His head dropped back to the cement, jarring his vision. A ringing sounded in his ears, and he shivered with cold emptiness. His hand shook badly when he reached for Maya’s ankle, but he had to do one more thing.
“You’ll be okay,” she said dropping down next to him.
“Go with them,” he croaked.
“I’m not leaving you!” Maya said, throwing her body over his, as her parents approached.
“We will go,” Toby said from behind. About time. “And we will leave him alone.”
“No,” Aedan said, but it really came out as mostly air. If Toby would just let them kill him, this would all be over. He was half-dead anyway.
Toby’s face leaned into his. His glasses were askew again and Aedan itched to fix them. “You’re the one I waited for,” he said, and Aedan figured that was Merlin talking. “You can’t give in yet. It’s a gamble, but I’m betting on you, son. While your magic is bound to her will, I believe it is also bound to your own. You will be unable to harm her, and most likely find it quite difficult to resist her wishes. But I believe it is possible.” His hand found Aedan’s shoulder, and the heat flooded him. Aedan sighed deeply, and when his senses sharpened, he realized he and Toby were inside of a bubble of fire. His eyes widened in amazement.
“We don’t have time,” Toby warned. “You have to confront your nature. You have to go with them. Pretend, Aedan. Be one of them for now. I will watch Maya.”
Aedan nodded. If Toby would watch out for her – and he could keep the others away by agreeing to be with them – well, it sounded like a reasonable alternative to death.
“Just go,” he said.
Toby smiled, and when the fire died, Aedan was alone.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Maya
Maya didn’t remember being knocked out. Still, she must have been because one minute she was watching Toby swallowed up in flame with Aedan, and the next she was here.
Home.
The ocean rushed in and out in a never-ending assault on the sand outside her window. The churning sound matched the feeling in her stomach. The seaweed smell didn’t help either. Bad memories lived here.
Her room was just as she left it six months ago. One wall dedicated to each of the four Elementals so that no matter which direction she turned she’d find pictures, schematics, or weapon designs specific to fighting wind, earth, fire, and water. Water surrounded the window overlooking the beach. Her own private joke. Though it suddenly felt far less funny.
She’d faced not the one she’d set out for, but three of the four Elementals. She was still alive. And so were they. Maya spun out, kicking the huge leather boxing bag in the center of the room. But she found herself facing the opposite wall. The one with the door. The one dedicated to fire.
Maya couldn’t breathe. The world tilted around her, and she reached out laying a hand on the bag to steady herself. Tears welled up threatening to spill over, but a knock at the door forced her to suck it all inside. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. She’d remain strong in front of everyone in this house.
The knock sounded again, cutting through her foggy head. She cleared her throat and stood tall. No doubt they would call her traitor. But they were the traitors. Not her.
“Come in,” she called.
The door opened, and Toby slid inside. He was clean and neat and completely foreign. Gone was the stubble on his face, plaid shirt, and scuffed jeans. His hair was smoothed back, parted neatly, and his Dockers and Oxford shirt made her think of her father.
His glasses were fixed though.
“You were swallowed in fire,” Maya said. She showed no outward reaction, just spoke the words like she was inviting him to dinner.
Toby’s hand found the back of his neck, and color crept up to his ears. Just like it always did when he was embarrassed. Maya’s heart leaped in her chest, but she maintained her mask, waiting.
“Can we talk?”
“I thought that’s what we were doing,” Maya said.
“You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. Delly was her name.”
Maya shifted a bit and reached out again for the bag. “You mean Endellion? Arthur’s lover? The first fire Elemental?” This was too weird. One second he was Toby, the next…
“Yes, but we all called her Delly. Those of us that cared for her.” He looked wistful for a moment then took several steps toward Maya. “She was a real spitfire – excuse the term. She got caught in the middle of all this too.”
“Caught? She was cursed and then betrayed by the man she loved. The man who professed to love her.” Maya struggled to reign in the emotion behind the words.
Toby’s eyes were sharp, but his voice shook when he spoke. “Tragic. I never meant for Arthur to kill her. I had already transferred my essence into the ring. Arthur found my body – he thought I’d died. He had my instructions, but he didn’t really understand.”
“Shouldn’t you have – I don’t know – made sure he understood before you left?” Maya asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She found herself curious despite everything.
Toby closed the distance between them, but Maya stood her ground. “I told him to kill the darkness. Kill the darkness, Maya.” He took her shoulders in his hands. “You understand, don’t you?”
Maya’s mouth dropped open. “You never meant for the Circle to kill the Elementals, did you? You meant for us to destroy the darkness within.”
Toby nodded, face creased with pain.
Maya shoved him in the chest, making him stumble backwards into the bag, which swung slightly in protest. “Then you should have been clear about how to do that! I mean what were you thinking disappearing into a ring when the world needed you the most?” Okay forget calm mask, she had a goddamn point to make.
“I had to do it then or I couldn’t have made the transfer. The planets – they were in precise alignment.”
“Whoopdie freakin do,” Maya said. “So you would have died like a regular old human. You would have saved the world centuries of senseless killing!” She swung out and landed a solid kick in the bag millimeters from his head.
Toby swallowed, raising his hands in defense. “I saw this, Maya. I divined that I would be needed when the time came to end the curse. I know it’s hard to understand but I knew everything would fall apart no matter what I did.”
“So you didn’t even try. Just because of some, what? Cat entrails or something?”
“Ew, no.”
Maya’s head snapped back in surprise, and Toby smiled hopefully.
“I saw my own death, Maya. That Morgana had planned to have me assassinated that very night.”
“So if you saw it, you could have prevented it.”
“No.” Toby drew in a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. “Morgana and I are twins.”
Maya paused. “She’s your sister.”
“Yes.”
“So?”
“So, our powers are tied together. Two sides of the same being. Yin and Yang. Light and dark. Maya, what happens to me, happens to her.”
“I don’t understand,” Maya said.
“If I die, so does she. But if she captured me…”
“She’d continue to survive?” Maya asked.
“Yes. But I saw it… If I trapped myself first, then she’d be forced into the same.”
“You’re the one who made her hide her essence in that box,” Maya said, mind racing. “It wasn’t Morgana that decided to wait until some future time to take over, it was you.”
Toby nodded again, watching her as she worked it out.
“You knew it was a fight you’d lose at that time,” Maya said and waited for him to nod. “So you tucked yourself – and therefore your evil sister – away until the time you foresaw when things would work out in your favor?”
“Well, not exactly. There are no guarantees here. But what I saw was the time when one Elemental could defeat the darkness within on his own.”
“Aedan.” His name slip
ped from her mouth like a prayer.
“I believe so. Yes. Up until now, only an outsider could have done it. And I meant for the Circle to try for precisely that. But instead, they’ve been murdering people for centuries. Not that I blame you or your parents, you’re right, it was my own fault for panicking and not being absolutely sure Arthur understood. I just never thought he could do that to the woman he loved.” A tear escaped and trailed down his cheek. Maya watched as it splashed onto his perfect shirt, making a discolored dot on the fabric.
“I can’t believe Arthur did it. He killed the woman he loved just because he thought you’d told him to.” Maya steadied the punching bag between her wrists and tried hard to find Toby in the man before her.
“Knowing you can never have the one you love is about the hardest thing there is,” he said, reaching out a hand only to leave it hovering in midair between them. “I doubt Arthur ever got past it.”
Maya’s throat grew tight. “Toby?”
“I’ve always loved you, May. But I’ve also always known you weren’t mine to love. I want you to be happy, and if Aedan’s what it takes-”
Toby let his voice trail off.
Maya did not like the uncomfortable prickling warming her chest. How could she not have seen it? She pushed it aside. There was nothing to be done now. Now was the time to strike at the enemy not work through issues.
“So everything’s riding on Aedan?” Maya asked.
“Yes,” Merlin was back in charge, she could tell by his stance and the look in his eyes. He still seemed relieved at her non-reaction though. “I doubt the others are reachable, even by us at this point. But Aedan has what it takes to kill the darkness within. I’ve felt his heart.”
Maya pushed past him, throwing her closet open. She yanked out a duffle bag and tossed it on the bed.
“What are you doing?” Toby asked.
Maya pulled a Kalis Sword from a case near her dresser and tossed it on the bed. “Just because he can, doesn’t mean he has to do it alone.”
Chapter Fifty-Six
Aedan
The smoke and debris settled around Aedan, and the outline of those remaining grew clearer by the second, Morgana, Sergey, and Kari. The others had gone, and that left Aedan with a curdled stomach and a bitter taste in his mouth. Why hadn’t Merlin stuck around and helped finish this? Why did he want Aedan to go undercover? More importantly, why had Aedan agreed?
“We should go,” Kari said. “They’ll come back with reinforcements.”
Morgana’s eyes locked on Aedan. “How do you feel now, Aedan? Those you trusted – dare I say loved – turned on you and then abandoned you.”
Aedan winced. It wasn’t exactly true, but she had struck a nerve.
“He was fighting on their side,” Sergey said, then spit blood at Aedan’s feet.
“He was confused,” Morgana purred. “It isn’t his fault.” Her hand found Aedan’s shoulder and slid across his back. “They stole him from us. But he’s home now.” Aedan swallowed as she guided his chin toward her, her fingers burning hot.
Aedan’s heart sped up. She had fire too, and she was connecting with him on some visceral level he didn’t quite understand. He pressed his eyes closed while the flames inside worked their way up through his body to meet her. Her breath warmed his ear.
“Are you ready to pledge yourself?” she whispered.
Was he supposed to say yes? Is that what Merlin wanted? Is that what he wanted? It felt so good to connect with her power like this. He so rarely felt whole, always as if something was missing.
“Fine, you have your little reunion right now, but I’m out of here,” Kari said. And the bond was severed. Just like that Aedan was back in control, but empty.
“She’s right,” Aedan said, reaching for Morgana’s arm. “We should go somewhere else first. I want you to explain everything before I do this pledge.” If he gave in too easily she would never buy it. She was smart, he was pretty sure on that count.
Morgana stared at his hand for a moment and then smiled. “Of course.”
“We can’t go back to the main house now,” Kari said, pulling Aedan away from Morgana and stepping in between. She was an even bigger mess than usual. A gash, the length of her arm, oozed blood along the right side of her body. It was such a clean cut, Aedan felt sure it was some kind of sword or blade that had done it. He fought back the vomit that threatened to erupt from his stomach and tried to focus on her words.
“Main house?” he asked.
Morgana ignored him. “That is exactly what we’re going to do.”
“But it’s nowhere near the equinox,” Kari said, eyes wide. She looked around searching for support, but Aedan had no clue what she was talking about. And Sergey was busy collecting fallen weapons with a look of ecstasy on his face.
“There is something you should understand right now,” Morgana said, her voice laced with danger. She no longer had any pretense about pretending to be Kari’s friend. “We’ve gotten this far because we haven’t followed the old ways and prophecies. Nothing will happen until you are all together in one room. But that is precisely what we are going to do the moment Aedan pledges himself.”
“Four? Are you saying you have the other Elemental too?” Aedan asked, stepping up beside Kari. Heat poured through his veins, and Kari pulled away when he accidentally brushed her hand with his.
“Terra is secure.” Morgana’s eyes challenged Aedan to counter her. It felt like she was trying to coax the outburst out of him. “Is there a problem?”
Aedan focused on his breath. Of course, she had the other Elemental. She’d used a vial of her blood for the ceremony. He’d accidentally used it to bring Merlin and Toby together. The fire receded a bit.
“I just don’t want the world to end,” Aedan said. It sounded so crazy.
“I am here, it cannot happen.” Morgana’s voice was like velvet again as she stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. “Do not worry, Aedan. You will have the answers you deserve. But for now, you must sleep.”
“Sleep?” Was she crazy? He looked at her face, her fathomless eyes, and felt heavy.
“Shh, when you wake you’ll be home,” she promised, and darkness folded over him.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Maya
“Where do you think you’re going?” Maya’s father’s voice stopped her cold.
She heaved a sigh, let her bag drop to the tile entryway with a clank, and spun to face him. She knew it was coming, still, she wished she’d gone out the window.
“We are going to end this,” Toby said. His hand slid over her shoulder and squeezed. The tension melted away, and she knew he was using magic on her. She shrugged away.
“I never said you could come along. Let me handle this,” she said, then took several long strides toward her father, who waited stiff and awkward at the open entrance to the pristine living room.
“Yes, let her handle this, she’s done a bang-up job so far.” Her father’s sarcasm cut her and she froze for a moment.
“You know what?” she said. “Forget it. I don’t have to waste time explaining myself to you. It’s not like you’d listen anyway.”
“Maya, it isn’t your fight anymore.” Her father’s rock-like exterior cracked, freezing Maya in her steps. Light-headedness fogged her vision, as everything seemed to sink to the floor through her stomach.
“Of course it is. It just isn’t the fight I thought it would be.” Why didn’t she sound confident? She hated that her father made her feel like a child searching for approval.
“You did your best, Maya. Let the others handle it now. Your mother and the new agents assigned to Wind are more than capable. We’ve called back the others from Russia and Afghanistan as well since we’ve located all four. It’s enough. You found the Fire Elemental. You’ve accomplished what you set out to.” Her father continued on, bolstered by the fact that she hadn’t moved. “The Elementals will be long gone from Tucson by now even if you don’t want to hear me ou
t.”
Something was wrong. Something more than her father’s awkward attempt to placate her.
“You know more,” she said. It was the way his gaze had darted to the side. Her father’s emerald eyes never stopped boring into her unless there was something he was hiding. Something he was afraid she’d somehow see swirling inside his head.
His efforts in parental soothing failed and he melted into an egotistical sneer, straightening to his full six-foot height hoping to add intimidation, to keep her from pursuing her current thoughts. But she’d seen him clench then flex his fingers. Besides this was the father she was used to.
“You know where they are,” Maya said.
They stared at each other during the longest pause in the history of the universe. Finally, he spoke.
“The others have already gone. There is nothing you can do. By the time you got there, it would be over.” He turned to leave, but Maya darted forward, and dug her fingers into his arm, spinning him around.
He responded as any trained Circle agent would, releasing her hold with a simple martial arts maneuver, and she stumbled back slightly from the strike. He had to be pretty unbalanced to actually get physical. She was getting under his shell. She grinned.
“Feels pretty good to lose you cool, huh, Dad – oh, I mean ‘Noble One’?” she asked. “Tell me where they are.”
He leaned down. “We put a tracker on your boyfriend. Your mother and the others left an hour ago. Like I said, it’s too late.” He flexed the hand he’d used to dislodge himself from Maya and glided from the room.
Maya kicked hard, planning to start dealing with her situation by putting a nice big hole in her parent’s wall. But Toby caught her ankle on its way around. She screamed in frustration, tugging her foot from his grasp.
Flame and Fury (Merlin's Legacy Book 1) Page 22
