Authors: Annalynne Thorne
"Not exactly..."
"I don't believe in fate."
"Then what is this?"
"Choice."
Bryan
stated.
Choice... It was a fascinating concept. It was hard to believe. In their defense they lived in a world with magic, elements, prophecies and extra powers for freaks. How could she not and how could Bryne?
His fingers lightly played on her lower back where her shirt had ridden up, a small portion of her skin exposed. It made it hard to concentrate, to put her thoughts in order of what she wanted to say.
"After everything we've been through - that you've been through, you can't believe that this wasn't predetermined? Someone
saw
it."
"I'm not saying that all of this wasn't set up by cosmos or whatever it is that you believe in. I'm saying that
you
are
my
choice. Fire was meant to be with Air. It was meant to be that way by nature. But I'm human and it's my choice in who I want to be with. It's you."
Bryan
explained.
"Why? Why me?"
"Because you're strong enough to withstand fire. I'm not saying I won't burn you, but you're resilient. You can withstand me." He lowered his head, tilted it sideways, and she knew what was going to happen before it did, her heart spiking.
His lips brushed over hers, a feather touch, tasting of mint julep and Camel cigarettes. He pressed harder, their hips meeting where he pulled her to him. It was wonderful, better than anything that had ever touched her. She touched his cheek, feeling the scruff, the heat of his neck. His hand moved over her rear to her thigh positioning it around his waist. His hand above them stroked her tresses. There was nothing like it, a complete warmness, from inside out, and if it was heaven, then she would be okay risking her life every day if that was what she had to look forward to.
"Terra," he breathed a moan. On her sensitive lips she felt every word. "God, Terra. You're wonderful."
“Bryne,” she warned. “My sisters.”
He mumbled incoherent curses. “You're right. That's... Wrong.”
“That'd be a good word for it." Terra chuckled.
"We should sleep, but whatever will happen, know that I'm here. I won't ever leave you to tackle this by yourself. In fact, I won't leave you at all." He kissed her lips one last time. "Good night, flower child."
She smiled, her forehead resting on his chest. "Good night, hot - head."
"That's a good one." He said.
Terra was nearing sleep, on the precipice of a good dream. The lips of Bryne having rid anything bad from her system. He stopped the worrying of their future by a simple but splendid kiss. Somewhere in her mind that jotted down useless things, she noted that his breathing was slowing to a rhythm and that he was to doze soon too. Then, they were wakened by a piercing scream.
They all jumped, Terra falling to the floor. Bryne pulled her up, and she appeared to see Era shaking Marissa from her nightmare. She was kicking, crying, tears forming to small streams soaking in her hair. It was wet and clumped as if she had been running a fever.
“Marissa, Marissa, wake up.”
She jolted, her eyes springing open, but as she surveyed the ceiling, Era, and Bryne, she saw Terra, and she cried harder than ever. “No, no, no, no,” she bawled flinging herself to Terra.
Terra held her fast and close. “What's wrong, Issa?”
“You... You...” She howled in pain and torment.
She rubbed her back comfortingly. “Just say it.”
“You... You... You were...”
“Yes? It's okay. It was just a dream, right?”
“N…no, it's n…not. You were...Dead.”
There is no element that is immune to poison.
It took an hour and half to calm Marissa and even then she was gulping, the tears continuing to flow. A small mountain of tissues were beside her and she pulled out another handful from the cardboard box. She sniffed, dabbing her red nose and bloodshot eyes. Terra and Era both sat on either side of her on the makeshift bed. Marissa kept feeling her hand, the drawn lines in her palm like it was the only thing that was assuring her that she was alive and well.
"Tell us again."
"Don't push her, Bryne," Era scolded, a rarity for her. She was normally unagitated, but it appeared that the vision had gotten to her, and Terra didn't know whether to be flattered or saddened by that.
"We have to know what we're facing here!"
"Go smoke one of your cigarettes."
He nearly growled at her. "I'll wait until Water control can tell us what we need to be certain of. So zip it, Wind-fest."
Terra sat numb to what she was hearing, and that did not just include the bickering. It was not as though she didn't understood because she understood perfectly well. It didn't seem to bother her. The kiss lingered on her lips, the disbelief that she could be as lucky as she was, crisp in her mind. She had her sisters, and if she died it somehow made sense that they would be safe. She wouldn't die for no reason, would she?
Marissa took a couple of deep breaths before she retold her vision. "Hadrian found us here... I don't know how... We had given our powers to Terra and she was doing really well, Hadrian was getting weaker, but he grabbed her, he forced poison in her mouth... There is no element that is immune to poison. Poison in the air, the water..."
“How does it demolish fire?”
She thought about that a few moments. “It doesn't...”
"Do you know what it was?"
"No... I wish I did... I can't get a feel on it... I don't even know what it does...” She furrowed her brows in concentration but it did nothing to help, it never did. It was a constant frustration to Marissa, to not be able to control her visions, or when she melted.
“Where were we when he was killing her?”
“Era was knocked into a corner... There was blood on her head. I think... I think she was dead too,” she croaked. “You... You were fighting with him... My leg was broken... I didn't get there in time...”
Era tapped her shoulder. "Go into the bathroom and take a bath. We'll work this out."
She became hysterical at the suggestion. "I want to be here! I want to help!"
Bryne jerked his head to the hallway. "Go on, Mari. There are too many strong emotions in here for you."
"I can handle it."
"Now!" Bryne ordered.
She stood, anger flashing in her eyes. "You can't tell me what to do! You are
not
my father or brother; you're just the useless elemental we needed!”
"I did tell you what to do, and as far as being elemental I can evaporate you pretty quickly, so
watch
it Water before I melt you.”
"She's
my
sister, not yours!"
"And I'm grateful for that!" He pointed to the hall again as if he was directing a difficult child, which was more or less true. "Go!"
"No!"
Era tugged on her hand. "Please, Marissa?"
She relented, and stormed to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Terra finally spoke. "That was uncalled for, Bryne. You didn't have to yell at her like that."
"She's almost as stubborn as you." He doubled back to her, as if something about her had caught his eye. "Are you okay?"
She shrugged. "I'm fine. I'm okay with my death; I'm not okay with yours. When…”
"If…”
"This happens," she went on pretending as if she hadn't heard his correction, "we need to come up with a plan of what you three will do. I think the powers will die with me, so there won't be any elements left to help you."
"I refuse to talk about this. Nothing is going to happen to you. That vision is implausible. There are four of us and one of him."
"I'm the only one that'll be carrying all four elements, don't forget that."
“This is insane.”
“Insane or not, we have to take this seriously.”
“She's right,” Era concurred. "Marissa doesn't tell us much about the visions she has but we know that they all have come true. It used to scare her when she was a child, everyone could tell when a vision came true because of her reaction. When a glass broke, a song played, the little things. You can see how much this would scare her now."
"So what are we going to do?"
They fell into quiet reflection. What were they going to do? Was there anything? As the numbness wore off Terra found that she was more than comfortable with her death, she was ready for it.
"Nothing," Terra responded calmly. "We're aware of it. There's nothing that we can plan to do to prevent it."
Era nodded optimistically as if it had changed the whole outlook of what was to come. "Maybe knowing in itself is prevention."
Bryne shot her a lethal look. "Don't get your hopes up." He glimpsed to Terra, seizing her hand and tugging her to her feet. "Come with me."
"Where are we going?"
"To my place, flower child. There's something I want to show you."
"What about Marissa and Era? We can't leave them alone."
"I'll send Erick back over. His powers are pretty developed, believe it or not. He could help if trouble comes but I doubt it, we won't be far."
"We left once and our house caught on fire. We were just down the street, Bryne, this isn't….”