My flames engulfed the earth elemental.
He stopped, dropped, and rolled, which snuffed it out. Sure, its shape was a little darker than before, but it was still coming after me.
It got hotter with air.
Maybe with more air, a wind, the fire would burn more intensely.
Thankfully, there was a great source of air: the air elemental.
“Hey, Breezy!” I shouted before drawing the cool sensation of water into my frame. I knew water wouldn’t hurt it. At least, I didn’t expect it to, but who likes to get wet? Maybe I could piss the thing off.
I gathered as much water from the humid air around us as I could draw, and with pure force of will, forced it at air.
A giant Sea World-sized splash–the sort that gets you if you sit in the front row for the Killer Whale show–enveloped air’s form.
Then it came after me.
That’s right, Breezy! This way…
Everywhere it went, it was like a big tornado. It moved with such force that it was tearing up the floor tiles on its path.
I just had to get it between earth and me.
I brought fire back to the forefront. I had to be ready.
Thank God I’d been working out. I had to run harder than I ever had before. Those HIIT workouts were paying off.
Air moved fast. I just needed one shot.
And since earth moved slowly, the slowest of all the elementals I’d seen so far, I wasn’t too worried it would catch up with me first.
I ran around the perimeter of the stone circle until I had air in the perfect position between earth and me.
Then I unleashed it. A blast of flames hit air and turned into an inferno before engulfing earth.
The elemental rumbled as it was overwhelmed by flames.
I had to not only beat the thing, I had to absorb it. But I couldn’t shower it with water. I would probably wash it away.
Erosion and whatnot.
I took off after it.
“Shit!” I shouted. Aether had gotten in the way, and I got a little too close to it. For a half-second, my spirit was shocked out of my body.
“Caspar!” Layla shouted as my ghostly self floated upward.
I glanced at her. She did ground me.
Then I focused and forced myself back to my body, but I made a pit-stop at earth. I didn’t know if I could absorb it better as a disembodied spirit than with my body, but maybe…
The charred pile of dirt was too hot to touch with a body, but I dove through it. I felt…whatever made up an elemental spirit and grabbed it before charging back to my body.
It was exactly like flying; I just had to visualize where I was going. Only this time, my body wasn’t forced to go along for the ride.
I pulled it into my body, along with the rest of my spirit.
It’s jarring to be yanked out of your body, even more so when going back into your flesh. And now I could feel earth. I don’t know how to explain it. It was a heavy, gritty sensation.
No time to waste. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing or how it would form, but I forced it out of me toward air.
Nothing poured from my fists, but the floor beneath my feet started to shake.
The five stones around me took flight. How could I control this? The same way I had moved a fairy gate or the blob of water before.
I tried it, and it worked. Go, me.
I threw the stones at the air elemental, stacking one top of the other. They slowed down the tornado just enough that I thought I could get to it. There was a golden glow of some sort inside. That had to be it.
I grabbed it, and the second I touched it, it was absorbed into my skin.
The water elemental had made me pee by absorbing all that water. I sincerely hoped this one wasn’t going to force me to break wind with a similar frequency.
It didn’t, at least not yet. I felt an airy sensation in my body, almost like breathing pure oxygen, untainted by the atmosphere, from a tank.
I recalled the words from Genesis: When God made man, the Lord breathed into the creature, forged of earth, the breath of life. And man became a living creature. I knew Hebrew. He became nephesh, a living spirit.
So I released air at aether. Nothing much happened.
Then I inhaled, and air brought aether. It brought spirit with it and poured into my nostrils.
Spirit was different from the other elementals. I just felt more alive. More aware. More stable.
After aether joined them, the elements came to life. I didn’t even have to focus; they were just there, no longer subduing each other but in union. A union I had caused.
When God commanded the first man and woman to exercise dominion over all creation, this must’ve been what He meant. Not a burdensome, oppressive, or exploitative rule over the Earth and all her elements, but a communion with them. A harmony. A balance.
All at once, the room erupted in cheers. None was louder than Jag’s, who, by the sheer size of his lungs, released a joyful roar.
Then Layla was on me, and her arms wrapped around me. She kissed me hard, right in front of everyone. In front of the live stream. Everyone.
Talk about PDA.
I didn’t mind. I kissed her back.
“I give to you,” Aerin said, raising her voice, “Caspar Cruciger. The chosen one, in fulfillment of the ancient elven prophecy. And likewise, Princess Brightborn.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“That was kind of you, Aerin, announcing me as a princess.“
Aerin smiled. “The people of this world, the humans, know little of the prophecy, but I know what must be fulfilled. Until then, it would do no good for me to attempt to force the issue. We must work together.”
“Your friends,” I said. “The two drow. I’m sorry, Aerin.”
Aerin nodded. Tears welled in her eyes. “They weren’t talkative, not to others, but they were good men. Obedient men.”
“Not easy to find,” Layla said.
I grunted. I was trying to be respectful. You know, cross-culturalism. “Again, condolences on your loss. If there’s anything I can do…”
“You need to focus on what lies ahead, Naayak.”
“What did you just call me?” I asked.
“’Naayak.’ In Hindi, it means hero. It is what we have always called the chosen one, and today you have proven yourself, Caspar. You are Naayak.”
“Do I get my presents now?” I asked.
“Caspar!” Layla exclaimed. “Don’t be rude.”
“Since when are you worried about being rude to the drow?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Layla said. “Maybe since she saved my life? Don’t get me wrong. He’s still mine.”
Aerin nodded. “Perhaps he is, but time will reveal all. And Caspar, you are correct. You are entitled to the gifts that have been prepared. I cannot tell you what they are, not precisely. All the elements must combine to open them. And as you know, we have not wielded magic directly for centuries.”
“Right,” I said. “Only enchantments.”
“Do we need to live stream this too?” I asked.
Aerin shook her head. “They have seen what they must. I can only presume Fred was hoping you’d fail the trials. He’d hoped your death would be broadcast to the world and our prophecy would be discredited. That must’ve been his Plan A. Going dark assassin and taking you out, probably Plan B.”
“Didn’t work out for him,” I said. “Either plan. At least not yet. I’m not sure he’s moved on to Plan C yet.”
Layla shook her head. “He was always so kind to me.”
“Of course he was,” Aerin said. “I now believe it was his intention to deliver you to your father all along. A token to prove his loyalty.”
“He chose his side, and he wasn’t thrilled with my success so far.”
Layla sniffed. “But he helped us with the Blade of Echoes.”
“Did you see the daggers he was wielding?” I asked. “They weren’t just blades, they were steeped in magic. W
hatever kind of magic he’d used. I think he agreed to forge the false blade for you so he could study its properties and make something to bear whatever magic he was using.”
“I will retrieve the presents, as you called them, now,” Aerin announced.
She stepped out, and a few minutes later she returned, her face white and shocked.
“Aerin,” I said. “What is it? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“The two prisms, the ones containing the ancient gifts of Taliesin. They were open!”
“Open?” Layla asked. “How is that possible?”
Aerin shook her head. “The prisms could be opened by one such as Naayak, who wields all the elements, but they could also be opened by a group of sorcerers representing all the elements.”
“I’m assuming Fred did this,” I said. “Did he have help? How in the world did he pull this off without you noticing? I thought the drow could sense magic. That’s how you found me originally.”
Aerin groaned. “They must’ve done it in the middle of the trials. There was so much other magic in the air that we didn’t notice.”
Layla nodded. “Fred did get up and leave in the middle of the last trial.”
Aerin nodded. “I suspect that was how he did it. And there is more. There is an inscription on the lid of each of the boxes describing what it contained.”
“Which was?” I asked.
“Two crystals, divided, that when brought together would bestow the power of angels upon the one who held them.”
“That’s what Fred was doing,” I said. “He harnessed angel power.”
“And it seems he enchanted blades with it,” Layla said.
“The blades were enchanted,” Aerin said. “But only with earthen elements. Again, he had help.”
“And if he had help,” I said, “he’s not alone.”
“There must already be elves on Earth,” Layla said. “I don’t know when they came.”
I held out my hand and drew in fairy magic, then formed a portal back to my church. Didn’t have any business in the building, but I’d left my car there.
“Leaving so soon?” Aerin asked.
“I acquired this ability when Ensley possessed me, for lack of a better word.”
Layla looked stunned. “When we were in New Albion, my father had been possessed by fairies, too.”
I nodded. “I can’t believe we didn’t see it, but he never had to wait for the full moon for the gate to be thin. He could come here all this time.”
“And it seems,” Aerin said, “the only thing preventing it was that he’d hoped Fred could do him a service in advance. Enhanced by angel power, he intended to use him to eliminate you before he marched on Earth.”
Layla shook her head. “It makes sense. I just can’t believe… I don’t know what to believe about the depths my father would go to anymore.”
“The elven king knows the prophecies,” Aerin said. “He knows his chance of success is greater if you are removed from the picture, Naayak.”
“But now that I’ve succeeded and proved myself in the trials, and I’m stronger than ever…”
“He is not going to wait until you’ve had a chance to practice with your newfound powers, Naayak. I fear the invasion is imminent.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Where the hell was Ensley? It just didn’t seem right that he’d mysteriously be absent when the shit started to hit the fan. The same Ensley who’d followed me obsessively, who’d spotted Fred on my tail (before we knew it was Fred) and helped me figure out how to wield elemental and fairy magics wouldn’t just up and disappear.
I could only think that one of two explanations was likely: Ensley was either occupied with something of the utmost importance, something so crucial that he thought it better to allow me to face the assassin without his aid, or he’d been taken. Fred, maybe, but certainly by someone allied with or sent by King Brightborn.
It wasn’t hard to imagine why Brightborn would abduct Ensley. Maybe he was struggling to create portals, even if he could access fairy magic, without Ensley’s guidance and aid. Or maybe he couldn’t make portals large enough to bring his whole legion through.
I suspected Aerin was right, and the invasion was imminent. I wasn’t going to assume anything about Brightborn’s capabilities, with or without Ensley.
Then again, Brightborn wouldn’t need Ensley. There were other fairies on New Albion, Ensley’s subjects. He was the fairy king, and if he needed to, the elf king could capture one of them. And it would be easier than conducting a fairy abduction on a world he didn’t presently inhabit.
I picked up the Eclipse at the church, then drove back to the apartment.
Layla and I were still in shock about Fred. It wasn’t that I liked him, not even a little. Hell, he hardly acknowledged me, and now I knew why. It wasn’t just because Layla was with me. It wasn’t petty jealousy. He didn’t dare look me in the eye because one, he thought I was a false messiah who’d led the king’s daughter astray, and two, because he was trying to kill me. If he looked me in the eye, he’d have to acknowledge me as a human being. He’d have to learn something about me. I mean, I don’t know much about killing folks. It’s not my jam. But I knew that in the military, they often went to great lengths to depersonalize the enemy and distance the soldier from the foe’s humanity to lessen the burden of guilt many soldiers felt after taking a life.
Fred’s flirtations with Layla? They were either a pretense to justify why he was giving me the cold shoulder, or he just couldn’t resist hitting on a hot elf. He thought elves, rather than humanity, were the future, and by playing the buffoon, he’d picked up details about our daily habits.
Sure, finding us at the church had been obvious. Everyone knew I was a minister. My healing service had made national news.
But Fred wasn’t gone. If he came after us again, he’d have to be subtle. Especially since, defying the odds, I’d completed the trials and hadn’t gotten myself killed in the process. He might have thought the elementals would do the job for him, but now I was stronger than ever before, and I knew about the magic he’d stolen from the drow—the angelic power.
I don’t know if it was the adrenaline of the trials still flowing in me, an extra dose of energy from three new forms of magic I’d added, or a simple sense of helplessness. I’d completed the trials. Fred and Brightborn clearly wanted me dead, but I’d defied their plans. Still, it seemed like they were two steps ahead of us. Angel magic? What the hell, or heaven, was that, anyway?
One day at a time. One magical hurdle at a time.
In AA, we celebrate every victory. You get a coin for twenty-four hours sober. You get another one for thirty days. Sixty days. Ninety Days. Six months. You get one every year. Each celebration isn’t an end. It’s a milestone, and it’s worth celebrating.
That was what we were going to do tonight. I’d worry about Fred, the elves, and all that shit tomorrow.
This wasn’t about celebrating my success in the trials, though that was part of it. It was about celebrating us. A few hours earlier, I had been scared to death that Layla might not be alive at worst or had been kidnapped and brought back to New Albion at best. Now she was in my arms, unscathed.
Tonight was about us.
I looked around the living room. Good, Agnus was snoozing on the couch. We had a little privacy for once.
“Up for a game of Twister?” I asked.
“I’m always up for that,” Layla said. “Provided everyone wins. The way we play it, I’m all in favor of participation trophies.”
I smiled. “It’s not about winning and losing. It's about having fun. But I don’t know about trophies. The figures they’d put on top. Can you imagine?”
“I don’t need a trophy to know I’ve already snagged the prize,” Layla said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the bedroom.
We lay in bed, catching our breath. Layla rolled over and put her arm across my torso, and I held her tight.
“When I thought you
had been taken today,” I said, “I don’t know if I’ve ever been so afraid.”
“What were you afraid of?” Layla asked. “Did you think the assassin had killed me?”
“Maybe,” I said. “I figured there must’ve been a second one. Since I’d dealt with him and then I saw your phone there, I was thinking the worst. He’d either killed you, I figured, or had thrown you in a hole to force you to lotion yourself.”
“To lotion myself?” Layla asked.
“It puts the lotion on its skin, or it gets the hose again,” I said, adopting the scariest tone I could muster.
“Let me guess,” Layla said. “You’re quoting a movie.”
“Silence of the Lambs,” I said, laughing. “We’ll have to watch it someday. You know, after all this is over.”
“I take it that it isn’t a rom-com?” Layla asked.
“Heavens no,” I said. “Probably the creepiest movie ever made, aside from the live-action version of The Lion King.”
Layla laughed. “That’s not creepy!”
“Of course it is,” I said. “I mean, the movie was, like, a Discovery Channel documentary narrated by Disney songs.”
“I agree. It didn’t hold a candle to the original, but I wouldn’t call it creepy.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Animated talking animals seem normal somehow, but when they are real animals, it’s creepy.”
“Says the man who has a talking cat,” Layla said, chuckling.
“Fair point, but at least he doesn’t try to serenade me to the tune of Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”
Layla giggled. “Hakuna Ma-ta-tas.”
“I don’t think…”
“It means nice boobies!” Layla said, laughing at her joke.
I laughed back. “Well, I wouldn’t disagree! You certainly resemble that particular remix.”
“Thanks!” Layla said. “I figured you’d agree, considering the way tonight’s Twister game played out.”
“I didn’t have a choice! The game dictated right hand, right boob. If I didn’t do it, I’d have to forfeit.”
Three Dogma Night (The Elven Prophecy Book 3) Page 15