“What happened?” I asked, still unsure as to what had occurred following Brielle's blackout.
“After I blacked out, I woke up in what I assume is Mt. Olympus because I met Zeus. I climbed this moun…”
“Wait, what?” I interrupted.
“Zeus. He was waiting for me when I reached the top of this mountain.”
“Really? Zeus, the ruler of the Gods?”
“Yes, now will you let me finish?” she asked exasperated. I nodded for her to continue.
“Well, as I was saying,” she said, glaring at me, “Zeus was at the top of this mountain that I climbed. He told me how The Three Fates had created the Prophecy, and how Atropos saved my dad from dying so that I could fulfill the Prophecy. Then he said that he would give me the power of Akasha, if I still wanted it. I said yes, he touched my temples, and BAM!”
“Is that what all that pain was from?”
“You felt all that?” she asked, guilt etched on her face.
“Yeah, I did. I thought you were dying,” I said morosely, taking her hand and pressing her palm to my lips.
“I thought I was dying, too. The worst part was the thought that I would never get to see you again. I…I talked to you, and…” she trailed off, her tears cutting off the rest of her words.
“I know. I heard you,” I said, pausing. “That's what scared me the most was when I heard you talking like that.”
“I'm so sorry,” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck once again. “I heard you, too,” she said, pulling away to look into my eyes.
“I meant every word,” I softly replied, gazing back at her.
In an instant, she crushed her lips to mine, pushing me back on the bed. Our mutual need was evident after what just occurred. I tangled my fingers in her hair, relishing in her, all of her; the way her skin felt against mine, the way she smelled, the way she tasted. Precious gifts that I almost lost that I never wanted to take for granted. I parted her lips with my tongue, her sweetness flooding my mouth. She moaned in appreciation as our tongues continued to lace together, desperate to taste every bit of each other.
I rolled her over, my mouth never leaving hers as I positioned myself between her legs. I could hear her thoughts as she told me that she loved me, and I relayed the same back to her. It was unnecessary, however since our love was pulsing intensely through our bond. There was no way she couldn't feel how much I loved her, how much she meant to me, especially since it was deeper than before. I didn't think that was possible—almost losing her made her that much more precious to me.
My hand slid under her shirt and up to grab her breasts. Her nipples instantly hardened under my touch and her desire rippled through our bond, causing my dick to throb. I pushed her shirt up, exposing her bra, as I continued to caress her silky skin. My mouth left hers reluctantly, exchanging her lips for her breast. I began to unfasten her bra when I heard the front door hitting the wall.
“BRIELLE!!!!” shouted Kiera. I heard her running up the stairs, and Brielle pulled her shirt down and squirmed out from under me. We both stood up as Kiera reached the top of the stairs.
“Your dad is gone,” she said breathlessly.
“What?!” Brielle asked in disbelief. “What do you mean he's gone?!”
Kiera held up a paper that resembled parchment—old, yellowed, and worn. She handed it to Brielle, whose eyes scanned the page speedily. Her amber eyes glistened with tears as she handed the paper to me, and braced herself on the dresser as she took deep breaths. The page read:
If you want to see your father again, you will willingly surrender yourself to the Council. You have three days before we kill him. Do not try to use your powers against us when you arrive, or else he will die.
When I looked up from the page, Brielle had slumped to the floor with her back against the dresser. Tears streaked her face as she stared off at a spot on the wall, dazed by the news of her father's kidnapping. “We'll get him back, mi amante, I promise,” I said, trying to ease her concern.
“What are we going to do?” Kiera asked.
“Brielle and I are going to go get him, of course,” I replied.
“You can't do that! It's a total trap!”
“I know, but we have no other choice. We have to rescue him.”
Silence settled over us. We knew we were walking into a trap, but we had no other options. Brielle abruptly stood, startling both Kiera and I. “Let's think of a plan. I'm going to kill those fucking bastards,” she vowed.
I was fucking furious. I wouldn't be surprised if smoke was billowing from my body. I clenched my hands to keep from summoning my powers and destroying something. How dare they take my dad?! They must have a serious death wish to do something so foolish as to fuck with me. I would make them regret ever laying a finger on my dad.
After discussing several plans, Jace and I decided that we would head to the Elemental community first thing in the morning. Kiera wanted to join us, but we quickly squashed that idea, convincing her that someone needed to watch the house and inform us of any suspicious activity while we were gone. I debated on whether or not to tell Kimber and Zane, but I didn't want anyone else placed in danger because of me.
We woke up early, preparing two backpacks with bottles of water, plenty of snacks, and changes of clothes. Jace said that the hike there would take half a day, but if we took my boat, we would get there in less than two hours. The boat would also give us a quick escape route, but that was if no one found it while we were rescuing my dad. If that happened, we would have to resort to walking.
As we set off on the boat, I sent a text to Kimber to let her know about our plan, just in case we didn't make it back:
8:12 AM Me: My dad was kidnapped Jace and I are going to rescue him now
8:13 AM Kimber: WTF?! We are coming over
8:14 AM Me: We already left
My phone immediately started ringing, and I looked at Jace, debating if I should answer it. His phone began to ring, as well, and we both chuckled softly. “Should we answer it?” I asked.
“Nah, they will be pissed, but at least they are safe. We can deal with them when we get back.”
I nodded, feeling guilty about not answering Kimber's call. My phone began to ring again, and I decided to silence it. Kimber blowing up my phone would definitely annihilate any element of stealth.
I thought about what I could possibly do to rescue my dad without sacrificing myself. Not only because of the obvious reason of not wanting to die, but my death meant Jace's death. The thought of that made me so sick that I felt like vomiting. The bumpy waves didn't help either, but the cool ocean air felt blissful on my heated skin. I closed my eyes as I slowly inhaled and exhaled, willing my nausea away. I needed to be at my best if I wanted to get all of us out alive.
“We're almost there!” Jace shouted over the noise of the engine and ocean. Butterflies consumed my stomach as my nerves raced with fear and anticipation—we only had one shot at success. If we failed…I didn't even want to think about failure. As cliché as it sounded, failure was not an option.
Jace slowed the boat to a stop, about seventy-five feet from the shore, which had no dock. I turned to look at him as he approached me, a question evident on his face. “We have two options: anchor the boat out here and swim, or dock it on the shore. Which do you want to do?”
I contemplated our options, thinking about the various conditions that my dad could possibly be in. If he was injured or weak, swimming out to the boat would not be possible. Either way, the boat could be stolen, but the easiest getaway seemed to be to dock it on the shore.
“I agree,” Jace said after hearing my thoughts. He resumed navigating the boat, pulling us up to the shore. He threw the anchor on the sand after stopping the boat when it was a little more than halfway on the beach, the stern still slightly submerged in the water.
Jace grabbed our backpacks, throwing them on the sand before jumping off the boat. He turned and offered me his hand when he landed on the sandy shore. He
helped me down, ever the gentlemen, never letting go until I was firmly planted on the ground. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome. Ready to do this?” he replied.
“Not really, but we have to. No turning back now.” I said, threading our fingers together. “Lead the way,” I continued, motioning to the forest of trees before us with my free hand.
We entered into the shadows cast by the towering trees, and I instantly went on the defensive. My eyes darted in all directions, looking for any sort of movement. I awaited an impending ambush, certain the Elders would have sent soldiers to intercept us. My hand instinctively tightened around Jace's, as my thoughts drifted to every scenario possible, from both of us being caught in one of those nets strung up in a tree to falling into a pit hidden by leaves and brush. Jace chuckled, “Stop thinking like that, mi amante, you will make yourself go crazy.”
“I can't help it. We are knowingly walking into a trap! We could both die, Jace, and I…I can't…” I trailed off, choking back a sob.
“Hey, we are not going to die. I won't let anything happen to you,” he said, pulling me into his muscular arms.
I sighed, closing my eyes and listening to his heartbeat, which always soothed me. “I'm sorry for freaking out. I'm just slightly overwhelmed.”
“Really? I never would have guessed that,” he teased. I punched him lightly in his abdomen, and was rewarded with a grunt of pain. He cupped my face and tilted it up to his, kissing me ever so softly. He brushed his thumb over my bottom lip before asking, “Ready to go?”
My mind screamed no, but I nodded anyway. Jace interlocked our fingers and we continued our journey through the thick vegetation. We walked for about a half a mile before Jace abruptly stopped, stiffening and pulling me behind him, effectively blocking me with his stocky body. I turned around, putting my back to his and taking the defensive stance Jace taught me.
“Well, well, well, look who we have here,” a familiar voice called out. I looked around, trying to place the voice, when Kyle appeared from the direction we came with four unfamiliar guys.
“Why do you insist on getting your ass beat?” Jace taunted, turning around to face Kyle and his goons. He pulled me behind him again and I rolled my eyes and stepped next to him. He glared at me from the corner of his eye, but I stood my ground, staring Kyle down.
“I could ask you the same thing, Vasquez. Last time I checked, my men kicked the shit out of you before your anomaly of a girlfriend saved your ass.”
I felt Jace's rage rising as he spat, “Let's go then! You, me, right here, right now! One on one!”
Kyle laughed, “I don't think so.” He motioned towards his henchmen, “Get them!” he shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.
“Don't you ever learn?” I laughed before I erected a shield around Jace and I. Of course the idiots rushing towards us ran right into it, bouncing back and landing on their asses, which caused my laughter to intensify. I started forming ice in my palm, waiting for the perfect opportunity to lower my shield and attack. They all stood up, unsure of what to do since they couldn't penetrate my shield.
“You have to get tired some time, bitch, and when you do, we will show you no mer—”
He didn't finish, his words cut short by the force of my air shoving him and his men back on their asses. I lowered my shield, extending both my hands and bringing forth an icy blast, freezing a few of them, including Kyle, into living ice sculptures within a matter of seconds. The ice spread rapidly from the point of impact outward to cocoon their entire bodies.
I looked over at Jace, giving him a smug smile. He rolled his eyes, “Yes, yes, you are the shit,” he said, giving me a playful grin before setting his hands ablaze with flames. The remaining men stood paralyzed with fear as Jace said, “My turn.”
He shot flames out of both his hands, engulfing the men in his scorching fire. They ran about wildly, crashing into each other and falling to the ground. I turned away as the fire ate at their skin, leaving scathing burns, the once normal flesh morphing into a distorted version of its former self.
“Damn, your flames are a lot stronger,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, our completed bond makes us stronger. It probably helped you with Akasha, too.”
“Things have been a easier since then,” I admitted.
“You were already amazing before. Now you're pure perfection,” he flirted.
I took the hand of the arm around my shoulder and kissed the back of it as we began walking again. He smirked at me, revealing that dimple that I love. We continued to walk in silence, shutting out all distractions to detect any other Elementals in the surrounding vicinity. After walking for about twenty minutes, I began to get suspicious—things were quiet. Elementals from the community should be swarming us right now, yet I couldn't hear anything but birds and bugs chirping within the foliage.
Jace's thoughts confirmed my own. “We're getting close. Just stay sharp,” he instructed.
In the distance, I saw a large structure with four interconnecting towers that formed an impossibly high stone wall. We continued toward it, my panic rising with every step we took. Once we escaped the confines of the expanse of trees, I was able to survey the building more thoroughly, and it did nothing to ease my anxiety. The structure loomed over us, intimidation laid with every brick, daring anyone to attempt an attack. It reminded me of a medieval castle—the only things missing were the drawbridge and moat. In their place was a cobblestone path leading to a set of steel doors, at least fifteen feet tall. Two, muscular men dressed in full body armor stood on either side of the doors. Neither were armed, and I knew that they didn't need weapons to inflict damage.
Jace grabbed my hand as we walked towards the doors. I squeezed it tightly, hanging on to him for dear life. I could see several cameras scanning various vantage points as we approached. As we reached the two men, Jace spoke, “We are here to see the Elders. I'm Jace Vasquez, and this is Brielle De Luca. You have her father being held captive.”
The man on the right touched an earpiece in his right ear, listening intently for a few seconds before addressing us, “They are expecting you. Two guards will escort you once you enter the doors.” He then returned to his stoic position as the doors opened slowly. I could see an open courtyard beyond the doors with several people moving about inside. Two more guards stood waiting for us just inside the doors as we entered. When we were a few feet away from them, they both turned silently and began walking, which was our only indication that we were to follow them.
As we walked, people turned and stared at us, making it obvious that we were not a part of their community. The courtyard led to what I assumed was their version of a neighborhood. Small, “cookie-cutter” houses lined the cobblestone pathway—they looked surprisingly modern compared to what we had already seen of the community. All the homes were made of wood that was painted in a shade of sage green.
We came to another identical pathway that ran perpendicular to the one we were on. I looked in both directions and saw more “streets” lined with houses, but each street was different than the one we were on. The one directly to the left contained houses that were made of a deep orange brick. The street to the right was composed of houses that were a pale shade of blue. The street on the other side of that one displayed houses that were pure white. After a few seconds, it dawned on me that the homes seemed to be separated by Elements. The green homes were Earth, the orange were Fire, the blue were Water, and the white were Air. Talk about segregation! Did these people have any input in the happenings of the community? My gut told me no. The streets continued to alternate in the same pattern, ending with what looked like new construction at the far end of the neighborhood.
The next section of the community we came to was a market, filled with various vendors selling fruits, vegetables, breads and meats. Other vendors sold clothes, jewelry, and art. It seemed like the community had every necessity that the Elementals here needed. People traveled from vendor to vendor, much like you would
window shop in a mall, stopping occasionally to buy items while perusing over others before moving on to the next stand.
We came to another larger courtyard that bordered an expansive palace. The cobblestone that we had traveled on thus far transformed to a sleek, flawless, white marble pathway, leading all the way to the massive gold doors of the stately mansion. Expertly manicured gardens sat on either side of the pathway, boasting various fruit trees, exotic plants, and freshwater ponds. If I wasn't there due to such deplorable circumstances, I would have enjoyed the beautiful ambiance.
Once inside the golden doorway, my heart rate skyrocketed. I knew this was it. This was where our fate would be decided. The grand ballroom before me boasted white, marble pillars, each decorated in hues of white, blue, green, and orange cloth, representing each of the Elements. The entryway that we were standing in branched off into two lengthy hallways, and I wondered where each led to. Was my dad being held prisoner down one of these hallways? We walked forward, entering the ballroom fully, and I saw four thrones at the far end of the room, each occupied by who I assumed were the Elders. There were two men and two women; each exuded authority and intimidation, and I told myself to be strong. I would not be pushed around. The closer we got, the tighter Jace's grip on my hand became. I squeezed backed reassuringly, and was so grateful for his presence to make me stronger.
When we were about fifteen feet from the thrones, the two guards came to a halt before quickly bowing before the Elders. I assessed their appearance as we stood before them. They all had long, gray hair that ended mid-back. The two women had theirs braided flawlessly, while the men had theirs pulled back in a loose ponytail. Both women had pale skin and ice blue eyes, matching their cold demeanor. Their looks were so similar except that one had light freckles over her cheeks. The man in the second throne had mocha skin and dark brown eyes, almost black, while the other male had bright green eyes with an olive complexion. The guards faced us as they started formal introductions.
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