A Time to Die (Elemental Rage Book 2) Read Free Page A

saw one.  Shelly was trying to look
cool.  Raven wondered when it stopped working.  She’d have tried to match
swallow for swallow in the past.
     Laughing, Raven
opened a bottle of her own, “This summer.”
    Air hated
alcohol.  She said, Don’t Raven, I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.
    It was true.  Alcohol
kept the Elements at bay.  Raven didn’t know why, only that the best Elementals
in the world were also teetotalers.  At least that was what Aunt Bertha told
her when she suddenly decided to cram sixteen years of lessons into one month. 
Raven’s mother didn’t want the girls doing anything at all with the Elements.
    I need some
alone time.
    Raven hurt Air’s
feelings.  She could tell by the little chuff and change of pressure inside the
car.
    If Shelly noticed
Raven’s distraction, she didn’t say anything.  She was too busy chatting about
the party and who was going to be there.  “Ignore Trish.  She’ll drop in for an
hour, act like she runs the place, change the music a few times and then
leave.  She’s got big bazookas and she’s a college girl, too, so the guys let
her do whatever.”
    Raven took another
sip.  The taste of the alcohol had a sharp tang to it.  Were she completely
honest, she didn’t actually think it tasted that great.  She liked the idea
that she was getting away with something more than anything.  The chill of the
bottle cooled the side of her knee where she held it.  Raven was thinking more
than she’d thought before during these sneak outs. 
    Three years ago
when Shelly was held back a grade, she had replaced Jade in a way.  Instead of
following Jade’s path, studying, playing sports, working, Raven followed
Shelly.  Speeding through the dark, Raven realized that she didn’t want to
follow anyone.  She wanted to figure things out for herself.
    Still, it was good
to have friends.
    Raven stopped drinking,
pretending to take a sip when Shelly glanced over.  The whole situation was
dumb.  They could kill themselves or someone else.  They could get busted.
Imagine Aunt Bertha bailing her out. Raven wanted to be brave and say, “Hey,
let’s head home.”
    But she wasn’t
brave.  She wasn’t strong.  She wasn’t any of those tough-girl things she
pretended to be.  At heart, she was a coward, running away from memories that
haunted her, from responsibilities she felt too small to manage. Now that she
knew she was a coward, Raven didn’t enjoy the game of escaping responsibility
as much.
    Still, Shelly
chattered on and on and on.  Raven nodded and sipped.  Air at least seemed less
upset now that she knew Raven wasn’t going on her usual bender. It was the
longest ride of Raven’s life.
    They found parking
a block away from the party house.  Music was thumping from huge speakers and
like tiny flocks, people were walking toward the house in small groups.  Shelly
leaned on Raven, “Fashionably late. I know how to party.”
    It was one of
Shelly’s talents—Raven had to agree.
    They climbed the
stairs and met a group of overfriendly people who were hopping to the music. In
the corner a group of guys were having a drinking contest and shouting loudly. 
Raven and Shelly wove their way deeper into the house.  In the kitchen, Shelly
poured a pair of vodka’s into shot glasses.  Shelly pulled a couple of guys out
of the dance, “Hey, I’ve got a few bags of hard stuff in the car. Want to help
me carry it in?”
    Shelly winked at
Raven before leading the way.  She probably raided her mom’s liquor.  Her mom
was such a lush she’d hardly notice it was gone, but complain bitterly at the
rising cost of alcohol and taxes and how it was enough to break a person.
    Raven floated
along, pretending to dance and forcing a smile.  Six months ago she’d be here
smashed, laughing and loving every minute of it.  Not today.  Today, she felt
disjointed, uncomfortable…out of place.
    Air surrounded
her, comforted her.  Air knew somehow that