Water (The Elementals Book Two)

By Dominic Bergfield

A devastating betrayal has left Markus in a dark place. His morality and worldview shattered, Markus dedicates his life to revenge. Alone again, Markus becomes a vicious vigilante to distract him from facing his worst enemy: himself. Outraged by Markus' unexpected success over some of his best agents, Cain employs an assassin to be his secret weapon against the troublesome youth. A master of their craft, this assassin stalks Markus as they plan his downfall. Will this new threat be just another conquest for the vengeful Markus or will they snuff out his flame?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dominic Bergfield
• Release date: Mar 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215276235

Dominic Bergfield

Dominic Bergfield is a self-published author of the Elementals series as well as numerous other short stories. A lover of all stories, whether through books, video games, or movies, he sought out an education from Full Sail University to learn to better hone his craft. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment in 2018 and has since dedicated himself to gathering even more experience through various small writing projects. When not busy with his books, Dominic is an avid gamer and is always looking for new experiences.

Book preview

Water

Copyright 2023 Dominic Bergfield

Published by Dominic Bergfield at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Elementals Reading Order:

Earth

Water

Air

Fire

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Chapter XVIII

Chapter XIX

Chapter XX

Chapter XXI

Chapter XXII

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Prologue

"You must not lose faith in humanity.

Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty,

the ocean does not become dirty."

-Mahatma Gandhi-

I poised the knife above my wrist. The blade trembled as I prepared to end my suffering. Peace awaited me. All I had to do was just cut one time, nice and deep.

I threw the knife to the side.

I couldn’t do it. I was too afraid. I wanted to escape my pain, but I was unwilling to face death to do so. I felt ashamed at myself. I had failed North, my parents, and myself. I hadn’t become a hero, and I had tried to escape my problems rather than face them. Some hero I am…

Well, that ended today. I was going to quit running. I would honor North’s memory by finishing what he started. I would rise up and start taking charge of my life.

And it starts with taking down Cain…

Chapter I

I sat in my office, rereading the email over and over. Each time I perused its contents, I’d get angrier than the previous time. I could not believe what it said. Those three fools whom I’d assigned to gain my brother’s trust had been killed. They had been some of the strongest fighters I had in my arsenal. Though Remus had been skilled, those three should have been more than enough to overcome him. The plan was foolproof. I had every base covered. The only thing that was unaccounted for was that little brat that Remus had taken in to train. Nobody could have predicted that he would prove to be such a troublemaker. If my plans were to continue, then all opposition must be eradicated.

I leaned back in my chair and steepled my fingers. I looked around my office. The most expensive and posh furnishings money could buy decorated it. From the rare African idols that lined my shelves to the tiger skin rug, nobody could argue that I was not on top of my financial game. I was a mogul. I thought about my rise to fame. It had been so easy to gain such power. My strength was unrivaled. If I gave a command, there wasn’t dissension. My word was law. My followers first saw my power when I killed my parents. From that day on, people knew who the true leader was. Even more reason to take care of that new kid. What was his name? Martin? Mark? It didn’t matter. He would be dead soon.

The only real question was how best to take care of the pest. An outright attack would not work. He has already shown remarkable prowess against large quantities of foes. He handled himself exceptionally well when he was ambushed at that warehouse and again when he took on the Ancients, or so they called themselves. No, the only way to ensure his demise is with a surprise attack. I smiled at that. A cloak-and-dagger was my favorite approach. As an avid moviegoer, I thoroughly enjoyed theatrical or melodramatic solutions to problems. What could I do though?

I composed myself. I had a reputation as a collected but cold person. I had to get a grip on my anger. Once I’d done that, I proceeded in making a plan. I rearranged papers on my desk, looking for the names of some of my assassins. I had very particular requirements. They couldn’t be any run-of-the-mill killer; he needed to be a professional. I kept this in my mind as I perused through the list of individuals.

There was a man who was an Earth Elemental. He was excellent at getting the job done, but lacked the ability to do it quietly. No, he would not do. I required a subtler touch than this. That boy could only be killed if he was caught unawares. He has proved himself strong enough already to handle many an adversary. I was a realist. I acknowledged his power and knew that brute force would fail. I threw the paper to the side and moved to the next. This one was a man as well, although he controlled fire. I almost threw that idea out immediately, but I caught myself. A Fire Elemental meant that the kid would not be able to harm him. He would have to rely on martial skill instead of his element, but was that really the right way to go? He has persevered against several Fire Elementals before, so there was no reason why he couldn’t do so again. Though I loathed admitting it, my brother was an extraordinary fighter. If he had passed off one iota of his knowledge on the pest, then there was no way that he would lose in hand-to-hand combat, especially if his opponent was more accustomed to using his element versus his fists. I cast it aside.

I leaned back in my chair and sighed in irritation. I rubbed my temples. This kid was giving me a headache and I was not even dealing with him directly. He was more trouble than he’s worth. I hated waiting. I wanted him taken care of this instant. Oh, what I would give for the ability to snap my fingers and kill him instantly. I was reluctant to search through every resume, every file, until I found the perfect choice. I performed a mental survey of all the assassins I had. I thought about the ones that I had personal experience with, the ones I knew would succeed. There were a few, but I was disappointed that there were not more. I’ll have to downsize a few of the incompetents. I thought harder. Finally, it came to me. Ms. Wasser. I smiled wickedly. She had worked for me for about eight years. Her record of accomplishment was immaculate. There was not a single time that she had failed me. Once a mark was in her sights, they always met their swift demise. The best part of it was her element: water, fire’s natural enemy. She was completely perfect. My decision was made. I pushed my intercom and spoke into it.

Bring me Ms. Wasser.

***

Mere hours later, I was sitting behind my desk, staring at the girl across from me, scrutinizing her. I was judging her reaction. I was trying to see if there was any sign of timidity within. I couldn’t have someone who would not strike when the time was right. She had killed before, but that was not to say that the grief had not caught up to her. I didn’t see a single sign of it from her. She looked back into my eyes expectantly without flinching. I respected her courage.

So, Ms. Wasser, no doubt you realize that I have a job for you.

I thought as much.

Smart mouth. "Recently, there has arisen a threat to my little

‘empire.’ A wrench in the gears, if you will. I need this problem removed from the picture."

What’d this person do?

That isn’t your place to know.

If I’m to kill this person, I believe it’s my right to know what for.

I almost lost my temper. Such blatant insubordination. If I didn’t need you so bad, I’d kill you in a breath. Very well. There is this boy. I call him boy because he is only recently out of adolescence. Despite my valiant efforts to gather all Elementals under my banner, one individual has miraculously managed to evade me. Because of this, he has taken up arms against me.

A single boy is causing you this much trouble?

My eye twitched in irritation. He’s been under the tutelage of another Elemental who harbors ill feelings for my work. At first, I did not see him as a threat. His age concealed his talent. He’s begun causing me a lot of grief, however. Is that enough for you, Sierra?

She smiled. I think I have enough background.

I inhaled deeply to calm myself. If she did not die during this mission, I was liable to kill her. Alright, I have a suspicion that he may be residing here, I handed her a piece of paper with directions along with an image of the boy that I had retrieved from the security footage of a condominium complex in Loveland.

Why give me directions and not an address?

This location is in a remote area in Colorado. It was built there for privacy reasons. It’s easier to just give directions.

She studied the paper intently before placing it inside her coat pocket. I just have one more question: What is his element?

All my sources say fire. Will that be a problem?

She grinned. Nope. I think you forget who you’re talking to.

I think you do.

All became silent then. I think it was at that point she finally realized the severity of the situation. I think it finally occurred to her that I was not to be toyed with. It felt good to earn her fear, but it was not enough to change my feelings for her. I still hated her attitude and her lack of respect. I had worked too hard and too long to allow one insignificant little brat ignore that. She needed to know whom she was messing with. I made my decision then.

No matter what happens, after the mission, I will kill her.

She got up to go leave. I guess we’re done then. I’ll go take care of him.

I stopped her just as she reached the door. Oh, and Ms. Wasser?

Yes?

I grinned menacingly. Don’t fail me.

Chapter II

The dark, hooded figure walked down the street. Most everyone avoided him, for they felt a feeling of animosity and danger emanate outwards from him. The few who did not were in such a rush that they didn’t even notice the figure skulking down the street. Nobody knew why they feared him. It was as if they instinctively felt that messing with him would be asking for death. The need to get away quickly overcame those who wandered too near him.

He walked with his shoulders hunched and his hands buried deep in his pockets. His dark hoodie and somber demeanor combined to suck all light out the atmosphere for several feet around him. He was akin to a black hole. Though it was the middle of November, he wore jeans that bore several holes, much to the onlookers’ surprise. At this time, everybody was already wearing thick coats and various winter wear. The cold had come bitterly that year. He knew they stared and wondered, but he did not care. The weather may have been cold, but his blood ran hot.

Little did they know, the passerby were right to fear him. He had traveled to Denver in the hopes that some poor fool would be brave enough to attack him. He had come looking for blood, and he was determined to find it. He refused to kill an innocent, so that is why he came to the closest hotbed of crime. He needed to get his anger out the only way he knew how: conflict.

He kept walking down the street, senses alert for any prowling thugs. Night had begun to fall, so the odds of being mugged rose. He smiled in anticipation. It was probably the first smile he’d had in over four months. There was nothing to smile about. His life, recently, had been tumultuous and joy had taken permanent leave in his heart.

Needing to do something with his hands, he fiddled with the contents in his pockets. If one listened closely,