“Nonsense,” says G. “You know she’s off building her new school in the Wastelands. Walker’s coming, though.”
“Walker?” I repeat.
“Yes, Walker,” confirms G with one of her ‘innocent old lady’ grins. She waves to my parents. “Well, come on in already. She won’t bite.”
My parents cautiously step past me, like the library holds a mythical creature that could bolt at any second. Huh. You’d think I never brought a girl home before.
Oh right, I never have brought a girl home before.
“Lianna, these are my parents. My parents, Lianna.”
They barely finish shaking hands when Walker rushes into the room.
“And Walker here’s too,” I add. I’m ready to introduce them when the old ghoul wraps Lianna in a big hug that lasts way too long. Like I could change the oil on my bike in the time he’s got his arms around her. I’ve got to say something, so I try to talk without sounding like a jealous bastard.
“Huh. I guess you already know each other.” My voice comes out low and deadly.
Not sure I did a bang-up job with the jealous bastard stuff.
Walker gets all gooey-eyed as he looks at Lianna. “I’m so glad to see you again.”
“Glad to be seen.”
“I told you that you’d make it,” says Walker.
“That you did.” Lianna gives him one of those smiles that should really only go to me. My hands clench into fists on their own, not that I try too hard to stop it. I’m pretty sure teatime is about to turn to shit when G claps her hands. The moment gets broken up before I do anything stupid. G’s smart like that.
“Now that we’re all together,” says G. “We can discuss why I brought you here. I have an announcement to make.” She smooths out her black velvet gown, all the better to drag out the moment. “Lianna is…” G taps her chin as if she’s forgotten something. “What is your title again, my dear?”
“I’m the Monarkki of Water.”
At this news, Dad puts his ‘this is bullshit’ face on. I should know. I wore the same one when Lianna first showed up, too.
“There hasn’t been a new Monarkki of Water in twenty thousand years,” says Mom.
In reply, Lianna turns blue. I’m talking hair, dress, skin, everything.
“There is now,” Lianna says. “And it’s me.” She leans back on the couch in her blue robes, daring anyone to say shit. My parents can hardly control their smiles. They like feisty as much as I do. Maybe more.
“Trust me,” explains Walker. “She’s the new monarkki. Remember the girl I told you about? The one I was constantly relocating?”
Dad nods. “You said you were doing a homemade witness protection program.”
Mom snaps her fingers. “She had some guy after her, right?”
“That’s right.” Walker hitches his thumb at Lianna. “This is who I was talking about. She’s not a witness; she’s the next monarkki. And the guy after her is Zephyr.”
There’s a long pause while my parents process this information. G has already adjusted, of course, but she’s not exactly wired like the rest of us. My G runs at mental double-speed.
Dad turns to Walker. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
“Namare swore him to secrecy,” explains Lianna. “She swore everyone.”
“I told you as much as I could,” adds Walker.
My parents share a long look, and then give each other small nods. That means they’re cool with this, which is good. Walker’s like a little God in my family. He could say Lianna’s the fucking Easter bunny, and they’d buy it. Hell, I’d buy it, too. There isn’t a better guy in the after-realms, which is easy to admit that now that I’m not feeling jealous as fuck.
“Since we’re all together,” announces G. “Why don’t you tell us everything, my dear? In your own words.”
G doesn’t need to ask twice. “To begin with,” says Lianna. “I’m from the House of Tärkein.”
“Born here in Antrum?” asks G. “Because there’s no record of you.”
I half roll my eyes. Leave it to G to already have checked the birth rolls.
“No,” answers Lianna. “I was born cloud-side in Colorado. It was just me and my parents in a little log cabin in the mountains. They wanted to be close to the elements. I don’t know much about being a thrax, other than who you guys are, of course.” With that admission, she gets a little blushy, which is cute.
“Where are your parents now?” asks G.
Lianna picks at the lace on her white sundress. “That part’s hard to explain.” She swallows and doesn’t finish her sentence.
She doesn’t want to talk about Silas.
What I do next is a reflex. Before I know it, I’m sitting next to Lianna and taking her hand in mine. “Want me to cover this part, beautiful?”
Lianna nods.
“Here’s the deal,” I begin. “Lianna’s family got marked by a Class A Incarnate. He killed her parents and took Lianna for harvesting.” I wrap my arm around her shoulder and give her a gentle hug. “Her parents made a trade with Silas for her life.”
Lianna nods. “They agreed to go down without a fight as long as Silas promised not to harvest me until I was sixteen. They gave him the right to my life energy. The trade was sealed with black magic.” She exhales a shaky breath. “It wasn’t much of a trade, but we weren’t in a position to argue.” Lianna stares at her lap for a long time. After that, she straightens her shoulders and looks my family straight on. There’s steel in her gaze. My chest swells with pride. This woman is strong.
“How did you escape?” asks G.
“Namare found me when I was fourteen,” Lianna continues. “She freed me by making another trade with Silas. Namare wouldn’t kill him and in turn, Silas gave up his rights to my life energy. After that, I went into training to be the next monarkki. There must have been, oh, fifty apprentices when I started. There were five when Namare transferred her power to me.”
Her words seem to suck all the oxygen out of the room. Rage zings through my nervous system. To Lianna, those people were her peers. To my family and me, they’re our people. Our responsibility.
G shakes her head. “We knew that the Tärkein had a high death rate, but we thought it was due to their silly practice of wandering cloud-side every chance they got.”
“Zephyr killed them all, didn’t he?” Dad turns to me. His eyes glisten with righteous anger. “Give it to me straight, son.”
“Yeah, Dad. Zephyr killed ‘em.”
My father rounds on Walker. “Why weren’t we told? Fifty thrax from the House of Tärkein? That’s outrageous!”
“You have to understand,” says Walker. “Namare was obsessed with keeping things quiet. She thought it was the only way to protect her apprentices.”
Dad’s mouth thins to a determined line. “I would have told her differently.”
I could step in and tell my father to cut Walker some slack, but honestly, I’m pissed at Walker, too. My neck muscles clench with held-in anger. I can’t believe how long this has been going on. We had no idea our people were being slaughtered.
“It wasn’t that easy,” counters Walker. “I had to follow Namare around for a year before she’d even talk to me. She had her own magic, too. If she got a whiff that I’d broken my word and said anything to you, I would’ve lost the ability to help Lianna.” Walker rubs his hand over his buzz-cut scalp. “Believe me, I wanted to tell you both.”
G nods. “He’s right. The elementals are notoriously closed-lipped.” She gestures to Lianna. “No offense.”
“None taken. It’s one of the things I hope to change.”
Walker’s voice quivers with grief. “You have no idea how hard it was not to tell you all.”
Mom leans over to pat Walker’s hand. “We understand that now. It’s just a shock.”
“Myla’s right.” My father sets his hand on Walker’s shoulder. That’s Dad’s ‘we’re cool again’ move. Walker offers him a feeble smile.
“Let’s not cover old ground,” says G. “What else do we need to know now?”
I lean back on the couch. “You ask me, I’d like more intel on Zephyr.” I turn to Lianna. “Who is this guy, anyway?”
“Zephyr was originally a thrax in Roman times,” explains Lianna. “Part elemental, House of Tärkein. His parents lived cloud-side in Greece.”
“Ancient times,” says G. “Lots of thrax lived cloud-side then.”
“Zephyr’s family got killed, but not by demons. When Julius Caesar invaded Greece, he killed off women, children, and the elderly. The strongest locals were forced into the Roman Army. Zephyr was one of those.”
“Almost makes me feel sorry for the man,” sighs G.
“Don’t,” says Lianna. “Zephyr soon found he got a thrill out of murder. He decided to become the Caesar of the elemental world.”
Mom frowns. “I’ve seen that type before. Always looking for the next big high.”
“Well, Zephyr found it, that’s for sure,” says Lianna. “Elemental rulers store power in stones called Kristalli. Zephyr has been using those stones to shoot up with elemental energy. Once he’s done, he kills everyone around, often including his own guards.”
“So, where’s your Kristalli?” asks Dad.
“Hidden in my Water Palace.”
The small hairs on my neck stand on alert. Something about that answer sets my inner wrath demon humming. There’s trouble with the Kristalli, in the Water Palace, or both. I watch Lianna’s features carefully as I ask my next question. “Is your stone safe there?”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Lianna says too quickly. “Fisk is there and he’s guarding it along with the rest of the Valta.”
Fisk. I really don’t like the way Lianna says that name.
G sets down her teacup. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to translate that reply for me, my dear. I don’t yet speak elemental.”
“Oh,” Lianna chuckles. “Elemental guards are called Valta. The Water Valta are at my palace, along with Fisk, who’s their general. They’re all protecting the Kristalli of Water, which can store my power.” She starts fiddling with the lace on her dress again, and I know something’s bothering her.
More and more, I’m getting a good read on what the trouble is. My money’s on Fisk.
“Are you visiting the Water Palace soon?” I ask.
“Sure,” Lianna answers. “I’m going tonight.”
The words of Silas’s warning ring in my head. If Lianna tries to leave Antrum, Zephyr will definitely make his move. There’s no way I’m letting her fly solo.
“Great,” I say. “I’ll go with you.”
Lianna shakes her head. “My people don’t trust outsiders. I need to go alone.”
Like hell she is.
“You don’t know what you’ll find at the palace,” I say. “And we both know that my lightning powers can help you in a fight.”
She tilts her head to one side. I grin at her for all I’m worth. She worries her lower lip with her teeth.
I’m wearing her down. I can tell.
Which is good, because if she doesn’t agree, I’ll have to follow her anyway. That could get weird.
“Maybe,” she says.
“Hey, what’s the point of being monarkki if you can’t drag your favorites to court?”
She gives me a million-watt smile. “Who said you’re my favorite?”
We stare at each other for what feels like a second or two. I guess it’s more than that because before I know it, my parents, G, and Walker are standing by the door, waving me over.
I walk over to G first. “Must be annoying, being right all the time.”
“So you admit I was correct in holding this impromptu tea?” asks G.
“Don’t be a sore winner,” I say.
She kisses me on the cheek. “She’s lovely, Maxon. I’ll hold a Ball of Welcome in her honor.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will. And you’re not stopping me. Lianna deserves a beautiful ball gown and a handsome prince.”
I shake my head. “That’s not me, G.”
“Poppycock.” G cups my face in her hands and looks deeply into my eyes. “Are your irises changing, my boy?”
“Nah. Still mismatched.”
“They won’t stay that way for long, I’ll wager.”
I know exactly where she’s going with this. If I fall for Lianna, I’ll get Angelbound. My eyes will turn bright blue and I’ll have power over igni. My family’s been itching for this for ages, Mom and G especially. They’re worried my ticker’s busted and I can’t fall in love. Not something I gave much thought to before, but now?
I shiver. Falling in love with Lianna would be a disaster. It’s got heartbreak written all over it.
“Not going near that one,” I say. “See you later, G.”
Mom steps up next. “Did Octavia say something about your eyes?”
Not again.
“Cut me some slack, Mom. I’m in no rush to be the full Scala Heir.” I shoot her a sly look. “Besides, I control my lightning. It’s the bomb. Your igni do whatever the hell they want. Annoying little bastards.”
“Language,” she says.
“What can I say? I learned from the best.” My mother can swear like a sailor on a week-long rum bender.
“Bye, baby.” She walks off.
Next Dad steps in to give me a big man-hug. “Love you, son.”
“You too, Dad.”
“If you need anything for this, let your mother and me know.”
“Will do.”
He looks at Lianna, then back at me, and nods. I know where this is going. I’m not ready for another discussion about getting Angelbound. Too bad that Dad is as crafty as G when it comes to getting information.
I whisper so only Dad can hear. “Look, don’t get your hopes up. I’m not a relationship guy. I’ll help her out and set her on her way. That’s all this is.”
“I didn’t say relationship, Maxon.” He offers me a knowing look. “You did.”
It takes me a few seconds to realize I stepped right into that one. Man, I hate it when he does that.
“Get out of here before you trick me into admitting something else.”
“Of course, son.” Dad walks off smiling. He’s G’s kid, all right.
Walker’s the last in line. For a long time, all he does is glare at me. Finally, I can’t take it any more.
“What?” I snap at him.
“Hurt her and I’ll kill you.”
I bob my head a little, considering. “Fair enough. Now make tracks.”
Finally, they’re all gone. I turn to Lianna. “What’s next, beautiful?”
“We need to hit one of your secret Pulpitum and get to the Earth’s surface. I must summon the Water Palace. To do that, I need to be near—”
“Let me guess.” Stepping closer, I wind a lock of her soft blue hair around my finger. “You need to be near water.”
“Right.” She blushes blue again, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite sights. “I need some place where there’s lots of water and no one around. A lake or beach, that kind of thing.” Her blush deepens. “I guess that means another platform ride.”
I play it cool, like I haven’t been thinking about her sweet body pressing against me during the last trip.
“Huh, I guess it does.” I take her hand in mine and nod toward the door. “Let’s hit it.”
Lianna
Maxon and I walk along a warm Australian beach, searching for the right spot to summon the Water Palace. Foamy surf laps at my toes. Overhead, the night sky is bright with more stars than I ever thought possible. A warm and secure sensation seeps through my torso. For once, I’m not checking for wind and worrying if Zephyr’ll show up. It seems impossible for anything bad to happen while Maxon’s holding my hand.
“Something on your mind?” he asks.
“This is a sweet beach. How’d you find it?”
“Me and the
guys came here to play as kids. You know, kick the can. Truth or dare. Capture the house flag. That kind of stuff. We were twelve and thought we were so badass for sneaking out of Antrum.” He leans in conspiratorially. “My parents were tracking us the whole time, of course.”
“They let you sneak off?”
“With a secret armed guard trailing after us, yeah.”
“That’s just…” I press my lips together, searching for the words. “Well, it’s seems pretty loose for the thrax.”
“My parents had it strict growing up. They wanted to give me more room.” He lets out one of his rumbling chuckles. “Although now, they may regret it. I’m always off doing my own thing.”
At those words, my mind pictures what Maxon’s been doing. Or more accurately, who. Even I couldn’t miss the media frenzy about him, especially when I was hiding out urban-style in Purgatory or the Dark Lands. Like everyone else, I caught the occasional episode of Royal Insider. Maxon sure ran through a lot of women. They were all in the after-realms until someone almost went public with a sex tape. After that, Maxon only hooked up with anonymous women on Earth. The paparazzi still catch the occasional picture of Maxon with a human on his arm. All gorgeous, of course.
So on the one hand there’s Maxon, womanizer extraordinaire. And on the other hand, there’s me. The extent of my romantic entanglements amounts to Fisk, Fisk, and Fisk.
I’m so out of my league.
Maxon rubs his thumb along my wrist. Each movement makes my stomach do a little backflip.
I shake my head in surprise. Somewhere along the line, Maxon and I went from trying to kill each other to excessive hand-holding and staring. One side of me loves the attention. However, my sadder-but-wiser side says that I’m acting like a total tool. Right now, I’m something new and different to Maxon—a bright shiny object in monarkki form—and so, he’s interested. I can’t forget that Maxon’s the biggest playboy in the after-realms. Once my shine wears off, he’ll move on.
Don’t let it go too far, Lianna. You’ll only get hurt.
“This is the spot,” says Maxon. “What do you think?”
Moonlight glistens on the waves in this secluded inlet. This could work. “You sure no one will come by?”
“Oh, yeah. No human can get within a mile of here. Ty cast a bunch of repulsion spells over the years.” He gestures across the landscape. “So, will this do the trick?”
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