The Elementals by Annalynne Thorne Read Free Book Online

vehemently like venom before storming off away from them.
                Marissa's chin rested on her hands staring at a burnt hole, her pinky tracing the edge thoughtfully. "He didn't mean it. I felt it. He was scared because he knew that we knew what he could do. He was just being defensive is all."
                "Why would he leave," Terra inquired. "Why is he scared? He knows what we are, right?"
                "He knows, but why he left and why he won't talk with us, I don't know."
                "You'll find out?"
                "Yes."
                "Good luck with that." Terra raked her fingers through her hair, a nervous gesture. Like a movie clip running behind her eyelids, she remembered Marissa going after him. "What was that jerk motion when you went after him? And what was with you going off? I've never seen you act like that before." Terra asked.
                "Oh... I don't know... He... I feel ashamed now, but what I felt... It hurt me. It made me want to hurt him, it made me boil. That's not like me," Marissa insisted desperately, "I've never felt that way before!"
                "We know that, Issa. It's odd behavior for you."
                "I don't know what came over me..."
                "What are we going to do, Terra," Era asked, "you're the leader."
                It was no matter that Era was a year older than her, Terra had taken the natural role of leadership long ago. She guessed it was because Aunt Gwen was gone a lot and Terra had practically raised Marissa. When Era came in it was respected that that was how things were. She wasn't sure how respected it would be when Bryne came in officially, but they would have to cross that bridge when they came to it; when he stopped burning them down...
                Truth was, she didn't know what to do. Stalking him was out of the question. So was kidnapping. Persuading him was just a preposterous idea, his stubborn nature making it next to impossible, but what other choice did they have? How were they even going to convince him?
                Era stood and went to the counter taking out three clear glasses from the overhead cabinets, and apple juice from the fridge. Once poured, she brought them back, and the silence ensued, a heavy blanket over them. There was the soft thudding as they set their glasses on the wood table top along with Marissa's own nervous gesture of tapping her foot.
                There was only one thought of how to solve their problem, and that was to get the Kin involved. It would be a group effort, almost like an intervention. Unlike the three of them, the entirety of them was experienced. They would know what to do.
                "Is there a clan near here?" Terra questioned.
                "You're thinking of an intercession," Era guessed.
                "Why not? I think it'll work, he'll have to listen. If he doesn't believe..."
                "How can he not believe? We all have powers. I can only imagine what fire would have."
                "He knows," Marissa voiced, "he has to. We all did."
                "If there's no clan here... If he was like Era..."
                Terra tugged at her tresses again. There had to be a way. "Any ideas Era?"
                "We talk to him, if he doesn't listen, we'll go back to the drawing board."
                The doorknob jangled and opened, the white noise of the rain and the fresh ions filling the room. Sloshing inside in her black knee boots and dripping hair was Aunt Gwen.
                "Hello girls. What are you doing?"
                "We found fire," Marissa said, smiling, all impossibilities of the situation gone at the celebratory news.
                "Really?" Aunt Gwen kicked off her high heeled boots, hung her jacket on the brass hook,