A Time To Kill (Elemental Rage Book 1) (4 page)

Jade opened the
door, her hair still wet from the shower, “What’s going on?”

Without standing
around to talk about it, Amy said, “They found us. We’re leaving.”

Raven didn’t wait
around to hear the rest of the conversation.  She hurried to the coat closet
near the door and grabbed the duffel bags.  “Claire, can you get these?”

Claire normally
would have fussed, but she and Raven had grown closer from Raven’s confession. 
With a nod, Claire grabbed the two bags and headed for the garage.

Within three
minutes, the house was locked up tight and the Gray family was on the road.

Chapter 4

~~ Claire ~~

Claire punched her
pillow and tried to ignore her seatbelt as she leaned against the window. They
were on 101 heading south like hundreds of other summer vacationers, except it
was the middle of the night and all of those people were asleep in hotels,
motels, or camping grounds. Her mom drove past Seaside and Lincoln City,
finally stopping in Bandon, Oregon. It was a relief to finally get out of the
car, even if no one was talking about anything important.

Once they settled
into the motel room, squashed into a single room for all five of them, with a
cot for Mindy, Claire finally breached the taboo topic of all things past and
said, “So are you going to tell us who’s chasing us or are we going to spend our
lives looking over our shoulder for someone who might be right in front of us?”

They had been
driving for hours and it was the dead of night. “Can’t we talk about it
tomorrow?” Jade asked.

“What if they find
us in the middle of the night?” Claire suddenly wondered if she was the only
one in the family who didn’t know what was going on.  Jade didn’t seem a bit
curious. Mom obviously knew.  Raven remembered the guy who attacked Dad, so she
must have some idea, and Mindy wouldn’t care if she was kidnapped by monsters as
long as Jade and Pebbles were nearby.

“Can I give you
the short version?” Mom asked.  She really did look worn down.

Claire sat on the
edge of the bed she would share with Mindy. She said, “I just want to know
what’s going on.”

“Girls, come sit
down.” Amy, matron of the Gray clan, made sure the motel door was locked, then
checked that the windows were closed.  They were.

Piling on a single
bed, Jade, Raven, Claire and Mindy surrounded her, Mindy and Claire closest
with Raven next to Claire and Jade next to Mindy. Claire wondered if the story
would ever start, when Amy finally sighed and said, “Our family holds an
ancient power, taken from the Keepers of the Gate or the Death Keepers. One of
their strongest, a man with the special gift of Time, had corrupted his power.
Our ancestor stripped him of his gifts and locked him out of space and time
forever.”

“So what does that
have to do with us?” Claire asked.

“The power is
gifted from generation to generation, with one member of the family holding the
gift until it can be passed down.  We have many enemies, the Keepers and the
Shadow Wraiths chief among them.  Your father was murdered by a Keeper, but we
are in danger from the wraiths as well,” Amy said.

Claire was
surprised when Jade asked, “Mom, who has the power now?”

Amy hesitated
before answering, “I do, but you must never speak of it with anyone, not even
your most trustworthy friend. We’ve talked enough.  You girls get changed into
your p.j.’s and we’ll sleep.”

The sisters didn’t
hear the lie in their mother’s words, for it was a lie.  Amy couldn’t tell her
girls the truth that one of the sisters held the Keepers’ power over the
universe, or that one of them would be hunted for the rest of their lives.    

The next morning,
Amy asked Claire to help Mindy with breakfast. Claire grumbled, “Can’t Jade?”

“Claire snuck
out.” Mindy said, a glint in her eye that told Claire she sometimes knew more
than she was letting out.

Claire pinched
Mindy and lied, “Did not. We were so crowded, Mom would have known if I’d gone
out.”

“Ow!” Mindy
started the young kid siren wail, the kind that starts with a low cry and ends
in a high pitched scream.

Claire had snuck
out for a brief few minutes that morning before everyone else was awake. Water
helped her with the sneak part.  It really was crowded with five people in the
room, and she was feeling a little claustrophobic.

“Claire!” Amy’s
tone was sharp and biting.

“I didn’t sneak
out!” Claire threw up her arms. “You always take her side.”

“You pinched her.”
Jade said, and then cuddled Mindy until she quit crying, “It’s okay. I’ll make
you breakfast.”

Claire hated
Mindy.  She hated Jade.  They always worked against her. Jade pretended to be
so good, but she pinched Claire twice last week when Mom wasn’t home. That’s
where she got the idea from.  It wasn’t like Jade was innocent.  And Mindy
always got her way. Claire couldn’t do anything, but Mindy just needed to start
whining, and everyone just jumped and gave her whatever she wanted.

All through
breakfast, Claire listened to Jade help Mindy with ever-increasing annoyance. 
Little
tattletale.

When Mom announced
they were going to the beach, Claire grudgingly put on her coat. Were she to
study her own emotions, she would realize that beneath the jealousy and anger
was a core of hurt and the feeling that she was an unnecessary part of the
family. She didn’t look that deeply.  Claire fumed in the back of the van. She
hated her family.

Hated them.

As Amy pulled into
the parking lot of the beach, she said,  “Be careful and don’t get too close to
the water. The ocean is dangerous.”

Claire could be
fairly certain that Mom was not talking to her about the ocean.  Water was her
element after all. She was still angry with Mindy and Jade and just wanted to
get out of the car and up the beach and put some distance between herself and
them.

They were just
about to start up the beach trail when Amy’s phone rang. She groaned.  Jade
said, “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“Thanks. It’s Tess.
You girls go on ahead.”

Claire raced up
the beach path, eager to see the ocean and put some distance between herself
and Mindy.  She could feel Water tugging on her, nudging her to play. It was a
relief to have Water.

When she came over
the rise, she tore off her shoes, leaving them beside a log.  There was a giant
rock five times taller than a person sticking up a quarter mile down the
beach.  Claire realized that if she could get behind that rock, she could hide
long enough to become water and join the ocean.

She sprinted,
hoping to reach the giant rock before Jade came up the walk behind her. Claire
laughed as she reached her goal. Looking over her shoulder, she realized her
sisters had not even appeared at the head of the path yet.  Jade would be
moving slowly because she had Mindy.  Raven wouldn’t care much what Claire did.

Ducking behind the
rock, Claire found a little nook where no one could see her.  She let her form
become fluid and let herself flow into the little rivulet that joined the
ocean. As she turned into Water, her shorts, tank top, and underwear were left
behind. Claire realized that Water could help her carry them until she was
ready to return to shore.  Gathering them up as a moveable puddle, she pulled
them close as she moved further out into the water.

She could hear
Jade calling to her from the beach. Claire felt no fear in the ocean. It would
be silly when she loved Water so much, and Water loved her, too.  Jade’s voice
grated on her nerves.  The idea of her yelling for Claire like she was some
kind of parent drove Claire crazy.  She watched with Water’s senses as Jade and
Mindy moved closer to the beach, Jade still yelling her fool head off.

They were still on
dry sand, but there was a stream of water pushed up from the tide running along
the beach.  Jade and Mindy were just about to jump across.  Claire giggled and
told Water what she had in mind. Water laughed, too.  That would be a fun
prank. 

Both Claire and
Water had capricious natures that didn’t always think through an action. 
What’s more, Claire was still feeling bitter toward Mindy and Jade from the
morning. The idea sounded like a great idea.

For a moment,
Claire felt like she was riding on a surfboard.  She was in the air hundreds of
feet and then falling, falling, and tumbling.  It was so much fun. She had no
idea she could do that.  Claire became disoriented as she tumbled in the water.

It wasn’t until
the waves had calmed down that she heard the screams.

~~ Amy ~~

Amy’s best friend
in Wildwood Springs was Tess Baker. She was the only person in the world that
Amy trusted beside her family with keys to the house and shop. Tess was the
kind of friend of whom you could ask a big favor and trust she would say
yes
,
which was good because Amy had asked her to watch the shop for a few weeks until
she could sell out.

She gave her
permission to hire someone on a temporary basis to cover things.  Tess might be
a stay-at-home Mom, but she had a life, too. Amy didn’t want to take advantage.

Relieved that at
least one of her problems was resolved, Amy said, “Hey, Tess. Thanks so much.”

“You’re welcome.”
Knowing Amy was with her girls, Tess was brief and to the point. She asked,
“Did you need me to place a stock order?  I know you do that on Mondays.”   

“If you could,
Tess, I don’t know how long this will be.  I just wanted you to know how much I
value your friendship, if I don’t make it back to Wildwood,” Amy didn’t know
how to tell Tess what was going on.  They might have been good friends, but Amy
didn’t share the secrets of her life, not even with best friends.

“Of course you’ll
make it back. Is this about Bertha’s sister dying?” Tess asked, “If Bertha
wants to sell out, maybe you can buy the place.”

Tess was way off
the mark, but Amy didn’t correct her. She said, “I think Bertha’s going to
sell, so we’re searching for a new place.  Tess, I think someone in Wildwood
means to harm me and the girls. If anyone asks, please tell them I’m on
vacation and don’t say where.”

Laughing Tess
teased, “You haven’t actually told me where you are.  It’s okay. Just have fun
and tell me about it when you get home.”

Amy had spun lie
after lie. She felt regret, remorse that Tess would never know the real story
behind Amy’s life.  Amy’s story to anyone in Wildwood Springs was that her
husband worked in sales in Seattle, and she left him. It had been an ugly
divorce, and she was keeping her distance. 

Poor Lawrence.  He
had been the best of husbands, and Amy felt terrible for vilifying him.  But in
the end, she had to protect her girls.

She was just
finishing up with Tess when she heard the screaming.

~~ Jade ~~

Jade yelled for
Claire to wait from the path, but then Mindy tugged on her hand and pointed to a
sea gull soaring above their heads.  Claire was way too stubborn for her own
good and never listened.  By the time they climbed the hill, Claire was out of
sight.  Jade scanned the beach, and felt a twinge of fear when she didn’t see
her sister anywhere. 

They might have
been followed by whoever it was that scared her Mom so badly. Jade held Mindy’s
hand tight, hoping Claire wasn’t pulling a stupid prank on them. In her loudest
voice, she yelled, “Claire!”

Raven was a few
steps behind. She said, “I’m sure Claire’s fine.  This is a big playground for
her.”

Thinking of Claire
in the ocean, Jade felt her fear grow to panic. “She’ll drown.” She looked
down, “Mindy, can you run?”

Together Jade and
Mindy ran down the slope to the beach. Every few seconds Jade called out for
Claire, getting increasingly angry and frightened when no one answered.

 Jade held Mindy’s
hand so tightly, Mindy said, “Jade, hurt.”

Jade looked down,
“I’m sorry, Cricket.  I’m scared. I don’t want you to run into the water.”

Mindy pointed to
the crashing waves.  Jade said, “That’s right. Just keep holding my hand. We
have to find Claire.”

Noticing the tall
rocks, Jade thought that maybe her sister was joking around and hiding behind
them.  At twelve, Claire could still be a brat sometimes.  There was a small
tidal stream flowing along the beach, small enough that she and Mindy could
jump over it. She leaned down to Mindy and pointed to the water, “Hey, want to
jump across the ocean?”

Mindy giggled,
“Yes.”

They had just made
the leap when Jade heard a strange slurping sound.  In a single glance, she
could see that the water had pulled back into a wall. While she watched the
wall released and a wall of water three times her height came crashing down on
top of them. 

Jade screamed and
felt Mindy’s hand being torn away. She took a gasp of air, and then she was in
a deluge, swept along the beach in a freak wave.  The water was over her head.
She tried to swim as she was tossed in the water.  It seemed to last forever. 
When the water finally receded, she was a mile down the beach, soaked and
covered in sand.  Her skin felt raw where she’d scraped against the rocks.

Spitting out salt
water, Jade finally caught her breath.  As she turned in a slow circle looking
for Mindy, she realized that she had lost her second sister.  “Mindy!” Her
voice rose hysterically.  She remembered the moment the water tore Mindy from
her grip.

Raven was running
down the beach.  Jade coughed and staggered toward her, “Have you seen Mindy? 
Where is she?”

Jade kept turning
in circles looking for her little sister.  Claire rose out of the water, fully
dressed. Claire’s gift was water. Seeing Claire’s smirk Jade screamed, “It was
you! You did this. Where is Mindy? Where?”

Claire looked
frightened. She ran to Jade, “I didn’t mean it. It was supposed to be a splash,
just to get you wet. She will be okay.”

In a fit of anger,
Jade pushed her sister so hard she fell to the ground, “Don’t talk to me ever
again.  If you hurt her, I will never forgive you.”

Raven reached out
to Air, using the gulls to scan the beach.  There was a lump in the wet sand
back a half mile. She started running.

Seeing Raven
sprinting into the receding water, Jade followed, feeling sick to her stomach. 
She loved Mindy, more than life itself. Raven was frantically digging.  It
wasn’t until Jade saw the bright yellow of Mindy’s sweatshirt that she actually
believed the lump in the sand could be her sister.