The Elementals Collection

by L. B. Gilbert

  “Then it’s the same. Just a week,” he muttered in disbelief. “And you already dethroned a demon prince and claimed his castle as your own?”

  She raised her head, meeting his eyes with a stone-cold steady gaze. “I did what I had to do.”

  He straightened. “I didn’t mean to sound like that. It’s an incredible accomplishment.”

  “I know.”

  The silence that followed thickened, but Salvador wasn’t sure why. Very few people could have done what Gia had. Anyone else would have needed an army, but she had won not just her life, but also an entire castle.

  “Do you know how many demons I had to dispatch before I won this stronghold?”

  He’d counted at least half-a-dozen heads up on spikes when they approached, but the bodies in the moat had been hard to count. Too many pieces…

  Logic dictated the number was north of a dozen. But given the tension in the air, he didn’t want to hazard a guess.

  “Thirty-two,” she answered, flipping through a leather-bound volume before lifting a quill to make a note.

  “That’s, um, very impressive,” he said hoarsely. Thirty-two freaking demons? By herself?

  He shifted uncomfortably as her dark eyes pinned him down. Apparently, Gia didn’t like being commended on her skill, but shouldn’t she have been used to that sort of thing? She was the senior Elemental, wasn’t she?

  Seeing his expression, Gia’s lips compressed. She sat back in the wooden- and-leather chair. “I prefer to kill as a last resort. I am a soldier, a guardian of the Covenant, not a warmonger. I wouldn’t have taken the castle if it hadn’t been necessary, but Mammon would have just kept sending more demons after me. He had to go.”

  “Oh.” Well, in that case, he could see why compliments were superfluous and unwelcome. Whoever said absolute power corrupted had clearly never met this woman.

  Gia watched him a bit longer. “What is it?” she asked, her tone aggrieved when he lingered in front of her.

  Way to go, Salvador. You’ve officially gotten on her nerves.

  “Just thinking about how the patriarchy got it all wrong.” He drifted away to study the shelves.

  Most of the titles were in an unfamiliar language, but enough were in Latin for him to understand their rarity. If this place burned, it would be a greater loss to the dark side than the destruction of the library of Alexandria…

  “My mother would give her eyeteeth just for a peek at some of these volumes,” he muttered thoughtlessly, fingering the pristine spine of the Codex Nabaha. It rested next to a copy of Machiavelli’s Guide to the Dark Fae, a work he’d never have guessed existed.

  “And what would your father give?”

  Salvador froze, his heartbeat slowing as his blood iced over. Play it off. She can’t know who you are.

  “Sorry, I didn’t catch that.” He pretended to be engrossed with the books, aware he had started to sweat. Eventually, his curiosity got the best of him, and he peeked over his shoulder.

  Gia set down the quill, then folded her hands in front of her. “I asked what Fulgencio Delavordo would give to acquire these books on dark magic and the occult?”

  Oh, crap. Suddenly enervated, Salvador dropped his arm to his side as he spun around to face his family’s lifelong adversary.

  .

  10

  Gia forced her face to remain impassive as Salvador Delavordo tried not to hyperventilate.

  “You didn’t give yourself away just now,” she assured him. “I knew who you were from the start—well, almost. Once I realized you were human, I recognized you. You don’t look like either of your parents, but you have a number of the Delavordo family features.”

  Although none had been combined in such a pleasing conformation before, she thought.

  Salvador swallowed heavily. “I do?” he asked, unconsciously leaning away.

  “The one you most closely resemble is Thiago.”

  That black witch had gone down fighting, but Serin had been able to deal with him with her usual dispassionate efficiency. If Gia had been the one sent after him, she would have been tempted to draw it out. Thiago had done a lot of damage in his day. In the end, it was better it had been her sister to dispatch him. Serin hadn’t felt the tie as strongly as Gia had.

  Salvador’s face tightened. “That’s err…that’s unfortunate to hear.”

  She shrugged. “The resemblance isn’t all that strong. Nevertheless, he is there in your face and form.”

  “I didn’t know him as a young man,” he muttered, turning back to the shelves. “So, I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  She waited a beat. “You didn’t mourn him when he died.”

  He sucked in a breath. “No. In fact, I was tempted to celebrate. Instead, I drank half a bottle of whiskey and passed out in my room… I know it was Serin by the way. She told me.”

  Gia raised a brow. “You didn’t have a problem with that?”

  “No,” he answered shortly.

  “I guess you wouldn’t.”

  He blinked, shifting toward her questioningly.

  “If you had, you would still be at Fulgencio’s right hand, the heir-apparent to the Delavordo dynasty. Instead, you eke out your living in the wilds of Costa Rica, using all that expertise and training in the dark arts to help those who can’t help themselves.”

  The undisguised horror in his features was almost entertaining, but Gia was beginning to feel a little bad for him. Her sisters had sent this man to find her, which meant—for better or worse—she was responsible for him now, at least until they found a way out of Sheol. Having him fear her was probably unavoidable, but there were limits.

  Who would have believed it? She was concerned for a Delavordo’s feelings. What her mother had repeated near the end of her life was true.

  If you live long enough, you find yourself accepting things you wouldn’t have compromised on as a younger woman.

  It had sounded better in Spanish, the language her mother had adopted as her primary tongue after her marriage.

  “How do you know this? How much do you know about me?” he asked after a short silence.

  Gia shrugged. “We keep track of the major players.”

  He frowned. “I knew that. I guess I assumed that was for the family in general and not those who have left the fold.”

  She pulled another one of Mammon’s horrid volumes toward her. “We don’t distinguish between the family members in good standing and those on the outside.”

  “Then it’s not just the disinherited you keep tabs on?”

  “It’s everyone we know about,” she admitted. “But there have been cases when unacknowledged offspring fell through the cracks.”

  “But most of the time, you are aware?” Salvador had turned away, pretending to study the bookshelves again. His tone was far too casual.

  Her lip quirked up. “What do you want to know?”

  He pivoted to face her, clearing his throat. “Do I have any brothers or sisters I don’t know about?”

  Gia pursed her lips, trying to decide if she should answer. Salvador was an ally now, but it could change down the line.

  “There are currently thirteen unacknowledged Delavordos in the world.”

  His family currently held the record. They had always been one of the more prolific witch clans.

  “That’s not what I asked,” he pointed out.

  Gia returned to her notes. “I know.”

  Salvador blinked at the foul-smelling little servant. His name was Snaggle—or something like that—a fitting moniker for someone with those teeth. For the last couple of days, the imp-like creature had taken to following Salvador around whenever Gia dismissed him—which was often.

  “I’m sorry… what did you say?” Salvador asked, holding on to his manners by the skin of his teeth.

  The stench was eye-wateringly bad.

  “I asked if Your Eminence would like to dine in the solarium?” Snuffle repeated, hissing slightly through his long, uneven t
eeth. The sound was unnerving, but Salvador didn’t think he was doing it on purpose.

  I could make a killing as a dentist here. But then, he’d have to put his hands into these creature’s mouths. He’d lose fingers, maybe his entire hand.

  “I… no, but thank you.” Salvador tried to smile, but it was too difficult.

  How had Gia managed to interact with the beast so regularly without losing her lunch? Just last night, he’d seen her stand not two feet away from the creature for an entire five-minute conversation. There hadn’t been even a hint of discomfort or disgust in her expression.

  Supernatural lore held that the Elementals were the most powerful beings on Earth, beings whose power was directly derived from the source, the Mother. His family had always taken issue with that, preferring to treat them as obstacles to work around—always with the assumption they could be dealt with.

  Now, he knew better. That brief conversation with Snaggle proved it. Gia was clearly a superior lifeform.

  Snagat coughed gently. Salvador braced himself for the wave of noxious fumes that followed. “Then perhaps you would enjoy it in the formal dining room, oh Exalted One?”

  “Thank you, but I’m not hungry,” Salvador said, edging away. “Also, there’s no need to ask me if I want anything every hour on the hour. I’m just a lowly guest. I don’t require special treatment.”

  Salvador was desperate to downplay his importance in front of the servant. Anything for less one-on-one time.

  Snagat almost vibrated with indignation. “But you are special. As the chosen consort of our new queen, there is nothing the staff—”

  Startled, Salvador raised his hands. “Hold up. I’m not Gia’s consort. She hasn’t chosen me for anything.”

  The reality of that was surprisingly depressing—at least for him. Snagat, on the other hand, didn’t attempt to hide his obvious pleasure at the news. He practically beamed—all yellow teeth and greenish drool.

  Salvador crossed his arms. “Try not to look so happy.”

  Noticing his displeasure, Snagat subsided. “No offense meant, Your Eminence. It just seemed a trifle odd that one as powerful and skilled as our queen would choose someone like you—an entity so smooth-skinned with only one set of arms and legs.”

  Salvador blinked. “Naturally, Gia would choose a consort from among the worthy people of Sheol.”

  The beast nodded sagely, seemingly pleased Salvador understood. “Of course it would be one of the princes—whoever is wise enough not to tangle with her. I think Astaroth would be a fine choice. Even His Former Highness Mammon was afraid to cross him. Cernunnos, The Great Horned One, would also be a fitting mate. He has the finest poisonous spikes along his back. They’re quite sharp, too.”

  Salvador stared, slightly aghast and a bit amused that a horned and poisonous demon was considered a better catch in this world than he was. But the urge to laugh died as he realized Gia probably would prefer a horned or six-legged mate to a member of the Delavordo family.

  Buck up, buttercup. Once they got back to Earth, Gia would go off to save the world and he’d return to his curandero practice to heal. Only this time, he might be able to do it without looking over his shoulder all the time.

  Witches and warlocks outcast from the Seven families were considered prey by certain players in the supernatural works. But Salvador refused to be easy pickings. He’d taught himself to fight, and he’d made allies by crafting spells and charms for certain supernatural beings.

  In all likelihood, some big bad Supe would come gunning for him someday. With any luck, it wouldn’t be one of the Elementals. This trip to hell might even serve to buy him a little goodwill with them.

  If I could stockpile a favor from one or more, it would be huge. It would have to be the right favor or course. Something they could get behind.

  “If there’s nothing else?”

  Salvador blinked, amazed he’d forgotten Snuggle was still there. Don’t tell me I’m getting used to this smell. No, that wasn’t possible. He was going to remember the stench even in his dreams.

  “You can go,” he said, dismissing the demonic servant. “Gia is expecting me in the library.”

  It was a big fat lie, but he had to get away. For the past few days, he’d been all over the castle, exploring the sprawling edifice and its outlying buildings. He’d even tried to go outside, but being under that stained orange and brown sky was too unnerving. Breathing in the air made him feel tainted, giving him the urge to take a scrub brush to the inside of his lungs. Now that he had a roof over his head, he could handle it only in short bursts.

  Plus, the library was the most interesting room in the castle. At first, Salvador had hesitated to remove any of the volumes from the shelves. His concern had been a valid one. It was the most sizable library devoted to black magic he’d ever seen or even heard of. The sheer number of volumes made his own family’s extensive collection look like one of those miniature free libraries people had started putting up like mailboxes in suburban neighborhoods. He didn’t want Gia to get the wrong idea, but, after a day-and-a-half of vacillating, he’d decided to start going through the books and taking notes.

  There were countless spells on hexes and poisons. Sure, ninety-nine percent were how-to manuals. He doubted the former king of this castle cared his books didn’t include antidotes or treatments, but in Salvador’s line of work, knowing the ingredients was half the battle. He couldn’t let this opportunity to learn something new and helpful pass him by.

  To his surprise, Gia hadn’t tried to stop him. For a nearly all-powerful vigilante superhero, she was pretty reasonable. He shuddered to think how Diana or Serin would react. Pausing for a breath check first, he pushed open the door, halting as bright orange light nearly blinded him.

  Adrenaline flooded his system as he prepared to run inside to save the books. After rapidly blinking, though, his eyes adjusted, and he realized the library wasn’t on fire. What he was seeing was something else entirely.

  It appeared to be a hologram, suspended over the central table, which was piled high with books. A golden vista glittered in the image. On closer inspection, he saw it wasn’t the shining shores of Earth. It was some distant vista of Sheol, barren with golden sand and more of that endless orange-brown sky.

  When Gia flicked her finger, the floating image suddenly zoomed out like some sci-fi movie display.

  “I thought there was no magic here,” he said, entering the room.

  Gia waved for him to come closer. “I don’t have magic here. You don’t appear to either, but it exists. It takes a while, but, with effort, it is possible to wield it—if you have enough skill.” He stopped next to her, and she side-eyed him. “If something happens to me, you should know that.”

  Salvador stifled a scowl. He was suddenly irrationally angry someone might try to hurt her.

  “No offense…but anyone who can take you down can plow through me without breaking a sweat.”

  “Not if you run,” she said pointedly.

  He narrowed his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  She lifted a shoulder, her gaze on the glowing vista. “Mammon isn’t the only high-level demon in this realm with a beef against Elementals. Right now, they’re too busy fighting with each other, but all it takes is one to call for a momentary truce. And they will eventually. Taking this castle was strategic, but it was better only in the short term. It proved to the kings that I’m a threat. When they come at me, they’ll do it smarter than Mammon did, in larger numbers. We might get separated. In fact, if that happens, it would be prudent for you to take off before the first wave breaks.”

  Gia moved her hand, changing the scene on the floating image almost as if she were scrolling on a smartphone. “You should also start trying to call your magic. Your family included offensive and defensive spellcasting as part of your education, right?”

  He nodded. “My spellcasting may be a little rusty, but I can still disarm the average armed attacker. Well, I could back in ou
r world. I don’t know if I will be able to here. I guess I should get on that.”

  Salvador started to move away when Gia’s hand shot out, grabbing his arm in a vise-like grip.

  “Do you see that?” Her eyes were fixed on the map.

  Twisting around to see the glowing hills, he stopped and squinted. In the top left, there was a swarm of dots moving from east to west—fast. Extremely fast.

  With a flick of her wrist, Gia zoomed in. The huge bat-like wings glittered with hints of iridescence he could see even at this distance. Well, I guess not all demons are ugly. These were majestic. The scales and snout shapes were uniform across the group. Their bodies were also elegant and symmetrical, something that couldn’t be said for the inhabitants of Sheol.

  “Wait—are those dragons?”

  “Yes,” Gia murmured. “The colors identify them as part of the Draconis Imperia. They’re not native to this place. Rather, they come from a different dimension.”

  “There are dragons invading hell?” he asked incredulously.

  A corner of Gia’s lip curled up. “So it would seem. But they may not be doing it from their realm. They could be crossing over from ours.”

  His heart leapt. What? “That would mean they live on Earth.”

  Her expression seemed curious and contemplative. Not shocked in the least.

  Well, damn. There were dragons on Earth, and she’d known the entire time.

  Gia rocked on her heels, shaking her head. “If this is one of Earth’s colonies, they’re violating the Covenant by opening a portal to this world. Either way, we have to move quickly before they close it.”

  Hurrying around the room, she grabbed a bag and started throwing books and papers inside. When she was done, she went to the corner where she’d tossed a few of the swords and shields she’d brought up from the armory. Her hand hovered over the wicked assortment of weapons before she chose the largest sword, its blade painted black now so it wouldn’t be seen in the dark. Strapping the huge weapon to her back, she picked up a lighter one shaped vaguely like a katana, then tossed it to him.