Eternal Sacrifice (Mortal Enchantment Book 4)

by Stacey O'Neale

  I flipped to the next page.

  As I read the first paragraph, I straightened my back. There was a way I could contact the deceased akashas. According to this journal, there were seven planes of existence. All living creatures inhabited the physical plane until we died. The astral plane was our subconscious—basically every emotion that we each experienced within our lifetime. A place where all of our memories were stored. I had the power to access that realm and also communicate. I raced through the next few chapters, making notes as I went.

  I had to go to Avalon’s nexus. It was the place where all four courts converged. The very center point of the isle. That’s where I’d find the akasha temple. A sacred place that’s hidden from all other elementals. Even the royal families didn’t know of its existence. My power was strongest there. My heart swelled with hope. This had to be the answer I was looking for. I closed the journal, slid the book inside my leather satchel, and headed out of the library. I questioned whether or not I should tell anyone where I was going.

  No.

  They might’ve thought it was too dangerous for me to go alone. There wasn’t any time for second guesses. Rowan had been risking his life to try to find a solution, and I couldn’t do any less than that. Time to create a portal. Collecting core energy into my fingertips, I made a circle with my hands. I increased the size until it was large enough to walk through. I made my way inside, focusing on the central nexus point of Avalon. I kept going until I saw a patch of grass in the distance.

  I stepped out and took in the scenery. I saw the three land territories with streams of water running in between them. This had to be it. I’d transported myself exactly where I’d wanted to go. It was my most precise portal to date. I hoped that meant I was becoming stronger or even just getting a better handle on my abilities. Excitement grew in my belly, and I made a weird, giddy kind of noise. I set the leather bag down and fished out the journal. Now I just had to make the akasha temple appear.

  The directions said I needed a blade, which I pulled out of my back pocket. They said to cut myself and let a drop of blood fall on each of the territories. Was my blood the secret to everything in Avalon? I shrugged away the question. I had to focus. I opened the switchblade and sliced open the tip of my index finger. I winced at the pain. As the blood dripped down my finger, I held it over the three land territories and then let a droplet fall in the water stream. There was an earthquake-type rumble. I trembled. Worried I’d done something wrong, I grabbed the book and ran. After I’d distanced myself, I spun back around.

  Nothing happened.

  My spirits sank. Had the temple been destroyed? Clearly, the quake was meant to stir something. I made my way back to the nexus. I stood close to the central point, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Everything was the same, but the area felt colder. When I held my hand over the nexus, part of my arm disappeared. I screamed. When I pulled back, I looked down and my hand was still there. Intact. Curious, I repeated what I’d previously done and my hand was gone once more. Okay, something was definitely in there. I took a deep breath, and stepped inside the nexus.

  I gasped.

  Beneath the hidden veil, a three-story structure stood that appeared more like a fortress than a temple. The exterior was made of polished silver bricks. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Against the sunlight, the temple gave off a multi-colored hue. It was like I was looking into a prism. I counted one entrance along with twelve windows, all on the higher floors. Above the door was a large archway that was inscribed with words in the same language as the journals. Translated, the inscription read, ‘I am the unknowable force. The fifth element’. The fifth element? There are five elements, not four? Holy shit! I was my own separate element.

  I slung my bag over my shoulder, heading toward the entryway.

  As I hurried through the doorway, a rush of power whipped through me. I stopped, dropping my bag on the glimmering silver floor. My skin pulsated with energy. All the strength I’d used to get here was returned to me. The world around me was alive. I closed my eyes, and felt wind blowing through the wings of a bird from miles away. I experienced the sensation as if it were happening to me. A single worm digging into the earth, pieces of soil rubbing against my body. Dolphins leapt out of the water on the other side of the planet. The waves splashed against my skin. As a child warmed beside a bonfire, my hands warmed.

  They were all connected to me.

  It was like the whole world was inside of me. For the first time, I really understood what it meant to be the akasha. I’d been given these abilities to balance the elements. But more importantly, to protect the world. I opened my eyes, excited to see what else I’d find in this temple. Gazing up at the ceiling, I admired the massive stained-glass windows. Each one represented a specific court. The red stained glass had a symbol of three balls of fire. A blue pane had three waves representing the water court. Green glass with a large tree was meant to symbolize the woodland, and of course, the air court had a yellow pane with winds that formed a circle. Above them all, there was a much larger silver-stained window with all four court symbols. No doubt this was meant to embody the akasha.

  I made my way up a set of steps that seemed to shimmer in the light, entering a room that was the length of the temple. My eyes widened. Venetian-styled mirrors floated around the space a few inches off the ground. Each one was taller than I was. I had to move in between them as they shifted around. I had no idea why but I got the sense that they were alive somehow. Mirrors didn’t float. Then again, who knew what was normal in this place? I took a glimpse into each one that glided by. They only showed my reflection. When I stood still, I noticed one had broken away from the group and motioned toward me.

  “Are you going to show me something?” I asked.

  Okay, I’d officially lost my mind. I was trying to communicate with a mirror. To no one’s surprise, there was no response. Zero noise of any kind. Once the mirror was right in front of me, I stared at something as it materialized. There were two forms coming into view. My eyebrows rose. It was Marcus and Ariel. Was the mirror showing me things that were happening right now? I put my hands over my mouth when Marcus bent down and held out a ring. He’d proposed to her. Before I could see her response, the image clouded.

  “No, no, no,” I said aloud when it was gone. I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. I wanted to see what else happened.

  Another picture came into view. It was Rowan, but he wasn’t in the fire court. He was with Britta in the water territory. What was he doing there? I touched the mirror, and I heard everything that she’d told him. My heart sank. Merlin couldn’t help us if Valac cut the mist. But Rowan refused to believe that the situation was hopeless. He planned to free Merlin even though he’d tried to sacrifice him as an infant. Was Rowan in danger? Would Merlin try to kill him again? There was nothing I could do from here. I wasn’t even sure if this was a current image or something that had already happened.

  Pain rippled through me in waves. “Let me help him,” I screamed. “Show me how.”

  “You can save them all,” A soft, female voice replied.

  I worked my way through the room, but couldn’t find anyone else. “Who are you?” I asked, as I searched the enormous space.

  “We are what was, what is, and all that will come to be,” the voice echoed.

  Out of breath from running around, I asked, “Are you here with me?”

  On the opposite side of the room, I discovered a mirror that had been hung. It was the largest one in here, taking up most of the wall. The voice was coming from within the mirror. “We are always with you.”

  Relief spilled over me. I’d found what I was looking for. “You must be one of the akashas.”

  My reflection faded. Something else took its place. I stared at a glowing ball of light that appeared within the mirror. The voice said, “When you are in need of guidance, you will always find us here.”

  Now it all made sense. The books weren’t meant to
teach me everything. They were meant to get me here. I was able to get all my answers directly from the spirits of the former akashas. “Can you tell me how to stop Valac?”

  “Your blood is the key,” she answered.

  Did she mean that there was no way for us to stop Valac? That my death was the only answer? I lowered my head, and let out an exaggerated breath. “Is there any other way?”

  The swirling orb of light changed colors as she spoke. “This is the way of the akasha. Everything in life must balance. Light and dark. Life and death. Power and sacrifice.”

  The truth of her words burned into my soul like a hot iron.

  I was given these gifts at a cost. Greater power in exchange for the ultimate sacrifice. My surrender would ensure that the world continued on. This was my destiny. My confidence and optimism deflated like a balloon. In my heart, I’d lost a battle I was never meant to win. Although my chest ached at the thought, some part of me had known all along. I’d tried to push those feelings aside, but I couldn’t. This was certainty. This was my whole purpose. The reason I was born.

  “I understand,” I told the voice. “I know what I must do.”

  I returned to the air court castle before anyone had realized I was gone. As I made my way through the winding halls, I sensed my time was running out. I wanted to memorize everything that I saw. Every nook and crevice, in case it was the last I’d seen of it. In all the months I’d been in Avalon, I’d barely ever stopped long enough to truly appreciate its beauty. Everything had always moved so fast. We’d solve one problem only to discover we had three more to deal with. It was a never-ending cycle.

  And now it was coming to an end.

  “Kalin, I’ve been looking all over for you,” Ariel yelled. She held her hand to her chest as she seemed to float toward me. I’d never seen her so happy.

  I forced a smile. “What’s going on?”

  She leaned forward, displaying the ring Marcus had given her. I pretended to be excited. There was no way to explain that I’d already watched him propose without discussing the akasha temple. The ones before me had done a great deal to keep its existence a secret, and I would do the same. “Is that what I think it is?” I asked, matching her elation.

  Her eyes warmed as if she were reliving the moment in her head as she spoke. “I still can’t believe it happened. I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

  “I’m so happy for you both,” I replied, genuinely.

  I listened as she went through every detail of the proposal. She’d said that Rowan was there. I hadn’t seen him in the mirror but I was glad he was a witness. Marcus had probably planned it that way. Those two were the best of friends. I hadn’t known anyone that had been through more and still managed to remain as close as they were. It was a comfort to know that Rowan would have him to lean on once I was gone.

  I jolted out of my thoughts when Ariel let out a dreamy sigh. “I know we’ve only known each other for a few months, but I want you to be my maid of honor.”

  “Of course,” I replied, with eagerness in my tone.

  Her expression grew serious. “Once we deal with Valac, we’ll start planning the wedding.”

  My stomach sunk. I’d be dead by then. But I couldn’t tell her that. I wouldn’t ruin the best moment of her life. Did that mean I had to miss my best friend’s wedding? No, I wouldn’t. I wanted to be part of their big day. I wanted to watch her stroll down the aisle. I wanted to see Marcus’s face as she strode toward him in a gorgeous dress. I wanted to witness them saying their vows. To see all my friends enjoying life just one last time. Their happiness made my sacrifice worth it. “I don’t want you to wait.” I grabbed her hands. “Let’s make your wedding into the greatest celebration any elemental has ever seen.”

  Her eyes widened with surprise. “Won’t that be dangerous?”

  She was always thinking about everyone else before herself. “We’ll make sure the event is heavily guarded.” I assured her.

  “I don’t know, Kalin.” She bit her bottom lip. “I was thinking we’d do something small.”

  Ariel had spent a lifetime making other people happy. She’d even gotten close to marrying someone she wasn’t in love with, just to elevate her parents' position in the court. Not to mention everything she’d done for me. Without her, I would’ve never survived. The debts I owed her were endless. It was time something wonderful happened to her. That she was the princess she deserved to be. “I want to do this for you and Marcus. After all you’ve been through, you deserve the most lavish wedding of all time and I can make that happen. It would mean so much to me.”

  She must’ve seen the desperation in me. “If it means that much to you, then let’s do it.”

  I pulled her into the tightest hug. “Give me twenty-four hours and I’ll give you a wedding fit for a queen.”

  Chapter Ten

  Rowan

  I was about to free someone that had once tried to kill me.

  Not exactly what I expected to hear when I set out to find Merlin. Although I’d anticipated there would be an interesting story tied to his incarceration. Britta had risked a great deal by imprisoning him here and hiding his whereabouts. Merlin created the mist. That meant he was very powerful. Maybe even a member of the high council. His disappearance would’ve been noticed by many. They’d likely gone to many extremes to keep their secret buried.

  And I was supposed to believe it was all to save my life.

  The images projected into my mind were convincing, but I still wasn’t fully sold on the picture she’d painted of my mother. I’d spent too many years being ignored to simply accept that beneath all of her anger and resentment, she loved me. If she’d feared I would destroy the world, I figured she would have told me. That was some pretty important information to keep hidden. The most logical move would’ve been to keep me close to her. Not send me to the exact person she’d been told I’d fall in love with. The person I’d do anything to protect.

  Although Britta made it seem as if we couldn’t stop Valac from cutting the mist, I hadn’t lost hope. Merlin was still our best chance to save Kalin. Would he try to kill me the minute he was freed? Maybe. There was no way to know what he thought after all these years. The confinement could’ve driven him crazy. What if he’d been awake the entire time? Being frozen for eighteen years in an iron box doesn’t sound like anything I’d ever want to experience. I shivered just thinking about it.

  Regardless of the danger to myself, I had to try.

  Britta had led me to the tower where he’d been kept. I headed up the circular stone stairwell that never seemed to end. I was sure I’d been going for at least twenty minutes before I reached the top. I stood on the cement landing staring at a worn wooden door with no handle or key hole. I tried to ram it open with my shoulder, then kicked it as hard as I could. No luck. Britta must’ve left out the part of the story that explained how to get through the doors magical protection. If I wasn’t able to break her seal, I had one more option.

  Burn it down.

  I ignited my core fire in my hands, letting the fire burn all the way to my wrists. With as much force as I could muster, I slammed my palms against the door. I held on to the wood. My power flowed out of my fingertips, reaching the central point of the timber. Smoke engulfed the stairwell as the fire crackled. Ash filled my nostrils. I sensed it was working. Any minute now. I pulled my hands back, and watched the inferno burn. A crack split the center of the door. It was time. I punched my fist into the middle of the newly formed gap.

  The wood broke into large pieces, and I stepped through the frame.

  When the smoke cleared, I took in my surroundings. The circular room was all brick with four square windows. No designs or markings anywhere. And in the very center, I saw it. The horizontal block of ice had to be eight feet long. Iron belts were wrapped around it like a medieval present. The metal hummed with magic. Merlin had to be inside. As I approached, the sound increased. Then I felt the pressure. Something forced me back. Each step I too
k was harder than the last. I kept pushing forward with all my might. By the time I reached him, my muscles were sore. Between that and getting through the door, I hoped I hadn’t used too much of my core strength.

  I unsheathed my sword.

  Concentrating, I focused all my remaining power on my sword. Blue fire ignited all around the weapon from handle to tip. Actually, it was pretty badass. Britta hadn’t explained exactly how I’d free him. I expected that I needed to break those iron belts. Reaching back, I swung the blade into the iron with all my strength. The sheer ferocity of the impact caused a loud explosion. I was thrust backwards, slamming into the brick wall. Bones in my spine cracked, and I winced as I hit the floor. I was sure I’d be feeling that for a couple of days. When I got to my knees first, I crawled over to Merlin.

  The metal had been bent and curled outward. Ice was everywhere. I held onto a large chunk as I rose onto my feet. There he was. Merlin was on the floor with his eyes closed. His arms were crossed over his chest. He was a lot younger than I expected. All the stories I’d heard described him as a really old mortal with a long white beard. They were way off. He looked to be in his early thirties with dark brown hair, and a muscular build. He wore dark pants with a long knitted matching shirt. His clothes were tattered like he’d been in a fight before he went in there.

  I’d freed him, but he wasn’t awake.

  How was I supposed to get him out of here? I’d used up most of my energy. I only had enough left to steer us through a portal. That was it. There was no way around it. He had to wake up. I bent down, and tried to shake him. “There’s no kiss coming, Sleeping Beauty. I can promise you that.”

  Since Merlin was a fire elemental, there was one thing I could try. A transfer of power. I’d heard it could be done to save someone that was in a coma or totally drained. It was a myth among our court. I’d never actually heard of anyone attempting it. It was even more dangerous with my power drained. But I had no other ideas. Why not give it a go? I placed my hands over his chest. Using my power like a defibrillator, I sent a shock into his heart. His entire body jerked. Nothing. One more time with all my strength. Pressing my palms against his skin, I thrust two more jolts into him.