Evan Elemental (The Evan Elemental Series) (20 page)

"Sorry,"
Lex
mutters sheepishly. He pulls his cell phone from
a pocket inside his jacket and answers the call. He turns away from me as he
listens to the voice on the other end. After barely thirty seconds of muttered
replies,
Lex
turns back to face me. Before he can say
anything, I stand.

"I
know," I sigh. "We have to get back. Where are you parked?" I
ask glancing around.

Lex
looks at me long and hard, his
eyes full of the words I know he that won't say. "Come on then," he
says finally, giving me one last look before turning and walking away.

The
drive back to Price is filled with unnerving silence. It's as if the natural connection
that first brought us together, the one I swear I felt less than an hour
before, has somehow severed. I can't think of anything to say that wouldn't
lead to me trying to take back everything I had said earlier. Absently, I reach
for my necklace, stopping halfway when I remember that it's gone.
Another thing missing.

We're
about an hour away from Price, still, when the loaded silence finally gets to
me. I start to say something, but am once again interrupted by the insistent
vibrations of Lex's phone. He glances at me with apology in his eyes before
pulling over at the nearest gas station.

"I'll
just be a minute," he says, and then hops out of the car leaving me alone.

I let
out the sigh I've been holding in since we left the cemetery. The image of my
parents' gravestone fills my mind and I push it away as quickly as it came. I
refuse to let myself dwell on the subject any longer, no matter how cold it
sounds and how wrong it feels. Instead, I flip down the visor and check my
reflection. Despite looking a little wide-eyed and windblown, I look fine. In
fact, I look better than I can ever remember looking before. There's something
not quite right about it though, something unnatural.

Before
I can contemplate the change any further, a flash in the mirror distracts me.
Someone had passed behind the car a little too close for comfort. My body
tenses and I'm instantly on my guard. Whoever it was keeps going though, and I
relax a little as I watch a girl with shoulder-length bleach-blonde hair make
her way toward a sleek black SUV that's parked on the curb. She reaches for the
passenger door handle and pulls it open. Before climbing inside she hesitates,
glances over her shoulder, and looks in my direction. My heart nearly stops
when I see who it is.

"Jessie!"
I yell.

For
some reason the idea of her getting in that car makes me frantic. I pull at the
door handle, yelling her name again, but the door won't budge even though it's
unlocked. I desperately search my mind for a solution, but I'm too slow. Jessie
hops into the SUV. Before the door is even fully closed the car speeds off.

A slow,
heavy dread unravels in my stomach as I helplessly watch her leave. My
cellphone is still in Price so I can't even call her. On the edge of the dread
is guilt. I've been avoiding her calls all this time, blaming her for my own
bad choices. I have no rational or logical reason to believe that she's in any
danger at all, but I can feel deep in my soul that I've somehow lost her.

The
driver's side door opens, yanking me from my thoughts.
Lex
slides in to the seat, slams the door shut, and starts the car. "Sorry
about that, it was just Anders..."

"I
just saw Jessie," I blurt.

Lex
doesn't say anything for a
second.
"Who?" he finally asks.

My
heart sinks as the fact that
Lex
and I know almost
nothing about each other becomes clear. I sigh and lean back in my seat. "
Nevermind
. Who was on the phone?" I ask.

Lex
bites his bottom lip and starts
to say something but stops short. He shakes his head dismissing whatever
thought he can't share with me. "Just Anders. He wanted to make sure we
were still on our way back."

I raise
an eyebrow. "Does he have reason to believe we aren't?"

"No.
He's just sort of paranoid. Especially when it comes to..." he trails off.

"What?"

It's
his turn to sigh. "When it comes to you, Evan."

"Oh,"
is all I can manage.

Lex
doesn't say anything as he puts
on his seatbelt and pulls out of the gas station. I stare out of the window for
a couple of miles before something occurs to me. "I've been meaning to ask
you about Anders."

"Yeah?"
Lex
responds, his voice thick with apprehension.

I'm a
little taken aback by his attitude, but I choose to ignore it. "Yeah.
Well, the other day, when we were supposed to be picking up my
assistant..."

"Supposed
to be?"
Lex
snaps, glancing at me before putting
his concentration back on the road, tension radiating off his body.

"Yeah,"
I snap back, with just as much attitude, "supposed to be, because she
somehow managed to disappear at the airport, remember?"

"
Yes,
I do,"
Lex
says in a hard, ungentle voice that
he's never used with me before.

"Okay,"
I say with a huff. He's pissed about something but it's not going to stop me
from getting answers. "Where was I?" I say mostly to myself as I try
to collect my thoughts. "Wait, let me back up. The last few weeks, when
you were gone, Anders got assigned Evan duty, so he's been carting me around
and keeping an eye on me. And I get that it must be annoying, because it has
been for me, but he seems to really resent it. Like, he has some sort of
personal problem with me."

Lex
snorts, but he doesn't say
anything. I don't get why, but all of the sudden he's being such a.... jerk. I
recall how many times he told me he's not "noble," as if he was
hinting at some darker, badass side, but this isn't what I imagined.

"Go
on," he says when I don't continue.

I let
out a frustrated breath and turn so I can face him as fully as my seatbelt
allows. "What is your problem? I thought you understood why I
can't
be with you right now, that you would be there for me
no matter what? Because right now you're acting like I did something wrong and
offended you somehow."

Lex's
shoulders slump and I can see his expression soften. "Evan, I apologize.
It's not you."

He
pulls onto the shoulder and cuts the engine. Even though we're stopped he's
still gripping the steering wheel. "Anders and I go way back," he
begins, a distinct edge still in his voice. "We used to be, well, I guess
you could say we used to be best friends, as childish as that sounds." He
turns and gives me a halfhearted grin.

My
eyebrows shoot up toward my hairline but I keep my mouth shut.

Lex
scratches his head and
considers his words for a moment. "Things happened between us, and all I
can say is that I have a very low opinion of him. The only reason I even allow,
and yes I do have that kind of authority, that I allow him to be responsible
for you when I'm not there, is because I know for a fact that he would never
let anything happen to you, that he would die first."

"How
do you know that?" I ask in disbelief.

"Because,
he's in love with you,"
Lex
answers simply.

I sink
back into my seat in shock. How could
Lex
say
something like that? It couldn't be farther from the truth. "No," I
sputter, "no way. He barely tolerates me. I mean, he told me this story about
us knowing each other when we were kids, but I'm not sure if I even believe
that. It must be made up, right? Because I've never been to Price until
now."

Lex
is silent, his gaze locked on
the road ahead even though we're at a complete standstill. My panic from
earlier rekindles itself.

"Right,
Lex
?" I whisper so quietly I don't think he
hears me.

"Evan,"
he starts but doesn't elaborate. He doesn't need to go on, I already have my
answer.

I pull
uselessly at the door handle; it still won't budge. "What the hell is
wrong with the door?" I slap the window with my hand, feeling a surge of
electricity shoot through me as my palm connects with the glass. In an instant
everything goes berserk: the engine starts, the lights flicker on and off, the
radio blasts on darting from station to station, and a nearby streetlight
bursts into a rain of sparks.

I'm so
caught up in the heady rush of so much power flowing into and out of me, that I
don't notice at first when
Lex
gently places his hand
on my shoulder.

"Evan,"
he says softly. "Evangeline."

I jerk
back and my hand drops from the window and into my lap, where it burns
momentarily. The engine is once again still and we are engulfed in a silence so
absolute, it seems as if the very trees are holding their breath. I let out a
gasp of air, realizing I am too.

"I'm
sorry,"
Lex
says, his
voice back to being steady and soothing. "The child safety locks must be
on."

"Let's
just go," I reply without looking at him.

Lex
lets out a frustrated breath
but doesn't say anything else. He turns the key several times and nothing
happens.

"What's
the matter?" I ask tiredly.

Lex
looks at me
,
his eyes
flush with amusement
. "I think the battery is dead."

"Oh,"
I respond brilliantly. I must have fried it during my outburst.

Lex
presses his lips together to
stifle his smirk. It doesn't work though, because he breaks out in a huge grin
and starts laughing. I slap him playfully on the shoulder, the innocent contact
sending a spark from me to him. My eyes go wide and I turn away to hide my blush.
Lex
stops laughing.

"I
guess I'll have to call for a tow," he says gruffly.

I lean
my head back and cast a doleful look at the ceiling, suppressing yet another
needless sigh. "I have a better idea, but you'll have to let me out
first."

Lex
gets out of the car and jogs
around to the passenger side. He pauses before opening the door and gives me a
funny look. With a shake of his head, he opens it.

"About
time," I say, pushing past him. I feel sort of bad blaming him for my bad
mood, but being angry with him, even for no reason, makes it easier not to love
him, something I'm desperately aching to do.

I
stride purposefully toward the field that runs alongside the road where we're
parked.
Lex
quickly catches up with me and we walk in
matching stride until I'm sure we we're out of view of anyone who might not
understand what I'm about to do, which would be everybody, including myself.

I stop
and grab hold of Lex's arm to keep him from walking past. I release my hold on
his arm and take his hand instead. I hear him take in a sharp breath but I
ignore it, the same as I ignore the pulsing beat that pounds madly where our
skin meets. With a deep breath, I close my eyes and step forward pulling him
with me.

When I
open my eyes, we're back at the Price Estate standing in the orchard. The late
afternoon sun casts a romantic glow on the pale pink and white blossoms that
are already beginning to wilt and fall from their branches. I realize I'm still
holding Lex's hand so I drop it and step away.

On the
walk back to the house we don't say anything. The silences are becoming more
natural between us, but that does little to console me. I know that once we're
back at the house, that everything I said, everything that I decided, will
become final. I rack my brain for something to say that would make everything
okay, but I can't think of anything. I have to believe that this is right, even
though it doesn't feel right or good and I want nothing more than to throw my arms
around his neck. I want to hold him close and never let him go.

The
kitchen is empty when we enter. In fact, the whole place is positively silent.
I turn to
Lex
, only to find that he's already gone.
Panic rises in my chest and tears well in my eyes. This was my own doing: I
wanted distance and he's giving it to me. I refuse to cry.

I leave
the kitchen and head toward my room. I need a moment alone before I can deal
with whatever mess is waiting for me. A person can't just disappear into thin
air without having to answer some questions. I'm pretty sure that what I did is
the complete opposite of what Magda meant by fulfilling my duties as a lady, or
whatever she said.

When I
reach the staircase I'm surprised to find Ezra sitting on the steps. He looks
as unsurprised to see me as a person can look, which gives me the uneasy
feeling that he was expecting me.

"You
know,"
Ezra
says with a smirk, "you caused
quite the uproar by taking off like that."

I roll
my eyes and try to step past him, but he's on his feet in a flash and blocking
my path.

"Your
aunt came in here screaming about how you disappeared into thin air. What do
you think she meant by that?" Ezra's eyes bore into me. It feels like he's
looking straight through my skin and into every sick, dark place I've worked to
keep hidden. I shiver and his smile widens.

"Let
me by," I say through clenched teeth. Ezra gives a humorless laugh.

"Don't
worry, we took care of it." He steps forward, closing the small space
between us. Slowly, he reaches up and traces his index finger down the side of
my face and along my jaw. His touch is feather light and impossibly gentle; my
eyes close involuntarily.

"You're
more beautiful than I imagined you would be. And more venerable," he
croons in silky, dark voice that fills me and causes my vision to darken.

I
struggle to remain expressionless, to not let him in on the panic that's
beginning to take me. "Excuse me, but I need to get by," I force
myself to say.

Ezra's
eyes drop to my lips before he steps aside. Even though I want to bolt up the
stairs and get away from him as fast as possible, I force myself to walk in
controlled, almost leisurely steps up the stairs, letting him know that he
hasn't managed to rattle me as much as I'm sure he wanted to. Even though he
has, he so has. Inside, I'm a puddle.

"We'll
talk later, Evangeline," Ezra calls out when I reach the landing at the
top the stairs. I don't turn to look at him or say anything to acknowledge that
I even heard him. As far as I'm concerned, that's never going to happen. I'm
going to stay as far away from Ezra
Volkov
as
possible for as long as he's here, which hopefully isn't long.

When I
make it a little way down the hall I break into a sprint, not stopping until I
stand, breathless, outside the room
Lilian
is staying
in. The door is already cracked, so I reach out and push it open the rest of
the way.

Lilan
is standing at the foot of her
bed, her suitcase open in front of her. It looks like she's packing. I send a
mental thanks to the universe that when Ezra said, "took care," he
didn't mean doing bodily harm to my aunt.

"Lil?"
I say, knocking softly on the door to let her know I'm there.

When
she turns to face me, I expect her to look upset and angry. Instead, she gives
me the most peaceful smile I've ever seen on her.

"Evan!"
Lilian
says brightly. "Did you have a good
time?" She gives me another weird, cheerful smile.

I stand
frozen in the doorway.
A good time?

"Don't
just stand there," she says gesturing for me to sit on the bed, "come
here and tell me about it. I don't have much time, my plane is due in a couple
of hours."

"Your
plane?" I ask carefully without moving.

Lilian's
smile melts into a pout.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. Some
work thing in L.A. You're
not mad, are you?" She continues to pack while I stand there. Why hasn't
she said anything about my disappearing act, or even the argument we had right
before I left?

I take
a few tentative steps toward her. "Lil, are you feeling okay?"

Lilian
gives me a look like I'm out of
my fucking mind. "Of course. Get in here already." She gives me
another heart-warming smile and pats the bed beside her suitcase. Reluctantly,
I cross the room and sit down.

"Now,
did you get a dress?"
Lilian
asks as she
expertly folds a blouse.

My
eyebrows shoot up. "Huh?"

"Evan,
are you okay? Because you're the one acting kind of weird."

Wow.
Okay. "I'm fine Lil, it's just,
don't
you
remember..."

"Evan!
There you are." I look up and see Greta standing in the doorway.
"Pablo was just on the phone, he said the dress you picked out for the
Apple Fest will be ready for a fitting next week," she says shooting me a
meaningful look before turning on her heel and disappearing into the hall.

"That
woman is sort of strange,"
Lilian
comments.
"So, this Apple Fest thing is kind of a big deal, isn't it?"

"I
guess." I
lay
back on the bed and stare up at the
ceiling feeling even more hopeless than I already did. Now I know why
Lilian
keeps asking me about buying a dress. What I can't
understand is how she doesn't seem concerned that I
friggin
vanished.
Right in front of her.

"
Lilian
, can I ask you a question without you getting
freaked out?" I ask carefully.

Lilian
stops mid fold and gives me
another a look that clearly says she's worried about my mental health.
"Okay...what's up?"

"Well...I
had kind of a long day, you know with dress shopping, and I sort of
forgot...when was the last time we saw each other? I mean, before now."

Before
Lilian
can open her mouth to answer, Greta pops back in the
room. This time she isn't alone. I shoot Ezra a nasty glare and he smirks in
return.

"Evan,
please come with me." Greta gives me her cold smile and gestures toward
the door. I glance at
Lilian
; she's frozen in place
and giving Ezra a funny, confused look.

"What's
going on?"
Lilian
asks quietly. Something flits
just beneath the surface of her eyes that makes me think that her cheery,
happy-go-lucky act is just that: an act.

"Evan,"
Greta says with a little more force that she normally uses. "Come with me
and I will explain."

I hop
up from the bed and put myself between
Lilian
and the
others. "No, I'm not leaving her alone with...with him."

The
look Greta is giving me could freeze the Sahara. I can feel my blood start to
heat and electricity pop in my fingertips. A slight breeze brushes across my
face and then
Lex
is there, beside me.

"What
the..." Before
Lilian
can complete that thought
Ezra does his own swishy thing and is standing right in front of her. He places
his hand gently on the side of her face. At the same time
Lex
,
picks me up and rushes me out of the room.

"God
damn it,
Lex
. Put me down." Which he does, about
half a second later in my
bedroom.
Lex
steps back so that he's blocking the doorway, his arms folded across his chest.

"
Lex
, what the hell is going on?" I shout. I'm seething
and I'm terrified but I make myself stay still and hear him out. If I can't
trust
Lex
, then
who
can I
trust?

Lex
drops his arms to his side, his
eyes filled with apology. "After what happened earlier we had to do
something to make sure
Lilian
wouldn't remember that
you disappeared right in front of her. Ezra has certain
....gifts
.
As far as your aunt is concerned, you went shopping after breakfast and she
spent a leisurely day at the estate until she was called away for a business
trip."

I'm too
stunned to react. Gifts? What exactly did Ezra do to her? Then something
Lex
said pops out, blocking all other train of thought.
"Wait. 'We?' You knew about this?"

Lex
just nods.

I blink
back a fresh set of tears. "Did you know when you came to find me?"

Guilt washes
over his face, answering the question for him. As soon as it came it's gone,
replaced by his usual ever cool, ever in control, almost arrogant expression;
the one he had been wearing less and less the closer we got.

"I
can see what you're doing,
Lex
. Don't shut me
out."

I step
toward him until I'm close enough that I can feel his cool breath brush across
my face, reminding me of all those times he's appeared and disappeared like
nothing. His expression doesn't change.

"Evan,"
he says darkly, "there are consequences to this life. I'm not going to
sugarcoat it for you anymore; you need to face the facts that the people you
care about can end up hurt. It's best if your aunt doesn't know anything; she'd
be in danger if she did."

"Excuse
me? Sugarcoat? When have you ever done that? When have I ever asked you to? All
I've been trying to do is get the truth, and you've never given that to me. You
only give a fraction of the truth; whatever you think it'll take to placate me.
I see that now."

I try
to push past him but he grabs me by the shoulders and won't let me move. He's
not hurting me, not physically, but he's hurting the hell out of my feelings
and my pride. Lex's eyes grow icy as they bore into mine.

"You
don't see anything," he growls. "I've been trying to tell you...that
I can't tell you."

I roll
my eyes. "That's bullshit. Let me go."

I stomp
my foot on his insole causing him to flinch and relax his hold on me. I take
the opportunity to pull out of his grip and make for the door. I barely take a
step before I'm pressed against the wall, Lex's hold on me tighter than before.
We're so close that I can feel the frantic thud of his heartbeat against my
chest. The ice in his eyes is gone, replaced by a more familiar expression: one
of desire, of hunger.

It was
then, that I noticed it, the subtle change in his eye color. His already dark
eyes have turned a pure and endless black, the whites tinged red. Against every
instinct in my body that is screaming at me to fight, to get away, I feel my
panic lessen. Curiosity blossoms in its place.

"What
are you?" I whisper.

But I
know, I've known for a long time. The hunger in Lex's eyes deepens and he
presses his body closer to mine. He lets go of my arms and places his hands on
either side of my head. He's giving me a choice, but I'm riveted, my earlier
proclamations about staying apart are all but forgotten. Slowly, so slowly it
makes me ache, he parts his lips exposing a pair of sharp, gleaming fangs that
now take prominence in the mouth that has so thoroughly ravaged me on a number
of occasions.

The
truth that I've been repressing since that day by the lake forces itself into
the forefront of my mind. I stare, wide-eyed at his fangs, and imagine them
piercing all of my softest parts, wondering how it would feel while already
somehow knowing.

"
Lex
," I choke out past my own hungry desire.

I raise
my hands to his chest, sliding them up to his shoulders. In one, seamless
motion
Lex
lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his
waist. We're so close, but it doesn't feel close enough. I can feel my blood
pounding, but I also feel a sort of calmness. I know I should be terrified, but
I'm not, which I know is completely irrational. Right now, I don't want to be
rational. I want him, all of him.

Lex
slowly leans down and presses
his lips to mine. My arms circle his neck, pulling him closer, urging him to
deepen the kiss. I want to know what it feels like, to kiss a vampire, to run
my tongue along his fangs, to feel them draw blood from me. I don't get to find
out. Right before things get good, Magda screams Lex's name. A major turn off.