No One (Element Preservers, #3.5) by Alycia Linwood

Chapter 01
    Now
    I stormed into the room where Lily and Paula were discussing something about magic disease. They both went silent when they saw me, their eyes full of worry and pity. "Don't give me that look." I'd always hated to see pity in people's eyes more than anything.
    "Adrian..." Paula took a step in my direction, but then stopped herself, unsure what to do.
    "I won't give up on Ria no matter what you say." I glared at Lily, who ran her hand through her long black hair, her brown eyes regarding mine.
    "If you love her, you'll realize that the best thing you can do is let her go," Lily said quietly.
    "What do you mean let her go?" I stopped only inches away from her, the room getting colder around me.
    "You can't stay with her. She has a lot of things to worry about and she can't afford to have any weaknesses."
    "Yeah, and that's why she needs me." I crossed my arms in front of me, locking my element deep inside so Lily couldn't tell how upset I was. We couldn't feel each other's elements, but she could definitely feel the room going cold.
    "Look, you were around too much. You were there to get her back in control and that's why she got addicted to you. When you are away from her for too long, she goes through withdrawal. Sometimes it isn't that bad, but if you stay with her... She could snap. You don't want her to get hurt because of you, do you?" Lily gave me what was supposed to be a reassuring smile.
    "I won't give up on her. I'll find a way for us to be together." There was no way I'd leave the only person who was willing to risk her life for me; the only person who might really love me.
    Lily simply shook her head at me. "Fine. Do as you wish, but remember to do what's best for her, not what's best for you."
    "If you don't have any smart advice, you can fuck off." Anger spread through me like a wave, and I ran out of the room before ice decided to come out and turn the room into an igloo.
    As I got outside the building and breathed in the fresh air, I couldn't stop thinking about Ria and what I could do for her. How the fuck was I supposed to know that she shouldn't have touched me so much? I'd thought I was helping her, not making her more unstable. It was all my fault, but there was no going back now.
    A damp newspaper lay on the ground, a huge picture of my parents on the front. I kicked it away so I wouldn't have to see what the press had to say about them and me. Ever since I demonstrated my sub-element in front of the entire world, the press wouldn't leave the whole thing about my parents alone. And every time I saw my parents' faces, the images from my past wouldn't leave me alone.
     
     

Chapter 02
    14 years ago
    My mom burst through the door of my room, her light blue eyes wide with panic, her long dark brown hair flying around her beautiful face. "Adrian, you have to go! Now!"
    "Mom? What...?" I sat up on my bed, looking up at her in surprise. She wiped off the tears with the sleeve of her red shirt, and pulled me in a hug so tight that I could barely breathe. Realization dawned on me, and I buried my face into her hair, pushing back my own tears.
    "They found us. You have to go!" Her lips spread into a smile, her hand gently caressing my cheek. A loud bang came from the downstairs, as if someone had crashed the front door, and we both jumped. "There is no time! Go! It will be all right. I promise. I love you, Adrian. Don't you ever forget that." With another smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, my mom rushed through the door, no doubt to stop whoever broke into our house from finding me.
    I slipped into my sneakers, and ran out into the hall, my heart beating like crazy in my chest, my vision blurry with unshed tears. As I reached the stairs, a scream ripped through the house, followed by gunfire. Before I could think what I was doing, I hurried to the kitchen from where the sounds were coming.
    The scene in front of me stopped me dead in my tracks. Our kitchen was full of armed men, and my mother