"What the fuck are you?" he'd demanded, and when I couldn't offer a reply he'd said, "I can't hide this sort of information from the Rigas for long, Oraia. But if I tell him, he will surely order your immediate death or worse."
"Worse?" I'd asked.
"He will want to study you, find out how they did it. Tell me now, Casey. Are you one of the Alchemists?"
Study me. The King of the Pyrkagia would want to study me. Dissect me. Pull me apart and find out what makes me tick.
That rock in my stomach became a bubbling pool of molten lava. I'd thought it then, I was envisioning it now. A mad scientist's lab, the Rigas cackling like a fiend, sharp utensils in his hand.
My eyes flicked to his and I saw a sort of madness there, similar to the Gi Queen's. Oh, dear freaking God. We'd traded one majestic battle for another. One powerful royal opponent for, perhaps, an even more powerful one. As the Gi Queen had been full of rot. But the Pyrkagia King, I was thinking, was just insane.
Crazy is dangerous. Crazy can be cunning. Crazy is just a fine line between intelligence and insanity.
I suddenly and bizarrely wanted the Basilissa back.
"Is that your last word?" the Rigas asked his son, my Thisavros, their prince.
I lifted my stunned face up to Theo's, his eyes weren't on his father's but instead on Aktor's. Maybe he'd just spotted his butler here. Maybe he'd been too shocked, too riled, too scared to notice we had an ally in our midst. But from the taut features on Theo's face, and the rigid stance he'd adopted, he wasn't naively accepting Aktor's presence either.
The molten pit of lava in my belly rose part way up my throat.
"Who betrayed us?" Theo asked, voice level and devoid of any emotion.
The King smiled. It was quite savage and entirely too knowing.
Bile reached my mouth.
Aktor stepped forward, from the line of witnesses he'd been among, and said, "I did, sir."
No. No! It was meant to be Isadora. I knew it was Isadora. It had to be Isadora.
"Why?" Theo managed to say on a pain filled gasp.
Oh, God. The agony in that one word. The weight of betrayal, of trust given and lost after centuries of friendship. I felt it as keenly as the rest of the room. Responding gasps sounding out around the periphery.
Theo was falling apart and there was nothing I could do to stop this.
But Aktor didn't get to answer his master. The Rigas stepped forward, eyes shining a beautiful, yet frightening jewel-like yellow-gold, and shouted, "Because she is a threat! Because your servant defends Pyrkagia better than you! Because I will not allow my son to bring this kingdom down!"
He turned to the Councillors, his arms raised above his head in supplication.
"Should Athanatos bow down to human Alchemists?"
"No!" they shouted back, as Theo made a sound of wretched torment that cleaved my heart in two. His eyes were still on the old butler's.
On his closest confidant and most trusted friend.
"Aktor," he said, his words lost to the din of riled voices the Rigas was commanding. "My old friend."
But Aktor heard him, or simply read his lips. He paled, a small tear tracked down his cheek. And then he lifted his chin, blazed gold from his eyes, and shot Theo right through the chest with an indifferent and cold smile.
Oh, Aktor. How could you?
Betrayal sank its barbed hooks into my Thisavros, his face tortured, his body trembling in utter incredulity. The sound when he spoke was a slice right through my very soul.
"Et tu, Brute?" The rasped words, said in a voice so pained I was sure even his cold hearted father would have felt it, met silence in the room.
"Yes," the King replied, coolly. "Now take them to the cells!"
Chaos.
Pandemonium.
My head spun at what I'd just witnessed, at what I was seeing now. My heart thundered erratically in my chest, and my mind screamed an outright, No!
Pyrkagia Stoicheio filled the air. The Council members, whose skills outshone mine, wielded their Element with finesse and brutal force.
But those words. That one sentence. That one admission. It rattled around inside my head, piercing through my mind, setting up an ache so deep in my heart I was in danger of getting lost in it.
I flicked a glance at Theo over my shoulder. I couldn't see his face, but I felt his pain at his trusted friend's treachery. I felt it as though it was mine. Such betrayal. Such an unexpected and awful turn of events.
Fire burned a hole in my sleeve. I spun back and dodged another flame from a woman Councillor, ducked under one from a Rigas Guard, and rolled to the side to avoid the searing heat from an assailant I couldn't even identify.
Instantly Theo responded with his own Pyrkagia, deftly defending our lone spot in the centre of the room. But there was no shelter here. We were out numbered, surrounded by the enemy.
His people. His father. His Pyrkagia Council.
Oh, dear Lord, I was too tired for this. Too heartsick.
Strike, swerve, duck, dive. The smell of burning flesh filled the air. Ours and those who continued to attack us. Burnt clothing, melted rubber soles of shoes. The acrid stench of hair catching on fire. I patted the flames out and my skin blistered on my palms. It started healing immediately. But the agony just added to the ache in my chest and in my mind.
I reached frantically for my Gi, used it to strengthen my Pyrkagia, entwined my Elements with Theo's own Fire, and focused on getting us the hell out of here.
And yet, in my bruised and battered heart, I already knew it would not end well.
Fire rose on superheated flames, shouts and commands were ringing out in the room. Theo angled his body in front of mine, his movements fluid, even if his heart was cracked in two by Aktor's betrayal.
An impressive Athanatos protecting his Thisavros. And aware that our time was running out.
But he would have known, that back to back defence was our best shot at survival. Despite that knowledge he chose instead to protect me. No longer attacking, purely acting as a shield.
We were losing, but still we kept on fighting.
The crackle of flames and the hissing of fire filled the heated air. The odd bit of furniture in the room erupting in a volcano of sparks, pops and bangs accompanying it. Smoke drifted around us, providing a modicum of shelter. But it was a thin veil. Temperamental. Twirling and twisting, rising higher and higher up to the ceiling. Choking our lungs but never fully covering our bodies from sight.
Theo fought on. Such stamina. Such strength. Such devotion to my protection.
But I could see the pain in every crease that marred his beautiful features. I could feel the agony he felt at his old friend's betrayal. Our hearts bled, as our bodies were pounded unmercifully, in a second majestic battle of the day.
We'd beaten the Gi Queen at Machu Picchu. But she was one, and here were dozens.
We were tired.
Exhausted.
Physically and emotionally and mentally worn out.
Had we been fresh perhaps it would have gone on longer. Perhaps, if Aetheros had been watching, protecting, we could have escaped. But he wasn't watching. And we weren't fresh.
A fist hurtled through the air towards Theo's face. He pulled back, swiped an arm up and around in front of his body, deflecting the Guard's strike with apparent ease. A reflex action honed from centuries of being an immortal Scout.
Our attackers closed in. Even dropping their Elemental powers in favour of a more physical and hands-on approach.
They knew. They had us.
But still Theo fought on. Still I battled to aid him. Desperation leaving a foul taste in my mouth that the smoke and charred furnishings only intensified.
My vision wavered. Theo staggered.
And then...
Aktor stepped forward. Through the flickering yellow of flames and the haze of dense smoke, the once kind old butler lifted his hand in a simple move, and a single line of Fire shot out.
Oh, G
od. Aktor.
Without conscious thought Theo and I hesitated, something the butler would have frowned upon in a previous life.
"Aim for the neck, Cassandra. Sever the head before they sever yours. Do you understand?"
Aktor's words were the last thing I heard before Pyrkagia consumed me. My cry of anguish at his harsh betrayal smothered in the crackle of flames and the heat of Fire.
He hadn't aimed for our necks.
But he'd aimed for us.
And despite Theo's centuries of training. And despite Aktor's words of wisdom to me all those months ago. We froze. We didn't fight back.
Betrayal is a hard edged sword. We should know. We felt its keen slice as it broke through the meat of our hearts. We felt its bitter taste as blood pooled on our tongues. We smelled its pungent odour as smoke engulfed us.
The world turning black, our lungs heavy. Our hearts even more so.
Aktor.
Et tu, Brute?
Description
This couldn't be happening. This was a trick. A cruel ploy to finally break me. They knew I'd weakened. Today the first day I'd let the tears fall and screamed my frustration and despair. They knew they almost had me, so they were pushing the knife in further and twisting the blade. Just to be sure.'
Casey Eden knew her life had changed beyond recognition when she woke up one morning covered in dirt. Since then she's crawled her way through treacherous environments, been pitted against dangerous predatory beings, and survived formidable destructive forces. Only to find herself in the one place she'd feared above all.
A mad scientist's laboratory.
A harrowing world full of heartache and betrayal.
And a longing for Fire even the chilling change in the Air can't cool.
Broken, but not beaten, Casey must fight not only for her survival, but for everything she holds dear. A world growing darker and bleaker every day. And is Casey the answer to it all? Trying to determine just what she is becoming, while desperately clinging to her heart's desire, Casey must learn to face a future she never would have chosen for herself. But she soon begins to realise, although she's not alone in this battle, the war itself has only just begun.
Prologue
It Was Not Alone
The hiss of a roaring Fire met my ears. Welcoming and warning in one flare of superheated brightness. Embers danced on a night sky, floating higher and higher, making my lips curve and a smile spread across my face.
I wondered if they'd reach Aetheros.
Stars were out, twinkling above my head, my long hair blowing around my face as though the Air had teasing fingers. I brushed at it, my hand coming away wet. Was I crying?
Not unless my tears were red.
The Earth sighed with joy as blood splashed from my fingertips onto broken, dried and cracked soil. I stared as the dark liquid seeped through a crevice, a small vine twisting and growing from the gap.
I took a step back, suddenly afraid of what the vine would do. Of where I was. My eyes lifted to the Fire which seemed dangerous now, uncontrolled, about to leap and spark and engulf anything near enough to be caught within its licking fingers.
An ember floated lazily towards the ground before me.
The vine burned to a crisp and I felt the Earth cry out its agony.
Fire roared. Air howled.
It started raining.
I spun around looking for shelter as the storm took on a life of its own. Dried twigs and small stones were lifted on angry winds, thrown towards my body. I shielded my face, feeling the biting edge of debris slice my skin, but could see only darkness beyond the decreasing circle of light from the Fire.
Closing in.
Getting smaller.
Crushing me with the weight of what was to come.
My heart thundered in my chest, a pounding started up between my ears. I sucked in a breath through my nose, searching for the soothing scent of Earth, but all I smelled was chaos.
A shiver raced down my spine as the Earth rumbled beneath my feet, the gaps between the dried soil now filling with water. The rivulets becoming torrents. Little sprays of Water lifting off the surface as the wind whipped the world into a frenzy.
I called out, but my voice was lost in the thunderous roar of a tempest. There was no one to hear me anyway. I knew this, as though it was my reality. Destined to wander alone through a tornado of Elements that warred with each other.
What had the Aeras shaman said? "Never two, always one. Alone Aether must face the sum."
I shouldn't have thought it. I shouldn't have gone there. Wasn't it enough that I was battling a raging storm, combating imbalanced Stoicheio? Did I have to be reminded of being alone?
Something glistened in the distance. Moving closer. Giving me hope.
I took a tentative step towards the light, away from the heat of the Fire. The world blew in flurries and eddies about me, the sounds deafening and stinging my ears, my eyes squinting through horizontal sheets of rain. Blood dripping from small cuts along my bare arms.
I trembled with the chill that had invaded my bones, knowing I couldn't stay here any longer. If I stayed, I'd surely die. But there was a reason why I should stay. For a second, I hesitated. Trying to remember why I stood in the middle of nowhere, an angry Fire for warmth, the dying Earth beneath my feet, the bitter Air buffeting my body, the hard Water of rain pelting my naked skin.
I shivered. Lifted a shaking hand to shield my eyes as the glow of whatever approached grew brighter. Suddenly blinding in the darkness that surrounded the centre of this raging storm.
Here was life. Beyond what I knew lay only darkness.
But still that glow grew bigger, until I felt compelled to take a step further. Closer, almost close enough to make out the shape of who held it.
Was it a torch?
The Earth groaned, the Air joined the mournful lament. Water cried a river of raindrops, Fire hissed in agony.
I looked up towards the stars, one last glimpse to guide me. But they were gone. Only blackness coated the night sky. Deep, dark, unforgiving.
When I lowered my face from the stinging rain I met eyes so old they had to be ancient. Amber and jade and whiskey.
"Miss Eden?" the old man said, holding out a hand.
I stared at the wrinkled fingers, the open palm, the invitation I should accept. But didn't. There was a reason why I shouldn't accept that hand.
Just like there was a reason why I couldn't leave this hell.
I took a step back towards the waning Fire. Back towards the still violent squall.
Back towards...
Then the man pulled a sword of Fire out from behind his back, the glistening glow I'd been drawn to, but knew could not bring true hope.
"Very well," he said, in tones of disappointment and condemnation.
The sword swiped down, aiming for my head, my neck, and I threw myself backwards, finally remembering.
Why I was here.
Why the world was falling apart in a tempest of fury and aching sadness.
Why I couldn't leave without him.
Why this man could not be trusted.
Betrayal is a hard edged sword. I should know. I felt its keen slice as it broke through the meat of my heart. I felt its bitter taste as blood pooled on my tongue. I smelled its pungent odour as smoke engulfed me.
I lay panting on the hard packed ground, water pooling beneath my body as the wind blew sand into my eyes.
"Aktor," I whispered, watching his face become indistinct.
The storm disappeared.
The cracked and broken dirt became cool, hard stone.
The wind stopped howling, replaced with something so much more dreadful than that simple sound.
The heat of flames became a chill instead.
And a man's voice said, "Ready, Miss Eden? What shall we attempt first?"
Not Aktor.
"Perhaps the heart today, hmm?" he said with impossible cheerfulness. "The Rigas does hope without it your unrealistic l
ove of the Prince will disappear."
Not even my beloved Theo.
"But then, I've always wanted to know what a Gi is like without the ability to smell scents," he added. "Perhaps we'll save the heart for a special occasion and play with your head."
I was alone with a mad scientist.
"Nothing to say?" he teased, a disturbing chuckle filling the room with hollow noise. "What say we see if you can scream instead?"
And I knew my dreams were far better than reality. The eerie howl of the wind so much sweeter than the ominous sounds of a drill or electric saw.
I lay perfectly still. Sucking in air, terrified it would be my last chance for a while.
And inside I screamed.
It was not alone.
Chapter One
The Earth Cried
It was the screams that were going to kill me.
Not the torture.
Not the endless solitude.
Not the dark, dank cell.
Not even the separation from Theo.
I'd been through all of that. A different Ekmetalleftis branch pursuing my pain, but the agony inflicted was just the same.
You had to ask yourself, why me? What had I ever done to deserve this kind of treatment? From one day to the next my life had changed. A pit full of dirt and I was suddenly thrust into a preternatural world I had not known existed.
I reached for my Gi side now, finding a trickle in the lichen and mould between the solid blocks of stone that made up the four walls of my new abode. Not enough to make the ground rumble with my disquiet, but enough to feed my soul, feed my Stoicheio.
But the Pyrkagia part of me was bereft, bare, empty. There was no homely fireplace flickering brightly in my corner of the dungeon. The only time I could fuel that side of me was when they hauled me from my cell for another round of "let's prove the Gi is not immortal."
Elemental Awakening Book Bundle Page 55