The Elementalist (5 page)

15

~A New Plan~

Bas Iblis

Asmoday knelt before Bas Iblis, who itched to hear what news the lesser demon had brought. Bas Iblis threaded his fingers over his stomach and narrowed his eyes. “Well?”

“My Lord! We have followed the guardian as you commanded and just as you predicted, she led us straight to the Undoer. She never even suspected our motives.”

“Did Bretariel?”

“Oh… no, I don’t think so. He didn’t seem to, My Lord.” Asmoday raised his eyes to meet Bas Iblis’ and let a smile grow on his face.

“Well done, my malevolent friend. Well done.”

“What now, My Lord? Should we kill him or bring him here?”

Bas Iblis reclined on his black throne and contemplated. He had so many wonderful ideas for torture, but which one would cause the most damage? “No. Not yet,” he said finally. “Let’s have some fun first and do what we do best.”

“And what exactly is that, My Lord?”

“Wreak havoc, Asmoday. Break hearts and wreak havoc.”

16

~A Rude Awakening~

Alisa

The next morning, I bounded down from my new bedroom, my heart racing in anticipation to see Brecken. I barely grabbed breakfast, which earned me a scowl from Claire’s mom, but I didn’t care.

I drove across town like a madwoman and waited by Brecken’s locker. I didn’t have one here yet, but he would probably let me share with him. I searched the sea of faces for his. When I saw him, my heart skipped a beat, my breath hitched, and I stared, hoping he’d catch my eye. He did, but looked away as though he hadn’t seen me, like I was any old girl in this ocean of students.

He moved closer and my hands tingled, my pulse pounding inside my chest, my adrenaline spiking. I was near screaming with excitement by the time he got to his locker. I was ready to throw myself into his arms when he froze and turned toward me slowly, his eyebrows rising in question. “Uh… yeah?”

I couldn’t help but blurt out, “Brecken!” I threw my arms around his neck, but he stood stock still, his arms at his sides, and then he slowly pushed me away, frowning. Gently, he took my arms from around his neck. “Do I know you?”

“Do you know…?”

He turned back to his locker, which was now open, a blush on his face, and shoved a couple of books onto the top shelf, throwing me a curious glance. “Sorry. I don’t know
you
.” He slammed the locker closed and smiled, his dimples deep and begging me to kiss them, but he didn’t give me a second glance. Then he was gone, walking away to his next class.

It felt like my heart had dropped to my feet. This was some sort of cruel joke. I jogged after him and grabbed his arm, turning him around to face me. “Wait, Brecken. What’s wrong with you?”

He emitted an impatient sigh. “What did you say your name was?”

“Um, Alisa. Like you don’t know?” I uttered an uncomfortable laugh. This was starting to get really weird.

“Alisa. You’ve got me mixed up with someone else. I really don’t know you.” He glanced down at my hand on his arm. “Do you mind?”

I let go, and he walked away with an amused chuckle. The familiar urge to smack him returned, just like in the old days, but I refused to let this slide. “Brecken, I swear, if you walk away from me…”

He turned, a river of teens between us, parting like salmon swimming upstream. “Look. I’m sorry, but you have me confused with someone else. I’ve never seen you before, and I have no idea who you are. If we made out last year or something, I’m sorry. I don’t remember you.”

He said it like it was nothing. Like he’d had one-night stands with a lot of girls, and I was just one more gumball in the machine. I couldn’t form any words, and I could tell he meant what he said. He didn’t remember me. What had happened?

“It wasn’t a one-night stand!” I yelled after him, not caring that everyone turned to stare. “I was your guardian. That’s a lot more important… and more memorable.”

“Sorry,” he yelled back with a wave. “I could have been drunk. You’re not pregnant, are you?”

“What!” Mortification took over, and I wanted to melt through the floor as students snickered and turned away.

“Good. You had me worried there for a sec.” He laughed and walked off, his hand waving a nonchalant goodbye.

I stood like a marble statue, my mouth gaping. This didn’t make sense. My heart lay on the floor, squished and dying, and the truth of my situation sank in. I had to talk to Adam immediately. He had to fix this. They couldn’t take Brecken away. Not after only two days!

Marching toward the school’s office, I realized there was no better time to transfer than right now. I filled out the requisite papers, took them back to my old high school, got the required signatures, forged Claire’s mom’s name, and then took them back to Ocean Side High the next morning. If Brecken thought I was going to let him go blissfully on his way with no memory of me, he was greatly mistaken.

17

~Awareness~

Claire

Moments, like tiny starbursts of light, illuminated Claire’s mind. But only long enough to arouse her to the realization that she
was
sleeping. She didn’t want to awaken, but like the prick of a mosquito bite, the itch irritated. She moved slowly, stretching her consciousness into cognizance.

The effort bordered on painful. Even though little sparks of light peeked through, she wanted to sleep again, but something kept prodding her to life. It wouldn’t let her go back into the black depths of nothingness.

Something wasn’t right. She felt powerless. Pushing against the imprisoning barrier with all her might, she plowed through. With a cry of fury, she thrust her will forward and was blinded by the light of day.

In surprise, she lost her balance and fell to the ground, scraping her hands and knees. She straightened, aching, and turned in a slow circle, taking in the unfamiliar location. She was in a building. One she didn’t remember entering. The paint on the brick walls was faded, and the floor tiles were worn and scuffed. Ugly orange-and-green lockers stood in a row like soldiers.

She was at a school, but not
her
school. Hill Valley High was only a few years old, with all the modern contraptions and the latest colors and styles available. This one was built by the Crypt Keeper and smelled like sweaty tennis shoes.

She wanted to cry out in dismay. Instead, she scrambled toward the end of the hall where a drinking fountain was hung and gulped down huge mouthfuls of water. Bright light shined through the doors to her right, calling for her to escape, so she pushed through them and out into the sunshine.

A scream of protest rose in her throat as a terrible pain at the back of her head erupted like an explosion—like the worst migraine to ever occur. Without warning, she was pushed back into the dark recesses of her mind. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break free or move forward. She was trapped again like a floppy doll, her consciousness sagging in fatigue. She could see… kind of, but only as a bystander, watching as though she rode shotgun in her own body.

Claire wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was obvious she was going through some kind of alien abduction… or more likely, she was possessed! She had read about things like this happening and she knew it was imperative that she get the intruder out of her body. Not knowing where this evil being was taking her, she hesitated, afraid, but Claire wasn’t about to let this possession happen without a fight.

Like a raging lion, she clawed her way into the driver’s seat of her mind, hearing a cry of frustration from her unwanted guest. Her corporeal arms flailed, and the keys fell from her hand as she fought for control. Like some sort of Frankenstein marionette, she barely managed to propel herself into the school’s parking lot.

“Hey, are you okay?” a boy called out. He ran up beside her and placed a hand on her arm, his face filled with concern.

Claire stared into his eyes, not sure how to answer. Yeah, something was wrong—really wrong—but she had no idea how to fix it. She wasn’t sure she could.

“What school is this?” she asked, hysterical, her eyes darting around. She was barely able to hold the demon back, and she could feel it thrashing its way forward.

“Huh?” he answered.

“This school,” she demanded. “What’s it called?”

“Ocean Side?”

He gazed at her like she was nuts, and maybe she was. “You’re at Ocean Side High. By the ocean.” He pointed to his right, and Claire lifted her to gaze to follow his fingers toward the soft roar of the surf just over the rise. Now that he mentioned it, she
could
feel the salty tang of seawater on her tongue. An unpleasant whiff of dead fish floated on the breeze also. That was not as enjoyable.

“Oh my gosh,” she whispered breathlessly. “I’m at Ocean Side.”

He nodded slowly. “Ye—ah. Do you need some help? Is there anyone I can call for you?”

Her gaze flitted back to him. He was about her height, blond, average looking, with a cheap backpack slung over his shoulders. His jeans weren’t expensive, and neither were his knock-off Vans.

“Um, no. I can drive myself home.” She gave him a strained smile, and then managed to get in her car without falling over.

The boy’s eyebrows pulled down into a frown as he watched her, but Claire didn’t care. She didn’t have time for this. The last thing she remembered was… she couldn’t even recall the last thing she remembered.

She hurried across town, trying not to speed even though her heart raced and her pulse pounded in her head. Her hands held the steering wheel tight, her knuckles white, as she tried to keep the demon at bay. A migraine threatened to overpower her, and it took all of her energy to focus on the road, on the speedometer, and on her feet using the gas and clutch.

Miraculously, she made it into her driveway. The drive home took twenty-five minutes when it should have only taken fifteen, and she felt like she’d sped the whole way. Stumbling from the car, she forced herself up the porch and into her house before she collapsed on her hands and knees in the foyer.

Her mom rushed to her side. “Claire? Oh, Claire! What’s wrong? What happened?” She helped her up the stairs, helped her undress, and tucked her into bed. Never had anything felt so wonderful. The cool sheets hugged her legs and the smooth silk of her pillowcase cradled her face. She rolled to her side and mumbled that she needed rest.

Her mother smoothed back her hair. “Yes, Claire. You rest. I’ll bring some dinner up later.”

Exhaustion overcame her, and she couldn’t stop her eyelids from drooping closed.

18

~Mounting Frustrations~

Alisa

I couldn’t explain what happened, but Claire had taken control away from me. It was a shock, and I was stunned, but I’d stood back—so to speak—and watched quietly, observing her reaction.

She’d raced home, terrified, and gone straight to bed.

At that point, I easily took over again. I didn’t want to fight her, and even though it was cool to have a body, I knew I couldn’t stay here like this. As fun as it had been, guardians didn’t possess. That was what a demon would do, preferably without the charge knowing… but for once, this wasn’t my fault, and I was willing to do whatever it took to get out… maybe.

I sat up in the dark of Claire’s bedroom, my head pounding and my belly roiling with nausea. Weakness left my arms and legs hanging, fatigued, and I thought I might throw up. I lay back down, hoping to keep the contents of my stomach right where they were.

Then the memories came rushing back.

All thoughts were washed away by what mattered most.

Brecken

He didn’t remember me. I pressed my fist to my chest in an effort to ease the ache, but it didn’t help. Nothing could. After all we’d been through… the hopes I’d had… I couldn’t let it end like this.

Rolling over, I closed my eyes, willing myself to forget.

The clock on Claire’s nightstand read 2:03 AM. I was wide awake but exhausted. If I lay here for another four or five hours, I’d go nuts. It was enough to drive me to my feet. Tiptoeing down the stairs, I headed to the kitchen. The streetlights in front of the house shined brightly through the windows, lighting my way. In the kitchen, I got a drink of water and looked around. I wasn’t afraid, even though this wasn’t my house. The shadows were unfamiliar, and the creaks and groans were different from my old house, but the feeling was kind of the same.

I was safe here.

As I leaned against the counter drinking my water, I noticed a light glowing under the door to the basement. I had a firm belief about basements—that all things evil or haunted happened there. Nothing good ever came out of a basement except canned fruit, but I was curious, so I ventured forth anyway, tempted to see why the light was on. Sometimes, I liked the thrill of fright. It was a rush, and maybe it would make me tired enough to go back to sleep.

The door squeaked as I pulled it open. I stopped, listening for any sounds from upstairs. After a few seconds of silence, I deemed it safe to proceed. One foot after the other led me down into the deep, dark basement. I left the door open at the top of the stairs just in case I had to turn around and run for my life. A lone light bulb hung in the center of the open room. It glowed softly, but cast dark shadows past the shelves of stored food and into the deep corners where anything could hide.

I shivered instinctively and then noticed a low table, or more accurately, a bench, that stood against the far wall. It held candles with cold, melted wax at their base. It wasn’t until I moved closer that I remembered this room. I’d been down here watching Claire when she’d done her ceremony. That was when I’d been forced into her body. This was
her
fault! It was all coming back with stark clarity.

A dish sat in the center of the bench, along with a hairbrush and my two silver, double-eternity earrings. Reaching out, I lifted my familiar brush and turned it back and forth. A frown grew on my face, and then I picked up the earrings. With them tight in my fist and my brush brandished like a weapon, I stomped up the stairs, only to remember it was the middle of the night and there was nobody to rant and rave to. There was no one here who cared, or would even understand.

No one. Not even Brecken.

I was completely alone.

Plopping down on the living room couch, I sighed in defeat. Who could I turn to? Pouring my heart out to anyone who could hear me, I let my tears fall, but my prayer seemed to bounce off the ceiling. Then I remembered Adam. Maybe
he’d
hear me. I pictured his understanding face and his kind eyes as I concentrated. A few moments passed, and I was sure I was being ignored as far as divine help was concerned, but then I felt someone sitting next to me on the couch. I glanced over, knowing who was there.

“Adam!”

“Shhh,” he whispered, holding a finger to his lips. “You don’t want to wake the family.” With a tired smile, he squeezed my hand. “How are you holding up, my dear?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Nothing feels right. It’s never been like this before.” I gazed steadily into his eyes, certain he’d understand.

He nodded, and I wanted to throw my arms around him to thank him for being so kind and patient with me. I was high maintenance. I always had been, so I hesitated, holding back, not daring to be rejected. I’d had enough of that lately.

“I know it’s hard, Alisa, and we’re under transition right now in Idir Shaol. Communication is ridiculous.” He laughed and shook his head. “Even those higher up are frustrated, but the channels will be repaired soon.”

“Repaired? Are they broken?” I couldn’t even comprehend such a thing. Never before had I felt unheard. Maybe ignored, yeah, but not abandoned

“Oh… no,” he said. “But you know how it is. Everyone is busy working. Ancestors do the brunt of the guardian work, but sometimes, petitions and prayers get lost in the shuffle.” He gave a nervous chuckle, and I studied him closer. Lines of worry creased his eyes, and his lips seemed tighter than before. He was worried about something. Something he wouldn’t tell me. It made me worry too.

Like a light switch being flipped on, his expression altered from concern to serenity. “Tell me, how are you doing? You did call. Is there a problem of a more personal nature?”

With a sigh, I tried to figure out where to begin. “Something just doesn’t feel right. I’m not sure what it is, but it seems like… well, like I shouldn’t be in someone else’s body. First of all, I don’t like it. And second, it’s wrong to take over someone else’s life. Also, I went to see Brecken, and he doesn’t remember who I am anymore!” I grasped Adam’s hand, hoping to convey my frustration. I thought he got it, considering how tight I was squeezing.

“I know. I’m really sorry about that. The higher-ups did not think it was wise for you to continue in that relationship after all.” He smiled sweetly and shook his head in apology. “You have important work to do, Alisa, and you need to focus. It’s all going to be fine. You are doing everything you’re supposed to. When we’re done with the trial run of our new program, I’m sure Bretariel will have his memories given back.”

I was devastated by this news. I couldn’t believe they would take him away from me. Especially since this might be my only chance to be with him for a while. I felt stabbed through the heart and betrayed. How could they do this? “But, who…?”

“Shh.” He tried to silence me with a pat on the shoulder.

“But why?”

With a nervous chuckle, he stood, outwardly uncomfortable with my heightened emotional state. “Can you be patient… just for a while longer?”

Patient
? Was he serious? I shook my head as I sat there, frozen in disbelief. How could they give me the man that I loved and then take him away? Why would they do this? Why? Tears formed in my eyes as Adam backed away. I reached for him, but he disappeared from sight without a word.