Lexi (Clarissa Lovett Book 1)

by Jamie Gray

  "Lexi," Kadence complained with a tired sigh.

  "What? It could work," she argued back.

  "No. It's too dangerous."

  “Oh please, don’t tell me you’ve never done anything even just a little risky with your powers.”

  Kadence turned to look at Adrian, who still had his back to her, and his face to the wall. Her expression softened sadly as she turned away.

  Lexi’s intrigue had peaked. “What did you do?”

  Kadence swallowed as she looked back at her. “Being a Spirit Element, I have a direct link to peoples spirits, finding connections through their mind and body. Hypothetically, I can sense emotions and gain an understanding of a person's spiritual balance.”

  “Hypothetically?” Lexi questioned.

  “Well, that is all very advanced, and I am mostly self taught.”

  “Then, what can you do?”

  Kadence swallowed again, repositioning her arms around her waist. “I naturally had an act for connecting with the mind-and before you ask, no. I cannot read your mind.” She glared at Lexi. “Through a deep connection with one's mindful spirit, I can interact with the mind itself, recalling memories, blocking chakras related to the mind, even messing with physical perceptions. Although, of course, all of that is still very challenging.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” Lexi coughed. Kadence was talking very fast, and the things she was saying were well beyond what she expected.

  “It is very intense, some would even call it ‘wild’ usage the Spirit Element, but when it comes to life or death, I am going to choose life every time,” Kadence explained sharply.

  “Okay,” Lexi trailed off bafflingly. “So why don’t you just do that now. Screw with their heads and we can beat them.”

  Kadence shook her head. “They’ve been trained to resist my attacks, and without my eye, I fear that my messy perception of the world has left me disconnected. Not to mention the pain I’m in will only weaken my abilities. I’m sorry, but it’s not a good idea.”

  “But we can-”

  “No. Let it go!”

  Adrian turned back over to lie on his back as he spoke with a heavy voice. "Yeah. I mean, Lexi, the teleportation didn't exactly work all that well." His voice sounded hopeless, like his dreams had begun to crumble before him. "We got lucky things didn't turn out worse."

  Lexi became breathless at his sudden change of heart. He was just on board for going to Arespea, and now he was criticizing her idea for getting there. “Who’s side are you on?”

  “Oh, don’t start with me,” he snapped back angrily.

  Kadence deliberately stepped into Lexi's line of sight with Adrian, dismissing their argument. "And Lexi, you've barely even begun to understand your Light Element abilities. You need to secure your base before you can start adding on. It took me over a year to get a better handle on my skills, practicing on the people around me in any way I could, and that was WITH prior basic training already in my belt.”

  “I just practiced on bulbs when no one was around,” Adrian grumbled.

  “The point is, it took a lot of practice and patients,” Kadence went on, ignoring his interruption.

  Lexi's back slumped. “Well, we don’t have time for all of that.”

  “I’m sorry Lexi. Mara and Daymian have years, even decades of experience over you. You’re not going to win.”

  Where was Kadence when she had all of these questions? Lexi didn’t care how much she claimed to know about her or her abilities. From what Lanie told her, she had never before seen abilities, meaning everything was in the air when it came to technicalities, and that was enough to fuel her pride. “Oh come on, Lanie said it herself, I’m practically a god. With a little bit of training I’m sure I’d be strong enough to beat Mara.”

  “No, Lexi. It’s too dangerous. Just look at what you did today. You could’ve gotten us all killed.”

  Lexi stomped towards Kadence, her body shaking of fury as she approached her. Their faces inched closer and closer together as the tension only intensified between them. "I saved your life,” she snarled, pointing to Kadences chest. “You just can't ever face the fact that you can be wrong!"

  "Okay, stop! Both of you!" Adrian screamed, sticking his hand out as if it would do anything to stop the two girls from attacking one another. "Lexi, I don't think you trying to use Lanies Element again is such a bright idea," he told her sternly, slowly swinging his body around, so he was sitting with his legs crossed on the bed again. He faced them like a judge, able to declare any of them guilty.

  Lexi had froze upon Adrian's interference. She had turned her gaze from Kadence to focus solely on Adrian and Lanie, as she turned her back to Kadence. She acted as though Kadence was never in the room to begin with. "Well, what if I helped fuel Lanie then. We proved today that with a little extra juice, Lanie can do a lot more," she continued to argue. She was becoming more and more desperate for support. She wanted to go to Arespea badly. Maybe as a way to escape the constant reminder of the lies she had been told through her life. Maybe it was an opportunity to start over, but she needed something beyond fear to latch onto.

  Lanie shifted to rest her elbows on her knees as she finally lifted her head to look at every one. "But I am limited to my own knowledge of the skill. I haven't been trained enough to fully understand how to perform something like that. Even with extra juice, I would have no idea what to do," she told everyone shamefully.

  Lexi never saw Lanie as someone to lie, but in this instance she really wished she was, because if she wasn’t that meant that her dream of going to Arespea had shattered.

  Kadence nodded, relaxing her raspy voice as she spoke in a softer tone. "It'll be safer to stay on Earth. Don't worry, Lexi. We will take every precaution necessary, and it's not that we won't be able to live anymore, it’ll just be in a different way."

  Kadences words did nothing to reassure Lexi that this was a good idea. She felt no comfort in knowing that she would abandon her family to live a life on the run. She didn't bother to look back at Kadence, her expression scrunched together angrily. "Fine," she grumbled. "But we need to stay for the dance tomorrow," she insisted. This, she would not be wavered on.

  "Why?" Lanie asked.

  Lexi understood that her request would be coming out of nowhere, but this was important to Brooke, and therefore was important to her. "For Brooke. I've been a terrible sister to her lately. I at least want to give her this, then, if you really want, we can leave," she reluctantly gave in, her voice morphing into a mumble as it trailed off.

  “I’m not going to some dance,” Kadence protested, raising her hand as she pointed to her bandaged eye. “Not with this.” She paused. Lexi still refused to give her the satisfaction of turning around to face her. “If you all want to go and risk your lives, fine, but I’m staying out of sight.”

  "Then that settles it," Adrian declared, his body falling heavy and tired. "We will go to the dance tomorrow, and then we can disappear for good," he huffed bitterly as he collapsed back onto the bed.

  ∞∞∞

  That night, Lexi and Lanie stayed in the Miller's spare room. Lanie suggested that Lexi not return home in such a built-up rage, and Lanie feared going back out on her own. Luckily Kadence and Adrian's adopted parents were very warm and welcoming to them both and happily offered to have them over for as long as they'd like. Adrian had snuck up some disinfectant and gauze for Lanies arm, which Lexi carefully wrapped before they both went to bed.

  Lexi thought she would never fall to sleep. Her mind was racing as she argued with the little voice in her head. The right thing to do. What a glorified notion, she thought. Nothing made sense anymore. She had no idea what that phrase meant for her. Everything had blurred together like she was trying to see underwater, but the water particles continued to press against and irritate her pupils, obscuring her vision.

  Lanie's snoring soon filled the room, sounding like a whale going through childbirth. It was a wonder she was ever able to drift into a slum
berous sleep.

  Chapter 20

  Lexi was calmly walking alone through a small abandoned town. The paved path she stepped barefoot along was made of large black stones that stung cold against the bottom of her feet, and splashed slippery mud onto her ankles. The buildings were tall and entirely made of a dark wood that made the town look burnt. There were clothing lines stretched across the street that were attached to the various homes, where pieces of dry laundry hung. All around her were shattered lanterns, windows and half-finished balconies. Some buildings were fully intact, with boarded-up windows and entrances, while others were burnt to a crisp. The ash that covered the ground smelt like sulfur, but surprisingly kept the sky clear. It was bright blue. Not a single cloud concealed the clear light above her. It helped make the town look a little less creepy. She was dressed in a long white corset gown that was pinned up to hang just above the mud-covered path and her dirty bare feet.

  She was amazed by this abandoned town. How it stood vacant of any sign of life. She was curious as to what had happened here to make its people leave it. Though she, unfortunately, didn't get much time to look and search for clues thanks to her constant movement as her feet continued forward. She had no control over her own body. As much as she willed her feet to stop, her pace never slowed. She was coming up on a partly broken gate. Some of the wood had been torn off and was splattered entirely with mud. The door was propped open ever so slightly. Enough for her to spot the mere sliver of a face, spying on her from the other side. She could only see a small section of the person's face, but she was able to pick out their rich caramel skin tone and light purple hood that hung over their forehead.

  "Hey, you!" Lexi shouted, making direct eye contact with the person. She tried to sprint towards them, but her feet chose that moment to reduce their walking speed. The purple cloaked figure must have gotten scared and ran away, slamming the partly broken gate closed. "Wait!" she called, finally gaining back control of her feet. She stumbled into the wooden gate as she pulled it open in hopes of running after them.

  Suddenly, she was met with an intense, strong gust of wind, forcing her eyes shut, and her arms rose to cover her face as she was thrown fifty feet away from the gate. She landed on her back, slamming her head and elbows on the stone pathway. She felt her entire body vibrate as her ears filled with an endless ringing that made her skull scream. She pushed her elbows under her, scraping them against the rough stone, pressing her palms down to force herself to sit up. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to block out the pain that ran all along her back and compressed against her skull. She knew she needed to stand up, find that person, figure out where she was. She leaned to her side and swept her feet underneath her. She slowly stepped up one foot at a time to stand on her feet. She kept her eyes shut, trying to refocus her mind and block out the ringing in her ears, only to feel that her dress was completely soaked as it stuck to her legs. She sighed tiredly. She would have thrown her head back but pulsing as it was, she could hardly imagine a simple nod. Damit. The wind pushed me into a puddle. She finally opened her eyes, expecting to see the dark brown liquid that had surely soaked her dress, but what donned her vision was something more mortifying than anything she could have ever envisioned. A thick, red liquid had drenched her beautiful white gown. The front of her dress still held some of the original white, but her back was completely covered. Even the back half, and the ends of her hair were dripping with thick blood. Her feet were completely submerged in the warm red puddle that spread across the entire town.

  What the hell? She couldn't breathe, her voice devoid of words as the smell of a harsh metal burned her nostrils. Blood. She had never felt so much fear and panic consume her all at once. Her lungs refused to let in air as she blinked wildly, hoping that if she did it enough that this would all eventually turn into something else. Anything else. The smell of blood and dead flesh filled the air as she stood in a cold blood-covered gown, while her feet were submerged in the blood of the innocent. Her head began throbbing more intensely as her insides turned aggressively, making her want to throw up. Her heart was beating so hard that it felt as though it would burst straight through her chest and she would inevitably join the rotting bodies that surely littered this town. Her entire body froze while all the breath was sucked from her lungs as the sound of approaching footsteps and muffled heavy breathing echoed in her ears. The ringing never ceased, but somehow, the steps and the fear that erupted inside of her screamed louder than she ever thought was possible.

  Feeling as though she no longer had any control over her own body, she began to slowly turn around. As she moved she saw what looked to be several motionless bodies lying on the blood-covered street behind her. Tears began to pour down her cheeks like waterfalls as she faced the heavily breathing figure she'd heard. Like a scared child, she was too terrified to look them in the eye. She instead, hung her head, only peering down at the figures’ drenched black pants and shoes. He too was covered in thick, red blood, but she had a feeling it was for a different reason than her. Suddenly, a familiar-sounding scream pierced her ears and rang through her skull. Just as her legs gave out and she collapsed from the throbbing pain, a loud bang sounded...

  ∞∞∞

  Lexi's eyes shot open to find her face pressed down against a flat surface. Her mind flashed back to the blood-covered street, and she threw herself upright, expecting to see her entire front half stained with hot blood. Yet as her vision adjusted, she recognized the dark wooden panels that made up the floor of Kadence and Adrian's entire house. She let out a loud sigh of relief. Another one of these stupid nightmares, she thought to herself, letting out a grown as she sat back on her butt. She wanted to scream, rip the covers off the bed and beat the pillows until their fluff had demolished. However, as much as she wanted to, she knew it would do no good, except maybe get her kicked out of the Millers house for good. She tried to gain back control over her racing heart and heavy breaths as she leaned back on her hands. She turned her head to see the messed up guest bed she and Lanie were sharing. The pillows had been flung either which way on the floor and half the covers hung over the side of the bed, most likely having come off with her as she fell.

  Lexi couldn't help but wonder who that cloaked person was. There was something that felt so familiar about them, but also apprehensive. It felt like someone was watching over her, but also someone controlling her like a puppet. She couldn't understand it.

  She rubbed the redness from her nose and forehead and looked to the other side of the bed. Lanie wasn’t there. She spun herself around on the floor, searching the dark room, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. She couldn't help but let out another sigh of relief. She was happy Lanie wasn't there to see her spasm and fall off the bed like she must have done.

  Lexi checked her phone. As the light blared bright in her face, the time read ‘3:27AM’. It was the middle of the night, and the sun wouldn't be up for hours. She knew she wasn't going to go back to sleep. Instead, she figured going downstairs for a midnight snack would help ease her nerves. Maybe help get her mind off it for the next few hours.

  As Lexi walked down the wooden stairs, she heard slight clunking in the kitchen. She froze, her mind racing with panic. Maybe it was Mara. She’d found them, came to finally cut her heart out. She gasped, losing her breath as her legs gave out and she crumbled down to sit on the stairs. The clanking stopped. She was rooted in fear, unable to move any of her muscles as she could hear the echo of her own heart beating against her tightening chest. With the sound of quiet creaking steps, Lanie appeared around the corner.

  Lexi let out a long sigh of relief as her chest collapsed onto her kneecaps. "Lanie? What are you doing up?" she groaned, her face buried embarrassedly between her legs.

  "Oh, I was just getting some water," she whispered, standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Did I wake you?"

  Lexi paused, letting out another sigh as she tried to restart her heart. "Yes," she replied finally, taking her head off her knees and gett
ing to her feet. As she walked down the remaining stairs, she tried to shake off her jitters. She hated the way it rushed through her body and rendered her useless. She had no idea what she would have done, if it hadn’t been Lanie. If Mara had really been there, sword in hand, ready to strike her down… she didn’t want to think about what would have happened. She wanted to distract herself, and so, she quickly made her way into the kitchen.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," Lanie apologized, walking on Lexi heels timidly.

  "Yeah, you're forgiven," she replied passively, not bothering to look back at Lanie as she spoke, searching for something to draw her attention to. She couldn't tell her about her nightmares, because then she would just bombard her with questions. Then she would go to tell Kadence and Adrian, and Lexi knew she didn't want them to know. "Did you see any snacks down here?" she asked promptly, wanting to distract herself with yummy food as soon as possible. Before Lanie could reply, she spotted a bag of chips stationed in the corner of the grey marble countertop. The kitchen was about the size of Lexi's. It was open, had the same 'L' shape to the counter, and it led directly to the dining area and living room. She'd had numerous sleepovers there, snuck over when grounded, stayed there with Brooke when their parents went out of town. Being there caused her to relive the memories she had shared with her friends and sister. The mild food fights they’d had at the kitchen table, the ridiculous TV they’d watch, and the glorious games they’d play in the backyard. Lexi felt a warmth build inside her. This was the place that she’d bonded with not only Kadence and Adrian, but Brooke as well. They were like a family. Told each other everything, or at least that’s what she had thought. This wasn’t a place of bonding, it was an illusion to shield the lies she had been told. Things had changed so much over the past few days.

  Lexi was instantly reminded of how hungry she was as she peeled open the bag of original flavoured chips, and it’s salty flavor washed over her nose. As she began stuffing crunchy handfuls in her mouth, her attention was drawn down to a green coloured journal on the countertop. It was about the size of her hand, and was decorated with a gold embroidery of strange designs and symbols that she had never seen before. She reached down to pick it up but jerked back when Lanie leaped in front of her and snatched it away.