The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series

by Andrea Lamoureux

  I strapped the Celestian steel to my back as I’d seen Ramiel do and handed Seph his sword. Phyra and Chel accepted the daggers they’d brought with them to Ventosa. The two women told me they found a sword to be more of a hindrance than an advantage and relied mostly on their powers when fighting, another reason I was the right person to defeat Vesirus.

  We thanked my aunt for her hospitality. She waved off our gratitude, glad to see us go. I thought she’d have appreciated the company, but she’d grown used to solitude. I thanked Celestia she wasn’t as cruel as my father. Being king had made him hard, but losing my mother had broken him.

  A few days after we’d left Aunt Klara’s manor, water dripped off an evergreen and onto my nose. The snow began to melt the farther we rode down the Acuties, the mountain range surrounding Ventosa. Shades of white turned to brown and green as the warming sun shone down on the land. I preferred the sparkling cleanness of snow and ice to this new landscape of dirt and grass.

  “So, we ride north until we reach the coast?” Chel asked, peering over Seph’s shoulder at the compass in his hand from on top of their grey horse.

  “Unless Ramiel shows up and tells us otherwise, yes,” I confirmed.

  As if he’d been listening, a silver streak flashed beside me and my guardian appeared, walking along beside my horse like he’d been there the whole time. My mount spooked, leaping sideways and almost throwing me off. The other two horses stopped in their tracks and stared straight at him; their ears pointed forward.

  “Easy! Easy,” I said to the white stallion I rode. When I’d regained control of him, I twisted in the saddle to glare at Ramiel. “Mind appearing a bit farther away next time? You scared the horses.”

  “Apologies.” He put out a hand so my mount could sniff him. “I haven’t been around animals since I was mortal. I didn’t know they’d react this way.”

  My stallion deemed him safe and then pulled at the reins, trying to nibble on the bits of grass at his feet.

  Once the grey mare and the chestnut Phyra rode also decided he wasn’t a danger, we dismounted.

  Chel didn’t stop staring at his wings until Seph loudly cleared his throat at her.

  “Have you brought us a map to Salais?” I asked him. “You said to head north, but we could still get lost.”

  “No. No map of the hidden island exists, and it must remain so. I’ve come to lead you there myself.”

  I eyed him. “I don’t know how the horses will feel about you riding them.”

  “No need. I can walk… or fly if I need to.”

  “Won’t you get tired? I thought it was hard for you to remain in this realm.”

  “I can return to my own realm to rest.” His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Worried about me, Auralina?”

  I smirked. “Not at all.” I squeezed my calves against the steed’s sides, and he moved forward. “Lead the way.”

  He kept a brisk pace with us. When we wanted to go faster, he flew ahead of us; in the distance, but always in sight.

  I was elated to have him with me again, though I kept that to myself. He looked different in the golden beams of sunlight. His silvery hair and white wings shone with radiance. His body was honed to perfection beneath the glimmering silver armour. The spark within me pulsed, and my heart sang each time I glanced at him.

  I caught him watching me sometimes when the others were lost in deep conversation, but he always averted his gaze when he saw me notice him. I wondered how much he warred with his emotions.

  One night, as everyone else slept, he appeared through the flap of the tent I shared with Phyra. “Come,” he beckoned. “Join me.”

  I struggled to my feet and exited the tent.

  He led me to a clearing in a forest where the sky stretched on forever, a black blanket poked with millions of tiny holes of twinkling light. We sat side by side on a fallen log.

  I breathed in the warm night air. “I’ve missed this,” I said on an exhale. “The sky, the scent of fresh air… freedom.”

  His soft, feathered wing settled behind me. I’d never felt so safe. “And you will spare us all from losing all of this.” He waved his hand at the world before us.

  I looked up at him, the shadows and starlight accenting the angles of his face. “I will try.”

  “You are brave. This world doesn’t deserve you.”

  I blinked at the wetness in my eyes. “Or am I weak for wanting to leave this world behind?”

  “If you were weak, you’d still be locked in that tower.”

  I pressed my lips together and nodded, although I wasn’t convinced.

  “You need to tell the others about your sacrifice,” he said quietly against my unbound hair.

  I puffed out a breath of air. “I know. I will when the time is right.”

  “The time will never be right.”

  I couldn’t agree more, so I swallowed my argument.

  We sat together, watching the night sky until it lightened to violet on the eastern edge. I fell asleep against his shoulder, cloaked by his wing. I awoke only for a moment when he placed me back inside the tent and pressed his lips against my forehead.

  “Wake up,” Phyra said, tapping on my shoulder with her fingers.

  I groaned and rolled over to face her.

  “It sounds like the others are already up. Let’s go find something to eat.”

  My stomach felt hollow with my attention turned to it. Voices murmured from outside of our tent. I quickly slipped on my clothing and crawled out of the tent behind Phyra.

  “Your guardian caught us breakfast,” Chel said, tipping her chin in the direction of Ramiel, whose winged back faced me as he crouched down.

  Seph watched him with narrowed eyes.

  I left the two women and walked over to Ramiel. He didn’t notice me at first, too busy plucking the brown feathers from a grouse he’d apparently captured.

  “You caught that bird?” I marveled.

  He peered up from his task long enough to meet my eyes. “I did.”

  “With your bare hands?”

  His mouth twitched. “Yes.”

  I raised both brows. “Impressive.”

  Seph smirked from where he observed. “I can’t believe you killed one of your brethren.”

  Chel stifled a laugh as her and Phyra joined us.

  Ramiel shot him an unamused glare. “I’m not a bird.”

  “Could’ve fooled me,” Seph teased, the smirk still on his face.

  Chel slapped his shoulder. “Be nice.”

  He simply shrugged and changed the subject. “We need a fire to roast this meal on. Hand me the flint and steel.”

  “No,” Phyra said quietly. We all faced her, except Ramiel, who’d moved on to the next step in preparing the grouse. “No,” she repeated louder. “I’ll make our fire.”

  “I think you should save your strength,” I began.

  “It’s been long enough,” she countered. “I feel my power growing stronger every day. I’d like to put it to the test again. Besides, I’m quite finished feeling useless.”

  Chel had helped us refill our water skins each time we’d emptied them by pulling water from the earth. Sepheus had created vines to tie our tents down with so we didn’t need to worry about pounding stakes into the ground. And I kept the wind still around our camp when we built a fire to keep it from spreading through the forest that had become our temporary home. We hadn’t let Phyra use her power in any way yet.

  “It can’t hurt,” Chel chimed in.

  “All right.” I gestured at the charred spot we’d used to cook our meal the previous night. “Go ahead.”

  The fire elemental rubbed her palms together and moved closer to the circle of stones we’d placed on the dirt.

  Seph grabbed an armful of branches he’d cut down and placed them in the center.

  Phyra bent over the pile of wood, splaying her hands over top. Her breath hitched and sparks appeared beneath her palms. They glowed brighter and brighter until the branches cau
ght flame and crackled. She rose and stepped back with a pleasant smile. “It’s back,” she whispered.

  “Well done,” I approved. “I still think you should take it easy while you can.”

  “I’ll try.”

  Ramiel had finished preparing the grouse and had it impaled on a stick. He roasted it over the flickering flames until the meat was well-cooked.

  As we sat around the fire eating our share of roasted grouse and the dried berries Star had packed for us, Seph licked his fingers and asked Ramiel, “So, this dragon—Kailasa—she won’t try to kill us?”

  My guardian blinked, taken aback by the question. “She might. Actually, she likely will.”

  Seph thought for a moment before replying, “We must kill her first then.”

  Ramiel was on his feet the next instant, towering over the earth elemental. “You will do no such thing.”

  He turned his eyes up and set his jaw. “Who put you in charge? You expect us to approach this mystical beast and hope she doesn’t engulf us with her fire or tear us to shreds? We may not mean much to you, but I won’t let harm come to these ladies.”

  “I can protect myself, thank you,” Chel bit out from the other side of him.

  Neither of them seemed to hear her.

  Phyra put a hand on her forearm.

  “I’m trying to save your ass,” Ramiel shot. “Celestia has tasked me with protecting you and this realm. If you kill one of her creatures, she may turn her back on you.”

  “Then let her! What help has she been to us anyway?” Sepheus snarled.

  “Seph,” Chel warned.

  Ramiel puffed out his chest, spreading his wings out wide. “How dare you! Ungrateful mortal. I don’t understand why she chose you to wield her earth magic.”

  Seph jumped to his feet and growled, bringing his face close to the guardian’s.

  I held my breath as Phyra stiffened and averted her gaze, suddenly finding the patch of dirt beside her very interesting.

  A strangled sound came from the other side of her as Chel tried and failed to stifle her laugh. She covered her mouth, but laughter bubbled from behind her hands.

  Seph turned his scowl on her.

  “I’m sorry!” she managed between laughs. “It’s just that he—he…” She pointed at Ramiel as tears streamed down her cheeks. “He looks like an angry chicken!” Her shoulders shook as another bout of laughter took hold.

  I pinched my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing myself. She was right. The way his wings were puffed up… and the way his silver hair seemed to stand on end as if he’d recently rolled out of bed.

  My guardian looked at me, and I fell apart. I guffawed so hard, I nearly fell off the log I was seated on.

  Ramiel lowered his wings. I thought he might disappear and never return. But then he tipped his head back and howled.

  Seph backed off, shaking his head, but he couldn’t hide his smile.

  Once we all caught our breaths and regained our composure, Ramiel explained, “I don’t believe Kailasa will scorch you or tear you apart if you are smart when you meet her. All we were told is that all four elementals will have a role to play in gaining the scepter.”

  “I’m sorry, but I still think we’re wasting valuable time. Vesirus may overthrow Ventosa while we’re off traipsing around for a magical scepter,” Chel stated.

  “He may,” Ramiel confirmed. “But if you four keep your powers separate and one of you dies, we’re done. If you obtain the scepter, this realm still has a chance, even if the Dark Lord rules all four kingdoms.”

  “It’s being protected for a reason,” I added as Chel blew a piece of her hair off her cheek, deep in thought. “We must use what we can to defeat him.”

  Phyra pushed herself to her feet. “I don’t understand why we’re still arguing about this. We’re already on our way. Let’s get going so we don’t waste more time. I’d like to get this over with so I can return to Percifal and help save my cousin.” The group had updated me while we rested at my aunt’s on how King Zaeden had used Vesirus’s power to put a dark spirit inside of Queen Adelaide, her cousin.

  “Of course,” I replied. “I’ll pack up our tent.”

  We all worked quietly to prepare for another day’s journey.

  Phyra used her power to put out the flames she’d created, and she did so with ease. Having her power back seemed to light a fire within her spirit, the one which had been dim since we’d met.

  Chapter 22

  Ramiel led us down an unbeaten path, me riding beside him, and the others following behind. The spaces between the trees were narrow at times, never having been cleared for travellers. We’d reached a part of Sarantoa which hadn’t been claimed by any of the four kingdoms. No one dwelled north of Ventosa.

  Sweat gathered on my back, making the fabric of my tunic cling to me. I missed the snow. I could’ve cooled the temperature to make myself comfortable, but I felt it would be a waste of my power. I needed to save my energy for the tasks ahead.

  “It was unfair, what you said to Seph,” I told Ramiel, while blocking a branch from hitting me in the face with my forearm.

  He tucked his wings in to fit between two tall, skinny trees. “Perhaps, but he doesn’t appreciate his power. He wishes Celestia hadn’t bestowed him with it. When I was an elemental, I wielded my power with pride. I fought for the people of Sarantoa, and I would do it again were I mortal.”

  “I hated my magic when I first discovered I had it, and you don’t give me such a hard time.”

  He watched me for a moment and then answered, “Not anymore. You have accepted your destiny. You feel stronger with the use of your power.”

  I couldn’t disagree. “My power is what got me imprisoned in the first place. But, you’re right, I will relish the day I get to face Vesirus and show my kingdom how wrong they were about me.”

  Pride gleamed in his eyes.

  Chel and Seph rode up beside us, or as close as they could manage in the tangle of branches.

  “What did you mean when you said, ‘we were told all four elementals will be needed to gain the scepter’?” Chel asked Ramiel. “Who is ‘we’?”

  My guardian cleared his throat. “Myself, and the other guardians.”

  “There are more of you? Do we all have our own guardians?” She watched him from on top the her horse

  “Yes,” he confirmed. “Each element has multiple guardians.”

  My mouth dropped open, and I looked at him. “You’re not my only guardian?” I felt connected to him by my power, but perhaps I’d have felt the same with any of the other elemental guardians of air. I couldn’t keep the disappointment from sinking its hooks into my heart.

  “I am,” he corrected. “We all have different roles. I’ve been responsible for watching out for you since you came into your magic.”

  He’d told me this once before, but it only sank in now what that meant. The tone of my voice rose as I asked, “You’ve been watching me since I was thirteen?”

  Chel gaped at him.

  Seph seemed indifferent to the whole conversation.

  “I told you,” he answered, lengthening his strides to catch up with me again. “I don’t watch you when I’m in Celestia’s realm. It’s not possible. I can only sense when you’re in danger. I never came to this realm until that night we met in the tower.”

  “But you didn’t come to my aid when I was first condemned to that tower.”

  He made a strangled sound, frustrated with my questioning. “It wasn’t time. And you weren’t in danger of being killed.”

  I pushed the pieces of hair that’d come loose from my braid off my neck. “How different things may be if you’d only meddled a bit.”

  He looked to Chel for sympathy, she had none for him.

  Phyra piped up from behind, having listened to the whole exchange. “Why haven’t our guardians come to us? Why is Aura the only one who has met one of you?”

  “Because coming to this realm is a risk for us. It is hard
not to get involved in mortal affairs. Not to mention, it weakens us to come here.”

  “I understand,” she replied quietly.

  “They have helped you in other ways though,” he told her, slowing a bit to walk closer to her. “They urge you by putting ideas in your mind, or by coming to you in dreams.”

  “Did you say dreams?” Phyra asked.

  “Yes. We have the ability to affect our charge’s dreams.”

  I looked over my shoulder at her. The light in her eyes seemed to dim. “Oh. I thought it was Celestia who’d visited me in my dreams,” she said.

  Ramiel stopped to stare up at her. We all pulled on our mounts’ reins to wait. “Your guardian works for the goddess. If you saw Celestia, it was through them. Do not doubt your experience. Your guardian only made it possible for you to make contact.”

  A pleasant smile brightened her face. “Thank you.”

  “I can almost guarantee that if I have a guardian, they haven’t visited me,” Seph finally spoke up.

  Ramiel quickened his pace. “You were probably too difficult to bother with.”

  He smirked. “You’re probably right.”

  We descended the mountain each day until nightfall. Eventually, the terrain flattened out and the forest grew thinner, the air thicker.

  Chel breathed in deeply on a cloudy, grey afternoon many sunrises after we’d left my aunt’s. “I smell the sea!”

  I tucked my chest in closer to the horse I rode, trying to share some of its warmth. “I’m used to the cold, but this dampness feels as though it’s seeping into my bones.”

  Seph scoffed, arms wrapped around Chel’s body, trying to give warmth, or take it, I wasn’t sure. “Imagine how I feel.”

  I sniffed.

  Ramiel strode along beside me through the tall grass, completely oblivious to the temperature. I frowned as he blinked out for a moment and then back into existence. “Ramiel? What’s happening to you?” His once silver and gold eyes had transformed into a dull grey.

  He looked down at himself as he blinked in and out again. He met my worried stare. “It’s an effect of remaining in this realm for too long. I need to return to my own home and replenish my energy.”