Successor

  He stops dead, stilling in the way only he can. “You think that is the true reason?”

  “Isn’t it? Think about it. That’s all anyone here wants from me—for me to protect the clan with whatever ability I’ll end up having.” I lift a hand toward him. “What better way for that to happen than for you to pair up with me?”

  A crease forms between his brows, his eyes turning hard. Without a word he starts forward again, and I stumble back, not sure what he’ll do. I thump into a tree with a start, and before I can move around it, he’s right in front of me. He plants his hands on either side of my head, trapping me in place. My fingers dig into the bark for support as he searches my eyes. My heart rises in my throat.

  He gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head. “An elemental is who you are to the clan. It is what you are capable of.” He pulls a hand from the tree and lays it flat below my neck, lowering his eyes to where our skin touches. The contact is electric. “It does not represent who you are inside.” His gaze lifts to mine. “I know the difference.”

  If it had a sound, I would hear my resolve shattering.

  My reservations are forgotten as I curl my fingers into my palm and raise it. Our gazes are locked as my hand reaches the side of his face, and I straighten my stiff fingers, placing my palm against his cheek.

  Ren’s eyes widen a fraction, his pupils dilating, and the intensity in them is so strong I couldn’t look away if I wanted to. He leans toward me and I forget to breathe.

  He stops when he’s a few inches away, his focus dropping to my mouth. I want to close the distance between us, but I can’t make myself move.

  Something near an eternity passes when he pulls his hand from my chest and removes mine from his cheek. There’s a mixture of regret and resignation in his eyes. He blinks, takes a breath, and steps back, putting some distance between us. Disappointment stabs me in the stomach and tightens my chest.

  He stares at me for a long moment, then shakes his head. “I will not tempt myself with something I cannot have.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next few weeks drag by with the redirection nowhere in sight. I’m starting to wonder if it’ll ever happen, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

  My legs are stiff from sitting cross-legged for what feels like hours. My back aches, and I have the overwhelming urge to crack my neck. Meditating has never interested me, so I’ve never tried it. I don’t know how many times Maemon plans to have me sit here and visualize opening my mind to the Link.

  What’s that supposed to look like, anyway? I keep picturing a blooming flower and clouds expanding as they move across the sky, but neither analogy fits. This is supposed to be the best way for me to prepare for the redirection, but it’s just giving me a kink in my neck instead of the hope I need.

  I sigh and open my eyes to find Maemon watching me, patient as always. We’re alone in the council garden this morning.

  “I don’t think this is going to work.”

  A gentle smile smooths the lines around her mouth. “There is no one correct method of preparation. Each person is different. It is for you to discover what will work best for you.”

  “I’m not sure meditating is going to do the trick.” I point to my head. “Too much going on up here.”

  She gives me a curious look. “You do seem distracted. Is something troubling you?”

  Plenty. Nothing I want to talk about. “It’s still a little overwhelming at times. Whenever I think I understand something about what I am—what I’ll become—more questions come up.”

  “What questions?”

  “Um…” Scrambling through my thoughts, I hit on something I’ve been meaning to ask. “Well, the time-bending thing—how does it work, exactly?”

  The old woman nods, as if she’s been expecting the question. “From what we have learned, you simply specify a point in your lived past as a focus. Through the combined effort of yourself and the Link, you will be able to return to that point by reversing your course on the timeline.”

  “Lived past?”

  “An elemental can navigate only the time in which she has existed. The Origin prevents travel outside of that timeframe.”

  My heart sinks. “Why?”

  Her shoulders lift a little. “It is difficult to say, but it is possible it could create an imbalance of energy. A sudden occurrence of excess energy where there was none before could result in the displacement of what was previously there. A shift would most likely occur, and the results could be devastating.”

  “Makes sense, I guess.” I smile, knowing it looks sad. “I was hoping I could maybe go back and meet my mother.”

  Maemon returns my smile. “I am sure Sianne would have liked to have met you, as well.”

  My throat tightens and I clear it, pushing my thoughts forward. “Wouldn’t the same thing happen within the lived past, too? It’s still messing with how things were back then.”

  “To an extent. Your present energy would simply replace itself in that time. Other factors would be how far back in time you would travel, and what you wish to accomplish.”

  “To change, you mean.” I uncross my legs and scoot back until I reach one of the logs around the small fire pit I’m sitting by. My knees throb as I boost myself off the ground.

  “Essentially.”

  I’m not one for figuring out the logistics of something like this, but it isn’t fitting together in my head. “How is that possible, though? How can you change the past when the present guarantees it’ll happen? I mean—” I hold up a hand, trying to assemble my thoughts to make them come out right. “If you go back to stop something from happening, then it doesn’t exist in the present anymore. It would negate any decision to go back in the first place.”

  Maemon nods. “The current timeline does not reverse with you. As far as we know, it simply stops progressing. Once you have reached the point you wish to travel to, a new timeline forms while leaving the previous one intact. The decision to return to the former time remains on the previous timeline.”

  I picture the crooks and branches of a tree, and how an insect can move down one, then turn back and choose a different path. The problem? The next path might have a bird, waiting gulp down an easy meal.

  “So what happens to everybody else?”

  “They will continue on from that point in the past, unaware of any changes made. You alone will recall the discarded future.”

  It’s going to take time to wrap my head around this, if that’s possible. My head is already starting to hurt. “I’ll try to figure out another way to prepare for the redirection.”

  Maemon stands, encouraging me to follow with a gesture of her hand. “Focus on your relationship with your element for guidance. Immersing yourself in it may help.”

  A humorless laugh huffs out. “A little hard to do since I don’t know what it is.”

  She turns and stares at me, looking incredulous. It’s an odd expression to see on her.

  Alarm fills me. “What?”

  She smiles. “I assumed the answer was obvious.” My eyes go wide in cluelessness, and she says, “My child, you are connected to sound.”

  Huh? “But that’s…” I shake my head, confused. “Sound isn’t an element.”

  She clasps her hands together. “An elemental’s ability can manifest in many ways. Some may control aspects of an element directly. Others utilize it for one of the purposes it serves within nature. Based on how your Link has reacted to your emotions, your ability is most likely sound-based. That would connect you to the element of air.”

  “Because sound waves travel through the air.” Wonder fills me, and a smile spreads across my lips. “It’s music—my love of music connects me.”

  She inclines her head. “The Link draws on the inner passions and strengths of the bonder. The source is often the most obvious.” A twinkle shows in her eye.

  I blow out a breath that’s part relief, part excitement. Warmth floods my chest, and I feel lighter than ever
before. The ball vibrates against my hip. I place my hand over the spot where the canvas bulges out, the vibrations emanating through my fingers. The Link doesn’t need to be in my head for me to know it’s satisfied with my discovery.

  I just know.

  ****

  A grunt bursts out my throat as I hit the ground hard. Again.

  My ass is going to be so bruised.

  “Focus,” Ren orders, not offering to help me up.

  Exasperation forces a groan up my throat, and I push to my feet, dusting off my butt.

  Ever since the night of the union ceremony, he’s distanced himself from me. After our almost kiss, we went straight to my new hollow. But as soon as he made sure the interior was clear, he stationed himself outside all night while I tossed and turned in bed. He’s said a handful of words to me since. Most days, his only response to anything I say is a stiff yes or no.

  Today we’ve been concentrating on defensive moves with the staffs, and he hasn’t been pulling any punches. My progress has been steady, but he’s far less patient now than the first day of training. He has no issue letting his bad mood show.

  “I’m trying.” I bend down and retrieve my staff from where he flipped it to.

  “Not hard enough.”

  I straighten and return to my former stance, glowering at him. “Well if you’d given me more than a few minutes to learn everything, maybe my skills would be more to your standards.”

  He assumes his position, forcing me to ready myself. Several tense beats pass before he makes his move, coming at me from below before bringing the top down toward my shoulder. I manage to block six shots until he catches me on the upper arm and proceeds to sweep my feet out from under me. This time I land on my back with a thud, knocking the air from me in another loud grunt. I lay there, catching my breath and pushing through the pain.

  “Again.”

  This is getting old, fast.

  A deep breath through my nose. Hold it. Blow it out.

  My back twinges when I sit up. Stretching does little to work out the kinks. With the help of the staff, I stand, shaking out the arm Ren hit. It wasn’t a hard blow, but I’ll have a bruise later. Another to add to the day’s collection.

  We face off again, this time in silence, and I block nine strikes before I hit the ground once more.

  “You know,” I say as I stand and brush off my knees where I landed, “back home we call this a tantrum.”

  “You are not there,” he replies.

  “Obviously.” I assume my defensive position again. “Back there, grown men rarely act like children when they’re mad about something.”

  His face tightens, and he launches into his attack without warning. I manage to keep up with him stroke-for-stroke until he catches my other arm. I end up on my knees again, this time with his staff pushing down across the back of my neck.

  “Case in point,” I say through gritted teeth.

  He removes his staff, allowing me to stand, and returns to his position. “I am not acting like a child.” His hands twist around his staff.

  “No?” My brows lift in challenge, my breathing hard. “What do you call not saying a decent word in weeks, then beating the hell out of me now?”

  “You insisted on training.” He comes after me again, faster than before. “If you cannot learn”—he grunts as he performs a quick combination, which I manage to block at the last moment—“then maybe you should quit.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck bristle, and a burst of adrenaline shoots through my veins like fire. I add in a few quick strikes of my own, forcing Ren onto defense until our staffs hook ends. He tries to flip mine away, but I hold fast, getting jerked toward him until half a foot separates us. I yank back, our heavy breaths mixing. Ren’s eyes widen a fraction.

  “I’m here to learn.” I lean in, glaring at him. “So teach and take your anger out on something else.”

  His eyes narrow, his lips pressing into a hard line. He pushes his staff against mine, shoving himself away and walking toward the edge of the ring.

  “Exactly like a child!” I call after him, unable to curb my irritation. The petulance in my voice makes me cringe, but I can’t help it. I’m sick of being treated this way.

  He turns back. The glower he wears carries a warning I ignore.

  “If you have something to say to me, then say it. Otherwise stop pouting and work with me on this.”

  He casts a furtive glance toward the sparring ring and advances toward me. I resist the urge to back away, lifting my chin a fraction and holding his hard stare. I refuse to let him intimidate me, no matter how pissed he is.

  He stops a few feet from me, angling himself away from the training yard. His jaw is tight. “Take care with your words. This is not the place for them.”

  I look over and realize we have a small audience. Maybe they’d been watching me train, but given how they’re looking at us, I know they’re watching the real fight.

  “Fine.” I toss my staff aside and turn, heading for the forest at the far edge of the ring.

  A path cuts into the trees, winding back into the distance and out of sight. Midmorning sunlight filters through the canopy in sporadic patches, illuminating the path like a street light with a bulb at too high of a wattage. The air here is thick, smelling of earthy decay and rain, and I wonder if it stormed last night.

  I’m twenty yards down the path before Ren pulls me to a stop, spinning me to face him.

  I yank my arm away and put my hands on my hips, quirking a brow at his indignant expression. “Okay, we’re away from prying eyes. Feel like talking now?”

  He glares at me. “It is not safe for you here. We need to go back.”

  No other intruders or attacks have happened since the night we sat by the bonfire. Being within the village bounds with a dozen scouts and sentries nearby, I’m not too worried about Taustin right now.

  “We’ll be fine for five minutes.” I return his glare.

  He blows out an irritated breath and scans the forest around us and down the path. Fists propped on his hips, his shoulders tense as he paces a few steps away. He remains silent.

  I watch him, waiting.

  Still nothing.

  “What the hell is your problem?” I’m almost yelling at him now, my voice rising an octave. “Why are you so angry?”

  He inhales a few agitated breaths and says in a low, careful voice, “Because the pull to you is stronger than ever, and anger prevents me from giving in to what I want.”

  Stunned, all I can do is gape at him. This whole echo thing has been a bitch to handle. Once we realized what was happening, the pull intensified for both of us. We’ve been fighting its effect, but neither of us is coping well. I’m struggling to piece together my resolve, and Ren’s resorted to putting himself in a bad mood to get a handle on his own. It’s taking major willpower to fight what we want, and if it gets any worse, we’ll both be in serious trouble.

  Pressing my lips together, I look at my feet and poke a fallen leaf with my toe. “It’ll pass.” An emptiness fills my chest. Ren doesn’t respond, and I look up, exhaustion seeping into my muscles and mind. “Sometime soon I’ll take Leila home, and you won’t have to worry about it anymore. Out of sight, out of mind.”

  “So simple, is it?”

  “You’ll move on to someone else. People back home do all the time.”

  His arms cross over his chest, bare from having left his bow and arrows back in the training yard. He takes a step toward me, his anger looking to have abated some. “You seem to be under the delusion I would take an interest in someone else.”

  “Why wouldn’t you? There are plenty of women to choose from.” The thought makes my stomach twist and bitterness form at the back of my throat.

  “I am their protector.” Another step forward. “Nothing more. I have no interest in taking a mate just to continue my bloodline. Doing so is…empty.”

  My head does a little tilt. “You’ve never had feelings for anyone else?”
My jaw drops a little, my brows lifting as I search his face. “Ever?”

  With one last step, he’s close enough for the heat radiating from him to envelope me like a fog.

  One of his thumbs moves over his bicep. “My life has revolved around my duty to the clan. I have always believed personal attachments would be a distraction.” His head lowers a little, his gaze holding mine. “Meeting you has made me question that resolve.”

  His closeness makes me jittery, and I force out a laugh. “That makes two of us.” Without thinking, I look him up and down. “You don’t make it easy for me to stick to mine.”

  He catches my appraisal of him, and his thumb stills on his arm. “Is that a compliment?”

  A strange daze keeps my gaze on his. “An unintentional one…”

  He scans my face, from my eyes to my mouth and back, his expression softening in a way I’ve seen before.

  Alarm bells go off in my head. Willpower!

  I blink away the daze, sucking in a sharp breath. “Look. We both know how things have to go. I have to return home, and you need to stay here. We’re from different worlds, and we can’t change that. We have to do the right thing…” I hesitate, finding resignation in his eyes that matches mine. It makes my chest ache. “No matter how difficult it is.”

  His chest rises as he pulls in a deep breath. “I have always advocated doing what is right.” He reaches out and runs his knuckles along my jaw. “I question that now, too.”

  I close my eyes, reveling in his touch. It’ll be the last we can allow ourselves.

  Sudden rustling pulls Ren’s fingers from my face, and my eyes snap open to figures emerging from the jungle around us. I step back, then jerk forward when I bump into someone. Rough hands grab my arms as I lunge toward Ren, and he reaches for me with a growl sounding more animal than man. More hands pull him back to separate us.

  I’m about to shout for help when something thin and hard presses into the side of my throat. I still, fairly certain there’s a blade against my neck. Ren stops struggling against his captors, his anxious gaze on me.