The Touch Reader (#1 of the Elemental Originals Series)

Chapter One

The sky looked so pretty. It was clear and blue, the sun right in the middle of the sky, trembling on the tip of the mountain.

Everything was peaceful. Even the faint shouting of my name didn't alarm me. I knew I was dying, but at the moment I couldn't find it in myself to care. It wasn't like I could have done anything different. The universe had laws, and I had broken one.

The sun's light was getting brighter, its warmth seeping into my bones and warming my so very cold heart. I needed it, and welcomed the embrace of the light.

I could feel myself being carried away, but a figure blocked out the light, their voice snarling in my ear-

"Get the hell up."

I knew my eyes would be brighter with irritation as I opened them, their blue hue almost glowing eerily with annoyance.

Swiftly slipping my mask on, I got out of bed and exaggerated my stretching, eyes locked with my mother's furious ones the whole time.

She stalked forward, grabbing my arm and wrenching me forward, probably disappointed that I didn't stumble like she hoped. "I said to get up, not take your time."

I raised an eyebrow idly, my expression calm even though I wanted to break away from her grip. I knew what would happen if I tried. "And I did get up. That was the order, wasn't it? 'Get the hell up?'"

My mother's face twisted with fury as her nails dug into my arm viciously in response to my smartass comment. I didn't even wince, used to the pain by now. "You are so fucking lucky that today is the Choosing, otherwise you would have the biggest punishment of your life."

 I sneered, knowing without a doubt that if this had been any other day, I would have been taken to the basement and whipped for my disobedience. "As if you could."

I was pushing the boundaries, I know, but I had to soak in saying whatever I wanted with no repercussions.

Her lip curled upward and I knew that it was taking every bit of the tiny amount of control she had to not hit me for my disrespect. Her voice was tight when she spoke. "Get your sister and go hunt; the Choosing starts half hour to sunset."

Ever calm and composed, she whirled around and stormed away, and not a minute later I heard her loud voice yelling at who was most likely her husband.

Smirking, I closed the door to my room and pulled my torn nightshirt over my head. It barely warmed me, but I guess I should have been grateful it even covered anything.

Shaking off the odd dream, I studied myself in the full-body mirror. I knew I was beautiful, enough men had tried to get me into their bed to show that, but I also knew without a doubt that anyone who saw the scars that riddled my body would be horrified.

Exhaling through my nose slowly, I took off the rest of my clothes and tugged on my normal clothes with a black cloak that I knew would help me keep to the shadows and camouflage my gleaming white hair.

A knock sounded on my door and I glanced at it, my lips already curling upward. "Come in, sis," I called. The door opened and an exact copy of me entered the room.

Well, almost exact. If someone were to look at us, they wouldn't know who is who. We had the same pale skin, same freckles that ran over the bridge of our nose and under our eyes, and the same electrifying blue eyes. The only thing that was different was our hair color; mine was pure white and hers was the color of the flames.

People in our village tried to joke and say that our hair matched our personalities. My sister's was playful and outgoing fire and I was cold and uninviting ice.