“Anastasia, hi. Maybe you can help too.”
“You know my daughter?” Cleo asked suspiciously.
“It’s all a long story, but I’m really hoping I’m right and you know of a way to move water onto land.”
“Who are you?” Cleo’s eyes blazed red. It sent chills through me.
“I already told you. My name is Vera, and I’m Taliana’s daughter. We need your help. We have to defeat the strongest witch I’ve ever met. She’s going to kill everyone.”
“I want to believe you, honey. But I can’t do something like that without proof.” Her eyes turned back to the crystal blue they were before.
I let out a deep breath. I’d explained the seemingly unexplainable to people before. “We’ve met before, but you don’t remember it because the veil was erased.”
“The veil?”
“I’ve been inside your retreat before. I’ve had a Trident. I’ve ridden your super cool elevator.”
Her expression remained hard and suspicious. “Did your mother describe the retreat to you?”
“I know Anastasia has barely gone anywhere because you worry about her. She’s been to New York, and that’s it. You both want her to see more, and I promise I’ll take her one day. But right now we have to take down this evil witch.”
“Who is this witch?” Cleo hadn’t moved. She wasn’t offering me a robe this time, which was fine because I planned to dive right back into the water.
“I don’t know her real name. Now she goes by Tiffany but that’s an assumed identity. She’s the one who entranced my mother with the former king. She’s the one behind so much, and now she’s over at the haven trying to use the crystals to destroy everyone. She wants to wipe out the human race.”
“Where is the haven?”
“Right across the sound in the old mansion.”
“The witch has returned to her home?”
“Her home? I don’t know. Everyone called it a haven, but I’m new to all this witch stuff, and all this supernatural stuff really.”
“Do you think it’s the same one, Mom?” Anastasia touched the arm of Cleo’s robe.
“It has to be her.” Cleo spoke to herself. “Only Marabella would dare use that house.”
“That’s the name of the mansion.”
“Yes. It’s her family name.”
“And you know her?” Obviously they did, but I wanted to know why.
“She killed my eldest daughter.” Cleo’s eyes blazed red again.
“I’m so sorry.” I put a hand to my mouth. “But, does that mean you will help us then?”
“Why do you want to bring water to her? What do you hope to gain?”
“It’s her only weakness.”
Cleo shook her head. “Impossible. She used my daughter for her connection to water. Why would she do it if it was her weakness?”
“I don’t know, but isn’t it worth finding out?”
“Even if my mom won’t help, I will.” Anastasia stood stock still. “If there’s a chance it’s really her, I will kill her myself.”
“You’re not going anywhere without me.” Cleo pushed her daughter back behind her. “I never said I wouldn’t help.”
“We don’t have much time.” I wasn’t sure if we had any time.
“We will help you, but if I find out any of this is a lie, and you are trying to hurt my daughter, I will see to your death myself.”
I shivered, and it wasn’t from the cold water. This wasn’t the sweet Cleo I’d met last time.
“I am telling you the truth. I have Origin Crystals if those will help.”
“You can master the Origin Crystals?” Cleo’s eyes widened.
“Yes.” Mastering was probably a stretch, but I could use them.
“Then I know exactly what to do.”
“What’s that?”
“You trusted me enough to come here for help. Trust me enough to help.”
“I have no other choice.”
“Well then, I guess you’re going to have to trust me whether you want to or not.”
“I guess so.” I was out of options. I was taking a risk.
“Are we ready for this?” Cleo looked at her daughter.
“Yes. We’ve been ready for years.”
Cleo closed the door behind her and the room rapidly filled with water.
They shed their robes and hit the water. As soon as they did, the air buzzed and in place of their legs were long fins. Whether they claimed to be mermaids or not, that’s what they looked like.
“Hold on to my hand.” Cleo held one out.
I nodded and accepted her hand. I wasn’t going to argue.
They took off at an alarming speed and pulled me along. Their long translucent fins propelled us through the water, and in seconds we were outside of the mansion waiting in the water.
“Remember what I warned you about. If this is a trick, you will pay.”
“It’s not a trick. I promise.”
“Good. You are going to need a crystal.”
“Ok.” I patted the pouch at my side. “What do I do with it?”
“Share some of the power with me.”
“What are you going to do with it?” I hesitated with my hand on the pouch.
“She’s going to make the biggest storm you’ve ever seen.” Anastasia grinned.
24
Jared
The mansion heaved to and fro as a strong wind blew the old building. The wind began to pick up outside, and I heard waves lap against the stone walls.
Tiffany walked back into the room alone once again.
“So it is you doing this.” She strode toward me with a satisfied smile on her face.
“Me doing what?”
“That.” She pointed out the window. “I was wrong about you. You do learn fast. Maybe I can find a use for you after all.”
“I’d never help you.”
“You would if it would save your mother. You’d do anything to protect the ones you love.” She cackled.
“I don’t trust you.” And her word meant nothing to me.
A loud clap of thunder filled the air as the room lit up with lightning.
“Then I guess I might as well get rid of your mom. That was the only purpose I had for her anymore.” Tiffany took a step toward my mom, and I didn’t hesitate.
I closed my eyes and felt the strength of the storm surrounding us. I reached out to the storm and absorbed the strength inside of me. I focused on the mounting energy and sent a bolt of lightning straight at Tiffany. A thunderous sound penetrated the castle as she convulsed before falling to the ground.
I heard a strange sound and turned in time to see a giant wave smash into the mansion.
Before I could react, the room began to slope, and we started to fall toward the water. I lunged for my mother. I yanked her chains free and took off toward the sky just as the stone building hit the water with Tiffany inside.
I looked down at the water. Tiffany was still unmoving.
In a flash a woman with long blonde hair grabbed Tiffany.
I swooped down in time to watch her seize Tiffany and shake her awake.
Tiffany’s eyes widened with a mix of fear and amusement.
Still holding my mom, I swooped down beside where Vera and another blonde treaded water beside the shore.
“It’s you.” The blonde holding Tiffany spat. Her eyes turned blood red.
Tiffany laughed. “You pathetic creature. You think there is anything you can do to me?”
“Yes.” The blonde stared into her eyes. “I will destroy you for what you did to my daughter.”
“I’d like to see you try.” Tiffany laughed.
“It will be my pleasure.” The woman’s red eyes locked on Tiffany’s before she pulled her down beneath the surface of the water. The younger blonde followed behind her.
My mom coughed.
“Mom? Are you okay?”
She coughed up water and blinked once. “Jared?”
“
Mom.”
She choked up more water before opening her eyes to make direct eye contact. “No matter what you think of him, you need to save your brother.” Her eyes closed.
“Mom?” I called out her name. “Mom?”
Her breathing stopped and her body felt cold. Something was wrong.
We’re connected. Tiffany’s words echoed through my head.
I glanced back down to the spot where Tiffany had been pulled deep under the water.
* * *
* * *
I’d lost my mother as soon as I’d found her. I stared down at her lifeless body, willing her to breathe again one more time. She couldn’t be gone.
I was standing next to what remained of the old mansion. Emma, Slade, Taliana, Gareth, and at least a half dozen witches who had been held prisoner by Tiffany, including Nadia and Elana had emerged from the haven as soon as Tiffany had disappeared. With Tiffany gone, all of the haven’s prisoners were free. Nadia used enchantments to hide us from the humans in the area.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.” Nadia wrenched my mother’s body from my arms and lay her down on a white cotton blanket.
“I let her die. I should have understood what Tiffany meant.” I should have thought things through instead of being so brash. I always did that. It was my fatal mistake.
“But you didn’t. No one ever taught you about magical bonds. And even with the knowledge what would you have done? Let Tiffany go? She’d have never released your mother from the sleep spell, and she was the only one who could. You couldn’t have changed anything.”
“There’s always a way. We could have found a way.”
“Her death freed so many.” Gareth pointed to where Nadia stood with another half dozen women. “They have all been prisoners here. That’s how she’s amassed so much power.”
“This is what your mother would have wanted. And she’d want you to continue to protect the world from evil. She knew you had the potential to do so much.” Nadia’s eyes were full of unshed tears.
“It’s going to be ok, Jared.” Taliana walked over. “Your mother would never want you to feel blame.”
“How do you know? You didn’t know her.”
“But I do.” Nadia’s eyes met mine. “And she wouldn’t want you to.”
“I only just found her.”
“She’s always going to be a part of you.” A tear slipped down Taliana’s face.
“She was happy for you. Happy you’d found someone so perfect for you.” Nadia smiled.
“Where’s Vera?” I glanced around. How could I be so stupid? Had I let something happen to her too?
“She’s fine.” Taliana touched my arm. “She went for a walk. She wanted to be alone.”
“Why? Why wouldn’t she be here with me?” I needed her. She was the only one who could possibly make this better.
“You aren’t the only one blaming yourself,” Taliana said softly.
“Why would she blame herself?”
“She brought the Meres.”
“The Meres? That’s who that blonde woman was?”
“Yes. She created the storm.”
“I have to find Vera.” I spread my wings and flew off leaving the site that would forever haunt me. I flew as fast as I could searching for Vera everywhere.
Finally I found her sitting cross-legged on a large rock a little ways down the empty beach. I kneeled beside her. “It’s not your fault.”
“You found me.” She looked up at me through puffy eyes.
“Of course I did. I’m always going to find you.” I gently brushed some hair back from her face. “But you need to listen to me. Nothing that happened was your fault. If anything it was mine, but maybe everyone’s right and nothing we would have done could have saved my mom.”
“I’m sorry.” Fresh tears spilled down Vera’s face. “I’m sorry I let you down.”
“You didn’t let me down.” I sat down beside her. “You did an amazing thing. Tiffany is finally gone, and her death has freed so many other people she’d held captive here.” Saying it myself made it even clearer. Not that it made the loss any easier.
“Don’t waste your time trying to comfort me when you’re the one who needs the comfort.”
“Then comfort me too.” I put an arm around her.
She rested her head on my chest. “Okay.”
“My mom was happy for me. Nadia told me. She thought you were perfect for me.”
“She doesn’t think that now.” More tears spilled down Vera’s face.
“Sure she does. She knows I’m in good hands.”
She held onto me tightly. “I love you.”
“And I love you too. Don’t forget that.” I leaned back on the rock, taking her with me.
Three months later
Jared
The sting of losing my mom so soon after finding her wasn’t easy to take. All I could do was focus on the words she shared with me before closing her eyes for the last time.
No matter what you think of him, you need to save your brother.
There was no way to save him. He was gone to me in every way possible. But I knew I couldn’t ignore her request. It was the only thing she’d ever asked of me. I’d find him one day, but not until I had a chance to take care of a few other things first.
Casey and Toby’s wedding was over the top. It had been all Georgina and Taliana’s doing, but I don’t think either the bride or groom minded. Casey was too busy grinning and staying glued to Toby’s side. The two were perfect together, and I could barely recognize the people they were before. The anger and hurt each of them harbored seemed to have disappeared. Those are the best kinds of relationships. The kind with synergy; when two parts make something greater than the sum of both. That’s exactly the way I felt about Vera and I. Together we could do more than either of us could ever hope to accomplish alone.
As the reception wore into the night Vera and I walked toward the shore. I’m sure everyone was surprised when Casey and Toby decided to hold their wedding on Norco, but it was fitting. The backdrop couldn’t have been more beautiful. But it wasn’t the setting that had my attention, it was my date. I’d fallen in love with Vera long before I’d been ready to admit it, and the feeling had only grown.
“You make me a better man.”
She looked over at me and smiled. “I knew I had some secret talents.”
“I’m being serious. You do. I can’t imagine who I’d be without you.”
“The feeling is mutual.” She bumped her shoulder into mine.
I slipped the ring into Vera’s hand while she looked out at the water. I squeezed her hand before releasing it. She opened her hand slowly, her eyes widening as she took in the pearl and diamond ring.
“Will you marry me?” The proposal wasn’t the most romantic ever, but it was fitting. Fitting for a relationship between two deeply flawed people trying to find their way back to themselves.
Vera’s face lit up. “I think I’m crazy enough to say yes.”
I took the ring from her hand and slipped it onto her left ring finger. “Today just became my favorite ever.”
“Let’s hope tomorrow is even better.”
“What’s tomorrow?” I put my hands on her hips and pulled her close to me.
“The day we get married. I’m not patient enough to wait.”
I crushed my lips into hers, letting my lips explain I agreed completely. I lost myself in her kiss, ignoring everything else. We’d earned the right to spend our lives together, and it was going to start now. No more waiting. This was it.
Sometimes you have to battle a storm before you find your calm.
Want more Chronicles? Check out the other series set in the Chronicles world.
The Crescent Chronicles, The Allure Chronicles, The Dire Wolves Chronicles, and The Forged Chronicles
* * *
Keep reading for a preview of Forged in Stone (The Forged Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy.
* * *
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Forged in Stone preview
The Forged Chronicles
* * *
Alyssa Rose Ivy
* * *
The son of darkness is all grown up...
James is a Guardian. He is tasked with protecting the most important person in his world. For eight years he has done his job without complaint, but he has grown tired of living under the shadow of a father who is responsible for the most unimaginable violence and destruction his world has ever known.
Ainsley is at a loss for what to do with her life. She hates her two dead end jobs and the family who betrayed her. She has resigned herself to living one day at a time, but she longs for an escape from her lonely life.
When Ainsley finds James in her bed, their two lives and worlds collide. They may have both found exactly what they need, but the darkness James has been running from his whole life has just caught up.
James
The dated rock music was giving me a headache. If not for the alcohol still left in my glass I would have been out of the bar already. Even the redhead hanging on my every word was getting to me. Did girls no longer believe in the chase?
“James?” she said my name with an exaggerated southern drawl that came across as almost fake. It probably was.
“Yes?” I blinked a few times trying to bring things back into focus. I had drunk far too much, but there was nothing I could do about that now.
“Are you even listening to me?” She tapped her fingers on the bar top between us.
“No.” I took in the faded blue paint on the walls. The place had seen better days, but it served my needs perfectly. No one thought anything of the quiet guy getting plastered at the bar. I blended in.
Storm: The Empire Chronicles Page 19
