Elements: Four Me (Book 4)

Cold and Broken (Chapter 3)

Ava wakes up to the sound of Tyler bursting into her room with a newspaper.

"Ava! Isn't this Brenton's new place?" Tyler questions, shoving the paper into her sleepy face.

"Since when did you know? And since when did you read?" Ava grumbles, taking the paper and staring at it.

"Who cares about that! Read it!" Tyler, his blond hair all messed up instead of combed down is enough to tell Ava that it's serious. Not to mention his brown eyes that contrast Ava's hazel ones are also darting around nervously.

Pushing her strawberry blonde locks, Ava blinks before reading the news. She lets out a loud gasp, covering her mouth with her hand and looks up to Tyler in horror.

"No way..." Ava's voice trails off.

"Shouldn't we do something? He's probably at the site right now," Tyler brings up a good point.

"I'm going, tell mom," Ava throws off her covers and quickly goes to the bathroom.

Once she's out of the bathroom, Ava grabs her silver bow and runs out the door. She clutches the bow tight, feeling a little calmer.

A cool touch to her calm her nerves.

Ava runs, using her short burst of speed, to get to the town house Brenton told them about. When she reaches there, she spots Brenton, standing in front of the yellow line.

"Brenton!" Ava calls out, worry etched on her face as she runs up to him. "Brenton, are you okay?"

Ava grabs his arm to turn it around but immediately lets go.

"Ow..." her voice trails off as she felt her hand burn at the touch of Brenton's skin. "Brenton?" Her eyes dart around to see his face.

They're lifeless.

The fire mage's amber eyes are typically full of emotion and brotherly love for anyone he places them on, but right now...

Ava couldn't find any of it.

She takes a step back, caught off-guard with the lack of emotion on his face. A burning sensation overflows Ava's senses and she backs away further.

What is this..? Ava questions, feeling her skin heat up. Why does everything burn...?

"Ava!" Ava turns around to see Ku running up to them, a mix of horror and worry on his gentle features. "Ava stand back, Brenton is unstable."

"Unstable? What's that supposed to mean?" Ava questions and Ku gently turns Brenton around.

"His emotions," Ku answers. "Or lack thereof, his magic is reacting to what happened..."

"They're gone..." Brenton's lips part to speak in a low, soft voice. "I'm all alone now...my family is all gone..." His says much more in Spanish.

Ava feels tears form in her eyes, and before she knew it, she goes over and gives Brenton a hug. Ava could feel her skin burn but seeing one of her friends hurting like that...

She couldn't stand by and watch.

"Brenton, please talk to me," Ku's voice is gentle as he speaks. Ava could see clearly in the elderly man's mud brown eyes that he is hurting by just seeing someone he cares about hurt.

"Duele (it hurts)," Brenton whispers that both of them nearly didn't hear it. "Todo (everything)."

"I know it does, it feels like someone just ripped a part of you out...like a part of you is gone, it is like a hole in your heart..." Ku gently pats Brenton's back.