And if Havok died now, what sort of rebellion would happen against the Elementals? Or even Xavier? The tension between the Cimmerians and the Elementals was growing by the second, and if Ava wanted them on her side, she had to act like them.
So far it didn’t matter to them. They still hated her and resented her. She was a threat to them. They were right though. The Elementals could easily destroy the world in a matter of seconds. But Havok still wanted them in the army. What were his plans once the Ephemerals were gone? To live life peacefully? She didn’t think that was Havok’s style, given that he’d been warring for over three hundred years. He’d find something else to hate.
Ava rolled over and sat up. The gray light barely made it into her room. Pushing the blankets aside, she slipped out of the bed and made her way toward the window. Thick clouds blocked her view of the snow-capped mountains. The grass surrounding the castle would make any suburban homeowner jealous with its rich color and thickness. She wanted to feel the March air, but it wouldn’t be as warm as it was in New Orleans.
She slipped inside the shower, and while there, she pulled the water from within her. It consumed her body, healing every sore and bruise. Too bad, it couldn’t heal her heart. But it was made of stone, and would remain that way.
Once Ava finished her shower, she refused to meet her eyes in the mirror as she put on light makeup and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She dressed in dark skinny jeans, a white top, and slipped her feet in her normal black boots. As she turned for the door, she paused once she saw a woman playfully laughing with a younger version of Corbin.
She watched as the scene unfolded before her. It felt as if the world of her room fell away and she saw Corbin’s world through his own eyes. Was it a hallucination? Could she hallucinate as another person?
Corbin caught the woman by her waist and gazed into her dark eyes.
She laughed, but then her eyebrows drew together. “What is it?”
“I will tell my family of our marriage plans.”
“Corbin, you cannot risk such a thing. They want you in their army, and you cannot marry a peasant like me.”
He clenched his teeth. “It should not matter.”
She gently touched his face. “But it does.”
“I will marry you.”
Lenorah wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”
As the image faded, Ava saw another scene before her. It felt as if she possessed Corbin, or rather stepped inside his memories.
Corbin sighed over the recollection and finished gathering his items for the trip to Caprington with Veronica. That had always been one of his favorite memories of Lenorah. There was never a day that went by that he didn’t think of Lenorah. He had not returned to Caprington since he renounced his family. He had married Lenorah, and they had a sweet baby girl. But then his family brutally murdered them. They had always disapproved of Lenorah simply because she was a lower status than them, and because they felt she took Corbin away from his family. They found her to be a weak Enchanter, not one for the army.
He had never avenged his wife and child because his family would never stop killing Ephemerals. He was no match for them. They were much stronger than him, and ruthless. In truth, he was afraid of them. Anyone who crossed their paths died. There was a legend that if a group of Elemental Enchanters existed, they would be the strongest coven. He longed to find such a coven in order to kill his family. But he could never gain the courage to search for them. No matter what, they were still his family.
When he and Veronica arrived in Caprington, he already knew he had made a mistake. His skin crawled as he stepped through the door of the castle.
He should not have come.
“Corbin,” his tall, broad-shouldered father greeted him. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever. His father didn’t seem pleased to see Corbin.
Veronica hesitated and then hugged her father. “I brought him home, father.”
“Thank you child. We have much to discuss.”
“I cannot believe you have the nerve to speak to me,” Corbin said.
“Please do not fight,” Veronica said.
His father grunted and then turned his back on them. Corbin and Veronica followed him into a chamber where their mother and extended family had gathered.
His mother, always so stern and obstinate, regarded him coldly. “It is good to see you, my son. I have missed you. I am sorry about Lenorah and Esmerelda.”
Corbin winced as she spoke their names. She conveyed no emotion at all. It was as if she taunted him or wanted to dig the knife in deeper. “How dare you speak her name, you vile creature. All of you. How could you have done that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You all should die for what you have done. For all of these innocent lives you end on a daily basis. When is it ever going to be enough?”
“Please, tell us Corbin,” his father said, egging him on. “What did we do that did not please you?”
“You cannot be serious. You put me through hell!” He raised his hand, ready to force a deadly disease inside his father’s body. Two of his cousins grabbed him and pushed Corbin to his knees with his hands behind him.
His father made his way toward him. “You abandoned us, Corbin. You wanted nothing to do with us, and yet you seem so set on killing us. We are not the reason your weak wife and child are dead.”
“You killed them!” Corbin screamed.
“How could you ever think we would do such a thing?” his mother asked.
“I know it was you. You all hated her.”
“I disliked her because she was feeble,” she said. “She wasn’t good enough to be in our army, and we need warriors!”
“For what? A ridiculous war that you will never win?”
“Ephemerals started this war. They killed your precious wife and child,” his father said.
“No. That’s a lie.”
“Stop protecting them. You know they have massacred thousands of us. And yet you continue to ignore that.”
“This isn’t my war, father. You know I want no part of it.”
His father moved closer. “Why don’t you ask our prisoners how they murdered Lenorah and Esmerelda? They will tell you in detail of their proud accomplishments.”
When his cousins finally released Corbin, he made his way down to the prison chamber. He had to know if what his father said was true. It couldn’t have been. Ephemerals never harmed him. Corbin approached a cell that housed a young man with dirty blond hair. The man glared at him.
“What do you want?”
“Did you kill my wife and child?”
The man shrugged. “Hard to say. I have killed several of your kind.”
“Her name was Lenorah.”
“I recall that name.” His lips stretched into a wistful grin. “She had long black hair and green eyes. She held her baby tight to her chest and screamed the whole way down.”
Corbin swallowed hard, icy chills reaching all the way to his feet, paralyzing him. He gripped the cell bars. “What did you say?”
The man smirked. “She begged for her life. We were really after you, but she wouldn’t tell us where you were. I strapped her baby to her chest and pushed her off a cliff. Just like all of you should go.”
Corbin grinded his teeth. “How dare you?”
“Your kind should never have been born. You are an abomination and will burn in hell.”
Fury blinded Corbin. He had never felt such a powerful energy inside his veins until now. Blood pounded in his neck and temples. He broke the cell bars and moved toward the guy. Without hesitating, he wrapped his hands around the man’s neck and squeezed. Slowly, a disease entered the man’s bloodstream and within seconds, he lost his balance. The disease raced through, bloody sores quickly developed on his skin. The man screamed, and then blood leaked out of his eyes. Corbin snapped his neck and let his body fall.
The rage still pumped inside him. Killing the man wasn’t enough.
He needed more. He understood now more than ever, why his father warred against the Ephemerals. They were callous killers, and Corbin would have his revenge.
Ava blinked her eyes several times as her vision cleared. Havok’s memory left her confused, pained, and angry. Was that the cause of the war? Ephemerals brutally murdered his wife and child. The memory haunted her, and knew it would consume her the rest of the day. Was Havok thinking about these memories for a reason? Or was he showing Ava, knowing she could see them?
If the Ephemerals killed his family, why had Savina and Colden protected them? Why hadn’t Havok just told them the truth? Did he not think they could handle it? If they had known the truth, which path would they have chosen? Now that Ava knew, which one would she choose? To protect the Ephemerals or support Havok?
His rage consumed her. Ephemerals were to blame. They were ruthless, malicious beings. They had always hated her. Tried to kill her because of what she was. Why should she protect them? Ephemerals had killed so many of them. They never understood what she and the Elders tried to accomplish. And they never would.
Havok was right all along. The Ephemerals deserved to die.
Ava closed her eyes, and inhaled a breath. When she released it, she pushed all the sadness, the pain, everything deep down. She opened her eyes.
Much better, she thought. No feelings. No thoughts. Nothing.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
NIGHT OF HUNTERS
The sun was shining and the air had a crisp, saltiness to it. Ava could hear the water lap up against the docks and the boats. She had only been on one boat in her life, and that was on the way to the Cruciari. That was a rough trip.
She didn’t know where her friends were, but knew if she saw one they would all try to convince her to remove the stone from her heart. She didn’t want that, because she wasn’t going to do it. No matter what they said or did, she wasn’t changing her mind.
Strolling through the village was nice, but she craved something adventurous. She’d never been to the city, and wondered what kind of trouble she could get into. The energy from her powers begged for release. It was like an itch that needed to be scratched. She wanted to destroy something. Anything.
Ava decided to go to the tavern, and when she got there, she found Anais, Xavier, and Donovan having lunch.
“Come join us,” Xavier called out to her, which earned a sigh and an eye roll from Donovan. She wished he would just get over it and accept them. They weren’t going anywhere.
She crossed the room to them and dropped down in the seat next to Xavier.
“Not hungover at all?” he asked.
She smirked. “Healer.”
He shook her head. “Lucky. I was glued to my bed for most of the morning. But I’m used to it.”
“That’s something to be proud of.”
“I see you haven’t lost your sarcasm.”
“I guess once your mind’s been fried a few times, you never really lose your true self.” She had to change the subject. She couldn’t have him thinking she hadn’t lost her memories.
“Maybe you shouldn’t drink so much,” Anais said with a hint of irritation, and then took a bite of her sub sandwich. She had pulled her dark hair back in a ponytail, and wore no makeup. She didn’t need any, though. She had a natural beauty with dark perfectly shaped eyebrows that accentuated her brown eyes. Anais was very athletic and tomboyish. She wasn’t kidding when she said the only time she ever dressed up was for the Selection. All the other times she wore the same black ensemble as the rest of the army.
Xavier sighed. “Are you still pissed about last night?”
“He chose all of us to be in the army,” she said. “That means all of us go. Not just your favorites.”
“Amen,” Donovan said, and saluted his beer toward her.
Xavier rolled his eyes and stared at Anais with an icy glare. “You do realize I am in charge of the army. I also take orders from Havok. That is what he wanted. So get over it.” He turned to Ava. “Good job last night by the way.”
“Yeah, congratulations,” Anais said. Ava didn’t miss the sarcastic tone. “I heard you guys completely wiped out New Orleans.”
“Yeah, it’s all gone,” Ava said, not even feeling the least bit remorseful. She wasn’t sad. Havok wanted this. She wanted this.
“Good riddance,” Donovan said, and then took a long gulp of his beer.
“You think Havok will let us go anymore now that they’re here?” Anais asked Xavier as she nodded toward Ava.
He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, resting his beer on his flat stomach. “I don’t know. I’m sure he does, Anais. He wants the Recruiters to go find more Ephemerals for the army.” He turned to Ava. “Do you want something to eat?”
“Yeah, sure.”
He called the waitress over and she handed Ava a menu. “What would you like to drink?” she asked. She had a sweet smile and kind blue eyes, but she smacked her gum so loud Ava wanted to slap her in the head.
“Water. And a beer.”
“Refills for everyone else?”
“Yep,” Donovan said and handed her his empty bottle.
She left and Ava looked through the menu and decided on a Panini. “So why Ephemerals for the army?”
“He finally agreed with me that they can cause some damage. You see what Link and Nicole can do.”
“True. How does that work exactly? I mean, we’re born this way.” She knew exactly how it happened because they had made Peter into an Enchanter. But to the Cimmerians, she’d had her memories erased.
“We give them some of our powers, and then they obtain an ability.”
The waitress returned with drinks and took Ava’s order and menu.
“How do you choose the Ephemeral? Don’t they all pretty much deserve to die?”
Anais held back a laugh. “You have no idea. I hate looking for them. Because I can’t stand them, and I just want to kill them all. It’s hard trying to figure out who would be good to fight alongside us.”
“Calm down,” Xavier said. “And you don’t have to do it anymore now that Gabriel is here. But we go to random places and watch them. Study them. We put them in situations and see how they handle them. If the Ephemerals pass our test, then they make the cut. Getting them here is really the hardest part.”
“Or breaking their spirit,” Anais said. “How many months did you spend on that guy before they found him?”
Xavier glared at her. “You know that wasn’t my doing. He was a Paramortal.”
Ava knew they were talking about Peter. They had kidnapped and tortured him for a month, trying to get him to crack so they could take over his mind. Little had they known, he was a Paramortal with a protection ability.
She wanted to ask how Kristen Miller passed their test. She was the first victim at Ava’s school, but she seemed shy and not very fitting for an army. But maybe there was something Xavier saw in her that Ava didn’t, because when Kristen turned, she changed into a different person altogether.
Anais shrugged. “Whatever.”
“What are you talking about?” Ava asked.
“Nothing,” Xavier said.
“You say that a lot.”
Anais choked on her drink and coughed.
He frowned, and by the look in his eyes he seemed to hate that fact. “Maybe tonight we can go find some Ephemerals.”
“Ugh, no. I want a night off,” Anais said.
Xavier chuckled. “You do? From what? We were the ones who went out last night.”
“Thanks for reminding me.”
Link, Nicole, Gabriel, and Eve entered the bar. Link and Nicole were undercover, but still hung around each other. Ava wondered if they called too much attention to themselves, or if the Cimmerians just assumed it was fate for them to be together. Then again, she didn’t think the Cimmerians knew Link and Nicole were a couple before their minds were supposed to have been erased.
Xavier called them over to the table.
Anais raised a
n eyebrow. “Trying to make new friends?”
“You don’t have to be enemies with everyone, you know.”
She pressed her lips in a hard line. “Go hang out with your new friends. See if I care.” She pushed her chair back, scraping it against the floor, and walked out of the tavern in a huff. Eve ran out after her.
Gabriel grabbed a seat across from Ava. Link dropped down next to her and Nicole next to him.
Ava turned to Xavier. “What was that about?”
“Anais?”
“Yeah.”
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “She’s jealous.”
“Of what?”
He pointed his beer at her and then sipped it.
“Me?”
“All of you. She feels she has no purpose now that Havok wants to use you all for the massacres.”
“She’s in the army. She’ll still be used for the massacres. I don’t get why she would be jealous. She’s just as powerful or useful.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You really have no idea how powerful you are.”
“I do. But you all have been training since you could remember.”
“True. I’m sure Havok’ll change up the group each time we go out. That’s how we’ve always done it.”
Eve came to the table and sat right next to Gabriel, even scooting her chair as close as possible to his. She took his hand in hers, and Ava looked away.
“Glad to have you back, Gabriel,” Xavier said.
“Good to be back.” Gabriel’s lips turned up into an easy smile. But Ava could tell he had hidden his emotions as well. He acted so carefree, and never once looked at Ava.
“Well let me know when we’re going tonight,” Donovan said, getting up from the table. “I’m gonna head out. See ya.” He walked out of the tavern.
“What’s tonight?” Link asked.
“We’re going to find some Ephemerals for the army,” Ava said.
“You and Nicole should come.” Xavier took a sip of his beer. “Would be good experience.”
Under an Onyx Sky (Elemental Enchanters Series Book 4) Page 11
