Pure Elemental (Evelyn Storm Series Book 3)

by Tamara White

  I don’t know what’s happened, but Josie looks panicked and keeps yelling at Max. He’s speaking calmly to Josie, but she’s clearly enraged with whatever he’s telling her.

  Grabbing her shoulders, he pulls her to him and whispers something in here ear, which calms her down. When he pulls away, she has a very wicked grin across her face. That has me scared. I hope the guys get here soon. Whatever they’re planning is going to happen sooner than we thought.

  Max and Josie start walking towards the house, and I bolt over to Evie and Christian. They’ve been resting on the sofa after Evie started getting cramps.

  “Guys, Max and Josie are coming,” I warn them. They both sit up and look around when the door slams open.

  Evie gets up slowly, the strain of her fast-growing stomach getting to her, while Christian stands holding her against him, almost as a shield.

  “Zach, you’re coming with me,” Max says, from the doorway. Josie’s leaning against the doorframe staring at Christian, while Evie protects him. You can tell Josie’s pissed off, but Evie doesn’t seem to care.

  “You’re not taking Zach,” Evie says defiantly, reaching for my hand. I let her hold my hand though I have a feeling it’s not going to help. Max has the same determined expression on his face, and, if I had to guess, I’d say he’s not leaving without me.

  “Yes, I am. I need you and Christian to bond, but with Zach here that’s not happening. Unfortunately, time has run out, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Taking Zach will ensure you follow through, and hurry up and form the bond.”

  What? Why the hell do they need to bond?

  “No. I won’t bond with Christian just because you want me to,” Evie says pulling me behind her. This is wrong. Why is she protecting us? We should be protecting her.

  “You don’t have a choice,” Max says before shocking us all and attacking Evie. He hits her straight in the chest with lightning, knocking us all back. Christian and I both rush to assure she’s safe, but she’s knocked out cold.

  “I’ll go with you, just please don’t hurt her or the babies,” I beg Max.

  “Why are you doing this? She’s pregnant! Josie, how can you let him do this?!” Christian is looking in horror between Max and Josie. I position myself in front of Evie hoping if one of them attacks her or Christian, I can take most of the force.

  Josie stares at Christian, a moment before she speaks, “Once she’s dead, I get you.”

  Max gestures for me to step forward. I walk to him, trying to block his vision of Evie. The only hope I have is that I can fight back once I’m away from the barriers.

  “Christian, wake her up. Tell her once you’ve bonded the punishments will stop,” Max says pulling me through the barrier with him.

  I turn and try to fight before one of them figure out what I’m doing, but my powers are nothing compared to theirs. Max blasts me with lightning sending me across the ground. Trying to get back up, I feel the heat before I feel the pain.

  A fireball was thrown at my arm causing a massive burn. I cry out in pain, but remember Evie. I can’t show fear. If I do, they’ll keep hurting me to get Evie to cooperate.

  Josie kneels down over me and attaches cuffs to my wrists. They must be protected, because trying to fight back with my powers has become useless. Josie smiles down at me while summoning her fire in one hand.

  “I hope this hurts.”

  Christian

  “Oh God.”

  I look down at Evie in my lap and feel so hopeless. Why does he want us to bond? Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of everything?

  I thought he wanted to sacrifice her, not make her stronger. Bonding with me would only make both of us stronger, so I just don’t get it.

  “Evie, can you hear me?” I shake her slightly. I need her to wake up.

  Zach cries out in pain, and I want to run to the window to see what they’re doing to him, but I can’t leave Evie. He’s strong enough to handle anything, but I fear what they’ll do to him if we don’t comply with what Max wants.

  If we bond, though, they’ll sacrifice Evie and it will all be for nothing. Hopefully the others will be here in time to stop anything from happening. As much as I care for Evie, I don’t want our bond to happen this way.

  I jostle Evie again hoping to wake her up, when Zach cries out again. Evie needs to wake up to contact the others. The bond isn’t strong enough for me to contact them yet.

  She groans and tries to sit up, but I restrict her movement. After being hit by lightning, she could have something wrong with the babies. I don’t want her moving too much.

  “Shh, take it easy. You took a big hit. I don’t know what kind of effect it had on you or the babies.”

  “What happened? Where’s Zach?” she asks, looking around for him.

  “He went with Max to stop you from being hurt again. They’re hurting him out there, so we’ll bond,” I tell her just as Zach screams.

  Evie jolts up as quickly as she can, and with my help, we walk over to the window in time to see Josie throw a fireball at him.

  How can she do this? Even if she’s possessed, she knows how much Zach means to me.

  “Evie, contact the others. We need out of here, now!”

  Evie

  ‘Guys, I don’t know where you are, but you have two minutes before I kill these evil bastards. Max and Josie are outside torturing Zach. Christian says that Max wants us to bond and won’t stop until we have.’

  I send my message to all of them because I’m about to lose it. My stomach is cramping bad. In this moment, I hate that I’m pregnant. I can’t do anything to save them, and I’m terrified of what my father has done to me, but now he’s out there hurting my bonded. He wants me to bond with Christian, but how can I do that when he’s torturing Zach outside?

  ‘We’re in the forest now. If you can get out of the house and distract them, we’ll make a move,’ Teddy says through the bond.

  “Ok, the guys are in the forest and say we need to distract Josie and Max so they can take them by surprise. I need to see if I can get out of the barrier and cause enough of a distraction. Hold my hand so I can see if I can take you with me,” I tell him, pulling him along before he can argue.

  Zach’s still crying out in pain, and we can’t wait any longer. I open the door and walk straight through, but Christian is having trouble passing through. Why isn’t it working?

  An idea strikes me and I hop back through the barrier. Christian looks at me sadly, about to speak but I kiss him.

  It feels different kissing someone else but just as exciting. He kisses me back, and I walk us back until we’re through the barrier, then pull away from the kiss.

  He’s looking down at with me lust in his eyes when he realizes we’re out the door. “How did you do that?”

  “I figured if enough of us was touching, it might be confused between the two of us. It worked, didn’t it? Now it’s my turn to show them what happens when they take one of mine. Feel free to join in if you want,” I smirk and turn, facing Josie and Max.

  Time to show them just how powerful we are, and what happens when they mess with us.

  I call the same barrier I did while I was in the dungeon. It forms around them, trapping them from leaving. Their powers still work, but I’m not sure how to stop that. It should’ve blocked them when I erected the barrier.

  “Evie my power is fire. Want to have some fun?”

  Christian is grinning at me as if he deals with these situations all the time, and I can’t help but smile back. It feels good being free and close to my guys.

  ‘I’ve put a barrier around Max and Josie but Zach’s in there. They shouldn’t be able to escape. However, they shouldn’t be able to use their powers either, and they still can.’

  Christian holds my hand, and we walk down the stairs together. He lifts his free hand, and fire shoots out encircling the barrier I’ve put up. Nice. They’ll be hesitant to walk through the fire and it might buy us time before they realize
I have them trapped.

  ‘Ok, princess, we’re coming. Just remember to distract them.’

  Hearing Ky’s voice sends a wave of giddiness through me, and I join Christian in sparking my fire.

  “Let’s go in and get Zach out. Can you handle Josie if I face off with Max?”

  I need to ask because it’s his wife. It would be wrong of me to face off against her, even as much as I want to, it would be wrong.

  “Honestly, Evie, I don’t think I can. I know I should be strong, but she was my wife. Your father however, I owe him a lot of pain for the trouble he’s caused. Can you take Josie? Can you get rid of the demon?”

  Shit! I was hoping he wouldn’t ask. What if I destroy the demon and it kills her? What if I hurt her before I take the demon out of her? Will Christian forgive me if something happens to her?

  “Ok, but you have to promise me, if anything happens, and I mean anything, you can’t blame me. I couldn’t live with you hating me if it doesn’t work taking the demon out of her. If it comes to her, or me and my babies, I will choose us. I won’t risk our lives for hers,” I give Christian my ultimatum.

  I’m willing to try and save her but not at the cost of all our lives. My father deserves what he’s got coming to him, and if Christian doesn’t kill him, one of the others will.

  “I know what the chances are, Evie. If it comes to it, you and the babies are more important,” he says, before kissing me passionately.

  I’m shocked that he kissed me in front of Josie but happy at the same time.

  We cross into the barrier, and Zach is the first to notice we’re here. He smiles in relief, even though his face and body are marred with burns. Why would they do this?

  I throw both of them off him as I go to him. Christian helps me drag him out of the barrier so he’s safe. Once he’s safely planted on the other side, we both stand in front of him to protect him. Josie and Max both get up and face us.

  My father smirks evilly and walks towards us, “All yours, babe,” I say, walking towards Josie.

  “Oh, does the little whore think she can take me? Well, give me your best shot.”

  Josie stalks towards me. I’m no longer afraid for my babies, I’m pissed. I want this demon gone!

  She summons her fire into a ball and throws it at me, but I use my air to fling it into the ground, forcing it to sizzle out.

  I reach down and grab hold of a stone on the ground, standing back up with it in my hand. I need to time this well enough to knock her out. Once she’s within distance, I reach for her but she pulls away. She must know what I want.

  The only way I can get the demon out of her is by touching her, and I can’t exactly do that if she keeps dodging me. Stupid pregnancy belly weighing me down.

  Screw this! I’ll make her come to me.

  Christian is watching me from a few feet away after having knocked my father out, so I walk over and kiss him. Not a gentle peck on the lips, but a kiss full of the passion I feel for all of my bonded. Opening up my empathy I feel her rage just before she grabs me, and I smile.

  “Got ya,” I whisper when she grabs me by the hair.

  My light responds, and blasts out of me attacking the demon inside her. She screams a pain filled cry, collapsing to the ground and writhing in agony. Dropping to the ground beside her, I keep my light flowing through her sending the demon back to the underworld.

  After the demon is gone, I pull back my light and watch Josie, but she’s unconscious. All I can do now is wait, and hope it didn’t hurt her as much as I thought it would.

  Other elementals show up in the field trying to attack us. It back fires on them because the barrier is protecting us. I’m glad Christian had the smarts to drag Zach back in.

  ‘Anytime you’re ready, guys. We’re kind of overrun here. Not sure how long the barrier will hold on my power alone. I’m feeling depleted.’

  Christian, Zach, and I are standing, watching the elementals try to attack us. A lot of them have black eyes, so I’m guessing they’re possessed, or influenced, by the demons.

  I watch, waiting for my guys to appear, almost crying at the sight of them once they do.

  They’re all fighting off the elementals, but what makes me pause is the power. I feel amazing levels of power flowing through them. How is that possible? And Dane is using lightning to send elementals back.

  Time seems to stop, and I realize why when I feel the knives at my neck and stomach. Everyone is looking at me with horrified expressions. I feel so stupid for dropping my guard.

  “Stop or she dies!”

  Chapter 7

  Kylan

  I’ve never been more glad in my life that Dane is conscious. He’s been awake 20 minutes, and he’s already taken charge of the situation. He told our fathers what he had planned, and then had whispered conversations with Raphael and Spencer while we waited to talk to those that had gathered.

  He managed to get a podium placed on the back porch, and now we’re facing over 200 of our own who could make it here.

  “Now, I’m sorry this is going to be quick and shocking, but I have other, more important matters to attend to. I’ll offer a full explanation once we’re home, but for now all you need to know is the council will be resigning their position, and allowing us to lead with our bonded.

  I know many of you will have questions, which will be explained in detail once we get back, but, for now, I want you to call any of your family or others that aren’t here, and ask them to get here asap.

  Until then, make yourselves at home, and feel free to set up the tents if you plan on staying overnight.”

  Dane pretty much dropped a bomb on everyone, then just leaves. We all follow him, unsure if we should leave it like that.

  Sure, some of them will be willing enough to stick around and listen, but others will think he’s lost the plot. I know I would if I heard someone come out and say it like that, then up and leave.

  “Are you sure it’s wise leaving us behind? We can help you,” Richard says in a disgruntled tone.

  I feel bad that our dads are staying behind, but Dane assures us we won’t need them. It’s only the seven of us going, so I’m still a little doubtful.

  According to Spencer, there will be anywhere from 20 – 50 demon possessed elementals stopping us from getting to Evie. I have no idea how seven of us can hold off that many. Even with Evie using her powers.

  Hopefully, having Raphael, Spencer, and Zeke on our side will make it that much easier to get past them. Let’s just hope Dane knows what he’s doing.

  “Yes, I’m sure. We don’t have time to fill everyone in, so it’s your job to keep everyone calm until we get back. Besides this is something we have to do without you.”

  Dane and Richard are staring each other down, when my father intervenes, “Alright you two, enough.” He looks at me, “Go get your bonded back, and we’ll hold down the fort here. Just be careful, ok?”

  I’m glad they’re on our side and grateful they have changed. Being possessed by demons would have been a traumatic experience, but they haven’t let it get to them. Raphael told us some possessed go insane once the demons are gone, because they’re not used to living without it any more. It’s like ripping a soul in two.

  Thankfully it doesn’t seem to have had that effect on them. Let’s just hope it stays that way.

  Mike

  I expected us to drive or fly to the reserve. Instead, Spencer and Raphael tell us to hold hands and hold on tight. They’re going to take us with them while they mist there. It sounds both exciting and terrifying. At least it’s quicker than flying.

  “Ok, is everyone ready?” Raphael asks looking down the line at all of us.

  “Ready as we’ll ever be, I guess,” I respond.

  Raphael smirks, and next thing I know, I’m vomiting all my lunch on the ground. While that was quick, it felt like it ripped my stomach into shreds. After getting myself together, I look up the others to notice I wasn’t the only one to lose my stomach.
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br />   Zeke, Spencer, and Raphael are all smirking at us, obviously amused that we couldn’t keep the contents of our stomach down.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” Zeke says, slapping Dane on the back.

  I study the area noticing we’re in the same area from my vision. The cabin mustn’t be far.

  “Shit! You couldn’t have warned us man? That was harsh,” Ky says wiping his hand over his mouth. Teddy is still hunched over, but at least he’s not throwing up any more.

  “This is the part of forest from my vision. The cabin is around here somewhere. I say we go in and out before they even notice we’re there,” I say, voicing my opinion.

  Dane’s nodding and about to speak when we hear something that causes Dane to turn and bolt. Zeke only just manages to tackle him, but we can still hear it.

  Zach’s crying out in pain, and Dane responds to his pain by trying to get away from Zeke. Zeke pulls him to his feet and whispers something in his ear that helps him calm down.

  Zach is still crying out every few seconds, and Evie tells us he’s being used as bait and torture for them. Things aren’t looking good. We need a distraction, so we don’t unwittingly hurt Zach in the process of saving him.

  “Ok, I’m good. Evie’s going to give us a distraction, and once the others show themselves we’ll go in,” Dane says looking anything but ok.

  He’s angry at what’s happening to Zach but knows there’s no way to help without blowing the plan, especially when we can feel the others in the forest now.

  We had a plan before we left: go in before Max was able to summon any Shaded, and get Evie out before anyone could stop us. But now we have no options.

  “Ok, guys, we have no choice here, so I have to tell you the back-up plan. Once we get in distance with Evie, we need to channel all our power into her.

  I know it sounds crazy, but the Creator told me that if we channel all our power into her, then she will fill up until it overflows and destroys the majority of the demons in the vicinity. Everyone but us will be knocked out by the blast, but some of them may still be possessed, so we’ll have to lock the remaining possessed up.