Embrace The Dark (Her Elemental Dragons Book 5)

by Elizabeth Briggs

  I slept like a rock.

  Chapter Nineteen

  In the morning we decided not to rush back to the city, and instead to take some time to practice our magic and give Parin space to learn to fly. As the Earth Dragon, flying would be most difficult for him, at least according to my father, Slade. Their deep connection to the ground made it harder for them to embrace the sky.

  After a hearty breakfast, we headed outside into the freezing air, trudging through the snow on the mountain, and then began to practice our magic. I reached for the earth and made it shake, then loosened some stones and raised them in the air. I now had all four of the main elements in my control. This was when I should have been able to ask the Life Goddess for her blessing, except I’d been given a fifth mate. My own dragon form would have to wait a little longer, unfortunately.

  Erroh clapped Parin on the back. "Come on, big brother. For once I can teach you a thing or two."

  Parin grunted and then shifted into his dragon form. He was the largest of all my dragons, with a stout body and dark hunter green scales that looked almost black, until the sun hit them.

  Zain, Carth, and Erroh shifted too, my four dragons all spreading their wings before me. I couldn’t help but smile, even as I felt a pang of jealousy. More than that though, I felt a strong love and deep affection for them. I could sense through the bond how happy they were and how close they felt to each other too. Even Parin—he was truly one of them now.

  With the help of my other mates, Parin managed to lift off the ground, though it wasn’t easy at first. His aunt and her priests whooped and cheered as his wings stretched above us and he flew circles around the Earth Temple.

  Now I only had one more mate to bond with…but he would be a challenge.

  As we approached Soulspire a few days later, the smoke was the first sign that something was wrong. “Hurry!” I yelled to Erroh, whose back I rode. As the Air Dragon he was the fastest, even while carrying me, and he zoomed ahead of the others. Zain and Carth were just behind us, with Parin at the rear.

  Thick plumes of smoke shot up from various parts of the city. We flew toward the nearest one, and saw it was a hotel specializing in hosting elementals, now on fire. The Unseen had attacked again. Except this time there were dead humans in the street too, including some of the Silver Guard. Carth let out a roar and sprayed water on the flames, dousing the building, but it was too late. The battle here was already over.

  We flew across the city, over other places the Unseen had attacked, and a pattern emerged—every place had been one that catered to elementals. I spotted my fathers helping out at the various spots, and it was a relief to see they were safe. There was no sign of my mother, however. My dads would never be out there if she was injured though, so she was probably busy dealing with the aftermath of the attack elsewhere.

  When we came to a spot near Varek’s bar, we spotted him outside a café that had crumbled down like an earthquake had demolished it. He was speaking to one of the Silver Guard and pointing, but he turned toward us as we landed.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  Varek’s face was grim, and I noticed exhaustion in his eyes. “The Unseen attacked locations around the city where the elementals were known to gather. There were so many of the cultists, the elementals and the Silver Guard didn’t stand a chance. Your parents and I came out here to help, but by then it was too late. Many elementals and guards were already dead. Some elementals were kidnapped.”

  “How could they have done this?” Zain asked.

  “I thought we’d weakened them a lot,” Erroh added.

  Varek shook his head and looked away. “Their numbers have grown considerably.”

  “Where is my mother?” I asked.

  “She’s set up an infirmary in the palace and is healing people there.”

  I nodded, since it was exactly what I’d expect. “I should go do that too. The rest of you, please see how you can help my fathers throughout the city.”

  “Wait,” Varek said, raising a hand to stop us.

  “What is it?” Parin asked.

  Varek’s jaw clenched. “Nothing. We can speak on it later.”

  “You know something, don’t you?” Carth asked.

  I took a step toward Varek. “You’ve kept a secret too long. It’s time you told us.”

  “I think I know who the Unseen’s leader is and how she has Death Magic.” He drew in a sharp breath. “It’s my twin sister, Wrill.”

  “You’re twins?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Born only minutes apart. I believe when the Death Goddess gave me her power, she bestowed it upon my twin too.”

  “She can’t have two champions!” Zain said.

  Varek shrugged. “I don’t think the Death Goddess cares about playing by the rules. If it’s true, then Wrill has all the same powers I do, but with no duty to become Sora’s mate.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Parin asked. “We could have prevented all this.”

  “I didn’t believe it at first. I also knew if I told you before I was sure, you’d rush in and do something rash. I wanted to be certain.”

  “And you’re certain now?” Erroh asked.

  “Fairly. I’ve been trying to find Wrill for the last few days so I could talk to her, but she’s gone into hiding.”

  “And you put her in charge of the Quickblades,” I said, as the true horror of Wrill as the Unseen’s leader settled in.

  Varek’s frown deepened. “Unfortunately, yes. Hence the bolstered numbers today. She’s using them for her cause.”

  I sighed. “We’ll discuss this later. For now we need to deal with the aftermath of these attacks and get the city back in order.”

  My mates agreed with me, and we split up to do our duty. My heart was heavy as I returned to the palace and found the infirmary. Tears sprang to my eyes when I saw the number of injured humans and elementals in the room. This was my fault. I should have made Varek tell me his suspicions instead of giving him space. I should have dealt with the cultists before going to the Earth Temple. I should have done a better job of being the protector of the four Realms.

  I hadn't been the Ascendant for very long, and already I'd failed miserably.

  I healed alongside my mother all through the afternoon and into the night. At some point I passed out in a chair in the corner, planning to only take a five minute nap, and I woke when someone picked me up. My eyes cracked open and I was startled to find myself in Varek’s strong arms, cradled against his hard chest. He didn’t look at me as he carried me through the palace, and he ignored my sleepy protests that I was fine and could continue healing.

  Finally he set me down in my bed. “You need to rest.”

  I tried to hide a yawn. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

  He spread his arms wide. “By all means, get up and walk out this door. I won’t stop you.”

  I couldn’t do it. Exhaustion had turned my limbs to heavy weights, and the thought of moving them seemed impossible.

  I didn’t know if I responded or not. I’d like to think I replied with some clever quip, but it was more likely I fell asleep immediately. Next thing I knew, it was morning, and one of the servants was quietly bringing me some food and water. I devoured both, needing sustenance after using so much energy to heal people. I wanted to get back to the patients immediately, although by the time I’d fallen asleep, everyone who was injured had already been attended to by myself or my mom.

  After a quick bath, I received a summons from my parents, and met them in their living room again. All five of them looked weary. It was strange to see, as I’d always viewed them as unstoppable and indestructible. Now I was beginning to understand the pressure they’d been under my entire life.

  Mom looked especially tired and was eating fruit from a tray when I entered. She patted the spot on the couch beside her. "I'm sorry to summon you like this, Sora, but it's important."

  I sat beside her and stole some of the fruit from her tray. “
What is it?”

  "I think you should go to the Death Temple with all haste and complete your bonding.”

  If my mouth hadn't been full of melon, my jaw would've dropped. I hadn't expected her to encourage me to mate with Varek.

  I swallowed. "Are you sure?”

  "I do. Your fathers and I are not happy about the Death Goddess involving herself, but you’ve decided to accept him as your mate, and there’s nothing we can do at this point unless we wish to start a war against the Realm of the Dead."

  I settled back against her pillows. “No, we don’t want that. We have enough problems at the moment.”

  “I saw Varek carry you to your room last night," Jasin said. "I appreciate that he seems to care for you, but you must be cautious. There was a reason I never could find proof about his criminal enterprises, and it's not that he was innocent."

  “I know. I am. But he’s given up all of that.” I hesitated, but then decided not to tell them about Wrill. Not until we had more information. “He’s helping us uncover the source of the Unseen’s powers and we should know more soon.”

  “It’s very disturbing that the Death Goddess is helping them,” Auric said, rubbing his chin. “Especially since the other Gods have abandoned us.”

  “There must be an explanation for their absence,” Slade said.

  Mom stared out the window in thought. “Perhaps they’ve taken a step back from the world, entrusting us to handle things ourselves.”

  “They should at least give us their blessing.” My head dropped. “I would have liked to meet them.”

  Mom wrapped her arm around me and gave me a squeeze. “I’m sorry. Perhaps they will come to you once all of the bonding is complete and the Life Goddess gives you her blessing. Even more reason for you to go to the Death Temple immediately.”

  Reven crossed his arms and spoke from his spot against the wall. “If she isn’t ready, we shouldn’t push her. Let Sora choose her own path.”

  I gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks, Dad. I think I’m ready, but I don’t want to leave the city yet. There could be more attacks at any moment, and it’s my duty to protect the people.”

  “We will be here to defend the city,” Jasin said. “Don’t worry about that.”

  Auric reached over and patted my hand. “You’ll be able to help the people even more once you have your dragon form.”

  “I’m with Reven, there is no reason to rush this,” Slade said. “Sora, go whenever you are ready. If it’s tomorrow, fine. If it’s a year from now, so be it.”

  “We only want whatever is best for you, of course,” Kira said. “And we believe in you.”

  “I want to do my part to help the people,” I said. “I’ll speak with Varek and see if we’re ready. If not, we will continue our training and help defend the city.”

  All of my parents seem satisfied with that answer, and I went to the infirmary to check on the patients still there. Most of them had recovered, and the rest I did some more healing on. When I was finished, I returned to my rooms and collapsed.

  A tingle down my spine woke me sometime later, when night had fallen. The room was pitch black, except for a tiny sliver of moonlight, and silent except for the lightest footfall. I sat up quickly, just in time to dodge a blade made of ice. Above me, I saw a smooth black mask.

  The leader of the Unseen had come to kill me.

  Chapter Twenty

  The door burst open and Varek swooped inside, wielding a large knife. He immediately leaped forward and put himself between me and the attacker, then grabbed her by the arms.

  “What are you doing?” he demanded, his voice angry.

  Flames danced across the Unseen leader’s skin and Varek was forced to let her go. I blasted her with water to douse the flames, then used air to circle her like a hurricane. When Varek got to his feet, he reached through the torrent of water and air and grabbed her mask, yanking it from her face.

  I let my magic go with a gasp when I saw Varek’s twin standing before him. We’d suspected it was her, but seeing the truth was still shocking. Especially since she’d just tried to assassinate me in my sleep.

  “I knew it.” Varek threw the mask aside in disgust. “I just hoped I was wrong.”

  Wrill looked up at her brother with an angry slant to her mouth, but made no move to attack again. “You shouldn’t have stopped me.”

  "What were you thinking?" he asked. I'd never seen his face so raw, utterly stripped of all the walls and masks he put up to keep himself aloof. "Sneaking in here to try to kill my mate? How could you?"

  Wrill’s gaze moved from him to me, and murder glinted in her eyes. "I did it for you, brother. If she's dead, you don't have to mate with her and become the thing we hate the most—a Dragon. How could I? How could you?”

  “The Death Goddess chose me. She set me on this path. I could not refuse.” His eyes flicked to me. “Nor do I want to.”

  She lurched forward and took his hands in her own. "Varek, please. There’s still time to change your fate. Walk away from this. Return to the Quickblades. Help me run the Unseen.” Her eyes gleamed with hope and righteousness. “We’re doing great work. Righting the balance between humans and elementals. You can be a part of that too.”

  He shook his head. “What you’re doing is wrong. Yes, there is a power imbalance, but murdering elementals is not the way.”

  “We’re changing things,” she snapped. “You can either be a part of that change, or you can be the enemy.”

  "I am where I am meant to be."

  Wrill glared at him and then turned it to me. “Then you’ve chosen to side with the oppressors. So be it.”

  She leaped out the open window into the night, and then used air to lift her up and fly away. Varek and I rushed after her, but then we stopped. Varek didn’t want to go after his own sister, and even if I could catch her, what would I do? Kill my mate’s sister? Lock her up?

  All I knew was that this new development wasn't going to make our bonding any easier.

  My bedroom door burst open and my other mates rushed in wielding weapons. They looked around, but saw only me and Varek standing there, and then relaxed.

  “We heard a commotion,” Zain asked. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes, we’re fine,” I said, though I was still a bit shaken by everything that had happened.

  Varek’s jaw clenched. “The leader of the Unseen is my sister. We’ve confirmed it now.”

  “She was here?” Erroh asked.

  “She tried to kill Sora.”

  “She did what?” Carth asked, and the other men echoed his statement.

  I held up a hand. “It didn’t work, obviously. We stopped her and no one was injured. At least now we know for sure it is her.”

  “We need to double your guards,” Parin said. “No one should have been able to get in here.”

  “My sister has control of all four elements, plus death magic,” Varek said. “She is almost unstoppable. More guards won’t help much.”

  He was right. Wrill was the dark version of me, with death magic instead of life. My equal, at least until I bonded with Varek, gained his death magic, and then became a dragon myself. Only then could I have any hope of defeating her one-on-one.

  “I’d like to speak with Varek alone, please,” I told my mates.

  Erroh nodded. “We’ll patrol the area in case other members of the Unseen are about.”

  My other mates headed out the door with him. As soon as it was shut, I let out a long sigh, feeling exhausted again. I sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Varek, who stared out the window where his sister had vanished.

  “I can’t believe she came here to kill you.” He shook his head. “I knew she was the leader of the Unseen and what she was doing, but I never thought she would go so far.”

  “Why does she hate the Dragons so much?” I was especially curious since she’d implied Varek hated them too.

  “Our childhood did not leave us with much love for the Dragons.
Or the elementals.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Very well, but it’s not a nice tale.” He pulled out a chair from my desk and sat in it, facing me. “Our father was a general in the Onyx Army. He was killed in the last battle against the Black Dragon.”

  That meant he was one of the men that fought against my parents—and lost. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  “Wrill and I were only two at the time. When the new regime took over, my mother was left a widow with two small children. No one would help her, because of who her husband was and how he’d died. The Onyx Army was disbanded and disgraced. She tried to find work, and often took in sewing and laundry, but it wasn’t enough. She even applied here at the palace, but was turned away."

  My heart broke, imagining a tiny Varek coming to the palace with his mother, looking for help. “That’s awful.”

  “She was young and pretty though, so she had one other way to make money. A way I preferred to pretend weren't happening." He scowled as he stared off into space. “She got involved with some bad people and got hooked on alcohol. Wrill and I were on our own for the most part, growing up on the streets, and I did everything I could to take care of my mother and my sister.”

  “That must have been difficult for all of you,” I said.

  He shrugged. “There are many who went through similar things when your parents took over. It wasn’t an easy transition for anyone who supported the Black Dragon.”

  I bowed my head. “I…I had no idea.”

  “Of course not. You grew up in a palace with everyone telling you how special you are.” His voice was harsh, but then he paused and sucked in a breath. “As I was saying, things were tough for us, but we managed. Our mom took a new job with some elementals, helping them as an assistant in the warehouse. Then one of them lost their temper and burned the place down. She died from the smoke.”