Elemental Betrayal

by Elle Middaugh

  It wasn’t that I’d never heard the words from his mouth before; it was just the finality of the way he said them, the seriousness and the strangeness.

  “Cade…” I said hesitantly, heart pounding a mile a minute. “You’re scaring me. Are you sure everything is all right?”

  “Fuck, I’m sorry.” He chuckled, but it was shaky, like he was nervous. “I’m going to just cut to the chase so I don’t seriously mess this up. Valerie…”

  He took my hand and gently traced my fingers, placing something small and warm in my palm. I stared at it, unable to breathe, let alone speak. It was a ring with a big diamond in the middle surrounded by a halo of gems. One half of the circle was tiny aquamarine crystals, the other half little orbs of fire opals. A leafy vine was engraved into the white gold band, circling the whole way around.

  “Will you marry me? Not now, but if we survive the Elitists…someday?”

  I still couldn’t freaking breathe. My mind was blissfully numb. I’d never been so overwhelmingly happy. I hadn’t known a rock could actually have such an effect on a person.

  After what felt like an eternity, I managed to nod, over and over as the tears started to fall—my element apparently didn’t feel the need to contain them.

  Cade slipped his creation onto my finger and tested the fit. “Perfect.”

  I stared at my hand in wonder as the ocean blue, burnt orange, and translucent white jewels glittered, even in the shade of the willow.

  Without warning, I spun around and latched onto him like my life depended on it.

  “I love you too, Cade,” I whispered through the tears and emotions.

  I’d never been the type of girl to daydream about getting married and starting a family, had never imagined my perfect wedding, but the thought of being tied to Cade in such a way was absolutely enthralling. It sent ecstasy swimming through my veins, and it both surprised the hell out of me and scared me. There was a part of my brain whispering things like, You’re too young. Are you really ready for such a serious commitment? What will people think and say? But my love for Cade, the happiness and certainty of it squashed those fears like the rotten fruit they were.

  Age didn’t matter, circumstances didn’t matter, and other peoples’ opinions damn well didn’t matter either. Love mattered. The happiness I felt mattered. He mattered.

  Cade took my face in his hands and kissed me, the most radiant smile burning across his lips. It made me melt. Seeing him so happy about being with me made me fall for him even harder. It was like my heart had liquified and was now pumping pure love and raw emotion through my veins.

  I couldn’t help myself—I kissed him harder and with more hunger than ever before. Our innocent happiness quickly turned into heated passion as our tongues tangled and our fingers roamed.

  “No one’s here to stop us this time,” I whispered into his lips.

  He groaned and ripped the shirt from his back, and as he stood there, breathless, all I could do was stare. Every rigid line of muscle was extra pronounced as he panted, and the tattoos on his torso—I thought they were the fountain of youth and the tree of life—called to me, begging me to touch them. I traced the black lines with a delicate finger while he slowly slid my shirt off. He traced my tattoo, too, a henna-style phoenix that ran from my upper back down across my side and over to the front of my hip. Then he unhooked my bra and shivers raced across my skin.

  When we were both completely topless, I grabbed his jeans and pulled him into another heated kiss. Fumbling with his button and zipper, I knew we couldn’t prolong this moment any longer. We’d been interrupted so many times over the months, and I was afraid I might combust if I couldn’t finally take it further. He was already inside my heart and soul, and now I wanted him inside my body.

  After removing the rest of our clothes in a rush, Cade smoothed out the earthen landscape beneath our feet and covered it in flowers with petals soft as silk. Then he lowered us down and hovered above me, staring at me like I was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen, like I was the only woman left in the entire universe.

  “I love you, Val,” he said. It came out as a whisper, one so full of emotion I could practically feel it wrapping around my heart.

  I stared deep into the emerald depths of his eyes, trying to show him in a single gaze just how much he meant to me. “I love you too, Cade. I always have, and I always will.”

  And then we were together, wrapped in each other’s arms as our bodies became one, and it was absolutely perfect. We moved, we kissed, we touched, and the pressure built until pure ecstasy completely overwhelmed me. Burning stars danced across my vision, and when I finally came down from my high, I saw snowflakes gently floating to the ground, glittering in the summer sunshine. Apparently, even my elements were blissfully sated.

  “I’ll never forget this day,” Cade muttered, nuzzling my neck with his lips. “Even if I live forever.”

  I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt, and tears of happiness streamed down, tickling my skin. “Me either. This was absolutely perfect. You’re perfect.”

  He kissed me again and we reluctantly decided to get dressed. “Who do you want to tell first?”

  “That we finally had sex?” I teased as I hiked my jeans up.

  He laughed out loud, and the sound was deep and rich. “About the engagement, you brat. You knew what I meant.”

  I giggled and slipped my shirt back over my head. “I don’t know…probably Sienna or Aunt Marge.”

  “Not your dad?”

  I bit my lip. “I don’t know what my dad will think.”

  My answer didn’t even come close to wiping the grin off his face.

  He walked over to me, fully clothed, and took my hips in his broad hands. “Do you care if he doesn’t approve?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  And it was true. I realized it with sudden clarity. I wanted this, and I wasn’t asking for anyone’s permission or approval.

  “How about you?” I asked.

  “I’m telling my dad first, and I don’t give a damn if he approves or not. I’m proud to be with you, and I want him to know how serious I am.”

  I smiled. “You’re amazing, Cade Landston.”

  “No, you are Valerie Moore.” He then leaned in and caressed my ear with his breath. “I can’t wait until my last name is yours.”

  Valerie Landston. Valerie Moore-Landston. It had a nice ring to it. I had a feeling love would make any cracked bell sing, but that was part of the beauty of it.

  “Come on,” he said, tugging me away from the willow. “Let’s go see my dad.”

  16

  Henrie Landston was off to the side of the house, filling an old logging truck with trees he was creating out of thin air. In other words, he was keeping up appearances. Of course, humanity already knew about us—and for the most part, totally hated us—so I wasn’t sure who he was trying to fool.

  As an Earth, he no doubt sensed our approach in the soil, but he ignored us anyway, focusing on his task with a furrowed brow.

  “Hey, Dad,” Cade said with a grin, completely unaffected by his father’s indifference.

  I tried to pull my hand away, wanting to give Cade some space to talk to his dad alone, but he simply gripped my fingers tighter. It wasn’t beyond me that the ring he’d placed on my finger was on full display. One wrong shaft of light through the trees and it could probably blind someone.

  Henrie sighed and turned around, crossing his arms as his eyes homed in on the sparkling jewels.

  Shit. This felt like another war about to happen.

  He pursed his lips. “I see congratulations are in order.”

  Cade’s smile twisted into a dark and sexy smirk. “Thank you.”

  “Is that why you’re here?” Henrie asked, staring firmly at his son.

  “No, it’s not. I came to say goodbye.”

  “Goodbye?” He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably and adjusted his stance. “You just got here. Let’s go inside and h
ave a drink, at least.”

  Cade nodded. “We have time for a quick drink then we’re going over to Marge Prett’s to say goodbye to her as well, so we can’t stay very long.”

  Henrie remained silent as he led us inside the cabin-mansion and into the expansive kitchen. It looked even bigger than usual now that it was just him occupying it. The stainless-steel appliances that had once seemed chic and modern against the granite and wood backdrop now looked cold and almost institutional. It made me feel…sorry for him. He’d lost his wife and then, essentially, both of his sons. He must’ve been so lonely.

  To my surprise, he skipped making an all-natural batch of fresh lemonade or some other juice and went straight for the hard stuff. He set three glasses on the island bar, filled them with ice, and flooded them with scotch. I didn’t particularly care for the stuff, but since he’d at least acknowledged my presence by pouring me a glass, I figured I ought to drink it.

  Henrie lifted his cup and studied it contemplatively. “To the engagement.”

  Somehow, I knew just from his tone that he was being bitter and a little sarcastic. Still, I raised my glass and drank to his half-assed toast.

  The amber liquid burned as it skated down my throat, but my Fire element quickly snuffed out the flames. Huh. I took a bigger gulp and sensed no burning at all. I could get used to that…

  “Now, what did you come here to tell me?” he asked as he refilled our glasses. “I’m assuming there’s some sort of a story before the goodbye.”

  Cade toyed with the glass in his hand and took a sip. “I’m a demigod.”

  Ever one for eloquence. I almost laughed.

  Henrie blinked. “A what?”

  “A demigod.”

  “Hate to break it to you, but you’re not. You were born from your mother and me, not a god.”

  Cade shook his head and brushed his dad’s comment away with his free hand. “No, like, I’ve been given godlike powers.”

  Henrie sighed. “All Elementals have, son. You’re not a special snowflake.”

  “He is, actually,” I said, speaking up for the first time since we arrived. “We’ve been to Euphoria, the land of the gods, and spoke with the original Elemental gods themselves.”

  Henrie’s gaze reluctantly fell on me. “I suppose you’re a special snowflake, too?”

  I couldn’t tell if he didn’t believe us or was just too bitter to care.

  I cocked my head. “I suppose I am, yes.”

  “There are only eight of us in the world,” Cade said, squeezing my knee beneath the bar, “so that makes us pretty special, I think.”

  Henrie pursed his lips as if processing our words for the first time. “You’re serious?”

  “When have you ever known me to be flippant?”

  He nodded in agreement and rubbed his chin. “If that’s the case, I’m going to have to talk to Exis.”

  “Why?” Cade asked immediately.

  Exis was the one currently funding the Traditionalist campaign, but she was also the leader of the Shadow Sect. Any mention of talking to her was obviously going to raise our hackles a bit.

  Henrie shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “She needs to know she’s supporting the wrong party.”

  Hope rose up inside of me. First, my dad supporting us, and now Cade’s? I could hardly believe it. If we had the support of the Modernists and Traditionalists behind us, we could win for sure.

  Cade sounded equally as hopeful. “Seriously?”

  Henrie nodded. “At this point, stopping your fiancée’s batshit crazy grandfather is the most important thing. If we need to unite the political parties temporarily in order to achieve that, then yes, I’m on board.”

  Cade smiled radiantly, but he seemed to be trying to dim it down. “Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it.”

  Henrie chuckled. “Maybe you can tell your god friends about this and they’ll forgive me for some of the stupider shit I’ve done in my life.”

  Cade’s expression fell like his mind had just gone on a tangent.

  “Dad, there’s something else I want to tell you.” He took a deep breath and chewed on his bottom lip. “I talked to Mom.”

  Every feature in Henrie’s face locked down into harsh blankness. “What?”

  “She’s not alive, so don’t get carried away. I spoke to her in the afterlife. She’s doing really well.”

  Tears welled in Henrie’s eyes, and he didn’t even bother trying to hide them.

  “She said she didn’t want her death to consume you. She said vengeance wasn’t the answer, and that killing Nicholai would never calm your spirit. She asked Valerie to forgive you guys for what you did.”

  A half-smile crept onto his face as the first tear fell. “Sounds like something she’d say.”

  “And she told me to tell you…she loves you.”

  Henrie started sobbing then, gut-wrenching wails of pure anguish that set my teeth on edge. Cade quickly went to him and wrapped him in a sturdy hug, allowing his father the chance to completely fall apart.

  I’m not sure how long they stood there, clinging to one another in their grief, but I stayed silent, allowing them to have however much time they needed. I felt a bit odd at first, as if I were intruding on an intimate moment I had no right to be a part of, but I eventually slipped into a peaceful state of acceptance. I was honored to witness such a touching event, and I decided to be in awe of it rather than uncomfortable.

  Sometime later, Cade pulled away. “We have to go now, Dad.”

  Henrie sniffed and nodded. “You never did tell me where you’re going.”

  A lump formed in my throat, burning with emotion. He’d already lost his wife; what were the odds he was about to lose his sons too? Facing Nicholai was not going to be an easy task. The chances of death—even for demigods—seemed quite high.

  Cade seemed to be debating the same issue in his own mind.

  He sighed, apparently deciding to go with the truth. “We’re going to take Nicholai head on. We have intel on where his next target will be. We’re going to stop him once and for all.”

  Henrie’s watery eyes dried up almost instantly as determination pulled his lips into a thin line. “Then I’ll need to speak with Exis right away—today. If you’re planning on fighting that lunatic, you’re going to need reinforcements. I plan on sending every able-bodied Traditionalist we have to help you.”

  A smile touched my lips. He might not have been talking to me specifically, but it still made me happy that he was cooperating and supporting his son.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Cade said before taking my hand and leading me toward the door.

  “Wait!” Henrie called, a sheepish blush burning across his cheeks as he averted his eyes. Almost reluctantly, he dragged his gaze to me. “I’m sorry, Valerie, for everything. I never should have treated you so badly, and I damn sure shouldn’t have blamed you for your family’s mistakes. I’d like the chance to get to know you…as a daughter…if you’ll allow me to do so?”

  My gaze shot over to Cade, unable to believe what I was hearing. Cade and I had been forced apart at every turn for the past year. It seemed completely surreal that the tides had finally turned.

  I nodded once. “Yes, sir. I’d like that very much.”

  He smiled. “Good luck. Now, I have to go make a phone call…”

  “Love you, Dad,” Cade said as he led me over to his truck.

  “I love you too, son.”

  The front door shut, and I exhaled a massive breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.

  “That went better than I could have possibly imagined,” I said, climbing into the passenger side.

  Cade heaved himself into the driver’s seat and started the vehicle. “I knew he’d get it together. He usually trusts my judgment. He just needed to know I wasn’t fucking around.”

  I stared down at the glittering ring on my finger. It was beautiful, but it would definitely take some getting used to. The cold smoothness of it against my skin, the weight and s
hine—it was all so foreign, but I adored it.

  Cade took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing my fingers gently. “I love you, Valerie.”

  I leaned my face into the warmth of our clasped hands. “I love you, too, Cade.”

  He grinned and put the truck into drive, skirting around the winding roads of the West Woods until we made it to Marge’s just a few minutes later. It probably would have been quicker to simply jog through the woods, but I was in no hurry to rush our time together. The gods only knew how much time we had left together, anyway.

  We hadn’t even reached Marge’s driveway when Cade slowed the truck to barely a crawl. Tension lined his brows and sharpened his emerald gaze. His grip on my hand tightened.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked before quickly flipping to my infrared Fire vision.

  Marge’s house was just around the next bend, and I was able to make out her tiny heat signature in the distance. The problem was…there was another signature in the house with her. One body was pacing, the other barely moving on the ground. The scene instantly nauseated me. I had a very bad feeling that Marge was in trouble.

  “Violence,” Cade muttered, never relaxing the frown on his face. “Anger. Pain.” He shook his head trying to sort through the feelings and emotions the Earth was showing him. “Fear. Fading energy.”

  He suddenly slammed on the gas and raced toward Marge’s home.

  “We need to get to your aunt now.”

  17

  I watched the light of the signature on the floor dim.

  No! Hold on, Aunt Marge, we’re coming!

  I wasn’t sure why I didn’t assume Marge was the one alive, that she’d killed the intruder in self-defense, but for some reason, I was sure I was right, sure she was the one on the ground. Maybe I was getting better at my Fire abilities? Maybe I was learning how to differentiate between the glowing red figures?

  Blinking, I switched back to normal vision and burst from the truck just as Cade threw the beast of a vehicle into park.

  My feet flew across the pavement and up the narrow sidewalk that led to her front door. I didn’t even bother to knock, simply burst past the threshold with Cade on my heels.