Age of Valor: Blood Purge

by D. E. Morris

  Fyre engulfed all six Elementals so quickly and violently that Killian grabbed Ashlynn by her arm and jerked her back from the flames, placing himself between them and the two women. No bodies could be seen within; the fyre blazed high enough to almost reach the top of the shorter of the two stone statues. The sound alone was more powerful than any wave that reached the shore of the tiny island. Then, all at once, the fyre was gone leaving nothing but a charred circle of earth under their feet. Even the fire they'd been surrounding was dead.

  All six of them looked around at each other, breathless and still holding hands, then looked down at themselves. As they finally withdrew their hands to give their own bodies a cautionary pat down, each of them began speaking at once, their voices loud and full of excitement. It was nearly impossible to make out anything that was being said, but to the three bystanders, it was clear that no one was injured. Neither, they soon discovered, could anyone see or feel any difference in their bodies, though they all believed something had to have happened for fyre to summon itself and react the way it had.

  Rowan stopped talking, the only one among the six, and lifted her head like a deer in the wood listening for dangers. Her chin gave a curious tilt, thin brows coming together in concentration before she hissed a loud, “Shhhh!” to try to silence everyone. It took a second, but one by one, the others stopped their animated conversations to watch her. Her pale eyes widened. Before there was time for anyone to ask what was happening, she sped away from the group, beginning to shift as she approached the waters, and slipped under the surface as soon as the transformation was complete.

  “Did you see that?” Killian breathed. “Her scales are darker and less mottled than before.”

  Luella whipped her head around, a grin splitting her face. “And there were fins on her tail and the backs of her legs.”

  Ashlynn couldn't help but smile at him as well. “I saw one on her back, too.” Looking at the rest of her friends, then at her son, she said, “It seems I'm not the only one going through some changes. Goodness, Lochlainn. You're just getting a new body every time you shift!”

  Rowan surfaced, already reverted back to her human form, thick red curls pouring water as she climbed from the ocean. “I can hear them!” she practically squealed, laughter bubbling in her voice. “Not only can I hear water dragons, but nearby sea creatures, too. I can hear them and they can hear me. I can talk to water animals!”

  Once more, everyone started talking at the same time, questions being asked of Rowan and of each other, guesses being made as to who could now do what based solely off of this new revelation. Could Lochlainn communicate with land dwelling animals? Perhaps Misuzu could communicate with birds? Maybe she should give it a try now since there were so many gulls around. Even Killian joined in the excitement, scooping his daughter up into a bear hug as though she were only four years old and not fifteen and sopping wet.

  It was impossible not to feel a bit of the exhilaration the group shared in. For the first time in far too long, Mairead felt herself smiling because there was a levity within her. A glance beside her to Ashlynn, however, dampened her moment. She immediately saw the sorrow that her friend was struggling to hide and slid a hand into hers to give it a squeeze. Though Ashlynn didn't look at her, she returned the gesture. “As happy as you are for them, for your son and your friends, I know there is a piece of you that mourns over not being a part of this.” Her voice was quiet, her words meant for Ashlynn alone to hear. “Just remember that you have gained something new as well, something no one else can even begin to understand because it is so far outside of what we are familiar with.”

  “Thank you, my dear friend.”

  “Rowan!” Badru exclaimed, causing the group to give a momentary pause in their celebration. “I just heard your laughter...in my mind.”

  Her brows shot up. “You heard me laugh through telepathy? We've never been able to hear each other!”

  “Let me try to say something,” Luella offered. Whatever she said made each one of their faces light up instantaneously, all except for Rowan, who winced, and Lochlainn, who immediately doubled over in pain.

  “Okay!” Ashlynn rushed forward and gathered her son into her arms. “I know everyone is excited but maybe you need to take it a bit at a time. Your power is strong as it is and Lochlainn is still very new to this.” Tears streamed down his face as she brushed hair from his eyes. “You have to go slow with him.”

  Luella's hands covered her mouth. “I am so sorry, Lochlainn.”

  “Slow for me, too,” Rowan added. “It felt like a bunch of bees in my head. I guess telepathy between Elementals is different than when Gaels are involved.”

  Ashlynn nodded toward Mairead. “May I suggest giving some attention to the reason we came to this specific place to begin with?”

  The younger woman gave a demure shake of her head, her lips parting to object but Badru was already crossing the small amount of distance between them. “Forgive us, Mairead. This is something Cavalon and I have been wondering about for a very long time and only recently...well, you know.” He glanced at the others before returning his attention to her. “This is also very important. Can you walk us through your vision again?”

  Her eyes lifted to the statues, brows coming together. The last thing she wanted to do was to recall it all again, to relive it for a third time. Being here made it all feel much more real. She almost expected the strange, world weary man to come stepping from behind one of the horse heads. Moving toward them, she couldn't help but peek around the corners to make sure there wasn't anyone hiding. Despite knowing that everyone was watching her, once again, that cold, lonely feeling stole over Mairead, and she felt her throat close.

  “When I realized where I was,” she said at length, “all I did was touch the statues and they lit up.” Holding her breath, she placed a flat hand against the pocked stone of the horse head that was looking down. “The holes lit up with light,” she breathed, relieved to see nothing happening now, “and regular fire began to burn around me when I touched only one of the statues.” She pulled her hand away from the horse and let her arm drop, then lifted her other arm to touch the opposite statue. Once more, nothing happened. Relief washed over her in a flood and she turned to the group watching her with great expectation. Her relief was short lived upon seeing the disappointment on all of their faces.

  “I know you were all expecting something incredible to happen. Something did, just not to me.”

  Cavalon looked at Badru in confusion. “I thought for sure this was right.”

  “So did I.”

  “Maybe we should head back,” Misuzu suggested after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

  Listening to the conversation pick up about who would use fyre to simply return home and who was going to take the long flight back, Mairead looked up at the faces of the horses high above her. She stretched out both of her arms, her reach just long enough to allow her to press the pads of her fingers to both statues at the same time. As soon as the connection was made between them, just as had happened in her vision, light began crawling up the small cutouts in the stones. All conversation stopped as though everyone had suddenly been rendered mute, their attention captured.

  As the light crept higher and higher, all cognizant thought left Mairead. Her arms drifted down to her sides as though sinking through water, her chin dropped to her chest and her eyes closed. The ground under her feet began to glow like hot coals, veins of molten earth threading through rocks before bursting into flames. The fire snaked its way up her body wrapping tendrils of heat around her, claiming her, until she was completely consumed by them. In a blaze of heat and light, the flames turned blue and gold all around her, brighter than the fyre the Elementals were used to seeing, making them shield their eyes from its unusual burst of power. Soon, the fyre began to fade away just as the lights in the statues dimmed before everything died completely. Mairead was left on her knees, sagging and leaning against one of the statues in the absence
of the power.

  Killian and Cavalon reached her before anyone else, Killian framing her face in his hands and pushing her hair back. Her eyes fluttered open, but she had too little strength to accomplish much else. With ease, he hooked one arm under her legs and one around her back, scooping her up to bring her more out in the open.

  “Mairead!” cried Lochlainn, reaching for her hand. “Are you all right?”

  “Here,” Ashlynn offered. She lowered herself down to the ground, making sure the gown of her dress spread wide. “Lay her here.” Killian was gentle as he lowered Mairead down, propping her against Ashlynn as the older of the two wrapped her arm around the younger in a protective manner.

  “I am all right,” Mairead managed, forcing her eyes open when Lochlainn shoved himself up under her other arm. She gave him a weak smile, then looked tiredly up at Cavalon as he crouched before her. “What happened?”

  “Your vision happened, or a version of it at least. How do you feel?”

  “Completely drained.” Lochlainn wrapped his arms around her torso, hugging her as though he could give her some of his energy. “I had no control over my body and then when I did, everything in me was spent.”

  “That is because you have awakened a power that has been lying in wait for generations,” said Badru, watching her from several feet away. “It has been biding its time, building up to this very moment.”

  Rowan let out a wondrous sigh. “So we were right? She's one of the seasonal Elementals?”

  The dark-skinned man nodded. “Yes, she is indeed. The fyre confirms it.”

  “The question is,” said Misuzu, “which one?”

  Badru's lips twitched into a small smile. “The seasonal Elementals are powerful and much stronger than any of us six. They also have authority over two each of the six, the two that most contribute to their own element. When Mairead had her vision, when she was first touched by the fyre even though it was not real and when she was in her moment of utmost despair and peril, both Lochlainn and myself had immediate and visceral reactions.”

  “I told you,” Lochlainn insisted, looking around Mairead to widen his eyes at his mother.

  “Earth and Fire,” Luella mused. Her dark blue eyes watched Mairead, but before she could put all of the pieces together, Badru solved the riddle for everyone.

  “Summer. Mairead is the Element of Summer.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  He felt it again, that surge of power, only this time it did more than send him sprawling. Elas had been on his way back up to his rooms after a nice long swim, needing the time in the ocean to recharge and be alone with his thoughts, when it felt like the earth began to rotate in the wrong direction and his bones turned to jelly. He stumbled and crashed into the wall looking like a drunkard returning from a three-day bender. It was the panic on his face that alerted a nearby nobleman that something wasn't quite right. He didn't have time to curse his luck or the mental capacity to wonder exactly how long it would take before the rumors of how much of a lush Princess Kenayde's husband was began to spread. All he could manage as the man slung his arm around his neck was, “Help me to my chambers.”

  She was there, of course, with Allorah and Nagisa, and her own small court of ladies. One look at Elas had her rushing to send them out, assigning care of the children to specific women as she helped her husband into bed. The nobleman was about to be sent away with instructions to find the healer, but Elas objected. When Kenayde ignored him, thinking him delirious, his irritation flared and he told the man to go, leaving the couple alone in the room as Elas sank back onto his pillows, depleted.

  Kenayde stared at the closed door for a moment, listening to his labored breathing, feeling her heart racing. When she didn't turn to face him right away or move to tend to him, he offered a hollow, “I'm sorry.”

  “I hear that a lot lately.” Her lips curved in disappointment, finally approaching the end of the bed. They looked at each other, both of them tortured for different reasons. “What happened? Are you all right?”

  “I think I just pushed myself too hard when I was swimming.” He reached for her, his one good eye imploring. Reluctant, she walked around the end of the bed and up toward him to take his hand, letting him draw her down to sit by his chest.

  “You are being elusive again.” Her voice was quiet and sad. “You have been keeping things from me and your temper has been getting worse. Lately you have been so angry...”

  “I've always been angry,” he replied in a strained tone. “Don't you remember how it was when you met me?”

  “But then it went away. Then you got better.”

  “It's not a condition, Kenayde. It's not like the way I look.” She flinched at the way his words bit, making his lips purse. “You were like a balm to my spirit. Ashlynn disliked me from the get go and the feeling was more than mutual, but you were this ray of light where there hadn't ever been any before. You were sweet and soft, and you tempered the beast inside of me.” He ran the back of his hand down the side of her face, tracing her jawline with a finger before gently tugging on one of her curls. “I'm sorry for not being what you deserve.”

  “Don't do that,” she growled, pushing his hand away, her anger making her careless in her speech.

  “Do what? I'm trying to apologize.”

  “Stop apologizing, Elas. Words are not actions. Make an effort to change. Think before you open your mouth, before you speak.” She got up and paced away from the bed before rounding on him, despair on her face. “We have a child now. I thought that would help us get back to the way we were but, in some ways, I wonder if it has only made it worse.”

  “Don't blame Allorah for my attitude.”

  “Should I then be blaming myself?”

  Whether his frustration with her kept him from responding right away or he was refraining from speaking so as to keep his words in check, when his rebuttal did not come, Kenayde's eyes stung with tears. “I see,” she whispered, making him lift his head from his pillow.

  “What? Kenayde, no. It is not you. It could never be you.” He propped himself up on his elbows, the strain of the effort showing on his face. “I don't know what's wrong with me. I hate myself when I get like this. I hate the man that I am. Do you know what that feels like, to loathe who you are?”

  She sniffled and swiped at her eyes. “Do you know what it feels like to be in love with someone who feels that way about themselves? Do you have any idea how deeply it hurts?” They stared at each other. As the seconds passed, tears spilled down Kenayde's cheeks, deepening the anguish Elas wore on his tired face. At length, she looked away and shook her head. “You should be resting.” She waited, giving him time to argue, to try to open the subject back up for discussion, but he simply returned to his pillows and a heavy nod. Accepting the moment for what it was, she wiped her face with her hand once more and cleared her throat. “I will have some food sent up. Sustenance will help you regain your strength, surely. Perhaps some music?”

  He moved his head enough to be able to look at her, a hint of a smile to be seen. “I will never turn away the chance to listen to a beautiful harpist.”

  A forced smile made its way onto her lips and she nodded. “Then I will return in a few minutes.” He didn't try to stop her or offer anything more. There were no parting words of love after their argument as she almost always witnessed between Ashlynn and Jaryn. No matter how heated their words, how deeply they cut one another in their passionate disagreements, even if they parted ways still at odds with one another, it was rare for them to separate without reminding one another that they still held love between them. Kenayde's heart ached as she pulled open her door, longing to hear those three words on any given day, but desperately wanting to hear them now. As the latch dropped into place behind her, however, she knew it was a wish that would remain unfulfilled.

  Her walk through the castle was slow. Though she had a dedicated task, she needed a moment to collect herself before interacting with anyone, even if it was a ser
vant. The first one she came across was given the request for certain foods to be prepared and sent up to Elas. Once that was done, the next task should have been a return to her husband, to make sure her harp was tuned correctly before playing it. Terrible, she told herself, but she didn't want to be alone with him, not just now. She was too hurt and too tired to jump back into another argument, which was what would be the inevitable outcome of her solo return. If she brought someone back with her, someone else who could play an instrument or sing while she played, Kenayde could return to pretending everything was wonderful, as she had been for some time now, and she could make it through the day.

  Jaryn passed by the intersection at the end of the corridor she strolled and she called out his name, making him stop to double back. Upon seeing Kenayde, his serious expression brightened a touch and he changed directions to meet her halfway. “Hello, Pickle. Out for a stroll?” Before she could even speak, his heavy brows came together while his eyes searched her face. “What's the matter?”

  Her heart squeezed at the question, her love for her brother-in-law and her appreciation for his sensitivity to the emotions of those he cared for making her eyes fill again. It was tempting to tell him everything, to tell him something, but she and Jaryn didn't have the same relationship that Ashlynn and Elas had somehow formed. Jaryn was mightily protective of Kenayde, and if he knew there was any amount of turmoil going on between the couple, if Kenayde was hurting as she was and the reasons behind it, he would not waste a moment in confronting Elas. That was the last thing she wanted or Elas needed. As much as she desperately wanted someone to talk with about all of it, she simply stepped forward and slid her arms under Jaryn's. There was no hesitation in him; he embraced her so tightly, her resolve not to cry nearly broke.

  “Kenayde,” he said quietly, “are you all right?”