Envisioned (The Elemental Prophecy) (16 page)

“I hear pieces of what you're thinking since the bond isn't fully complete yet. Have you heard any of mine?” I asked.

“No, but I've been busy harnessing my astounding powers all day,” she joked sarcastically. I laughed, pulling her to me and kissing her forehead. “You were amazing today,” I praised.

“Well, being so amazing has caused me to be hungry. I was thinking we could go eat, and then have my dad meet us on the beach to practice more. I figured it would be best to practice with the waves at night, when we won't be seen as easily,” she stated.

“That's a good idea, but are you sure? I don't want you overdoing things,” I said with concern.

“I'm fine, my love. I feel like something is strengthening me now that I'm getting control of my powers,” she replied.

I reluctantly nodded. She was so happy, and she didn't look tired at all. In fact, she looked energized—I wondered why since she had done so much today. Maybe she was learning to harness the energy from around her like many Elementals did. “Have you felt like you've been pulling energy from around you?” I asked.

She silently considered my question, her mouth pursed and upturned to one side in thought, which was so sexy to me. “I have felt like I've been drawing energy from somewhere, but I figured it was our bond.”

“Well, some Elementals are able to pull energy from around them, but they usually are expertly trained. I'm able to do it, but it seems as though you are doing it subconsciously,” I stated.

“That's a good thing, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, hopefully you won't get drained and blackout again. I hate when that happens to you—it scares the shit out of me. I feel our connection weaken, and I feel like I'm losing you,” I said sadly, pulling her into my arms. I squeezed her tight, burying my face in her neck and breathing in her scent. She wrapped her arms around my waist and sighed, “I'm so sorry, Jace. I had no idea that's what it felt like. I promise to be more careful. I won't overexert myself.”

“No, I want you to do whatever you have to do to protect yourself. Do not hold back if someone is trying to hurt you,” I firmly stated.

“But, what if I pass out again? I don't want you to feel that way again,” she protested.

“I'd rather you pass out than have both of us die, mi amante,” I said somberly. She nodded shakily.

“I'm sorry if I scared you, but if one of us dies, so does the other. I will do anything to protect you,” I stated.

“Me too. Until our last heartbeat,” she replied softly. I tilted her chin to gently kiss her lips. “So, where do you want to go eat?” I asked, changing the subject. I didn't want to keep thinking about Brielle being hurt in any way.

“Buffalo Nickel is pretty good, and it's right down the street,” she answered.

“Sounds good, let's get going,” I said, taking her hand. No matter what our path crossed, I was determined to keep Brielle safe. Nothing would take her from me.

The ocean breeze skimmed lightly against my skin, leaving a cool tingle in its wake. It was a stark contrast to the fiery tingle Jace's touch set off. I faced the ocean, marveling at the dark, inky waves that flowed against the pale sand, only to be sucked back into the sea's dark depths. My phone beeped, interrupting my thoughts, and I looked to see a text from Dad:

9:32 PM Daddy: Just parked, be there in a second.

I don't think he wanted to admit it, but I knew he was excited about using his powers after such a long time. He had immediately texted me back saying that he would help me train tonight, no arguments or questions asked, which was unlike him when it came to important matters like this.

Jace walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me as I resumed my stare into the endless black of the night sea. The moonlight cast an illuminating sheen over the top of the water, giving it an otherworldly look. I could stand out here forever with him holding me like this, with this view as our backdrop. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dad walk up, and I pulled away from Jace to go hug him. “Hi, Daddy,” I greeted.

“Hey, pumpkin,” he replied, kissing the top of my head. “You ready to start? I don't want you out here too late.”

“Daddy, I'm an adult now. Plus, I can control all of the elements, so I think I'll be okay,” I said sarcastically. He smirked, and Jace chuckled softly under his breath.

“Well, let's get started,” he said, moving toward the ocean. He took a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea air. He instantly relaxed, the ocean seeming to have a soothing effect on him. He turned, motioning for me to join him at the water's edge. I complied, Jace flanking me as we walked to where my dad stood. He extended his hands towards the water, causing the waves to swell bigger with his power. He raised his hands over his head, the waves rising up to form a wall of water. Then, he shoved his arms forward, causing the wall of water to do the same, splashing with great force back into itself. He looked at me as he said, “You try.”

I did as he requested, forming a water wall with little effort. The more I used my powers, the easier it was to summon and control them. I wanted to be able to manipulate them as quick and effortlessly as Jace did, which I knew would take more time, but I was proud of the progress I was making.

“OK, now try to make a vortex like you did the other night,” Dad instructed.

I nodded, then focused my mind on a section of the water. I imagined it churning rapidly in circles, swirling down into its depths. I could see a little piece of that section start to swirl, causing a domino effect of the waters surrounding it. Soon, I had a vortex that spanned about 6 feet in diameter. I willed it to spread, and it obeyed, doubling in size. My dad looked at me with a look of fear, causing me to relinquish the vortex. “What's wrong, Daddy?”

“Nothing, sweetheart, you are just so powerful. Any Elemental supporting Uranus will be seeking you, wanting to destroy you,” he said somberly.

“That's not going to happen,” Jace said, a hint of anger in his voice. “No one will touch her. Ever.”

My dad nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to scare you.”

Well, mission failed—I was now terrified. If I didn't have Jace I would probably go insane. Having to deal with my powers, the nightmares, and Elementals wanting to kill me would undoubtedly make me lose my mind if Jace wasn't by my side. I had to be strong for him. I wouldn't let anything happen to the people I cared about, and being afraid would not help me protect them. My dad interrupted my train of thought, saying, “Go ahead and play around with the water. See what else you can do.”

I continued to think as I did what my dad said. I was protected on the island, but what about my dad? What about Kimber and Jace? They could be hurt or killed because of me! Rage swarmed within me, consuming my insides, as I thought about how they would suffer if I was unprepared. I would not be weak or ignorant anymore—I would make sure the Elementals seeking me out had something to fear. As my rage subsided, a whooshing sound filled my ears, as well as my dad and Jace yelling for me to stop. I looked towards the once normal ocean, and my eyes widened in shock—a small hurricane lay before me, about a quarter mile away. The water spiraled upwards, the wind churning around it forcefully. Wind whipped sand and salt water around us, stinging my face and eyes. What had I done? However I managed to do it, I needed to stop it now. I blanked my mind, and the hurricane crashed down into the ocean. I gasped, wondering how I managed to create a hurricane—I wasn't even thinking about that. Jace and my dad both stood in shock staring at the open air that once held the hurricane. I tried to lighten the mood by joking, “Well, there's somethin' you don't see every day.”

Jace turned to look at me, his shock replaced by awe, as he said, “Brie, I think you just combined your elements.”

“What?!”

“Just now, you combined water and air. How did you do that?”

“I…I don't know. I wasn't even thinking about it. I was so angry thinking about how you could be hurt because of me. I wasn't even paying attention to what I was doing”

“It was like you were in a trance—we were screaming at you, but you couldn't hear. You had me so worried,” Jace said, enveloping me in a hug. “Well, now we know you can combine your elements. We should practice that more—it will give you a huge advantage in fighting.”

“Wow, kiddo, you really are the One. I didn't want to believe it, but there's no denying it,” Dad said regrettably.

“I know it's not what you wanted, Daddy. I'm so sorry,” I said, choking back a sob. Don't be weak, I thought—no tears, no tears, no tears. I inhaled, willing back the tears. Jace stared at me, giving me a soft smile. He mouthed,
I love you. You're amazing,
making me feel slightly better.

My dad walked over to us. “Sweetie, I don't care if you can shoot fire out of your eyes. You are all your mother and I ever wanted. I just don't want you to go through all the pain and hardship that being the One entails. But, you are strong, and I'm so proud of you.”

I hugged him, “Thank you, Daddy. That means a lot to me. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't support me.”

“I'll always support you, no matter what,” he assured me. “I'd better get going. I'm exhausted after just watching that display of power.”

“Okay, Daddy, I'll call you tomorrow.”

“Bye, sweetheart.” He squeezed me tight one last time before turning and walking away. When he was gone, I turned to face Jace as I asked, “Should we keep practicing?”

“I was thinking we could practice some fighting tactics. The sand will cushion any falls, plus there aren't people around to think I'm attacking you.”

“Good idea. Where do we start?”

“Well, I'm going to show you how to get out of different holds that attackers can put you in to try and immobilize you. Come behind me and wrap your arms around me,” he instructed. I did as he said, feeling silly because there was no way I could immobilize Jace. He was almost twice my size, and his arms were the size of my legs.

We practiced different evasive moves for about an hour, and I made up my mind that if anyone ever grabbed me, I could use any one of my elements to get them off much more effectively than my weak defensive techniques. It was still good knowledge to have, and I loved seeing Jace in his element—he was a born fighter. We faced off, and Jace challenged me to attack him, motioning me forward with his hands. I went low, aiming for the legs like he had just taught me. He easily deflected my attack, swooping me in his arms, then dropping and pinning me to the ground. “Well, it's a good thing you have amazing powers because you would not stand a chance based on your fighting skills,” he teased.

“Hey!” I said, giggling and trying to wiggle out of his grasp. He pinned my arms above my head, and I immediately became self-conscious—I was sweaty, covered in sand, and I probably smelled like fish from being by the ocean for so long. Still, he looked at me with so much desire as he brought his mouth to mine. He parted my lips with his tongue, deepening the kiss by lacing our tongues together. My phone beeped loudly, indicating I had a new text message, but I ignored it. My focus solely on the beautiful man on top of me. I struggled to free my hands so I could roam them all over his body, but he held tighter, arousing and infuriating me at the same time. I bit his bottom lip, and wrapped my legs around him, planning to roll him over using my hips. I succeeded only in arousing both of us further by grinding myself against him, unable to roll him over like I wanted to. I started to hear distant laughter, and Jace broke the kiss to look in the direction of the sound. “It's probably from the bar farther down the beach. It's getting late,” I said. I looked at my phone, indicating the time was a little after midnight. Definitely drunk people making their way home, I thought.

He nodded. “Let's get going. We will finish this later,” he said seductively. He helped me up, and I dusted what sand I could off of me. We walked hand in hand back to our house, and I kicked my shoes off by the door. Jace locked up everything as I went upstairs to take a shower. Just as I stepped in, the water streaming over me and rinsing away the sand, I heard Jace walk in. I turned to look at him as he was removing his shirt, and my breath caught at the sight of his body. His arms and shoulders were defined, and his smooth chest was broad and sculpted. His stomach was contoured with a six-pack, but was not overly rigid with muscle. He stepped out of his shorts and boxer briefs, smirking at me as I watched him. I took in the length of him, and wondered how he fit inside me so comfortably when he was so large. Maybe it was just that I liked the type of pleasurable pain he inflicted.