The Elemental

Chapter 21: Everything

The boiling rage in Alyssa's chest refused to let her sleep. The recording from the flash drive perfectly matched the memory Tommy had shown her and filled in the gap during the time she had been packing, during which Sarah had arrived to help Lyn and an argument ensued.

The more she thought about it, the more angry she became.

As the sky began to grow lighter, she gave up on sleep, instead switching on her lamp and facing it with her legs crossed. With a deep breath, she reached out her hand and focused on the bulb. Her arm trembled slightly with effort.

Nothing.

She paused to close her eyes for a few seconds.

"Alyssa."

Her eyes snapped open and she tried again. She strained until her arm began to hurt, and then closed her eyes again.

"Alyssa."

With a sharp exhale, she lifted her arm once more and held her breath, scrunching her face in determination. A distressed grunt escaped her as she dropped her arm in exhaustion.

I can't. I can't do it. My powers are gone.

Feeling a trickle, she wiped her nose and frowned.

There was blood on her hand. She scrambled to her nightstand and grabbed a tissue, wiping it away as she hurried to the bathroom. She rinsed her face and then crossed to her closet, pulling on a pair of jeans and a tanktop.

I need some air, she thought.

She hesitated for a moment, then picked up Johnny's jacket and slipped it onto her arms.

She opened the door to find Roderick slumped over in a chair in the hallway, fast asleep.

Good. That means I can get out.

She silently closed the door behind her and snuck downstairs, slipping out the back door and heading for the pool. She sat down at the edge of the deep end and dipped her feet into the water, wetting the jeans up to her calves.

Her fingertips glanced under the surface, toying with the clear liquid.

Let me feel it again. Please. Please don't be gone.

"Psst."

She turned to her right with a gasp, looking up toward the pool house as she searched for the origin of the voice.

"You really enjoy making my job more difficult, don't you?" Roderick called from the lawn as he approached the pool.

Alyssa turned to him and rolled her eyes. "I came out here to be alone."

"The last time your guard left you alone, you got kidnapped."

"That's not true," she argued. "I wasn't kidnapped; I ran away. And he—" she nearly choked on her words. "He's gone, so... there's no one to kidnap me."

"Wait. Is that who you were talking about earlier, when you said you lost someone?"

She turned back to the water as he strolled up to the edge of the pool, standing to her right.

"You fell in love with your kidnapper," he accused. "That's some Stockholm shit."

"He's not a kidnapper," she snapped. "What do you care, anyway? You're just some hired gun. Stop pretending you give a shit what happens to me beyond what you're ordered to do."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I may be a hired gun, but I'm still human. I still have a heart."

"Would you still pretend to care if I was a Talent?"