by Regan Claire
That knowledge pushed all the remaining doubt out of my head. I was about to send a message to my father while we were still traveling slow enough to communicate through the gems. I didn’t get a chance before something was hurled towards me, knocking me through the water and causing me to black out for a moment. When I came to we were surrounded by people with inky, infectedauras. My head was already healed, and I looked for Ezra as our connection had been lost when I’d been thrown.
It took a minute to find him, and the only reason why I did was because I was looking with my abilities. His was the only aura around that was a brilliant, pure platinum, but the fiery blaze of his aura was too far to reach. I was surrounded by a wall of bodies — a sphere of them. Ezra wasn’t surrounded like I was, but I saw the glow of him moving, fighting someone whose aura was black oil where his was white flame.
We knew Kaylus had set a trap, and we’d still fallen into it.
I created a Shield and tried to push my enemies away, but the second my Shield touched them it corroded into nothing. I did it again with more of my physical Elements, knowing from my practices with Ezra that Death wouldn’t eat through it as quickly. But there were so many that it only worked for a moment. I tapped into my Well, pushing energy at them. It worked at first; I almost cleared a path, but Kaylus’ men were somehow connected like a net that I couldn’t blow a hole through for more than a minute, and when I tried to push my way through — or physically attack to break the net — the entire sphere of bodies would shift like they were a warped version of one of my Shields. Then the oozey darkness of their aura’s started to spread, started pouring forward towards me. I sent energy daggers through the water thinking that if I could manage to hurt or kill one of them, it would break the wall. There were so many of them — how did Kaylus have so many people? Dozens and dozens circled around me, unmoving except for the creeping of the dark energy coming towards me. I was becoming desperate to escape before I was touched by that darkness, but each time a hit landed that darkness would get bigger. I was making it stronger by hurting them, feeding the death by creating it. Belatedly I realized my Key was still in Cash’s possession, and a surge of true fear pulsed through me.
I turned in place until I saw Ezra again, and was happy his light was still strong. It meant he was holding his own against his father. I wanted to call to him through the gems, but was afraid to distract him. I needed help but I couldn’t ask it of him. Instead, I called the closest ally I knew.
*Dad!
He responded immediately.
-Della, thank goodness you’re okay. I’ve been trying to reach you —
I sent him images of what was going on. I was trapped, the dark energy was creeping closer, and I didn’t have time to explain what was going on. Derek, fortunately, understood.
- We’re on our way. Hold on, Della.
As if I had nothing better to do. I spun in a circle, trying to ignore the fear that was clogging my throat. Finally I had an idea right as the prison that encircled me pressed closer. I created a Shield again, this time outside of the sphere of people trapping me, far enough away from them that their corrosive infected aura’s wouldn’t eat through it, then started Gathering the water from inside my Shield and replacing it with air. Ethnos couldn’t fly, and they wouldn’t be able to keep me trapped if they could no longer surround me. While I also didn’t possess the ability to fly — though with a once I gained better control of my abilities it was a possibility in the far-distant future I could walk on air, though. Well, I could create a Shield in the air and walk on that.
Same thing, right?
I built a Shield platform below my feet, then a little Shield umbrella above my head before I started replacing the water with air. Just a second later, I was standing on my Shield and watching as Kaylus’ allies rained down. This part was trickier — I expanded the Shield I was standing on to go across the entire width of the air bubble I’d created, trapping my would-be captors below. Their aura’s were still corrosive, though not as much now that they were no longer joined together in a net. While I poured energy into the Shield keeping them trapped, I started Gathering the Air from the bowl. I’d used this trick once before with Kaylus, and it had worked beautifully. This time I wouldn’t let mercy stand in my way of doing what was necessary. I’d suck all the air from my enemies, I’d pull it from their lungs — from their blood — until Kaylus was alone.
Then I’d help Ezra kill his father, too.
Of course, that had been the plan. Instead, I felt someone eat through my Shield. It was Kaylus, and he was dragging something behind him, walking towards me on the platform I had built.
“Tsk tsk tsk, my little kitten. If you take something from me,” he took an exaggerated look at the pile of his people writhing below us, “I’ll be forced to take something from you.” He grabbed his son by the hair, and yanked him up with his head pulled back and his neck exposed.
I stopped Gathering air. I stopped doing everything, even breathing.
“If you hurt him, Kaylus, I will destroy you.” It sounded cliche even to my ears, but I took a step forward. If I could manage to get close enough to join with Ezra, we would both be untouchable.
Kaylus did something, I don’t know what, that made Ezra’s aura flicker, and because I knew him so well, I knew it was from pain. Ezra didn’t move though, didn’t budge an inch — he wasn’t even fighting back! “I think it would be best if you just stay there, don’t you?” Kaylus said, nearly giddy with the pleasure of having us where he wanted us. His men below were moving around with purpose, and even with the energy I was still pouring into the Shield to keep them trapped, whatever they were doing to corrode it was working faster. It wouldn’t be long before they were free, and Kaylus with an even bigger upper hand.
“I guess it would.” We needed backup.
*Dad, please tell me you’re close.
I sent my father an updated image of what was happening now.
-Try and keep him occupied for another few minutes, Della. We’re close.
*I can’t let him hurt Ezra, Dad.
-I know. I love you, Della. We won’t let him take Ezra from you. Trust me.
*I do. I love you, too. Just hurry!
“What do you want with him?” I asked, desperate to keep him talking. Villains in the movies always like to monologue right before the hero flips the script and conquers evil. If ever there were a villain, it was Kaylus.
“Do I need an excuse to spend time with my son?” Kaylus laughed, his black hair — so similar to Ezra’s — was slightly disheveled for the first time I’d seen, then he instantly sobered and the look he gave me sent fear through my spine. “Actually, I realized while we were having that touching father-son sparring moment, that if you and he are truly mated, then you’re family too! And I couldn’t be prouder of my new daughter. It was why I gave Ezra a choice, you see. I knew how devastated he would be if something were to happen to you. It was rather easy to convince him to give up during our fight. Isn’t that right, son?”
Kaylus loosened his grip on Ezra’s hair, allowing him to meet my eyes for the first time, where I saw love and determination.
“He always was the romantic. He knew I wanted you to be the key to open the portal. All I had to do was mention he would work just as well, and he nearly begged me to let you go and take him instead.”
Ezra’s eyes were unapologetic, before they blanked in pain and he collapsed to the floor.
“Ezra!” I tried to go to him, before being pushed back with a force of Kaylus’ energy.
“I won’t tell you to stay there again, Della,” the A-Hole said, stepping over his son as if he were nothing but a piece of trash.
A scream burst from Ezra’s mouth, and Ezra never screamed — I’d seen him hurt plenty of times and never heard him so much as swear from it.
I fell to my knees, halfway convinced I could feel his pain in me. Kaylus walked closer. “What are you doing to him?”
“To him?” Kaylus looked over his shou
lder at his son, then back at me. “Or to you?” He took another step closer, forcing me back to my feet else he would be standing above me. “You’re a bright girl, Della. I’m sure you realized that I fathered Ezra with a specific purpose in mind. What you might not realize is that he was always a back-up plan. I got sick of waiting. I knew what was necessary to open the portal, or at least who. Your family isn’t the only one to see the future, to prophesy what is to come. I waited, and watched, and still the key never came. So I decided to make one.” Kaylus walked around me, unconcerned with the sounds of screaming.
Tears were silently running down my cheeks — I really could feel Ezra’s agony, and there was nothing I could do. Attack Kaylus, and he would probably kill Ezra. I knew I could escape, but even that window was closing by the second. Kaylus’ people were eating through the Shield, and I wouldn’t leave Ezra. Kaylus knew that. I just hoped he didn’t know my father was closing in on us. I could feel him now in my mind, telling me to hang on. He had people with him, enough to fight Kaylus’ men. I kept my eyes forward, and tried not to look at Ezra struggling to push through the pain and get up — he’d almost make it to his knees when another surge of pain would echo through me and he would collapse to the fetal position.
“Ezra was certainly aware of the fact, which is why he volunteered to help me under the condition that you go free.”
I fought not to look at him behind me. I couldn't let him see that he was rattling me — if I turned, Kaylus would view that as weakness, and having that monster think he was getting to me was more than I could handle. I wanted to wipe that cocky tone right out of his voice.
Better yet, I wanted to wipe him off of this plane of existence.
“Now my dear son underestimated my drive for perfection, and you Della Doe Deare are perfect.” Kaylus whispered that in my ear, close enough that I felt the moisture of his breath on my skin. “You are what I was waiting millennia for before my impatience brought Ezra to be. Why should I take the knock-off when the original — the true key — is ripe for the taking? Why, you even left behind the amulet that infernal Ethan made. I was planning on taking you with me no matter what, but you’ve certainly made it easier.”
This time I did turn to face him. I just needed time, Derek would be here soon. “What makes you think I’ll go with you.”
I already knew what he was going to do next, and sent a silent apology to Ezra then braced myself for the shadow of his pain to run through me — as I steeled myself against his scream. As if Ezra’s cry was a signal, my Shield below was breached and Kaylus’ men were no longer held in its grasp.
“I suppose you’re going to say that you’ll let him go free if I agree to come with you?” I said, not knowing if I was bluffing or not, and praying my dad would get there before I had to find out.
“Della, no!” A look over my shoulder showed that Ezra had gotten himself to a kneel finally, and the way his back arched while he staggered to both feet proved how much pain he was in.
My dad was so close now that I was able to throw a sight Shield up around his party — thanks to the energy I had stored in his armlet, I was able to locate him instantly and protect him, as long as he was close enough. My father was traveling ahead of his people; I knew he was desperate to get to me. I’d been feeding what was happening through our gems this whole time, knowing that for a perfect attack, he would need to know everything that was happening.
“No, of course not.” Kaylus answered, then smiled. His people created a half circle between Ezra and myself. From his body a cloud of blackness emerged, denser than any I’d seen, and I knew what he intended to do with it.
He was about to kill his son, and even though Ezra had the Thanatos abilities like his father, it was so very clear that Kaylus had been honing his gifts for such a long time that it looked like magic even to those of us who knew better. There was no way I’d make it to Ezra in time for us to connect, so there was only one thing for me to do. I lunged at Kaylus, ignoring the shiver of death as I passed through it. It wasn’t after me, but if I killed Kaylus before his attack landed, there was a chance that it would dissipate.
I wasn’t fast enough, though. I felt the Death land. I felt a connection deep within my soul shrivel up and die.
I turned around, shocked. Images of Leoht soldiers fighting Kaylus’ men around me barely registered. The world was moving in slow motion and only the thumping sound of my heart reached my ears amid the fight and the swirl of elements pouring into my Well and storming around me. Kaylus’ aim had been true — it had killed the person standing where he’d directed it. Only Ezra wasn’t who’d been standing there.
My father was.
I’d known he was close, and thanks to me, he had known exactly where to go to save Ezra’s life at the last possible moment — exactly where to go to push him out of the way. Even as I watched, Ezra realized what had happened and crawled towards Derek, looking up at me with horror etched across his face when our eyes met through the battle taking place around us.
I started running towards them, unconcerned that Kaylus was still behind me. If I joined with Ezra, maybe we could — but Ezra was being dragged away. Kaylus still had his inexplicable hold on him, but Ezra fought through the pain. His screams formed my name, fueling whatever power was growing inside of me. I needed to reach him. I would reach him. I used every ounce of my being to get to him, but Kaylus’ men attacked me as one. They were like puppets, completely oblivious to the Leoht attacking them, still pulsing with the dark auras that Kaylus had infected them with. That darkness was stronger now, because obviously the Leoht had no idea that injuring their enemies would actually strengthen them. I was swallowed by Kaylus’ dark soldiers, covered so completely that their bodies pushed me against my Shield-made floor, which their auras were eating through. I couldn’t let that happen. As long as my Shield stayed in place, Ezra couldn’t leave. That was all I could think of. The only way to keep Kaylus’ men off of my Shield was to give them something else to stand on. Before I even finished the thought, the air vibrated and through the depths of the sea land pulled up towards me. It pushed up against my Shield, pushing the entire bubbled battle up to sea level. I let the earth push through my Shield until my hands were pressed against wet rock and sand.
Grief-fueled rage helped me gain my feet. It helped me yank my enemies from my person by Bending the water in their blood away from me so quickly that a mist of red burst from their skin and covered the close Shield I erected as soon as they were off of me. It was hard to see through the blood covering the barrier protecting me, but my True Sight was all I needed. I kept making my way towards Ezra. He’d stopped his screaming, and for a moment I thought his still form was a sign that I’d lost him, too. But I still felt that place in my heart which was linked to his and knew he was only unconscious. Kaylus was with him now, standing and looking ever so calmly at me. He placed one hand against my Shield and it dissipated completely. With a last look back at me, he leapt off my little island, taking his son with him.
Chapter Seventeen
Journal,
I don’t even know where to start. Only a week has passed since the last time I saw Derek, and already everything in my life has changed.
Everything.
I’m basically a walking cliche. Irresponsible party girl falls in love, gets pregnant, then gets dumped.
Yeah, that’s right. I’m pregnant.
I found out last week after I was with Derek. Alexander talking about “repercussions” if we’d “consummated” wouldn’t leave my mind. What repercussions? What did that even mean?
It means A FREAKING BABY. Yeah. And being the organized and responsible person I am, I had no clue when my last period was. And Derek and I definitely did NOT use protection the first two times we were together, and only sporadically after that (it was interesting introducing him to condoms, apparently the Elfennol don’t have them.) What did I think was going to happen? I wasn’t thinking, that’s the point. It took two days for me
to pluck up the courage and actually buy the test. Of course, I had to drive to Va. Beach to get one, since I didn’t want anyone here to know. And before the shocking test results had a chance to fully sink in, I got dumped by the guy who knocked me up.
Okay, that isn’t exactly fair to Derek. It still hurts, but I wasn’t surprised. When I saw his armlet resting on my bed, I knew what the piece of paper underneath would say.
I knew it was goodbye, and I can’t be mad at him for it. Not when our being together would probably mean my death.
Not when it would mean our child’s death. Even though Derek doesn’t know it, he’s already protecting the baby growing inside of me. I was still a little unsure, still confused, still sobbing hysterically with the armlet clutched in my hands when dad walked in.
I told him everything. I expected a fight, I think I hoped he would yell at me. Hoped he would give me something else to focus on other than the overwhelming fear and pain I was feeling. But he didn’t.
He sat there on my bed and rubbed my shoulders. When my tears subsided enough to look at him, his face was etched in worry — not disappointment — and his cheeks were wet from his own tears.
My father, the ever stoic Toby Neale was crying, and the sight of it was enough for me to swallow the last of my tears.
“It’s going to be okay though, Dad. It doesn’t change anything. We’ll just keep it a secret, no big deal. Derek… he doesn’t have to know, and no one else needs to find out the truth. Being a single mom is totally in style now.”
Dad hugged me then.
And told me something I didn’t want to hear, but kinda already knew.
“The Elfennol will know, Gabriella. They don’t need a paternity test to know the child will be half theirs. Once you’re further along, they’ll be able to see the child’s aura. They will take you, and kill you both. If you were Elfennol, they would at least let you live…”