Eternal Sacrifice (Mortal Enchantment Book 4)

by Stacey O'Neale

  After the weapons were passed out and the goodbyes were said, we strode toward the pathway. I considered traveling by foot, but the fire territory was mostly a flat surface with very little to conceal us. It was better to portal into the woodland territory. Once we were in the forest, we’d be covered by lots of trees and a variety of greenery. As we made our way, Kalin stayed by my side near the back of our group. Selene remained close to Marcus at the front of the line. They didn’t speak much. I was surprised by their friendship, especially when she was prepared to sacrifice herself to protect him when Valac was about to attack.

  Selene wasn’t at all the way I'd pictured her.

  She’d been weak and spoiled, but being around the hounds had helped her to see our world in a different way. Now she understood why they should never have been slaves. I was proud of her for that. Over the last few days, she’d gone against her brother, defended Marcus, and comforted Ariel in her final moments. Not to mention how she entertained and served the hounds when she first returned to the castle. It made me hopeful that we could resolve our differences and learn how to be siblings. As I continued to watch them, Merlin caught up to us. Kalin smiled at me, then sped up to walk beside Selene.

  Sneaky little minx.

  Merlin kept his eyes forward as we strode together. “Not something I’d ever expected to see.”

  I chuckled. “Definitely not.”

  “I think it’s good for them both,” he said, keeping pace with me. “Marcus needs a friend right now.”

  “Marcus has friends,” I corrected him with aggravation in my tone. “He always has.”

  Ignoring my remarks, he replied, “I’m sorry about Ariel. I know she was loved by many.”

  “How would you know?” I questioned, then thought about it for a second. I remembered what he told me about his power. “Oh, let me guess. You were spying on me again.”

  He moved in front of me, and pivoted. “I never used my power to spy on you. You’re my son, Rowan. I just wanted to know you.”

  Now I felt like an asshole. I really never intended on giving him such a hard time. It had just been weird for me. The idea that I’d had a father all along, and he’d been watching me throughout my whole life. But it was more than that. He’d given me information about my mother that I’d never heard from anyone else. It was hard to believe she’d done all those horrible things to protect me. That all along she loved me. That she had grown to be wicked because she was lonely and filled with grief over imprisoning my father.

  “There are things that need to be said, and I know I’m being difficult.” I let out a long sigh. “Let’s get through this, then I’ll make time.” Smirking, I put my hand on his shoulder. “In the meantime, I’ll try not to be such a shithead.”

  He chuckled. “Sounds good to me, Son.”

  Son.

  It meant a lot more to me than I’d ever let anyone know. “Come on, let’s go join the rest of the group.”

  I followed the ring's signal to a small group of tents in the middle of a thick brush. The ring would protect them from Orion’s power. He had no idea Valac and his rogues were camped out in the corner of his territory. Luckily, Valac hadn’t figured out that I had a connection to the ring. If he knew that, he’d never be out in the open. I scanned the surrounding area as much as I could. The only light was the moon which barely shone through the trees. The hounds were busy shifting into their animal form. They were as quiet as they could be, but I heard their bones cracking during the change.

  If Valac wasn’t asleep, he’d heard them too.

  Once they were fully transformed, they waited for my signal. I held my hand up in the air, then thrust it back down. We charged on them as a group. The hounds growled as they approached, shaking the ground beneath our feet. Some of us struggled to keep our balance. I was the first to reach their camp. I raised my sword, and slid the blade through the slim canvas tent. I peered inside. It was empty. All around me, the hounds pounced. The campground was abandoned. There was a bustling all around me. Leaves rustled and a few branches snapped. Then, they were all around us. We were trapped.

  They had tricked us.

  Several hundred rogues surrounded us. That meant Valac hadn’t sent his entire army to the air court. He’d kept these soldiers behind. As they ran toward us, the hounds went on the attack. Kalin used her wind magic to push many of them back. But even she couldn’t hold them all. Soon, we were in the midst of another battle. The hounds tore into them, ripping them apart piece by piece. They were smart, though. They attacked each hound in groups, trying to overpower them. So far, it wasn’t working.

  “Can you stop them?” I yelled to Selene.

  “There are too many.” Her eyes were wide with fear. “If I scream, it will knock everyone out at once.”

  Taking us all out wasn’t an option. “Stand back, then. Use it only if you have to. Focus your scream on anyone who attacks you.”

  “Okay.” She nodded her head, then ran to hide behind a group of twisted trees.

  I swung my sword, inviting them to challenge me. I was fighting two and three rogues at a time. They relied mostly on their fire magic. They wouldn’t last long. Each time they used their flames, their inner core weakened. Once I saw my opportunity, I sliced and diced my way through each one. As the fight raged on all around me, I searched for Valac. Once again, he was hiding in the darkness. He hadn’t left. I felt the presence of the ring. “Come on, Valac,” I teased. “Show yourself.”

  No answer.

  I searched for Kalin. One of the rogues shot a line of fire toward her. She used water magic to put out the flame, then slid her blade through his chest. He fell to the ground at her feet. When she turned to face me, she had blood sprayed on the side of her face. I wiped it off with my palm. “You’re so hot, right now.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

  I shrugged. “I know.”

  Now that I knew she was safe, I fought my way over to Marcus. I caught a glimpse of him as he leapt on top of a group of rogues, tearing into their necks with his teeth. Merlin stood behind him, protecting his back while he finished them off. I glanced at the perimeter. The rogues kept coming. This was playing out just as it had at the wedding. I had to put an end to this. I had to find Valac. I tried to drown out all the noise and focus on the ring. After a moment, I heard the buzz coming from the woods thirty yards away. I cut my way through at least ten more rogues before I made it into the darkest part of the forest.

  I ignited an orb of fire in my palm.

  Something snapped behind me. I spun around and ducked just a second before Valac could get a piece of me. He wore the armor, and held Excalibur. I gripped my sword tighter, and went after him. “Trying to stab me in the back? That’s low even for you.”

  Our weapons screeched as they scraped together. “It doesn’t matter how you die as long as you’re dead.”

  He pushed away from me, putting distance between us. We circled each other. “There’s no one around to help you,” I taunted. “I guess that means you’ll have do some dirty work for a change.”

  “I don’t need help killing you.” He held up Excalibur, reminding me of his advantage.

  I waved him on, goading him. “Then what are you waiting for?”

  Growling, he lunged at me. I shifted out of the way and he fell to the ground. I thrust my sword down over the top of him, but he rolled away. “Those are some fancy moves you got there,” I mocked. “I think I saw that on a cartoon once.”

  He swatted at me from the ground, and I jumped to avoid his blade. “After you’re dead, I’m going to skin those hounds and use their hides to decorate my chambers.”

  I rushed him. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

  Now on his feet, he blocked my charge. “That’s my plan.”

  Our swords clashed as we took turns attacking each other. It was more of a joust than a fight to the death. Neither of us had done any damage. He managed to keep up with me as the minutes rolled pa
st. Excalibur had been responsible for his newly discovered swordsmanship. He’d never been physically strong, whereas I’d always been a fighter. He’d never kept up with me before. Not even when I was little more than a child. I tested a few maneuvers on him, trying to get the weapon out of his hand. He used the shield to block every one. “You ought to see how well you do without all the sacred objects. You should show the rogues what a poor choice they made.”

  “Why would I do that when I’m winning?” he replied, coming at me hard and thrashing his sword against mine.

  Valac tried to slide his blade toward my swords grip, hoping he might scratch me. I pushed him back. He didn’t need to beat me. All he had to do was cut my skin. But his pride kept him fighting. Which I hoped to use against him. “Going for the easy kill? Am I surprised? Not really.”

  The hounds close to me were doing much better. As a group they took on forty or fifty rogues at a time. I hadn’t noticed any loses on our side. However, the rogues were scattered on the ground in chewed-up pieces. There was so much blood everywhere that it almost didn’t seem real. Like something out of an old horror movie before they had all the cool special effects.

  As the fight waned on, he noticed I was breathing heavily. I wasn’t out of breath. I was close, though. I wasn’t sure how much more of his non-stop assault I’d be able to handle. “I’m wearing you down, Rowan.”

  A hound came out of nowhere. It was Marcus. He bit into Valac's wrist, sinking his teeth in deep. The Green Armor protected Valac, but he couldn’t get free. “Get off me, beast,” he screamed.

  Marcus wouldn’t let up. He swung his head, trying to loosen Valac's grip on the sword. Valac tried striking him in the face with the shield. I joined the fight, holding onto the shield and preventing him from hitting Marcus. Merlin appeared out of the corner of my eye. He put his enflamed hands over Valac’s fists, trying to burn the sword out of his hands. “You found Merlin?” he snarled. “It doesn’t matter. The magic protects me.”

  Valac reached for a small knife hidden within the sleeve of his armor. He tried to cut me with it, but he couldn’t move his arm without releasing the shield. “Let go of the shield and take your shot,” I said, provoking him.

  A shrieking scream filled the air. It was the loudest banshee call I’d ever heard. Selene appeared out of the dark forest, aiming all her power at us. There was no stopping her. I fell to my knees, pressing my hands over my ears. Her song drilled into me. I was frozen from the pain. Marcus glanced at me. Her scream blocked my ability to hear his thoughts, but somehow I knew he was going to give the sword one final tug. When he dug his teeth into the Green Armor, Valac screamed out in agony. Blood spewed. I saw that Marcus had bent the metal into his arm. With his jaws locked, he shook Valac’s wrist with all his remaining strength. Excalibur went flying in the air.

  Selene stopped and gasped with her hands over her mouth.

  I struggled to get to my feet. When I finally managed, I pushed my way through the remaining rogues. Everyone stared up into the sky. I raised my eyes. High above us, the sword was buried within the mist. A crack about a foot long had sprung out of both sides with little shards of flickering light leaking down to the ground. Kalin burst out of the crowd and into my arms. I held her tight as her tears ran down the back of my neck.

  It was over.

  Chapter Twenty

  Kalin

  We’d won the battle, but lost the war.

  Excalibur was embedded within the mist, which had already started to crack. Sparkling bits of magic leaked from the growing hole. At some point, Valac had retreated along with the few rogues that survived. No one went after them. Why bother? There was nothing more to fight over. Within hours the mist would be no more, exposing Avalon to the rest of the mortal world. All the older elementals would soon begin to rapidly age as time caught up with them. Thousands would be dead within hours, including Orion, Marlena, and Britta.

  But I wouldn’t let that happen. I’d save them all. It was just as the spirit of the akasha had told me. My blood was the key. I had accepted the truth after I’d left the temple. I was ready for the sacrifice. Saying goodbye to all my friends would be the toughest part. Saying goodbye to my mother would be excruciating. Without any other family, I was all she had left in this world. Where would she choose to live once I was gone? Would she ever recover after losing my father, and, soon, her only child?

  And what about Rowan?

  How was I supposed to say goodbye to him? I dug my fingers into his shirt. I wanted to soak in every last moment with him. Memorize the feel of his arms around me. The smell of his skin. The sound of his voice. Tears ran down my cheeks in streams. How would I make him understand what I had to do? He’d fought so hard to find another solution. Went all over our world in an attempt to save my life. Would he accept my sacrifice? Would he stand in my way? Would he move on?

  I had so much to do in only a few short hours. My heart sank as I let go of Rowan. “I have to find my mother. She doesn’t know about any of this.” He appeared surprised, so I elaborated. “I didn’t want to tell her in the hopes that we’d find another way.”

  With desperation in his eyes, he replied, “Maybe we still can.”

  I caressed his cheek as I swallowed my tears. No matter how grim the circumstances, he never gave up on me. He’d always been my hero. “We both know it’s time to tell her.”

  He wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my shoulder. “I don’t know how to let you go.”

  “This is what I have to do.” I leaned my head against his, closing my eyes. “I’m sorry. I hope you’ll one day understand.”

  “There’s something I can do,” Merlin said, surprising us both. I hadn’t realized he was standing there. I thought we were alone.

  “You told me you couldn’t stop it,” Rowan replied, releasing me from his hold.

  “I can’t heal the mist.” Merlin met eyes with me. His tone was soft and full of grief. “But I can give you time to say your goodbyes.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “The mist was created using my magic and the blood of the akasha. The mist can absorb my power, and heal itself for a period of time.” Merlin glared up at the crack, growing larger as each minute passed. “You’ll have twelve hours at the most.”

  As the sun rose in the sky, a rainbow-colored shimmer illuminated the mist. It was beautiful and powerful and otherworldly, all at the same time. Merlin had spent the last eighteen years in a frozen cage, and days afterwards would give his life so that we might have a few hours to say goodbye. It was a massive sacrifice for such a small period of time. But it meant the world to me. Now I would be able to properly say goodbye to the people I loved. I took his hands in mine. “Thank you.”

  “Wait.” Rowan held up his hand as he tried to come to grips with what was happening. “What do you mean by absorb your power? Are you saying—?”

  Merlin smiled weakly at Rowan. “Yes, I will also have to sacrifice myself.”

  His skin paled. “I’m not going to just stand here and watch you both die.” He shook his head, refusing to accept what he’d heard.

  Leaves rustled, and Marcus appeared out of the thick brush in his mortal form. Blood stained his face and clothes. As soon as he saw the sword, he smashed his fist into the nearest tree trunk. “No,” he growled.

  I made my way over, putting my hand on his shoulder. “It will all be okay soon.”

  His eyes were wild as he yelled, “Things will never be okay ever again.”

  I put my hand over my chest, sensing his agony. “That’s not what I meant.”

  Marcus pushed me away, putting distance between us. “I’m sorry, Kalin.” Tears ran down his cheeks. “I was trying to get him to drop the sword. I hadn’t expected it to thrust out of his hand. I—”

  “What are you talking about?” Rowan asked, as a tear ran down his cheek.

  “This is all my fault,” Marcus replied in barely a whisper.

  “You can’t blame yourself,”
Rowan said, eyes rounded. “I won’t let you carry that burden.”

  “Hours ago, I held Ariel in my arms as she died. I watched my wife take her last breath.” He barely managed to get the words out as he struggled to hold himself together. “She gave her life to save Kalin. And now, Kalin’s going to die because of me.” He motioned toward the battlefield filled with decomposing bodies. “All the fighting we’ve done. All the death and destruction. It was all for nothing,” he shouted. “Even if we won, we lost everything that mattered.”

  Rowan attempted to reach out to him, but he held his hand up. Marcus strode over and put his arms around me. “I’m sorry I failed you.”

  “No, you didn’t.” I whispered in his ear. He’d fought hard. I didn’t hold him responsible for what happened. It was a fluke at best. There was no reason for him to apologize.

  Marcus wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. Without saying another word, he trudged back into the thick forest. He was heading in the direction of the fire court. Selene was about to go after him when Rowan asked, “Where are you going?”

  “He shouldn’t be alone right now.” She lowered her gaze to the ground. “Even if he doesn’t know it, he needs a friend.”

  “You barely know him,” he argued.

  Her arms hung loosely at her sides as she let out an exhausted breath. “You’re right, Rowan. I haven’t spent much time with him. But I care about him. He means something to me. And even though I know I don’t deserve him, he’s my friend.”

  “Go,” he said, waving his hand in dismissal. There was no fight left in him.

  The corner of her lip rose. Then she ran after him. Selene and Rowan had a lot that needed to be said. I hoped after I was gone that they’d find a way to be friends. In the short time I’d known her, she'd turned out to be one of the bravest elementals I’d ever known. And she showed me that it was possible for people to change. Marcus was a big part of that. I prayed they’d all lean on each other for support once I was gone.