Haven

Chapter 9:Elizabeth P.O.V.

"Ben, what did I just do?"

"It's another one of your powers I guess, fire."

"A-and who is she?"

"That's Janelle, she's a shape shifter. She always tries to trick new Protectors. We've gotten used to it by now," Ben explained.

I turned to Janelle and looked at her burnt jacket.

"I'm so sorry Janelle."

"No big deal. I'm guessing you're a newbie. Seems a little early to get your powers though. They usually don't go through the transition till mid December."

"It's kind of a long story. I'm Elizabeth by the way," I said shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you. I see you're an elementist."

"Yeah, I'm still learning to control them," I said with a chuckle.

"Why do you always insist on pranking the newbies? It'd be easier just to kill them," a girl who had short black hair and dark chocolate skin walked up behind Janelle.

"Um, why would there be a need for killing?" I asked concerned.

"Relax, she's just joking. But they don't call her The Assassin for nothing," Janelle said nonchalantly.

"And you are?" She asked.

"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Miller."

"Rhi," she said, shaking my hand.

"Why do they call you The Assassin?"

"Whenever they hear rumors of Destroyers they send me out and I take care of them."

"What do you mean 'take care of them'?"

"I could give you a demonstration if you would like," she said with an evil grin spreading across her face.

"No thank you, there is no need for a demonstration," said Ben pulling me out of the dining hall.

"Bye!" I shouted over my shoulder, "What was that for?!" I whispered yelled.

"Trust me, you did not want a demonstration."

"Why?"

"Because she would kill you," my eyes widened in shock.

"Sh-she would what?!"

"Kill you. She can create and control poisonous gasses. Such as carbon monoxide."

"Why is she allowed to stay here?!"

"She doesn't actually hurt anyone. Well, one time she did nearly kill me."

"Wh-what!?"

"It was an accident. We had just gotten our powers. Thankfully it was me and not someone else. My cells regenerate faster than everyone else even when I'm not using my powers. I only had a bad cough for a few days. I was fine."

I began to breathe in short and shallow breaths.

"There's... a... killer... here."

"Hey, hey, hey, Elizabeth," Ben said as he bent his knees so his face was level with mine, "I would and will never let her hurt you."

"Okay," I said as my breathing began to even out.

"You can't train like this, we need to get your mind off of everything. How about some yoga?"

"Yoga?" I asked skeptically.

"I know I don't seen like those hippies who are all zen and all about world peace; I'm not. It's just after I came here some things didn't go that great for me and I figured I would give it a try. I just do it when I'm feeling extremely stressed and need to calm down."

"Okay, I'll try it."

We went down a hallway and into a dimly lit room. Ben grabbed a couple of mats and he began showing me a few simple poses.

"A really important thing is to really focus on your breathing and let everything else melt away."

I took in deep breaths and focused on inhaling and exhaling; letting reality melt away. A few minutes later I heard muffled words but figured it was just some people talking out in the hall. They kept getting louder and it sounded like they were calling my name. I finally opened my eyes and looked around the room. My heart stopped as I saw Ben hanging from the ceiling with something that looked like a vine wrapped around his waist and legs. He pried a vine a away from his mouth so he could breathe.

"Elizabeth just stay calm."

"A-am I doing this?"

"Yes, but I need you to stay calm. If you freak out you'll lose control."

"What can I do?"

"Get my phone. It's on the table by the door. My password is 0322. Call Bea and tell her that we need her, Arthur, and Anna in room 127."

"Okay," I picked up his phone and called Bea. The line rang for a few seconds and then Bea's voice cracked over the phone.

"Hello? Ben, this better be important; Ethan and I are in the middle of training."

"Um, Bea, this is actually Elizabeth."

"Okay..."

"Well Ben and I were doing yoga and well, something happened and he said to call you and tell you that we need you, Arthur, and Anna in room 127."

"We'll be right there," she said in a hurry and the line went dead.

"They're coming."

"Okay. You just have to stay calm Elizabeth. Don't let your emotions get the best of you or else you'll lose control."

I tried to keep my breathing steady and not think too hard about the situation. A couple minutes later Bea and two teenagers burst into the room. Their eyes widened at the sight of Ben hanging from the ceiling.

"Where's Arthur?" I asked Bea.

"He's right there," she said pointing to the teenage boy who came into the room with them.

"But he's just a teenager."

"Actually Miss. Miller I am 173 years old."

"What?"

"When I was your age and injected with the gemstiten and I never aged another day."

"Okay, um, I'll process this later. Can you help Ben?"

"Yes. That is why he asked for Anna, she's a earth elementist."

"Okay, Elizabeth, just relax and let Ben fall, I'll catch him," a girl with ginger hair and freckles, who I guessed was Anna, instructed.

I thought about the vines unraveling and letting Ben go. As soon as I did he began to fall but new vines caught him and set him gently on the ground.

"Arthur, I need to talk to you."

"Why?"

"Well Elizabeth has water and earth powers."

"So? Plenty of elementist's have more than one element. Elizabeth's are water and earth."

"And fire."

"What?!" He sputtered.

"She comes from a powerful line of Protectors, no wonder she has three."

"But how?"

"I don't know. All of them have been triggered by intense emotions. When she was scared she controlled water. When she was startled she controlled fire. And when she was calm she controlled plants."

"Do you think she has the fourth?"

"I don't know."