The Elementals (11 page)

           
"Don't say you're sorry. Mari started bawling on me, I don't want you to do it too."

           
"Marissa's an empath," Terra choked in explanation. She went to touch the words, compelled somehow to make certain they were real, but he jerked from her. "Remember this warning?"

           
"It doesn't matter….”

           
"It does!" She noticed his necklace hanging low on his chest, a large Carnelian stone.

           
"Remember this, flower child. I am protecting you, taking the place of the elements that
have
to exist."

           
"So do you. Without you, there'd be no warmth, no sun." Terra insisted.

           
"Without you, there'd be nothing at all."
Bryan
placed his hand on top of her hair, like an older brother would do to a favored sister. "Good luck. Keep them safe."

           
"You're being a coward."

           
"You're being stubborn." He laughed and before she could argue he was ducking out of the car.

           
There was no real argument anyway. He was right, she was stubborn. She wasn't going to give in that easily, she wasn't done trying to convince him. They were far from done, and especially then, when she saw what it was doing to him.

           
She would have never anticipated it when she met him. His demeanor was cold as ice. He hated them, but she was wrong, and she wondered if Marissa had known or seen it all before. It was like her to not say anything, to let things run their course.

           
It was part of the great scheme of things, for irony to exist in their lives. He was mean because he was protecting them. He was giving his life to save three strangers with whom he had to team with. He had and was giving up everything.

           
Terra wouldn't have it. She wouldn't let him do it. They were in it together, if one of them failed, they all did. They would endure. She would make sure of it, because no leader was going to abandon their troops in the battle field. It was bad enough that the war had begun without their knowledge...

They fell into silence once more. It was that heavy blanket all over again, smothering them. It was like they were at the death bed of a loved one, no one wanting to speak, to disturb the peace someone was having, or to disturb the search someone was having for coping.

           
In their silk bathrobes, Era's of baby blue, Terra's of green, and Marissa's of indigo, they sat at the table with their hot chocolate. It became a custom that whatever problem they had would be discussed at the kitchen table over a mutual preferred drink. However, their discussions began in silence, contemplating what the exact problem was, each of them brainstorming ways to solve it.

           
"Is kidnapping out of the equation," Era pondered.

           
"It's out." Terra finalized, then thought of the scars again, no doubt what Era was thinking about. "Let’s call that plan 'b’.” It was a daunting prospect, to not know if they had any boundaries. If kidnapping wasn't out of the equation, what wasn't?

           
Marissa dabbed her watery eyes. "Don't we have to have a plan 'a', first?"

           
"Lets not get into an intellectual discussion of planning tonight, we have more to worry about. We need to focus on Bryne." Terra finalized once again.

           
"How? How can any of this end well? I….I always thought that….that he would
want
to be here. He….he…. does….doesn't he? He hates us." Marissa’s words garbled as she went on, then grabbed a tissue from the center of the table to blow her nose.

           
Era rubbed her back comfortingly. "If we lose hope we lose the fight," Era told her.

           
It was a domino effect. Lose hope, lose the fight, lose their lives, lose the world, lose the light, and lose everything. There would be nothing left for anyone else to fight for. It was not a quest to be handed off to anyone else. No, it
had
to be them.

           
Marissa sniffled sadly. "Have you alerted the Kin?"

           
"I called Aunt Gwen before I came home. She said that the Kin will keep an eye out, but to not expect any results." She picked at a splintered wood by her mug. "I thought having family within the elders was supposed to make all of this easier."

           
"They warned us it wouldn't," Era sighed.

           
They fell into silence once more. It was that heavy blanket all over again, smothering them. It was like they were at the death bed of a loved one, no one wanting to speak, to disturb the peace someone was having, or to disturb the search someone was having for coping.

           
The muteness was broken then by a sharp knock.
 
All of them looked up peculiarly. No one ever came to their door, not since their first day in the house.

           
“I'll get it,” Terra volunteered.

           
“No, wait,” Marissa exclaimed. “What if...” Tears proceeded to roll, dripping off of her chin. She didn't finish the thought, ostensibly too horrible to complete. It wasn't needed; Terra knew what she was imagining. Whatever danger there was, it was aware that they were near the last element.

           
“Stay here,” Terra ordered. She hurriedly went to the door in case they protested, but they followed at her side.

           
With a huge breath, she opened the door, and to her surprise it was Bryne.

           
“May I come in,” he requested roughly.

           
She was not the only one who was startled by his sudden presence. Marissa had gasped and Era had seemed to become lighter, her feet hovering very slightly from where Terra's were next to hers.

           
Silently, still in shock, she moved out of the way giving him a pathway into the living room. He stepped in, and she noticed that he had a worn and holey backpack thrown over his shoulder. He dropped it behind Marissa propping it against the wall. It wasn't just that that she took note of.

           
Over his neck was a long thin scab, dried blood flaking under it. The new scar started from under the lobe of his ear and disappeared under his shirt that was bloodied. She didn't want to think about how it happened, but she would have loved to know who caused it.

           
“Thanks,” he growled.

           
“We're so glad you came,” Marissa said happily, her tears turning to big smiles.

           
“Yeah...”
Bryan
seemed a lot less enthusiastic.

           
Marissa’s gaze landed on the scar, the blood, and she covered her gaped mouth. “What happened?”

           
“Nothing.”

           
“It's not that bad,” Era commented, “I can clean that for you if you'd like.”

           
He beamed at her, true light in his face. Not the angry fire, but like lights on Christmas trees. Like the sun. “That'd be great.”
Bryan
replied.

           
Era floated ahead of him, to lead the way upstairs. Terra and Marissa followed them and stood outside of the bathroom doorway. Bryne sat on the edge of the tub as Era rummaged through the medicine cabinet.

           
"What happened," Terra asked sternly.

           
He groaned but gave in. “The elder….”

           
“Give us a name.”

           
“No. Not now. I told the elder that I told you all to get out of here. I thought it would be okay then, that we being separated would give him an advantage and he wouldn't go after you. He was angry though. I didn't see it coming, I should have. He wants us all destroyed. There's no getting past it, as long as he's alive...”

           
“A he?”

           
“Stop it,” Bryne ordered. “Don't try to guess, I'll tell you, but not tonight nor tomorrow. I need to figure things out.”

           
“We're in this together.” Terra said.

           
“Sure we are, tree hugger. The point is I got personal beef with this man.
I will
draw first blood. He's mine.”
Bryan
explained with rage in his eyes.

           
Marissa looked to him and to Terra, horror sketched over her features. "We're going to have to kill this person, aren't we? We're going to be murderers?"

           
In all the time they had to prepare, to get used to the idea of what they would have to do, none of them had put it in those terms. It wasn’t saving; they were saviors, not murderers. Suddenly, it seemed wrong.

           
"Only one of us…. in which case, it’ll be
me
." Bryne gleamed skeptically at the ointment and wet washcloth that Era held.

           
"Strip the shirt, please?" Era ordered.

           
"Ah, so you like to see the brawn too,” he grinned, taking off his shirt proudly.

           
Without batting an eye or lingering on the sinews that defined him she cleaned the cut. Gently she traced it and he didn't so much as wince, being too obviously brave. She then unscrewed the top of the container to reveal a white paste that she dipped her index finger in and coated the wound.

           
"Where will I be staying?"

           
Terra gave it little thought. "Marissa can stay with me and you in her room."

           
"Why my room," she asked.

           
"Because you decided to talk to him without us. I told you specifically to stay here and you disobeyed. Anyway, you're the youngest, it's only fair."

           
Marissa pouted, her lip sticking slightly out, but she didn't argue further.

           
It was then that Terra took stock of the moment. Bryne had finally come home, Era taking care of healing his past, Marissa and her talking as casually as could be allowed. They were all together, their family joined at last. It was like having a puzzle with one missing piece. It didn't matter how beautiful the rest was, or if you ignored that gaping hole, it would never be absolute without that critical part, whether it was the corner of a barn house, or the fluff of a cloud.

           
The puzzle was done, and it was more beautiful than anything Terra could have imagined. Her family was complete.

Terra was half covering Bryne, her face too close for nonchalant conversation.

           
When Terra said that Marissa could stay in her bed, she didn't foresee how difficult it would have been. The bed was a twin, and Marissa moved a lot. Though they were fluid and not liable to cause much damage, it was uncomfortable and restless.