Successor

Heaviness grows in the pit of my stomach. “I take it that’s a bad thing.”

  “A rift is instantaneous. It allows an elemental to pass between the planes, then closes. Nothing more. The Nexus Keys allow the channel to remain open.”

  The heaviness curls up my stomach and into my chest like smoke. “And what happens then?”

  “Dimensions merge.” Maemon’s hands twist in her lap. “If left open too long, the Focal Passage could cause the collapse of every plane it touches.”

  I swallow hard. “So you’re saying the universe would implode on itself. Am I right?”

  The elders all nod this time.

  I sit back and hold my hands in front of me. “So why the hell does Taustin think I have one of these keys?”

  “The elementals are the guardians of the Nexus Keys. Protecting them is their primary function.”

  I blink, frowning. “I thought protecting the clan is the primary function.”

  “An elemental’s ability can be used for many purposes. While the protection of the clan is her duty to the people, she must ensure the safekeeping of the Nexus Key above all else—including at the expense of those people.”

  Dumbfounded, I slump forward with my elbows on my knees. I drop my head into my hands, covering my face. It’s all too much.

  My head lifts enough to peer at the elders, and I fold my hands together in front of me. “Taustin wants to use these keys to access the other planes. He was never after the Link or trying to kill me. He was trying to get his hands on the Nexus Key the whole time.” I pin the elders with my glare. “But you already knew that.”

  Maemon’s gaze falls to her knotted hands. “It has always been our worst expectation.” She looks up, untangling her hands and placing them on her knees. “We had hoped your assimilation would have completed by now.”

  I frown. Something doesn’t add up. “He would still need the other five keys, though. Aren’t the other elementals guarding those?” My stomach pinches at the despondency on their faces. “He already has them.”

  Everyone’s quiet, stewing in tension. My options are limited. I can find this key and give it to Taustin, ensuring the safety of Leila and the clan. On the other hand, if I give it to him and he opens the Focal Passage, every plane could be destroyed. And if the Nexus Key is lost, Taustin won’t get what he wants, and we’ll all die anyway.

  Nothing but lose-lose scenarios. It’s up to me to choose which path to take.

  “The outlanders said the Nexus Key should’ve been passed down to me. Did my mother have it before she disappeared?”

  “We believe it was with her when she traveled to your home plane.”

  “That would make sense…” My stomach sinks. “But it would also mean the key isn’t here.”

  “You believe it is in your home dimension?”

  “It would have to be. If my mom took it with her when she left, then it’s still there. She wasn’t able to pass it to me, and I didn’t know it even existed until now.” I shake my head, thinking. Where would she have put it? “What does it look like? Maybe I’ve seen it and didn’t realize it.”

  “We do not know. As a means of safeguard, only the elemental knows of the Nexus Key’s physical form. Information regarding it is passed to her successor through the Link upon assimilation. The clan is aware of the key’s existence and purpose, nothing more.”

  My eyes widen as I look to each elder and back. “If that’s true, then how did Taustin get his hands on the other keys?”

  “He has devised some method of detecting them,” Cettol responds. “No one has attempted to obtain all six pieces before, so the proper precautions were not utilized in time.”

  “And no one has attempted to get them back? The other elementals are just letting him keep them?”

  “Attempts have been made, yes. But without the keys in their possession, the elementals’ abilities are weakened. While the Link allows the bonder access to her ability, the Nexus Key is the power source behind it.”

  “In other words, they’re pretty much useless without the keys.” Annoyance makes my brows twitch. “Well that explains why he’s been so persistent trying to get his hands on the last one. He’s already managed to steal the rest from fully functional elementals. How much of a challenge is a half-blooded bonder?”

  “More than you realize.” Maemon considers me with a speculative look. “You are unique to this world. No elemental before you has descended from two planes. Your connection to your Link is unheard of, along with its extended duration outside of the Origin. And your ability, though still rooted in an element, is not a typical manifestation of it.” She holds her palms up, lifting her brows. “Taustin must be aware you are different from any other bonder or elemental, and it has made him desperate. If you assimilate before he can obtain the key, it may be possible for you to reclaim the rest.”

  I pull back. “No—that’s not what I’m here for.”

  Maemon straightens. “Why else would you be here, if not to fulfill your function?”

  “I don’t know,” I blurt, panic-stricken. “My concern is getting my friend back and keeping Taustin from killing the clan. I’m not here to take back some mystical keys to prevent the collapse of the entire damn universe.”

  My adrenaline plummets, and my head falls into my hands again. This is way more than I ever bargained for. Do these people honestly think I’m capable of something like this? A few weeks ago, my biggest challenge was making sure my internship application didn’t have any typos. Now I’m expected to stop someone from destroying everything—as in everything.

  My hands fall from my face, and I glare at the ground. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Disclosure was not considered prudent before now.”

  My eyes roll up to the elders. “Not prudent?” Disbelief turns my tone hard. “You just didn’t trust me to know.” It seems no one here had.

  Maemon’s chin lifts a fraction. “You were informed upon arrival that certain knowledge is privy to clan members alone and would be revealed once we were certain of your loyalties.” Her lips pinch together in a look of bitterness. “The truth of the matter is you are, in fact, a stranger to this world. While you are Sianne’s descendent, your loyalties do not lie with her people.”

  My head comes up. “How can you say that?” Did I do something to make them think I’m against them? The idea is insane.

  “It is clear to this council you have no wish to stay, nor to return once your friend is transferred to your home plane.”

  I stiffen. Where did they hear that? Ren was the one person I told. He’s been mad at me, but I know he wouldn’t have said anything.

  “You’re correct on one account.” My voice is colder than it’s ever been. “My loyalty lies first and foremost with my friend. Right now, I place her safety above all else.” I sit up, and they watch me with wide eyes. “Returning depends on more than one thing, but that doesn’t mean the clan isn’t important to me.”

  Maemon studies me. “Sianne claimed the Laraek’s importance to her, as well. Then she vanished, abandoning her people. How are we not to expect the same possibility from her successor?”

  The accusation pulls the corners of my mouth down. “I wouldn’t be abandoning the Laraek. If the Nexus Key is on that plane, then my leaving will ensure Taustin won’t get his hands on it. The clan will be safer if I possess it on that plane and not here.”

  “If it is here, however, and you cannot detect it,” Maemon counters in a quiet voice, “then your location will not matter once he uncovers it and opens the Focal Passage.”

  I push off my knees and stand, not bothering to hide my anger. The elders stand as well, their expressions unsettled. Kais is at my heels as I turn for the entryway, and I stop to look over my shoulder at them.

  They no longer emit the authority I first saw in them. Now…they’re old, frail.

  And they’re looking to me for help.

  “Then I guess I better find it before he does.”

  Cha
pter Seventeen

  Kirahl is separating herbs into a bowl yet again. Seems like it’s all the woman ever does. I peek around the corner into the next room and spot Ren lying on one of the beds. His breathing is labored, but at least he’s asleep.

  “How long until the tonic is ready?” I ask, moving to the table.

  “It is almost finished.” She adds a pale green liquid to a dish of leaves. “I have given him something to ease the symptoms for now.”

  “Good.” The sooner he recovers, the better.

  She glances up and scans the room. “Has Kais gone to make arrangements in Ren’s stead?”

  “Yeah.” I pull my bag over my head and set it on the table in front of me. “He said it wouldn’t take long. He’ll be back soon.”

  She mashes the ingredients in the dish into a cloudy mixture. “I heard one of the outlanders was captured.”

  My stomach twists a little at the memory. I nod. “Maemon spoke with him in the center.” More like interrogated and tortured.

  I decide to leave out the part about broken fingers, and Maemon’s indifference as she did the breaking—not to mention the noxious smell coming from the fire pit after. I’m sure Kirahl knows what the Laraek do with trespassers.

  The edge of the table digs into my hands as I brace them on it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She looks up from the dish in her hands, her brows lifting in question.

  “I had a right to know.”

  Her eyes widen a fraction before softening. She sets the bowl down and touches her fingertips to the table. “It was not at my discretion to discuss.”

  “Not at—” A disbelieving scoff cuts through my words. “You knew that could be what he was after. And you didn’t say anything.” My voice betrays the hurt I’m trying not to acknowledge. I trusted this woman to be honest with me, at least with something as important as this.

  “It was never my intention to deceive you. The elders commanded any information regarding the Nexus Key remain guarded.” She sighs, looking remorseful. “I would have told you had they not forbade it.”

  “They didn’t think I would find out at some point—say, when my assimilation completes? The Link would share it with me, you know.”

  She shakes her head. “The elders are not naïve. The Nexus Key is sacred, and they believed once you learned of its existence, you would understand the omission.”

  “They didn’t trust me. They still don’t.”

  She frowns. “Do you not see their intentions are in the best interest of the people?”

  Hurt and rejection are ruling my mind. After everything I’ve learned since I came here, I haven’t run away screaming like the clan must have expected. This place is a part of me now, and I’m a part of it. How can the elders not understand the importance of it and its people to me?

  As I stare at Kirahl’s steady expression, I realize what I feel doesn’t matter. My feelings won’t change anything, and letting them color my choices won’t benefit anyone, not when so many lives are at stake. I may not be an elemental, but it’s still my responsibility to protect those I care about.

  My eyes close, and I exhale what tension I can, running my hand through my hair. “I need to find it.”

  Kirahl stills, her gaze turning apprehensive. “Do you intend to give it to Taustin?”

  “No.” I straighten and pace a few steps away. “But I need to make sure he doesn’t find it, if it’s even on this plane.”

  “How do you plan to locate it?”

  “That’s the problem. I have no idea what it looks like. For all I know, it could be a rock or something.” I turn back. “Have you ever heard anything about its size?”

  “I believe it is small, something easily carried or concealed if necessary.”

  “Are all keys the same?”

  A small line appears between her brows. “It has been rumored each key is unique to its elemental. Some have suggested the Origin alters the physicality of it when a bonder approaches her assimilation.”

  “So if you knew what it looked like before, it would look different now.” I walk back to the table. “Another method of protection, I’m guessing.”

  “It is a simple rumor. Only the elementals would know for certain.”

  “Well that won’t do any good.” My arms cross my chest, and I lean my hip into the table. “I assume they’re too far away to ask for help in any of this.”

  Kirahl sets the bowl into a long-handled contraption and carries it to the fire pit. She holds the bowl over the low flame. “Traveling to other clans is rare for elementals, and when they do, they avoid those which possess another elemental.” She keeps her gaze on the dish.

  “Why?”

  “To keep the peace between the clans. Elementals are powerful beings, competitive by nature. Many often challenge the abilities of others. That much energy and power in one place can be destructive, even fatal.”

  My brows shoot up. “They have pissing contests?” She gives me a questioning look and I wave my hand. “Never mind. You don’t think, in their weakened states, they’d be willing to meet and take on Taustin?”

  “They may be weakened, but that does not mean they are willing to work together. For the sake of all, it is considered best they remain apart.”

  So much for that idea. “I’ll have to think of something else.”

  “What about the archives? Would accessing those help?”

  I shake my head. “The thought’s crossed my mind, but it won’t do any good. My mom’s memories were never uploaded. Besides, its form would’ve changed twice by now.” Discouraging as it is, I’m grateful I don’t have to go near that tree anytime soon. But if it ensured Lei’s safety, I’d spend the rest of my life hooked up to it if I had to.

  The cloudy, green liquid in the bowl turns a deep red hue, and Kirahl takes it back to the table. She starts dropping in leaves resembling spinach. “Where do you intend to search?”

  “I don’t know.” I chew on my lip as I think. Here in the village is as good a place as any. “Where did Sianne spend most of her time?”

  “The lake, to connect with her element. When it was not safe to leave the village, she went to the serenity pond.”

  “Going to the lake might not be the best idea.”

  “If Taustin knows you are looking for the Nexus Key, it is likely he will leave you to search the area. After all, the lake was Sianne’s last known location. The chances of the key being found there are higher than elsewhere in the village.”

  “You don’t think the elders would be against it?”

  She gives me an innocent look. “Undoubtedly.”

  Despite everything, I huff a laugh. Walking back to the table, I pull my bag over my head. “Any other places you can think of?”

  “Her former quarters, perhaps. I do not believe she would have hidden it there, but it would be best to be certain.”

  “Her old home? Wouldn’t someone have taken it over by now?”

  Kirahl takes the bowl into the next room and sits on the bed next to Ren. She pulls the leaves from the bowl, now covered in gelatinous red goo, and places them over his wound.

  “The elemental’s residence is reserved for that bloodline alone. One does not enter without consent.”

  “So it’s been empty this entire time?”

  The leaves cover Ren’s skin where the purple streaks stretch across his chest like tentacles. They’re menacing against his paling skin, all the color and health draining away. Sweat coats his body as it attempts to fight off the toxin. His legs twitch in his unconsciousness. The tonic better work fast.

  “Sianne was the last person inside. Whatever she kept there has not been touched.”

  Quiet steps sound behind me. Kais walks through the entryway and moves next to me, peering into the room. His concern for Ren is clear in the set of his mouth and eyes as he looks down at him.

  “Kais will accompany you in your search.” Kirahl places the last of the leaves on Ren’s shoulder. It’s like h
e is wearing a piece of red armor, suited for war instead of recovering from poison.

  “You still plan to look for the Nexus Key?” Kais peers down at me with uncertainty.

  “I need to try. We’ll have to go to the lake, though. If it’s still on this plane, that’s our best shot.” To my surprise, he doesn’t argue.

  “I will gather a party to accompany us.”

  With that, he and Kirahl return to the main room, leaving me alone with Ren. I stand for a long minute, watching the rise and fall of his chest before my gaze travels down his abdomen to his twitching legs and back again.

  I’m careful as I sit on the bed next to him. This is the first time I’ve been able to look at him without being rendered stupid by the intensity of his gaze. The first chance to study his strong jaw, straight nose, and brows that come down low over eyes that always seem to be searching for something. I touch the scar on his brow, following it down to its end on his cheekbone.

  This is my fault.

  The tip of my finger touches his lower lip. His breath fans my skin as I trace it from one corner to the other. The warmth of his exhale makes my chest ache. I have to fix this.

  “Please be okay.” My throat tightens around the whisper, tears burning the backs of my eyes. After a moment I lean forward and gently press my lips to his scar. I pull back, my face a few inches from his, and search his closed eyes. “I’ll be back soon.”

  ****

  The search party remains silent during the trek to the lake, my footsteps the only sound disturbing the nature around us. When we break into the open with the water before us, I’m no less affected than the last time I saw it. I look to my right, and in the distance the cliff rises above the trees. I remember standing at the edge of it next to Ren, overlooking the beauty of the land that reminds me so much of home.

  The searches of the serenity pond and my mother’s old quarters came up empty. The only thing of interest was a dish on the table in my mother’s hollow with a handful of stones, all different in shape and size. Some were rough with a faint, iridescent glow hinting at true luminescence just beneath the surface. Others were smooth, like the tumbled gemstones I have in a box back home. Aside from what the Laraek have told me and what the archives showed of her as a child, those stones are the one clue I have as to who my mother had been. Not as an elemental, but as a person. It wasn’t much, but it was still something.