Elemental Darkness (Paranormal Public Series) by Maddy Edwards Page B

the figure standing in my driveway. Cale groaned and I could see blood on his hairline from where he must have hit his head. I glanced up at the dark figure, which was now coming closer again. At first I had thought it was a vampire, but as it got closer, I knew better.
    A darkness mage had come to my house, and he looked familiar.
    “Nick?” I gasped. “You’re. . . .” Well, that explained the terrible coffee he made.
    I didn’t have a chance to finish. A black gust of pure fire flew at my heart. I let go of Cale and fell backward, into my own mud puddle. I landed with a hard splash and quickly tried to roll.
    Nick kept coming forward. I couldn’t see his face.
    “No wonder I got a job there so easily,” I cried, pushing myself to my feet. The winds I had gathered were still waiting around the house, and now I sent them flying at him. But they died before they reached him, and I saw Nick’s bright white teeth flash in a smile.
    “Faci said you’d do something with wind,” he said with amusement. “Amateur.”
    So, Faci was involved. I should have known.
    I glanced at Cale out of the corner of my eye, but he still lay prone on the ground.
    “Oh, looking for the Police Academy graduate to help you? I didn’t think you could help yourself.”
    “Besides, you forgot to watch your blind side,” said a female voice.
    Nicole was standing behind me, but I didn’t have time to turn around before I felt a hot sting in my side, burning through my ribcage.
    I cried out in pain as my world spun. All I saw were a pair of black boots as black spots covered my eyes. I called to my ring, but my hand felt dead. The pain spread numbingly through my whole body as I fought to breathe.
    “Cale,” I said desperately, feeling weak. My throat hurt just saying his name.
    “Cale,” I said again, but he was still unconscious next to me. I tried to rise, but the numbness prevented me from using my arms.
    “Aw, I didn’t realize it would be that easy,” said Nicole, looking down on me. “Don’t feel bad. You weren’t a very good barista anyway.”
    I felt Cale move next to me, the only warning I had before he sprang to his feet. Nick was ready for him, but Cale was quicker; his training at the Academy had paid off. The problem was, he was just no match for two darkness mages.
    The black arrows came fast and hard, hissing into his body. I realized quickly that he must be wearing some sort of protective armor, because they just melted into him. But wherever they touched skin I saw Cale’s face bloom in pain.
    Cale stepped back and wobbled. He stepped back again and fell to his knees. Both Nick and Nicole came on.
    “Did you think this was going to be so easy?” Nicole asked Nick.
    “I had no idea elementals were so pathetic,” said Nicole. “I guess they really do keep you around only for the Power of Five.”
    She stepped away from Cale to aim a sharp kick at my side. I rolled away, barely in time to avoid the blow. As my view changed I saw our darkened house, with Ricky still asleep upstairs. They might be attacking me, but I knew they had come for him. If I hadn’t had a bad feeling. . . .
    A slight tingling in my hand let me know that whatever they had done to my body was wearing off, or my powers were fighting it. I took a deep breath and again tried to stand.
    “Just. Stay. Down,” Cale gritted out. He looked so weak, I figured he’d fall over if Nick so much as blew on him.
    “No,” I said. “Ricky.”
    “Oh, yes, your little maybe elemental brother,” said Nicole, her lip curling. “Personally, we’ve been watching him, and we just don’t think he has it in him. Then again, you barely do. Tell me, should we kill you first and then him, or let you watch?”
    “You aren’t going near him,” I said, pushing myself to my knees.
    “How are you going to stop us?” Nick asked curiously. “You know how to use wind. . . .”
    “Maybe wind’s all I need,” I said. I tried again, but there was no wind. I