Elements: The Gifted
Chapter 20: Betrayal

Of all the people I grownto know – Ms. Hardwick was the last person I ever suspected to be the onetrying to kill me. And yet, here she was, conversing with none other thanAzazel Torchwood. Why would she do this? What made her go to such extremes toalley herself with Alex’s father? Did he have something on her, giving her nochose but to follow him? Or, was she by his side willingly? I’m hopingdesperately that it’s the former.

“It’s a pity,” I heard Azazel say. “That you have not yetput an end to my suffering. How long will it take for you to act and kill thegirl? The time for games must soon end.”

“I need more time,” she said earnestly. “You mustunderstand. The Headmaster is always watching. I feel he suspects that I am theone behind everything that has taken place here at the academy.”

Which you are, Ithought bitterly.

“I don’t care if he suspects you are not. Kill the girland be done with it.”

“But master,” Ms. Hardwick said. “What is it about Spencer that troubles you?She is nothing but a nuisance. Someone raised in the Powerless world. Does thishave something to do with Ashton?”

“It has nothing todo with him!” Azazel roared. Ms. Hardwick flinched, her eyes widening infear. “The girl is more important than you think. And in a few years she willrealize that. I shouldn’t have to explain this to you. I want the girl dead!” I shrank at his loud voice. I can understandwhy some people replace him intimidating. “Do I make myself clear, Hardwick?”

“Yes master.” She said. “It shall be done.”

“Good,” he seethed. “Now get on with it.” I gasped asdarkness wrapped around him, Azazel no longer visible, and watched, transfixedas the darkness flew out of the open window, leaving Ms. Hardwick alone in theWeapons room.

I have to get out of here. I need to tell the Headmasterwhat I’d just seen. I turned around, but found myself face-to-face with Ms.Hardwick.

She smiled wickedly. “Hello Ms. Mason.”

I gaped. “But you were—I saw you—” It was then that Irealized something. Wasn’t her unique ability teleporting? “It really was youthat entered my bathroom that one day, wasn’t it? I didn’t want to believe it,but it was you. It was always you.”

“That’s correct my darling. Of course, I have orders thatI must fulfill.” My eyes widened as she pulled a long, gleaming dagger from itssheath, pointing it directly at my throat. It looked like the same dagger thatMorgan had been lusting after that one day in Hallowville. Coincidence, or wasit irony? “I’m afraid you have to die.”

“SorryMs. Hardwick,” I said, boldly. “Not today.” I summoned my power, and releasedit, setting Ms. Hardwick’s feet on fire. She yelped, and tried to keep the firefrom spreading by stomping her feet. That gave me a little time, and as Irushed into the weapons room, I desperately started looking for an extra pairof Sais. Who would have thought that I would need them in this moment? It’s aweapons room. I suppose any weapon would do, but I was more experienced withthe Sais. There has to be an extra pair around here somewhere. Running around,it kind reminded me of that day when Ms. Peril had given us an hour to replace ourchosen weapon. I wish that I could replacemy chosen weapon, the Sais, before Ms. Hardwick catches me. Why did I everthink that my weapon was lame? Suddenly it seemed consequential to me. When myeyes spotted a pair of Sais, I felt like crying as I picked them up. Testingthem out, I flipped one up in the air, and caught it easily. Yep. This shoulddo it.

Just then, Ms. Hardwick came barreling into the room, hereyes completely filled with blood lust as she eyed me from across the room. Inoticed idly that her shoes looked blacken in places.

“You bitch,” Ms.Hardwick hissed. I couldn’t help but feel my heart sink at her harsh words. “You’regoing to pay for what you did.”

“No, you’re going to pay for what you did! All this time you’ve been trying to kill me. And for what?Because Azazel told you too. Why are you even following him?” Best keep herbusy by talking. Every book that I’ve read and every TV show or movie I’vewatched – the main character would always keep the bad guy talking – to stallthem. And now it was my turn. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to hear her side ofthe story.

“I follow him because my master has given me so much. Andall he asks in return is to see your dead body lying before him, with my handsdripping with your blood. Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

“You’re crazy.” I exclaimed. “But I have anotherquestion. Why blame it all on Alex? Didn’t Azazel care that his son got mixedup in all of this?” Sadly of course, I knew the answer.

Ms. Hardwick laughed. “Please. As if my master would careabout that brat! He’s sees his son as nothing more than an annoying littlepest. One that he hopes he can squash soon.”

“Does he really not care?” I asked. My heart went out toAlex. I can’t imagine what that must feel like; knowing that you’re fatherhates you. “Is there really no human part of him left?”

“Of course not,” she spat. “He’s not the same Azazeleveryone once knew. That Azazel is gone forever. There is no humanity left inhim. He could care less if his son lived or died.”

“Why did you kill the candy lady?” The question hadpopped out of my mouth before I could stop it. But it really was a good question.Why kill the candy lady?

“It was Azazel’s orders. She was the only one in townthat kept her shop opened late at night. It was just easier. He wanted thepeople of Hallowville to know that he is still out there – to fear of hisreturn. It was also a warning – mostly directed at you. You don’t seem veryfrightened of him, but you should be. Oh, you should be.”

Her words made me shiver. I didn’t want to come out andadmit that I was afraid of him. If I did that, I was just giving Azazel morepower. He would use my fear as a way to kill me and it would.

“And why did you save me from the fire serum? That stuffcould have killed me and you would have fulfilled Azazel’s demands.”

“I didn’t want it to be that easy. Not to mention,Headmaster Death was already suspicious of me. I didn’t want to give him anymore reasons to suspect me.”

“So why did you do it? I mean, that fire serum probablymade him suspect you even more.”

“Ah,” she said. “You are a clever girl. I can understandwhy Azazel wants you dead. You’re awfully annoying. The reason I gave you thatfire serum was because I wanted to give you the antidote. If Death thoughtAbigail did it, then maybe he wouldn’t assume it was me.”

What she didn’t realize was that Death never really fellfor her lousy scheme. “It sounds kind of sloppy,” Ms. Hardwick frowned. “Buthow did you get the serum in my cup without giving it to the others? Itcouldn’t have been in the punch. Otherwise everyone would have had the serum intheir body.”

“The serum was already in your cup before Abigail pouredthe juice.” I was taken aback by her answer. She chuckled at my reaction. “Lastthing you ever expected, huh.”

“But when I looked in my cup there was nothing there.”I’m almost positive.

“Well, that’s the amazing thing about fire serum. Thereoften hard to see. It’s a clear liquid. That’s why it’s so unnoticed by demons.It also has no smell, which makes it a very effective weapon. Don’t you thinkit would have the same effect on a Reaper?”

So her sniffing the cup had to have been act. Who am Ikidding? She’s been acting from the moment I met her.

“I still don’t understand why you want to follow someonelike Azazel. If he cares less about his son, how do you think he feels aboutyou?”

My words must have hit home because her face darkened atmy words.

“Enough talking,” Ms. Hardwick growled. “I want to seethe life leave your eyes when I kill you.”

She charged at me then, her dagger aimed right at myheart. I blocked her with my Sais, and with all my energy, shoved her away fromme. It sent her flying through the air, but she managed to do a back flip andlanded lightly on her feet. The smile that appeared on her face was dark, andsinister. It made me shudder. She ran at me again. Our weapons seemed toclatter against each other as we fought. I didn’t have much experience in this field.I was wasn’t very at fighting, but I always managed to block her attacks.Especially those aimed at my heart.

“Not bad,” she breathed our faces only a few inchesapart. “But you still need a little work.” She kicked me roughly in thestomach, causing me to stagger back, while also doing a round kick that causedme to lose my grip on my weapon. I gasped as my Sais skittered across thehardwood floor. I looked back and forth between Ms. Hardwick, and the smallspace that was between us. If I tried to retrieve my Sais, she will stab me inthe back for sure. After all, that’s just the kind of person she is. Ms. Hardwickdid a somersault, and then kicked me onto the nearest table. Ironically, thiswas the table I usually sat at in class. My eyes followed Ms. Hardwick as shewalked around the table, looking like a predatory about to devour its prey. I feltmy body stiffen. What is she going to do? I got my answer as soon as I thoughtof the question. Ms. Hardwick, her hands wrapped around the dagger’s hilt, hithome as she stabbed me in the shoulder, pinning me to the table. My screamsseemed to resonate in the infinite space around us. Hopefully someone heard me.I felt tears running down my face, my breathing coming out in gasps as I triedto pull the dagger out. But it was no use – it was embedded in the table, alongwith my flesh.

Ms. Hardwick circled around me, a terrible smile formingon her lips. Her eyes seemed to gaze across the room, where my Sais lay. “Youknow what I just realized. What better way to kill a Reaper—” She crossed theroom in a rapid pace, and picked up my Sais, a look of pleasure on her face. “Thento kill one with their own weapon.”

I was in completepanic mode as I tried to desperately pull out Ms. Hardwick’s weapon that wasstill buried in my shoulder. I would look back at her occasionally, just to seehow close she was getting. I suddenly felt like a victim from a horror movie.To my humiliation, I started screaming and crying, trying to free myself so Icould escape, but it was no use. I was done for.

Ms. Hardwick gazed down at me, her face bereft of anyemotion. This was the face of a true psycho. She lifted one of my Sais in theair, aiming it directly at my heart.

“Goodbye,”she said. I closed my eyes, getting ready for my ultimate death, when I heardthe door crash open. Ms. Hardwick and I both looked in the direction of the doorand saw Jordan and Alex, side-by-side, both of them wielding their weapons. Icouldn’t help but smile. If I do die in this moment, at least I get to see mytwo favorite boys, one last time.

“Drop the weapon.” Alex demanded. He had his pistolsaimed directly at Ms. Hardwick.

“You’re too late,” Ms. Hardwick said. “Spencer’s going todie, and there is nothing either of you can do about it.” With that said, sheturned her attention back to me, one of the Sais still in her hand, as shedrove it down, about to pierce my heart, when I heard a loud pow pow pow fill the room with it’sharsh, loud noise. I blanched at the sight before me. There were three bulletwounds in Ms. Hardwick’s chest, blood seeping through her blouse as she lookeddown at me. She opened her mouth as if trying to say something, beforecollapsing to the ground with a loud thump.I sighed in relieve, for once ignoring the pain in my lungs.The nightmare was over. Ms. Hardwickwas dead. I felt someone by my side, a familiar presence I would have knownanywhere. I rolled my head to the side to see Jordan leaning over me. He hadtears in his eyes as he gazed down at me with love – a love that only twopeople with a bond can share. I lifted my hand weakly to wipe the tears fromhis face before my vision blackened, dragging me into the darkness.

When I awoke I was in theinfirmary again, with its white walls, and sheets wrapped around me. I feltsomeone touch my forehead, a familiar touch that made me smile. I turned myhead to see Jordan sitting on my right, a look of relieve on his face as hegazed down at me.

“I’m so glad you’re awake. I thought you were a goner.Everyone’s been worried about you.”

“I’m fine,” I said. I felt groggy, and a bit disoriented,but that’s how I usually felt when I woke up. “How long have I been asleepanyway? And what happened after I blacked out?”

“You’ve been out for two days.” He answered grimly.“After you blacked out, the Headmaster and a couple other teachers showed upalong with him, including the mayor.”

“The mayor?” What was the mayor doing there? Then I wonderedif the reason was because he found out that one of the students (that studentbeing Alex) set his own daughter on fire. That would certainly cause me to cometo the school. “Never mind. I think I have an idea. But give me some details. Ineed to know what happened. Was Alex expelled? What did they do with Ms.Hardwick’s body? Has there been any sightings of Aza—him.”

“Well, to answer your first question: no. They just lethim off with a warning, and the next time he sets someone on fire he’s out ofhere. Of course, like Morgan, I thought she deserved it.”

“So you were watching.” I don’t know why that made mesmile. Like him, I hate it when he gets in my head. “If it weren’t for you andAlex I would be dead.”

“When I saw you spying on Ms. Hardwick talking to him, I knew you were going to get intosome trouble. It also made me realize that I had been blaming the wrong personthis whole time. After I helped Alex escape from the Headmaster’s office, Itold him that you needed our help. The guy didn’t hesitate. Once I said Spencer and the word trouble in the same sentence, he wasready to go. Of course, when he shot Ms. Hardwick, he felt really guilty aboutit. It’s been eating him up for the past two days.”

“I would be worried if it didn’t,” I said. Jordan lookedstartled by my words. “He took a life. That’s not something a person can justget over. That’s probably going to haunt him for the rest of his life.”

“But you’re grateful that he saved you.”

“Yes. I always will be. I’ll also be grateful that youhad been in my head at that time. I promise I won’t ever complain if you weaselyour way into my head again.”

“Yeah, right,” he scoffed.

“So what happened to Ms. Hardwick’s body?” I asked. “Didthey bury her?”

“That’s the thing,” Jordan said. “Nobody was really thatconcerned about her. After all, she tried to kill you. Everyone was moreworried about you. After they had yousettled in the infirmary they went back to get her body, but when they arrivedit was gone.”

“It just disappeared?”

“Like she just got up and left, which isn’t possible.Alex and I checked her pulse. She was dead. Though Alex thinks it had somethingto do with his father.”

“He could have retrieved the body.” This seemed unlikelyto me. “But I don’t know why he would. Azazel didn’t care about her.”

“Maybe he had a bigger plan for her – one that involvedher dead. I’ve heard stories about how hewill use his servant’s dead bodies for certain purposes. But I’m not reallysure what they are.”

“And there have been no sightings of him.” It wasn’t aquestion.

“Nope. The last people that saw him were you and Ms.Hardwick. Nobody from around town has seen him either.”

I wonder what that meant. Was he gone for good? Was henever coming back? Could we all go back to living in a peaceful, loving town?As much as I wanted to believe that was possible, I didn’t think that was goingto happen any time soon.

The girl is moreimportant than you think. And in a few years she will realize that. I shouldn’thave to explain this to you.

He wants me dead, for some unfathomable reason, but Iwonder if it’s because he truly believes I might be the chosen one. I shudderedat the thought. If that’s the case then we probably haven’t seen the last ofhim.

“You know,” Jordan said, interrupting my reverie. “Ifound out something pretty interesting when you were out. Something my uncletold me.”

Oh, crap. “Oh.”

“Yep. Something you already knew but didn’t tell me.”

“And what is that?”

“You’re my cousin,” Jordan said, his face incandescent ashe gave me the most happiest smile I’d ever seen cross his beautiful features.“My long, lost cousin that I didn’t even know I had. Hell, I didn’t even know Ihad another uncle. This is so bizarre.”

“I know,” I said, in astonishment. “Who would havethought that the people that I first met from this world would be my cousins?”Could it have been a coincidence?

“And my uncle was best friends with him! Of all the people in the world your dad had to befriend themanic.”

“I guess that means our family is cursed.”

“I guess so,” Jordan laughed. “It makes sense since myfamily is full of cranky people. My grandpa, my dad, and now my twin brother.Maybe I shouldn’t have kids.”

I laughed too.“Maybe.” God, this felt wonderful. Just me and Jordan, being silly as usual.

That’s until Jordan ruined it.

He bit his lip nervously. “There’s something I need totell you, and you’re probably not going to like it.”

I didn’t like the guilty edge to his voice. “What?” Iasked, suspiciously.

He took a deep unsteadying breath before answering, “I’mthe reason Alex stopped talking to you after you got out of the infirmary.” Igasped at his words. Jordan looked away then, shame written all over his face.“You see, I thought he was bad for you and I didn’t want to see you get hurt byhim. So I threatened him, saying that if he didn’t leave you alone then I wouldreplace some way where he couldn’t even see you anymore. And I would have. To behonest, it didn’t take a lot of convincing. I think he had already decided toleave you alone anyways, even after I came to talk to him. He looked upset, anddidn’t even fight back when I yelled at him.

“But when I looked through your eyes that night at theValentine Ball, and saw how he looked at you, well, I realized I made amistake. And I promise, from today on, I will never get between you and Alex again. I’m sorry.”

I should have been mad at him for what he did. After all,I went to bed crying over that boy every night after that horrible day in theinfirmary, when Alex told me he couldn’t see me anymore. I should be furiouswith Jordan, but for some reason, as I looked into Jordan’s eyes, I could seethat he was already beating himself up about it. So there was no need.

“I forgive you,” I said. “I mean, I understand why youdid it.” My mind instantly thought of Alicia, and how she had treated Jordan sohorribly. “Have you…have you heard anything from Alicia?” I didn’t know if thiswas a safe topic or not, but I was curious.

“I don’t know. She wrote me a note, saying that sheregretted what she did, but that was it.” Hm. I guess Alicia felt so guilty forwhat she’d done that she couldn’t even bring herself to ask Jordan for a secondchance. For some reason I felt relieved.

“Well, like mom always says, ‘you gotta kiss a lot offrogs before you replace you’re prince charming.’”

“And how does that apply to me,” I giggled at Jordan and his confounded expression. It wasfunny. “Last time I checked I liked girlsnot boys. I want my princess damnit!”

“And you’ll replace her. It’s just going to take some time.”

“I really don’t want to go around kissing a lot of femalefrogs just to replace her. That would make me a mouth man-whore.”

“You know that’s just a saying, right? It doesn’t alwaysapply to everyone.”

“Yes, I know. It’s just so exhausting thinking that I mayhave to go through a bunch of girls just to replace the one!”

“Are you sure you’re a guy?” I teased. “Because you suredo sound awfully like a girl.”

“My dad was always under the impression that I had a famineside. Then again, I do have a lot of mom’s qualities that scares him.”

“Don’t we all?”

Jordan was about to reply, probably about to saysomething sarcastic when someone pulled the white curtain aside, revealing themost handsome boy I had ever seen.

“Well, look who it is Spencer. It’s your boyfriend.” I smacked his arm, which hedidn’t seem to notice. He was laughing at my face, which had turned a bright ared. He got to his feet. “I’ll talk to you later, okay. I’m going to let youspend some time with your boyfriend.”

“Will you stop saying it like that?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He said, before closing the curtainsroughly, leaving me alone with Alex. He had a playful smile on his face.

“So I’m your boyfriend, huh.”

“I guess you are,” I said timidly. To be honest, I don’tknow where our relationship lies. It’s kind confusing at this point. I scootedover in my bed to make some room for him. This was a good start. “Why don’t youlie with me? I’m cold anyways.” Which was true. The blankets they had given mewere too thin to keep away the cold.

Alexdidn’t hesitate. He stepped out of his shoes and laid next to me, his armwrapped gently around my waist. I winced as I tried to turn on my side to facehim. My shoulder still ached whenever I moved it the wrong way, but I knew thatI had no right to complain. At least I was alive. And it was because of thisboy next to me. I snuggled into his chest, breathing in his delicious scent. Isthis what it felt like to be in love? This warm, happy feeling coursing throughmy body as he held me?

“So you doing okay?” he finally asked, after severalminutes of comfortable silence.

“Yeah,” I answered. “I mean, I hurt when I move a little,but it could be worse. I could be dead right now.”

“I’m just so glad we got to you before it was too late.I’ll admit I found it odd when Grey helped me break out of the Headmastersoffice. I thought I was losing my mind, or something.”

“They didn’t give you too much trouble when you killedMs. Hardwick, did they?”

“No. Although I can’t help but feel guilty. It makes mefeel like my father – a cold blooded killer.” And this is what made himdifferent from his father. He didn’t want to kill Ms. Hardwick. I could see theregret in his blue eyes. “But I would have done it again if it meant keepingyou alive.”

His words me made my heart quicken. I caressed his cheekwith tenderness before he leaned towards me, brushing his lips gently againstmine.

“You want to hear a secret?” he murmuredagainst my lips.

“What?” I asked. I was trying to fight a smile as hislips moved against mine.

“Promise you’ll keep it?”

“I promise.”

I felt his lips move to my check before they were at myear, his breath warm against my skin as he whispered three small words – wordsthat I’ve been dying to hear from him for a while. “I love you.”