Another problem to add to her growing list.
Liz led them into the thicket of shrubby trees. “Rob’s last good day was the one after the gala, after he sat next to you.” She stopped at the clearing. “Did you do something to him? For those few hours and the rest of the night, he was better.”
Aleron’s hand landed low and warm on her back.
“Nothing other than talk to him.” Her stomach knotted at the note of hope in Liz’s question. She understood desperation. “If I could spare Rob, I would. I’m unsure how much you know, but my brother’s dealing with the same thing. That’s why I initially agreed to marry into the Russian dynasty. Unfortunately, their treatment isn’t what we thought it was. My brother’d never allow himself to be placed in a coma.”
“Rob wouldn’t either.” A resigned smile pulled at Liz’s mouth, an angry red line below her bottom lip as if she’d been biting it. “The brightest stars won’t be dimmed. They’re either white fire or nothing.”
White fire. That’s Lach. And he’d always burned bright in support of her.
Liz’s gaze switched to the two men standing at the point’s rocky edge. “I can’t believe you’ve been blessed with all this power and can’t do anything to help Rob. I know what I saw. He was better. You somehow made him better.”
She clung to the strength heavy in Aleron’s focused gaze. She’d had no power at the gala, or had she? Had Rob’s brief improvement been her doing?
Liz’s fingertips swept over her cheeks, her chin quivering. “Let’s go. He had a moment a few minutes ago where he didn’t know me.”
They headed for the two men saying their last words to each other. Aleron tapped her arm, letting Liz walk ahead.
“Erratic behavior and dementia are normal at this point.” He kept his voice low. “His energy’s splintering. Contain him the best you can. Think of it like surrounding him in bumpers his power can bounce between. This won’t take long, but even if it’s risky, let’s give them a few minutes. Prime your powers. Once you preload, you can extend your reach. Give him about a six-foot diameter so his energies won’t sense a challenge.”
On the drive up, he’d briefed her on Fire and Air, giving her the terminology required to command the energies until her power synced with her mind and the two worked in tandem.
Fire sprang to life. Air swirled around her, teasing over her skin and toying with her hair. She readied Water, looking out at the distant waves and focusing on an undertow.
Wield.
A wall of energy came from her left. She threw out a hand, and the invisible force held, undulating and rippling.
“It’s the word and the speed,” he whispered.
Return. Slowly.
The energy crawled toward the sea, piercing the water and leaving no wake. Her arms tingled, her nerves electric. Too much.
“You’re doing great. I would have doused myself.”
She smiled at the compliment. Juggling three elements was hard enough. Time for the fourth.
Wield.
Nothing happened. She gave the command again. Waited. Earth reminded her of Lach’s bulldog sitting down and refusing to budge the moment someone put on her leash. She considered a rest, then slipped off her sandals. The second her toes dug into the sand, the barest tremor vibrated beneath her feet.
“If you feel his Water collapse, you can bolster it with Earth or more Water, whichever you feel steadier with.” Aleron returned Jon Costa’s nod. “They’re ready. You’ll be fine. Surround Rob, and I’ll be your backup fence.”
They headed for the end of the jetty.
“Are you sure we can’t—”
“There’s nothing you can do to make this better.” He slowed as the sand gave way to the rockier terrain of the manmade point. “They’ve had time to say goodbye, which is more than most people get.” He nodded toward the burst of seafoam exploding against the rocks. “The moment he disintegrates, whip his ashes over the sea.” His tone deepened. “I don’t want them to smell it, as that scent never leaves you.”
Her heart squeezed at the pain in his voice, but he wouldn’t appreciate comfort. The wound of his father’s death wouldn’t heal, and there wasn’t any benefit to her picking at the scab. They stopped a yard from the Costas, and her elements bobbled around her with two on each side.
While the family bowed their heads and gathered in a group hug, she stared down the shoreline. On this end of Montauk, houses were large and few. Still, they’d chosen an optimal, secluded spot, as there could be walkers on the beach. A boat in the water. A security camera. Technology, in particular, wasn’t a friend to their race. Naturas were now a cell phone recording, long-range lens, or a drone video away from discovery.
Rob lumbered toward them, his gait that of an old man, dressed in navy chinos and a loose, pale yellow sweater. Behind him, the dying sun cast his face in shadow, outlining the softening of a once-toned body.
His energy hit her, the struggle a vicious tug-of-war between Fire and Air and Water.
Goddess bless.
Wrong. So wrong and broken. She willed herself to smile with no hint of her horror. Rob stood in front of her, and her heart nearly stopped.
Trails of red, blue, and white streaked down his cheeks and over his jaw, his elements bleeding from his eyes.
“It’s not pretty at the end, but you need to see what you have to fight.” Rob put a hand over his heart, like he held himself together. “Feel how my energies are cracking and less distinct so you’ll know the signs with your brother.”
“I feel them.” She eased her energy around the pointed edges of his power, needing to know what Lach faced. “Does it hurt?”
“Yes.”
She retracted her power carefully and schooled her expression so he wouldn’t sense her distress. Was Lach’s energy crackling and shattering the same way? Goddess, they both had the same mismatch, that third wheel of Water so wrong for him, and for Lach.
“Thank you for coming.” Jon Costa came up behind his son, his dismal tone matching the slump of his body.
“Of course. We’ll help however you need.” Elspeth clasped her hands behind her back, not feeling at all qualified, but circling her energies loosely around Rob.
“Give me a little more room. I don’t want my power to seek the pureness of yours.” Rob’s shoulders shook with strain.
She imagined taking her foot off an accelerator, the power less and pulling back. “Is that better?”
“Yes.” The word came out pained.
Pressure built behind her eyes at his upturned chin and thinned lips. She tensed her stomach, determined to be strong for the man whose pride was draining his energy. Bruises covered his legs and forearms, as if his elements tried to shove their way through his skin.
She curled her toes tightly over the sandy rock, the abrasion steadying, the ground answering with the faintest quiver.
Rob’s expression faded like a board being erased. “Make sure I don’t hurt anyone.”
Her heart slowed to the point she wasn’t sure it still beat. Could she really stand there and watch a man take his own life?
“You’ve got this.” Goddess, he was so brave.
“I’m not afraid.” Rob’s gaze locked with his father’s, man to man. “I’m really tired, Dad. Really tired.”
“I know, son. I know.” Tears flowed freely down Jon’s tanned face.
Aleron cleared his throat. Liz stepped to her brother’s side.
There had to be a fix. Some way to transfer energy into him. Or extract the third power out of him. Something. She’d always considered their people so fortunate, their wealth and secret power allowing them to survive through the ages when humans had easily perished.
But here she was, the most powerful woman of their kind, a legend, a fantastically powered freak, but completely and utterly useless at a moment that truly mattered.
She steeled herself, vowing to dive into other options tomorrow. Lach would not die. Not like this.
“
Do good and be careful.” Rob gave her a weak nod. “Everyone will want you now.”
What did she say? What—
“I will find a way to fix this for others. I promise you.” The last words came out a whisper. She blinked hard, determined to be as strong as this tortured, courageous man.
She cleared her throat of the rising acid. The small hope she’d held of being able to change something, even a small part, fizzled. There wasn’t one damn thing she could do.
Rob turned to Aleron, and his head cocked. “If I find your father, is there anything you want me to tell him?”
Surprise slashed Aleron’s stoic expression. “Tell him…tell him I’m sorry.”
“Why that?”
“I’m not the man he raised me to be.”
“There’s no honor left in the bad people you eliminate, brother. A wayward Natura only has one option, and that’s to return to the heavens.” Rob’s gaze glazed over, as if he had difficulty staying focused.
Aleron paled in the dusk’s shadows. Her heart about split wanting to go to him, but she had a job. A job she decided she wouldn’t wish on anyone.
She erected the first band. Red Fire. Then white, green, blue. Like Saturn’s rings. Aleron stood beside her. His power layered between the concentric circles, his Fire and Air to hers. Just there. A formidable plan B, if needed.
“I’m ready.” Rob took his father’s and sister’s hands, and they walked to the jetty’s edge. He was a man desperate for release, starving to return to peace and become one again with the rhythm of the universe.
She and Aleron followed, hanging off to one side, close enough to get to Jon and Liz, if necessary. She couldn’t picture Lach. Not slumped and swaying like Rob. Not ever.
“I love you, son. I’m proud of you for fighting so hard. I’m proud of the young man you are.” Jon pulled both of his children to him, the family huddled in a tight circle.
“You’re the best, Dad. I’ll save a space for you in the next place.” Rob leaned against his father. “Don’t let your anger consume you, Lizzie.”
“I love you, Robbie.” A sob escaped through Liz’s wavering smile.
“I love you too, Lizzie Lou.”
“Step back.” Rob let go of his family and put his feet together, crossing his arms, a mummy standing against a backdrop of dying light. “I’ll see you all again in the stars.”
Jon and Liz clung to each other, both of them dead-eyed and silent.
Wind whipped through Rob’s wavy brown hair and tore at his clothes. Power rose. Immediate and crushing. Fire. Air.
Elspeth dug her fingernails into her palms, g-force pressure driving her a step back. She gritted her teeth, leaning, pushing, shoving against the incredible crush of Rob’s primary elements. She struggled to keep the rings evenly spaced and the buffer intact.
The ground beneath her shook. A wave rose behind her.
Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy—
The air swelled and shrank. Thunder cracked, and a boom shook the ground. A deep-red light flashed and spun around Rob. A deafening roar speared her ears.
Everything stilled. Air. Land. Sea. The sunset seemed to hold, the orange ball glimmering in salute.
Tiny lights floated above where Rob had been, black diamonds suspended and shimmering.
Wield. Strong. Heavens.
A blast of wind caught the embers, launching them toward the cloudless sky. Something tugged in her chest, a tiny snippet tearing off and trailing Rob’s remains into the twilight.
Her power retracted, and she fell back, Aleron tugging her against him.
Liz’s voice tangled with the crash of waves, the traditional version of their prayer blending with the ocean’s song.
Her vision wavered, and she sagged against him, trying to make sense of what she’d seen. She blinked, shook her head, a fog of disbelief clogging her mind.
No blood. No guts. No scent. No remains.
Just gone.
A long, low wail carried over the surf’s brutal crash. Liz fell to her knees. Jon stood at the rock’s edge, his expression blank, an arm extended like he could call Rob back.
“You good?” Aleron tightened his hold.
“I got it.” She stepped away and focused inward. The edges of her power felt frayed. Torn. Ragged. She exhaled through her mouth, hoping to blow out the bits of energy she’d ingested.
Aleron wrapped his arms around the shocked shell of Rob’s father, pulling him close. He whispered words Elspeth couldn’t hear, but she watched the bodies of two grown men tremble with grief.
She snapped out of her daze and knelt in front of Liz, who was rocking back and forth, her body racked with devastating sobs. Putting a hand on Liz’s thigh, she opted for silence, not about to offer up a sorry. That shit word meant little and did nothing.
Liz raised her head, her cheeks streaked black with mascara. “You have to do something. There are others besides the Russians who are working on treatments. If all that power of yours can’t fix anything, marry into the fucking syndicate closest to a cure. Our people need help.” Her voice broke. “Unless you want to watch your brother scatter to the winds like mine just did.”
Liz jerked up and stormed over to her father, putting an arm around his shoulders and guiding him away from Aleron and toward the trees.
Goose bumps scattered over her body at a truth she didn’t want to admit. Unlike before, she had no uterus to broker. Sure, she had immense power, but how could she use it to help Lach? If a viable treatment or cure came along in time, she could barter herself in return for the information, but would that be enough?
She had to do something. Lach couldn’t feel like that. Fracture like that. Go like that.
Aleron’s hand gently grazed her shoulder. “You did—”
“Nothing.” She jerked around. “I did absolutely nothing.”
Not waiting for him, she stormed down the jetty and thrashed through the pine scruff, unable to flee the truth fast enough. As she got into her Mini a few minutes later, Aleron sat down hard in the driver’s seat, the car jostling when he slammed his door shut.
“Now you know what we are, what we fight.”
“I can’t do it.” She met his gaze. “I can’t do that for Lach.”
He looked over at her, his expression unreadable. “Liz was right. Other nations are working toward a cure. If the right one comes along, they’ll gladly hand it over…in exchange for you. A powerful alliance is what you need…an alliance I can’t give you.”
He cranked the car and pulled away, the pea gravel crunching beneath the tires.
She had two options: her brother or her bodyguard. There wasn’t a choice. Lach would not share Rob’s fate. She’d choose life over death.
And kill the dream of marrying a man she loved.
Aleron pulled around the circular drive in front of Seanair’s Tarrytown palace. He’d spent the day lining up an Elite One detail to protect Elspeth and had Half Gallon on best-friend duty inside the apartment. He ran through his checklist one more time of the guards he’d handpicked, one of each element, and the rotation schedule he’d created.
He was encouraged her energies had read stronger today, but a report from Command had stripped away the fleeting positive moment. A Montauk Earth family had sensed an unusual presence last night. If he hadn’t known better, he’d swear the Astrux was collecting data. Sniffing around. Learning their signatures. Studying its enemy. But Astruxes didn’t have the kind of logic and cunning such maneuvers required. He didn’t have another explanation, though, and unknowns only increased his paranoia when it came to protecting Elspeth.
Leaving her in the apartment had been excruciating, his Fire and Air and soul erupting in protest. Orange static crackled over his hands, as if his own element flipped him the double bird.
Killing the engine, he eyed the Air guards stationed beside the gas lanterns at Seanair’s front door. Jogging up the steps, he shifted his attention to the more powerful Air on the right. He missed the added powe
r of his second Fire mantle, but he wasn’t about to take it back from Elspeth.
Besides, his Air had cozied up with his primary Fire and fueled his original mantle way past its former strength.
“Go in. He’s expecting you.” The woman opened the door.
Inside, two prick Fires he detested stood at the archway of the hall that led to the study. Their power registered as…stale, one guy worse than the other, their energy sooty and sticky, but he didn’t stop to question them about why.
Getting this meeting over with and returning to Elspeth took top priority.
Heading down the long hallway, he sent up a prayer.
Goddess, please let this go well.
He stood outside the library, the truth a jagged nail slowly puncturing his soul. Weeks before, he’d planned to kill the man on the other side of the massive door. Now, he was letting go of the one thing that had fueled his entire adulthood. While he knew to the bottom of his rusty soul he’d made the right decision, it’d been far from easy.
He couldn’t forgive. He couldn’t forget. But he could make a different choice.
And he had.
He’d chosen Elspeth.
Over his father. Over his family.
Dad, I understand now what you meant. I love her. I have to be the one to protect her.
Unfortunately, he’d also accepted that no matter what he felt for Elspeth, he couldn’t have her, not like he wanted. He’d been certain his father’s death had torn out his heart, but no, there’d been ragged remains. If he could see inside his chest, he’d find a spear, skewering the leftover pieces.
He focused on his Fire and ramped up his Air. Full power. No hesitation. He couldn’t afford anything less with Seanair. No matter how this meeting turned out, he wouldn’t hurt her by killing her grandfather.
He’d expected to feel guilt, shame, or at least a flicker of failure in the dying flames of his revenge, but a weight lifted. His shoulders, heart, mind, all of him was lighter. He breathed. Deep. For the first time since that horrific day.
The Call of Fire: A Natura Elementals Novel Page 27
