Others will come looking for me. I beseech you, for the sake of your kingdom, listen to what they have to say. How I know this, I cannot explain, but in time you will come to understand.
Lives depend on you. Do not forget that.
Your long forgotten sister,
Auralina Pavanas.
I folded the paper and left it on the table for Aslaug to take in the morning.
I could only hope Starella would heed my words. Goddess save us all if she sent my allies away.
Chapter 18
What my sister said about my letter, I never knew. Aslaug gave it to Hilda, who then handed it over to Star.
Queen Starella never replied. I didn’t expect her to.
Ramiel visited me almost every day, though we kept our focus on the task at hand. My guardian may have spilled his heart out to me, but he was dedicated to saving the realm. I tried charming him a number of times, to no avail. I stopped after he threatened to quit coming, saying he was only distracting me from my training.
“Come at me with your sword and attack with wind at the same time.” He beckoned, getting into a defensive stance.
I swung the sword forged by Celestia herself. The blade had become a part of my physical body and felt more natural in my grip than the bow and violin I’d played since I could walk.
As I drew nearer to Ramiel, and he moved to block me, I used wind to knock him off balance and swiped at his armoured chest.
Unfurling his wings, he flew back just in time.
“Not fair.” I panted.
“Ah, but some of your opponents may have wings. Or do you forget you’ll have to battle demons as well as mortals?”
I went in for another strike. “Trust me, I don’t forget.”
He blocked and parried with ease, gaining the upper hand.
Enough.
I hit him harder with my wind. A blast so strong it pulled the sword, twin to my own, from his hand.
He watched as I twisted my own blade around and brought it down right above his heart.
Frost covered the floor.
His eyes glittered as he brushed my sword to the side with his hand. “Nicely done.”
I backed off. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
By the length of daylight, I knew summer was now in full force. Down the mountain, flowers were sure to be turning their faces toward the sun as trees bore bountiful, ripe fruit. I remembered the paintings gifted to my mother from artists who’d travelled the realm.
Ramiel sheathed his sword. “You are. And the others will be here any day. I feel their powers drawing near.”
“You can feel them too? Their sparks, I mean.”
He eyed my sword. I handed it back to him so it could join its twin. “I can, though not as strongly as yours. Your power, the power I once wielded, feels like home to me.”
I understood completely.
“I have something to tell you,” he said, offering me a seat at the table.
I lowered myself into the seat, and he settled into the chair across from me, the one Aslaug normally sat in when I asked her to join me for a meal. I waited for him to continue.
“Your powers,” he started, “they won’t be enough separately.”
“I know. That’s why the others are coming to find me.”
He brushed his hand over his silvery hair. “No, you don’t understand. To combat Vesirus’s power of death, your powers will need to be combined to create the power of life.”
“And how are we supposed to achieve that?” I asked.
“There’s a scepter which can remove a person’s spirit from their body, along with the magic connected to them. It is on an island north of Sarantoa.”
“Will you fetch it for us?”
“I wish I could,” he admitted. “But it is guarded by a different type of guardian… a dragon.”
I nearly fell off my chair. “A dragon?”
“Yes, Celestia put her there after she used the scepter herself to take the spirits of the remaining elementals when the war ended. She deemed the power too dangerous in the hands of mortals with her brother whispering in their ears. She collected the spirits of the elementals and brought them to her own realm, and then she sent Kailasa, her dragon, with the scepter to the island, Salais, and told her to guard it with her life. Kailasa will not give the scepter to me. She knows Celestia doesn’t want us interfering in the mortal world. And if the goddess herself finds out I set foot on Salais, she could smite me. I’d suffer the final death.”
Shock and fury ran through me like a bolt of lightning. “Isn’t Celestia on our side? Why must she make this more difficult?”
“She is, but the goddess is set in her ways. The most she could offer you mortals was the gift of elemental power to save yourselves with. She believes she’d be no better than her brother if she were to become involved, that includes using her guardians in this war. She is certain her brother will fail though. He will never extinguish her light.”
“But she is using you… to train me.”
He ran his fingers under his chin. “Indirectly… and she’s not happy about my being here. I pushed the boundaries when I came to help you.”
I ground my teeth but decided arguing would prove pointless. I could see it in his face. He wouldn’t get the scepter for me. The other elementals and I had to do this on our own. Besides, if we couldn’t face a dragon, how could we hope to defeat Vesirus?
I couldn’t get over the fact that a dragon lived and breathed in my own realm. And he wanted me to take this scepter from it? “You think Kailasa will hand the scepter over to us, the elementals?”
“No. You will have to be smart. And try not to reveal to her that you are elementals unless you have to. It will only make your task more difficult. She saw the elemental wars when some of those with magic turned dark and decided to abuse their power.”
I threw back my head and groaned. “As if I didn’t already have enough to deal with. Why must you do this to me, Celestia?”
Ramiel’s lips pulled upward. “She won’t answer, you know.”
I shot him a dark stare. “Of course, she won’t. It doesn’t mean I can’t complain to her. She’s lucky I have no other choice but to fight for my realm.” Yes, I could’ve refused to help the others, but letting Vesirus win wasn’t an option.
“Don’t blame her. The goddess had to make sure the scepter was well protected. If it were to ever end up in the wrong hands…”
I didn’t want to consider that possibility.
I dared to ask, “So, we fetch this scepter, and what after?”
All humour left Ramiel’s face as his silver eyes darkened. “Once you four have the scepter in your hands, one of you will have to use it on the others. The chosen one will take the other’s spirits into themselves, allowing them the power of all four elements.”
“What will happen to the other three elementals?” This sounded too easy. I could tell he held something back from me.
“Their physical bodies will remain alive, but empty. It will be as though they are in a deep slumber. I advise to keep them in a safe place while they are in this state.”
I leaned back and glanced at him sideways. “There’s something you aren’t telling me.”
He didn’t move a muscle as he said, “The one who takes the other’s spirits will only live until the others are returned to their bodies. The power of all four elements is too much for one mortal. They will not survive.”
And there it was. The cost of winning this war.
I pressed my lips together and nodded once. “Me. It will be me.”
Ramiel reached across the table and grasped my hand. His eyes bore into mine, “Auralina, no. It doesn’t have to be you. You should discuss it with the others.”
I wrenched my gaze away from his, unable to face the fear I saw there. “Yes, it does. You said it yourself. I am the key. Air is the one all the other elements need.”
“If you do this, you will join Celestia, and we will neve
r see each other again. The guardians aren’t permitted into that part of her realm.”
I finally met his gaze. I swallowed my tears and faced reality. “We knew our time was numbered. If I live, I may never see you again either. I know you’ve just begun to feel again, but this is my decision. And my kingdom, this kingdom… it doesn’t want me. It doesn’t need me. Let me leave this world, this tower, behind.”
“They won’t keep you locked up once you fight for them.”
“I’m sorry. My sister is queen. I have no place here.” I brushed away the tears threatening to spill and crossed my arms.
“I never wanted this for you,” my guardian whispered.
Understanding settled over me. I knew why the guardians weren’t supposed to get close with—get involved with—their charges. They weren’t like mortals. They weren’t supposed to feel anything. I had done that. I had caused him to feel this pain. And for that, I was sorry.
I touched his shoulder. “You have made me feel what no mortal could. Perhaps the connection of our spirits will live on forever.”
He released my hand, tried to push away his emotions. His jaw tightened as he gave me a curt nod.
“Let me do this, for my mother. Let me make her proud.”
He squared his shoulders and said, “You’re right. I’ve let my emotions cloud my judgement. I won’t stop you from saving the others by sacrificing yourself.”
I managed a small smile, barely, as I went to him. I cupped that strong square jaw of his, but he pulled my wrist away and turned his face. “Let’s not make this anymore painful than it has to be,” he said flatly, letting go of my wrist and standing up.
My brows drew together. “I’d like to enjoy the rest of my time alive as much as I can.”
“I’m sorry,” his tone held regret, but he disappeared.
I blinked back my tears and sank down into the chair he’d been sitting on.
Maybe Celestia would let him join me in her spirit realm once the war ended. I prayed to her to let our spirits remain together.
Whether she answered or not, I’d make the sacrifice. It was my birthright. I was the key. I’d prove to my father, and to my kingdom, I wouldn’t be forgotten. No longer would my bloodline be remembered for Pavanas’s betrayal. Magic didn’t always have to be feared. I’d show them all they needed me. And then they’d regret locking me up to rot away.
First, I had to meet the other elementals. Then, I had to escape the tower so we could go steal a magic scepter away from a dragon—a dragon!
I grabbed my head as the room swayed.
Being a queen, like I should have been, it would be much easier than what I faced now.
I laughed at the absurdity of my situation. My laughter grew to a full-on bout of cackles until numbness replaced it and filled me to my core.
Chapter 19
A day later, Ramiel appeared after I’d finished my second meal. Aslaug had dressed me in a loose ivory gown and pulled my hair back into a braid.
He passed one of his swords to me. “Hit me with everything you’ve got.”
All work and no play. It was as if the conversation the day before had never happened. I kept my weapon pointed at the floor as I stared at him. “Shouldn’t we talk about how we left th—”
He lunged at me, using a backhanded motion to slice his sword on an upward angle.
I blocked it, the impact jarring my wrist. “Never mind.”
I completed a series of moves, all of which he successfully blocked.
His eyes focused on my movements, anticipating each of them. He knew my fighting style too well.
I needed to come up with something new, needed to think on my feet.
I swung to the right, purposely leaving myself open.
He went for the bait.
But as he re-adjusted his position to go for the killing blow, I called upon my power.
A powerful wind pushed his sword-arm backward, and he almost dropped his sword.
I took advantage of the quick distraction and kicked the blade from his hand. I spun and swung as if to chop his head off.
“Ready to talk yet?” I panted as I let him retrieve his weapon.
He turned back to me, and I stepped closer to him, so close that he had to look down at me to meet my eyes.
I found nothing in his gaze as I searched its depths. I touched his shoulder, softening my expression. “Ramiel…”
He pulled away and stepped out of my reach. “Well done.”
My gaze dropped to the floor between us. “We can’t go back to the way things were,” I tried again.
But when I glanced back up, he was already gone. My fingernails bit into my palms as I ground my teeth.
Ramiel kept his emotions in check every time he came to help me practice my combat and magic skills. Whenever I tried to reach him, he pulled away from me.
I grew tired of his tough exterior. If that was how he wanted to play things, so be it. I could be cold too. Emotionally and literally.
Puffs of frost puffed out in clouds from our mouths as we slashed, jabbed, and parried with the twin swords. Neither of us felt the cold.
The candlelight swayed with our motions
After almost losing my footing, I managed to recover in time to disarm him and bring the point of my blade to his throat.
“Well done,” he offered, stepping away from my weapon. “Though, it’ll be much harder when you face demons with other powers and the Dark Lord who rules them.”
“I know.”
“There’s a chance he’ll be too powerful even with all of the elements combined within you,” he went on, as though I didn’t understand.
“I know,” I repeated, shoving the hilt of the sword out for him to take.
He glanced down at the weapon before accepting it. “You would have made a good queen,” he said, throwing me off kilter.
I gave him a measuring look. “Is that so?”
“Yes, you are able to separate your emotions and focus on the task at hand.”
I almost laughed. “I learned it from you.”
He flipped both swords in the air before sheathing them. Show off. “I think I would have admired this side of you if you’d lived when I were human.”
The frost beneath my feet melted. Why did he have to say such things? Especially when I was trying to forget the way he made me feel.
I went to the window and turned my back to him, staring out at the dying light of day. I hoped he’d go away, but I sensed his presence move to stand behind me. “I know you’re hurting beneath that icy exterior,” he said. He was one to talk. “I do want you to enjoy your last days in this realm.”
I stiffened but didn’t turn around. “My joy will only cause us both pain. You’ve made that perfectly clear.”
His large hand covered my shoulder. “I know that’s what I implied. I’m not very good with my emotions. I had trouble with them as a human and even more so now that they’ve been gone for so long.”
I turned and peered up at his burning gaze. He stood so close. I put my hand on his armoured chest. The tight, silver metal was moulded as though he’d been born with it. I wondered what he looked like underneath that armour. My fingers trailed over the smooth metal.
A quick rapping on the door had us breaking apart.
Aslaug entered with a giddy expression.
I’d never seen Ramiel appear so awkward as he did when he was caught being too intimate with me. If he could have, I swear he would’ve flushed with embarrassment.
I folded my arms in front of my chest and went to Aslaug, leaving him to follow behind. “What is it?” I asked the handmaid who nearly bounced on her toes with glee.
“They’re here!” she burst out.
I glanced at Ramiel and asked, “Who?”
“The elementals!” Aslaug shook her head in disbelief. “You were right. They’ve come looking for you.”
I stepped up and clasped her hands. “I need you to focus. Where are they now? Has Star permitted t
hem to see me?”
She breathed in deeply and bobbed her head. “They are being bathed and clothed in clean garments. The queen hasn’t held an audience with them yet.”
I let go of her. “All right. It’s in my sister’s hands now. Let us hope she heeds my letter.”
“No.” Ramiel stepped in. He set a dire expression on my handmaid. “We can’t leave this to hope. Aslaug, if the queen won’t allow the other elementals to see Auralina, you must bring them here later tonight. Can you do that?”
“I—er—I don’t think I can get by the guards unnoticed.”
“Let the elementals worry about the guards,” Ramiel said.
“She would be risking her life,” I argued. “Even if they dealt with the guards on duty, she’d still be incriminating herself.”
“I’ll do it.” My handmaid lifted her chin. Her azure eyes burned with resolve as we both turned our heads to stare at her. “I want to help. If you don’t join the other elementals, we’re all doomed anyway.”
I stepped up to her and threw my arms around her. “Thank you.” She stiffened, but then returned my embrace. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
When I let her go, she looked at the floor. Her perfectly pinned, golden hair shone in the candlelight. “You make it sound as if this is goodbye.” Her soft voice held a note of sorrow.
I smiled sadly. “We will meet again someday. Now, go. Find out what our guests are up to and stay close to them.”
“Yes, my lady.” She glanced back once before closing the door behind her and locking it.
“I should go too,” Ramiel said. His body was a silhouette in the darkened chamber, but his magnificent wings seemed to glow in the candlelight. “I wouldn’t want to frighten the others when they arrive here.”
“Wait.” I reached out and grabbed his shoulder before he could disappear.
He looked down at me, his eyes searching my face.
“This is the last time we might be alone together,” I said on a whisper.
I felt the light within him, the light that called to my spark, brighten. The power he’d once had, the power tethered to my spirit, it connected us in a way I couldn’t explain.
The Elemental Diaries - Complete Series Page 83