Julia Lelieveld and the battle with the underworld
~3~

In the car I felt the tension between Renzo and me growing. Our upper arms and legs touched, but I didn’t dare take his hand in front of Rob.

As we turned into my street, I felt a wave of emotions wash over me. I can’t believe what happened today. As if Renzo knew he gave me a little squeeze in my hand. I smiled at him gratefully. Relieved that my father’s car wasn’t in the driveway yet, we got out of the car.

“I’ll pick you up at half past seven in the morning.” We said goodbye and Rob drove off.

We entered the kitchen through the garage. Once the door was closed I threw my bag on the floor and hugged Renzo. As if this was the last time it could be. He returned my embrace with passion. Somehow I knew my body was protesting, but I didn’t feel the pain. The only important things right now were Renzo and me.

I lifted my head from his chest, to which he reacted and looked at me intensely. His eyes are as dark as night again. I stood on tiptoe and brought my lips to him. The indescribable feeling took possession of my body again. My whole body got warm inside. I held him closer to me and he held my face gently but firmly with his hands.

Because Renzo had chosen to protect me and turn his back on his own lifestyle, this was so special. I remembered how unbearable it was when Lucas kissed me. How my head seemed to explode. But the feeling Renzo gave me was indescribable. I thoroughly enjoyed this moment. Hoping many more would follow.

Suddenly I felt Renzo stiffen something. As if my instincts caught on, I abruptly cut off the kiss and looked at him. He had his eyes closed, as if trying to get back into reality.

A feeling gnawed at the back of my head, I didn’t know what this feeling meant. Every time I felt something new, which I think was due to the fifth element. And now my instincts indicated that something was up.

Renzo looked at me and he saw that I knew something was wrong.

“It’s Lucas, he knows we’re here.”

“Can you feel him?”

He nodded. “All e-warriors can feel each other, but because Lucas is related, we know when we are near each other. And now I feel his presence.”

I clenched my jaws. I felt such hatred growing in me that I was shocked by my own reaction. I’d rather go outside and punish him, or worse, take him out.

“Calm down, he won’t come in. He keeps his distance. I think he takes his assignment very seriously.”

“He has been severely punished by the leader of Evil, I think he is afraid of being tortured again.”

Renzo nodded in agreement.

“What now?” He looked at me questioningly.

I looked at the clock in the kitchen, it was almost six o’clock. I had another baking dish in the fridge because I knew I would be late. Not because of what had happened, but because I had to see Hannah.

“First something to eat and then go to sleep, we could both use that.”

He had a small smile on his lips, which confirmed that I looked tired just like him.

We ate from the casserole, cleaned up everything and went upstairs.

I tried to call my father, but he didn’t answer. Then a text with the message that I was home from tutoring and would go to bed early and that the tutor came to pick me up tomorrow because they gave up rain again.

I hoped he would take it all for granted and accept it.

I led Renzo to my room. It didn’t feel weird at all that he walked upstairs with me. As if it was the most normal course of events.

I had turned on the heater and it was nice and warm in my room. I immediately felt fatigue.

“I’m going to take a shower, there’s the remote control.” I pointed to the couch and the TV. He nodded and sat down gratefully. I laughed a little to myself, still a man of few words.

In the bathroom I took a good look at myself in the mirror and was shocked by what I saw. Dried blood was on my face and trailed down my cheek and jaw to my shirt. For a moment panic set in and I inspected my scar, but there was nothing wrong.

In the shower I saw that there were bruises and wounds all over my body. The hot shower did my muscles good. The special thing was that I noticed that I really had less pain than this afternoon. Luckily I looked better after the shower. I still had a wound on my head, but my hair fell over it. I put on sweatpants with a simple shirt. I felt butterflies in my stomach. Renzo sat on the other side of the door. How would it go tonight? Does he sleep on the couch or in my bed? Our appeal was undeniable. I even felt it here in the bathroom.

I opened the door and Renzo looked up from the couch.

He smiled. “You look better.”

“Thank you, I’ve got everything ready, so you can take a shower if you want.”

He stood clumsily with his arm in the sling. “Shall I help you with that?” He nodded.

I carefully walked over to him and unbuttoned the sling at the back of his neck and let the cloth fall off his shoulder slowly. He moved his arm gently back and forth. “It’s getting a little better,” he said.

I nodded. “Luckily, are you able to continue?” He nodded and went to the bathroom.

What was going on in his head anyway? I could tell by his face, expressions and eyes that his brain was working overtime, but he was so closed off. What would have happened before he had turned his back on his family?

He was only 17 and was already living on his own. What boy lived in such a situation?

And although he had little love around him, he knew what it was like to love. Because when we were together I just knew that he felt the same for me as I did for him.

I picked up a book and went to bed. But I couldn’t read a single word, because my head was also working overtime. Would evil come here too? In my house? Would my father be in danger?

It was good that he wasn’t home very often. That would only make him more vulnerable to evil. Ugh, I didn’t want to think about this at all. I shook off the thoughts. Might be burying my head in the sand, but it stopped at some point. I couldn’t go on like this.

I was startled out of my thoughts by the bathroom door. Renzo stood in the doorway. Just like me in sweatpants and a shirt. His wet hair was still dripping on his face. He looked a lot better without the bloodstains on his face and clothes.

He walked over to me and looked at me questioningly. I didn’t know what it was, but it felt good. I pushed aside and opened my blanket. Without hesitation, he got into bed with me and lay on his side and looked at me. I also lay on my side and looked at him.

“Are you okay?” he looked at me seriously.

It moved me. That he thought of me, while he himself had to endure quite a bit.

“Yes. You?”

He nodded. “As long as I’m with you, yes.” And he kept looking into my eyes with that serious look.

I believed him. Can’t believe he was so vulnerable.

I crawled over to him and lay down against him and pressed myself close to him. In response to his response that I was not going anywhere. He gratefully put his arm around me and we fell asleep.

Luckily my father went to work early the next morning. I had spoken to him briefly, but he was not at all suspicious of what had happened yesterday. He had taken my word for it.

Fortunately, Renzo and I felt a lot better. He still had a sore arm, but he didn’t want to wear the sling anymore. I still felt sore and had muscle pain. As if I had exercised properly yesterday, but everything else was gone. My wound was already a lot smaller and not noticeable anymore.

At half past seven, Rob was at the door with his old Saab. We drove quietly to his house. He made no move to say anything. Actually, I wanted to keep the peace for a while. I was afraid of what he had to say. Frankly, I was afraid of what he didn’t have to say. That he had become none the wiser.

Once at his house, we got out and quietly walked onto the large porch. I saw four people sitting at the large table in the room. I hadn’t seen Kate at all yesterday. Before I’d opened my eyes, she’d had an argument with Max and walked out of the room.

“Good morning,” I said generally. They all said hello.

Max gave me a good look and shook his head. “I can’t believe you can hardly see it anymore.”

“I know, quite bizarre, don’t you think?”

“Very bizarre,” said Max.

“Okay guys. I have consulted with the Elders and they are very happy that we have a fifth element practitioner in our circle. This way they can learn more about this phenomenon and conduct research.”

I looked at Rob in astonishment. He certainly didn’t mean this. Phenomenon? To research?

“Say, I’m just sitting here.”

“Yeah, sorry, Julia. I talked all night without you around. But the Elders would like to meet you.”

“Meet?”

He nodded. “They are afraid that the past will repeat itself. Before anyone of the fifth element can fully develop, they are often already destroyed.”

“Gosh, thanks for the trust,” I said a little too sarcastically.

I saw Renzo clench his fists and tighten his jaw next to me. I gave him a small squeeze in his fist, as a sign that it was all right and that he should remain calm.

“I don’t know either, Julia. So much has happened and so much is yet to happen that I just follow their advice. They’ll let me know when they think it’s a convenient time to meet you. Are you ready to go then?”

“To the Elders? Where are they then?”

“Don’t worry about that. It will most likely be during the day, so you will be home in the evening. So you’ll have to tell your father a good excuse that you’re not here.”

He automatically looked at Sara. She nodded immediately.

“It’s a girls’ day, Kate, you and I are in town. It’ll be fine.” She nodded affirmatively as she said that. She probably already had more experience with this.

“Okay, then I have to.” I shrugged my shoulders.

A little outraged at what had just been said.

Renzo looked at me intensely. I knew what he meant, but I also knew how Rob would react.

“Rob, Renzo will come with me. He can help us well. He senses when evil is there.”

I tried to throw it out there, to convince Rob to come along.

I saw Rob sigh and shake his head.

“You really can’t, Julia, sorry Renzo, but taking an e-warrior to the Elders is illegal.” He looked at me apologetically.

“Then I won’t go either,” I said very firmly.

“You can’t be serious, you also want to know what’s going on. Now don’t be naive. I’ve been meeting all night, I can’t take this with me.”

Serious? Naive? Can’t he have it?

“How do you think this is for me, Rob? Have you thought about that? One day or another my life is turned upside down and I suddenly have to face Evil. And you say I’m naive? With Renzo I feel safe. So it’s us together or nobody at all.”

I was angry without realizing it.

“Let me know. I go to school.”

I was done with it and walked to the hall.

Renzo got up automatically too. As if Max knew what he meant, he threw something at Renzo. Deftly Renzo caught it and thanked Max and said goodbye.

I looked questioningly at Renzo. Without saying a word, he took my hand and led me outside. What I had not seen before, I now saw. His motorcycle was leaning against the porch. And what Max had thrown at him were his keys. He walked to his motorcycle and handed me a helmet. I put it on and sat down behind him and held on tight. Less than 10 minutes later we were at school.