The Elementalist

by Melissa J. Cunningham

  “Dad.” Brecken’s voice felt gravelly in his throat from lack of use. He tried to wipe the sleep from his crusty eyes.

  “No.”

  Brecken tried to reach out and take his father’s hand, but Calvin Shaefer pulled back, just out of reach. He stood beside Brecken with a granite expression. No smile. No words of comfort or compassion.

  “Call me Calliel from now on.”

  “Huh?” Brecken rubbed his face and stared at his father, his mind slow to respond, but for the first time, he recognized who this man really was. His heart ached at the rejection he saw in Calliel’s eyes. Finally, Brecken understood why he had never felt loved by him. He was fully aware that there were angels who were angry that he’d been given this chance, who didn’t believe that he deserved to switch sides. Many had made their feelings clear, but he’d never imagined one would be assigned to be his Earthly father.

  How hard he’d tried to win his dad’s favor, to impress him somehow, to earn his approval. He’d never been able to and now he knew why. Closing his eyes, he tried to hold back the deep ache in his chest that threatened to surface as tears. More than anything, he didn’t want to show that kind of emotion in front of Calliel. Brecken was the Great Undoer after all, but never before had he felt so small.

  “Please go away,” he whispered, betrayed by the trembling in his voice.

  Calliel plopped down in the chair by the bed and shook his head. “No can do. I have to stay to make sure you make a full recovery.”

  “I’m recovered,” Brecken said quietly, wishing more than anything to be alone.

  “Not quite. There’s been some talk, Bretariel… of traitors in our midst.”

  Brecken turned to gaze at the man he once revered as his father, whose expression was now filled with such disgust for him that there could be no mistaking how he felt.

  With a deep breath, Calliel spoke. “There’s a war starting. Right now. As we speak.” He leaned forward, his hands gripping the chair, his knuckles white. “And I should be there. But instead, I sit here in this disgusting place, babysitting the demon who caused it all to happen.”

  “I caused it? What are you talking about?”

  “It’s you they want. It was you they were bargaining for. They probably would have left Idir Shaol alone if Michael had handed you over.”

  Brecken flinched in disbelief. “That’s not true.”

  “It is.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  Calliel gave Brecken a slow smile and then sat back casually in his chair. “The archangels wouldn’t give you back. They valued your life more than everyone else’s. And then there was the problem of your little guardian messing things up.”

  “What?” This whole conversation was hitting him from left field. It was so confusing that Brecken had no idea where it was coming from or where it was going, but there was one thing he did know. Calliel had been completely misled.

  He tried to figure out the timeline in his head, but he was still too groggy and too achy to focus. “Please, just go.”

  “Sorry,” Calliel said, intertwining his fingers over his stomach. “I have to stay here until I’m told I can leave.”

  Brecken took a deep breath and tried to sit up, the room spinning. He slid his feet from the bed and let them hang over the edge, his back to Calliel. Brecken wore a typical hospital gown that was open in the back, letting the cool breeze in. Goose bumps rose on his back, arms, and legs.

  He turned slowly to look over his shoulder, and Calliel’s eyes grew narrow, his hand moving slowly behind him. On gut instinct, Brecken leaped from the bed to the nearby window, hoping it would open, but his balance was off and he stumbled to the side, falling over the rolling bed tray. He crashed to the floor with the dishes and Calliel on top of him, straddling his prone, weak body, a Nephilim dagger pressed to his neck.

  Instantly, Brecken stopped struggling, astonished that his life was about to end this way, by the hand of the man he’d practically worshiped. “Dad, please.”

  “I’m not your dad.” Calliel shook his head slowly back and forth, his voice a low growl. “And you can beg all you want, but your time here is over. I’m done. I don’t care what happens anymore. This whole experience was a complete waste of time… for everyone. You’ll never change. You are who you are. The Great Undoer, and that’s just what you do. Everything around you unravels and falls apart. None of this would be happening if it weren’t for you. My wife is on the front lines of battle, fighting right now, with death at her heels, because of you.”

  Calliel’s fingers tightened around Brecken’s neck, squeezing. His other arm was raised high, the dagger in his fist glinting brightly in the evening sunshine. Brecken endeavored to push the knife away, but Calliel was much stronger. Just when he was about to give up, he heard a scream from over by the door.

  Both Brecken and Calliel turned in surprise. Sophie, Heidi, and a couple of nurses, stood in the doorway with wide eyes and horror-struck expressions. Sophie immediately burst into tears and raced to Calliel’s side, throwing her arms around his chest.

  “Please don’t hurt Brecken, Daddy! Please! He’ll be good from now on; we promise!”

  Heidi remained at the door, her shaking hand covering her mouth, her whole body trembling. “Wha… what are you doing?” Her eyes bored into her father’s, the terror in her expression heartbreaking.

  Calliel slid off Brecken and put his arms around Sophie. “Oh, honey. I’m sorry. It’s not what you think.”

  Heidi and the nurses rushed to Brecken’s side, hefting him up by the armpits. They helped him balance with their arms around him, their expressions of shock still plastered on their faces. Calliel reached out to Heidi, but she backed away slowly. He got to his feet, slipping the dagger into the back of his pants.

  “Sophie, come here,” Heidi ordered, gesturing to her.

  Sophie shook her head, burying her face in their dad’s shirt. Her sobs were the only thing heard in the room besides Brecken’s labored breathing.

  “I would never hurt her,” Calliel said, trying to calm everyone down. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

  “You mean you weren’t just sitting on Brecken with a knife at his throat!” Heidi screamed and then she began to cry. “What were you thinking? He’s been in a coma for a week! What is wrong with you?”

  “I’ve called the police,” a nurse stated, her eyes steely and her jaw clenched.

  They all stood there, staring at one another. There was no explanation Brecken could give his sisters to make this right. Not one that would make any sense anyway. They had no idea who he really was, nor that their dad was a guardian angel sent here to protect him. There was no way to explain or repair this debacle of a relationship.

  More nurses and doctors rushed into the room and tried to apprehend Calliel, but they were nothing against the grief-stricken throne angel. He fled the room, Brecken’s two sisters pushed to the side.

  69

  ~Another Get-together~

  Claire

  Claire talked with Jamie long into the evening, explaining everything and tying up any questions he might have had, which honestly, she didn’t mind. She didn’t want him to go home anyway. He never did make it home in time for dinner.

  Their budding romance was still fresh in the air and very noticeable when their other friends showed up at nine o’clock that night. She’d called them all, inviting them over for something very important, remaining cryptic as usual, to pique their curiosity.

  Claire studied them, feeling like everything had come full circle, and instead of hiding with them down in her basement, away from the prying eyes of her mother, they sat in the living room with her mother.

  Angela walked around the room, lighting candles and incense, arranging things perfectly. Kaden and Wade sat side by side on the love seat looking uncomfortable. Kaden had his arms crossed over his chest and wore his defiance as though it were battle armor, but at least he was there. Wade picked at a loose thread in the co
uch’s upholstery, not making eye contact with anyone.

  Katelyn sat on the couch alone, watching every move Claire and Jamie made as they held hands, leaned together, and stole kisses. Katelyn told them to get a room, making everyone laugh, but a strange ambiance still permeated the air.

  When Angela finished with the candles, she turned to Claire’s friends. “I am so glad you could all come over, on this very special, very holy day.”

  Claire watched her mom, so proud and excited that she was willing and eager to be a part of this, which was what she always wanted and wished for… for her mother to teach her.

  “I don’t see what’s so great about it,” Kaden said. “It’s just a normal Saturday night, just like any other.”

  Claire frowned. He did not seem to have gotten over everything that had happened lately, and the very fact that Kaden was still angry and hostile worried her. Everyone participating today needed to have love in their hearts or the ceremony wouldn’t work.

  “Kaden,” Claire pleaded. “Please keep an open mind.”

  Angela smiled at Kaden and the rest of them. “Yes. Please have an open mind. Today is the eve of the Fourth Blood Moon, which is a unique string of four lunar and two solar eclipses that have happened over the past two years. It ends at dawn tomorrow.”

  Katelyn shifted and stared at Angela, her long, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders, As usual, she looked like a Greek goddess, sitting there with her legs crossed. “So, we’re having a slumber party then? We’re staying the night to do this ceremony thing?”

  Angela nodded. “In a sense. There is much to do during the night to prepare. You did clear it with your parents, right?”

  The kids nodded. Some reluctantly. Angela gave a sigh and smiled, seeming relieved.

  “I wish I would have brought my pillow.” Katelyn smirked and took out her phone, pulling up the internet. “So, let’s see what the internet has to say about this fourth blood moon thing.”

  “I can explain it faster and easier,” Angela said, walking over to the couch to sit beside Katelyn. “These Blood Moons have been the source of a lot of speculation and prophecy. Some say the end of the world will happen on this day, and that Armageddon will begin. In my studies, I have learned that it is a day when a war will be fought between good and evil. No one is quite sure which prophesies are true and which aren’t, but one thing is the same in all of them.”

  “And what’s that?” Wade asked, piping up for the first time. He always felt like an afterthought, and it made Claire feel sad that she felt that way. He was always quiet, unassuming, and a pleaser, but she liked him a lot. Maybe the most, after Jamie.

  Angela glanced at him with kind eyes. “It’s said that the Earth will groan under the weight of evil, mountains will fall down into valleys, earthquakes will rend the continents, and rivers will become oceans.”

  Kaden glanced out of the window and laughed. “Looks like you’re all wrong. It’s going to be a clear night with no clouds and a full moon. In fact, I think I’ll go now, so I can enjoy the rest of my evening. Later, losers.” He stood, shaking his head, saluting on his way out of the door.

  Claire’s heart dropped as he slammed out, and she glanced over to Wade, worried that he would leave too. “You guys can’t leave,” she said to everyone. “We need you all.”

  “I’ll stay,” Wade said, but he didn’t sound very convinced or excited about it.

  “You couldn’t make me leave,” Katelyn said, scrolling through the links on her phone. “From what it says here, it’s going to be huge, with all sorts of cosmic catastrophes and global earthquakes. It also says that another planet is going to pass by Earth so closely that we may collide with it, ending our existence for good! Oh, my gosh! Wait, supposedly, there will be survivors. You should read this stuff! Okay, on this page, it says Christians believe Jesus will come back on this day. Hey, I’m a Christian, and I didn’t even know this. Today could be our last day on Earth ever! Do you believe that?” she asked Angela.

  “I reserve the right to wait and see,” Angela answered with a soft smile. “But it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

  “Yeah,” Katelyn answered. “But I don’t see how we can do anything that would make a difference.”

  “Of course we can make a difference. Every choice we make makes a difference,” Claire said, squeezing Jamie’s hand. “Mom?” she said. “Can’t we begin? Please?” A sense of urgency grew inside of her. The room grew dark as night descended and goose bumps erupted on Claire’s arms.

  “It says on this link that the lunar eclipse will make the moon turn red.” Katelyn strained to look up at the sky from the front window. “I didn’t even know we’d have an eclipse tonight. We are so uninformed.”

  All four kids knelt on the couch to look out of the window.

  “The moon would be in the eastern sky at this time of night,” Angela said, and they all ran from the living room, through the kitchen, and out of the back door. Sure enough, there was a full moon, high in the sky, clearly visible. Clouds had begun to accumulate and the wind began to blow, causing Claire’s hair to whip into her face. Kaden was wrong. A storm was coming.

  “Let’s go back in,” she said, tugging on Jamie’s hand.

  “Wait,” he said, holding her back. “What time is the eclipse supposed to be again, Kate?”

  “Hmm. Let me see.” She took a second to scroll through her phone’s browser, all of them watching and waiting in silence. The wind grew stronger and colder by the second. “It says here it will happen at five o’clock AM.”

  They all glanced at one another, their tension and excitement mounting.

  Angela walked back toward the house and held the door open. “Then we better get started.”

  70

  ~Raging Battle~

  Alisa

  When we appeared at the gates of Idir Shaol, the clanging of swords and other weaponry reverberated so loud I had to cover my ears, but it did no good. The screams of the wounded carried on the breeze and penetrated deep into my soul.

  I couldn’t believe this was happening.

  Grasping the handle of my sword, I slid it from the scabbard. The tip clanged to the ground, too heavy for me to lift. This did not bode well, but I followed the surge of people through the gates, seeing all the familiar buildings, the places where I learned to become a guardian, the different structures where I spent time visiting with Raphael, Natty, Gram, and my old roommates.

  All those happy memories were washed away with the destruction I saw. And then I noticed that the library… my favorite place of all, where any dreams could come true… was now alive with flames that burst from the windows and crawled over the roof. They weren’t ordinary flames though, but black, with dark purple centers, and the smoke that rose from them was a deep, raging violet.

  Stopping, I stared, awestruck at the malevolent beauty of the blaze from hell, but I was pulled from my astonishment as a demon stepped before me, his weapon raised, his eyes solid black. I jumped back, startled, and stumbled over my feet, dragging the sword with me.

  The demon laughed at my ineptness, licking his lips with a thin, black tongue, more like a serpent’s, than a man’s. “This is going to be too easy,” he said, his voice a deep growl at the back of his throat.

  Fumbling with my weapon, I held it as best I could. It wobbled in my grasp, and I knew I looked like a complete idiot. I couldn’t fight like this. I was never meant to, so I did something absolutely crazy and suicidal. I let the sword drop from my fingers to the cobblestone street at my feet.

  “Giving up so quickly?” My enemy balanced on the balls of his feet, shifting his weight back and forth.

  “No. I’m just not going to fight like this.”

  “In a battle, my dear, there is no other way to fight.” His slimy smile spread from ear to ear, or it would have if he’d had ears. His skin was smooth and gray, and he had pointed, jagged teeth, which glistened with spittle. For some reason, I was mesmerized by his inhuman appearance
. I reached out, unafraid, to touch his skin to see what it felt like, because it looked like stretched leather. He was so surprised that he didn’t even stop me or try to get away, just flinched and jerked as though I’d burned him with my touch, his eyes opening wide in surprise.

  His body was corporeal! Amazing. I hadn’t anticipated that. He must be one of the higher-up demons. A tremor of fear zinged through me at the thought of battling someone who potentially had more power. When he saw I was about to reach out and touch him again—I figured if it had worked the first time, it could work again—he took a couple of steps back. His heavy brows furrowed and he used his free hand to push me away, but he cried out in agony when his hand touched my shoulder. “Who are you?”

  “I’m nobody. Just a guardian.”

  “No,” he said. “I don’t believe that.” Shaking his head, he backed up slowly, and then turned, sprinting away. I laughed in spite of myself. All this time, I’d been so worried about being capable enough to handle a weapon, and I didn’t need one at all. I’d had a weapon inside me all along, but just as my self-confidence began to grow, a familiar face appeared before me, and my newfound hope was dashed against the rocks.

  “Hello, Guardian.”

  “Lamia,” I breathed softly, my belly aching with dread.

  “It’s been a long time.” She still wore red, like before, except this time, she had long, crimson robes instead of a pencil skirt and stilettos. Her hair was still coiffed into a perfect blonde bob. She was striking… and terrifying.

  “Not long enough,” I answered. “Where have you been?” I asked, wishing she were still there.

  “You don’t know?” Her voice was as smooth as melted caramel, and almost as hypnotizing.