He dropped to his knees, and Kayla felt him draw upon her power as he ripped the energy away from Lars once again. Lars coughed and choked, retaliating by trying to dislodge more of the rocks from the walls. Kayla felt an opposite pull as Lars also tried to pull upon her energy.
A wave of nausea crashed over her. It was like being torn in two. Alec must have sensed it because he abruptly released his hold upon her energy. Lars took the opportunity to pull more energy through her, using it to strike out again at Alec. Rocks pummeled him, ripping into his jacket and slicing into his chest.
Alec struggled against the onslaught, slipping on the wet ground. The stupid ass wouldn’t tap into her energy to fight back. Icy-cold water hit her boots, and she looked down to see the river water rising behind her.
“Alec! The river! Lars is tapping into the river. He’s also a water channeler,” she shouted at him.
Brant grabbed her, dragging her away from the water. A huge wave crashed over the ground, and she stumbled out of his grip. Seara slid backward with a cry. Kayla reached out, grabbing her mother’s hand and trying to hold on.
“Felix!” Kayla cried out. “Get Seara! I’m losing her.”
She barely heard Felix’s response over the sound of her pulse pounding in her head. As soon as the water receded, her mother’s hand was yanked from hers as Felix pulled her away. Energy roared through her as Lars increased his attack. Another wave struck, and Kayla clawed the ground, trying to find purchase. Freezing river water pummeled over them, brutal in its intensity. She coughed and gasped, trying to catch her breath.
Kayla grabbed a stalagmite and lifted her head, catching a glimpse of Alec. He was still fighting, but she could sense he was weakening. She managed to brace herself as another wave crashed overhead. There was nothing for Alec to grab on to, and he slid toward the river.
“Alec!” she screamed, hurling energy through their bond to strengthen him. She didn’t care about the challenge or any of it. He couldn’t die.
Drawing upon more energy than she’d ever channeled, she flooded him with her power. The rush of energy sliced through her like a thousand daggers. Blood dripped from her nose, but she didn’t dare stop. A red, hazy mist coated her vision. She blinked, trying to focus on Alec. Lars yanked more energy through the bond and she staggered, nearly losing her grip on the stalagmite. It was too much.
Fury ripped through her at the thought she was being used to hurt Alec. The two idiots might be trying to kill each other, but she’d be damned if she was going to let Lars use her like this. Kayla blinked, trying to look around the cavern and find a way to stop Lars. A few of the guards had fallen into the rapidly moving river and others were pulling them back to shore. More were grabbing whatever they could to brace themselves against the onslaught. The guard nearest her was bleeding from his head and looked on the verge of passing out.
Couldn’t Lars see what he was doing? There was more at stake than just the stupid bond. They were all going to die. Her eyes fell on Brant, who had managed to help Felix pull Seara to relative safety.
Brant met her gaze and rushed back toward her. He slid along the ground, grabbing at the stalagmite, and shouted over the whipping wind, “Get away from the river. Take my hand.”
Kayla reached for him, energy sparking through them at the contact. She jerked back, gripping the stalagmite even tighter as another wave crashed over them. An idea began to take shape in her mind. It was crazy enough that it just might work.
“I need you to trust me!” Kayla yelled, reaching for him but not releasing the stalagmite. She had no idea if this would even work, but she was desperate. If touching him and channeling energy could give Brant the ability to act as an Inner Circle member, she might be able to temporarily form a bond with him—or rather, transfer a permanent bond.
Taking a deep breath, she reached out along the unanchored bond she shared with Alec and Lars. Gripping it with her energy threads, Kayla yanked it toward her, pulling away from both men and pushing it into Brant. If Alec wouldn’t take her energy, she’d make damn sure Lars couldn’t take it either.
It wasn’t a natural merging. By design, Brant was unable to naturally form any sort of bond. Lars had called her a conduit, but she hadn’t fully understood what that meant until now. Brant could never hold a bond, but she could act as one for him. To the Shadows, she was the mystical connection linking them to the surrounding energy.
Because she’d given Brant so much of her energy earlier, he was technically the equivalent of an Inner Circle member. If her theory was correct, this would allow Brant to temporarily hold a bond until her energy left him. Once it was gone, that would be the real test.
“Don’t let go of the bond!” she shouted, digging her fingers into Brant’s arm to strengthen their connection.
He nodded, grasping the bond holding them together, and pulled it to him. With a searing blast of heat, he burned through her energy, embedding the unanchored bond deeper into his psyche. Through a combination of force of will and energy, she sensed him struggling to hold on to it while the battle raged around them. As the energy within Brant began to dwindle, the bond began to waver, unable to anchor itself to an energy user. She dropped her hand quickly so the bond couldn’t revert to her.
With a sharp crack, pain ripped through her as the bond was destroyed. Kayla cried out, dropping to her knees. She gasped and tried to take a breath as tears streamed down her cheeks. Faintly, she heard people shouting but couldn’t make out the words.
What happened? Did I kill Alec?
She just wanted to negate the bond, not destroy it. Wrapping her arms around her midsection, Kayla tried to keep herself from falling apart. This pain was worse than when she’d destroyed the bracelets.
“Kayla, what have you done?”
She lifted her head to find Seara kneeling beside her. Her mother brushed her hair back away from her face, searching her expression. Kayla turned her head, the sudden movement making her nauseous, and she retched on the ground. When the ground stopped spinning, she lifted her head.
Lars and Alec were kneeling on the ground, suffering equally. She didn’t know how it was possible, but they were all still alive. Hell, it hurt like a bitch, but it was worth it if they were all still breathing. Brant was a little green around the gills, but not nearly as bad as the rest of them.
The absence of the bond was like a raw, festering wound. She ached inside as though part of her soul had been ripped away. Alec lifted his head to meet her gaze, and the look of agony on his face was nearly her undoing. She reached out to him through their energy connection, but there was nothing. Their bond was well and truly destroyed. Alec dropped his chin to his chest, his body quaking silently as though struggling to overcome the pain.
Lars, however, seemed to be recovering faster. Perhaps it was because he only had a trace of the bond during the battle. Kayla watched as the renegade Omni tried to stand, cradling his shattered wrist.
Seara looked over at him. “Stop, Lars. I don’t know how, but the bond is destroyed. The challenge is over.”
Lars shook his head, using the rock wall to pull himself upright. “No. It was… never about the damn bond.” He paused, pushing away from the wall, and tried to catch his breath. That simple act of exertion had cost him. “Alec killed Anne. It won’t be over until he pays for what happened.”
Lifting his uninjured hand, another wave of energy ripped through the cavern. Alec, still trying to recover from the loss of the bond, was unable to block the attack and went flying along the rocky ground toward the river.
“Alec!” Seara screamed, reaching outward and using her own earth energy to stop him from falling into the rushing water. The ground trembled, and a steep ridge rose to prevent Alec from plummeting into the icy depths. Brant dove toward him and grabbed Alec’s hand, pulling his half-brother back to safety.
Undeterred, Lars pulled on more energy threads. Wind whipped through the cavern as dirt and debris began to fall from the ceiling. Seara gasped
and looked upward, shouting at Lars to stop. Kayla pushed up from the ground, struggling to stand despite the pain.
Was Lars really that intent on revenge that he’d kill them all?
Kayla swallowed as memories from another ruin collapse came rushing back to her. She’d be damned if she let him bury them alive. Not again. She lifted her hand, gripping the emerald necklace she still wore around her neck. It had belonged to Alec’s mother who had saved her life in the ruin collapse as a child. Lars’s mother had owned the matching stone to this one, but it had been lost in the ruins when she’d died.
There was only one thing left to try. If Lars wouldn’t listen to any of them, perhaps he’d listen to someone else. Kayla gripped the necklace tightly and yanked it from her neck. Holding it up, she gathered as much energy as possible and channeled it directly into the stone. If they claimed she was a spirit channeler, she’d better damn well be a spirit channeler. The green pendant began to glow, filling the cavern with an almost unearthly green light.
Some of the guards gasped as a shadowy visage appeared before them. As Kayla channeled more energy into the stone, the image began to solidify, and features became identifiable. A ghostly woman stood on the rocky ground and gave Kayla a sad smile before turning toward Alec. The love and longing on her face was heart-wrenching.
Alec lifted his head, shock and disbelief on his face as he stared at the image. With her long, blond hair and blue eyes the same shade as theirs, it was clear of her familial connection to both Lars and Alec.
Lars staggered forward, leaning against the wall for support. “How—how is this possible? What sort of trick is this?”
“Kayla,” Alec whispered. “What are you doing?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she focused on channeling more energy into the necklace. The woman moved forward, almost floating, and knelt beside Alec on the ground. She looked over his injuries as though each one pained her. Lifting her hand, she held it over him, and Kayla watched in amazement as his injuries began to heal.
“Mother,” he whispered and reached up, his hand passing through the ghostly image’s figure.
She shook her head and moved away, turning to look at Lars. The ghost slowly approached him, and he stumbled backward, bumping into the wall behind him. She motioned for him to hold out his shattered wrist.
Lars’s gaze darted to Alec and back to the ghost.
“Aunt Catherine?”
The woman nodded and gestured to his wrist again, seeming to grow impatient at the delay. Lars held out his arm, and she covered it with her transparent hand, sending healing energy threads through him. He winced as the bones began to knit back together and the rest of his injuries began to heal.
Catherine studied Lars with a sad smile and pointed to Alec. Her mouth moved, but no sound emerged. She said it again, appearing frustrated by her inability to speak. Pointing to Alec again, she mouthed the word a third time. “Family.”
Lars’s shoulders drooped, and he lowered his head. Catherine shook her head and knelt in front of him, her eyes pleading. She interlaced her fingers over her chest and then pulled them apart, showing him they were both breaking her heart.
Kayla swallowed, beginning to feel fatigued from the effects of channeling so much energy into the pendant, but she needed just a little more time. As though sensing her need, Seara laid her hand on her arm, boosting Kayla’s failing energy supply. Kayla gave her mother a thankful nod before turning back to watch Alec’s mother.
Lars had slumped to the ground, defeat reflected in his entire demeanor. Alec stood, slowly made his way over to his cousin, and dropped to the ground beside him.
“Lars,” he managed, emotion choking his words as he looked at the kneeling image of his mother. “She’s right. We’re family. I swear by the blood of our ancestors that I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for the pain and hurt you went through. I’m so sorry for my part in what happened to you and to your family.”
Lars stared at his mother’s twin sister and the tears that trailed down her cheeks. “She looks so much like her. Like Anne too.”
Alec nodded, looking up. “They were all beautiful. None of them deserved to die. My father got what he deserved for taking their lives.”
Lars ran his hands through his hair in dejection. “Then it’s true,” he murmured. “You were the one who killed him.”
“Yes,” Alec admitted, gazing at the sorrow-filled eyes of the ghostly illusion. “It needed to be done. He’d caused too much pain for so many of our people, all because he was power-hungry and greedy. He wanted to remove Andrei Rath’Varein as council leader and his other efforts had failed, so he arranged for the ruin collapse. Then he imprisoned most of the Inner Circle, using their energy for his own purposes.”
“A single death would never be enough,” Lars muttered.
Alec’s mother gestured between the two men once more, her eyes pleading.
Lars swallowed and nodded. “Be at rest, Aunt Catherine. Alec will not come to harm from me.”
Relief filled her gaze, and she extended her hands toward both men, brushing her cool energy over them one last time. She then turned to Kayla and nodded at her, as though telling her to release the energy.
Kayla did as Catherine wanted, and the pendant dimmed. She staggered slightly, and Brant grabbed her, supporting her weight so she wouldn’t fall. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this tired.
Pushing up from the ground, Alec approached her and Brant. With a slight nod, Brant released her, and Alec took his place. “Why did you do it, Kayla?”
She leaned against him, pressing her cheek against his chest. Although she could feel Alec’s energy surround her in a warm embrace, their disconnection was complete. She could no longer feel him within her or sense his thoughts.
“I couldn’t just let him use my energy to kill you, Alec. You weren’t willing to use my energy to fight because it might hurt me, so I did the only thing that might work. If there was no bond, there was no reason for a challenge.”
He lifted her chin to search her expression. “You’re more vulnerable now, Kayla. The bond between us was meant to protect you.”
Brant stepped forward and shook his head. “No, she won’t be vulnerable. Kayla will never be forced into anything. I don’t believe she can destroy the bonds of others, but she can destroy her own or prevent it from happening. Even if she didn’t have this ability, she wouldn’t need to worry. I swear here and now to protect her to my last breath.”
Alec frowned and studied his half-brother. “Why are you making this offer?”
Lars chuckled and stood with the help of Miranda. “Haven’t you figured it out, Alec? Shadows can use Kayla’s energy to become the equivalent of Inner Circle members. It’s only temporary, but their abilities could completely change the tower hierarchy. You were so closed-off to her energy during the fight, you didn’t feel what they did.”
Kayla shook her head. Lars was right about Shadows being able to use her, but he was wrong about Brant. She couldn’t sense Brant in the same way she had with Alec, but there was now an instinctual knowing between them. His offer of protection didn’t stem from some misguided attempt to attain power. Instead, she had the sense his offer of protection was to prevent anyone from misusing her. Brant also wanted to reassure Alec she would be protected. Alec deserved to have a chance to find someone who would love him the way she loved Carl. She suspected Brant felt far more loyalty to Alec than the High Council leader realized.
Kayla looked up at him. “It’s not about power, is it Brant?”
Brant gave her a slow smile. “It would make more sense to everyone if I said yes. But no, it’s not.” He looked back at Alec. “You have an opportunity very few Drac’Kin receive. Your permanent bond has been broken. You two now have a choice. You can decide to renew your permanent bond, or you can take this opportunity to decide what you both truly want.”
Alec’s brow furrowed, and he turned to look at Kayla. As he reached up
to cup her cheek, she felt a light trail of energy float over her. Indecision warred across his face.
She smiled up at him. “You were the one who told me a bond doesn’t negate your feelings, Alec. I’ll always love you, but do you really think we’re right for each other?”
Alec sighed and ran his thumb along her jawline. “If I had never seen you with Carl and the way you two complement each other, I might say something different. I do love you, Kayla. But I have the suspicion we’d probably end up strangling each other in a month’s timespan.”
She laughed and hugged him, knowing he was probably right. In the short amount of time they’d spent together, they’d both driven each other equally crazy.
Brant snorted and muttered under his breath, “I’d give it two weeks tops.”
Kayla pulled back and wrinkled her nose at Brant. When the security officer chuckled, she grinned. Brant was finally starting to act more human.
She turned back to Lars, who had been watching the entire exchange. “Will you tell me where you’ve taken Carl?”
Lars frowned and then motioned to Miranda. “Contact the camp and arrange to have him released.” He turned to Alec and clasped his hands behind his back. “What does this mean for my people?”
Before Alec could reply, Seara stepped forward. “It means you will all return home. You were wrongly expelled from the towers. We may not be able to fully make it up to you for the injustices you were dealt, but Alec and I will do everything within our power to restore your heritage and family’s position.”
Kayla looked down at the emerald pendant she still held in her hand and offered it to Lars. “Until we recover your mother’s pendant, you should keep this one. It should stay in the family—yours and Alec’s.”
Lars hesitated, eyeing the necklace with longing. His fingers curled into fists as though he were resisting the urge to snatch it from Kayla’s outstretched hand. He swallowed and looked toward Alec, who nodded at him.
“Take it, cousin. Kayla’s right. It’s only fitting it should remain in your care. This is only one of the first things we’ll give back to you.”
Tremors of the Past Page 22