The Elementals Book One

"You'll be okay?" Arden asked the girls.
Laurel rolled her eyes. "Just go already, you five. We're going to go shopping, aren’t we, girls?”
Rebecca and Brooke grinned and nodded; Andrea smiled slightly.
Everyone had been relieved when they hadn't had to get up at two in the morning, although, unknown to everyone, both Vince and Andrea had stayed awake the entire night, afraid that Rebecca would burst into another fit of screaming. Although neither would admit it, they had been extremely scared for their new friend.
Arden and Vince exchanged an amused look as they pictured how Andrea and Laurel would get along. “It’s a good thing Brooke and Rebecca will be there to keep them from killing each other,” Arden muttered as he, Vince, Alber, Cadman, and Crimson walked out to Arden’s jeep.
Vince chuckled. “Indeed.”

“Are you sure you know how to drive?” Laurel demanded of Andrea as they got into the battered old truck that Crimson had bought for Vince. “You know, I’m going to by myself a pink convertible,” she added.
“Did your parents leave you incredible amounts of money or something?” Andrea demanded. “Because I’m the only one besides some of the boys who’s got a job, and you’ll be the one buying the clothes for these two.”
Rebecca and Brooke glanced at each other and came to a silent agreement. “We’ll be happy to work off the money,” Rebecca said.
Laurel glanced back from the passenger seat. “You won’t have to do that,” she replied. “As long as I can do your hair for the school dance in two days, your debt isn’t necessary.”
“Th-thank you,” Brooke said.
Laurel snickered as she heard Brooke’s stutter and opened her mouth to comment, but she noticed both Andrea and Rebecca were glaring at her, daring her to do so, and she closed her mouth.

Laurel grinned as the four girls stepped into the mall. “Ah,” she sighed. “The smell of clothes.”
Andrea rolled her eyes and pushed past the fashion lover. “Let’s shop already,” she muttered.
Laurel wrinkled her nose in disgust as Andrea walked towards a rack of black and dark blue clothes. “Oh, come on,” she said. “You have no sense of style. And we’re here for clothes to go to the end of school year dance.”
Andrea shrugged. “I’m not going to the dance,” she said simply. “And I don’t have enough money for dressy clothes.”
Laurel smirked. “Not going to the dance?” she asked slyly. “Even if Arden is going?”
Andrea flushed. “Why would him going influence my going?”
Laurel shrugged. “No particular reason,” she said, still smirking. “And as for money…girl, I’ve got that covered.”
Andrea rolled her eyes. “I’ll pass,” she said, taking a few black outfits to try on. She walked over to the dressing rooms and Laurel turned to Brooke and Rebecca.
“Hmm,” the golden haired girl said, her bright blue eyes inspecting the two other girls. Then she snapped her fingers. “Got it!” she exclaimed. “Stormy gray--blue for you, Brooke. It’ll match your eyes.”
Laurel let Rebecca and Brooke down the many isles of clothes like she’d been there a million times. “Everything is easy to find when you figure out the pattern of clothes being placed,” she explained.
Laurel chose a shimmering blue gown for Brooke, who eyed it uncertainly. “Th-this isn’t p-prom,” the fifteen year old pointed out.
Laurel rolled her eyes. “Puh—lease, hun,” she said. “You want to stand out. All of the important people in the school will be wearing things to stand out.”
“Some of us don’t want to stand out,” Rebecca said softly.
Laurel stared at her. “Okay, fine,” she said after a moment. She handed Brooke the dress. “This will be for a party we’ll be having at the orphanage then,” she said promptly. “Go try it on and I’ll find something for you to wear for the school party this week.”
Rebecca followed Laurel down aisles and aisles of clothes. Laurel finally chose a long gray skirt and ruffled blue blouse with long sleeves and a high collar for Brooke to try on and then turned to face Rebecca.
“Hmm,” Laurel said softly, walking around Rebecca and studying her closely. “I think light purple is your color…or white.”
Rebecca shrugged. “Maybe,” she said. “But I don’t think I’m going to go to the school dance.”
Laurel raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“I won’t know anyone,” Rebecca said.
Laurel rolled her eyes. “Neither will I, sweetheart,” she pointed out. “Besides, we may meet some people tomorrow, when we go to school our first time.”
“One day to get to know people before a dance,” Andrea muttered, walking up beside them. “Fun.”
Laurel turned to her. “Hey, Arden said something about someone named Grace being queen of the school,” she said. “Perhaps I could unseat her?”
Andrea paused midstride. “Sure,” she muttered, then continued past the two girls.
Brooke stepped out of the dressing rooms to Laurel’s right and Laurel turned to inspect her. “Marvelous!” she exclaimed. “Am I genius or what? This looks perfect on you, hun!”
Brooke smiled shyly, inspecting her slim form in the mirror. Like the blouse Laurel had chosen, the dress was long sleeved and had a high collar. Like the skirt, it was floor length. The dress seemed to shimmer with different shades of blue and gray. “I l-like it,” Brooke said softly.
“Great, now try these on,” Laurel ordered, handing her the blouse and skirt. “And after you’re done, you can come with us to find Rebecca some things.”
Brooke quickly changed and Laurel smiled smugly as she examined the younger girl. “Lovely,” she chirped. “Now hurry and change back and we can buy them.”
Brooke did so and Laurel paid for the clothes, then handed the bags to Brooke as she turned to inspect Rebecca. “Oh, I know the perfect store!” she squealed.

Andrea watched Laurel drag Rebecca and Brooke away into another store and walked towards the dress sections. She sighed and turned to look out the large store window.
She turned her gaze away and wandered through the store aimlessly. She passed shoppers in a variety of aisles.
Suddenly Andrea froze, standing in front of the entrance to the store, as she saw something she recognized a few feet away from Rebecca in the store Laurel had led them into.
“Oh, no,” she whispered. “No, no, no!”
The dark haired girl whirled and quickly ran out the store she was in and into the one Laurel and the other two were in. All her instincts screamed at her to run away and get into the car parked outside, but her iron will rebelled. She would fight this fear she felt….even if it meant doing the thing she feared most.

Rebecca stood beside Laurel; the golden haired girl was purchasing the elegant violet gown and emerald green dress for Rebecca and Andrea. “Thank you again, Laurel.”
Laurel rolled her eyes. “Stop thanking me,” she ordered.
Rebecca smiled and turned to see a tall man standing a few feet away, inspecting a rack of jackets. This wouldn’t have seemed odd in itself, but she had been taught to notice things, and she noticed that his eyes kept straying towards their previous store….towards Andrea.
Rebecca turned to Laurel and kept herself relaxed and smiling. She watched the man out of the corner of her eye, studying him still. His pale skin and raggedly cut black hair seemed a strange combination with his sharp green eyes…”Oh, crap,” she whispered, realizing who he must be.
“Hello, young lady?” the man asked behind her. She turned to see him smiling at her. “Would you mind telling me what you think my daughter would like?”
She smiled in return, hiding her uneasiness, and walked towards him and the rack he was standing by. “What does your daughter like?” she asked, inspecting the clothes. “Black?”
“Yes,” he replied. “And green. I was wondering what size you’d think she would be? She’s standing over there.”
Rebecca turned where he was pointing, already knowing who he was talking about. Andrea stood frozen, watching them. Then she briskly started walking towards them.
The man’s arm was suddenly around Rebecca’s neck, a gun suddenly in his hand and pointed at her head. “Come with me, Andrea,” he called, “Or your friend here dies.”
The other people in the store had crouched behind racks while the cashier cowered behind the counter, a phone held to her ear.
“You picked the wrong orphan to mess with,” Rebecca growled.
“Oh? Why would that be?” he asked, obviously unconcerned.
“Because I’m not the nicest,” she replied, bringing her heel up to strike him in between the legs. “And no one uses me against my friends.”
He grunted in pain, his grip loosening. His finger tightened over the trigger and she slammed him in the face with a backhand. He stumbled backward and she ducked as the gun fired.
“You leave me no choice, girl,” he growled. Suddenly knives were coming out of his belt and boots as if pulled by invisible strings.
“What the heck?” Laurel whispered, crouching beside Brooke. “How on earth is he doing that?”
“He’s an elemental,” a cool voice said to their right. They looked up to see a tall woman wearing a long green dress and a smirk on her ruby red lips. “You Guardians obviously don’t know much about what’s going on,” she continued. “So I guess it’s good you’re being targeted now.”
Vines suddenly sprang up from the carpet and Brooke screamed as they wrapped around her legs, lifting her into the air and pulling her over to the woman.
The woman gripped Brooke’s chin with long painted red nails. “The water elementals are always weakest,” she purred. “The others will be broken once you are gone.”
Suddenly Andrea arrived, leaping at the woman. Vines slammed into the dark haired girl, sending her sprawling to the ground, immobilized by the vines curling around her. Andrea growled and tried to break free, but her struggles were in vain.
Rebecca glanced towards the woman, and a dozen knives were suddenly zipping towards her. She studied them for the split second she had left and dropped to the ground as they flew overhead. A few changed course and rocketed towards her again.
“Crap,” she muttered and lunged to the side; the knives flashed by her, one grazing Andrea’s shoulder.
Andrea’s dad looked irritated. “The poison in those blades was meant for you,” he growled.
“Uh, thanks?” Rebecca replied. “I appreciate the sentiment, but your gift really wasn’t necessary. I think Andrea would rather pass on the gift as well, so handing me the antidote to whatever poison that is would be greatly appreciated.”
Suddenly a sharp pain flared through Rebecca and she gasped, clutching her right shoulder. “Rebecca!” Andrea shouted, still struggling against the vines. “Dad! Stop it!”
Rebecca gritted her teeth and pushed the pain out of her mind. She gripped the knife handle with a shaky grip and quickly pulled it free. She blinked away tears of pain and focused her attention on Andrea’s dad, who was suddenly in front of her and gripping her neck.
Suddenly his grip disappeared as he stumbled back. Flames flickered around his sleeve and he shook it violently to dispel it. Hands steadied Rebecca and she looked up to see Vince. “Hey,” she murmured.
He smiled slightly and helped her over to Laurel, who studied Rebecca. “Gosh, you look awful,” she said. “Blood all over you isn’t exactly a great way to get guys to like you, you know.”

Andrea dropped to the ground as the vines slid back into the ground; Arden had tackled the woman, causing the vines to drop both Andrea and Brooke.
The woman yelled in fury and scraped her long fingernails down Arden’s arm. He winced but kept her in his iron grip.
Suddenly Andrea’s dad was on top of Arden, the knife in his hand poised to strike.
Andrea leaped towards her dad, and the air around her seemed to tremble as her dad was thrown back before she had reached him. Her eyes glazed over and she collapsed. Arden released the woman and knelt beside Andrea.
The woman and Andrea’s dad raced out of the store and Vince stared after them, a hard look in his eyes.
“I need to explain some things to you all,” he said quietly.
“Agreed,” Cadman said, helping Laurel to her feet. “Crimson and Alber are out in the car; let’s get with them first.” He paused, then said, “You know, I bet the man and woman have heard of my fame and left as soon as they saw that it was I who was on your side.”
Arden rolled his eyes, Andrea already in his arms. Brooke stood beside him, steadying herself against the counter and still gasping for breath.
“Let’s go,” Vince said, putting Rebecca’s left arm over his shoulders. “The poison is taking its toll and Crimson has the antidote.”