A Deadly Duet: Spellsinger: Book 6

by Amy Sumida

  And what he wishes to do is you, Kyanite said with both snark and fear.

  Chapter Eight

  We traveled to Kyanite that evening; my kingdom had gone too long without me. The men decided to stay with me; even Torin and Declan. The Shining One kings contacted their stewards to check in on their own kingdoms, but they refused to leave my side. All four of my consorts were nervous about Darcraxis.

  Darcraxis; what a name. Dark—axis; the axis of shadows that my world was spinning around. My thoughts kept returning to him, despite the amazing men with me. I kept telling myself it was the newness of the situation. Darc was someone who had been with me in spirit forever—though, I hadn't known it—and now, he was in the flesh. I wanted to believe that it was his flesh that was distracting me; desire, not love. But I knew that was a lie. The aching thuds of my heart told me the truth; the love I had for Darcraxis was growing as my soul was awakening—and it had been substantial, to begin with. I could feel myself shifting. Not changing exactly; just taking a step back into what I had been. I wanted to believe that I would still be Elaria when this was over, but I wasn't sure who that was anymore.

  “Elaria, come to bed,” Torin said as he stroked my arm. “There's nothing more to be done and you look exhausted.”

  “I am,” I admitted as I turned into his embrace.

  Torin picked me up and carried me to bed, where the others were waiting. He settled me beside Declan and then crawled along my other side; leaving Gage and Banning on the outer edges. But they didn't seem to mind; everyone settled around me, and we all fell asleep.

  Some of us slept better than others.

  My dreams were full of fire and blood. I watched people flee from me in terror and then face me in desperate fury. Magic flared across dark skies and light burst all around me. And then—in the middle of the chaos of my nightmare—a voice calmed me. Darcraxis. He lured me out of the violence and into his peaceful dreams. Then he held me on his lap and sang to me about the birth of our first world.

  I hadn't been sung to since I was a little girl. Darc's voice was rich and steady; a comforting sound that resonated inside me and set my soul at ease. I laid my head against his chest and listened to him sing of our past. On the endless plane of existence, there had been clouds of energy bustling about with no focus. Then the energy collected and created magic. Similar magics drew together and multiplied, and the Gods were born.

  But we were alone; formed in different galaxies and adrift in space. We floated in that magical atmosphere; gaining power and awareness until we sensed that there were others like ourselves. Some of us were drawn to our counterparts, others simply gathered more magic into themselves until they felt complete. But all of us longed for more.

  Darcraxis sang to me about his cold existence; the darkness that made him feel safe. And then one day, a light appeared, and it brought warmth with it. He welcomed the Light and wooed her until she shared her heat with him. Together, they made wondrous things, and they were very happy.

  Darc's song wedged into my heart, and I woke with it on my lips. I opened my eyes to see Torin staring down at me with a soft smile.

  “You were singing in your sleep,” Torin said. “And it was beautiful.”

  “Was I?” I frowned as I sat up.

  “Are you all right, Ellie?” Gage asked as he moved to the foot of the bed.

  “Just a little out of sorts,” I whispered. “I'll be fine.”

  “We're all a bit out of sorts,” Declan said tiredly. “The destruction of the RS has taken a toll. As much as our love fueled it, it also empowered us.”

  “The loss of our bond has been difficult,” Torin agreed. “I feel... unsettled.”

  “It's our natural instincts returning,” Gage noted. “We need to be careful around each other now.”

  “Come on,” Declan huffed. “We're all adults, and we've been together long enough to know that this is the best way for us to exist. No one wants to give up Elaria, and, conversely, she couldn't part with any of us. So, despite any returning misgivings, we will forge ahead and power through the issues that may arise.”

  “In other words; we need to get over our alpha egos,” Banning said. “Agreed; the loss of the RS changes nothing. We are a family now.”

  “Family,” Torin repeated with a nod. “And we have to focus on protecting our wife.”

  “Wife?” I asked in surprise. “I don't recall our wedding.”

  “Details.” Declan shrugged with a smirk. “We belong to each other; vows or not. If the griffin can call you his mate, I think we should be able to call you our wife.”

  “And you'd be wrong,” I snarled as I slid out of bed.

  The men gaped at me as I confronted them.

  “If you want to marry me, you had better fucking ask me first, you arrogant prick,” I snapped. “I'm not a woman you can claim with a few offhand words. I deserve jewels and silks and every fine thing you can lay at my feet! And maybe then I'll consider your suit.”

  “Elaria,” Torin whispered as he looked me over pointedly.

  I looked down and saw that my body was alight; I was glowing. I lifted my arms and stared at my bright flesh. The Light seemed to snap me out of my temper tantrum, and I gasped in shock. Instantly, the glow winked out, and I fell to the floor in exhaustion.

  The men rushed over to kneel around me; warily reaching out to me.

  “I'm so sorry,” I whispered to Declan. “I don't know what happened.”

  “You wanted me to worship you,” Declan said with a small smile. “Not that I would have a problem with lavishing gifts on you, and—to be perfectly honest—that turned me on a little. But that wasn't you, Elaria.”

  “It was Faenestra,” Torin said. “And she was ferocious, but she was also right; we shouldn't have presumed so much. I think we've all assumed that marriage would be impossible in our situation, but if it is something that could happen, we should do it properly—starting with a proposal.”

  “Anything is possible for us,” I said softly. “But marriage in the middle of all of this is too much. We need to settle things with Darcraxis first, and I need some time to learn how to control these new abilities before I make any eternal vows.”

  “Of course, you do,” Banning said supportively, but I could see the worry in the tightness around his eyes.

  “New magic takes practice,” Declan added. “And perhaps a guide.”

  “A guide?” I asked.

  Torin shared a look with Declan and then nodded.

  “Little bird, I think it's time to talk to your father,” Torin said.

  Chapter Nine

  “I'm sorry, sweetheart, could you repeat that?” My mother asked with a baffled expression.

  My parents had known about my disappearance since my consorts had eventually gone to the Witches for help. My father was one of those witches; a fire witch to be exact.

  “She said that she stole a dark orb that was hidden in a fairy sea and used it to free the God of the Shining Ones,” my father surmised calmly. “And that she's his lost bride.”

  “Yeah; that about sums it up,” I said.

  “What the fucking fuck?” Cerberus—my best friend and a three-headed dog-shifter—asked as he surged to his feet.

  We were in my parents' tree house—literally a house built in a tree—on their private island of Pyrosvesti. I had contacted Cerberus via charm and asked him to meet us there because if anyone could help me figure this out, it was Cer. At least, that's what I'd thought. Now, it seemed as if he wasn't even able to process the fact that real gods existed. Or maybe it was the fact that he wasn't one of them.

  “You can't be a goddess; you're my daughter,” my mother whispered.

  Mom was having a hard time with it as well.

  “She's always been different, Kalli,” my father said to her.

  “Because she's a spellsinger,” my mother argued. “Not because she's a goddess.”

  “She's more than a spellsinger.” Dad laid his hand supporti
vely on Mom's knee. “You sensed it from the time you conceived, remember?”

  My mom's stare went distant before she nodded. “My belly felt strange; full of magic. And my dreams were full of...”

  “What?” I asked as I leaned forward. “What did you dream about?”

  “Stars,” Mom whispered. “I dreamed that you came from the stars.”

  “She didn't come from them; she made them,” my father said with a smile.

  “You're happy?” Cerberus growled.

  “My daughter is a goddess,” Dad said proudly. “How could I not be happy?”

  “Persephone's panties, Robert!” Mom swore. “This isn't about our daughter being powerful. She unleashed an unknown force, and it wants her.”

  “It's a god, and he loves her,” Dad corrected her. “Not only that; he's proven that his love is true, not twisted. He let her go, Kalli. He loves her more than himself. As a man who loves in a similar fashion, I can say with absolute certainty that he will never harm Elaria. Our daughter now has a god watching over her; a real god.”

  My mother considered it and nodded. “That is a good thing, but if Elaria loses herself to the magic of this goddess she used to be, what then?”

  “Now, that is something I can help her with,” my father said.

  “Robert, your elemental magic is not the same as a goddess' fire,” Kalliope huffed. “How are you going to help her?”

  “Fire is fire,” Dad huffed. “Ellie-phant, I've taught you how to control it since you were little; you know how to tame the flames. This goddess energy inside you; it manifests as fire. That means that you can control it with the same tricks. Regardless of what it is, it's yours. If it's getting out of control, you must take the reins back and steer it in the right direction.”

  “Dad, don't you think that I know that?” I snapped. “I've tried your tricks and they don't work. All I can do is push it back temporarily. I need something stronger.”

  “No!” Robert Scorcher sliced his hand through the air angrily. “You need to be stronger! Stop your whining and do what I taught you!”

  “Robert!” My mother gasped.

  I inhaled sharply and felt my anger fade. I had been on the verge of going fiery with my father, and he had stopped it just in time.

  “Thanks, Dad.” I breathed out in relief. “Do you see what I mean? It rises up so suddenly.”

  “What just happened?” My mother asked in bafflement.

  “El was about to lose her shit when your hubby laid down the law,” Cerberus said. “Good show, Rob.”

  My father nodded distractedly at Cerberus as he asked me, “What's the other magics Faenestra held?”

  “Light and Air,” I said.

  My father started to smile. “Perfect; I just so happen to know an air witch.”

  “Nigel,” I whispered in surprise.

  “Nigel,” Dad confirmed. “You'll have to master Light on your own, but Nigel can at least give you some tips on Air. It could be that despite your control of Fire, your lack of knowledge on how to deal with Air allows it to blow freely and feed your flames.”

  “One magic inciting the other,” I murmured. “Yeah; that feels right.”

  “I'll go call Nigel.” My father got up.

  “And I'll go make myself a stiff drink,” Cerberus said.

  Why did you bother calling Cerberus? Kyanite asked.

  I have no idea.

  Chapter Ten

  Nigel Windthrope was my father's best friend. There used to be three of them in their little friendship-clique, but then their third, Thomas Frost, went crazy, enslaved a bunch of sirens—including my mother, imprisoned Nigel, and tried to kill my father. Oh, and me; Thomas tried to kill me when I rescued everyone. He obviously failed in that, but he managed to cast the Rooster Spell on me as he died. Now, both Thomas and his spell were dead.

  I kind of missed the RS. Nigel, however, was relieved to hear that the spell was gone. It had been the last living piece of Thomas, and its death was assurance that the water witch was never coming back. Nigel was shocked about the whole goddess thing but intrigued by my new air magic.

  “You have the soul of the Goddess of Light, Fire, and Air,” Nigel said pensively; his British accent making him sound like a scholar. “And you just so happen to be born to a fire witch whose best friend is an air witch.”

  “She was born to a witch—period,” Cer said. “That connection allows her to ask any witch for help. Don't read too much into it.”

  “Faenestra was forced into a human body without her magic, but magic is not the only type of power,” Nigel pointed out. “With each new life, she got stronger and found ways to gain magic. It was not the magic she lost, but it got her closer to regaining her true magic and her husband. In her last life, she became a blooder; making the leap from human to beneather. I believe that when she died as Fortune, her leap in status gave her what she needed to claim a body that was powerful from birth. Not only did she choose to become a spellsinger, but she also chose who her father would be. She surrounded herself with people who could help her regain what she lost.”

  We all stared at Nigel in shock.

  “Next time, I'm calling you first,” I said to Nigel.

  “The next time you find out you're a goddess with primordial magic?” Cerberus rolled his brown, puppy-dog eyes at me.

  Nigel laughed and pushed back the white streak in his ebony hair. “As you should, Elaria,” he said. “Now, let's see what we're working with. Take my hand.”

  I took the hand Nigel offered and watched as his eyes closed in concentration. I felt a trembling on my fingertips and then something rose inside me. It grew in strength; twirling and swirling in my belly as Nigel pulled it up into my chest. I closed my eyes and saw it; my air magic. I had expected something like a tornado or a storm, but what I saw was more astral. Glittering gusts blew past planets inside me. They gathered their strength; glowing brighter and brighter until they were nearly blinding. The wind whipped through me as Nigel's hand tightened, and then he was torn away from me and blown across the room.

  “Hades' hot balls!” Cerberus swore. “What the fuck was that?”

  I opened my eyes to see my father bending over Nigel. I started to go over to them, but Nigel was already climbing to his feet as he waved me back.

  “I'm fine,” Nigel said. “Everyone, please relax.”

  “Nigel are you sure you're all right?” My mother fussed over him as he resumed his seat.

  “I'm fine, Kalliope,” Nigel promised her. “Just a little winded.” He chuckled. “Winded; get it?”

  “If he's making bad jokes, he's all right,” Dad said with a smirk.

  “What did you see in her?” Torin asked Nigel.

  “More power than I've ever beheld,” Nigel went serious. “More power than all of the air witches alive possess; all of them combined. You were right when you called it primordial, Cerberus.” Nigel shot a heavy look at Cer. “Elaria holds the primal essence of Air inside her. It may not be the magic that my element stems from but it is a source for the Shining Ones' air magic.”

  We all gaped at him.

  “Why are you so surprised?” Nigel asked. “She told you that she created the Shining Ones; it makes sense that she would hold some of their original magic.”

  “I guess it hasn't really sunk in yet,” Banning whispered.

  “The good news is that I believe I can help her control it,” Nigel declared.

  “And what's the bad?” Cerberus asked.

  “If Elaria doesn't learn to control it soon, it will manifest on its own and could wipe out whatever planet she happens to be on,” Nigel said grimly.

  We went silent again.

  “Sounds like the perfect time for you to visit Heaven, Ellie-girl,” Cerberus said with a smirk. “Tell those angelic assholes that I said hi.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Again, Elaria,” Nigel said.

  We were on the beach; far enough away from my parents' home to not worry ab
out damaging it. I had been trying to control my air magic for hours now. My parents, consorts, and Cerberus were spread out across blankets nearby; long since tired of watching me fail but still wanting to support me. Remnants of a meal and empty bottles of wine were littered around them. I'd had a few bites to eat but no alcohol; Nigel forbid it. I was a little grumpy about that. If ever there was a time that I could have used a drink, it was now.

  I sighed and tried again; imagining the air magic as a yellow mist inside my body and then sending it out above the water. I felt it rise inside me, but just as it burst out of my chest, it broke free of my control and a mini tornado formed above the ocean. I growled in frustration as I tried to snatch back the reins.

  “Calm yourself,” Nigel instructed. “Fire magic responds to anger and anxiety, but Air needs calm.”

  “Is that why you're always so rational?” I asked him.

  He smiled and nodded. “Years of practice. You've only been doing this a few hours and you've already managed to exert some control despite your frequent outbursts. You're doing well, Elaria. Try imagining something that calms you whenever you begin to feel irritated.”

  “Something that calms me,” I muttered.

  Instantly, the sound of Darc's singing filled my head and a wonderful peace settled over me. My eyes relaxed into a half-lidded state as I watched the tornado fizzle out.

  “There!” Nigel declared. “I can feel your Air responding. Whatever you're doing; keep it up.”

  I felt guilty for using my dream of Darcraxis, but it was working so I went with it. I brought the dream to life fully; feeling his fingers weave through my hair and seeing his perfect face above me. The song seemed to speak to my magic; remind it that I wasn't just a spellsinger, I was its Goddess.

  My hair lifted around me as Air seeped from my pores. I controlled it now, and I used it to lift myself off the sand and drift out across the water. The others stood up and came forward to watch me fly without a spellsong, and I laughed in delight.