I smirked as the roles were now reversed. They looked so pitiful, drenched and trembling from the biting rain, but I would show them no mercy, and I knew they were too proud to ask for it. “I told you I would make you pay,” I said with finality. I threw my arm up, sending my Akasha soaring up into the sky. I controlled it as it sailed upward, about twenty stories high, before I pulled it back down again, barreling towards the Earth, directly at the Elders. It impacted, engulfing the ground in a bright light and sending out a blast of energy that threw everything, including me, away from the center of impact. I landed on my aching back, about thirty feet away. I struggled to get up, my body drained from injuries and the power I expelled. The rain stopped, and I managed to stand after several attempts, wobbling from the effort. My eyes widened as I took in the scene before me—the area where the Elders stood was now a huge crater, about thirty-five feet in diameter and five feet deep. Smoke billowed up from the fractured earth, showing no trace of the Elders except the still unconscious Marcus.
I turned and limped towards the stage, which had now crumbled to the ground. I fell several times, each time requiring a tremendous effort for me to get back up. The last fall forced me to crawl the rest of the way to the stage, and up the steps to the platform. I dragged myself to Jace, who was still tied to the posts, which were now strewn across the broken stage. He lay unconscious, face down on the rubble, and I shakily melted the chains on his wrists, which were bloody and ragged. I immediately placed both hands on each of his wrists to heal his wounds before moving to his back, where open, gaping lacerations glared at me angrily. I gently place my hands over his shredded skin, which still oozed blood. My tears dropped onto his torn flesh as I healed each gash until his skin restored to its flawless form. I flipped him over and strained to pull him into my lap, but finally managed to cradle his stout upper body in my arms. I caressed his face with the back of my knuckles, gently trying to wake him from his unconsciousness. More tears dripped onto his face as I thought of the pain I put him through. The pain that I could have prevented if I had just left yesterday like he wanted to.
Jace began to stir as I continued to caress his striking face, and his eyes flitted open. His gaze found mine and a small smile graced his mouth as he reached up to rub his thumb over my cheek before lightly stroking my bottom lip. “Saved me again, huh?” he joked hoarsely, his voice sounding like someone had scraped the inside of his throat with a dull, serrated knife.
I sucked in my bottom lip as more tears threatened to spill over. I leaned down as I pulled Jace up to meet me, clutching him to my chest as I buried my face in his neck and sobbed, “I'm so sorry, baby. This is all my fault!”
His chest rumbled against me with his laughter as he chuckled, “It is not. Stop blaming yourself for what those assholes did. You had to protect your dad and your family.”
“But you are the most important person to me, and I let them hurt you. I'm a horrible twin flame,” I moaned.
“You are not—I wouldn't trade you for anyone. You are exactly what I dreamed of, what I wished for,” he said as he sat up, reversing our roles by cradling me in his lap. He placed a hand on my neck, healing the jagged square of open flesh left from Marcus.
“Is our mark still there?” I asked softly.
“Yes, why wouldn't it be?”
“I was just afraid it wouldn't come back from so much trauma,” I replied.
He continued to hold me as he lightly threaded his fingers through my matted hair. I relaxed into him, letting the sound of his heartbeat erase the events of the past twenty-four hours. The sound of his life, our life, thrumming steadily would always pacify me. After a few peaceful moments, he asked, “You ready to go home, mi amante?”
I nodded, eager to get home and make everything up to Jace. He smiled as he saw my thoughts, and lifted me up in his arms. “Let's go home,” he said as he set me down on my feet once we were off the stage. I winced as the wound on my leg throbbed, the adrenaline almost completely gone from me, allowing the pain to force its way through. “What's wrong, mi amante?”
“My leg. I got shot with that weird gun,” I answered.
He knelt down to look at my leg. My muscle was exposed beneath the knee and the skin surrounding it was swollen and red. Bordering the redness, my skin took on a purplish hue, almost like a bruise. Pus oozed from the wound, mixing with my blood as it trailed down my shin. Jace placed his hands over the area, the pressure causing me to bite my lip and whimper in pain. After a few agonizing seconds, the pain vanished and my skin healed, no trace of injury left behind. “Better?” Jace asked.
“Much. Thank the Gods that you can heal me, otherwise I don't think I'd be able to walk. That is some weapon,” I replied. It scared me to think about the Elementals having technology that advanced. What else could they be working on? Maybe Jace could ask Zane if his contacts knew anything. Jace interlaced our fingers, putting my thoughts on hold as he led me back through the courtyard, towards the village.
“Wait,” I said, stopping. I suddenly remembered one more thing that I wanted to do, and I turned and pulled him toward the palace.
“What are you doing?”
I thought about destroying the building, decimating it to the ground, but decided against it. What if valuable information about me or the Prophecy was held inside? Jace heard my thoughts and said, “All the important documents are housed elsewhere, so don't worry about that.”
I smiled as I led him to the base of the stairs leading up to the palace. I slowly ascended, contemplating how I would destroy this retched place. Once I reached the top, I decided to use my Earth for my method of destruction. I concentrated on the ground beneath the palace, ordering it to bend to my will as I summoned an earthquake to shatter the ground supporting the Elders' home. The palace swayed back and forth, fighting against the force before collapsing to the earth. The ground depressed from the trauma, forming a cavity that the palace fragmented into. Dust and debris swirled from the heap of rock, wood, and metal as the once grand structure finally settled into the dirt.
“Now I'm ready,” I said, looking up at Jace. He draped his arm around my shoulder and kissed me on my temple before leading me back through the courtyard to the village.
“Wait, I have one more thing I want to do, too,” Jace said as he stopped and pivoted us around. He walked towards Marcus, who had turned over onto his back and was now clutching his obviously broken arm. His right ankle also appeared to be broken. He caught sight of us, and a mixture of fear and anger set on his face. “This is all your fault, abomination. You will be punished for your actions here today,” he seethed.
“I made you a promise last night, and I never break my promises,” Jace calmly spoke. He grabbed Marcus by the throat, lifting him up and cutting off his oxygen, causing his face to turn various shades of red and purple. His throat sizzled from Jace's fire searing into his skin, and he thrashed about, his feet dangling from Jace suspending him in the air. After a few torturous seconds, Marcus went limp, his head lax against his shoulder, his chest no longer struggling for air. Jace dropped him to the ground before grabbing my hand and walking us away from the scene. I feared we would be confronted by guards or an angry mob of people, but the village was almost deserted, except for a few guards who went about their business. I saw people peeking through their windows as we passed their homes, and I realized they were probably terrified of us. Hopefully, my demonstration would send the message to never threaten my family again.
By some miracle, our boat was where we left it. Hopefully, that was a sign that we held the Gods' favor because I was positive that it would have been stolen. I guess such a secluded area provided some protection, as well. Brielle was thrilled that we didn't have to walk.Neither one of us was in any shape to travel the long trek back.
Brielle fell asleep about ten minutes into the ride back. We were exhausted, and I planned on the both of us resting for a few days once we got home. I sped all the way back to the dock, anxious to get Brielle s
afe in our house. I was going to tighten security, just as a precaution since we probably pissed off a lot of people back at the community.
Once I docked, I gently lifted Brielle from the seat where she had fallen asleep and carried her out of the boat. She stirred when I stepped clumsily on the dock, and drowsily murmured, “My dad. Need to see my dad.”
“Shhh, we will, baby. Go back to sleep.”
Her eyes opened and she wiggled in my arms as she replied, “No, I'm good. I need to check on my dad. Put me down, please.”
I sighed as I put her down, “You need to rest, mi amante.”
“I'm fine. That nap really helped,” she yawned. I gave her a skeptical look, to which she replied, “I promise I'll rest when we get home.”
“Can we at least get cleaned up first? We are both covered in blood. Don't you think we will freak your dad out?”
She looked torn as she thought about our appearance. I know she was anxious to check on her dad, but I brought up a valid point. We both looked like we had committed murder, especially since we had no visible wounds to account for the blood.
“Fine, but I'm going over there right after I shower. When we get back, I'll sleep,” she said as she began briskly walking towards our house. She called over her shoulder, “We need to charge our phones too, then let Kimber and Zane know that we are okay.”
“We can text them later tonight, after you've rested,” I said, giving her a stern look.
She rolled her eyes, “Believe me, I want to rest. You're not going to have to force me.”
“Yeah, sure. You are more stubborn than I am. You would probably train tonight if I let you,” I teased.
“Whatever, I am not stubborn,” she retorted as we walked into the house. I snorted from behind her, and she turned and gave me a scathing look. Kiera rushed out of her bedroom and her eyes widened as she took in our appearance. “Oh my God, what happened to you!?” she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms tightly around Brielle.
“I'll explain it all later. How's my dad?” Brielle asked anxiously.
“He's fine. He got back early this morning, so he said he was going to sleep. I tried to call and text you, but you never answered,” Kiera replied.
“I know. My phone died late last night so I couldn't contact you. I'm just glad he's safe,” Brielle said with relief.
“Did anything happen while we were gone? Did anyone come to the house?” I asked.
“Not really. Kimber and Zane came over, though. They were super pissed off that you left by yourselves, but that was it. It's been so peaceful without the two of you here,” Kiera teased.
“We missed you, too,” Brielle sarcastically teased back. “We are going to take a shower now, and then head over to my dad's if you want to come,” she continued.
“Yeah, you look a hot mess. And why don't you have a shirt, Jace?”
“Long story. You probably don't even want to know,” I replied. I didn't really want to discuss our experience with the Elders, especially since Brielle had to save my ass once again. I guess that was something that I had to get used to since she was so powerful, but in the bedroom, I would put her in her place. Brielle glanced at me out of the corner of her eye as Kiera rambled, and she smirked at my last thought. Anytime, baby, she thought as she projected various images of us having sex in my mind.
“You guys are doing that telepathy thing, aren't you?” Kiera asked.
“Yeah, sorry, it's kind of a habit now. What were you saying?” Brielle asked.
“Forget it. We'll talk later. Go clean yourself up, and then we can go to your dad's.” She turned to walk away, but turned back towards us and said, “I'm glad you're okay, Brie. You too, Jace.”
Upstairs, I started the shower as Brielle undressed. Her hair, shoulders, neck, and upper back were all caked with dried blood. She stepped in the shower and immediately the water stained red as it poured off of her. Her immaculate body didn't deserve to be tainted by injury and blood, and the fact the Elders inflicted such upon her angered me. I stripped my clothes and entered the shower, my own blood staining the water darker as it streamed off of me. Brielle had already begun lathering her hair with shampoo, attempting to remove the tangles caused by the dried blood. I grabbed her loofah and covered it with soap so that I could wash the blood off her back and shoulders. I began rubbing it in a circular motion on her back as I scrubbed the remaining blood off and revealed her beautiful skin, still unblemished despite the injuries she had suffered. Our symbol remained proudly on her neck, and I smiled as I thought of our completed bond. Brielle turned around and pressed her forehead against mine as her thoughts drifted to our bond, as well. “I love you,” she whispered.
“Until my last heartbeat,” I responded before softly pressing my lips to hers. She took the loofah from me before turning me around to wash my back and shoulders, removing the blood that coated me from the whipping. “I'm so sorry,” Brielle choked, her thoughts filled with images of my assault.
“Don't think about it, mi amante. I don't blame you, and you shouldn't either. Are we going to have this discussion every time I get hurt?”
“It kills me every time you're hurt, especially when it's because of me. If only I cou—"
“Stop,” I interrupted. “It is not your fault. I love you.”
She sighed and continued washing the blood off of me. After we had thoroughly cleansed ourselves, letting the last of the blood swirl down the drain, we exited the shower and got ready to go over to Brielle's dad's house.
Brielle practically ran there, eager to see her dad, as Kiera and I trailed behind her. Once at the door, she used her key to enter, yelling, “Daddy, are you home?!”
“In my office, sweetheart!” he shouted back. I could feel Brielle's anxiety wash away to relief as she flew down the hall into the office. Kiera trailed behind me as we followed Brielle, walking in as they were wrapped in a hug. “I'm so sorry, Daddy, I had to,” Brielle sobbed as tears dampened her dad's shirt.
“I know, baby, I know. But don't you ever do that again, you hear me?”
“I can't promise anything. I won't let anyone hurt you,” Brielle replied.
“Honey, you can't risk billions of lives just for me. I'm only one man.”
“Let's not talk about this right now. How are you feeling? Did they hurt you?”Brielle asked.
“Nothing but a few bumps and bruises. I was only the bait to get you so they didn't rough me up too much. Did they hurt you?” he asked.
“No,” Brielle lied. “They would be stupid to try,” she laughed. I knew she didn't want him knowing what transpired back at the palace, and I'm sure he didn't want to know the real truth.
By the look he gave Brielle, I could tell that he wasn't buying her lies. He just sighed as he said, “I'm glad you're okay. I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you. How did you escape?”
“I used Akasha. They had Ja—”
“Wait, you used what?” Mr. De Luca interrupted.
“Akasha. I finally figured out how to harness it.”
“And how was that?” he asked skeptically.
“That's not the point, the point is that I killed the Elders, and then we escaped,” she blurted out. Once she realized what she said, a look of regret crossed her face as I heard her thoughts scream, Fuck!
“You killed the Elders, Brielle?! How could you do that?!” he exclaimed.
“Trust me, you don't even want to know what we went through that led to that. I did what I had to do to protect us.”
“Brielle, there will be repercussions for your actions. Did you not think about that?!”
Brielle was pissed. Her anger coursed through my body, clashing with my worry that stemmed from what Mr. De Luca just said. I hadn't even thought about what would happen to Brielle because of our actions at the community.
“No, Daddy, I didn't. I was a little preoccupied with saving Jace and I from being tortured, and possibly murdered,” she spat.
His face blanched w
hite from hearing that. “Tortured? Tell me what happened,” he demanded.
“It's best that you don't know, Daddy. Please don't make me tell you,” Brielle pleaded, her eyes glazed with tears.
Mr. De Luca silently debated for several seconds, obviously conflicted, before he reluctantly said, “Fine, you don't have to tell me today, but you will tell me eventually. Got it?”
She nodded, visibly shaken by the recent memory of the events that transpired earlier today. I walked over to her and took her in my arms, wrapping her in my embrace. She clutched the back of my shirt, crushing me to her in desperation. I didn't think I could handle what she was going through if the roles had been reversed. Seeing Brielle whipped would have completely broken me. Her strength and resilience was amazing, making me love her so much more. She began to sob against me, shuddering as her tears soaked my shirt and ripped my heart apart. I had to force down the tears that threatened to spill over from her emotions overwhelming mine. “I'm going to take her home—she needs to rest,” I croaked.
He nodded as I lifted her into my arms and carried her out of the office. Before I walked out the front door, he tapped me on the shoulder, causing me to turn to face him. Tears ran down his face as he said, “Please take care of her, Jace. She's my baby girl.”
“I will, Mr. De Luca. I'll let you know if we need anything,” I replied. Brielle had burrowed her head into my chest, and her wracking sobs had dissipated to soft sniffling and quick intakes of breath. As I walked out, I looked down upon her beautiful face. Her eyes were closed, her breathing no longer ragged, and I knew sleep would find her before we reached home.
I was lying next to Brielle, who was sound asleep in our bed. She had fallen asleep right before we turned the corner of our street, just like I had thought. I loved watching her sleep—she was so peaceful. Gone was the stress of the Prophecy, of everything that weighed down on her daily. I wish she didn't have to go through all of this.
Envisioned (The Elemental Prophecy) Page 22
