Air Elemental

Kendal opened her eyes and yet again, couldn’t remember how she’d gotten into bed. She laid there, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for her memories to come back. When they did, she gasped and sat up.

“Whoa, take it easy,” someone instructed and she looked over. There was a man sitting in a chair next to her. He looked vaguely familiar, and it took her a second to place him. It was Thomas, the one who’d helped Gordan in the alley. God, was that only last night? Or was it the night before?

“What time is it?” she asked and winced. Her throat was dry and sore.

As if he knew, he stood and brought her water.

“It’s almost nine,” he told her. “You’ve been out about twelve hours.”

The water was cool and refreshing.

“Where’s Gordan? And Jacob?” Her heart hammered in alarm remembering how still he’d been after getting thrown into that tree. “Is he okay?”

“He’s recovering. Gordan’s with him right now. If you’re feeling up to it, Jacob asked me to take you to him when you woke up.”

She nodded.

“I think I feel ok. A little dizzy and my throat hurts, but that’s about it.”

She threw the covers back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Thomas stood close by in case she needed help but she managed to stand on her own. After a minute of nausea which she swallowed down, she was able to walk to the door. Thomas hovered at her side, hands twitching as if prepared to catch her.

“This way.”

He led them to the left and three doors down from hers, Thomas put his hand on her arm to stop her and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” someone called and Thomas pushed the door open.

Inside, the lights were dimmed, shadows filling the room. The only spot of light was the lamp by the bed where Jacob sat, propped up by pillows. His arm was in a splint and his head was bandaged. Kendal walked closer and noticed that the white of his left eye was red, the blood vessels ruptured.

Her face must have betrayed her shock because he gave her a small smile.

“It looks worse than it feels, I assure you.”

She sat in the chair opposite Gordan who gave her a smile as well.

“How bad are you hurt?” she asked.

“Fractured wrist and concussion. I heal fast though, so I’ll be out of here in another couple hours. How are you?”

“Little dizzy, little nauseous.” She rubbed her forehead where a headache was forming. “Not much worse than when I woke up before.”

“Here.” Gordan tossed her a small bottle, the liquid inside pale blue.

She smiled at him as she twisted the top.

“Magic potion, right?”

He grinned back.

The liquid soothed her throat better than the water and her head instantly cleared.

“I’m glad to know you don’t have any lingering effects,” Jacob said. “Especially after using so much power. Gordan told me what you did.”

Suddenly embarrassed she looked away.

“Kendal.” His voice was sharp and she jerked her head up to meet his eyes. “What you did was incredibly dangerous. We’ve had years of extensive training with our powers and in combat situations. You were completely unprepared.”

“I wasn’t about to let them take me,” she argued.

“I know.” He closed his eyes. “I failed you.”

Realizing he was angry at himself, she hurried to reassure him.

“You didn’t fail me. I wanted to go. I wanted to see what I could do.”

At the thought, the memory of freezing and thawing the pond, she smiled in wonder. She really had done that. Magic was real, she had it, and it was incredible.

A hand on her thigh startled her and she looked to see Gordan kneeling beside her. She hadn’t even noticed him move.

He smiled and she grinned in response, covering his hand with hers.

“What you can do is incredible,” he whispered, mirroring her thoughts.

He’s got great eyes, she thought, staring at them.

Jacob cleared his throat and she jumped, embarrassed to be caught staring.

“Yes, you have incredible power.” She smiled at him. “However, you need training. Lots of training on the proper way to pull and use that power. What you did could’ve been deadly.”

She frowned, her warm happy thoughts evaporating at his words. She thought she’d done a great job. She opened her mouth to defend herself but Jacob continued.

“We’ll work inside the compound since they seemed to be able to find us last time. They won’t get inside here.”

“Who are they?” she asked, curious. “I mean, I know they’re followers of Mummu but do you know them?”

“I did.” This from Thomas who Kendal had forgotten was still in the room. “I grew up with them, Daniel and Lizzie Stuart. Brother and sister. We went to school together, up until college, then they moved away and I didn’t see them for five or six years.” He paused and Kendal turned to look at him. His face was haunted and it was clear they’d been close at one time.

“In the years they were gone, Jacob came to me and I started training. It was amazing. I had a purpose and I had such strength, like I could do anything.” He stared down at his hands. She remembered watching as he’d thrown dumpsters like they’d weighed nothing. “Lizzie came back first and I could tell something was different. She was quieter, secretive, and always angry. She wouldn’t talk to me though so I didn’t know what was wrong. Then Daniel came back.” He swallowed, obviously reliving the memory. “He was different, too and eventually I found out why.” He took a deep breath and looked at her. “Now we’re on opposite sides of a war that’s been raging for millions of years. Two of my oldest friends tried to kill me last night and this morning, they tried to kill you guys.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t make sense of it. “I don’t know who they are anymore.’

When he stopped talking, Kendal sat in silence. She couldn’t imagine what Thomas must’ve been going through. The betrayal and pain, the shock of their friendship turning into something dark. She reached over and gave his hand a squeeze.

“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I’m sorry you lost your friends.”

He stared at her a second and then squeezed her hand back, mouthing ‘thank you’.

After a moment, she turned back to Jacob.

“So where does this leave me?”

“You’ll have to train with Jaz and Gordan until I’m healed. They’re both earth and will be able to help you.”

She frowned, remembering Jaz calling her candy and turning away from her in the elevator. Not exactly who she’d want to work with.

“Why do I need to work with two of them? Why can’t Gordan and I just work together?”

Jacob shook his head.

“You need two,” he explained. “One to guide you and one to look out for signs of magic strain. If you’re pulling in too much, they’ll be able to see it and stop you.”

He hadn’t stopped her last night, or this morning.

He smiled as if sensing her thoughts.

“This morning, I could tell you still had plenty of room before you got magic burn and last night,” he shrugged. “Last night I wasn’t looking for signs because I didn’t expect you to be able to go deep enough to pull enough magic to get burn.”

She could only agree. No one could’ve been more surprised than her.

“Fine, two of them but does it have to be Jaz?” she complained. “She’s kind of a bitch.”

Gordan and Thomas laughed and even Jacob chuckled.

“She’s the most centered of everyone here. She knows what she’s doing.”

Kendal sighed, defeated, and she and Gordan left the room to look for Jaz.

They found her downstairs in the lobby getting coffee. While Gordan explained what they needed her for, Kendal helped herself to a cup.

“Fine, I’ll work with her cuz Jacob tells me to”, she heard Jaz’s loud bitchy voice, “but it’s a waste of time.”

Kendal walked up behind them.

“Well then,” she stated, making Jaz jump and turn around. “Let’s not waste anymore.”

She walked past them towards the rear of the building like she had a clue where she was going. Thankfully, Gordan caught up, nudging her shoulder and grinning. He stepped past her and opened the double doors into a courtyard filled with trees. She closed her eyes, tipped her head back, and inhaled. The smell of wet dirt and freshly cut grass calmed her.

“This way,” Jaz bumped her as she walked past, making her stumble. Kendal glared at her.

“Just ignore her attitude,” Gordan recommended. “Yeah, she’s a bitch but she’s really good.”

“Whatever.”

Kendal followed Jaz to the back of the courtyard where small saplings sprouted.

“Go ahead,” Jaz gestured. “Pick one and make it grow.”

Kendal shot her a look of disgust, this was how she helped people?, but walked down the row, selecting one about knee height.

Kneeling in the dirt, she put her hands on the ground surrounding it and closed her eyes. As before, she could sense everything, the roots of the small tree, where they searched in the soil for water and absorbed it.

Even though Jaz was there to help her, she didn’t need instruction.

She pulled the water to the roots, urging them to grow. The lingering warmth from the sun she pushed into the tree, feeling it widen between her cupped hands. She dragged nutrients from the soil, feeding it, until her hands no longer touched. A breeze started, whipping her hair around her face. She heard it rustling the leaves of the trees behind them.

Opening her eyes she looked at the tree, the bark reddish brown and smooth under her fingers. She looked up, seeing small ripe pears dangling from the branches. The breeze became more powerful, making them bob and the branches sway, but she wasn’t sure if it was coming from her.

“Holy shit,” Jaz whispered off to the side. Kendal glanced over and saw her staring at the tree in wonder.

Kendal stood and brushed the dirt off her knees. Pulling her hair back, she tied it into a messy ponytail.

“I won’t reverse it,” she said adamantly, almost shouting to be heard, and Jaz frowned. “At the pond, Jacob made me freeze and unfreeze the lake, but I won’t reverse the tree. That would be like killing it.”

“I wouldn’t make you reverse it,” Jaz yelled.

She didn’t seem concerned with the wind even though it seemed strange to have a wind so forceful in an enclosed courtyard.

“Are you calling the wind?” she asked.

“I thought that was you,” Jaz replied. “I have no power over air.”

“Maybe it was me,” Kendal mused.

“Well, stop it then.”

Closing her eyes, Kendal opened herself to the air, felt the tiny hairs across her body shivering in its passing. She sank down inside herself until the only thing she was aware of was the breath in her lungs. Her heartbeat steadied until it matched her exhalations, and then she blew a gentle breath out, soothing the wind, calming the air.

She smiled as around them, silence settled.

“Holy shit,” Jaz repeated and Kendal blinked open her eyes. “You really did it. I didn’t think you’d be able to. I heard what they said,” she tipped her head towards where Gordan stood silently, “but I thought they must’ve been exaggerating. No way could someone with no training do what you did on their first try.” She shook her head in disbelief, pushing her hair out of her eyes and holding it back. “But you really did it.”

Kendal looked back at the tree and smiled. She really had.