Chapter fifteen

[Blake’s POV]

“Helena!” I shouted as panic coursed through my body. At the sound of my shouts the shadow quickly turned to face me. His face was nothing but blackness and yet I could feel the piercing gaze that was shot my way. “Get away from her!”

I brought my clenched fists up to my face before throwing them down and spreading my fingers wide. Icy blue flames lit up my palms and cold icicles spread up my arms. Before he could blink, or I suppose before I could blink, I threw my hand forward like I was throwing a baseball and a swirling mass of fire and ice flew towards the shadow.

My cold flames flew straight through the centre of his torso and continued flying, almost as though my flames did nothing and didn’t affect him at all. Disbelief stunned me momentarily, until he turned back to Helena. I snapped out of my reverie and crouched to the ground splaying my fingers across the ground.

The flames from my hands and arms spread across the ground sending icicles over every blade of grass and rock turning them all to ice and continued under the shadow. Just before it reached Helena I took my hands off the ground and lifted my hands up with my palms facing the blackened sky. The blue flames immediately stopped surging forward and grew upwards. It was like fire growing higher and higher, almost like it was feeding on invisible gasoline and as it grew the flames turned to ice creating an ice wall to protect Helena.

Though, I wasn’t sure if it would protect her at all.

The shadow turned to me again, his entire body facing me, and I heard an airy growl from his direction. How he could make any sort of sound was beyond me but it sent chills up my spine. “I said, GET AWAY FROM HER!” I shouted loudly, my voice echoing through the silence.

The shadow came running, or flying, towards me and I threw ice fire ball after ice fire ball with none of them leaving any damage to the shadow as it completely passed through it. My heel caught on a deep crack on the pathway and I fell backwards landing on my backside with an ‘oomph!’ I was panicking and the closer it flew towards me the more I realised my abilities couldn’t save me or Helena.

“Hey!” I heard another deep familiar voice call out from behind me.

The shadow stopped and an animalistic shriek came from him as a swirling red fireball came hurtling from somewhere behind me and shot right at its faceless face. The force of the fireball threw it back a little and where the flames hit it, it left a gaping hole and the fire seemed to burn at the shadow like acid on skin. The hole grew larger and larger and before I could see any more the shadow turned and flew into the shadows of the forest.

“Frosty, what the hell is going on!?” I swivelled my head and saw that Derrek stood behind me still holding his red flames and facing the forest as though waiting for the shadow to come back.

“I don’t know... I was sitting at the lake when I heard Helena scream and-... Crap! Helena!” I scrambled up and ran to a still unconscious Helena. As I reached the ice wall I placed my hand on it and it instantly melted away.

I held my fingers to her pulse in her throat and sighed in relief when I found a strong pulse and her breathing was fine. “She’s fine... she’s just knocked out”

Derrek jogged over to us, still keeping an eye out though the flames were gone for now. “Well, pick her up. Let’s get out of here before that thing comes back” He ordered. Usually I would’ve made some comment towards him for ordering me around like I was something beneath him but I was already going to pick her up, and for all I knew... I owed him my life.

I slipped one of my arms under her neck and the other under her knees before standing back up and shuffling her a little bit to make sure she was a little more comfortable. I looked up at Derrek to see him staring at me with an eyebrow arched.

“What?” I asked defensively.

He eyed me, then Helena and then back to eyeing me again before shaking his head, “Nothing” He nodded his head for me to walk ahead, “I’ll just make sure that shadow thing doesn’t try to get you with your back turned... but we’re not friends”

“Good” I nodded once and set off towards the campus with my eyes darting to every shadow. That shadow had left me feeling so paranoid I nearly jumped when the shadow of a tree swaying in the wind. I heard Derrek chuckle lightly behind me and I chose to ignore him.

I could hear Helena’s calm breathing and feel the light rise and fall of her chest as I cradled her against mine. She was light to carry and I barely broke a sweat by the time we reached the elevator. I kicked my foot out and hit the ‘up’ button. Derrek stood silently beside me and once the metal doors opened up, we stepped inside and he pressed our floor.

My mind wondered over to the shadow again. What did it want? What was it? What was it going to do with Helena? The cogs in my brain seemed to need some greasing because I was completely lost and had no idea what to make of anything that had happened. It was one thing for it to follow and watch us, but it was completely another thing for it to attack us.

The mellow music playing from the speakers in the elevator was the dead opposite of how I was feeling and if I had my hands free I’d freeze the stupid speakers. So I contented myself by glaring at them.

“You know... I am not going to be the one to tell Tadpole. I’ll be there when you tell her... but that’s more for my benefit than yours” Derrek commented with a slight smirk playing on his lips.

“What do you mean?” I asked furrowing my eyebrows. The doors dinged open and we stepped out. Our footsteps were the only sound in the empty corridor and Derrek only shrugged happily as he walked ahead to knock on Val and Helena’s door.

He lightly knocked on her door, but after ten seconds of no reply he knocked harder, then began banging on it like there wasn’t an entire floor of people sleeping. “I’m coming! I’m coming! Geez, just wait!” Val’s angry cursing was muffled through the wooden door.

He turned to face me then grinned... somewhat evilly, “Got her all riled up just so you can tell her what happened while Helena was in your company” he winked.

Bastard.

[Val’s POV]

Loud banging against my door woke me up from my sleep and I looked over at Helena’s bed to see if it woke her up as well, but she wasn’t back yet. I momentarily wondered how long she’d been walking for but the continuous banging wouldn’t allow me to think properly.

“I’m coming! I’m coming! Geez, just wait!” I shouted at whoever seemed to have it out for my door.

I threw the sheets back and stomped over to the door not caring that my clothes were tangled around me and my was a complete mess, yanking it open to come face to face with Blake and Derrek. “What the hell is wrong with you?! Why are you-“ my words were cut off when I realised Blake was carrying an unconscious Helena in his arms, “What the hell happened?!” I basically screamed at Blake.

Blake seemed as still as a statue, his eyes wide, and I was guessing it was because of my screaming. I took a deep breath and stood aside waving for them to come in. “Hey Tadpole” Derrek greeted me airily, kissing my temple and I immediately knew he was the one banging against my door, seeing as Blake had his hands full.

I narrowed my eyes at him before turning to Blake, “Lay her on her bed” I instructed him and I pulled her bed sheets down for him to lay her across her bed. I turned to walk into the lounge when I saw him tuck her in from the corner of my eye.

Blake joined Derrek and I in the lounge and I crossed my arms staring at the both of them, “Well, you better get explaining before I actually get angry”

***

“Your reaction was not half as funny as I expected it to be... “ Derrek moped.

“And what did you expect me to do? Claw his eyes out? He could’ve saved her Sparky” I snapped at him, “Stop making me seem like a monster”

He winked and walked over to my pantry when Blake spoke up. “I couldn’t have saved her life Val. Firstly, we don’t know what a shadow could do. He flits through everything and seems almost transparent but he wasn’t scared to get close to Helena or me... which makes me think that he could do something. And secondly... my ability has no effect on it. It passes right through it!”

I stared at Blake and felt sorry for him. I could sense that he was feeling a little less than manly at the moment and hurt that his elemental abilities couldn’t stop the shadow... only distract it. “You did save her. Even if you ended up distracting the shadow you stopped it from doing whatever it would’ve done. So, thank you”

“Hey! I saved both of them then!” Derrek scoffed, his head popping out from the pantry.

“Maybe Sparky, but you also nearly knocked my door of its hinges” Instead of looking guilty or regretful Derrek chuckled and closed the pantry doors, unsatisfied with what was inside.

Derrek walked over and already had his seriously face on, “I’m not sure if we should tell Mr Obsidian about this” he commented out of the blue.

“What, why? Mr Obsidian should be the first person we tell! He’s the dean Sparky... he needs to know about what’s happening on his grounds” I argued but he was shaking his head already.

“Tadpole, think about it. He was in a meeting with The Control. It was more important for him to meet with them about the Elementals than to follow up on Malum. Malum! The guy who freaking wants to kill off the freaking Abled! What if he finds out that the Elementals’ abilities aren’t strong enough to defend themselves against certain things or could end up being potentially dangerous? He might end up agreeing with The Control”

I thought about what he was saying while Blake sighed heavily and walked over to the balcony doors to look outside. “Sparky, that makes no sense. Blake is basically Water-abled but can only freeze things instead of manipulating water as well. If he couldn’t affect the shadow then neither would I. I’m sure Helena wouldn’t have been able to do anything, as well as a Healer” I reasoned with him.

“Maybe, but you’re not under discrimination... are you?” he stared at me. His golden eyes swirled with seriousness but I had to prove my point. I reached out and cupped his jaw bringing it closer to me so that he could see how serious I was about informing the dean.

“Sparky. Whether or not the Elementals are under discrimination Mr Obsidian needs to know. This shadow is becoming more and more brave with its encounters and he needs to know about it. I don’t care if you still disagree with me because if you don’t tell him, then I will”

His jaws clenched and finally he sighed, “God, you’re an annoying woman. Fine, I’ll go with you first thing tomorrow morning”

“Thanks Sparky” I grinned.

He rolled his eyes and gave me a tight side hug. “Hey Frosty, let my girl sleep already” he called out before sending me a wink and walking over to the door.

Blake followed after him and just as he was about to close the door he turned to me with an unsure expression colouring his face, “Uh... let me-uh us know how she is tomorrow okay?”

I grinned and nodded, “Sure thing. First thing before we see Mr Obsidian I’ll let you-uh, I mean both of you know how she is”

He nodded once and shut the door. I chuckled and shook my head before turning to check on Helena. Her breathing was deep and rhythmic and I checked her over for anything that needed Healer attention.

She had a few grazes over her hands and a nasty looking bump on her forehead as well as grazes over her cheekbone but otherwise she was fine. I’d have to ask her if anything else hurt but from what I could see her clothes took the worst of the damage.

“I wonder what the shadow wanted... or if it was really after you?” I spoke softly to Helena’s form. “I guess only time will tell” I smoothed out her blankets before hopping back into my bed and snuggling under my sheets.

I just hoped that we didn’t have to find out the answer to that question.

***

A/N

I have internet, yay!!!

Well sort of. It keeps going haywire but at least it’s working a bit. So ,a little update with whether on my side of the world. The tornadoes and cyclone has passed but now it’s like deathly heat and humidity! Mother Nature needs to give Australia a break -_-“

Nix <3