Ruby Rising (15 page)

I had pulled myself together by the time she returned and placed the full box in front of me. I smiled gratefully and grabbed a handful, wiping my nose and my face. I felt so drained and emotional.

“I know there is more to this that you’re not telling me Ruby, do you want to talk about it?” She held my hand between hers and I felt her love pouring from her every pore, seeing it clearly in her eyes.

I desperately wanted to tell her everything that had happened from the first day we had moved here, about Krystal, my water element, and the emotional overload that had caused the explosion at camp. I opened my mouth to speak and a vision of Mikayla with pitch black eyes flashed before me, she was smiling and looking at my house. I blinked away the image and put on a smile of my own for my mother. I couldn’t endanger her. I knew I couldn’t protect her…yet.

“No Mum, its fine, there’s not much to tell really. I think I just got a fright, probably just shock or something.” I sipped the last of my coffee and in truth I was feeling mildly better, I felt nurtured, I was home.

CHAPTER 18

Saturday night I crawled into a hot bath, soaking my aching body and trying to slow down the million thoughts that were spinning around my head. Phoenix slept on the bath mat, refusing to leave my side since I had returned home. I liked his company and felt safe with him around. I also didn’t have to worry if he had an ulterior motive.

As I had stripped I noticed bruising around the tops of my arms. Looking closer I realised that I had bruised imprints of Scott’s hands and fingers where he had held me and shook me. They were so deep the bruising was already a deep mottled purple.

I went to bed straight from the bath and slept until day break on Sunday. I got up and put on my running gear, determined to ease the ache that still held my body captive. I was feeling the effect of the hike despite being repetitively told that I had walked only thirty minutes of it. I scoffed at the idea, knowing I had gone a lot further than that to have muscles this achy and tight. I struggled with the idea that Scott had been part of making my memory disappear.

The little flashes into Scott’s memories had told me there was a lot more to the story. At the very least both Mikayla and Scott were hiding a lot of things from me, including the main reasons behind the youth group. 

I eased into my run slowly, testing to see how much my body could take in short bursts of speed. I ran around the lake but skipped the second lap, keeping my pace even and my breathing controlled. I began to slow towards where I turned off for home, eventually coming back to a walking pace. By the time I reached my house, my breathing had returned to normal and my clothes were damp from sweat. I grabbed a shower and then went into the kitchen to make pancakes and coffee for myself and my mother. I’d been careful to dress in a t-shirt that covered my arms. I didn’t want to be forced to tell her what Scott had done. I wouldn’t have to worry about my father’s wrath, hers would be enough to send him to hell for eternity.

I had just finished cooking the last one when she came in dressed in her gardening clothes, ready to spend her Sunday tending to her garden. You’d think with the earth power she had she wouldn’t need to spend as much time in it as she did. She must feel calmed by it, like it nurtured her soul, just as I did around water.

“Morning Mum,” I said passing her a streaming mug of coffee. “Hope you’re hungry! I made enough pancakes to feed a small army.”

“Well it’s good to see you have an appetite this morning.” She smiled a genuine smile and we sat across from each other at the table. After a few quiet mouthfuls she looked at me thoughtfully. “Honey, would you like to help me in the garden today? I think you might find it quite relaxing, sometimes it helps to get back to nature.”

“I’d love to,” I replied without any hesitation. I hadn’t spent much time with my mother since we had moved and I couldn’t think of a better way to do it.

I ushered my mother outside to start her gardening as soon as breakfast was done. So I could tidy up the kitchen being careful to stack the dishwasher and do the remaining dishes.

Heading outside I went into the garage and opened the window that lead to the veggie patch where my mother was already busying herself, and turned the radio on.

I had been trying not to think about Scott or Mikayla, or what I had done with Scott. I knew I had rushed in to giving myself to him now, but at the time it had felt more than right, it had been almost perfect. The main theme song to Titanic was playing and as much as I disliked the movie, after my mother had made me watch it a million times, it still made me yearn for Scott.

I knelt down next to my mother feeling the cool earth under my hands. I started pulling what little weeds there were from the first bed all the way to the last one. We didn’t speak until I was finished. I looked over the weed free patches, sat back on my legs and smiled at my achievement.

“You were right, Mum! This is relaxing.” I breathed in the morning air. A cool breeze was gently drifting through the trees and I sighed.

“Come here Ruby, I want to show you something.” She patted the ground next to her. Once I was sitting next to her she lifted her hands and closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing. I watched fascinated as the small tomato seedling in front of me grew to a foot tall in less than ten seconds. “I want you to try.”

“I…I’m not sure about this Mum.” My voice wavered, what if I could? What would that mean, for both of us? I hadn’t heard of anyone else having more than one elemental power, but I hadn’t asked enough questions either. I knew I had more power than just the water element after all the things that had happened lately; the explosion at camp, the shattered window and the mirror, as well as the street light that had exploded. And I still needed to fit in how I was able to get into Scott’s head and access his memories.

“All I’m asking is that you try, honey.” She put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed. Then put a tiny strawberry seed in my hand, it was no bigger than a pin head. “You need to plant this one, it will make the connection stronger.”

“If there is one, Mum.” I said. I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly closing my eyes at the same time. “Okay,” I simply answered.

“Plant the seed, feel it in the earth, feel the potential of its growth, its life.” She waited until the seed was covered with rich brown earth before continuing. “Put your hands above where the seed is, palms down.” She waited until my hands mirrored her own. “Close your eyes, and breathe deeply and slowly until you feel relaxed.”

After a minute I could feel myself relaxing, it was easier now that I had practised calming when I moved water. I felt a surge of energy in my feet, pulsing and pushing through me towards my hands.

“Feel it, concentrate on what you want it to do, in your mind see the plant growing.”

Her voice seemed to be coming from a distance, like I was half asleep.

I had an image in my head of the strawberry plant that I wanted to grow in my head. I imagined it growing into a small bush, heavy with large, succulent, scarlet red strawberries. I kept concentrating, feeling the energy pulse out of my fingers until I heard my mother whisper my name softly.

“What?” I said as I opened my eyes and looked at my mother, feeling slightly like I’d just woken up. It was different from how I felt when I controlled water, I felt rejuvenated.

She smiled and stared at the garden in front of me. The miniscule see that I had planted reflected the exact image of what I had seen in my head. Complete with large, succulent scarlet red fruit.

“It took me six months of daily practice with my Grandma to do that Ruby. Six months and you go and do it on your first try!” She was smiling and clapped her hands in excitement. “You’re a natural honey!”

“Well, actually, there’s a little more to it…” My voice trailed off, and I decided to demonstrate rather than tell her about my water control.

I went to the tap, removed the hose and turned it on to a medium stream. Water started running through the dirt making a large puddle. My mother, who normally a bit of a water Nazi, didn’t say anything, sitting back and watching with fascination on her face.

Raising my hands above the water, I willed it to rise into the air, in a few seconds energy pulsed through me. It was faster now and I didn’t need to close my eyes to concentrate as much. I guided the water to the veggie patch and let it rain down on the two plants we had both grown; it was careful and controlled and was just like a normal rain shower. Once the ground around them was wet, I turned off the tap and guided the last of the water stopping as it hovered precariously above my mother.

“Ruby De Grey! Don’t you...” I let the water fall on her head, drenching her hat and part of her shirt. “Dare.”

I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes, as I wiped away my tears and when I looked back at my mother I copped a face full of dirt. I spluttered as I spat it out of my mouth, which had been as I laughed so hard.

My mother was laughing now, just as hard as I had been only seconds before, and wiping away her own tears. I turned the tap back on and splashed my face, washing the dirt off. As tempted as I was to retaliate, I turned the tap off and behaved, taking my place next to my mother on the ground.

“I wasn’t completely honest with you when I told you what I could do. I told you the bare minimum, but now…” She gestured to the strawberry plant and pulled off two strawberries, handing me one. It was the most divine berry I had ever eaten, filled with heavy juicy flesh. “I need to tell you a lot more. I have never heard of someone having control over more than one element at a time, with one exception. There are stories, prophecies I suppose they are, of only one, known as the Chosen One, who supposedly possesses each of the four elemental powers. You have water and earth, is there more you’re not telling me?”

“This
Chosen One
, what are they meant to do, save the world from evil?” I laughed half-heartedly deliberately avoiding answering her question.

“No Ruby, there are others who possess the elemental powers, sometimes more than one, but they are not the Chosen One. The only way to get them is to take them by force, they have to take the life of the one who possesses it. Like I said the other day, but it changes the way the magic works. Sort of...” She sighed, trying to find the right words. “They can still make things grow the same way we can, or move water like you did, same with fire and air. But most of the time it’s not used like that. These people aren’t the same as you and I, when you kill someone to take their power, you take evil into your blood. As well as the growing and nurturing, they also have the power to make things die, reversing the original power. Take this for example, the water magic. When taken, it can be used to draw water
out
of people, animals, and plants, anything that contains water and then watch them die. They can suck the air straight out of your lungs instead of creating wind.”

My shoulders slumped, suddenly I didn’t feel relaxed and rejuvenated. I felt scared and confused. A vision flashed before me; Mikayla, she was leaning over me, yelling at me, I was being held back by strong arms, we were on top of a mountain, the bush surrounding looked so familiar. Then the vision was gone, Mikayla’s words were so distant, I wasn’t able to make out what she had said, but I knew it wasn’t good. Her eyes had been black, so black if you fell in them you would never find a way out. Hate had poured from her, hate for me. I wondered what else she had done, a shiver ran through me.

“Ruby, are you okay? What’s wrong?” She put her arm around me and hugged me. “You can tell me anything, you know that right? I won’t judge you, or yell, I’m here to listen. If it has anything to do with this,” she gestured to the plants in front of us, “with this magic, than you need to tell me, it could be important.”

I knew what she was telling me was true, but I also felt I’d put her in danger by showing her not only my water ability, but allowing her to teach me the earth magic as well. I wanted to tell her that something wasn’t right with Mikayla, with Scott, with all of them. But I couldn’t.

“It’s okay Mum, I was just thinking about Scott, he hit his head and I’d forgotten about him until now, I really should find out if he’s okay.” I lied through my teeth and I felt guilty straight away, still unsure if I was doing the right thing. We had shared so much today it had left me feeling closer to her than ever before. “Hey, Mum?”

She looked at me, concern still filling her eyes. “Yes?”

“What colour are Scott’s eyes?” I carefully asked.

“You should know that honey,” a small smile played on her lips but she answered me anyway. “They are a brilliant blue, like the colour of a perfect summer sky. I understand why you like him so much, he’s pretty handsome!”

“What about Mikayla? I know you haven’t seen much of her, but I just wondered.”

“Oh, hers where a gorgeous green, like emeralds, but without the shine. I remember because I thought it was odd that brother and sister could have such different eyes. Why?”

“Just wondering, do you mind if I go inside and ring Scott? I just want to know if he’s okay.”

I stood up, brushing the dirt off me in a relaxed way.

“Sure, honey.” She picked up her little shovel, “and Ruby? Don’t be afraid to share with me, you never know if I can help you or not.”

“Love you Mum.” I wanted to blurt out everything instead I dropped my eyes and turned away.

“Love you too,” she answered as I walked into the house.

I went up to my room and pulled out the jeans I had come home in from the camp and searched through the pockets. I pulled out Scott’s phone and the black dagger crystal that I had found in the debris of the tent. I put the dagger under my pillow for inspection later, not wanting my mother to walk in and see it. I wanted time to figure it out a little myself.

Scott’s phone surprisingly still had some battery power, but not enough to do much. At least we had the same phone, so I plugged it in to my own charger.

First I went into his call log, all his calls were to Mikayla, a number he didn’t have a name for and me. I dialled the unknown number and waited, I had no idea what I would say if I knew who the person was at the other end of the phone. It rang five times before a very familiar voice came on the line through an answering machine. I was so shocked I didn’t hang up straight away, even after the beep tone had sounded I continued to stare at the phone.