The Elementals Collection

by L. B. Gilbert

  “Just in case you can’t summon the magic of Sheol,” she said before heading out.

  11

  A swarm of flying dragons, no matter how far above it flew, was an awesome and somewhat terrifying sight.

  He tried not to let that last part show, but he couldn’t help ducking when the shadow of the front guard approached at sixty or seventy miles an hour.

  “They can’t see us,” Gia assured him. He winced, chagrined she could read him so easily.

  “I know. I can feel the spell you cast. It was simply a reflex.”

  Gia had cast an obfuscation spell to ensure they would remain unseen as long as no one looked too closely. He forced himself to stand up straight as the main body of the diamond-shaped regiment passed above them. The massive wings blackened the sky.

  Salvador had never seen a dragon swarm before, but he could feel their sense of determination and purpose from where he stood. He clutched the sword tighter despite their relative safety. “They’re sure as hell going somewhere in a hurry…”

  He wouldn’t have thought it possible for something to fly angrily, but the flock somehow managed to convey both indignation and self-righteous fury. There was something about their movement and bearing, like soldiers off to fight a war.

  He turned to Gia. “It’s clear they’re spoiling for a fight. Someone is about to get a whole can of whoop-ass delivered via airmail.”

  Gia snorted as they watched the flock grow smaller, heading to a jagged cliff line in the distance.

  “What’s over there?” he asked.

  “Another demon prince’s castle.”

  “Which one?” he asked, but she didn’t answer. When he glanced over, she was already some distance away. He ran to catch up.

  “If they intend to return to Earth, they’ll have left the doorway open. Otherwise, they’ll be in the same position we are,” she explained as she hustled him along.

  They topped a small dirt rise. She slid down the other side with controlled grace.

  “It better be guarded,” she added as he awkwardly followed.

  Confused, he tried to catch her gaze, but failed. She was moving too fast. “Wouldn’t an unguarded door be better for us?” he panted, running after her.

  “If the inhabitants of Sheol knew there was a gateway to Earth, every demon in the continent would be swarming to it by now.”

  Fuck. “And they’re not exactly flying covertly.”

  “Precisely. They aren’t trying to conceal themselves. The dragon’s main advantage is in physical intimidation. They’re not known for hiding their light under a bushel.” She broke off to help him up after he slid and stumbled to the ground.

  “The only thing in their favor is they’re not native to Earth, so most demons won’t assume that’s where they came from. But some demon lords may know a few Draconai Imperia settled on Earth. It would be worth their while to send someone to check.”

  If that were true, then it was likely they’d already sent out search parties, a precursor to a full-scale invasion of Earth. Suddenly, this had become a race.

  “They better have a damn good reason for coming here,” she hissed as they arrived at a huge outcropping of boulders.

  There was something here—an energy. The necklace around his neck, which Gia had insisted he continue to wear, began to warm. The gate was near.

  “And if they don’t?” he whispered, wondering if a dragon was going to leap out, teeth bared.

  “Then we close it for them.”

  “Good, good,” he muttered. In a rush, he added, “From the other side, right?”

  “Ideally.”

  Ah, hell. Salvador rubbed his eyes.

  She regarded him, chin firm and resolute. “You know I’m right. The priority is closing the door.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he said, ignoring the tightening in his gut. Leaving a portal to hell open endangered everyone on Earth. Even at his most selfish, he couldn’t justify saving himself over saving the world. But there was some consolation—closing the door would be easier from the other side, provided they could get past whatever hurdle stood between them and the portal.

  After a few minutes, the air changed, thinning. He started panting reflexively, even though his mind told him that he wasn’t actually breathing.

  Ears vibrating, the string of leather and brass around his neck became downright hot. “It’s close. I can feel it.”

  Gia nodded and raised a hand, signaling to stay quiet. She halted at a crumbling stone rise that resembled the remains of a Grecian temple, complete with Ionic column. Cautiously, she poked her head around a damaged pillar. Then she twitched her fingers, signaling for him to follow.

  He edged around the pillar, then promptly tripped. Scowling, Gia caught him, yanking him up to face the massive red-and-black dragon guarding the small stone arch. Behind the beast, the air rippled.

  Salvador’s stomach dipped and swelled, but not from the fear he should have felt at seeing such a fearsome creature. His reaction was due to their proximity to the opening. He could almost smell home.

  “It’s the way back to Earth. I can feel it.”

  The dragon swiveled its head, whirling on them with a roar at the sound of Salvador’s voice.

  “Well, there goes our element of surprise,” Gia said in a flat voice. Her sword was out before he could blink, and she called out in a language he didn’t understand. The dragon answered in kind. Swishing its tail, the beast called attention to the shining spikes. It chuffed, and a stream of flame rushed toward them.

  Gia pushed him down just in time. Salvador hit the ground as the flame enveloped her. But she didn’t try to evade it. She stood still, letting the fire cover her.

  “You didn’t burn,” Salvador gasped, scrambling to his feet. The dust and dirt clouded his eyes, but he could still see that Gia was unhurt.

  “This Draconis was born on Earth. Its flames won’t hurt me,” she replied.

  There was a loud snort and a whoosh. The dragon disappeared. In its place stood a mountainous man. He was huge and dark, muscles rippling up his arms and thighs as thick as tree trunks. Although he was dressed in plain leather pants and a vest of the same material, his face and arms were covered in jagged designs and writing. At first, Salvador thought they were tattoos. On second glance, he realized they were painted on. War paint.

  “Do you recognize me, Draconis?” Gia called to the dragon. “What is your name, and who do you serve under?”

  The mountain of a man scowled. “You’re not you. It’s a trick.”

  Gia cocked her head. “Unfortunately for me, it’s not. I was wounded and fell into a spell trap, which displaced my associate and me.” She jerked her thumb in Salvador’s direction.

  “As you can see, I’m fine now.” She twitched the blade. “What business do your people have in Sheol?”

  The warrior’s eyes were glued to the sword. “It’s not your affair, demon.”

  “Again, I’m not a demon, and I want to know what the hell your leader was thinking by opening a door to hell?”

  The soldier’s head drew back, clearly confused at her insistence. But apparently, the critical thinking was too much for him because he scowled and lifted his sword. “You won’t get through this door moecha putida,” he spat.

  Salvador winced. Dirty slut? Dragon man was in for it now.

  “Okay, that’s it,” Gia muttered. That was the only hint anything else was coming. One second, she stood next to Salvador. The next, she was flying through the air, sword raised.

  Salvador retreated a few feet as the warriors clashed. Gia was blindingly fast, but the dragon shifter was a trained fighter. He whipped around, twisting and raising his own weapon, one Salvador hadn’t even noticed until it was in the soldier’s hand.

  “Where was he hiding that?” Salvador asked. That dude had been a dragon a minute ago. Where the hell had he tucked a four-foot sword?

  No one answered, but he doubted the fighters could hear him over the crashing sound
of metal on metal. The ringing vibrated in his ears.

  Gia planted her foot for balance, then pushed the shifter with one hand. The muscled man flew backward, landing with a thump. His head hit the ground, kicking up a small puff of dust.

  Salvador tried to cast a defensive spell, hoping the proximity to the gate would jumpstart his magical abilities. Although he did feel something, it wasn’t the normal flood of energy—more like a trickle.

  Damn. He needed to get closer to the opening. Maybe he’d be able to access his magic then.

  As quietly as he could, he edged around the fighters. If he could just get to the door, he might be able to stick his foot through, accessing his magic while leaving his arms free to cast a few spells and help Gia.

  Mentally, Salvador willed the dragon warrior to keep his focus on the fight. The door was only a few feet away. Salvador was almost there when the guy went flying again—due to another of Gia’s killer roundhouse kicks. The dragon shifter landed next to Sal. Scrambling up, the shifter twisted to scowl in Salvador’s direction.

  “Hey. What the—” the warrior began, his nostrils flaring. He sniffed, cocked his head.

  He didn’t get to finish the sentence. Eyes rolling into the back of his head, he landed at Salvador’s feet like a fallen redwood.

  Gia wrinkled her nose. “Why did he just stop like that?” she asked.

  “I, uh, I think I distracted him,” Salvador said, putting his hands on his hips.

  Exactly how was a mystery. “Perhaps my reputation precedes me?” he suggested, his chest puffing up a bit.

  Gia snorted, then began to laugh. When the corner of his mouth pulled down, she subsided. “Oh, you were serious…”

  He snorted, the sound only a touch self-deprecating. “Stranger things have happened.”

  Averting her eyes, she sheathed her sword before stepping over the prone pile of muscles.

  “Wake up.” Gia grabbed the dragon shifter by the hair, giving him a hard shake. She didn’t let up until his dazed eyes cleared.

  She squatted until they were face to face. “By rights, I should close this damn door behind me. Opening it was a violation of the Covenant. Your leader knows that. However, I’m going to be lenient in this case because it’s my ticket out of here. You have twenty-four hours. After that, either I, or one my sisters, will be slamming it shut. It won’t matter to any of us which side you are on. The door will be seal regardless—forever.”

  The dragon shifter groaned in response, rolling to his side. Slowly, he sat up, regarding them with a mixture of disgust and resignation.

  “Call your men. Secure this location. Now.”

  “It was fine until you showed up,” the shifter hissed, although his voice sounded distinctly wobbly.

  “Portals to hell are, by their very nature, insecure,” Gia insisted. “Get some of the others back here to help you—half a dozen of your strongest warriors. Otherwise, you and your people will be held responsible if any natives end up on our side.”

  She headed to the opening, but paused. “And have your leader call on me when he returns to our realm. Your clan better have a damn good reason for coming here. I’m going to want to hear it.”

  Gia practically sauntered away, not even giving the warrior the courtesy of looking back to make sure he didn’t mount a counterattack.

  Salvador hurried to catch up, then reached for Gia’s hand when she reached the portal. When she glanced at it, he realized what he’d done and felt his face start to heat. But he didn’t let go.

  Gia tilted her head to look up at him, wrapping her fingers tighter around his. Then she strode forward, pulling him through to the other side.

  12

  Gia was aware of the aching discomfort before anything else. It was unlike the sharp and more concentrated pain she’d experienced from the various wounds and injuries sustained from centuries of service to the Mother. This was more widespread, an insistent dull throbbing that spread from head to toe.

  She took a cautious breath, drawing the air deep into her lungs. The tight band around her heart unwound, spinning into the aether as she inhaled the clean scent around her. There was an underlying moisture and fetidness she welcomed after the oily smell and metallic taste of the air in Sheol.

  She was home.

  Gia felt Diana before she saw her. Her sister’s inherent heat was palpable, even from a distance. After the cold emptiness of Sheol’s wasteland, it was a welcome sensation.

  “Di,” Gia whispered, belatedly licking her dry and cracked lips.

  Warm strong fingers touched her face, prying her eyes open. Gia’s vision was blurry, but she could see her sister’s relieved expression.

  “That’s better,” Diana’s expression was closed, but Gia could feel strong waves of emotion coming from her like pulses of energy. “Welcome back.”

  Wincing, Gia sat up and surveyed her surroundings. She was in a rough cottage. A pair of camping chairs crafted from native wood set against one wall. Both appeared well-crafted and comfortable, but too mismatched to be anything but handmade. Gia had been lying on a makeshift bed of raised soil in the center of the room.

  “It’s good to be back,” she said. She was surprised to hear the raspy sound of her own voice. You weren’t actually using it in Sheol. It had been her soul in hell, not her body.

  Gia touched the earth underneath her thighs, reveling in the granular and healthful vibration it gave off. Unlike the barren ground she’d been walking on for the past few weeks, this soil was alive.

  She lifted a hand to her nose as if she were taking a hit of cocaine. After the disconnected aridity and desolation of Sheol, the effect was euphoric.

  The land was so rich here in…Chiriquí? No, she was somewhere in Costa Rica. The distinctive mix of minerals and bacteria pointed a little more north of Panama.

  Diana gestured at the packed-earth altar underneath Gia. “We tried putting you in a regular bed a few times, but the dirt kept rising to cover it, so we gave up and settled you back out here.”

  “Back?” Gia asked, still out of sorts. She ran her tongue along her teeth. They still didn’t feel like hers, but the sense of alienness was slowly departing as her soul settled back into its chosen vessel.

  “This is where you appeared once we decided to use Salvador for your treatment.” Diana’s nose wrinkled. “One minute, you were lying in the ruins on the Isle of Man. The next, you were here, in the clinic’s waiting room.”

  Gia’s lip quirked. “It was probably longer than a minute.” The Isle of Man was some distance away. Normally, she did not cross beneath oceans due to the time and effort.

  “Err…you do know where here is?” Diana asked. “This clinic belongs to Salvador. He’s a…well, he’s—”

  Gia held up a hand. “Don’t worry. I know who Salvador is—who his people are. Thank you for sending him after me. Given the circumstances, you chose well.”

  The line of Diana’s shoulders dropped as she relaxed a little more. “I thought you’d be pissed. I know you have a history with the Delavordos. We all do, but Alec vouched for this one. He assured us that Sal is not like the others.”

  “Sal? I thought it was Salvador.”

  Diana smirked. “Yeah, he doesn’t like it when I shorten his name, so I call him that at every opportunity.”

  Gia laughed before sobering. Her sister had never looked so tired. She imagined Serin and Logan were in similar states. After stretching her legs experimentally, she swung them over the side of the dais.

  Gia patted the space next to her. Diana hopped up, leaning to the side until their arms touched. Her sister was careful not to push too much of her weight onto her, but Gia was having none of that. Gia pulled her sister in tight, encouraging Diana’s head to rest on her shoulder.

  Gia still wasn’t feeling one hundred percent. Not even half that, but she was strong enough for this.

  “Thanks,” Diana murmured.

  “For what?”

  “For not dying.”

/>   Gia snorted. “I aim to please.”

  Diana laughed, but then she hung her head, her expression crumbling.

  “Stop, my sister. There’s no need for that,” Gia said softly, wiping Diana’s cheeks. Her sister needed catharsis, but Diana only tolerated weakness in others. She despised it in herself.

  There was a moment of silence as Diana composed herself. She gestured to Gia’s arms. There was a faint tracing of something, a spidery web of sorts, on the surface of her skin.

  “It’s a lot better now than it was. Sal appears to be a decent-enough healer.”

  “Judging by the evidence, he’s nothing short of miraculous…” Gia muttered, not wanting to compliment Salvador loud enough for him to hear. “Where is he?”

  Diana cocked her head, listening. “I think Alec must have taken him out. He woke a little before you did. He said he wanted to bathe, so they headed for the stream.”

  She turned back to Gia. “I thought it was weird he woke before you did, but he checked you out. He said there’s still some poison in your system. It’s working its way out, but you may be here for a few more days.”

  Gia scowled. “I have to find him.”

  She and Diana both knew they weren’t talking about Salvador anymore.

  Diana’s shoulders slumped. She appeared exhausted. “John has disappeared from the face of the earth. I couldn’t find him. Neither can Serin. Logan and Connell are trying their luck now.”

  “I should be out there, too,” Gia said, rising. Unfortunately, even one step proved too much. A wave of nausea and dizziness nearly made her pass out.

  Her sister helped her back to the mound of dirt, which adjusted automatically for her comfort.

  “Not yet,” Diana admonished. “You need to regain your strength. That poison was one for the books.”

  “I know. It took a long time for him to perfect,” Gia said, her voice hardening. “I was foolish to trust John.”

  “You can’t blame yourself. He was good enough to ingratiate himself to the T’Kaierian community. Serin grew up calling him uncle. Everyone trusted him. You can’t fault yourself for not seeing what he was.”