In My True Element

Chapter 11

It's been three freaking weeks of staring at the talisman without getting any answers. I'm officially exhausted.

I fall back on my bed and look at the ceiling of the hotel room I've grown to hate.

Gosh, what am I even doing there... how did I get into this mess?

The door to my room swings open and the answer to my last question enters.

"Anything?"

Physically incapable of saying no for the hundredth time, I groan.
"Okay." Ilana turns around and leaves the room. Her initial irritation's been replaced by indifference. We hardly ever talk or spend any time together. Twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, she enters my room, asks the same question, receives the same answer and leaves shrugging her shoulders.

I look at the camera on the cabinet, and the desire to leave this room, even if only for a second, overcomes me. With the talisman in the pocket of my jeans I put my shoes on and go downstairs to get a drink in the bar.

The bar is filled with hotel guests who want to relax before going to bed. I wish I could relax and forget about everything.

"Please?" A young bartender flashes me with a rehearsed smile whose sole purpose is to break naïve girls' hearts.

I ask for a beer, which I am immediately given. Cradling the elixir of life in my hand, I sweep the room and notice Ilana and Davidson sitting at the far end at a table for two. Their heads are tilted forward and from the looks of it they're whispering about something private. Ilana's eyes are cast downwards, her hands are clasped in front of her, an expression of deep sadness has claimed her face.

Davidson reaches across the small table and of all things covers both of Ilana's hands with one of his. What the heck? Where did this come from?

As he gives her hands a gentle squeeze, I wave of heat washes over me and all I want is to throw my beer bottle away and then use his face as a punching bag. The screaming voice in my head is deafening. It tells me I have suffered enough, I don't need to see her in such an intimate position with another man, I need to look away. But my body refuses to listen to it, so I watch her lift her filled with love and gratitude eyes to his face. The corners of her mouth move up in a gentle smile and the inviting warmth emanates from her body.

Damn it all! Her hard, filled with hatred eyes are capable of reflecting love. And she's looking like that at another man. My teeth clench, and every cursed muscle in my body tenses.

Just as I'm about to do something crazy, her head turns to me and our eyes interlock. The gentleness in her eyes is washed away and all I can see is fury that's a sure sign of the raging tempest that is about to crash on my head. She takes her hands from under Davidson's, whispers something to him and walks to me, her angry eyes never leaving mine.

With what I hope is a casual movement, I lift the beer bottle to my lips and gulp down half of its contents. But it does little to calm my shallow breathing or to quiet the angry voice in my head.

"What the hell?" As I lower the bottle I see Ilana standing in front of me, her chest raising and falling with the emotions she has some difficulty controlling.

"What's up, sweetheart? Looking good." I wink at her and then look at Davidson who's sitting at the edge of his chair, ready to jump to Ilana's rescue. I wish he'd do it, then I would be able to start a fight and break a few of his bones.

"You know you can't leave the room without letting me know first. Your room might look expensive, but don't forget it's your cell, so you should stay there. Because when Brat doesn't see you there, he'll start calling me."

"Don't you want to talk to your beloved fiancé, or you are too busy being all nice and friendly with one of your father's gorillas?" I gasp faking shock at this crazy idea.

She takes a step closer to me, but then changes her mind and steps back.
"I'm so tired of your stupid face. You will go to your room and..." Her hissing tirade is interrupted by a phone call. With her index finger in my face she angrily whispers that it's not over and turns away to answer the call.

Patiently waiting for her to finish talking on the phone, I empty my beer bottle and ask for another one.

"You better stop trying everyone's patience, because there isn't much left." She says when her phone takes its usual place in the back pocket of her jeans and she is back to staring at me.

"So what did the father of your future elemental kids say?"

"Brat said that if you leave the room again, one of your brothers will have to pay the price for it. He believes having ten toes is an unnecessary luxury."

My face twists and my grip on the bottle intensifies. I hate that bastard.

"You can pay for my beer." That's all I say when I put the half empty bottle back on the bar and leave the overcrowded room.

Ilana catches up with me by the elevator, and we go up in a very charged silence.

"Davidson decided to stay in the bar or are you joining him there later?" I ask as we step outside the elevator.

"That's no damn concern of yours."

"I just never painted you for a two-timer, but then you can never know with the likes of yours." My words bring her to a sudden halt, her eyes are widened and her lips are slightly paled.

"With the likes of me?" She sounds outraged and her shaking fists hint at her strong desire to punch me.

"I mean you are your father's daughter." I state the obvious fact, which, in my opinion, explains everything, but she only shakes her head.

Standing only a few inches away from me, Ilana's biting her bottom lip trying to find what to say but failing. I'd give my right hand to know what is happening in her head right now.

Before I realize what I'm doing, I lift my hand to her head and touch the spot above her left ear.

"You shouldn't wear your hair so tight, I bet your scalp hurts."

Suddenly I understand what I've done and both of us take an awkward step back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." I mumble refusing to look at her. When I do, I find her eyes narrowed to two tiny slits and her lips pressed tightly together in a thin line.

"Don't you ever touch me again. Ever." Her voice is a low whisper and I have to strain my ears to hear them.

"Don't worry, I have no intentions." Berating myself for the sudden loss of control I spit out and walk to my door. There I turn to her one more time.

"I really think that it might help if I talked to my family."

"No."

"Tell your jerk of a fiancé that if I don't talk to them tomorrow, he may as well send the plane to take us back."

I slam the door in her face and stomp into my luxurious cell.

"In the stomach of a dark and empty monster! I have no idea what it means." I pick up the first object I get my hands on, which is a vase, and smash it against the wall. It doesn't really help to vent all my frustration, but it does make me feel the tiniest bit better. I fall on the bed and lie there fully dressed until I fall asleep. The image of gentle Ilana laughing in my arms haunts me all night and I wake up feeling even worse.