Rise From The Embers (Lightness Saga Book 4)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  Boom!

  Magic shredded my bubble, tossing me into the air. Bolts of lightning struck the street with their barbed tails. Two cars in the street flipped into the air, rolling and bursting into flames. The air crackled with Ember’s rage, threatening to wreak havoc on the earth.

  My bones cracked as I hit the ground, tumbling over the road, my focus broken from the field.

  “Kennedy!” My sister crawled over to me, blood pooling below her nose. “Are you all right?”

  I nodded. Fionna tried to help me to my feet but grabbed her stomach, crying out in pain, her face paling.

  “Fi! What’s wrong?” I clutched her arms, steadying us both.

  “My magic…he’s draining me. I can’t—” She flinched, her jaw grinding. “I have to try now.”

  “Try what?”

  “The cauldron. It’s the only chance I have before it’s too late…for all of us.”

  Another rod of lightning ripped through the lane where we were, scorching the row of houses and shops lining the quaint street. The shrill noises of battle clanked in my ears.

  “Torin overheard you talking about a sacrifice…”

  “I have to die, Kennedy.” Fionna’s face twisted in pain. “It’s what the cauldron wants. What I was destined for. I was supposed to die in that cave. My life, my magic and blood, would have stopped the stone. This is all my fault.”

  “No.” I shook my head. She had told me about what she and Lars did in the cave, altering fate and destroying the cauldron. But I didn’t care. I would not lose my sister. “This is not your fault.”

  “Yes, it is. Stavros is powerful, but our real fight is with the stone. We all know it. The only way to win is with a weapon of equal power.” Her hands rolled into fists as sweat dripped down her face. “I don’t have a choice. I’m dying anyway. Better to use my life to save all of yours.”

  My mouth parted in a “what” but nothing came out.

  “Lars…he’s too much to carry. My human body can’t hold him.” Her palm moved to her stomach. “He’s too powerful and substantial, even for me.”

  “Fionna…”

  She grabbed my hand. “This is not a choice. It’s happening. Please promise me you will take care of Piper.”

  My throat closed in, feeling the seriousness of what was happening. “No. We will find another way.”

  “There is none. The stone will destroy us all in a blink. The cauldron is the only thing which can challenge it. The cauldron was designed by our family to counter it. This is my job. My destiny.”

  Terror gripped my soul, and my heart pounded vociferously in my ears. My chest heaved with sobs. I had just found my sister. She was my only original blood family left. She was part of me.

  “There has to be another way. I won’t lose you,” I gritted through my teeth. “Maybe it needs both of us again.”

  “I will not sacrifice you too.”

  I stepped into her face. “Was this your plan all along? You weren’t even going to tell me?”

  Fionna licked her lips, peering off to the side.

  “Answer me!”

  “I’m not good at goodbyes. I’m not used to people caring about me. It was easier this way.” She licked the rain from her mouth. “You would’ve only tried to stop me. The only way to win against the stone is the cauldron. We need the stone to kill Stavros, then I will invoke the cauldron to quell the stone. Doing this, we can possible save Lars and Zoey. Please, Ken. I have to do this.”

  Screams of battle, of death, raged in my ears, thumping the ground. The fall of my kingdom was coming down bit by bit, crumbling the foundation. Literally and figuratively.

  “I will do it.”

  “What?”

  “I will try to get the stone to kill Stavros.” I gulped. It actually was our best hope. Stavros was too powerful for us, but not for the stone. “Kill two birds with one stone.”

  “Horrible pun.” Fionna shook her head.

  “I know.” I squeezed her hand, turning around.

  What are you thinking? This is never going to work. My brain circled around and round, trying to come up with another list, an alternative plan to get us out of this mess, but nothing came. This was our only chance. Doing nothing was certain death.

  My gaze drifted over the commotion happening. Parts of buildings had collapsed in large chunks, covering the street where cars burned. It looked similar to a war zone. Lars’s form stood, his expression unruffled even though his clothes were torn, bloody, and wrinkled. Bodies lay in lumps around his feet as he watched the battle play out, a glimmer of amusement on his face, knowing at any moment he could step in and end it all.

  A rush of déjà vu fluttered in my mind. I had seen this before. Like a dream, the vision flickered back with a rush of adrenaline that made my limbs tremble.

  “Ken? Don’t.” Fionna’s voice felt far away as I moved toward the man with an almost magnetic pull. I stepped through the clouds of dust and debris, his eyes locking with mine. Reality was slightly altered from my vision, as our choices always changed the visions. Sometimes they were more a warning of what was coming. Now I understood this one. It was not Lars in there. The black empty eyes staring at me were the Stone of Fáil. The most powerful object on earth…and I had to destroy it.

  My jaw clenched as I walked to my opponent. Toward the object a Druid had crafted. My people had brought these into this world; it was up to me to take them out.

  My feet stopped as the rest of my vision played out in front of my eyes. Drifting past the false Lars, Zoey stood there, her eyes empty of the emotion, energy pumping off her. A man’s lifeless body lay at her feet. Dead.

  Ryker! My heart screamed. Oh gods, no.

  “Zoey is not here anymore. She’s been a bad girl. Now it’s my time.” A robotic voice emerged from Zoey as she stepped over his body as though it were nothing more than a hunk of meat.

  The stone grinned at her, then turned back to me, moving closer through the haze swirling in the air. Bile rose higher in my throat with every step he took toward me. I tried to move, but my feet wouldn’t unpin from their spot.

  “Watch and learn, Queen.” Stone stopped only a few feet from me. “It is about to get fun.”

  It thrust out his arms, tipped his head back, and let out a deafening cry, chilling me to the core. Similar to an atomic blast, energy burst off him with a force I had never felt and could not have fathomed. I curled over with a scream. His magic was tangible; you could touch it in the air like jellyfish tentacles. It wrapped around me, dropping me to my knees, stinging and burning me inside and out. Buildings around us burst like balloons as huge chunks of cement and glass crashed down, squishing anyone in their path. Screams from victims shrilled in the air similar to crashing cymbals, adding to the symphony of war.

  “I haven’t even begun to dip into my powers. I can play with your mind. Make you believe anything I desire.” He leaned over, running his fingers through my hair, his mouth brushing my ear. “Stop breathing.”

  My mind took his command as if it were the ultimate law; my lungs constricted, oxygen sticking in my throat. My hands flew to my throat, fear and panic clawed at my skin, digging at skin.

  “This is the power of illusion. Your own mind is tricking you into thinking you can’t breathe.” My struggle was reflected in its black eyes, a hint of amusement on its lips. “I can make you believe and see anything I want.”

  Blackness spotted my eyes as I gasping for even a sip of air.

  “You are going to be so much fun to play with.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Breathe, Queenie.”

  My throat gaped open, allowing air in. I fell backward as I sucked it in, my lungs clenching for every drop, my head pounding with lack of oxygen. This was different from Lars’s or Stavros’s power. Even in the grip of their powers, you could feel it was an outside force controlling you or choking you. This was completely me. My own body turning on me.

  “With one word, I could kill everyone here. With one co
mmand, I could have you all as my slaves.” The stone placed a finger under my chin, lifting my head to look at him. “Be grateful I am still enjoying myself. You are so amusing to me, but one day I will tire of you... of all life.”

  Oh. My. God.

  There was no way we could fight it. None of us had a clue what we were truly up against. Stavros’s tyranny was child’s play. The stone would level us. Nothing would be left. He’d make it seem as though we had never existed in the first place.

  The centuries this object soaked up power and magic from others prepared it for the chance to finally come on to the field.

  Chapter 27

  Zoey

  No! Stop. The cry went no farther than the cage of my body. A robot now. The scarred hand that had hit so many in the ring, had caressed and loved the man before me, was no longer mine to dictate. It wrapped around Ryker’s throat with a strength no one could challenge, crushing his neck.

  You will see what happens when you fight me, Zoey. You know you deserve this for your trickery. Stone spoke to me while his physical body moved forward, watching the battle dance around him, as if I were no longer a concern. Now watch your lover die by your own hand.

  Ryker! I screamed inside. Fight me! Kill me! Don’t let me do this to you. But the Viking only stepped into my grip, his jaw latching down, nostrils flaring in pain. Veins popped out from his forehead, but his eyes would not break from mine. Don’t do this, I begged him. Please, fight him. I can’t live with myself if you let me do this. Agony shredded me like a wood chipper, tossing bits of my soul away.

  The loss of control, of my own will, stabbed at the wounded, angry girl residing in my broken soul. The men who abused me didn’t win, but they had changed me, taken pieces of me I would never get back. With Ryker, my sister, my new growing family, I had begun to heal. The scars would always be there, but I could move on. Now I felt I was thrown back in time. Helpless and scared all over again. And I hated those feelings.

  Dammit, Viking! Fight me!

  My mouth parted, Stone’s words moving my lips. “You had your chance, Wanderer. You carried me in your boot for too long, as though I were some trinket you found on the beach.” A snarl came from me, and I pulled his face closer to mine. Ryker huffed, saliva dripping from the side of his mouth.

  “Don’t be mad I never gave in to you.” Each word labored, Ryker’s face turned a shade of purple. “You were not my type.”

  “I was surprised you were strong enough to resist my pull, but you were still weak enough to hold on to me. You never once tried to destroy me, did you? Never buried me in a cave or threw me into the sea. Secretly, I know you liked having the ultimate prize. It wasn’t about protecting anyone from me or keeping me out of the wrong hands. You enjoyed stealing me. It was a game, and you got off on possessing the greatest treasure on earth. Having that leverage over everyone., even those you proclaimed you cared about. But you trusted no one. I think someone has daddy issues. Speaking of...” A menacing grin formed on my mouth. “Do you know daddy dearest is still alive? Zoey has been spending time with Vadik all week. Getting quite chummy, the two of them.”

  Ryker’s expression didn’t change. Knowing him, he probably thought it was a trick. But it wasn’t. Vadik had somehow lived. “He’s been my pet. Working for me for a while now, growing my army, sedating the breeding stock. Not much left to him, but I appreciate his determination to survive. There is nothing he won’t do. That is always helpful, in my opinion.”

  “Hope you’re happy together,” Ryker snarled. “I couldn’t give a fuck about him.”

  “Really? You could have killed him when you had the chance. But you didn’t. You were weak. Even though he abused your mother and beat you, even after she gave up her life to save yours…how do you repay her? You let him live.”

  Ryker wiggled against my hand, trying to break free, but my grip only tightened until my knuckles went white. Ryker began to choke. “Remember this while you die: your father still lives, and the thing you kept in your smelly boot is going to squash you under his... well, actually, under your lover’s boot. You dragged her into your world. She is here because of you, Wanderer. She will watch you die, watch her own hand kill you, then your son, and everyone else she loves. All because you were greedy and weak.”

  Rage flashed in Ryker’s eyes, his shoulders expanding, the demon rising to the surface. “Touch. My. Son.” He struggled to spit out the words.

  “You’ll what?” Ready for your love to die, Zoey? Enjoy. You get the best seat in the house. “I’m bored with you.”

  No! Please! I’ll do anything!

  Too late. I could kill him quickly, but I thought you’d enjoy these last moments with him…a more personal goodbye.

  Like a cat thrown into water, I scratched and clawed against the walls locking me inside, not letting me turn away or stop my own body. Stone let me experience and feel everything, the familiar smoothness of Ryker’s skin in my hand, the thump of his pulse in his neck, his struggle for air. My fingers dug into his airways, his eyes bulging. Terror iced every vein and bone in my body, bile flushing through my system as I wailed for the stone to stop.

  “Zoe—I—lov—” Ryker gasped, the rest of his sentence dying in his throat as his eyes closed.

  Nooooooooooooooooo! Ryker!

  His body dropped. Crumpling at my feet, I felt the vibration of his fall resounding in my heels, through my bones, piercing my heart.

  A wail shredded through every fiber of my soul. Pain impaled me like a javelin, crushing me under the grief, turning me into a wild animal inside. But my feet stood firmly, my outside empty of the anguish tearing me up on the inside. The stone let me look down upon him. See my heart on the ground.

  Dead.

  The agony was so unbearable I felt myself shutting down, retreating.

  Come, Zoey. More to play with. My head lifted without a struggle responding to its master. In the distance, through the thick veil of haze, Kennedy stood facing Stone, her eyes on me, her mouth parted in horror, her gaze darting from Ryker to me.

  “Zoey is not here anymore. She’s been a bad girl. Now it’s my time.” My leg stepped over the body as though he were merely another object in my way, nothing of consequence, while I curled up in a ball inside, howling with grief.

  Stone grinned at me, as if I was his prodigal daughter, then he turned back to Kennedy, his attention pinned on the Queen. Their outlines grew more obscure in the smoke, but I saw him lean his head back, throw his arms out, and release a deafening bellow.

  A thunderous blast of energy exploded, bursting structures from the inside out. Glass and huge pieces of concrete sprayed out, crushing bodies and everything in its path like a whack-a-mole game.

  I held my head high and not even a slice of glass touched my skin. Screams of victims rattled around me sounding like thunderous chimes. I stood there, the war exploding around me. Friends and foes fought for their lives as their deaths rattled in my ear.

  Lightning struck near me, setting an abandoned cart on fire. The heat sparked off my face, but no pain registered. Nothing mattered.

  The world was on fire. And I was the worst enemy of all. With the face of a friend, one you’d hesitate to kill, I sliced through you with a smile.

  I killed Ryker. I would kill more…

  Lexie. Annabeth. Croygen.

  Wyatt.

  The list would go on, until the last one fell at my feet. Stone would make sure of it.

  Ryker would tell me to get angry. Fight Stone’s control. To fight for our son, for our family. Us. But he was gone. He often had teased I would be his demise. And I was.

  Empty inside and out, I stared at the burning frame of the cart. Hoping somehow, someone would come along and slice me in half. I would be grateful. Thankful.

  “Bhean?” The familiar voice bounced into my ear. I had only enough control to tug my head over toward the sound of my best friend through the haze, smoke, and debris. Sprig. His face was streaked with soot, but it was the horror i
n his eyes that sawed another chunk off my heart. Noticing Ryker’s body slumped behind me, his soft brown eyes locked on to mine with confusion and debilitating grief.

  “Bhean? Why—why won’t the Viking get up?”

  Electric bolts of emotion darted through me. Seeing him was like stepping into a warm bath…that was full of acid. I wanted to snuggle into his fur and cry. To feel his warmth and heartbeat. Beg for forgiveness. But I couldn’t.

  When I was pregnant and not feeling great, many times he’d fallen asleep curled in the curve of my neck, or on my growing belly, talking to the future Buachaillín. He was my comfort. My happy place. Now I had betrayed him. Hurt someone he loved very much. His pure innocence and sweetness didn’t understand the cruelty controlling me.

  “Bhean…?” He leaped over concrete blocks and dead bodies, reaching me.

  “Sprig…” I grunted through tightly clenched teeth, pushing back against Stone’s power. I could no longer see him through the smoke, but he was near. His attention was focused on something else just enough to let up on me. “Go.”

  “No!” He jumped from a car to my shoulder. I froze inside, scared the stone would notice and make me hurt Sprig. “We’re family, right? I mean, I shared my honey with you…if that’s not love, then I don’t know what is. It’s more than I did for my own mother. That is a bond deeper than blood.”

  “Get. Away,” I muttered, huffing through my nose.

  His hand came to my cheek, the warmth seeping into my skin.

  “Do you need to borrow my cape?” He tugged on the pair of black undies he had around his neck. “What am I talking about? You have superpower tits. Those things can fight anything. They are blessed by the gods.”

  I swear I could hear my heart crack. With my love for him…for all my family.

  Both tiny hands cupped my chin, forcing my face to look at him. He briefly peered down at Ryker, swallowing back the lump in his throat, his gaze coming to mine. “Bhean, I believe in you. Viking believes in you.”

  A sob welled inside, but I knew my face showed nothing.