“So, what exactly happens at this challenge?” Ava asked while practicing one of the take down moves on Alec. He got up with a grin, “Don’t be scared to hurt me, and I don’t really know. My dad was there when your grandmother, Nadia, faced off with the Elementris before her, but Lareina never had a face-off since she stole her crown instead of battling for it.”
Shawn shrugged, “I think it’s just a fight. Down and dirty. Using your elements and whatever else you have. I would just go at her with everything you have and if she falls down, kick her ass the old fashioned way.”
Ava swallowed hard. “Well, I have pretty good control of my elements now, I just wish I knew what to expect during the fight. I don’t know how this is going to go.”
Alec put his arm around her, “You’ll do fine…” His eyes locked with hers, “When a True Elementris first accepts her gift she is at her strongest, as long as you keep control, you will blow her away.”
“I still feel weird about that part…killing someone.” She paused, “Alec, I need to talk to you…alone please.”
Shawn nodded and walked away.
Alec pulled her over to the corner, “What’s wrong?”
She looked up at him, feeling like her throat would close up from the pain. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You’ll be fine Ava…I know you’re strong enough to take her.”
“Not that, accept my gift.” She paused, “Have you ever heard of The Vangeretta Curse?”
He nodded, leveling his eyes with hers, “Look at me, Ava.”
She looked into his emerald eyes, fighting the stinging tears in hers. “Don’t worry about that. It’s just an old story. I will be fine. I’m tough…I can handle it.” He put his finger under her chin, “Okay?”
She shook her head. “It’s not just a story. I think it’s real. What if it is real, Alec? I can’t choose between you and Brea. I just can’t.”
He took her in his arms and whispered in her ear, “You won’t have to choose. You’re going to accept your gift and release Brea. This is your destiny Ava and I won’t let you out of it.”
She pulled back from him, “I can’t let you die Alec…I won’t.”
He smiled down at her, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. You have to make this choice now, Ava. Brea needs you now. The world needs you now.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared into his eyes. “What if the curse is real though? If I accept the gift, it’s over. I can’t take it back.”
“Everything will be okay,” he wiped a tear from her cheek. “I promise you it will be fine, and I never break a promise.” He kissed her. They took their time with this kiss. They wanted to feel every part of each other and enjoy this kiss, the one that could be their last.
Chapter Twenty-One… (Midnight)
Five minutes until midnight and she could barely breathe. She had imagined this moment for so long. She had imagined Aunt Avalene and all of them being there as she accepted her gift in some magical, earthy place. Not this…she looked around at the bare floors. She wondered what Aunt Avalene was thinking. Then she looked at Brea and Alec. She let out a breath and stepped up to the edge of the circle. The moonlight had almost filled the circle, only a sliver of dark showed on the edge now.
The white moonlight was slowly closing in on that small dark spot. Panic set in, she looked from Alec to Brea, her heart pounding. Her mind raced. The thought of losing either of them was too hard to think about. Ava took a deep breath and looked at Alec. He nodded to her. She hoped she wasn’t about to make a huge mistake. She glanced at Brea. She had to get Brea off of this island. She had already been through so much…more than half of it was Ava’s fault.
She glanced down and watched the moonlight completely fill the circle. She took another breath and stepped inside the circle. Immediately the volcano began to shake; the stone floor vibrated under her feet. The moonlight trailed over her like a spotlight. She could feel it inside her, the magic; a warm tingling feeling that started in her fingertips and worked its way through her arms. She looked up, straight into the moonlight. Wind swirled around her and the distant sound of a bird’s cry echoed in her mind. She could smell the ocean and the richness of the earth at the same time. She focused on the full moon and screamed over the wind and shaking volcano, “I want it!” Tears streaked down her cheeks, “I want it!” The warm tingling sensation intensified and surged through her body so fast it nearly knocked her off her feet.
She wobbled for a second and then lifted her arms, feeling better than she had ever felt. Her body felt whole and strong. Power filled up every inch of her and her body seemed to buzz with it. She collapsed to her knees.
Alec caught her before she went completely out. She saw complete black and then images that were indescribable. She would never be able to put together the words to describe the images of earth that flashed through her mind; the beauty, the growth, and the pain of the earth all combined to become one feeling so intense she thought she might not be able to contain it.
She forced her lids open and saw his face. She leaned up and kissed him, so full of emotion that she had to share it. Tears poured from her eyes as she released a part of herself. She felt him completely and it was only the two of them in that long, wonderful moment.
“Let’s go…they know.” Shawn said.
Alec pulled her to her feet. They ran down the narrow pathway and made their way through the opening in the mountain. The volcano continued to shake. It was hard to find their footing as they made their way down. They ran together as fast as they could through the thick brush. Ava used wind to push the hanging limbs out of their way. Her heart thundered as her feet pounded the ground. Her legs felt strong and she ran faster than she ever had before. When they reached the beach, she turned to Alec, “Tell me how to do it. How do I release her from the island?”
“You just say it while touching the palm of her hand. I’ve seen Lareina do it once.”
“Once?”
He nodded.
Ava took a breath, “Okay…God, please let this work.” She turned to Brea.
Brea held her hands open in front of her, “Don’t worry Ava, it will work.”
“I hope so.” Ava placed her hands on top of Brea’s, “You’re my best friend Brea and you’re my family. No matter what happens, you take care of yourself and don’t you ever forget me.”
“I won’t,” she smiled, blinking back tears.
“Hurry!” Bianca said. “The guards are coming and a lot of people.”
Ava blew a breath out, “I release you from Element Island. You may leave.”
Brea pulled her hands back, “Whoa, that felt strange.”
“Come on,” Shawn said. “Let’s go!
The three of them ran towards the bank. When they were safely in the boat and on their way, Ava released the breath she had not realized she was holding.
“Okay,” Alec said, taking her hand. “Are you ready for this?”
“I’m ready.”
“I love you, Ava.” His lips crashed down on hers and he kissed her like he would never get to do it again. She kissed him back the same way, letting him feel everything she felt for him in this one tiny moment they were stealing for themselves. And then they ran.
They darted through the trees and came out behind the castle. Everyone was in the square, watching the full moon. Lareina stood at a podium at the top of the steps. The look on her face said it all. She knew…she knew Ava had accepted her gift. Drums sounded and tambourines rattled. People danced under the full moon. Ava ran to the microphone, Alec just behind her. Lareina stared at her, eyes wide. “Arrest them!” she screamed.
No one moved. They all knew. They all knew she was the next True Elementris. They could feel it.
“I want to challenge you Lareina!” Ava screamed at her.
Lareina took a step back, “No, you don’t.”
“Oh…but I do.”
Lareina looked out over the crowd. Everyone had s
topped what they were doing and they were staring at them. Everyone looked frozen as they watched. Lareina looked back to Ava, “If you want a challenge it will be to the end. Only one of us will walk away.”
“Fine,” Ava said, determined.” Only one walks away.” Fear would not hold her back now.
The crowd cheered.
The circle was set. Stadium-style seating wrapped around a big circle that looked like it was built a long time ago. Members of the council, dressed all in white carried crystals and placed them on podiums that were spaced around the circle. Alec stood beside her, “Those are to protect the audience.”
“From us?”
“Yes.” He nodded.
“Does that really work?”
“Yeah,” he took her hand, “You can do this Ava.” She nodded and turned towards the crowd. Every seat was full. She searched their faces…some part of her wishing Aunt Avalene was here. She wasn’t.
After the last crystal was set, a beam of white light connected them all. The council members took their seats and Lareina entered the circle. Alec stepped out of the circle, but didn’t take a seat.
Ava turned to look at Lareina. She was staring right back at her, “You sure you want to do this?”
“Are you?” Ava asked, squaring her feet, working to hide her fear and keep her emotions in check.
Lareina smiled and thrust her hands out. Wind encircled them and began to move around them, faster and faster until it was like a tornado. A council member stood up; just outside the circle, “There are no rules, except you cannot use your spirit element. It’s not fair to the animals.” He sat back down.
As soon as he did, Lareina stomped the ground and it began to shake. Ava nearly lost her footing. She thrust her hand out and sent a flash of fire that Lareina stopped with water.
Ava turned back to her and called wind and fire at the same time. The two elements mixed together and created a whirlwind of fire around them. They both began to sweat. It was hot. Ava stomped her foot and made the ground shake harder. She ran at Lareina and was thrown to the ground by a massive gust of wind. She tried to get up, but realized her leg was broken.
Lareina stood over her. “You’re just like your grandmother…weak…thrown by your emotions.” She laughed, “You think that just because you learned a little control you can beat me.” She turned and Ava moved to try and stand.
Lareina pointed at Alec, “You risked his life and that makes you selfish. What kind of ruler will you be? One who will save herself and risk others?.”
Ava pushed herself up on one knee, “No…I’m not like that…you’re like that.” She thrust wind out in front of her, pushing Lareina back. Lareina pushed back with her own wind and shouted over the loud sound, “You are like that. Ask yourself Ava Vangeretta…Why do you want this?”
Ava felt her concentration break slightly. Lareina pushed her further back towards the edge of the circle. Ava worked to push her back. Suddenly Lareina stomped the ground really hard. Water shot around them. The ground shook, knocking them around and in seconds a really deep trench had formed around them. Ava was on the edge…teetering. She looked behind her…Alec stared down at the large gap now separating them and met her eyes.
Ava and Lareina were locked in a tug-of-war-like battle. Only it was more like a pushing war. They were tied up, evenly matched, Ava on the edge with Lareina not able to push her any further. Lareina suddenly dropped her hands and looked at Ava, “You are nothing to me.”
Lareina ran at Ava, hands out in front. Ava tried to move away from whatever Lareina was about to throw at her. Her leg hurt so bad. Lareina shot a gust of wind and fire at Ava that knocked her over the edge. Ava dug her fingernails into the side. She was slipping. She looked below her and saw only blackness. Tears burned her eyes and her fingers locked as they tried to support her weight. Ava worked to get back over the edge. Lareina stared down at her, slowly walking towards her. Ava glanced towards the people watching. Alec was fighting, trying to get to her, but a bunch of guards held on to him.
That’s when she saw her. Aunt Avalene was standing at the edge of the circle behind Alec. She looked straight into Ava’s eyes and mouthed the words, “You can do this.”
Alec broke free and tried to run in.
Ava screamed, “No!” and turned back to Lareina sliding out of the way just as she thrust fire at her. She used her good leg to push off the back side of the large crevice; then she pushed herself up and over as tears poured from her eyes. Crawling forward, she filled her hands with earth and then pulled herself up on her elbows and focused on her connection to the elements. She turned her palms up and slowly lifted her dirt filled hands. Massive roots erupted from the soil and pinned Lareina to the ground. Gripped by the pain in her leg and confident that Lareina was safely trapped, Ava allowed herself to relax.
Lareina struggled against the roots. Then, with less effort than Ava anticipated, she broke free. Lareina was stronger than Ava had realized, and now, really pissed off. With an enraged scream, Lareina lunged and grabbed Ava’s hair and pulled her to her knees. She used the wind to lift Ava high into the air and then, with a wicked smile, she dropped her back to the ground. Ava hit hard and the air seemed to burst from her lungs and her already-damaged leg twisted unnaturally beneath her. Even over the loud wind, Ava could hear the crowd gasp.
She suppressed a scream, looked up, and glared at Lareina. Ava shoved her fingers deep into the soft earth and twisted her hands, making the ground shake fiercely. She slammed her fists into the earth and the ground seemed to come to life beneath them. Lareina fell, landed hard, and then went still. With the little strength Ava had left, she called water. It came from the deep crevice around them; streams of it bubbled up and flooded over the edge. It flowed over Lareina’s arms and legs and held her down; she couldn’t get to her feet, she couldn’t catch her breath. It allowed her to float just enough for her to fear that she would float over the edge of the crevice and she desperately tried to find something to grab onto but there was nothing. The water was relentless under Ava’s direction and Lareina eyes filled with terror.
Ava began to move awkwardly around the circle, wounded but still determined. She needed just one tiny moment to rest, just one little moment... Suddenly she felt the ground beneath her heat as the air electrified around her. The heat began to rise from the ground and seemed to pulse as it moved from her feet and rose up her legs. As it wended its way through her broken leg, she could feel the bone knit back together. She felt no pain as her battered body healed. She was no longer tired, she was the center of the earth and everything was swirling around her as though she was stronger than the elements themselves. She knew she could stand, that she was no longer injured and as she rose, she called the elements.
The water cleared a path in front of her and the wind created a shield around her. The elements came together and created a massive storm inside the circle. The same wind that shielded Ava was spinning Lareina relentlessly and the water threatened to take the very air she breathed. Ava used the water to pull Lareina back towards her, away from the edge. Lareina tried to get away but Ava continued to move her forward; then she let the water fall away. She thought the wind would hold her long enough for her to bind her to the earth…
That was a mistake. Lareina looked up and smiled widely. She closed her eyes and when she opened them a rush of pain shook Ava’s body. Suddenly, the wind surrounded Ava. It was swirling around her in a tight circle. It blocked out any other sound. She felt her body being squeezed tighter and tighter. Her lungs felt like they would burst and she was getting the worst headache of her life. Everything went blank. It was all black and she couldn’t hear the wind around her anymore.
She went back to that place. That small room Troy had chained her in. Hopelessness engulfed her and she didn’t feel the pain anymore. She was so tired, too exhausted to fight. All of the moments leading up to this one flashed through her mind. Suddenly she was a little girl again, pressed against the window and screa
ming for her mother. Then, the faces of the five who taught her appeared before her and she heard the words “there can only be one True Elementris” echoing through her mind and suddenly she knew that what she was, wasn’t wrong. She was the next True Elementris and with that realization, she was suddenly free of the darkness.
She was spinning around and around in the rain. She was laughing and her wet hair spun around her as she splashed in the puddles. She turned faster and faster in tiny circles, the wind and rain seeming to hold her up as she spun. She felt so dizzy but she didn’t fall. Then the rest came in one sudden onslaught of images; faster than one heartbeat. She saw Troy, Brea, and the full moon in the cave. She saw Alec looking at her and then there was a brilliant flash of light, she was back.
She heard the sounds first; the roar of the wind and the distant hum of the crowd. The full moon’s light moved over her face, making her blink, she couldn’t see anything but shadow and light. Lareina’s voice was a wet and distant sound. Then suddenly a loud clap made everything come into focus. She realized what was happening. She was being shocked. A lightning bolt shot from the sky straight through into her stomach. Ava let out a bloodcurdling scream as sharp pain stabbed through her and traveled down her entire body.
She clenched her fist around the pain, almost like she was holding the power of the lightning bolt in her hand. As she stood, she realized that she was. Every fiber of her body felt completely alive. She felt a power she had never imagined possible. She looked up at the crowd and then at Lareina, feeling white hot light inside her. Her eyes were illuminated with power as she stepped towards her. Every step she took shook the ground. The earth responded to her every movement; she was completely connected to it now.
Lareina looked up at her and fear once again enveloped her. She blinked rapidly as Ava came at her. She looked for a way out, there was none. She was standing against the edge of the crevice she had created. Lareina lifted her hands in a last ditch effort to save herself. She thrust her hands out. Nothing happened.
Elementris, Exposure, Eruption Box set: The Vangeretta Curse Series Page 25