The Elementals *ARCHIVED*

*ARCHIVED* Chapter 18: Now You See Her Now You Don't

I climb out of bed, my eyes unfazed from the changes of light from which they stayed open to witness. I smell bagels and toast and walk downstairs. "Hey, Mira. You okay?" Azekel says, scanning my face.

I manage a nod as the events from last night succumb to my consciousness. I couldn't sleep at all because I kept thinking of my mother. The one I just met, only to have her gone already so soon. "Mira, I'm sorry about your mother," Maylia approaches me, a low scent of burnt toast coming off the apron she's wearing over her oversized pants. "I'll do everything I can to find her, ok?" 

Blinding agreeing to these false accusations, I pull myself to eat the food she hands me, a ringing silence filling the room. The ringing becomes silenced as Maylia and Azekel murmur by the sink. 

I can't hear a word they are saying, but even if I did, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know exactly what they are talking about. I stand, my plate barely touched, and bring it to the sink as the two become hushed at my presence.

"Please, don't bother filling me in on your delightful conversation." I don't meet eyes with them as I wash my plate, awaiting their answers.

"So, you two are going to stay silent and act like I don't know you are talking about me?" Both still don't answer until the silence gets to me. I slam the dish into the sink, the shattering sound echoing throughout the house. Azekel moves from the sink, standing tall in front of me. "What exactly do you want us to say, Mira?" His voice is so calm, it sends chills throughout my body. I clench my fists, my knuckles turning white. 

"Anything, anything would be better than this wretched silence! You guys are acting so secretive and I want to know why. I'm tired of being left out in the dark." My heart pounds in my chest, my palms sweaty, and unsteadiness in my voice evident to all. 

"If you really want to know, Mira," Maylia intervenes, "We are talking about you. We are talking about trying to find a way to save your mother. There are you happy?" 

Azekel glares at Maylia, her sudden outburst surprising to him. 

"Mira, look, what Maylia is trying to say is that-"

"Don't even say it." Shaking my head I look up to hold the tears forming back in eyes.  "'It's okay we'll save her Mira.' 'We'll be alright and everything will be back to normal.' Well, right now I don't think that the case. My best friend, who I trusted for years..." I pause, choking up on my own tears. "My best friend...she lied to me all this time and I was merely a fool. I can't do this anymore-I just can't!" Storming out, Diovonnia becomes a blur in my teary eyes as I walk, and walk all the way trying to conjure a way to explain everything that's happened so far. It's unreal.

I stop at the bushy marsh of grass, realizing that I don't even know how to get out.

"I'm not one to pick a fight. If someone has their opinion, I leave them to it."

Turning around I see Azekel standing behind me, hands in his pocket, and his green eyes pleading silently. "Open this. I can't be here."

A grin spreads across Azekel's face and he shakes his head. "You don't want to leave. I can see it in you. You're just scared. You lost both of your parents and you don't know what to do. I get it."

"No, you don't get it."

"My Mom and Dad died fighting for me around the same time my sister June was born. I've been protecting her ever since. I know how you feel, unsure of whether you should stay or go. But you have to stay Mira. The moment you step out you're on your own. You have powers that you need to control. We can help you."

I'm at a loss for words. Tears are streaming down my face as Azekel pulls me in for a hug. "Promise me something." I nod and look up into his eyes. "Promise me you'll stay. It'll only make you get better. Okay?"

"I promise." Letting go of him, we both walk back together to the house. Looking around, my eyes stop again on the dark abandoned house, miles away. It's all I'm focused on. I feel attached to this place somehow and I can't take my eyes off of it. "Mira, is everything alright?" Peeling my eyes off of the house, I turn my attention back to Azekel. "Hm? Oh, sorry, I just...got distracted." He stares at me for a bit longer before we continue walking to the house.

Heading to the front door, Azekel opens the door to Lilly and three Cursed holding June and Maylia captive. I become frozen in fear as the door slams shut behind the two of us. "Mira, glad you decided to stay. You came in just in time."

I watch in shock as the floorboards sink in on the three guards and the fall into the darkness, the floor boards closing back up. "Azekel Emerson, you should not have done that." Lilly's hand shoots up, a dark swirling glow cast around her left hand. With a small push, the dark glow is passed through the air and smack into Azekel's chest, shoving him to the door. He sinks to the ground and I watch in awe as remains still. Her right-hand rests at her side another dark swirl glowing around it as well. Looking up at my three companions, I see their bulging muscles. Whatever Lilly is doing to them, they can't move.

"What do you want, Lilly?" I ask, my wavering voice let out undeniably fearful. 

"Mirabella, darling, it's not what I want. It's all been about what you want."

My hands which are cast with a light gray shake unsteadily. Throwing my hand up I pass my powers across the air only for it to hang, lingering mid-air. Slowly but surely, Lilly causes my hand to be struck with pain. I holler out, tears brimming the corners of my eyes. It bends back, close to the breaking point. Lilly drops her hand, and the pain goes away. "Oh Mirabella, so you think you could just use your powers on me? You know nothing of your true abilities, Sapphire. You know nothing of causing pain."

Her eyes glow fully black and a bone-shackling fire eradicates throughout my body, sending me to the floor. I writhe on the floor, the fire-like feeling dispersing every corner of my body. "Please," I choke out through the pain. "Stop."

Lilly laughs, and I am lifted up into the air, Lilly's hand glowing darker now. "Did I hear you correctly? You didn't want it to stop?" The pain intensifies as I realize nothing now can stop Lilly's rage. She's mad. Seeing this of her now is saddening but at the same time upsetting. She's gone above and beyond to threaten me now and I'm surprised she didn't do it earlier. Something in the back of my mind tells me she should've, and maybe we wouldn't be going through all of this mess.

I slowly fade in and out of consciousness, Lilly letting me drop to the floor in agony. She crouches down, stroking my cheek. "Later on Mira, you will see, why I did all of this. You will understand. When the time is ready, you will know." Lilly creates another dark swirl, standing, she lets it snake across the floor to me as she backs up.

The dark swirl swivels on the floor and circles around me. I attempt in as much dull pain I'm in to move away from it as it travels with my every move but to no avail. Suddenly, the dark swirl leaps at me, hitting me smack in the chest. "It doesn't bite, Mira." I meet Lilly's dark eyes. "It only hurts." I grimace at the small pain hitting my heart but it soon passes.

Looking up, Lilly is gone, and Light, Maylia, and June are beckoning their attention towards me.

Bombarded with their worried faces, my drooping eyes get the best of me, deepening me into a painful slumber.