Obsidian eyes opened and Mira stirred from her unconscious slumber. She shook her head and groaned. It felt as if her body had been hit by lightning. All her muscles were contracted, and she had a major headache. She tried relaxing her muscles one by one. Warrior training wasn’t such a waste after all. Slowly she sat up gaining the attention of Palomera who was sitting in a seat by the bed.

Ever since Asphodel died she had spoiled her youngest child. Asphodel had been her crown jewel but sickness took her away from her. She feared for her now only child’s life. That girl had put it in jeopardy. It would not be allowed to continue. She was a beauty, which meant she had the power to do something physically and politically. Politically didn’t seem to be working. She may have stepped on too many toes along the way to her rank. Being accepted as a beauty meant you had the respect of everyone for what you were capable of and being able to grow crystals of life, those that gave birth to her people, she was highest ranked.

“Mira! Darling, you are safe. That wretched girl won’t harm you again.”

“It was the child that did this. She hurt me, Mama!”

“The child? Not the big one?”

“Yes, she too!”

“She we cannot touch but the child...maybe we can get her.”

Mira turned wet eyes to her mother. “Mama, Stephan still won’t claim me as his fiancé! Worse he’s with that trollop. That new girl, Zen!”

Palomera hugged her daughter. “You are a much worthier catch. You just have to show him. You are a beauty and the chief's daughter. He can’t say no to that.”

“But Father won’t give him to me,” Mira pouted crossing her arms.

“Use your feminine wiles. A man can’t resist a woman for long,” her mother said winking. Mira grinned and slowly made her way to her closet rummaging for her sexiest wear which happened to be her training outfit. Perfect. She pulled it from the closet and got dressed in the little tight skirt. It showed off her legs fit from training and some of her posterior. It was that short. Her father had forbidden her from wearing it outside of training, but she had a man to catch! She stared at her image in the mirror as she picked up a brush and waded it in her abundance of curls. Stephan can’t say no now, I’m irresistible!

Mira didn’t know why she wanted Stephan but she guessed his strength allured her. Like many female Yuka, strength was the leading trait for which many women became infatuated with a male. Her sister had seen it. Stephan was strong. Too bad she had died, and Mira was left to pick up the pieces. She had made him love her once. She could do so again. She only had to rid herself of the trollop.

She put the brush down and headed outside of her home grinning at the looks she was receiving. Yes, Stephan wouldn’t be able to keep his eyes off her!

Stephan was walking back to the settlement when the whispers found him.

“Is that Mira?”

“Didn’t her father forbid her from wearing that?”

“Who do you think she’s after?”

“Do you need to ask?”

“She looks like a p…”

“Yes, she does.”

He turned on the street and was hit with the sight of Mira. She really does look like a prostitute in that skirt. No wonder Rafael prohibited her from wearing it. She caught sight of him and he sighed as she flounced over to him. She does a disservice to warriors everywhere dressed like that.

“Stephan!”

“Mira, I’m in no mood for your antics. I have to see my crew.”

Mira scowled. “You mean you have to see that girl! I am your fiancé. You should be paying attention to me.”

“I already told you, I reject you.”

Mira walked up to him and leaned her breasts on him. “Maybe I can change your mind,” she said rubbing herself slowly against him. Stephan was disgusted and pushed her off.

“Get off me, Mira!”

Mira tripped and fell to the floor with a huff. Tears clouded her eyes.

“What does that girl have that I don’t,” she screamed scrambling to get up on her knees. She looked pitiful with mascara running down her face.

“Honor and integrity for one. She wouldn’t do this to get what she wants.”

Mira sniffled and stood. “What would she do?”

Stephan scoffed. She’d leave well enough alone if she was in your shoes. She knows boundaries and she isn’t selfish. She’d let me go.”

“I’m never letting you go! We are meant to be! I bet you haven’t told her we’ve slept together have you?”

“I was young and stupid and let my libido get to me but I will tell her besides Asphodel was first or don’t you remember?”

Mira frowned. “Sister got whatever she wanted but did you forget the promise you made her concerning me?”

Stephan raked his hair. “No, I didn’t but you broke that agreement the minute you cheated with others Mira.”

Mira stood and approached blowing on his ear one of his sensitive spots. He shivered but kept glaring at her. “Remember when I used to do that to you?” she asked as he once more pulled her off him.

“I have someone new who’ll do the same and more,” he growled getting tired of her games.

Mira smirked and laughed sneaking around him and putting her hands on his chest.’ I bet you haven’t kissed yet! We could do so much more,’ she leaned in and fell to the ground an angry elemental glaring at her.

“Don’t touch me,” he whispered in a deadly tone before walking on

Mira caught sight of what she wanted and in a flurry of movement jumped Stephan and kissed him. Too surprised he did nothing for a minute. In that second he caught Zen’s mortified face. Mira kissed deeper and he finally responded by tossing her off, but Zen was already gone.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Mira stood with a self-satisfied grin on her face. “I hope you can work it out now that she knows I had you first!”

“You are spiteful Mira!” he yelled before running after Zen but she was gone.

Mira smiled and walked off confident she had ruined his relationship with the trollop. She skipped back to her home where Palomera was arguing with her guards.

“You are to grab the little girl and hold her in the containment rooms!”

“We don’t hold children in those rooms Palomera,” her guard said.

“She can’t control her abilities and already hurt my daughter! I demand you do something about this!”

“We’ll bring this up to Rafael’s attention.”

Palomera shrieked. “You are useless!” She walked over to Mira and whispered, “Mira, can you point out the little brat?”

“Yes, why, Mama?”

“I’m encasing her in metal.”

###

Zen sat in a garden watching the Yuka harvest their children. Crystals of all shapes were strewn around. She was interested in the ones with veins on them. One cracked and a woman pulled out a squalling baby from its interior. The baby was born with a number on its wrist. The woman noted this number down and cleaned the babe before sending him to a squat building with extra slats for vents. That must be the hospital!

She had come to realize that with the way Stephan had looked during that kiss, Mira had most likely blindsided him with it. Still, she was angry. Stephan should have been ready for that roach. Then again who could be ready for Mira? She felt her anger wilt slightly and turned to a crystal, that she learned, was getting ready to be impregnated. Yuka carried babies for the first two terms, then a crystal took them in the third trimester. Babies born as beauties usually have abilities with metal here in this stage. It was rare to be born with abilities before this stage. It was something magical to see babies born out of a crystal!

Zen! Your friends need you! Something is going on with them. I sense discord.

Thank you, Vara! I’ll take off then. I can watch another day.

As Zen got closer to the building they were all staying at, screams of fear ratcheted the air.

It was Edline’s scream.

###

Zen rushed in and noticed the metal that was growing everywhere from the ground. It had pinned the others to the ground and was slowly encasing Edline. Stephan was holding the construct open with his arms a wild look in his eyes.

“Ed!” he screamed tearing at the metal that was starting to encase Edline, who was crying.

Shit! Ishevara can you undo this?

I can! The little one is in danger of becoming a metal sculpture!

Who would do such a thing?

Can you think of no one?

Zen growled. “Palomera!” She began to glow and touched the metal encasing Edline. It began to dissipate until Edline was free. Zen picked the frightened girl up and pulsed her powers freeing everyone else from the metal.

Isaias swore. “It crept up on us and by the time we noticed, we were all pinned!”

Marco agreed. “It was tuned towards Edline. The metal was encasing her whereas it just pinned the rest of us.”

Kiera shook hard. “I agree, it was after E–-Edline.”

“Kiera, are you alright?” Val asked from his seat beside Marco. They had been playing old-world chess with real chess pieces before the incident.

Kiera nodded. “There is something in this metal that is playing havoc with my pr-programming.”

Zen scoffed. “It’s Palomera. She’s figured out that I didn’t do a thing to Mira, and Edline was the one who attacked her precious daughter. Since she probably can’t put a ten-year-old in confinement, making her into metal was her best bet. Footsteps fell over the settlement and it wasn’t long till Palomera herself was at their door gasping.

“That child should be metal!”

Zen growled and shifted the frightened little girl to Stephan’s arms before beginning to glow. “You have no right to punish a child for being a child!”

“I have every right! She hurt my baby! She’s uncontrollable!”

Edline began sparking and Stephan rubbed her back trying to calm her. A flash of lightning flew from her hitting the wall.

“See!” screamed Palomera.

“She’s scared no thanks to you and is still learning to harness her elemental abilities like any child with special abilities. If Mira hadn’t frightened her, she wouldn’t have been attacked! Now you tried to make her a metal sculpture and frightened her even more. I should let her barbeque you!”

“The little brat will never touch me. I am a beauty!”

“Then maybe we should take that away from you,” Zen said raising her hand. Ishevara came into view then and Palomera shrieked. She threw herself at Zen and tried to grab at Ishevara. Zen pushed the woman off her. Her nails clipped her just under her eye. The blood flowed down her cheek like tears.

What the hell just happened?

She is a very corrupt individual. Remember my curse?

Stephan held Palomera in one of his water barriers until she couldn’t breathe anymore and lost consciousness. Then he let her fall to the floor of the hallway as Mira appeared at the front door. He ignored her and checked on Zen, bleeding from a scratch of Palomera’s nails just under her eye. Mira ran to her mother.

“What have you done?” she shrieked trying to wake her soaked mother.

Stephan ignored her and set his glowing fingers over Zen’s small wound pulling her plasma to the surface and letting the platelets in the blood clot her wound faster. He couldn’t heal exactly just speed natural healing up a bit which he did now.

Zen sighed when the burning sting lessened to something more manageable. She looked at Stephan and nodded to him. He caressed her cheek. “You are fine now. I stemmed the bleeding.”

“Thank you, Ste…”

“I want to know what happened to my mother!” screeched Mira as she stood from the wet floor.

“She tried to encase Edline in metal and attacked Zen. I put her in one of my shields for a time-out,” Stephan replied. He glared at the fallen form of Palomera. “I think you better take her home before I do something worse.”

Zen placed her hand on his shoulder steadying him. He sighed and turned to her.

She shook her head. “They aren't worth it Stephan. Come on Edline needs us.”

He narrowed his eyes which were completely blue. The sclera, irises, and pupils were all blue warning signs of an unstable Elemental. He turned to follow Zen back to the common room.

Mira sneered. “Just run like you always do. You ran away from your mother and you ran away from me!”

With a flash of speed, Stephan had Mira up in the air by her throat. “You know why I ran from my mom. Do you want to know why I ran from you?”

Mira gasped from his hold. “W-why?”

“You were opening your legs for every male that grinned your way, Mira. I told you when we got together, I was monogamous. I was with you because I thought you loved me, but you liked flaunting around that you had an Elemental as your boy toy.”

Mira tried to talk.

“I heard you with Paulo, Mira. I heard it all. How I was just a passing fling. How I was as exciting in bed as metal. You broke me Mira but guess what? You don’t matter to me anymore so get it through your head. We are through!” He dropped Mira on her rump on the floor and turned to Zen who just looked at him, before offering her hand. He grinned and entwined their hands before they walked back to the common room.

Mira rubbed her neck and felt tears prick her eyes, but she rubbed them dry and turned to her mother. The guards had stood watching. As far as they were concerned Palomera and Mira had gotten what they deserved. They weren’t going to intervene with angry elementals in the mix. They knew what those could do.

Mira sniffled. “Guards, take my mother home and call the healer.”

“What do you plan to do Mira?” one guard asked.

“I’m going to talk to Father about this,” she said touching her neck and wincing.