“Remarkable, isn’t it?” Ruth sounded pleased. “The moment I presented him with the stones for the tablet, his strength began to return. It’s incredible.”
Mal regaining any measure of strength couldn’t be good.
At the sound of Ruth’s voice, Mal looked up from his book. His finger paused on the page. “You found her.”
“No, Father. She found us.”
“How so?”
Ruth brought Loren to the table. She gestured for her to sit. Loren did and folded her hands on her lap. Ruth chose a seat next to her father. “It was as we concluded earlier.”
“A foolish endeavor, but no less expected.” Mal fixed his gaze on Loren. “This coup will not succeed.”
His stare made her uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat.
“Loren has been so kind to tell us their plan. The men are looking into it. If she’s telling the truth, she has defected.”
Goosebumps popped up along her flesh. She rubbed her arm.
“Have you truly?” Mal questioned.
She nodded once.
Carefully, Mal sat back in his seat. Though his appearance was improved, his cautious actions suggested he hadn’t regained enough strength yet. “So you agree to come to Kahsh with us? To stand before your people and allow the hammer to strike in my favor?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Beneath both of their imposing stares, Loren couldn’t keep still. Again, she fidgeted. Her gaze fell on the box. She allowed it to become her focal point as she explained. “I’m not a leader. I can’t rule. It’s not my place. It’s too much responsibility, too much power.”
“It is your birthright.”
“I was born here, not in Kahsh. I don’t know anything about that world, or the people in it. I just—” She sniffled. Her eyes dampened. “I don’t want it. I don’t want any of this.” She looked back up at Mal. “I can’t do it.”
“You’re willing to readily accept yourself as sacrifice?”
“I don’t want to die,” she admitted. She saw Ruth’s lips purse. “No one wants to die. No one is ever ready to die.” Were they? Loren could only imagine. “But I’m nothing. I won’t mean anything. I’ve never meant anything. My powers, my heritage—all of that might be a part of me, but it’s not me.” She paused and brought her hand up to brush the wetness at her eyes. “If I’m to die, it might as well be for something. It shouldn’t be uh in vain.”
She weaved an intricate web of lies. Even she couldn’t tell which words were true and which were fabrications.
Mal lifted his head. Time passed as he sat there, as still as a statue, staring at Loren. When he spoke finally, his voice was soft. “It is an honorable death. My first impressions of you seemed to have been misplaced. You’ve shown great wisdom. I’m surprised.”
Loren didn’t say a word to disagree. This was the right thing to do. It had to be done. She reminded herself of that.
“It appears we have no need to delay any longer. We can proceed.” Ruth flashed a smile.
“I have waited for so long,” Mal said wearily. “Another hour or so won’t make a difference.”
“Shall I begin the preparations?”
“Soon. We shall see what your men turn up in regards to the others. We will have to deal with them appropriately before we travel.”
Ruth nodded. “Agreed. I will check their progress. Would it be necessary to bind her to the chair? The last time I allowed her an ounce of freedom, she was less than appreciative.”
“Have you used the device?”
“Yes.”
“Then leave her unbound. Post sentries outside the doors and the one currently present may stay as my guard.”
“Very well, Father.” Ruth gave Loren a tight-lipped smile and slipped from her seat. The door closed behind her and the masked man shifted his stance to block the door. The windows were always an option. Loren shook her head and dismissed the idea. She wouldn’t escape. She would see this through to the end.
Mal stared at her from across the table. He edged forward in his seat, groaning with the effort to pull himself to a straighter posture. He closed the book before him and placed his skeletal hands upon it.
The coughing began. He grabbed a handkerchief. He spat into it and Loren caught glimpse of red before he folded it. Despite her distrust, she asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It will pass. A few more hours and I will be restored to my true and former glory.”
If she had anything to do with it, he wouldn’t be restored at all. She had no way of knowing how he would regain his power. Was it as simple as just going through the portal and it all automatically came back? Or was there something more mystical and magical required for it? Her eyebrows knit together.
Mal continued to watch her. “You’ve betrayed your allies, you realize this?”
That was the worst part of this. Her betrayal. They’d all hate her.
Again, Loren nodded.
The old man shifted and eased back once more. “Your first betrayal is always the most difficult and, in my opinion, the most rewarding.”
Her puzzlement must’ve shown on her face, because Mal’s lips spread. “When things turn in your favor, you will see.”
“I… don’t think that’s the same. Not with me. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Hurt is inevitable.”
Loren fell silent and glanced away from him. Now wasn’t the time for having second thoughts. She had to be firm. Strong. Confident. Even so, she couldn’t help the anxiety from creeping in.
Ruth returned, sparing Loren from another awkward minute alone with Mal. “They’ve found the others. There was a fight but they’ve been secured.” She lifted her head proudly. “The inhibitors have been used. What should we do with them, Father?”
His eyes stayed on Loren. “Keep them out of the way. See to that then our preparations are begun.”
Ruth bowed her head and disappeared through the doorway once again.
Mal regarded Loren coolly. “Do you believe they will forgive you for this?”
She hesitated. “I uh would like them to forgive me.”
“Forgiveness is useless.” He stood slowly and leaned heavily leaned on his cane. “You will understand in the end.”
“I don’t think it’s useless,” she said in a small voice.
“Forgiveness achieves nothing.” Mal took a few small steps around the table. He neared her. “I never once asked for forgiveness. It never would’ve been offered to me.”
“But your brother offered you redemption and forgiveness.”
“He offered me imprisonment and servitude.” When he reached Loren, he stood as tall as he could. His lip curled in disdain. “A far cry from forgiveness. I couldn’t accept.”
She considered as she licked her lips. “If he had, would you have accepted?”
“No.”
He said it with such conviction that Loren didn’t dispute it. She lapsed into another silence and cast her attention away from him.
“You remind me of your mother. I only met her once. She was young then. You may look like her, but that is where the similarities stop.”
Her mother. Had she been a good woman? “What uh what was she like?”
“Quiet. Thoughtful. She was wise for her years.” Mal stared at Loren. “She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. First impressions are always the most important. The first impression I got of her was of a young woman who could stand tall in the face of whatever came her way. She was proud, brave. Unafraid. She faced me without as much as a tremble. She would’ve been a strong, firm leader.”
Loren bit the skin inside her lip.
“Had circumstances been different, she would’ve been the one returning to Kahsh in your stead.” His gaze dropped to look her over. “But you will do. You have a certain strength and wisdom about you. Only a small amount is needed to stand before the people of Kahsh and declare your relinquish of power.”
He leaned on h
is cane and reached for the box of stones. It slid across the table beneath his touch. He lifted the lid.
She saw the yellow stone first, her stone. It was nestled in the center of the box, it its own separate section surrounded by blue felt. All of the stones were roughly the same size as hers, with similarly broken edges. They were green, blue, and red. Her breath caught as she stared at them.
“They are beautiful, don’t you agree?”
The stones were breathtaking. She could feel something emanating from them. A heavy energy. “They feel so…” She trailed off, unable to find a word to describe them.
“Powerful,” Mal supplied. “The stones have been apart for some time. They’re power diminished when divided. Now that they are so close together, their energies are once more combining. This is nothing compared to what we will feel when the Akasha tablet is restored.”
She couldn’t take her eyes from the stones. “How—how will it be restored?”
“You will see.” The lid abruptly closed and Loren blinked, drawn out of her near trance. Her gaze lifted to Mal.
He smiled at her. “You have some important tasks to come, Loren. For now, I need your assistance. Escort me to the couch. I must rest.”
She stood slowly. She didn’t want to touch him in any possible way, but she took his arm and led him toward the small couch by the window. He took each step gingerly, painfully. Once he reached the couch, he eased down onto it with a sigh of relief. As she drew back, his hand came up and closed onto her arm. His grip was a lot stronger than she expected. His fingers dug into her skin.
“Your first betrayal is always the hardest,” he repeated his words from before. Loren didn’t pull away, even when he fixed her with his intense stare. There was something knowing in his eyes and she gulped. “But your second betrayal is always the deadliest.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The old man dozed off on the couch. It gave her plenty of time to snoop about the room. Ignoring the guard at the door, she looked through the books on the table. They appeared to be instruction manuals and textbooks on topics such as science and physics—things Loren knew little about.
After a cursory glance through, she focused on the box. She was apprehensive to open it. Feeling the power they radiated made her incredibly wary of touching them. She feared one wrong move, and she might accidentally open the portal before it was time.
She wished she could rest. The last time she’d had any sleep was when she’d been with Avery. It seemed like ages ago. She was weary, but she couldn’t sleep. Not now. Maybe not ever again.
In the end, Loren sat at the table and folded her hands in her lap. She tried not to fidget, but she found herself constantly rubbing her legs. Mal’s words rang in her mind. Betrayal was hard. Her stomach knotted with it.
It had to be done. What else could she do? The others would have to understand. It wouldn’t be so much of a betrayal then.
At least, those were the thoughts Loren used in an attempt to comfort herself.
When the door opened and Ruth returned, Loren sat up in her seat. The woman ignored her and went over to the couch where her father rested. She sat on the edge next to him. The movement roused Mal.
“Are we ready?” he asked.
“Nearly, Father. Would you like me to escort you outside?”
The old man tried sit up but rested back with a small groan. “I believe another hour’s rest may be in order.”
“Very well. I will leave you to it. When you awaken, everything will be prepared and we can commence.” Ruth stood and stepped over to the table. With gloved hands, she picked up the box of stones. “Come with me,” she told Loren.
She was getting tired of orders. Loren rose and followed her out of the room. She crossed with her into the living area. Levi sat there, scowling at his computer screen. When he glanced up and saw Loren, he scowled more.
“I’m leaving her in your hands,” Ruth told him.
“Great. I always wanted to be a babysitter.”
“I shall return in an hour. Be ready then.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Levi slammed his laptop shut as Ruth left. Being stuck with Levi was far worse than being stuck with Mal. She avoided looking in his direction.
“You think you’re doing something smart, don’t you?” Levi crossed his arms and fixed her with a contemptuous stare.
“I don’t think anything.”
“That’s bullshit.”
She sighed. “It doesn’t matter what I think.” The less she said around him, the better. It gave him less fuel for his condescending.
“Probably not. I know this is some sort of trap and everyone is too self-involved to give a shit what I say.”
Her brow furrowed. She tried to refrain from asking, but the words slipped out anyway. “Why do you care?”
“I don’t.”
“It seems like you do.”
“I just want to get paid and get back to my life. You know, I had a good future until I got caught up in the whole Morgan mess. At the time, I figured I could capitalize on blackmailing them. I should’ve done something about it a long time ago. Then I wouldn’t be stuck here now.
“That’s fine though. Once the three of you step through that portal, I’m gone. I have a whole slew of video content, dozens of documents and recordings set up to go straight to every major news network in the country and then all hell breaks loose here. I can go back to my normal life and put all this shit behind me. I want out. I don’t give a fuck what happens to everyone else in the process.” Levi looked at her. “Does that surprise you?”
She shook her head.
“If whatever scheme you’re plotting fucks this up for me and I’m stuck here doing this for a second longer, rest assured I will make all of your lives a living hell.”
His threat didn’t faze her. Under other circumstances, it might’ve been troubling. In light of everything that was about to happen, it was laughable. Loren stared at him and stayed quiet. She tightened Avery’s coat around her.
Levi finally spoke, “Do you want to say goodbye to them? One last time?”
Loren hoped she could avoid any further interaction with the others, especially Avery and Callum. She didn’t want the last few minutes to be spent in an inevitable argument, or in tears. She didn’t want to see Avery look at her with accusation. It was hard enough doing this. Better to sever all ties quickly. She shook her head.
The corner of Levi’s mouth came up in a smirk. “No, I insist. You need to say goodbye.”
“I don’t want to.”
His smirk grew. “I’m sure they’d love to see you.”
“Levi, I don’t want to do this.”
“Too bad. Let’s go.” He gestured for her to come with him and he began walking toward the hallway. Loren hesitated and remained rooted in her spot. He stopped and looked back. “Hurry up.”
It took herself a few minutes to get her feet to move, but Loren began to walk, following him. The knot in her stomach tightened. She felt sick.
She couldn’t prepare herself for this, no matter how she tried. She bit her lip and tasted blood.
Levi walked quickly ahead of her and Loren followed, dreading each slow step she took. He stopped before two men flanking a door. They remained motionless as Levi brought out a key and unlocked it.
Her fingers moved at her sides, gripping the fabric of her skirt tightly. Levi flashed her a grin before he stepped inside. She couldn’t see into the room where she stood, but her heart jumped at the sound of Avery’s voice.
“What do you want?”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Her feet moved with a will of their own as she stepped into the room. She kept her gaze on the floor, unable to look at any of them.
“Loren.” Avery sounded surprised.
“Now’s not the time for the cat to catch your tongue,” Levi said. “She came to say her goodbyes.”
&nbs
p; “Loren, what’s going on?” Callum spoke next.
Loren squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart pounded and she could hear it in her ears. She forced herself to open her eyes.
She saw Callum first. His glare was sharp. She’d seen the same look directed at Avery or Levi when they’d disappointed him.
And it was pointed solely at her.
Loren drew her lips together and looked away from him. Eva sat on the edge of the small bed. The look on her face was similar. Her lips tightened in anger.
Finally, she looked at Avery. She expected a glare from him. Instead, his brow was furrowed. All she could see was hurt and confusion.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“I don’t understand.”
“She betrayed us.” Callum shifted, arms crossing. “She sold us out. She’s joined them.”
“But why? They want to kill you.”
Loren closed her eyes for a second and a hot tear slid down the side of her face. “I know. I can’t explain it.”
“You’ve joined their cause,” Callum accused again.
She nodded. It was safer to confirm the lie that way. If she opened her mouth, she might ruin everything.
“Why?”
“Because I have to.”
“They forced you into it?” Avery stared at her.
“No. They didn’t. I made this choice on my own.”
“Did you even break free on your own before? Did they let you go? Were you planning to betray us from the start?” The questions came too fast. Loren couldn’t answer. All she did was shake her head.
Levi smirked gleefully, enjoying every part of this.
“Avery. Callum. Eva.” She looked at them each in turn, her voice cracking with the effort to control her emotions. “I am sorry.” Her gaze lingered on Avery. “I can’t do this.”
She pushed past Levi and went out into the hall. Tears blurred her vision and she tried to blink them back as she walked quickly back to the living area.
“That was better than anything on HBO.” Levi jogged to catch up. There was laughter in his voice. “Oh, how the mighty fall. You know, I almost feel sorry—”
She spun around. She didn’t even realize she’d brought her hand up until it struck against the side of his face. The slap echoed and her palm stung with the force. “Shut your fucking mouth!”
Caution to the Wind: Book One of the Elementals Series Page 18