Earth God Read online

  Jessica went stiff, her affectionate hug quickly turning into a chokehold. “Did you seriously just say ‘sloppy seconds’?”

  Sean choked as she tightened her grip. “Um, no?”

  Pulling her arms away, she stepped past him. “You are so not getting laid ever again.”

  Sean smiled awkwardly, only just realizing how badly he screwed up. “I’m sorry?”

  Jessica kept walking as she stepped into the woods. “Was that a question or a statement?”

  “Yes?” Sean asked, not entirely sure which answer would get him out of trouble quicker. He hurried into the woods after her. “Listen, I’m a dork, I got it. Just remember that if I say something and it can be taken more than one way, and one of those ways doesn’t really piss you off, that’s the way I meant it.”

  Jessica crouched beside a tree and ran her hands through the grass. Sean stopped beside her, glad to take a break. He might have lost weight since leaving home but he was hardly in shape. Hiking wasn’t his forte.

  With a smile, Jessica held up a misshapen ball. “Eureka.”

  Sean arched an eyebrow. “What’d you find?”

  “Walnuts.” She patted the bark of the tree beside where she knelt. “Quick, take off your shirt.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I need something to carry them in.”

  “Why don’t you take off your shirt?” he said in his best seductive voice.

  Jessica looked at him sternly. “Don’t make me punch you again.”

  Sean sighed as he took off his shirt and handed it to her. “You used to be more fun.”

  “No, I didn’t, and you know it. Help me pick these up, please.”

  Sean knelt down beside her and started picking up the round nuts, dropping them into his shirt as he did. Before long, they had a nice mound of food. Jessica took the corners of his shirt and tied them to one another, making a pouch. Satisfied, she stood and brushed off the knees of her jeans.

  Sean reached over and took the bag from her. Hefting it over his shoulder, he turned back toward the barn.

  Just a few steps into the woods, a strong gust of wind kicked up around them, nearly knocking them both to the ground. They braced themselves against the buffeting wind. Sean clung to the bag of nuts as they threatened to fall away while Jessica turned her head away, holding her billowing blonde hair out of her face.

  Sean didn’t look away. Instead, he frowned and stared up at the canopy of leaves above them. The branches bent to the side as a gust parted the leaves. Xander’s feet and legs emerged from the sky above as he flew down and landed in front of them.

  Xander smiled at his friends, glad to see them, though they both looked exhausted. Sean and Jessica looked as though they had been through hell since he had seen them last. A bandage was covering part of Jessica’s forehead and judging by the shoddy tape work that was keeping it in place, there was no doubt Sean had been playing doctor.

  “I’ve been looking everywhere for you guys,” Xander said as a broad smile spread across his face.

  “We’re right where you abandoned us,” Sean replied flatly.

  “What happened to your head?” he asked, ignoring Sean’s condescension.

  Jessica touched the bandage as though remembering it was there. “Nothing, I just tripped and fell.”

  Xander looked from the blonde to Sean. Sean wore a deep frown, but looked confusedly between Xander and Jessica. Eventually, Xander furrowed his brow.

  “I know that sounds like a really lame domestic abuse excuse, but she really did.”

  “I’m not saying you did anything,” Xander replied defensively.

  “Then what are you saying?”

  Xander placed his hands on his hips. “What the hell is wrong with you? I just came back to find you two, and all I’ve gotten from you so far is a pissy attitude.”

  Sean wanted to stare angrily at his friend, but he felt a tug on the makeshift satchel of walnuts. He turned abruptly as Jessica took them from his hand.

  “You two obviously need a moment to work some stuff out. I’ll be back at the barn when you two are done.”

  She turned and left, quickly disappearing through the woods before either man could respond. When they were certain she was gone and no longer within earshot, they turned back toward one another.

  “Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” Xander asked abruptly.

  Sean glanced down as though completely unaware his shirt was missing. “We got hungry.”

  “So you… ate your shirt?”

  “No, dumbass. It’s full of nuts.”

  Xander arched an eyebrow. “I really don’t know where this conversation is going, but it’s making me uncomfortable.”

  Sean sneered at the Wind Warrior before turning away and walking into the woods. Confused, Xander hurried to catch up.

  “What is going on with—?”

  Xander didn’t finish the sentence because Sean turned sharply and shoved him in the chest. Caught by surprise, he stumbled and fell onto his back. He stared up at Sean incredulously before summoning a gust of wind. It billowed the leaves and forest debris as it gathered underneath him, lifting him back to his feet.

  “What the hell is your—?” he started again before Sean shoved him once more.

  This time, Xander was prepared. With the wind gusting behind him and cushioning Sean’s strike, he didn’t even move despite Sean’s exertion.

  “Don’t do that again,” Xander warned.

  “Or what? You’ll drown me? You’ll suck all the air from my lungs? You’ll encase me in ice? You’ll go all Thor on me and hit me with a lightning bolt?”

  “What is your problem?”

  “You are!” Sean yelled, not caring there weren’t enough trees around to mute the sound of his voice. “You abandoned us here.”

  “I came back,” Xander countered.

  “Yeah, but not until after Jessica was already hurt. She didn’t get that cut on her head from falling. We got jumped by some of the locals because they saw blonde hair and assumed she was a Fire Warrior. She almost died because you left her alone and her only protector was a fat guy who reads too many comic books.”

  Xander fell silent, and his gaze drifted to the trees where Jessica had just departed. “I didn’t know. I put you two here to keep you safe.”

  Sean walked a few paces away before turning back toward his friend. “You know where we’re safe, Xander? With you. The whole world is fighting some insane elemental war, and you’re the only person who’s capable of handling it. Not Jessica and sure as hell not me. You want to keep us safe? Keep us with you.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Sean. It wasn’t exactly easy for me either.”

  Sean’s face was still flushed with anger, but he nodded. His voice was considerably calmer by the time he spoke again. “I get it. I really do. I don’t know how I would have reacted if I did what you did. But as much as I think Wilkes was a jerk, he was also right. This is a war we’re fighting. Someone’s going to die. If it isn’t them, it’s sure going to be us. Not you, probably. You’ve got powers coming out your butt that’ll protect you. But when we go back to the barn, take a look at Jessica. Remember that it wasn’t long ago that we both made fun of her for being a silly sorority girl. She may be tougher than either of us thought, but she and I are still just simple mortals. If… no, when the Fire Warriors come after us, if you’re not there to protect us, we’re going to die.”

  Sean walked over and jabbed his finger into Xander’s chest. “No more flying off on your own. Next time you leave, you take us with you.”

  “I will,” Xander said softly.

  “Promise me, and mean it.”

  Xander nodded. “I promise.”

  Sean’s chest heaved as he tried to calm himself once more. He wasn’t used to being the alpha male, and it definitely didn’t come naturally.

  “I’m sorry I left you both,” Xander said when it became readily apparent Sean had said all he was willing to say. “Are we good
now?”

  Sean bit his lip as he battled the flood of emotions. He wasn’t used to being angry, and the rush of adrenaline actually scared him. He felt tears welling in his eyes, but he pushed them down. “No, Xander, we’re not good. We’re probably the furthest from good we’ve ever been. But since you’re here now, you might as well be part of the family again. Come on, I’ll show you the barn.”

  He turned and started walking through the woods, leaving Xander staring slack-jawed at his best friend. After a moment’s hesitation, he hurried to catch up to Sean.

  “Jessica didn’t seem to know about being attacked,” Xander said as he fell in step with his shirtless companion.

  “She got a concussion and really doesn’t know. If you tell her, I’ll beat you severely around the head and shoulders.”

  “Dude, you’ve changed.”

  “Yeah,” Sean replied dryly. “Apparently, I’ve lost weight.”

  The barn door was open when they got back. Jessica was sitting on an overturned bucket, with a piece of upturned firewood before her. She had placed a handful of the walnuts on the flat surface of the log and was smashing them with a rock.

  “Did you two work everything out?” she asked without looking up.

  “For now,” Sean said as he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “Lunch looks delicious. Who knew you were so domesticated?”

  “You’re…”

  “An idiot,” he finished. “I know.”

  As Sean turned around, he caught Xander’s look of utter surprise. The dark-haired Elementalist pointed back and forth between the two of them as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

  Sean glanced over at Jessica with a faint smile. Jessica, who had her back to them both, didn’t notice the silent exchange of alternating furrowed raised brows, a wordless conversation that said far more than she would have believed.

  “I only left you two for a couple days,” Xander said, breaking the spell.

  “Three days,” Sean corrected. “Now you know why I told you not to leave us anymore.”

  Jessica stood and turned toward them, forcing the two men to break their intense stare. She held out a meager handful of cracked walnuts and offered them to the guys. Xander took a couple, and Sean grabbed a handful before popping them in his mouth. He started chewing but his pace quickly slowed as the bitter flavor struck him.

  “How is it?” Jessica asked.

  “Earthy,” Sean replied, figuring it was the safest answer.

  Xander ate his few as well, though he hardly felt hungry. The power within him seemed to sustain him far better than food. He knew that subconsciously his body was now processing and using water far better than it ever had before. He hadn’t felt thirsty since the Water Elemental granted her powers. The lack of needing to eat seemed to be a similar side effect.

  He also knew that not needing food and water was the least of his new side effects. Xander felt older than he had just a few months before. The power of the Wind and Water Elementals reverberated through his head like echoes. He could hear and feel the water and wind rushing over the planet and could sense its distress. It was an ever-present whine in the back of his head, one that caused the faintest beginnings of a headache, like a constantly threatening migraine that just wouldn’t come.

  Sean coughed, drawing Xander’s attention back to the present.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Sean nodded. “Yeah, these nuts are just a little dry. You don’t think you could summon us up some water, do you? I mean, what’s the point of having cool elemental powers if I can’t abuse our friendship?”

  “Is this step one of me making amends?”

  Sean shrugged. “Yeah, but this process is far worse than any twelve-step process you’ve ever heard of.”

  Xander closed his eyes and let his consciousness seep into the ground around them. At first, he felt little more than the moisture beading on the blades of grass, the dampness soaking into the topsoil, and the condensation on spider webs dangling from between the trees. The more he concentrated, however, the deeper his awareness seemed to reach. He passed through the limestone bedrock until he found a pocket of air and water a few dozen feet beneath them. As soon as his mind made contact with the underground river, he began shaping its flow.

  The water probed the surrounding rock until it found a small crack a few yards away, one that wound its way haphazardly through the rock until it reached the surface. At Xander’s command, he compelled the water into the fissure, forcing the rocks apart as it poured upward toward the surface.

  Sean and Jessica braced themselves as the ground shook beneath their feet. It wasn’t a strong earthquake by any means and judging by the lack of birds flying into the air, it seemed exceptionally localized. They turned toward Xander, assuming rightly that he was to blame.

  Xander’s eyes were open, but they were completely consumed by blue. Not even his iris was visible anymore; instead, his eyes had the glassy appearance of a calm lake.

  “This way,” Xander said as he led them out the front door of the barn.

  They walked a few feet before he made them stop. As they watched, the dirt before them surged upward as though some wild animal were digging its way toward the surface. The small bump became a mound, rising upward until the top split apart, sending dirt tumbling down its sides in an avalanche.

  Water poured from the top of the mound in droplets. To Sean, they looked like ants emerging angrily from their hill after being disturbed. Unlike the ants, however, the water formed into a ring at the top of the mound before turning white as it froze. The ring of ice expanded until it looked like a well.

  As Xander relaxed, he stepped forward and leaned over the surface of the newly crafted well. Only a foot or so below the crest of the well’s wall, cool, fresh water sloshed about.

  “As you requested,” he said, sitting on the ice. He seemed oblivious to the cold seeping through his clothing.

  Sean and Jessica exchanged appreciative glances before joining him at the well’s edge. Sean dipped his hand in the water but quickly withdrew it.

  “It’s freezing,” he said.

  Xander shrugged. “I figured you’d want cold water.”

  Jessica leaned over the well and scooped up a handful of the water. She brought it to her lips and drank deeply. As she wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, she smiled at her ex-boyfriend.

  “It’s good to have you back.”

  Xander sat in the loft as the sun set and stared out over the French countryside. As the light dimmed, it was easier to see the distant fires burning, both within the neighboring towns and raging unhindered through the woods. His merriment from their reunion was gone as he looked out the open doors.

  Jessica set down her cup of water and stood, despite Sean’s obvious frown of derision. She walked over to where Xander sat before sitting cross-legged beside him.

  “They’ve been getting closer every day, burning everything in their path as they go,” she explained.

  “Of course they are,” Xander replied. “They’re Fire Warriors. It’s kind of what they do.”

  “I mean, they’re going to reach us eventually.”

  Xander glanced back out the door, watching the fires burn brightly as the sun set. Dusk seemed to silhouette the flames, pinpointing each of the blazes across the horizon. He was suddenly reminded of the old Smokey the Bear advertisements.

  “Only you can prevent forest fires,” he muttered.

  “What was that?” Jessica asked, her gaze also lost among the fires in the distance.

  Xander shook his head. “Just thinking about how much responsibility all this is. I feel like I’m drowning.”

  Jessica reached out and rubbed his shoulder affectionately. “I don’t think you can drown anymore.”

  Xander chuckled despite the seriousness of the situation. “Metaphorically, then.”

  He glanced over his shoulder to where Sean sat alone. His friend quickly averted his gaze so Xander w
ouldn’t know he’d been watching them all along.

  “He really hates me, doesn’t he?” Xander asked.

  Jessica shrugged. “I don’t know if he hates you, but it wasn’t exactly easy for us while you were gone. To be perfectly honest, I’m your friend, but I’m not all that happy with you either right now.”

  Xander turned back toward her, but he hardly looked surprised. “I swear it doesn’t seem to matter what decision I make, it seems like I always screw something up.”

  “You didn’t screw up,” Jessica said. “Well, you did, but he’ll get over it. We both will. You just need to give him some time to come around.”

  Glancing back out the window, Xander shrugged. “I’m not sure how much time we’ve got.”

  Jessica nodded. “Speaking of which, there’s still the problem of the Fire Warriors. The question is—what are you going to do about it?”

  Xander frowned as he stared intently out the doors. The pain of killing so many Fire Warriors was still fresh, and he loathed the thought of fighting again.

  “You have to find the Earth Elemental,” she said after realizing Xander might not respond.

  “Then I can free Sammy,” he said.

  “Then you can defeat the Fire Elemental,” Jessica corrected. “Sammy will be safe once you defeat the Fire Caste.”

  Xander looked back out the window to the wildfires burning in the distance. The sun disappeared behind the trees, but the night sky refused to turn dark. The fires illuminated the horizon, turning the sky red and orange like a false sunrise. There were people out there, he knew, people like Wilkes and his family who were being threatened by the Fire Warriors. They didn’t have much time; no one really did anymore.

  Xander had no idea how long it would take to find the Earth Elemental or if, once he did find it, the Elemental would demand a trial like the Water had. All that time he’d waste searching and earning the power of the Earth Elemental was time that these people didn’t have. It wasn’t just France, either. Closing his eyes, he could feel the air choked with smoke all around the world. He could sense the waterways clogged with ash and other things far worse, things Xander didn’t want to imagine. The world was in chaos and he had to be Smokey the Bear; only he could prevent the world from being destroyed.