat faster. She didn’t understand this animal magnetism, and yet it thrilled her.

  He sighed and laughed. “You have no idea.”

  “I kind of do.”

  “So,” he began. “I don’t know how much Alisa has told you about me.”

  “Not much.”

  “But you know who I am.”

  “Well,” Claire answered. “I know you were her boyfriend. That she was your guardian angel or something, and that’s how you met.”

  He nodded and played with the leather biking gloves in his hands. She watched his long, lean fingers and ached to study his face, but he’d see what she felt if she did that. These raw passions he elicited were not totally unfamiliar to her, but they felt too raw, too immobilizing. She’d never had such emotion course through her like this. She could hardly think straight.

  That thought made her glance up at the house across the street. She noticed a figure in the upstairs window, but as soon as Jamie noticed her gaze, he stepped back out of sight. A twinge of guilt stabbed through her even though she wasn’t doing anything wrong. Jamie didn’t have to jump to conclusions, but she knew he would.

  “I’ll cut to the quick,” Brecken said.

  Even his words, the tone of his voice, like honey and melted chocolate, made her want to reach out and touch him, to smooth his hair from his brow. She threaded her fingers together just in case she accidentally did just that.

  He turned slightly so he could look into her eyes, seeming completely oblivious with how he affected her. “I need to get to the other side, or at the very least, get a message to the other side, but I don’t know how to do it. I could really use your help.”

  “The other side of what?” she asked, thinking of his hands and the way they would feel stroking through her hair, around her waist, or maybe just holding her face, or—

  “Life. Or death. However you want to look at it.”

  “Huh?” Claire pulled back, confused and lost in the conversation. “What exactly are you asking?”

  “I need to get my soul into the world of spirits.”

  “You mean you want me to use Elementalism? To kill you?” Horror washed through her at the thought. She’d just promised never to tamper with that power again.

  “Well, whatever it is you do to contact the other side.”

  She shook her head and stood, pacing on the grass, forgetting all those sensual feelings he’d aroused. They were gone, and now she was left with fear as the replacement. “No. I can’t. I promised my mom I wouldn’t do that anymore. Plus, I found out how dangerous it really is. I’ve done some terrible things because of Elementalism.”

  “I know,” he said, his eyes pleading. “But something is wrong, and I have to get back there. I have to help Alisa. She’s in a really dangerous place.”

  “I can’t help you. I wouldn’t even know what to do.” She stood before him, frowning. “You want to use the elements? I’m not going to call another soul here. I don’t know how to do it anyway, and the last time I tried… well, you know what happened.”

  “You’d only need to use one element. Water. It will send my soul to the other side.”

  “You want me to kill you?” she yelled. “Are you crazy?”

  He rose suddenly, shushing her and searching the surrounding neighborhood for anyone who might have heard her. “No, not kill me. Just send my spirit to the other side… for a short time. It’s been done before.”

  “Not by good people, it hasn’t. That’s dangerous, and I’ve never done it. I wouldn’t even know how to start.” Claire folded her arms over her chest and continued pacing, her face tight, and her frown deepening.

  “But you could try.”

  She looked into his eyes that were filled with yearning and sorrow, and wanted to say no. He had no idea what he was asking. Water was her grandmother’s forte, not hers, and look where it had gotten her. Shaking her head, she began to say no again, but Brecken stopped her with his hands on her arms, gazing deeply into her eyes. The heat of his fingers on her skin… the closeness… the scent of him was like a drug.

  “Please, help me.”

  48

  ~The Tub~

  Brecken

  Two days later, giving Claire enough time to study, they sat in her upstairs bathroom together. Angela was gone visiting a friend, and Claire was skipping school. They had plenty of time. Hopefully. Brecken took off his shoes and socks, standing with his bare feet on the cold tile floor.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Claire asked.

  “Yes. Absolutely. And you can’t pull me back until the last second.”

  Claire bit her lip and held her ancient book opened to the page that would send Brecken to hell. Literally. But only for a visit.

  “What if it doesn’t work? What if you drown?”

  “You know CPR, don’t you?”

  “Don’t be stupid, Brecken. If you die in my house, I’ll be charged with murder.”

  “I won’t drown. Just say the spell correctly.”

  She nodded and sat down on the toilet seat. “It’s just that ten minutes is an awfully long time to be under water. And what if I make a mistake?”

  “The spell keeps me from drowning. Just pull me out on time. You have the timer, right?”

  She nodded, and Brecken locked the bathroom door. The tub was already full of water. He was shocked by how frigid it felt, especially with his wet jeans clinging to his legs. It had to be cold water to work. He didn’t know why. Maybe to keep the body from dying too quickly. It would slow everything down, giving him time to accomplish his mission and get back. Repressing a shiver, he laid down until he was completely covered up to his neck. He breathed heavily, already anxious and afraid he’d fail. Doubt clouded his mind, but he pushed it back. He was doing this for Alisa. He’d do anything for her.

  “Okay,” he said. “Start.”

  Claire commenced to read, her tone smooth and relaxed, the words becoming a chant. Over and over, she repeated the same phrase. A chill grew in the room, and Brecken’s breath puffed out from his lips. He was shivering uncontrollably, but Claire didn’t stop, and he didn’t want her to.

  When she said the last word, he hesitated for only a second, and then plunged his head beneath the water. It washed over him as though he had fallen through the ice of a frozen lake. He caught himself at the last second, tempted to open his mouth and gasp.

  After a moment, his lungs began to burn, but he knew he must follow the correct steps for this to work. The water would become a conduit and would place him in transit to the afterlife, but he must give it time to work. The seconds ticked by, and tiny bubbles escaped his nose. He kept his eyes closed so he wouldn’t get distracted, and just when he was about to give up, thinking the ritual hadn’t worked after all, his body relaxed. He no longer felt the cold or the need to breathe. He was weightless, floating in a sea of nothing.

  And then he opened his eyes.

  The scene became familiar. He’d been here before. It was desolation as far as the eye could see—dead trees and dead grass that continued to grow, thorny and full of misery. Writhing souls wailed from the tar pits in trapped anguish.

  He was at the gates of Soul Prison.

  It was impossible not to feel the horror of this place, especially if you didn’t belong here, and his heart wrenched with foreboding. The darkness that used to hide him as a demon had turned to light, and now he radiated with a brilliance that caused every head to turn and take notice.

  The anguished spirits gravitated toward his glow begging him to put an end to their suffering. He tried to shush their cries, but they only wailed louder. Brecken hurried on, hoping for a place to hide from the sentries that were sure to patrol this path. It was a long way to Gehenna, and he couldn’t be caught before he got there.

  ***

  Claire sat on the toilet s
eat, watching Brecken’s body under the water. He lay perfectly still as though he really were dead, and every second that ticked by filled her with dread. She itched to grab him out of the water, to make sure he was still alive. She couldn’t do it too soon though. She had to give him enough time. From the way he’d described it, ten minutes under the water would equate to about two hours on the other side.

  Her phone rang in the other room, but she ignored it. She couldn’t leave him or get distracted. She glanced at the timer. It had only been three minutes and already she wanted to pull her hair out with worry. A couple more minutes passed and then she heard rapping on her bedroom window across the hall.

  She cursed under her breath. It could only be one person. She chose to ignore him, but the banging continued. She glanced at the clock. Five minutes left. She had time to quickly tell Jamie to leave.

  Claire hurried across the hall and into her room. Unlatching the window, she let it swing open. “Jamie, I can’t talk right now.” She tried to shut the window, but he blocked her efforts with his arm.

  “Wait. You don’t even know why I’m here.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You have to go.” She pushed on the window harder, but instead of backing away like he would have in the past, Jamie climbed inside. He stood in her room as she stared him down, her jaw clenching.

  “I don’t have time for this!” she yelled. Running back into the bathroom, she slammed the door, locking it behind her.

  Three minutes were left on the timer.

  “Are you okay?” Jamie asked from the other side.

  “Damn it, Jamie. I need you to go away!”

  “Are you sick?”

  “Argg!” She refused to explain. It was none of his business. Why couldn’t he just leave? She could hear him on the other side, his feet shuffling.