Perhaps I'd been a little too desperate. Stepping out onto the tar paved rooftop, I instantly coiled, my scarf seeming almost comical. Hopefully Kheelan had some fire training exercises because my blood was seconds from congealment. Not even my excitement was enough to warm a hair on my body, though I practically burst at the seams in anticipation.

Finally, training. Ever since the moment I learned of these powers, they seemed almost like a foreign substance.  And I'm not talking about Maris. I mean the energy that flowed through me at the hospital. The fire that burned my veins at the barn--My very own powers. Yes, they were there but we in no way interacted willingly. I couldn't snap a finger and whip up a sand storm. I couldn't blow a kiss and with it strike up a tornado funnel. Hell I wasn't even sure I'd be able to do that once I did learn how to use my powers but my point is that where as before my abilities and I merely co-existed and came together only in times of sheer desperation, that was moments away from changing. We would exist as one unit and function as a whole.

It was the perfect night to train. Though a bit cloudy, the moonlight broke through various cracks in the clouds, offering us an eerie yet guarding light. In the distance, the hushing sound of the cars on the freeway seemed so insanely fitting,  Like an undercurrent . I'd always loved that sound; it was so easy to get lost in the nothingness.

Kheelan strode ahead, stopping at the roofs edge. Crazily stripping off his jacket, he lined a few random materials he'd gathered before our departure in a straight line.  Though some of their particulars were obvious, other's left me quite dumbfounded.

Running my fingers along the book of matches, the bottle of water, I stopped at item beside the houseplant Kheelan had swiped from the apartment--A knife. It twinkled unnervingly under the moonbeams breaking through the clouded sky.

I ran my finger lightly down the blade, "Precaution?" I smiled lightly; all too sure the knife was more for the worst case scenario that played over and over in my head. He didn't answer

Kheelan lifted the book of matches, "Fire, obviously."  He said. Moving down the line, he tapped the bottle of water, "Self-explanitory, as is this." He motioned to the houseplant. Then he stopped at the knife, "And, earth."

What?  I stared blankly. Noting my obvious confusion, he picked up the knife, "It's a metal Charlotte, and metals are earth substances. Did you not pay attention during your classes?" he jeered, and then continued, "Do you have a preference?"

Shrugging, I answered sheepishly, "Whatever's easiest?" knowing full well easy or hard didn't matter as they'd all be a pain at first. But no, there was no room for negativity. Brushing the damp, and might I add frizzy hair from my eyes, I decided, "Water."

He smiled, "My favorite."

Picking up the bottle of water, he placed a gentle hand on my back and led me to the middle of the open space.  Turning me to face him, he took several calculated steps back, knelt and in unscrewing the water bottle, stepped back.

With a snap of his fingers, the bottle contracted, sending the top into the air like a makeshift rocket ship.  But as if a genie being summoned from its lamp, a slender strand of water shot from the bottle, catching the top and absorbing it into its hold. Quickly identifying its master, the water whirled towards Kheelan, depositing its content onto his waiting hand.  It then floated hauntingly back into the bottle in wait of its next command.

"Now let me see what you can do." He stated simply and stepped back.

...What? Just like that?

...Right. I didn't think so-

"I'm sorry but It seems like you want me to do what you just did."

"Precisely." He focused intently, his whole demeanor changing very much to match that of his brother.  The look I shot back was equally keen, just keenly confused.  If my powers were just a switch I could turn on and off would I really be standing on that roof, in the cold?

Staring blankly, he paused, clearly debating his next words. Meanwhile mine were readily available, "Kheelan, we just started," I reminded him plainly, "I think-"

"And that's your problem." 

What? Naturally, one of my usual silly comments was on the edge of my tongue, hoping to make light of the situation but the blank look spread across Kheelan's face sucked all humor from my bones. I felt rather stupid really. I hadn't even tried instead instantly shot down the idea before even asking how.

I don't know how long we stood there in the stillness but Kheelan broke the silence with a heavy sigh. No words. Just a sigh. Then simply shaking his head, he walked toward me, stopping to pick up the water bottle in the same uncomforting silence.

A gasp cut through us...and I realized it left my mouth.  My brain quickly caught up to the shock my body had processed. Why was he picking up the water bottle? It couldn't be over-

"We're done?"

He shrugged, "You tell me Charlie, are we? And while you're at it, can you tell me what side we're developing here? Your human half or your faerie?"

Debating my answer, I noticed he hadn't picked up the water bottle which was of some comfort...

 "My Faerie side?"  I replied. It was supposed to be statement and in the pressing look Kheelan shot me, I instantly rephrased my words more concretely, "My faerie side."

He nodded sharply, "Right, so why the bloody hell are you thinking so much? We don't think about using our powers charlotte, we simply use them. They are an extension of our beings.  The same way we employ our hands for simple things as a caress," he reached for me when suddenly a singular whirpool, narrow as a pen, twisted from the bottle and connected instantly to his fingertips, "likewise is done with the said element." The thin line of water, knotted in itself until the bottle toppled over, empty. Swirling the strands of water overhead, one singular strain melted from the rest, spiraling toward me.

Absolutely captivated and in no way scared, I remained still as the cool line gentle stroked my cheek. Looking back to Kheelan who seemed all too satisfied with himself; I realized he looked different that night. His normal icy blue eyes seemed more transparent, almost like two glinting stars. His skin also held the same icy clearness, intensifying the beauty to the point I couldn't look away.  He seemed more at ease...free. Just like the water swirling around us. It dawned on me then that in all the time, however short it truly was, that we'd known one another, I'd never once seen Kheelan use his powers. Yeah he shadowed a few times, and healed but to see him bend the elements as he did then-never.

That was Kheelan. Kheelan the faerie in his true form. No glamour, no cool guy attitude. He was free. And that was as spectacular as it was utterly beautiful. It was also the reason why I then understood that he wasn't angry with me. The fire he reprimanded me with was passion, plain and simple.  The passion he felt in using his powers. The passion that flowed through his body upon bending the delicate element. He wanted me to feel the urge, the consuming ache of my powers. To be honest, I've never been so happy to have someone so cross with me, which brought about another subject: Ivan.

The same intensity Kheelan possessed there before me was what Ivan displayed all the time. His passion  had him arrested and consumed. He'd been so different that morning in bed when his walls were down and no glamour was employed. He was tender and affectionate. But when having to layer himself with humanity, he felt imprisoned, hence his gloom.  And it was there, in the cold dark night that I finally understood my common.

Kheelan arched a brow, clearly warning me of my incessant thoughts.

 "I can't just shut them off Kheelan. When I think of not thinking, I think more about thinking and...well now I'm just confused!"

Finally showing signs of compassion, he came around me, the water snake following. "You have to find a focal point....find a constant and focus on that with all your energy, letting it take you wherever it wants to go."

It didn't take a second to figure it out-the hushing of the freeway.

"Close your eyes, and focus..." Kheelan ordered softly.  Obediently, I did and let the never-ending sigh of the freeway rush into my head.  On and on it played...until my focus shifted to my breathing. Crap. So much for concentrating. Forcing myself to focus back on the hushing, Kheelan spoke.

"Let it take you wherever it wants to go...."

Nodding, I once again fell back into the constant rhythm but it instantly shifted onto my breathing...in and out....in....out....in....

My stomach clenched-

"Let it...." Kheelan coaxed.

A swirling burning shot through every vein in constant pulses until drowning out my very heartbeats. With each pulse, I fell deeper into the nothingness until-

"That is your true heart Charlie. Let that pulse guide you from this day forth. Now, open your eyes." Kheelan said and in doing so, I could have cried. Water revolved about my body, skipping with each pulse. Just as the sand had done at the barn. It whirled in wait of its master. It spun in wait of me.

An extension of me huh? Reaching for the water bottle, my whirlpool shot toward it, thrusting it further away-

"Easy now," Kheelan chuckled, "Tame it. You own your powers.  Keep them in your control. Now focus and try it again."

Purposely focusing on the pulse in my veins, I fixated on the silence in between each beat. Beat, pause, Beat, Pause....

Reaching for the bottle again, the water rotated with more ease, wrapping itself around the bottle slowly. Though my fingers burned, I refused to shift focus. Thinking of the bottle in my hands, it floated to me until falling into my palms.

"And that Ms. O'Dean is how you bend water." Kheelan came up from behind me.  

Dear God....I did it. I did it!

Wait--"That's it?" I protested.

"Well aren't we cocky?" he laughed, purposely messing up my hair but I didn't lose my hold on the stream. That is until tired clapping erupted from behind me, cutting my focus. Instantly all the water splashed on the floor, wetting me entirely. And did I mention it was cold?

Spinning around, Ivan leaned against the door with an unreadable expression. Was the clapping for real or in sarcasm? He pushed off the door frame and walked toward me. I confess I worried a bit but screw him and any of his reprimand-- I had just controlled water!

"Impressive." He said, standing beside Kheelan who didn't look the least bit worried, "A little shaky yes but--"

I scoffed, "Seriously? I just controlled water on my first try and you're going to give me grief about it being shaky?" Oh I wanted to shake him alright!

"Well it was..." he said coolly, walking backwards, never shifting his gaze from me. Kheelan suspiciously cleared out of the way as well.

"It's a fluid and its movements should be such." He said when suddenly droplets of water lifted from the ground--and from my clothes, leaving me completely dry. Effortlessly, he called it to his upturned palm, shaping it into a whirling orb like a planet in his hand.

"Feel it Charlotte, in every part of you-"

"It's an extension of me, I know-"

"No." he cut me off sharply, "It's not an extension, it is you."  The orb spun faster with each word, reminding me of the passion, "You can't think of controlling it. It just has to happen. If you try to control it or suppress it, it'll tear you up inside-"he paused, a memory halting his words. Tuning into him, I gasped as a flash of my body, broken and torn that day in the classroom revealed itself and then his fear swept through me.

Clearing his throat, he brought himself back to the present, "Again." He said thrusting the orb forward to me. Without a thought, I held out my hand to catch it but it splashed right through my fingers. In one breath, Ivan again absorbed all the water back into an orb, instantly throwing it and again it went right through my fingers. Crap!

"Christ! Can't I get a minute?!"

He seemed almost offended at my question, "Sam's men were nothing Charlotte! When Fae come for you, they will want to kill you. Now Focus!" He absorbed and threw again. Once more, miss-

He snarled, "Focus Charlotte!"

"I am!"

"Harder." Kheelan said softly from behind me. Spinning, I found him with the same dry expression. What the hell! They were tag teaming!

"Again." Ivan snapped bringing me back around.  Orb in hand, he thrust and once more, fail.

"Again."

Fail.

"Again."

Fail.

"Again."

"No." I finally snapped. I was done. My face hot in embarrassment, I felt the tears welling in my eyes. Was he having fun making me look like an idiot!

"Charlotte-"Kheelan put a hand on my shoulder. Shaking it off, I turned back to Ivan, "I'm finished. I can't do it alright?! What else do you want? "

"For you to grow up." He snipped, grey eyes sparkling with challenge. The orb formed once more.

"You know what Ivan?! Fuc-"

He thrust the orb. I don't know what happened next, but before my next breath, the orb was splashed against Ivan's chest! Looking back expecting it to have been Kheelan, he stood with his arms crossed. It hadn't been him...

"Again."

Turning, the orb almost crashed into me had it not been for my hands subconsciously shooting up and halting it in its tracks. Bringing it to me, I held it in my palm as it swirled violently, matching the raging beating of my heart. Too focused, I didn't notice Ivan walk up behind me. I was gone. Gone in the beauty of the spinning of my hands. Of the constant current that flowed through me and connected to the liquid. It felt right and for once I felt...whole.

 "Very good," Ivan whispered, coming closer to my ear. His breath on my neck nearly did me in but in resting a hand on my hip--Heavens.... The orb jerked and swirled wildly in different directions. Suddenly, against the cool night, the water released smoke, clearly betraying my private feelings.  Ivan chuckled and in sliding his hand down my arm until cupping my hand that held the orb, he said, "And that is the proper way to bend water."  Closing his hand against mine, together we undid the orb, letting the water drip from in between our fingers.

Sliding his hand back, he stepped away, leaving me absolutely breathless.

"But I must say," He instantly cut through my recovery, "Seeing as water comes so easy to you, I'm curious as to how you handle your common's core element." A dangerous smile toyed at his lips. Trying to pull myself from his mouth, I couldn't help the smile that crept on mine.

"And what element is that?" I asked when suddenly a spark snapped behind me. A flash of light hissed past me, falling into Ivan's hand-

"Fire."

**********

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