Fallen Elemental (Elemental Series Book 1) Read online

  Like how the second guy is showing the teacher respect by maintaining eye contact while Mr Matthews explains whatever it is they need to know. He doesn't fidget or look like he’s bored with the conversation, instead he gives Mr. Matthews his full attention.

  When Mr. Matthews finishes speaking, the first guy looks away from me to say something to the teacher, but then his gaze swings right back to mine. What the hell is with this guy?

  Mr. Matthews hands the second guy a sheet or two of paper that I’m guessing is what we all received a few weeks ago covering the details of our class project. Then Mr. Matthews sits back down at his desk and offers the second guy a smile before going back to the pile of paperwork on his desk. Meanwhile, the rest of the class just stares at the new kids like a bug under a microscope.

  The second guy turns to his friend, murmuring softly to him.

  The first guy nods in response and gestures in my direction with a mischievous smile. He begins walking straight towards me, not one ounce of self doubt in his purposeful stride.

  The only empty seats in this direction are surrounding my chair, but they can't possibly be choosing to sit with me, the outcast, right? After all, if they do, their social status will be all but destroyed by the end of the day.

  When the first guy reaches the seat directly to my right, I open my mouth to warn him off. But when the second guy moves to the empty seat on my left and I get a proper look at him, all my words disappear. His brown eyes spear me and my heart stutters. Those eyes are achingly familiar but it can't be possible.

  Shortly after the incident with my old neighbor happened and I was forced to move here, I had the most realistic dream I’ve ever had. I was flying through the sky, supported by large white wings. As I flew, I laughed with sheer joy from the feeling of freedom. Then all of sudden, my wings snapped and I fell. The dream had been so real that I thought I was actually going to die, and panic consumed my very being. With each passing second as I neared the earth, I became more certain I would die from the impact.

  But to my relief, a strong pair of arms caught me before I hit the ground. He had somehow made the earth rise from beneath him, lifting him into the air so he could stop my fall.

  He smiled at me, and even though I had never seen him before, I still recognized him, like he was an important part of my life. When he kissed me, that was when the dream ended and I realized that was all it was: a dream.

  When I woke up and tried to remember the face of my mystery savior, it was hard to recall. His striking brown eyes were the only thing I could remember.

  As I stare at the guy in front of me, those same eyes from my dream gaze back at me, and I can't help but wonder if I've finally lost my mind. I know it was just a dream, not reality, yet with everything that has happened lately, I have to wonder if maybe that dream was some kind of vision?

  I put all thoughts of my dream to the back of my mind as the two guys take the seats on either side of me. They both turn in their chairs to face me, wearing intense expressions. Being in such close proximity to their towering forms is making me feel very small in comparison.

  There's something about them, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Being this close to them is intense, and it feels like electricity is surging through my veins. Very much like this morning.

  The first guy clears his throat to get my attention, and I turn to face him. “So, I guess we’ll be working on our report together,” he says casually.

  I arch an eyebrow in confusion. Surely Mr. Matthews didn’t pair me up with both of the new students?

  But before I can object to his statement, the guy continues, his voice filled with energy like he had a little too much coffee this morning.

  “Mr. Matthews said we can all work together instead of one of us being left out. I’m Kylan by the way, and this is Theodore,” he continues, gesturing to his friend.

  Well, so much for the teacher not putting the new kids with me. I’m going to have to organize to do study sessions here at school. I hold in a groan as I think about how difficult this is going to be for me. My life is already hard enough with my normal schedule, but if I add anything else to it, the balance will be completely thrown off, which will make my life a living hell.

  I have six weeks left to finish this damn report. Can I make it through the next six weeks without my parents finding out about my new study partners? If not, who knows if I'll survive my parents?

  Besides, how the hell am I supposed to spend time around two gorgeous guys and not have to deal with the stupid catty idiots here? I’ve learned that it doesn’t take much to make the girls here jealous, even if there is nothing going on between me and any of the guys they set their sights on.

  ‘Gorgeous, huh?’ a deep voice whispers through my mind, causing me to jump in my seat.

  Great, I’m hearing voices in my head again. I turn around to glance at the rest of the class, praying no one saw, but my hopes are dashed when I see Kylan watching me and laughing under his breath. Great, I probably look like some kind of freak jumping at my own shadow.

  I ignore my feelings of embarrassment, hoping that they will just forget my little crazy moment.

  “Okay Kylan, Theodore-”

  “Ted. I prefer Ted,” Theodore interrupts, offering me a small smile.

  Yeah, there’s no way on earth I’ll ever call him Ted. I have too many negative memories associated with that particular nickname.

  “Okay then, Teddy. Let’s figure out a good time to meet so we can discuss our creative writing project. I've already started, but since it's a joint project, just let me know if you want to change anything, and I am more than happy to do so.”

  The look of annoyance Theodore flashes me doesn't go unnoticed, but it can’t be helped because I refuse to call him Ted. That just reminds me of the creepy ass guy from our old neighborhood.

  My mother stayed at home until shortly after I turned ten. Then she decided she no longer wanted to be stuck in the house with me. But even so, I was still too young to be left alone by myself.

  So instead of risking that I might hurt myself and need to call an ambulance or the police, my parents came to an arrangement with a neighbor just down the road from us.

  He was all-too happy to help and they got so used to his generosity that it reached a point where they would drop me off with him even if they were only going to do grocery shopping, or if they had to pop to the office for twenty minutes.

  At first Ted was nice to me. We would play board games and watch movies together. But then after I turned fourteen, basically the moment my body started to show I was no longer a girl but becoming a woman, he started to act weird.

  First, there were these brief touches, but those I brushed aside as simple accidents. But then I started hearing things from other kids in my neighborhood about how much he liked babysitting and what he had done to other teenage girls.

  Apparently one girl even committed suicide because of it. She had told her parents what he had done, how he had touched her inappropriately, but they didn’t believe her. After hearing that, I became careful around him. I did my best to never give him any opportunity to touch me the same way he did those others I had heard about. But despite my best efforts, I would often find myself cornered in one spot or another.

  And unfortunately, like that other girl, my parents didn’t believe me when I told them how uncomfortable I was being left alone with him. They thought I was just trying to get attention, which meant I ended up getting punished for telling lies about someone they perceived to be a good man. So I had to come up with my own plan to deter him.

  After that, any time he would watch me, I would immediately lock myself in a room, either in his home or mine, whichever we were at, until my parents came home. That worked well enough, at least until shortly before my fifteenth birthday, when he got too eager. He broke down the bathroom door before I had the chance to lock it. Then he charged into the small space like an angry bull and demanded I give him what he wanted. When I
screamed at him to get out, he attacked me, ripping my shirt clean off and grabbing me. But rather than get scared, I became angry and that’s when something strange happened. I electrocuted him.

  I have no idea how such a thing was possible; the only thing I can think of is that there must have been some loose wiring in the bathroom. The shock was intense, but he didn't die because I called an ambulance. I told them on the phone he had touched an exposed wire, but when my parents arrived at the hospital, I overheard the doctors say it was like he had been struck by lightning. He was in a coma for a full week and during that time, my parents packed up our house and were planning to move. They delayed me being questioned by the police for as long as possible, insisting that I knew nothing of what happened. They even went as far as telling the on scene officers that I experienced blackouts. I played along with their lie, because I couldn’t exactly tell them the truth, now could I? It would have gotten me locked up in a mental hospital faster than I could say ‘loony.’

  After Ted finally came out of his coma, he told the police he must have had faulty wiring exposed. The moment I was cleared by the police, we moved and I haven't seen or heard from Ted since.

  It wasn’t like I could talk about what happened that night, even if I wanted to. My parents went to great lengths to make me understand that whatever it was that happened that night, it wasn’t lightning. Any time I tried to say otherwise, I was severely punished for it, so I learned to just keep my mouth shut on the whole issue.

  Shaking my head slightly, I pull myself out of my memories. I worry I may have missed a reply from Kylan or Theodore, but when I go to apologize for zoning out, I'm startled by the intensity of their expressions.

  Kylan has his fists clenched on top of his desk and Theodore has snapped his pen clean in two. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were enraged about something. But that doesn’t make sense. Why would they be so angry? Because I wasn't listening to them just now?

  "Sorry I kinda zoned out for a bit there. If you want to do this report with me, we're going to have to meet in the library during free period. And depending on what your afternoons are like, we can add in a study session at the library in town. Just let me know what days would suit the two of you, and I’ll see if I can make that work.” They both nod in response, but I don’t miss the strange expressions that cross their faces. Maybe they’re upset at not being invited back to my place to study? Oh well, nothing I can do about that.

  Because even if I wanted to, I couldn’t invite them over to my house. But my parents know that I go to the library to complete assignments, so it shouldn’t make them suspicious if I went after school to work on our project. At least, I hope not.

  My punishments had calmed down after I cut everyone out of my life, but they picked right back up again recently when I came upon some new information.

  I recently found out I was adopted and ever since then, it’s as if my parents no longer have to pretend to care because we all know I’m not theirs.

  A couple months ago, I was cleaning out my dad’s office for him and accidently dropped a file with some paperwork in it. As I was cleaning it up, I noticed my birth certificate among the other forms.

  I’d never really seen it before and was curious, because I’d never known where I was born. But then as I was reading, I noticed something that shouldn’t have been there.

  My parents’ names on the certificate were listed as Max and Amelia Storm, but my parents are Charles and Marcia Grayson. So, feeling confused, I brought it to them and asked for an explanation as to why my birth certificate had different names on it.

  As soon as I finished asking, my father got to his feet. The look of rage on his face was so intense, I should have run... But I didn't.

  After my father finished punishing me for snooping, they explained to me that they couldn’t conceive a child, so they decided to adopt. Apparently, my biological parents died in a car crash and the police had been unable to locate any living relatives, so I was placed in the foster system until my parents adopted me.

  Ever since they told me this, the punishments have become harsher, and I’ve been forbidden to go anywhere other than school, the library and home.

  I’ve started counting down the days until my birthday. When I'm eighteen, I can move out and live on my own. Not that I can afford it, but anywhere is better than being with parents who beat you whenever you overcook dinner by a minute, or accidently drop a glass.

  I still remember the day I decided to leave. It was a Wednesday night and I had been busy cooking dinner. Mom had gone grocery shopping earlier, but forgot the herbs for the fettucine. I decided it was best not to mention it and just wouldn’t add any this time as it still tasted pretty much the same.

  But when I served the meal to my father, he completely lost it. He leapt up from his seat and punched me in the jaw, calling me a stupid, incompetent, selfish piece of shit. At some point, I collapsed from the pain and I thought it would stop, but he just kept kicking me until I blacked out.

  The next day, I woke up in my bed, wearing the same clothes as the night before. My mother came in and told me I was to stay home until the bruises faded. That was when I decided I’d finally had enough. I needed out from under them but I know I couldn’t simply move out. No, I need to move towns completely.

  I hear the bell ring, and yet neither of the guys have given me an answer. I don’t bother sticking around any longer, though. I have no idea what the hell is wrong with me or why all these memories are coming up now. I thought I’d left most of them behind, but memories can be tricky little buggers.

  I start packing up my bag and hear Kylan say, "We'll see what days work for us and let you know tomorrow."

  I offer him a small smile and grab my bag. Then I hurry out of the room without a backward glance at either of them, even though I can feel them practically radiating with tension. I don't have time to deal with them right now. I have a class I need to get to.

  As I make my way to my algebra class, I take a few deep calming breaths. I really hope that nothing else happens today because I don't think I can handle much more excitement.

  I walk into the classroom a few minutes before the bell rings and head to my usual seat in the back corner. But I frown as I get closer, noticing that somebody’s already in my chair.

  Two

  Theodore

  It’s only day one at this new school and Dane is already being a domineering ass. He thinks just because he's older that automatically means he's in charge. Well, he already had his turn to locate the girl before we got here. But instead of using his skills to find her, he spent most of his time getting laid. Us not knowing the girl’s name, what she looks like, or even her exact age shouldn’t be a problem for an Elemental as strong as him. But unfortunately, he lets his dick guide him much more than he should. So now because of his inability to follow through with a simple task, we’ve all been transferred here in order to find the Elemental.

  This isn’t the first time one of our kind has been sent near this town to investigate a rise in Elemental magic. But the previous searchers never had any luck. My bond brothers have a very uncanny ability for finding lost Elementals, though, which is why we were tasked this mission. Dane thought it would be easy and went off on his own, but he quickly realized this would be harder than he first thought.

  It's unusual for an Elemental to go so long without their power spiking, but this girl either has extraordinary control or is completely oblivious to her ability. Our parents said her power has only been registered once. But when we searched the area where her power had been felt, we came up completely empty and no one would talk to us about the people who lived in the house three years earlier.

  When we couldn’t find her a few towns over, we decided to move to this one, since it was close by and there were reports of a Shaded on the hunt. We figured it would be a good place to search for the Elemental, while also keeping an eye on the Shaded. So we signed up at the local school, in the s
ame area the Shaded had been reported stalking.

  I never would have expected that the girl we were looking for would be in this school, let alone in my first class. But even before I entered the room, I was able to feel her power.

  The strange thing, though, is that we always assumed the Elemental was hiding from us, and that when we did finally find her, she would try to make a run for it. But there she sat, brimming with such power that it took my breath away and barely twitched when she felt us.

  I spoke to the teacher quickly, eager to wrap up our conversation so I could go sit near her. I was hoping for a chance to ask about her powers and her dominant element, but that's not how things went.

  The moment I looked at her, I felt a jolt go through me and started to believe what my mother had told me about people in bonded relationships. She explained it was like love at first sight. When a male comes into contact with his bonded for the first time, it’s like a static shock to your system. It can be from a look or touch, but in my case, it happened as soon as I saw her.

  She’s unbelievably beautiful, with long toffee colored hair flowing down her back. As I sat beside her during class, I took the time to study her face, memorizing every inch of it.

  Her eyes are a beautiful pale blue that looked almost gray in the lighting of the classroom. Which means she's most likely a Water Elemental. Which is interesting in itself, because not many Water Elementals have the level of power she does. Well, apart from Dane, but he's a special case. All four of us are.

  As the class went on, she began to project random thoughts and memories into both Ky and my minds. I don't think she even realized she was doing it because when Kylan spoke to her, she just about jumped out of her skin. He and I had exchanged glances, silently asking if we could have stumbled across a rare powerful Elemental that somehow knew nothing about what she was.