Chapter 8
Jose came to the rescue. I tried not to be annoyed by that fact, but it was like asking someone not to blink. Everything the Playboy did was aggravating. As soon as Rowan saw the mess, she called her fiancé, who happened to own a window repair and installation company. He came right over, took measurements, and said that he could fix it. I stood in the doorway, not knowing what else to do. After the window shattered, a shard sliced Daisy in the arm, and she needed to go to the hospital. Madison was unharmed. I was in shock, trying to piece everything together. Daisy and I had been fighting. She had told me that she wished that I had died in place of Doctor Twist. I had gotten furious and… And what? My symptoms had briefly returned, and then the window shattered. Even now, the icy wind filled the hallway, causing goosebumps to cover my arms.
“Who threw the rock?” The voice startled me. I turned around to look into Kevin’s concerned face. His eyes were heavy, as if he was so exhausted, that keeping his eyes open was the equivalent to running the Boston Marathon. I sighed.
“I don’t know. There wasn’t a rock. The window just exploded.” Kevin shot me an odd look before ruffling my hair.
“Maybe you should go lay down, Lena. You look cold.” His suggestion only pissed me off. Kevin wanted me to sleep after what had happened? Between Rowan’s stash of letters, my new ones, and the unexplained broken window, I had enough thoughts to keep me awake for days. My cell buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and stared at the text message. Not now.
Elias: I’m really sorry. Can I come over and talk to you?
“Is that Madison?” Kevin seemed overly anxious, as if he wanted to pounce on me to read the text message.
“Elias.”
“Who?” He knew exactly who Elias was. I just wasn’t sure what point my cousin was trying to make.
“One of my friends.” Kevin glared at me.
“Jess, is this the guy that asked you to homecoming because he felt sorry for you?” Oh no, he didn’t. I was tired of people believing that Elias only felt sorry for me. I glared up at my cousin.
“No. He’s my friend. And when he comes over, you better not say that nonsense to him.” I hadn’t been planning on responding to Elias, but resolving things may have its benefits.
“Elias: I miss you.
Me: I miss you too. Things are really crazy.
Elias: Why?
Me: It’s a long story. Daisy and I got into a fight. Can we talk?
Elias: It better have not been over me.
Me: No. She’s mad I survived the crash instead of Dr. Twist.
Elias: She’s upset because I won’t give Cora the time of day.
Me: That’s stupid.
Elias: I hate texting. Do you want to talk at your house or go somewhere?
Me: I’m hungry.
Elias: So am I.
Me: I want a burger.
Elias: LOL. I’ll be there in five minutes.
I rushed past Kevin and entered my room. It was a relief to feel the heat on my skin. I stripped out of my sweat pants and shirt and pulled on a tank top, a gray pullover, blue jeans, and sneakers. After putting my brittle hair into a bun, I sprayed perfume before rushing downstairs. Aunt Tina was in the kitchen mixing something in her huge mixing bowl when I entered. My aunt was wearing a yellow apron, and her dark hair was tied up and covered by a hair net. Uncle Calvin was extremely particular about sanitation. She smiled wide at me.
“Going somewhere, honey?”
“Elias and I want to grab something to eat.” She smiled as my uncle stomped into the room.
“Elias?” His roar caused me to turn around.
“A boy from school. He’s…”
“What is he to you?”
“My friend.” For some reason, my heart was pounding, and I felt uneasy. The doorbell rang, and my uncle cut me off so he could answer it.
“HI Elias, come in. I’d like to have a chat with you.” I glanced up at Aunt Tina who was giggling.
“What is he doing?” I asked, confused.
“Oh honey, your uncle’s just being protective.” It dawned on me.
“Elias wasn’t driving when we crashed, He…”
“No. Honey that was an accident. But, your uncle isn’t blind. He sees the way that Elias looks at you. You should have seen what happened after the accident. Elias tried to go into the emergency room with you. Honey, you’re important to Elias.” Something about her statement reminded me of what Elias said at lunch. “If I could date, it would be you.” Was he honestly telling the truth? I wasn’t sure.
“Hey, Lena.” The cheery voice caused me to slowly turn around. Elias’ features were relaxed, his smile loose and easy. I was suddenly glad that we were speaking to each other again. So I rushed toward him and gave him a bear hug. He responded by holding me close. When he released me, he brushed my cheek with his fingertips and I was zapped. I yelped, and his eyes widened.
“You shocked me,” I complained, rubbing the spot where he got me. But Elias didn’t respond. He simply shook his head, breathed out a sigh of relief, and patted my arm.
“You’ll get over it. Besides, it’s payback for you making me believe that Gone with the Wind was a fantasy novel.” Aunt Tina burst out laughing.
“Have her home by eight. My wife and I are having some people over for dinner., Jone us” Uncle Calvin’s invitation didn’t sound optional.
“Will do,” Elias said.
“I don’t want to come back home,” I announced as Elias pulled his Beamer away from my house.
“Why?”
“Jose will be joining us for dinner, and I can’t stand him.”
“Oh.”
“He’s fixing Rowan’s window. I’m relieved that I don’t have to hear him call Rowan his Mami.”
“Why is he fixing Rowan’s window?” I told the story and nothing but thick silence filled the air.
“So you and Daisy were yelling at each other and the window exploded?” Elias slowly asked.
“Yes. Who knows why that happened? But I’m not interested in that. I just want to know why Daisy’s being so nasty.”
“She’s being nasty because she envies you,” Elias explained as if he was telling me why two plus two equals four.
“Why?” She had no reason to envy me. I was chronically ill, super unattractive, and didn’t have an ounce of popularity.
“I don’t know Slugger. You’ll just have to ask her that.”
“Why do you call me that?”
“Because you’re a fighter.””
I’m a coward,” I corrected, thinking of all of the times Cora and Daisy were able to push me around. Elias shook his head at me.
“We’ll agree to disagree,” he offered.
“Where do you want to go?” Elias was driving toward Main Street, the heart of town.
“There’s this place that has tacos that are incredible,” he explained. “Don’t worry, they also have burgers. Do you think that your stomach will be able to handle one?”
“I’m not sure. But I’m craving it.” Elias didn’t respond to my statement. Instead, he turned on the radio. He began singing along, and his voice captivated me. It was strong, raspy with smooth edges. I took one look at him and saw that he enjoyed himself. The music seemed to get him lost.
“You should be a part of a boy band,” I said, smirking at him. Elias immediately turned the radio down and looked embarrassed. I shouldn’t have said anything.
“A boy band?”
“Sure. You’re pretty enough to be the front man. I can see it already. Elias Hayden, the front man of an unnamed boy band, taking the world by storm.” Elias blushed. He didn’t like being called pretty. If he insisted on calling me Slugger, his new nickname was going to be Pretty Boy.
“I don’t think so. I’ll stick to healing.” That was odd, the way that he said that he’d stick to healing. But I didn’t have time to ask him about his odd words because we pulled into a restaurant called Trovers. I was pretty
sure that it was a bar and grill type of place with happy hour. Daisy had talked about the owner giving her free drinks. I hopped out of the car and closed my door. Elias grabbed my hand, and we entered the crowded restaurant. The place was a large open space with a bar in the center. The wall was filled with famous portraits of past U.S. presidents. I thought that it was weird, but Elias explained that the owner had a fascination with history. A hostess with pink hair and a nose ring greeted us with a smile. She sat us at a booth by the door, which worked just fine for me.
“Elias, it’s good to see you again,” the waitress said as she rushed up to our table. She had chocolate brown skin, beautiful dark eyes, and a bob that accentuated her high cheek bones.
“It’s nice to see you too, Casandra,” Elias said, giving her a smile.
“Where’s Mandy?” The question caused me to shift in the booth. Elias bit his lip.
“Mandy is dating Roson, now.” Casandra’s eyes narrowed, and she sighed.
“Oh. So you’re dating Lena now?” I frowned at Casandra, not knowing how she even knew my name. She must have read my expression because she said, “I’m Jerome’s sister. He told me that the two of you went on a shopping spree the other night. I’m sorry I missed it.”
“Your parents have a wonderful store,” Elias said, eager to change the subject.
“Yeah. When I graduate from college, I’ll start running it.” Casandra looked happy about that prospect.
“That’s exciting!” Elias said, putting a lot of enthusiasm behind his words.
“So, do you want the usual, cheesy flat bread, the taco medley, and chocolate cake?”
“That sound’s great.”
“And what about you, Lena?”
“The same,” I decided, knowing that his choice sounded less risky than a burger.
“Drinks?”
“Water,” Elias said.
“Water for me as well,” I added and Casandra went on her way. I studied Elias’ face to determine his mood. Despite the mention of Mandy, he seemed all right.
“You have been here with Mandy?” Elias sighed.
“I was hoping that you didn’t catch that. Yes, I have been here with Mandy. She…” Elias paused, and my heart ached for him. He probably had a no dating rule because he wasn’t over her.
“Elias, it’s okay. You don’t have to talk about Mandy until you’re ready.” Relief ran through him, and he changed the subject.
“Have you had a boyfriend before?” Now, that was random.
“No.” Something about his expression caused a hint of sadness to flicker in his blue eyes. Before I could ask him why he felt terrible that I didn’t have a boyfriend, Casandra gave us our appetizers. The flat bread was heavenly. Elias chuckled as I not only inhaled my food but stole one of his pieces of bread. My stomach was practically howling for more food, but Elias stood up, placed thirty-five bucks on the table, and gestured for me to follow him.
“What?” I asked. He shook his head at me. Since he was my ride, I didn’t argue with him. We left the restaurant, and the cold smacked against my cheeks. I should have brought a scarf. We hurried to the Beamer, and I didn’t bother questioning Elias until he was speeding away from the restaurant.
“What’s going on, Elias.”
“Someone came in that I didn’t want to talk to.”
“Mandy?” I asked, confused. Elias laughed.
“No. I’ll explain all of it when we get to my house. I promise.”
“Okay,” I agreed. We were both silent for the rest of the ride.
Elias lived in a mansion. It was a vast structure that was painted fire engine red. He rolled down the window, typed in a few numbers, and the gate opened. We rode up the driveway and into the garage that was filled with nothing but Beamers and a lone motorcycle. I think it was a Harley Davidson, but I couldn’t have been sure. As soon as we stepped out of the car, Elias pointed at the bike.
“That’s what I drive,” he told me. “But your parents wouldn’t have liked it if I showed up in that death trap. They are protective.”
“Everyone is. Sometimes it’s suffocating.” Elias nodded as if he fully understood what I was talking about. He grabbed my hand, which surprised me. In my haste, I had forgotten my gloves, so our skin met, and my heart rate increased.
“Come on.” We went through the garage and into the house. The place smelt of lemons and wood polisher. Nothing warm and tasty was wafting from the kitchen. I was disappointed with the aroma because it felt cold. Calim was in the kitchen, sipping from a to-go cup of coffee. It looked like a large Dunkin Donuts coffee. When his eyes landed on me, they turned harsh.
“Elias, what were you thinking?” His roar startled me, but Elias’ hand tightened in mine, so I refrained from running.
“She belongs here.” The vehemence in his tone made me feel warm and fuzzy.
“Elias.” Calim rubbed his forehead, and that was when I realized that neither of his arms had a cast. He was perfectly fine.
“Calim, everything will be all right. Lena and I will get take out and…” A stranger walked into the room, his shirt off, holding a lit candle.
“Elias, check out my new trick,” he said, before waving the candle in the air. The flame grew higher, forming into the shape of a pillar. Then, it began to form into the shape of a ball. Then, it turned back into the shape of a pillar. I was about to ask him how he did the trick, when the flame vanished, altogether.
“Cameron,” Elias said that name like a curse.
“Brother, it’s nice to see you. And Lena, you look more beautiful every time.” I frowned at him, trying to place the showoff. But his features weren’t familiar. Okay, they were familiar, only because he looked like Elias, minus the blue eyes, and Elias was in better shape. Cameron’s eyes were a dark brown.
“I don’t know you,” I slowly said. Cameron smiled.
“I visited you in the hospital while you were on Dream Street. So, brother, why is Lena here?” His question caused uneasiness to rumble through me. What had Elias done by inviting me home?
“How did you do that trick?” I asked. Cameron chuckled.
“Oh, Lena, that was no trick.”
“Cameron.” Elias’ voice was stern, but the shirtless guy kept on speaking.
“No, brother. I want to prove a point. Since you insist on keeping Lena alive, she must know everything.”
“Keep me alive? What are you talking about?” But of course, Cameron ignored me.
“You see, Lena, Elias and I are a part of something called the Touched Audience. That means that some archangel wanted to gift the suffering with abilities, so he pleaded with his maker, and we were given abilities. I have control over fire. I…”
“Cameron,” Elias hissed.
“No, brother. You want to drag Lena into this world; she’d better know the truth. She’s after all a very useless human. And you chose her over your best friend. Ryan is suffering because of her.” This needed to stop. Everyone was saying that I was worth less than others. I wasn’t useless. I wasn’t weak. He couldn’t have had control over heat. I was powerful in my own way. I wasn’t insignificant. I thought of how I was overlooked by my friends, abandoned by my parents, and being helplessly stalked by a monster and all of it was too much. This had to stop. It had to stop. I had to make it stop. My right ear rang out in protest. The symptoms were coming back. That was one of the hypothesis’s that were thrown at me. Maybe, I got migraines do to anger and stress. Nether the less, I opened my mouth and let out a howling high-pitched shriek and glass exploded all around me. The feel of cold wind on my back was what stopped everything. I sucked in a breath and glanced around. All of the windows in the kitchen were broken. The table was overturned and one of the cabinet doors were missing. Elias was still holding my hand. I looked up at him in confusion.
“Are you all right, Slugger?” His question was filled with concern.
“Yes. I…”
“Is she alright?” Cameron, who had ev
idently fled when the windows were broken carefully walked back into the room, blood dripping from a wound on his stomach.
“You deserved it,” Elias challenged.
“What? How? Not again,” I groaned. “Do I have to call Jose?”
“Who in blazes is Jose?” Calim roared as he followed Cameron into the destroyed kitchen.
“It doesn’t matter,” Cameron snapped. “Lena, you don’t know what happened?”
“No. I don’t know what happened. Did someone toss rocks through the window? Was there a tornado? Was…”
“Lena,” Calim said softly, his eyes wide and shocked.
“Yes?”
“How long has this been going on?” His question threw me off.”
How long as what been going on?”
“She really doesn’t know,” Elias said in astonishment. I looked up at him and saw his wide eyes.
“What?” Now, I was starting to get frustrated.
“Elias, a little help here, before my intestines spill on the floor,” Cameron complained as footsteps pounded down the stairs.
“I don’t want to let go of her hand," Elias said through gritted teeth at the same time I asked, “What could he do to help?”
“Elias, Cameron, are you two all right?” The male voice was carefully neutral. Elias shifted uncomfortably as yet another person pushed into the kitchen. His eyes widened at the mess. He glanced at me, and he frowned.
“Don’t Roson. If you even think to insult her, she’ll do this to you,” Cameron groaned as he gestured at his stomach. Roson’s dark eyes landed on me, and they were weary.
“Elias, what’s this trying to prove?” He abruptly let go of my hand, and I felt cold and afraid. Elias waltzed over to Cameron, touched his forehead, and a shard of glass slid out of his wound before it closed.
“No. That’s impossible. I… How did he do that?” I needed to get out of here. Seriously. I turned and was about to make a run for it when a shrill voice said, “Elias Hayden, what is she doing here?” Why couldn’t I be here? I had no idea. But at that moment, I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to go home and curl up in bed. That’s what was the most appealing at the moment.
“Lena, it’s all right. Come with me,” Elias softly said. I was about to protest and tell him to shove his suggestion where the sun didn’t shine, when his hand wrapped around my forearm. The panic subsided, making me feel calm and as relaxed as a contented child. I yawned, thinking that I could fall asleep.
“Elias, come in here now,” the woman ordered. I quickly released Elias and spun around and noticed that we were the only two in the room.
“Lena, I need you to stay calm. After we get through this, I’ll explain everything to you,” Elias pleaded.
“I don’t need any explanations. I just want to go home,” I bluntly said, but he shook his head and grabbed my hand again. The living room was furnished with two couches, two recliners, and two oval shaped coffee tables. Elias sat next to me. No one sat with us. The old woman, who I mentally labeled the shrew, sat on the other couch with Calim and Roson. Cameron lounged in a recliner.
“Elias, we have been patient with you. We have allowed you to travel the world and do as you pleased. It’s time for you to come home, choose a bride, and join the audience,” the old woman stated. I was too relaxed to be alarmed by the fact that my friend was required to get married.
“No.” The one syllable made everyone shift in their seats.
“No?” The woman seemed outraged.
“No. I’m staying here. I was happy here until you showed up,” Elias snapped, glaring at Roson. Maybe it was his fault that the shrew was here.
“Elias, Mandy needs help. I’ll do anything for you to come home. We…”
“No. She can deal without me. In fact, you all have proven that you can survive without me.” I didn’t understand it, but everyone in the room, minus Elias and I, looked incredibly guilty.
“Elias, you aren’t human. You can’t live with them forever.” The shrew was trying for a more placating tone. But my friend shook his head.
“Lena has to come back with us,” Cameron argued. “She’s one of us.” His words startled the hell out of Roson and the shrew.
“No, she doesn’t,” I argued, despite feeling calm. I wasn’t going to leave my family just to live with a bunch of strangers.
“What’s her inheritance?” The shrew asked with interest.
“Wind.”
“Really? My dear, which family do you come from?” The shrew asked, her eyes flashing.
“I’m not one of you,” I protested. Elias sighed and released my hand. Immediately, the couch holding Roson, The Shrew, and Calim flipped over and they were tossed to the ground. I glared at the couch, and it lifted into the air before it smashed against the ceiling. Roson stood, cursed and glared at me. Something sharp went through my head and suddenly, the couch fell hard on top of Calim. Elias ran to Calim, pushed the couch off of him and healed any injuries that he had. I frowned down at my hands, uncomprehending of what was happening. The shrew stood and walked over to me. Her boney fingers pressed into my forehead, and hot white pain flashed through me. She abruptly released me, and I sagged, feeling drained.
“She is one of us. Lena, you can’t live with your family. You need to be around your kind. If you’re upset, you’ll lash out with your ability. You can’t do that amongst humans. It’s dangerous.”
“No. You got it wrong. I’m human,” I protested. Elias sat beside me and shook his head.
“No, you aren’t. Lena, look, we can talk about this. I just need you to stay calm, okay. If you aren’t calm…” A lamp exploded as it was slammed against a wall.
“Unbelievable. That was an antique,” Cameron cursed. I was pissed off and needed an outlet.
“Lena, let’s go to my room,” Elias said softly.
“Will you take me home after?” His eyes had saddened briefly before he responded “of course.”
I followed Elias up a winding staircase and into a spacy room. It had the essentials plus a ping pong table and a guitar. I plopped down on the king sized bed. Elias kicked off his shoes and stretched out beside me.
“I screwed up, Slugger,” Elias admitted.
“What do you mean?”
“I shouldn’t have brought you here. I didn’t know that Caroline Banks was going to be here.”
“The Shrew?”
“Yes, the Shrew.” Elias chuckled.
“Roson’s desperate to get you back home,” I noted. Elias groaned.
“Mandy broke her arm when an escalator went haywire. My brother wants me to drop everything to heal her.”
“Mandy’s your ex?” I asked.
“Yes. She’s also my brother’s current girlfriend.”
“Is that why you left?” Elias’ face grew weary before he gently brushed his fingertip over my cheek.
“No. I left because I’m an idiot with too much pride.”
“I wouldn’t want to go home if Jordan stole the love of my life,” I pointed out. Elias sighed.
“Oh, Lena, I’m sorry that Carolyn knows about you. Now, you’ll have to study at the factory. I’m unsure of how you’ll get out of it.”
“The factory?” Elias yawned.
“Can I take a nap? I’ll tell you when I wake up.” He looked tired, and I felt that way too. So I took off my sneakers and laid down next to him. Before I knew it, my eyes were closed, and someone was placing a soft blanket over me as I drifted off to sleep.