Typhon's Revenge

Chapter Eleven

Water

That had hurt more than I had expected. More than I had hoped for. In my mind, everything had played out nicely. Aileen would have heard my story, she would have been relieved and glad that I was opening up to her and telling her how I really felt and how things had gone wrong. What I didn't expect was the haunted look on her face as she stared at me with uncertainty in her eyes. That look had broken me. 

Because that's when I knew that whatever came next, I wasn't going to like it. 

Sighing I turned again in my bed and tried to keep my eyes shut for more than just a couple of seconds. Whatever happened after tonight, we would figure it out. Barbara said that Elementals usually found their soulmates and true love. So then, why did it feel as though I had lost mine?

Really, Andrew? This is what you decided to think about at-. I looked at the clock on my nightstand that read 2:45 am. I was tired, my body was throbbing with exhaustion, but my mind wouldn't turn itself off.

On the other bed in the room, Mason was snoring softly as he slept comfortably. He had walked into the room or rather tip-toed, a little bit past twelve. I pretended to be asleep because the last thing I wanted was to talk to anyone. And I knew Mason would try to start a small talk, just to clear the ice between us. 

Don't get me wrong, I thought the guy was funny and very noble, but that was just from what I had seen while he hung out with Aileen and Alex. I knew that maybe, someday, we could become very close friends, no matter that Aileen was his cousin. I didn't think he was the type of guy who picked sides. He hadn't so far and I was counting on that he didn't.

It was nice to have another guy around, don't get me wrong, I liked to spend time with Alex and Aileen and even Kalani was pretty cool too when she wasn't so guarded, but I also needed to talk to another guy about what I was feeling. Girls feel things differently than guys, maybe not in intensity, but yes in the way we perceive and feel things. Maybe he also had something to share and was waiting for me to make the first move. 

I still didn't know how he had met Aileen and Alex, much less how his relationship with Alex had bloomed. At first, I found it strange, because a part of me always thought that the next two Elementals would be a couple just like Aileen and me, but as I got to know more about Kalani and Mason, I knew they weren't the right fit for each other. But Alex and he were a whole different story. 

I sighed and shook my head as I turned to my side and closed my eyes tightly. I needed to get some sleep, if I knew Aileen, which I did, she would probably want to start training tomorrow and I'd have to keep up my strength.

... 

At some point in the night, I managed to fall asleep, but as soon as the alarm clock went off at 7 am, I couldn't help but groan and regret staying up late the night before. I tried to open my eyes but the bright light streaming into the room made me wince and shut them. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and tried again, this time, I was able to look around the room towards the window which was wide open. 

Creasing my eyebrows together, I wondered how that had happened since I remembered I made sure to close it the night before. But as I looked at Mason's neatly made bed, I knew he was the one responsible. I held back another groan as I reached for the alarm clock that was still ringing and I turned it off just as Mason walked into the room from the bathroom. 

The steam from the hot water in the shower seeped out around him and he smiled kindly at me when he saw that I was awake. "Good morning, Andrew. Sorry about the alarm so early, Aileen wanted us to join her for breakfast at 7:30 so that we could talk about what we were going to do now that we were here," Mason said with a sly smile and I nodded my head. 

Of course she did, I thought as I rolled my eyes internally. 

"Gosh, it's very bright in here. I think that artificial sun lights up more than the real thing," Mason said as he turned to face the window while squinting his eyes. 

I nodded my head in agreement and smirked. "Let me take a shower and then I'll join you guys in the cafeteria," I said as I got to my feet and headed towards my backpack to grab some clean clothes. 

I could feel Mason watching me closely as if he was mustering some courage to speak, and when I turned to look at him, he quickly turned away and cleared his throat. "You remember where the cafeteria is?" He asked slowly.

Pondering, I shrugged and turned to him, "I think so. And if I don't and I get lost, I can always ask someone for directions. I don't think this place is as empty as we think."

Mason nodded his head and pursed his lips together thoughtfully. He didn't say anything else as he made his way to the door and stopped as his hand connected with the doorknob. "Just so you know, there's a closet filled with all sorts of clothes in front of the bathroom. I don't know if you saw it last night, but I don't think you did because you're still searching in your bag for clean clothes." He smiled softly as he looked at me with his piercing green stare.

Chuckling, I nodded my head, "thanks. I'll see you later," I said as I stopped looking in my bag and turned towards the closet Mason mentioned. 

"See ya," was all he said before closing the door behind him. 

When I walked in, my eyes widened when I saw all the clothes in the small room. It was much more than I had ever owned and there were so many things I couldn't recall ever wearing. I scanned the whole room in shock and a bit uncomfortable as I thought about what I could wear. There was so much to chose from but I wasn't sure I would feel comfortable in something other than a dark t-shirt and jeans.

I tried to recall what Mason was wearing before he left and an image of him with dark jeans and a plain, green, t-shirt came to my mind. Sighing, I relaxed slightly and headed over to where the jeans were neatly organized and a pair from the hanger. I was skeptical as to if they would fit and I put them to my waist to examine them visually. When I was more confident they were around my size, I grabbed a blue, button-up, casual shirt and did the same before walking out of the closet. 

I grabbed one of the last pairs of clean underwear that I had and headed for the bathroom. It was still slightly humid, but I didn't mind, I wasn't very picky. So I turned on the shower and got in before waiting for the water to warm up. Being a foster kid, sometimes I had had to shower with cold water, so it wasn't anything new to me. I actually enjoyed it, especially in the summer when it was 30 degrees celsius out. 

A couple of minutes later, I stepped out of the shower and dried myself before getting dressed and ready to go. By the time I walked out of the bathroom, it was 7:25 at the dot. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my blade and placed it in my pocket before walking out of the room. 

The hallway was empty and a profound silence filled my surroundings. I could almost hear my heart thumping in my chest. I walked down the steps towards the main hallway and found myself standing in between the crossways. I remembered walking through here the night before, but somehow, it looked slightly different in the light than it did at night. 

I pursed my lips together and then walked forward. I wasn't sure if that had been the right choice but I kept on walking until I got to a place I was sure I had never seen before. Gulping, I looked around and was about to turn towards the way I had come through when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. 

I turned and sighed when I saw one of the workers standing before me. It was Noah. He stood expressionless with his hand behind his back as he eyed me closely. 

"Good day, Andrew," he said politely, but there was something behind his voice that I couldn't place.

Shrugging the feeling away, I nodded my head towards him. "Good morning, Noah. I think I got lost. I was just on my way to head back to where I came from and take the right turn. This place sure is different in the day," I said with a sly smile. 

Noah's expression didn't change as he watched me and nodded his head. "It sure is. Now, may I escort you to the cafeteria?" He said slightly hostile and I nodded my head.

The two of us walked in silence in the right direction towards the cafeteria. As we walked, I recognized the way and I was sure I wasn't going to get lost again. 

Noah didn't try to make a conversation and neither did I after how he had responded back where he found me. 

When we reached the dining room, the doors were closed and Noah opened the door for us. He walked in after me and I could see the others sitting at the table, waiting for their meals. "Hey guys, look how I found out there," Noah said with a bright smile.

I creased my eyebrows together as I watched him approach the group. He seemed like a totally different person now that we were here and I couldn't help but wonder if he didn't like me. 

I took the empty seat in between Aileen and Kalani. They still preferred to keep their distance, and that's how I knew Kalani had kept her word when she said she wouldn't talk to Aileen until I did. 

"Hey," she said kindly as I sat down.

I smiled and sighed, "morning, Kalani." 

On my other side, Aileen was watching us but she didn't say anything as she pursed her lips together and quickly shook the uncomfortable look on her face to put on a smile. "Morning, Andrew. I ordered scrambled eggs with ham and bacon for you. I remembered how much you liked to eat that back in the manor," Aileen whispered and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. She cared about me. She still did, and as long as I knew that, I wouldn't give up.

"Thank you," I said with a smile and she nodded her head and turned away to face Mason and Alex who were giggling on the other side of the table. 

Noah had decided to join us for breakfast but he didn't order anything to eat. He said that beings like him didn't have to. So he told us stories about his time on Earth when he had been alive. Everyone stared at him with intrigue and in awe while I kept my thoughts to myself. 

Since this morning, I had gotten a very bad feeling about him. There was something about him that I couldn't place. Something that was out of place and... dark. And the way he looked at Aileen, only fueled my discomfort even more. I didn't know what it was that made me feel uneasy around him, but I was going to find out.