Monster (Tainted Elements Book 3)

by Alycia Linwood

  “We did.” Her shoulders slumped. “But we couldn’t find a match in our system or anywhere else. It’s like these people don’t even exist.”

  “But we know they do, so go on. Find their DNA or something.” Jaiden waved her off, and she glared at him as she crossed to the other side of the room where the others were gathered around an old couch.

  “If this was a set-up, then that means the elementals wanted us to see this. I mean, why leave all of this here?” I picked up one heavy book with a dirty yellowish cover to check the title, cringing. “The History of Magic. Huh.” I dropped the book and read the other titles that I could see. “Myths of Elements, Elements Revealed, The Great Prophecies. Um, okay, sounds a lot like they were researching elements.”

  Jaiden got closer to the wall, carefully examining the sticky notes and newspaper article cutouts. “Do you remember this?” He pointed at one small yellow paper. “The hero, the strong, and the murderer shall meet. One path they all must choose or the elements shall swallow the earth.”

  “Oh, God.” I groaned. “That silly thing? I think I read it... in that book you had on Roivenna?”

  “Yeah.” He tapped another paper as I came closer. “This apparently says there’s a way to become the hero.”

  “Does it include saving the planet or something?” I chuckled, studying various articles in all of which the word hero had been highlighted with a yellow marker.

  “Maybe.” Jaiden’s brows drew together in a frown.

  “It looks as if they went through tons of books on elements and prophecies, and cut out everything that mentions the hero, whoever he is.” In some instances, it seemed as if the hero was a specific person, the chosen one. But in others, it was used more like a metaphor. Not that I believed in any of that shit.

  “It could be some kind of a message. They wouldn’t just leave all of this here if they didn’t want something.” Jaiden ripped two papers off the wall and handed them to me. “Check this out. The hero doesn’t sound like a savior.”

  I took the papers and skimmed over the text. “Um, it says the hero is supposed to gain control over all elements and sub-elements. What the hell?” I went back to the table and dropped the papers on it. “This is insane. All of it. If there’s a message in any of this, I’m not getting it. Unless this is their way of showing us they think they’re more powerful than us. Maybe they worship this hero or whatever.”

  Jaiden leafed through one of the books. “I think there’s a prophecy about this somewhere. I heard it long time ago. Let’s see if I can find it.”

  “I still don’t think that will help us.” I flipped through the papers and looked underneath the books, trying to find a hidden note or at least something that made sense. I turned to Jaiden, who was still trying to find the prophecy. “Are there any cults that share these beliefs? Maybe we could track the elementals through that. If they went to one of those meetings and became obsessed with crazy made-up stuff, then maybe someone will recognize them.”

  Jaiden’s gaze flipped upward. “Oh, there are plenty, but you know how they are, all secretive. I’m sure they wouldn’t know any names or any personal info. Not to mention it would take us ages to track them all down and mind-control them to answer our questions.”

  “So, do you have any clue how to become this special wielder of all elements and sub-elements?” I grinned and immediately winced as every muscle in my face protested. “Or maybe the elementals left this here so we can bang our heads against the wall trying to figure out what this means, when in fact it means nothing and they’re just wasting our time?”

  “There’s a merging ritual, and then the merged elements should show the location of sacred artifacts on a map... I’ve no clue how. Anyway, once the artifacts are retrieved, the hero has to go through some trials, and if he passes, he will gain control over all elements and be the most powerful person on the planet.”

  “Sounds like every boring prophecy ever. Let’s get out of here, and the rest of the team can deal with this.” I was sure we’d been sent to capture elementals, not to figure out why someone was crazy enough to think one person should have all the power and be the most special.

  Jaiden dropped the book on the table. “Good idea. You should get cleaned up. That cut on your face could get infected.”

  “Yeah, I think I’m going to need some help with that.” I gave him a pointed look, and we started for the door. There were some things I needed to discuss with him without too many prying ears.

  “We should go...” he started to say when one of the agents blocked our path.

  “You have to report to the headquarters immediately,” the agent said.

  Jaiden muttered a curse and I rolled my eyes.

  “Guess we’ll have to talk in the air,” he said. “Do you need help?”

  “No, I’ll be fine.” My element wasn’t drained or tired, just satisfied. “Wait, is my face going to hurt even worse if I turn into air?”

  Jaiden grimaced. “Yep.”

  Why had I even asked? Bracing myself, I let my body turn into air. The pain intensified, but I could fly just fine. Still, Jaiden’s idea to talk while we were in the air would have to wait for another time because I was sure it would hurt, even though I couldn’t understand how my face still felt normal when I was a shimmering cloud.

  Surging through the air that cooled my invisible swollen cheek, I wondered if the elementals would try to get inside Elemontera while many of the agents were out. I hoped there wouldn’t be a surprise waiting for us when got back, because I’d hate to see them ruin my mission.

  It turned out the only person waiting for us at Elemontera was the boss. We were ushered into his office before I could even see my face. If the strange looks people had given me as I passed them by were of any indication, maybe I was better off without a mirror.

  The boss’s back was turned to us as the door of his office snapped shut. When he finally faced us, his eyebrows went up at the sight of me, but his lips remained pressed into a tight line.

  “What is so important that it couldn’t wait?” Jaiden said, folding his arms.

  “What is...” the boss spat out, his face flushed. “What is so important, you ask? These elementals have made a mockery out of our organization! I sent you to capture them!”

  “Yeah, and that was what we were trying to do, but they were long gone when we arrived,” Jaiden said calmly.

  The boss observed him for a while, then scratched his chin. “And what caused all the spikes of elemental energy nearby? They were strong enough to be picked up by our detectors.”

  “Didn’t they tell you? We were attacked by four magic disease carriers, hired assassins. I took them out,” Jaiden said.

  “You took them out?” An unidentifiable emotion flashed through the boss’s eyes. “Ah, so that’s what my informant meant when he said there had been complications. What were those men after?”

  “No idea.” Jaiden shrugged. “I didn’t bother to ask. We were after the tainted elementals, not carriers. They were of no use to anyone.”

  His father gaped at him. “You should have consulted me first!”

  “Oh, I would’ve asked, but you weren’t there.” Jaiden bit out, and I held my breath as the boss’s eyes went wide. He came to stand in front of Jaiden until they were face to face, but Jaiden didn’t even flinch, just glared at his father, his jaw set.

  “Today’s events must have messed with your head, boy,” the boss said, stepping away. “We’ll talk another time. Now go to your room. You’re dismissed.”

  “I will if you let Moira come with me.”

  My heart skipped a beat, my skin tingling. The boss’s cold eyes raked over me, his lip curling in disgust. “Fine,” he waved his hand, and reached for his tablet. “But tomorrow you’ll find those elementals and bring them to me.”

  “Yes, father.” Jaiden took my hand and pulled me toward the door. When we were out in the hallway, I stopped, looking up at him.

  “Are we real
ly going...?” I wasn’t sure if he’d been trying to push his father’s buttons or if he’d been serious.

  “Yeah.” He flashed me a smile, so I followed him to the elevator. Actually, going to his room was a wonderful idea. There shouldn’t be any cameras, so we could talk about whatever we wanted. I’d been forbidden to even step on that floor again, but now that the boss had allowed it... A slow smile crept across my face.

  Chapter 13

  As we went through the door that led to his father’s private office and the rooms, I couldn’t help but think about that time when Jaiden had me pinned against the wall, his hot mouth against mine. Biting my lip, I focused on the hallway in front of me. We stopped in front of a dark blue door, and Jaiden pressed his bracelet against the lock until the green light appeared.

  Pushing the door open, he stepped aside to let me pass. “Come on.”

  I entered the spacious room with dark blue walls and mostly black furniture. The main source of light was a bright lamp in the shape of a ball. The windows were made of thick dark glass and didn’t look like they could be opened, and it was almost impossible to see the city through them. The middle of the room was occupied by a big double bed.

  “Sit down,” Jaiden said, and I settled myself on the edge of the soft bed. He went over to the big black closet, opening a drawer and taking out a box. Next to the closet was a large bookshelf filled with books.

  “Can we talk in here?” I hoped there weren’t any hidden cameras. It would be really twisted if the boss was spying on his son. Not that it would surprise me much if he were, though.

  “Yeah. Why do you think I brought you all the way here?” He sat next to me and placed the box on the bed, flipping it open to reveal a medical kit.

  “How did you do it? I thought your father would never let you bring me here.”

  Jaiden bit on his lip, dabbing some liquid on a piece of gauze. “He thinks I killed four people with my mind, and usually after I use that ability, I’m a little... unhinged. He thinks my behavior is a consequence of using my ability, so he allows me things he usually wouldn’t. Maybe he’s afraid I’ll do something dangerous.” He let out a soft laugh. “It was a gamble, really. I figured he would need me tomorrow, so...”

  I looked at my hands in my lap, my throat tight. I’d used my air to take out four men and I hadn’t felt a thing, except the pure joy of my element. “Do you really feel different after you...?”

  “No, but I used to get drunk after those missions. My father never figured it out.” Jaiden gently pressed the gauze to my cheek and I hissed in pain, making him grimace. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” I kept still so he could clean the wound. “I don’t think I feel anything, you know... just...”

  “Hey, you don’t have to feel bad about it. You did what you had to.” He caressed my cheek, his eyes warm. After he tossed the bloodied gauze into the trash can, he picked up a tube, squeezing white cream onto his fingers. Pressing his fingers to my cheek, he gently rubbed the cream into my sensitive skin. “This will help with the bruise.”

  “Thanks.” I glanced around, but didn’t see a mirror anywhere.

  “Take off your jacket and shirt,” he said, wiping his fingers.

  My eyebrows shot up.

  “You have a bloody gash on your jacket.”

  “Oh.” The constant throbbing in my face had made me forget about any other injuries I might have. I slipped out of my jacket and pulled my shirt over my head, careful not to let it touch my cheek. Jaiden got to his feet, and I did my best to ignore his intense gaze.

  “Your elbow,” he said, grabbing another gauze dressing and taking hold of my arm.

  “It’s just a scrape,” I said, but he carefully cleaned it and put a bandage on it.

  “There,” he said with a satisfied smile. “All done.”

  “Can I put my shirt back on?” I gave him a look through my eyelashes, a smile spreading over my lips.

  “If you wish.” He picked up the box and put it back into the closet while I slipped my shirt on.

  “Um, I wanted to ask you... Do you have any idea how to get into the lab? Maybe some secret entrance or...?” I got to my feet.

  “That’s why I brought you here. I have an idea, but I don’t know if it will work.” He leaned against the closet. “I don’t want to work for Elemontera anymore. I’m done with this, with everything...”

  “So is there another way to get inside?” I ran my fingers over one of the books on the shelf. “Maybe you could...”

  “I can’t help you, because my father won’t let me anywhere near the lab. I guess he’s afraid I’ll somehow convince one of the scientists to work on the serum,” he said. “But you... You might be able to get in.”

  “How?” I arched an eyebrow at him. Speaking of the serum, I hoped that its secret would soon be revealed. My mom would figure something out.

  “We’re supposed to be looking for those elementals, and I’m sure no one will find anything. That’s why you could come up with some idea. I don’t know... something that could help or something that the scientists didn’t think of. Your mom...”

  “My mom knows many things, yeah, but I’m not her. I’m clueless about things like that. What would I even say? I’m sure they thought of everything already. They’re professionals.”

  “But you only need to get inside, right?” Jaiden asked. “You don’t even need to have a real theory. You just have to convince the guards to let you through. Once you’re inside, you can come up with another story for the scientists. Tell them you came for something else.”

  “I could try, but if they figure it out too soon, then what?” I’d be in trouble and my mission would fail. We couldn’t afford that.

  “I’ll get you out. You can say I forced you to do it so you could ask about the serum.”

  “Um, okay, let’s say that works... that I somehow get inside and get what I want. What will you do when Elemontera is raided?” I cocked my head at him.

  “I don’t care about Elemontera. You can burn it to the ground if you wish. But there’s one thing I want...” He came to stand in front of me, his face serious. “You don’t touch my father, okay? I’ll deal with him myself.”

  “Yeah, okay,” I said, keeping my face expressionless, even though part of me knew that I was lying to him. His father was a threat that Lily wanted to eliminate, and I agreed with her. I knew that Jaiden wanted that serum, but I couldn’t let his father escape. “I just want this to be over.”

  “I know.”

  My eyes fell on a laptop near his desk. “Do you have Internet connection here?”

  “Yeah, but the traffic is monitored, so if you want to contact someone, you better not.”

  “No, that’s not what I want. Maybe there’s something we could use to really help find those elementals. Even after Elemontera is gone, I’m not sure they won’t try to attack us or hurt someone. That cult stuff seriously freaks me out. What if they’re planning something? Besides, it’s easier to find all about those silly prophecies on the Net than go through tons of dusty books.”

  “Maybe that’s why they left the books. Maybe there was nothing there they couldn’t already find elsewhere.” He shrugged. “But if you want to search for something, go ahead.”

  “Okay, let’s see what I can find.” I grinned.

  Jaiden started up the laptop and carried it over to me. I sat on the bed cross-legged and took the laptop. Opening the Web browser, I clicked the button for search engine. Maybe this whole thing would be a waste of time, but I wanted to at least try to come up with something reasonable in case the guards decided not to let me into the lab.

  Jaiden settled next to me, the bed shifting under his weight. I searched for prophecies about the hero and got pages upon pages of results. “Everyone seems to be writing about this. God, I wish I was writing a paper for college right now and not researching this just to find a bunch of crazy elementals.”

  But as I browsed the websites, something el
se caught my eye; a mention of the murderer from one of those stupid, nonsensical prophecies. I clicked on the link before I could stop myself. “On the day of the full moon, the murderer will kill four dark souls and begin the preparation for the trials of darkness.” A shiver ran down my spine as I reread the text over and over again in my mind. “Um, this sounds... creepy.”

  Jaiden swore. “They sent those men at you because of this. Maybe they believe in it or they’re just trying to scare you.”

  I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “I can’t find anything about the trials.”

  “Forget about that. We need to find them, not join their cult.” He took the laptop from me. “Let’s see if there’s a place where they could go. Maybe some holy ground or something.”

  “Where do you think they got all those books? They must have bought them, borrowed them or stolen them. If we could figure out where they’ve been... maybe some camera or something caught them at that place.”

  “It would be too late. Many people go to the libraries, and those elementals can make themselves invisible.” Jaiden clicked through a couple of links. “Shit. It says that the location of sacred artifacts will appear only to the chosen one in a dream.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Does it say what idiot came up with this?”

  “Nope. Apparently the first texts are at least a thousand years old.” He kept scrolling through the pages.

  “Wait!” I yelled as he scrolled past a news link. “What’s that?”

  Jaiden clicked on the headline. “Two precious books missing from the Museum of Magic. Two days ago. It is not known how the thieves got inside or how they managed to get their hands on the books. A witness says the books simply vanished.”

  “Is that museum somewhere in the west part of the city? I think I went there once in high school.” I frowned.

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Any other museums or libraries that have that type of book? We might not be able to figure out where the elementals were, but we could predict where they go next. Unless they’ve already robbed half of the city and no one in Elemontera noticed.”