Underworld

She was in front of me, standing on a ledge high above the city streets, wearing a crown of stars against the velvety night sky. Her dress danced around her, as did her hair, and I called, “Be careful” because she was dancing barefoot only inches from a deadly fall.

She laughed and twirled towards me, her black-tipped hair floating in front of her face like a veil. She held out her hand towards me and I reached for her but flames ignited all around me, painting her pale dress in orange and red. I wanted to scream but she only smiled, beautifully, like an angel in the middle of an inferno.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “You can’t hurt me.”

I reached for her again but she vanished into smoke, melting away into the air and soon, the flames faded away, as did the building and the stars, until I was left in a soft black void of nothingness.

I jerked awake with a ragged gasp, mouth wide as I regained control of myself. I closed my eyes and willed myself to be calm. There was an acrid scent rising from my bedspread and I looked down to see the faint scorch marks my fingertips had left on the fabric. It was one of several that dotted the red and brown comforter.

Damn. I’ll have to hide it from Caleb; it’s the fourth set I’ve burned.

I ran a hand through my unruly hair, fingers catching slightly on the curled tips. I would get a haircut but laziness won out over a few renegade curls.

It was a dream, which meant I’d been sleeping. I‘d never slept until I began having these dreams. Of her. The girl from the bus. I had no doubt of who she was now.

Squinting slightly, I focused a thought towards Caleb.

“She’s here, isn’t she?”

The reply came after a few moments, confirming what I already knew.

“Yes.”

✯✯✯

“This sunburn is a bitch and a half,” Bree complained, lying facedown on her twin bed with her arms and head hanging over the side. She was shirtless and I could see the pale lines from her bathing suit cutting through the angry red burn on her shoulders and back.

“It’s funny, but I think they’ve invented something called ‘sunscreen’. I think it might even prevent sunburns from happening,” I said in mock surprise, pulling on a sweatshirt and a pair of pajama pants with characters from South Park printed on them.

“F-u-u-u-ck you,” was her mumbled reply as she began to nod off.

“Aw, that’s no way to treat the person who was thinking about walking to the store and getting you some aloe lotion.” I was already lacing up my Converse sneakers.

She turned to me. “Really? It’s like you do have a heart!” she joked.

“I’ve got such a big heart that I was even thinking of getting you a McFlurry from McDonald’s.”

“Oreo.”

“Done.”

I was halfway out the door when she called, “Hey, be careful, okay? It’s getting dark out.”

I grinned back at her. “Don’t worry. I’m Superman, remember?”

She snorted and turned back to the TV.

It was a little past seven p.m. when I left the Walgreens, aloe in hand. I stuffed it in the pocket of my sweatshirt. McDonald’s was several blocks away, so I walked there as well.

An annoying little bell announced my arrival as I pushed open the glass doors. I blinked from the fluorescent lights for a moment before scanning the menu for a moment.

“Chicken McNuggets meal and an Oreo McFlurry, please,” I told the tired-looking cashier. As she counted out my change, that evil little bell jingled cheerfully as new customers entered.

Her eyes flicked to the new arrival and, as she handed me my change, her fingers grazed my palm. In an instant, I caught a glimpse of what she saw as though I were outside my body and looking through her eyes. I saw my own face—eyes wide and blank—and behind me a very familiar face. I/she blinked and I was back in my own body, seeing with my own eyes again.

“For here or to go?” she asked undisturbed, unaware of what had just passed.

I cleared my suddenly dry throat. “To go.”

She handed me my receipt and I turned towards the restrooms, forcing myself to not glance at the boy I’d seen on the bus back in Tucson. It had happened nearly two weeks ago and yet I knew without a doubt he was the same, though he was without his older companion this time.

I half-hoped there would a window large enough to fit through, complete with a convenient footstool beneath it. Of course, no such luck. I drummed my fingers against the porcelain sink, trying to slow my heartbeat. I wasn’t sure why my stomach felt like it was free-falling; it could all just be a crazy coincidence, right? My heart was thudding loudly against my ribcage. Right.

The white lights above the mirror were unflattering, throwing my face into contrast. My pupils are unusually small, mere pinpricks of black against my pale irises that changed between pale blue and grey. At the moment, they were the color of steel edged in blue and I knew I was in danger of losing control of my powers.

I closed my eyes, listening to the pound of my heart through the ringing in my ears from the silence echoing on the tile walls. I felt the blood flowing through my temples, felt the miniature heartbeat in my fingertips. I drew the cold of the porcelain and surrounding tiles into me, welcomed the soothing chill. Opening my eyes, I was glad to see my pupils were once again normal size, though my eyes were still that steel-grey color.

I pushed away from the sink, a flicker of anger breaking through the thin ice of calm. One of the light bulbs cracked above me, a sharp tinkling sound. I narrowed my gaze at it, feeding the anger. The bulb shattered, fizzling out with a thin wisp of smoke. It felt good to release some of the pent-up energy. If only I could take it out on him.

I strode out of the restroom as the cashier called my number. I saw the boy out of the corner of my eye. He was leaning against the counter beside the fountain drinks, twirling a straw, drink in hand. When I came out of the bathroom, his gaze swiveled my way. Ignoring him, I grabbed the bag and swung towards the door.

“Miss, your drink!” the cashier called out to me.

“No thanks,” I said over my shoulder. The demonic little bell signaled my hurried departure.

It was full dark by now and I cursed my decision to walk all the way here rather than take a cab. The dark hadn’t bothered me before but now I felt strangely vulnerable and, with that, I also felt angry.

Is the other one waiting for me somewhere? The thought caused the hairs on the back of my neck to ripple in alarm even as it fed the anger. Behind me, distantly, I heard the bell jingle.

“Son of a bitch,” I cursed, now more exasperated than anything else.

I walked another half-block before he made his move.

“Hey,” he called behind me.

“Not interested,” I replied shortly, not slowing my pace.

“Well, I don’t know about that.” His voice was directly behind me, much closer than he had been only a moment before.

I whirled but he easily blocked my swinging fist. I snarled and the windows of the building to my left exploded outwards, showering us in crystalline shards. My heavy sweatshirt shielded me from the worst of it but I felt a shard slice into my cheek.

“Shit,” my would-be attacker exclaimed, shielding his face with his arms.

I dropped the fast-food bag, turned, and abandoned all pretenses of nonchalance, running towards the hotel as fast as I could. Magic was flooding my veins and I didn’t want to risk any more of it escaping my control. I was a fast runner—the best in my P.E. class—and within a few minutes, I reached the brightly lit lobby, safe from whoever was following me.

Once I was secure in the elevator, I took a deep breath, clearing my mind. The elevator lights flickered but that was the extent of it; I had it under control once more.

I hadn’t exactly been afraid—I know I can take care of myself and my powers gave me added bravado. The only thing I felt now was extreme annoyance. Godamnit, I really wanted those chicken nuggets.

✯✯✯

I surveyed the scene that the girl had left behind. I was standing in an ocean of broken glass, two clear spots marking where we’d both stood. I picked up her fallen bag of food and calmly walked in the direction that she’d run, not wanting to be caught near the demolished windows.

She’s a wild one, alright. I flipped open my cell phone and hit a speed-dial button. Caleb answered after a single ring.

“You found her?”

“Yeah. She was a bit, ah, reluctant to talk to me,” I said.

A sigh. “What did you do?”

“Nothing!” I said defensively. “Maybe seeing me again after the bus freaked her out. She blew out the side of a bridal shop and got me pretty good.”

“You’re hurt?”

“Nothing serious; only a few scratches. Anyway, I thought I could use your calming influence because I’m following her to the hotel. You’d better call James, too.”

“Alright. Wait for us before you do anything.” We disconnected as I rounded a corner, coming within sight of the hotel.

I’ve got a feeling she’s going to be a pain in the ass.

✯✯✯

I took the time to straighten my clothes while I waited for the elevator to bring me to the fourth floor. I had somehow managed to hold on to Bree’s McFlurry during my mad dash to the hotel and I had melting ice cream splattered all over my hand. Bits of Oreo were stuck to my sweatshirt and my cheek still stung from the glass but that was about it.

When I walked into the room, Bree eyed my less-than-immaculate appearance. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Nothing.” I tossed the aloe on the bed next to her and peeled the sweatshirt off. I wore a plain white tank underneath. “I just went for a little jog. Here’s your McFlurry.”

“Oo, thanks.” She spooned an Oreo chunk into her mouth before frowning and I could tell she wasn’t going to drop it. “But really, why were you…?”

“I was just a little spooked,” I said calmly, willing her to believe me, to discontinue her interest. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

Her eyes went blank, just like Aunt Jeanette’s when I was trying to persuade her to let me come to New York. I felt a pang of guilt for manipulating her like this but I didn’t want her to worry about or get caught up in the situation with the mystery boy.

“Okay, whatever,” she said, once more turning her attention to the TV. I gave a tiny sigh of relief.

“You didn’t get anything for yourself?” she asked, motioning her ice cream towards me.

“Uh—” I was saved from having to respond by two sharp knocks on the door. My heart gave a little start before I reassured myself that it wasn’t, couldn’t possibly be…

“Maybe it’s my dad,” Bree said, jumping up and padding towards the door, taking no notice of my apprehension.

“Wait.” I grabbed her wrist as she reached for the deadbolt. “Let me check first.”

I pressed my cheek to the wood and curled my fists against the door when my suspicions were proven correct. The boy was standing in the hallway, only now, his blonde companion had joined him.

My stomach twisted and wisps of hair caressed my cheekbones as anger flooded through me. “Why are you here?”

“Get back,” I told Bree, backing away from the door.

“We just want to talk to you. That’s it.”

“Why?” she asked, looking nervously at the door.

“Right, and snow cones are available year-round in hell. Why are you following me?”

“It’s not your dad,” I said.

“Should I call the police? Who is it?”

“We’re like you, Shaye. Isn’t it obvious by now?”

Holy shit. I’d been talking to them in my mind. My breath caught in my throat and my legs felt too shaky to stand on.

“Shaye, tell me what’s going on,” Bree pleaded. “I’m scared.”

I mentally shook my head, focusing on her with a smile. “It’s alright, Bree. It’s just—it’s hard to explain right now but they’re not a threat. I promise.”

Her eyes shifted over my shoulder and widened in shock. I turned in time to see the deadbolt slowly rotate counterclockwise, followed by the sliding chain lock. There had been no scrape of a key; if it was what I thought it was, I was no longer feeling so confident against them. Damn.

The door opened to reveal the last person we were expecting to see.

“Dad?” Bree was completely bewildered, borderline on tears.

Mr. Callahan stood framed in the doorway, flanked by the two strangers. The younger, dark-haired boy was standing slightly behind the other two, seeming a little bored. The blonde kept his hands out to his sides and wore a small, reassuring smile as though to convey that he was harmless. Yeah, right.

Mr. Callahan sighed and stepped into the room, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “Briana, I’m so sorry. This got slightly out of hand and I didn’t want to bring you into the middle of it.”

“The middle of what, exactly? Dad, I’m freaking out.” Bree crossed her arms, eyeing the other two nervously.

“Let’s go into the other room, Bree. I’ll explain as much as I can.” He led her across the room to the door that led to the second bedroom. She followed reluctantly, glancing at me uneasily.

“It’s all right, B. I’ll be fine,” I told her, trying to sound more reassuring than I actually felt. She nodded and the door softly clicked shut, leaving me with the other two. My skin itched with the need to face them, keep them from having my back, but I resisted. The only sound in the room was an indistinct rerun of The Simpsons on the TV.

“So. My mysterious stalkers are here at last,” I said finally. I crossed the room to a small armchair near the window that faced the TV and pressed the power button. I could feel the tiny sparks of electricity jump from the screen as it went blank.

“I resent the term ‘stalker’; I prefer ‘enthusiastic following’,” the dark-haired boy said, plopping down on the bed opposite me. The blonde nudged him aside and sat on the bed as well.

“Well, this was fairly awkward so why don’t we get right to the point?” the blonde said. “My name is Caleb, this is Kye, and we’re both Elementals like you.”

He said this so straight-faced I had to laugh. “Okay, then. When you say ‘Elemental’, what does that mean? And how the hell does Mr. Callahan know you? And why are you here? In fact, nothing makes sense.” I was frustrated again as I realized how little I knew about this whole damn situation. I wasn’t usually this frayed but lately I couldn’t seem to control my emotions.

Caleb spoke up quickly. “Don’t worry, I promise we’ll clear everything up.” Waves of calm flowed through me and I instantly felt more comfortable talking to him. He continued, “The most important thing right now is that you know how dangerous you are if we leave you here to your own devices.”

The calm cracked like an eggshell and I could feel my anger and confusion flow through again. “Stop it.” Caleb looked puzzled and I knew it hadn’t been him. I found the source of the calm emanating from the boy next to him—Kye. “Get out of my head, you bastard.”

“Kye,” Caleb said sharply.

“I’m just trying to calm her down,” he said defensively. “You can feel it too—her emotions are too chaotic. It’s only a matter of time before she loses control.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t lose control if someone would keep out of my mind,” I replied hotly. “Just hold on for a sec.”

I inhaled deeply and curled my fists against the armrests of the chair, imagining all of my anxiety and anger gathered into a tight ball. I exhaled slowly, loosening my fingers, and the ball of negativity flaked away into wisps that dissolved into nothingness. I thought of cold, an enclosure of ice that made me feel instantly lighter and serene. And in control.

I smiled and looked up at them, exhaling a small cloud of frosty air. “You were saying?”

Caleb looked impressed. “I wouldn’t have expected that from someone of your level, Shaye. Nicely done.” He cleared his throat. “Now, as for your questions. Are you aware of what James—Mr. Callahan—does for a living?”

I frowned. “He’s a lawyer; he works at the Criminal Court downtown.”

“That’s true and it’s not. He is an attorney but what you and Briana don’t know is that he mainly deals in paranormal cases.” Caleb rubbed his eyes. “It’s far too complicated to explain in detail now but the gist of it is that whenever someone with certain abilities has a brush with the law, Mr. Callahan intervenes on their behalf in order to keep them separate from humans.

He’s a bit of a psychic himself, actually. He can sense others’ powers and strengths, which makes him very useful for what he does. Of course, he knew what you were the moment you met.”

“Earlier, you said I’m an Elemental, right?” I was fascinated now, my confusion replaced by curiosity.

Caleb nodded. “It appears that you are an Aero—you can control wind and air. I’m a Hydro and I can control water. Your gift is very rare and hasn’t fully developed yet, which is why we didn’t realize what you were when we first saw you in Arizona. That, and you seem to grasp the concept of shielding very well.”

“Is that what you call it? My aunt taught it to me, as a meditation technique to help keep my powers under control. It works but I have to concentrate on it.”

“But it would explain why we didn’t notice what you were on the bus in Tucson. Wild magick is distinctive and easily recognized, especially an Aero’s. Many of them die at a young age if they’re not regulated.”

“Well, that makes me feel pretty special.” I bent my legs and wrapped my arms around them and sighed, staring at the ground and trying to process everything that was happening. “So if I can control wind and you can control water, I’m guessing fire and earth are the other Elements?”

He nodded. “Yes, Pyro and Terran. There are many other Gifts as well; as you probably already know, we have a psychic power, which allowed us to speak mind to mind, but there are many others. I’m also an Illudari, an illusionist. And I have telekinetic abilities, to a degree, as you’ve seen.” He motioned to the door.

“And what can I do, make things explode?” I reached up to touch the cut on my cheek from the broken glass and decided telekinesis was much more useful.

“Well, from what I can tell, you have telekinesis as well; you just have to learn control.”

Caleb frowned at the cut and nudged Kye, who was lying on his back with his arms behind his head. He sighed and stood up, moving next to the armchair. He touched his fingertips to the cut and I felt warmth spreading through my cheek, intensifying along the cut until, a few moments later, it vanished completely.

Kye plopped back down on the bed behind Caleb. I touched my cheek and found that it was smooth and unbroken, with only a few flakes of dried blood left behind.

“Cool trick,” I said nonchalantly, though I was actually very impressed. “Is that something that I could learn?”

“Unlikely. It’s a side perk from my Element,” Kye said.

“Which is?” I asked. His mouth tightened but he didn’t respond. I shrugged.

Caleb filled the silence. “Anyway. I’m glad we found you. Is there any possibility you might consider coming to stay with us while you refine your control over your powers?”

“Stay with you?” I asked, confused. “For how long? I’m in New York for vacation and I go back to Arizona in two weeks. But somehow, I don’t think two weeks gives us enough time to even cover the basics.”

“Not even close. No, when I say ‘stay with us’, I mean for an indefinite amount of time. Our coven, I guess you could say, is like a second home and family.”

“Coven? There are more of you?”

“More of us, you mean. You didn’t think it was only us three, did you?”

“I guess I didn’t really think about it. How many are there?”

“In our coven, I’d say around fifteen, give or take a few. Worldwide, there are thousands with our abilities.”

Well, at least I wouldn’t be stuck with just Kye; he wasn't much of a talker.

“Good, then it shouldn’t be too hard to find a mentor in Arizona, right?” I found it hard to imagine Aunt Jeannette being happy about my moving across the country for an “indefinite amount of time”.

“Therein lies the problem, Shaye; Aeros are a rare Element and there are less than a handful of them in the United States. As it is, we’re fortunate to personally know an Aero who can help you but he is presently beyond any means of contact. However, I’d still like for you to come with us so that we can help you with your other abilities.”

“I don’t know,” I said slowly. “There’s a lot to consider and I have to discuss it with—”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Kye interrupted, sitting up sharply to glare at me. “You don’t seem to understand how much of a danger you pose to everyone around you the longer you walk around without being able to control your powers.”

I met his heated gaze with an anger of my own. “And you don’t seem to understand that this isn’t something I can decide on lightly. It affects more people than just me.” I couldn’t help but glance at the closed door that Bree and her father disappeared behind what seemed like hours ago.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you are dangerous,” he said softly. “You can reconnect with your friends when you have better control.”

My anger was swift and razor sharp. A long, thin cut materialized on the back of Kye’s hand. He became very still, staring down at it. After a moment, he brought his hand to his lips, cleaning the blood away to reveal the healed skin.

“Interesting,” Caleb murmured. “You can manifest strong emotions into a physical effect.”

“All the more reason why you have to stay here with us,” Kye added.

“You seem to think your opinion means something to me, Kye,” I said coldly, keeping my eyes on Caleb. “What I decide and when I decide is of little consequence to you, so you can stop with the tough act. My control is fine when I’m not being aggravated by an asshole.”

He exhaled, long and slow. “I’ll wait for you outside, Caleb.” He stood and exited the room, closing the door softly behind him, though I could taste his anger like a lightening storm in the air.

Caleb sighed. “Well, if you decide to join us, I do hope you make better friends with the others than you do with Kye. Though, to be fair, he always was hot-tempered.”

“As long as we don’t have to share a room together, I think we’ll be fine. Just a rough start.” I let my head fall back onto the armchair cushion.

“So, is that a yes, then?” Caleb looked hopeful.

“It’s a maybe,” I answered. “I wasn’t lying when I said I had to talk it out with a few people. Well, more like one—my aunt. She’s my guardian and I have a feeling she won’t be too happy with this proposed move. But I will talk to her tomorrow about it. How should I reach you?”

“I have a cell phone you can call anytime; I’ll give you the number.” He surveyed the room for a moment and found a pencil and napkin. He scribbled the phone number on the napkin and handed it to me. I laid it on the table beside the armchair.

“Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now,” Caleb said. I stood and accepted his outstretched hand in a brisk shake. I walked him to the door, holding it open for him.

He paused in the walkway, turning back to me. “Does your aunt know about your powers?”

“Yes.”

“Then I have a feeling we’ll see each other again soon.”

I nodded and closed the door behind him. The silence in the hotel room was deafening after everything that had just passed. I stared out into the night sky through the window, wide-awake despite the time.

I leaned my forehead against the cool glass. Christ…this happened so fast. Mom…please help me.

I sighed and turned away from the window, my breath leaving a cloud on the glass. A crumpled McDonald’s bag sat in the middle of the bed and I was too numb to be surprised. I lay down, making shapes from the cracks in the ceiling, and ate my cold chicken nuggets.