The Elementalist

by Melissa J. Cunningham

  55

  ~Begging for Help~

  Brecken

  Brecken cleared his throat, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and stood before them. This was really hard to say, because it sounded so stupid out loud. He chuckled and shuffled his feet. “The truth is, I… was… one of those demons a long time ago. I was one of the bad guys.”

  At Brecken’s confession, Kaden busted up laughing. “Now I see why Claire likes you!” He slapped his knee and stood. “I’m not about to listen to any more of your bull. We’re not as stupid as you think. We’ve gone along with Claire’s craziness for years now, but only because we all grew up together and wanted to support her in her hobby, but this is too much.”

  “Kaden, stop!” Claire jumped to her feet, a panicked expression on her face. “Please. I promise that you’ll see we’re telling the truth! Let Brecken finish.”

  Brecken sensed Kaden wanted a fight, but he wasn’t about to give in to him. Thankfully, Kaden kept his mouth shut, but he crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw flexing. He sat back down on the couch and looked away.

  “Well,” Brecken said, gathering nerve, because more than anything he wanted to crawl under his bed and hide from what he was about to say. “Like I said, I was a demon, and I know it sounds stupid, but I wanted to change. The archangel, Raphael saw something in me and decided to give me a chance.

  “One of the things I am supposed to do is come to Earth and have a mortal life, to prove I am worthy of being redeemed. I was supposed to forget everything, but I got to keep some supernatural gifts. I could see spirits, auras, and sense evil more profoundly than the average human being.

  “For years, I thought there was something wrong with me. I had to take medication because no one believed my farfetched stories. Spirit guardians were always hanging around—to keep me on the straight and narrow, I thought—but really, they were there to keep me safe from the demons who hated me, who were hunting me down, and who wanted me dead. They feel betrayed by me, and they’re right. I did betray them. I switched sides, which is the worst thing a demon can do. You don’t switch sides. Ever.”

  Blowing his bangs out of his eyes, Brecken took a long breath. “Alisa came along and I… well, things went differently than planned. She saved me. Saved my life, and… our relationship changed. We became close and I… uh… we fell in love.”

  It had taken all the will he had to open himself up like that. It was way worse than fighting a demonic fiend hand to hand. Claire’s friends stared at him with disbelief. He could see it in their eyes. Shaking his head, he began to turn away, feeling overwhelmingly vulnerable, and for some reason, stupid, like their opinions mattered in some way.

  “Forget it, Claire. They won’t help,” he mumbled, wanting to flee from the room.

  “I will.”

  Everyone turned to Wade, surprised he had even spoken. He was by far the quietest of the group, seldom offering up his views, which were usually ridiculed by his twin brother.

  “What?” Kaden asked. “You actually believe this garbage?”

  Wade looked up, his eyes bright and blue. “Yes. I believe it. I believe Brecken.”

  “Why?” Brecken asked, too amazed to even realize what he was saying.

  Wade shrugged and looked away with a bashful smile. “I don’t know. It just feels like the truth, even though it does sound crazy. Crazier things have happened. Haven’t they, Kaden?”

  Kaden didn’t answer, just frowned and looked anywhere but at his twin.

  “Like what?” Katelyn asked.

  Kaden answered quickly, before anyone else had a chance. “None of your business.”

  They all stared at one another in silence, the room charged with energy, no one wanting to speak. Brecken waited, hoping Wade would, but he didn’t. Strange things could happen between twins and he suspected something bizarre had occurred between them in the past, but he didn’t push it. The fact Wade had said anything at all was huge. “It’s okay, Wade. I appreciate the benefit of the doubt. I don’t need to know anyone else’s secrets.”

  “Well, I do,” Katelyn said. She took off her sunglasses and folded them, tucking them away in her purse. “I love secrets.” She winked at Wade and crossed her legs. “Shall we get started?”

  ***

  Brecken lay down in his bathtub, his five new friends surrounding him in a bathroom that was easily half the size of Claire’s. They held hands, and Claire sat on the toilet seat with the book on her lap so she could read the words of the spell. Brecken would have approximately six hours in the afterworld—give or take—which would give him time to sneak in, find Alisa, rescue her, and bring her back… hopefully.

  Claire’s heart beat wildly and her armpits felt damp with sweat as she contemplated what they were about to do. Her experience as an Elementalist was what would make it happen, and yet she knew that these powers did not come from a good place.

  Brecken took deep breaths, over and over, filling his lungs with oxygen, and then he caught her eye and nodded. This was it. Her cue to begin. The spell was memorized, but she read from the book anyway, refusing to make a mistake. Especially when she felt so anxious. If she messed up the words…

  Her voice sounded tremulous and frightened as her mouth pronounced the unfamiliar language. But as the chant tumbled from her lips, she gained strength. On and on, she repeated the words that would catapult Brecken into the afterlife. Her whole being, as well as the energy from her friends, combined to make the spell five times more powerful—a swirling, vibrant force with a life all its own. It encircled them in a glittering fog, invigorating their skin, their minds, and their bodies.

  This was going to work.

  On the last word of the spell, Brecken plunged below the water, which glowed with supernatural power. A serene expression came over his face, and he lay beneath the surface as though he were only sleeping.

  56

  ~The Breakout~

  Bas Iblis

  Bas Iblis reclined on his throne of obsidian, but he did not feel relaxed, nor was he calm. Thoughts raced through mind as he waited, trying to figure out Bretariel’s next move. He knew the Betrayer would come. He wouldn’t be able to resist. The hounds of hell wouldn’t stop him. He’d fall into Bas Iblis’ trap, captured forever. He smiled slowly even though he was as tense as a feline, ready to pounce.

  His plan was finally coming together. After eons of patient waiting, being held a prisoner himself, having his powers stripped from him by a vengeful God, he was now ready to seize back his position in the heavens, overthrowing the realm that proclaimed to be holy. It had been all too easy to conquer Idir Shaol, but that little village was only a blip in the universe. Controlling that realm would allow him to control all guardians and soon, all angels.

  It was time for a new master. The apocalypse was coming. His time of power had finally arrived. With a roar of triumph, he rose and thrust his fists in the air, his lips drawn back in a feral grin. His minions who surrounded him flinched and crouched low to the ground, but he paid them no attention. They were not his soldiers, only his slaves. Obedient, but worthless.

  When Bretariel arrived, he would quickly be captured and brought to this very room. Bas Iblis imagined the tortures he would delight in inflicting. There were many ways to torture a soul, and he knew them all. The cries of the damned rang through these halls, testifying to his cruelty. With that thought, his soul expanded with euphoria.

  57

  ~Back In the Saddle~

  Alisa

  Alisa was pretty sure a millennium had passed while she sat in her dark, lonely cell, waiting for her handsome prince to rescue her. She was starting to think it might not happen. Maybe it had been a one-time fluke. How had he done it anyway? The fact that she had no answers was enough to drive her over the edge.

  Realizing she might have to rescue herself, she hobbled over to the locked cell door and peered out at the empty corridor. Using her right hand, she moved it over the locking mechanism, focusing all her energy
, all her power, on escaping. She’d done this every day, hoping that this time, it would work. Nothing happened. Not even a slight sound that would indicate the door was going to unlock for her.

  She tried again and again, using different tactics, different commands, all with the same result. This door was locked with more than just a key. Slumping to the floor, she admitted defeat.

  Maybe Calvik had been lying. Maybe Brecken was never here. Maybe it was one of those things guards did to dig the knife a little deeper, causing as much false hope and misery as possible. She rehearsed it in her mind exactly how it happened that day. The way Calvik had stopped, the way he had examined his weapons, the expression on his face. No. It was real. He was telling the truth.

  Hour after hour, she sat on a cold slab of stone, dripped on incessantly by poisonous fluid, and no one cared. What had happened to that glorious feeling that everything would work out? Why couldn’t she get those feelings back? Her luminescence was fading, and none of the other inmates cried out for her to help them anymore. She was alone, and Brecken wasn’t coming for her.

  She turned toward the wall, the dark enveloping her, covering her like a shroud, to consume her. There was no reason to go on, to survive this torment. Her last thought before she let the shadows take her was for her loved ones, her family, that they would somehow survive whatever was coming.

  ***

  Brecken appeared at the gates of Soul Prison, just like before. The same heavy chill rippled over his shoulders and seemed to permeate through him. The path grew dense before him, and the wailing renewed. He stood there, unable to take that first step, his heart clenching at the thought of heading straight into Gehenna. He wasn’t exactly afraid, but his whole soul rebelled as he forced himself to proceed.

  He made it much farther down the path than he anticipated before meeting any guards. They were low-level trainees. It took him no time to snatch their swords away and incapacitate them, sending them back to wherever they’d hatched. He kept their swords, neither of which were Nephilim, but they were better than nothing.

  He held one in each hand. They would wound, but they could not kill. He didn’t want to kill anyway. Well, maybe he’d kill Bas Iblis, but at this point, that was not his goal. He just wanted to find Alisa and get out of there.

  With a weapon in each hand, he headed into the darkness. His emotions, wreaking havoc inside him, sent his thoughts down harmful avenues—thoughts that Alisa was no longer there, that they had killed her, that he would be trapped and unable to save her. Or that she no longer loved him, and his life was a failure. He plodded on, one heavy foot after another. The roiling darkness, like a storm, buffeting him, trying to push him back the way he came. It took all his will to withstand the destructive pressure and labor on.

  He lost track of time and seemed to be going nowhere, as though the path kept stretching out with no end in sight. And then in the midst of all this, a thought hit him. One he’d long forgotten. All he had to do was think of where he wanted to be, and he would be there.

  “So stupid,” he hissed to himself, knowing he’d wasted valuable time wandering in the Mists of Saturnine. Stopping, he closed his eyes and thrust all other thoughts from his mind. It was harder than anything he had done so far—to quiet his mind—but he focused on her face. The blueness of her eyes. The glow of her hair. The softness of her spirit. A moment later, he opened his eyes, positive he’d still be standing, forlorn, on a lonely path in the darkness. What he saw was much more terrifying.

  He stood at the doors of Gehenna.

  Quickly, he hid, pressing himself against the black rock wall, wondering if he had already been spotted. There was no commotion of pounding feet, so he figured he was safe… for now at least. He peeked around the edge. There were no guards posted at the doors, which he found strange.

  He slipped inside, not making a sound. He’d forgotten how easy it was to get around without a physical body. He missed the freedom of being a spirit now that he had it.

  Gehenna was a monstrous fortress made of stone from top to bottom. There were no windows, only heavy doors and viscous liquid that coated the walls and dripped continuously. He was careful to keep away from it, as it would drown him in sorrow before he even got through the first corridor.

  It had been eons since he’d been there, but he remembered which halls housed the prison cells, and then there was the throne room at the center of the maze. Creeping, he hid in dark corners when guards passed.

  The wailing grew as he penetrated deeper. He peeked through the first barred window he came to, perceiving instantly that it was no one he wanted to deal with. On he went, farther into the pit, despairing that he would ever find her.

  He turned frequent corners, checked numerous rooms, and finally his shoulders slumped in hopelessness as he turned into the next cell block. She had to be here. She had to be! He slid along the wall, never quite touching the rocky surface, and snuck a peek through the window. He grabbed the bars in astonishment.

  The being inside lifted his eyes. They widened in surprise and shock. “Bretariel?” the famous archangel blurted, his robes streaked with grime, his eyes holding a sadness that knew no end.

  “Raphael?” Brecken stared, unable to move. “Hold on! I’ll get you out.” Brecken had no keys and no way to open the door. It didn’t have a handle on the outside, so Brecken pulled on the bars in the window. The door didn’t budge. He searched, bewildered.

  “It’s a special key, Bretariel,” Raphael said wearily. “Calvik carries it.”

  “Calvik?” he repeated. “The Calvik?”

  Raphael nodded and then went back to his original position, slumped over in despair.

  58

  ~Failed Attempt~

  Claire

  Claire and her friends waited in the bathroom, holding hands. They couldn’t let go. If they lost that connection, the spell would end. It was as simple as that.

  Claire’s hand, lost in Kaden’s massive grip, began to sweat. His fingers were as thick as sausages and extra long. She yearned to yank her hand away and wipe it off on her pants. It was just the opposite with Wade. His fingers were slim and delicate, cool to the touch. So different from his twin’s. He held her hand lightly, but the connection was strong.

  Jamie stood at the end of the line, closest to the door, refusing to even look at her. She felt his cold shoulder acutely, but refused to be baited. If he wanted to pout, fine. She’d let him. He was being immature, thinking she had a crush on Brecken. Sure, Brecken was hot, but they were just friends. That was all it was, but the nasty looks from Jamie were starting to irritate her.

  “How much longer?” Katelyn asked. “I’m getting tired of this. Let’s sit.”

  They squatted down and sat on the old, but clean linoleum floor. Claire was still on the toilet seat, which now, she wished she could use. Alone. The bathroom was getting too warm, and she felt droplets of sweat trickle down her chest.

  Katelyn turned to Jamie, and they began to whisper back and forth. No one else was speaking, so their clandestine conversation could be heard by everyone.

  “So,” Katelyn said. “What do you think of this? Do you think he’s dead?” She glanced at Brecken’s still form in the tub. “He looks dead to me.” She laughed like it would be funny if he were.

  Jamie shook his head and looked away. “I think I’m gonna puke.”

  “You better not!” Claire said more forcefully than she intended.

  “If someone pukes, I’m outta here,” Kaden stated, his fingers loosening on Claire’s hand. She held on to him even tighter.

  “How much longer?” Wade asked.

  Claire glanced at the timer. “Twenty more minutes.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Kaden exclaimed. “No way. We can’t sit like this without letting go for twenty minutes.”

  “You will,” Claire said, her jaw tight, her eyes filled with fire. “I swear to you, if you let go, I will hunt you down and make you regret you were ever born.” Her words shocked he
r. They sounded so awful. Would she really do that? To one of her friends?

  Jamie glared at her. “How dare you say that? Who do you think you are? We’re here for you. Not him. And talking like that will only make us want to leave.” He said it like a promise, and Claire’s first reaction was to get defensive and angry.

  “Like I haven’t done hundreds of things for you I didn’t like?” she shouted. “Do you think I actually enjoy swim meets?” She glared back at him, daring him to say anything else.

  A slight smile came to Jamie’s lips. “You know what? You’re right. I shouldn’t expect you to support me. Maybe I should return that favor.” And with that, he let go of Katelyn’s hand.

  Claire stared at him in horror. “What are you doing?” she screeched.

  “I’m leaving.” He stood up, opened the door, and gave Claire a sarcastic half wave. “Sayonara suckers!” He slammed the door behind him before Claire had a chance to respond.

  Her first course of action was to grab Brecken from the water. “Help me!”

  Kaden had no problem yanking Brecken out of the tub. He set him down on the bath rug, but Brecken didn’t wake up like he was supposed to. He just lay there, limp.

  “Check his pulse,” she yelled to Katelyn, who hurried to press her fingers to Brecken’s neck.

  “I feel a heartbeat,” she said. “But I can’t tell how strong it is. I’m not a doctor.”

  “Is he breathing?” Wade asked.

  Claire placed her ear over Brecken’s mouth. Sure enough, his chest rose and fell with each shallow breath of air.

  “So, if he’s alive, why isn’t he awake?” Katelyn asked.

  They all turned to Claire for the answer, but she didn’t have one. “I don’t know. He’s supposed to wake up as soon as his nose and mouth clear the water and he regains consciousness. I don’t know what’s wrong.”