Elementals Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Olivia awoke the next morning feeling a little nervous. What was she going to do after kissing Damien last night? She was excited to see him, at the same time she was uncertain on how to act around him now. She wasn't sure exactly what made her decide to do it but she couldn't deny that it was worth the anxiety she felt now. Getting out of the bed and heading into the shower she tried to let the water wash away her tension. It seemed to help settle her nerves as she dressed and went downstairs for breakfast.

Entering the kitchen, Clay and others were already there eating their food and drinking their coffee. Olivia was instantly suspicious as they all looked up at her and smiled. Looking around her she suddenly remembered the first day she was here and Damien had broken the camera that Clay had put in the living room. She snapped her attention instantly to Clay who stood over the range, not looking at her. If that wasn't suspicious enough she saw that her spot at the bar was neatly arranged with a very elaborate breakfast spread for two. Complete with a small vase full of flowers.

“Clay what did you do?” she asked on the verge of anger. He cringed as he continued to cook. Realization donned on her in a wave, “you big mouthed, nosey...grrr,” she started and ended with a growl of frustration. The others burst out laughing, and Clay looked at her apologetically.

“Sorry Olivia, I meant to keep it to myself,” he confessed.

“Don't be too mad Liv, we knew it was going to happen sooner or later. It was just a matter of time,” Liam said taking another sip of his coffee.

Harper was so excited she was practically jumping in her seat, “so spill, how was it?” she demanded. Olivia was about to say some very choice words when Damien entered the kitchen. A quizzical expression on his face as he walked in taking in the atmosphere. When he saw the others sitting around the table and Clay cowering by the range his expression changed to suspicion as Olivia's had.

“What's going on?'” he asked no one in particular. The others just giggled and smiled. Olivia simply pointed at Clay, so angry she almost started tearing up.

“Why don't you ask him what he told the others about what happened last night,” she said angrily. Damiens eyes lit up with instant understanding and outrage.

“Clay,” he said seething with rage, “Tell me that you didn't tell them,” he said. Clay only looked down at the frying pan, not wanting to make eye contact. “You did more than that didn't you, you showed them,” Damien continued running his hands through his hair. Olivia also indicated the elaborate layout set out for the both of them. Knowing that Damien would come to the same conclusion that she had. This was Clays way of apologizing for blabbing to the others about Olivia and Damien's kiss last night. She was so angry and embarrassed that she darted out of the room.

Damien called after her, than turned to Clay and with a serious expression pointing in the general direction of Olivia's room. “Take down those damn camera's before breakfast or your really going to feel sorry when I'm done with you,” he warned and took off after Olivia.

By this point she was crying and running to her room when Damien caught up with her. “Olivia wait,” he said as he caught her, tears staining her cheeks. “Olivia I am so sorry, the camera's are coming down and this will just blow over,” he tried to assure her.

“You don't understand that was my first...” she tried to say but her tears cut her off. Damien furrowed his brow trying to understand what she was trying to tell him.

“Your first...” than it donned on him and as if in shock he said, “Oh God, oh no. That was your first kiss wasn't it,” he stated as he dragged his hands through his hair again. All she could do to respond was nod, as Damien wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into the hug and rested her head against his chest as she cried. She felt so weak and embarrassed, all she could do was cry. “I am so sorry Olivia,” he said as he stroked her back. He held her for a few minutes, till she had calmed down a little.

“Do you wanna get out of here, go for a walk or something?” he asked trying to find a way to help her feel better. Harper and Madison had been right about one thing, she couldn't have found someone more considerate of her feelings and he would do anything he could to help. She nodded against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as he gathered her up in his arms. Taking a running leap off the balcony with a tremendous air push sending them soaring through the air. The rushing air helped to dry her tears as they made their way across the sky. Traveling was different now, she wasn't afraid of falling or crashing anymore. She realized that she had already began to trust him.

They traversed the grounds heading south east of the manor. From this height Olivia would see a break in the tree line. There in the clearing was a garden, unlike any one that she had ever seen. As Damien slowed their decent Olivia found herself surrounded by flowers and ornate trees. Some of their species she had only read about in books. Damien set her down on the mowed grass path. The garden was arranged in huge circular wheels with other grass paths breaking between the garden beds.

“Wow, where are we?” she asked as she walked to study a particularly bright purple rose bush. Damien followed and stood beside her, caressing one of the bushes flowers with gentle fingers.

“This garden was my mothers pride and joy, I wanted to take you here sooner. The timing was always off, I figured that this might cheer you up a little. It always works for me,” Damien explained softly. He had been right, her earlier embarrassment was all but gone now. She felt a new appreciation for Damien, in this way at least he was like her. Holding on to places and things that would make him feel closer to the parents that he had lost.

“It's beautiful Damien,” she said smiling up at him.

“Thank you, but I can't take all the credit for keeping it going. My grandparents also helped, I guess it also kept them connected to the daughter they had lost. My grandfather was a Forest Elemental and my grandmother was a Storm elemental. Together they would tend this garden, when I was old enough they brought me along. I still have Harper come out here every so often to give it a boost,” Damien shared. He glanced down at her hands, he seemed to question if he should attempt to hold it.

Olivia noticed and made the first move, slowly wrapping her fingers around his hand. He sighed, seeming relieved as he gripped her hand. “I am really sorry about what happened this morning,” Damien said returning his gaze to her face. “That's not how I would have wanted you to remember your first kiss. Especially with me,” he said with a sigh.

Olivia blushed, she wanted to ask him a question but didn't know if she was brave enough to actually say it. You won't know if you don't ask, she told herself. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she looked up at Damien. “How would you have wanted me to remember it?” she blushed even harder as the question spilled out of her mouth. Damien raised an eyebrow in surprise. Apparently he was just as stunned by the question as she was that she had had the courage to ask.

“I would be lying if I said I didn't have a plan,” he said. “But you kinda shot that all to hell when you kissed me last night. I think you have been spending too much time with Harper and Madison. They are starting to rub off on you,” he chuckled.

“Their not exactly subtle with their opinions and they don't let up,” she grinned. Damien grinned back as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Letting his fingers linger on her cheek as his smile softened.

“All the same. I am glad that you did, kiss me that is,” he said, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. There was a hunger in his eyes as he gazed at her and she felt her pulse quicken. He leaned down hesitantly, watching to see if she would pull away. But Olivia stood perfectly still where she was as he leaned the rest of the way. This kiss was different from the one last night, less desperate and almost gentle. Taking their time to breath, Olivia cradled his face in her hands and Damien wrapped his arms around her waist. The smell of flowers wafted around them as a gentle breeze swirled around the clearing. As the kiss came to the end they continued to hold each other, staring into each others eyes.

“This is where I wanted that to happen,” he sighed. “Better late than never, right?” he commented as he smiled broadly. Olivia blushed again, nodding her head in agreement.

They walked around the garden for some time, holding hands and occasionally stopping to kiss some more. Olivia had a feeling of fullness that she had never experienced before. She found herself hoping that they could stay like this forever. But eventually they had to admit that it was time to go back to the manor. Taking their time and walking back, trying to prolong their time alone. They walked along the path, talking and smiling at each other.

Eventually they reached the main house, entering through the kitchens. Clay was still there preparing lunch for everyone. As Olivia and Damien walked in he looked up at them and smiled up at them hopefully. Olivia sighed and smiled back, walking over to him and giving him a hug. “If you ever do that again I will light your hair on fire, just so you know,” Olivia said while still hugging him.

“You got it,” Clay agreed. Releasing her from the hug he turned back to the ingredients scattered all over the counter. “You guys must be starving, why don't you sit down lunch will be ready in just a couple of minutes. The others will be in a few, They have some apologizes for you too. Try to be gentle they meant well,” Clay explained as he retrieved plates and silverware. Olivia and Damien looked at each other than took their seats at the bar.

Harper was the first one to arrive. She took a seat next to Olivia with a sigh, “I just want to say that I am sorry that we embarrassed you this morning. In our defense we were just really excited that you two finally came together. We were beginning to wonder how much longer you were going to take,” Harper explained. Olivia turned to Damien, he simply smiled encouragingly.

“It's okay, we’re cool,” Olivia replied taking the plate of food that Clay was offering. She looked down on her lunch with an appreciative smile, she thought it looked delicious as her stomach gave her a grumbling reminder that she was famished. She picked up her fork to take a bite when the others jogged into the kitchen. Spotting Olivia and Damien they immediately launched into their apologies, some like Madison and Ryder put the blame entirely on Clay. Prompting Clay to start speaking out in his defense and that they had insisted on watching the video because they didn't believe him. They were talking over each other, and were so distracted that they didn't notice Damien and Olivia slip out of the room with their food. They would deal with them after they had found some place quieter to eat their lunch.

They decided to go to Damien's room that was closer than hers. She had yet to even ask where it was much less been there. She was surprised that it was so close to the living area, and as they neared it they could hear James and Harper looking for them. They quickly slipped inside and Damien closed the door quietly behind them, locking it as he did. They stood silently as one of them knocked on the door calling their names, when there was no answer they moved along the corridor discussing where to look for them next.

“That was close,” Olivia said finally as the voices faded into the distance. Turning around to find a place to set down her plate she was floored by what she saw. The walls and tables were lined with drawing and rolled up pieces of parchment. Sticks of charcoal and an array of other drawing materials were scattered across half finished pieces. Completed works were tacked to the wood walls, beautiful drawings of landscapes and people. There was even one that depicted a grazing deer with a wooded background. Damien took her plate and placed it on one of the few cleared spaces that was still left in the room. Olivia picked up a drawing of the garden that Damien had taken her to.

Turning to face him she asked, “Did you draw all these?” she asked in wonder.

Damien simply nodded as he stood beside her. “They are so beautiful, this is your mothers garden isn't it?” she said.

“Yeah, as I said earlier I go there a lot to think and be alone. I also go there to practice,” he explained. Olivia set down the drawings and than noticed some of the drawing tacked to the wall. They looked like pictures of her, one had her sitting on a grassy hill reading. Another was her walking down a corridor and yet another one of her looking out one of the school windows. A thought had occurred to her and she looked at Damien with suspicious eyes. “How long were you watching me before you talked to me?” she asked. Damien suddenly looked uncomfortable as he bit his lip and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“You know our food is going to get cold before we eat it,” he said trying to change the subject. He should have know that that wouldn't work on her.

“Damien how long?” she demanded, holding his gaze with hers. She knew that she had him when he ran his fingers through his hair.

“About a month,” he said with a sigh.

“A month,” she said, shocked. She wasn't angry she was just surprised. “So why did you draw these before you even knew me?” she asked, curious.

Damien didn't say anything for a moment, thinking about how to explain without sounding like a creep. “I drew those during the times that I didn't get to see you,” his answer seemed to carry a heavy meaning behind it. “Watching you, at first I tried to stay neutral...” he paused taking a deep breath. “The more I saw you the more I wanted to know, what you were like. What you hated, what you liked. So I started wanting to be near you, I can't exactly explain it right but...” he paused again. “The first time I saw you I just felt drawn to you, does that make sense?” Damien asked.

Olivia just stared up at him, she realized that she wasn't the only one that had mixed feelings. That made her feel at ease with her decision to move forward with her feelings for Damien. Damien had been conflicted as she had been, despite all the charm and confidence he exuded he still had his insecurities. That made him seem a little less perfect in her eyes, which wasn't a bad thing. Instead of answering his question she simply walked up to him and pulled him into a kiss. Pulling away they smiled at each other.

“I guess it does make sense,” Damien whispered.

“Yeah it does,” Olivia replied as they laughed. Their lunch was a little cold as they ate together, talking and laughing.

They had just finished their food when Damiens phone rang. Whipping his face with a napkin he answered it. “Yeah Clay, what's up?” he greeted. Than his expression changed, becoming serious as he listened. “Okay, I understand. We'll be right there,” he said as he hung up the phone and turning to Olivia. “We need to get down stairs, the order has started to make it's move on it's next target. Do you think you are ready for your first assignment?” Damien asked.

“Yes I think so,” Olivia replied rising to her feet and following Damien out of the room. On the way down to the stairs they were joined by James and Harper. Walking to another section of the manor Damien filled them in. Threats had been made against a close family member of the counsel. They were to secure the subject and his family and bring them to the manor till another team could move them out of the area and into a safe house in another state closer to the counsels headquarters. Damien told Olivia that she needed to stay near him in the case that this was a diversion to get another shot at her. After the attack at the ball they had to be aware of her abilities by now and they would likely not give up on obtaining her rare abilities easily.

As they reached the armory Damien pressed his palm against the scanner. As the door opened Olivia's breath caught in her throat as she viewed the amount of weaponry it contained. There was everything from conventional weapons to some she had only heard the military was working on. Still others were a blend, probably to compliment an elementals abilities. Damien handed her a set of daggers made of a strange silvery metal and a combat suit. She didn't waste their time with questions, she simple put the suit on over her training cloths and secured the belt around her waist. She took a glance at some of the other weapons and grabbed a couple of flasks of purified water and a bow. Damien handed her a leather quiver full of arrows.

“Be careful those are modified for a fire user,” Damien warned. James came up behind her reaching for his own set.

“They make a very nice boom,” he commented as he emphasized his point with a hand gesture.

“Uh huh, so try not to blow up the wrong target, got it,” Olivia added as she secured the quiver to her back. The others soon arrived and didn't waste their time with needless questions as they donned their own suits and equipment. Only Ryder turned and stopped to talk to her, he had noticed the daggers secured at her waste.

“About those daggers, they are a prototype I made those for you. They will react with you ice making abilities. Use your powers to accumulate ice on them and don't let go when you fling them. The ice shards will be your throwing blade and you don't have to worry about them getting stuck in a body should you have to get close. The ice will just slide right off. As long as your energy holds out you will have an unlimited amount of ice daggers to use,” Ryder explained quickly as Olivia pulled one out and used it experimentally. He was absolutely right, it took a fraction of the power she had to use to form a shard without a template than it did with these. Flinging it at the wood frame of one of the doors in the room it flew straight and true. Ryder smiled like a proud parent as he continued securing his gear.

“Let me know when you develop more idea's like these, I would be happy to test them out,” she said excited at the prospects of weapons attuned to her abilities. Ryder nodded as he finished and left the room. Damien and Olivia followed as the rest of the team finished preparing. Walking out to the front of the manor Clay stood by the door of one of the panel van.

“Come on people, times a wasting,” he bellowed as he ushered them into the van. Olivia took her seat next to Damien. She was nervous to be going on her first mission, as a result she felt herself become hyper vigilante. Every shift in movement made her want to jump into action. Damien laid his hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze giving her a gentle reminder to relax. The time for action would come and being on edge would not help her focus on what they needed to do.

Lacing her fingers with his she gave him a squeeze in return. They sat there with their hands locked together as the rest divided themselves amongst the two vans. Heading out to the location Olivia mentally prepared herself for what was to come. All the years she spent learning to defend herself and now the last month she had spent learning to control her powers. Was this her higher purpose? Would this lead to disaster? She wondered as she tried to control her breathing as they raced along the back roads. Damien held on to her hand helping her keep herself anchored. Whatever was waiting for them, Olivia knew that Damien would keep her safe.

As they neared their target location they stopped letting out Liam, Harper and Ryder to explore the perimeter. If anyone was there hiding they would be able to tell. Liam would survey the air, looking for air craft that wasn't suppose to be there and anyone that would be hiding behind buildings waiting to ambush them. Harper would look for disturbances on and in the ground. Looking for what Liam couldn't see from the air. And Ryder would look for magnetic fields, even if they were as small as a metal button. Any refined metal had a signature all it's own, he could ignore natural metals and focus on man made metal. This would tell him if there was an abnormal amount of metal that shouldn't be there.

The rest of them waited in the van till they got the all clear. Olivia waited in silence like the rest, her anxiety starting to build. She was unaware that she had been holding her breath till Damien turned to her and said, “It's okay to breathe.” She jumped slightly at his voice. Letting out the breath she was holding she smiled slightly.

“Sorry I'm just nervous,” she said in a shaky voice. “I've never done anything like this before, I guess I am just making myself crazy,” she explained. Damien let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“It's okay, I felt the same way the first time. Just relax let it come naturally, you'll make mistakes but you'll learn from them. I will be there with you so just follow my lead,” he whispered in her ear. She nodded, feeling a little relieved that she wasn't expected to be perfect at this. She assured herself that she was going to be as good as she could be with the training she had so far. The rest she would have to learn through experience.

Suddenly Liam's voice came over the radio, giving the all clear. Than Harper and Ryder's signaled the all clear as well. “Alright kids watch each others backs and be careful out there. Let's get this done,” Clay said as the vans moved forward. As they pulled up to the house Olivia had the sensation that something wasn't quite right. Their approach had seemed too easy, if there had been a real threat wouldn't there be some activity? She thought as she followed Damien as they approached the front door. It was too quiet, even with a family supposedly hiding inside waiting for them. The pit in her stomach had started to twist, she could feel something wasn't right. She just couldn't figure out what that was.

They made their entry into the house, calling out as they cleared rooms. Olivia followed Damien up the stairs toward the bedrooms. The first two were clear and as they approached the third Olivia could swear she smelt something. She put a hand on Damiens arm as she froze, she knew this smell. She had smelt it many years ago, the smell of old blood. Damien looked at her, his brow furrowed in confusion. Olivia took the lead and opened the third door her hand on her dagger. Prepared for what might be in the room. As the door swung open she realized that she hadn't been prepared at all to what was inside.

She felt her gourge rising as her gaze fell on the lifeless bodies of the family. The room was covered in blood just starting to congeal. The bodies lay were they had fallen, sliced open like over ripened fruit. “We're too late Damien, they have already been here,” she said. Her voice sounded distant in her ears as she stood at the entrance to the room. The looks of fear and pain frozen on their faces seemed to burn themselves onto her mind. Damien pushed gently past her, moving around the room looking for anyone that might still be alive. Olivia knew that it was useless, she knew they were all dead. She could feel it like a pressure against her mind.

As Damien turned to confirm what she already knew she heard the sudden boom of gunfire. She turned as the voices of the others rang through the radio devise in her ears. This had been an ambush after all, she had been right. They had set it for her. And had walked right into it, now they had to fight to get out of it.

Damien ran out of the room grabbing her hand as he ran with her back down the stairs. Olivia undid the lids on her flasks as they ran for the open door at the front. The sounds of battle raged outside. She could started to pull the water from the flasks in preparation to shield them as they burst out of the house. She had acted just in time as a hail of darts and bullets hurled towards them. She threw up a shield of ice, pulling Damien to her side as they took cover behind it. The darts and bullets ricochet off of the icy surface. The bullets dug into the thick ice, stopping their advance as they hit. When they had stopped to reload Olivia and Damien rushed into action. Putting her hand against the ice she melted it rapidly pulling it back into her flasks as she charged the line of men in front of them. In an instant she was throwing ice daggers into the men as fast as she could produce them. The sounds of the men around her falling and crying out as her daggers hit them felt satisfying. It felt natural to use her powers so openly and rapidly. She tossed a glance in Damiens direction as she threw up her ice shield again as another group of soldiers open fired.

Damien was holding his own, throwing gusts of wind and lightning at groups of soldiers. With one group he hit them with wind so strong that it actually threw them out and up into the air. Releasing the pressure of the gust, they fell to the ground in broken heaps. The ones the fall didn't kill lay on the ground screaming in pain. With another group he had thrown lightning at them, making them seize and fall where they stood.

As she melted the shield again she continued to fight as yet another wave of soldiers came at her. She threw up her shield again, taking cover behind it. Grabbing her compound bow out of its sheath she threw it open in was fluid motion. At the same time reaching for an arrow in her quiver and notching it onto the string. Thickening the shield she swung around and released the first arrow. As it hit the ground just in front of the new group of soldiers she threw a fire ball at it. Ducking behind the shield again as it exploded. The size of the explosion was as big as throwing a stick of dynamite at them. I'm really going to have to ask James what the hell he puts in these, Olivia thought as she rounded the other side and released another arrow at another group.

She spared glances around her to check on how the others were fairing. She could see Clay throwing up mound of earth, launching soldiers into the air. And Harper as she used the trees and plants around her like twisting vines, Grabbing soldiers and strangling them as they wrapped around them. Madison stood beside her shielding them with waves of water from a fountain near the garden. They others she couldn't see as they were in other locations around the house.

Suddenly she heard someone fire a gun behind her. Her eyes snapped to the front door and there stood the man that had killed her aunt. Half of his face was scarred as it had been burned. Fear rose in her as she noticed that the gun had not been pointed at her, but it was pointed off to her right. Her eyes grew wide at she turned to where Damien had been. To her horror she saw him as if in slow motion, falling backwards after being shot in the back. She screamed his name as she rushed to his side, ignoring the spray of bullets as they landed around her. Using the water she had left she formed a dome of ice around Damien and herself as she slide to her knees beside him, closing the opening behind her.

“Damien,” she said as she turned him over to put pressure on the wound. His breathing was harsh and uneven. “Damien can you hear me?” she yelled turning his face toward her. He stared up at her, confused as he fought to breath. “Damien you need to focus, we need to get you out of here. Can you walk?” she asked.

Damien didn't answer for a moment, than he shook his head. He reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand and with effort he said, “Get out of here, they want you. You have to go,” he said as a trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth.

Olivia shook her head as tears started to blur her vision. “No, no I will not leave you here. I'll carry you if I have to,” she said determined not to leave him. Tears rolled down her face as she looked down at him. He smiled up at her and shook his head again.

“I won't let them take you, you have to run...for me,” he said as his eye lids fluttered shut. He was losing consciousness, a wave of panic hit her.

“No, stay with me, stay awake Damien. Please don't leave me too,” she cried. “I love you,” she said as she pulled him into her arms. Her heart broke as he was slipping away. Something else inside her fell away, rushing over her in rhythmic waves. Like the steady beat of her heart, power surged inside her trying to find release. Her head was shot up and back as her skin began to glow, making her whole body go rigid. As the power grew she glowed brighter. The ice dome that protected them was blown apart, exposing Damien and Olivia. The men looked on in confusion at what was happening. And just as she thought she would be blown apart she instinctively released the full force of the energy into Damien.

His body absorbed it as she swooned and fell beside him. Holding on to her consciousness as best she could she saw the wound in his back starting to heal and close as the bullet was pushed out. Than there was only the darkness as her eyes closed, she whispered his name into the black void. And than there was silence and darkness.