Successor

  He barks out a laugh. Alarmed mumbles of protest rise among the Laraek.

  With a fortifying breath, I yank against the hands holding me. “If you kill me and a new bloodline is selected, you’ll have to go up against a functioning elemental. Even if you’re able to take the key from her, you’ll still need the rest from the other planes.” I press my lips together, everything inside me revolting against my words. “I will serve you, as an elemental. I’ll find my key and help you retrieve the others. But I’ll only agree if you allow me to take Leila home, and you spare the Laraek.”

  He tilts his head to one side. “What makes you think I would need your help?”

  “I’m saying it’ll be easier to obtain the keys if you have an elemental at your disposal.” I lift a brow in challenge. “I doubt my replacement would extend the same offer.”

  He’s silent as he weighs his options, casting a sideways glance to Lasula. They exchange words without speaking, and after a long moment he looks back to me. The knife in his hand bounces, like a beat driving his thoughts.

  “Your proposal has its appeal. But your word is your only assurance, and I would indeed be a fool if I found it adequate.”

  My thoughts race. I bite my lip and look to the ground, searching the tall grasses. What can I offer that will make him accept my terms? He’s requiring my submission—a way to guarantee my cooperation. He’ll agree to nothing less than having my life in his hands.

  My heart falls in despondency. There’s one thing I have he’ll accept.

  My shallow breaths do little to steel me for what I have to do. With stiff, trembling fingers, I reach into my bag and withdraw the ball. It vibrates in slow, even pulses. The Link understands.

  I lift my gaze to Taustin and hold the ball before me. “Then I offer my Link as a pledge to my word.”

  Gasps and protests sound among the Laraek, and Kais lays a calloused hand on my shoulder, forcing me to look at him. “You cannot make that bargain. Doing so is equal to offering your life.”

  “My life is forfeit, regardless of what I choose, and he’ll accept nothing less. At least this way, others’ lives will be spared.” I lift my free hand and place it over his, willing him to understand. “I have to do this.”

  He stares at me, his brows furrowed, his mouth in a tight grimace of disapproval. It isn’t just my decision to hand over the Link that he’s against, but my offer to help Taustin. The Laraek haven’t been honest with me, and I have no doubt they’re aware of what’ll happen if he succeeds. If I’m somehow able to solidify a place at Taustin’s side, I might be able to stop him from getting the rest of the keys.

  The elementals here, functional and far more powerful than I am, couldn’t guard their keys from him. So what chance do the foreign ones have when they have no idea what’s coming? If he doesn’t go for my offer and decides to kill me, no one will be able to stop him once he reaches the next plane. We’re running out of options.

  I grip Kais’ hand. “Trust me.”

  Whether he understands my reason for doing this, I can’t tell, but he pulls his hand away. The weight of the concession is in his eyes and the tension stiffening his shoulders. He shares the same sense of duty as Ren, wearing it for all to see. Letting me do this must feel like failure to him.

  He isn’t responsible for me or this situation, though. Neither is Ren or anyone else in the clan. I’m in this as much as the rest of them; more so. If I don’t at least try, then I’ll be the one who fails.

  We look back to Taustin, and I’m relieved to see he isn’t smiling, at least.

  His gaze falls to the ball in my hand before flicking back up. He starts bouncing his knife again, his scars catching the torchlight as the muscles in his arm flex. His eyes narrow and his chin lifts.

  “You would surrender the Link, of your own free will, to spare the lives of those who have deceived you?”

  “I would,” I say, resolute. “I am.”

  He studies me with an unwavering stare. After a moment he flips the knife in his hand and slides it back into the holster at his hip. “A true fool.” He inclines his head. “I accept.”

  My heart skips a beat, in both relief and dread. “And my terms?”

  “I will uphold yours when you uphold mine.”

  “What are they?”

  “You will return with me to the outlands and remain under my command. When the assimilation completes, I will escort you in the retrieval of your Nexus Key on your home plane, along with returning your companion. Travels to the next plane will commence thereafter.” His head tips up. “If you renege on your pledge at any time, you will watch as I eliminate every person you wish to spare, including your companion and the remainder of your loved ones. Only then will I allow you to die.”

  It’s the best I can expect from him. I close my eyes and nod. “Agreed.”

  He waves one of his outlanders forward. I take a shaky breath as I step out to meet him, cradling the ball against my ribs. With everything in me rebelling against it, I place the toy into the outlander’s waiting hand. My chest aches as I pull back, and I try to keep my emotions in check to prevent the Link from reacting. The ball remains silent as the outlander turns back on me, and it takes every ounce of willpower I have to keep from lunging after him.

  Taustin takes the ball when the outlander offers it to him. He studies it with a look of arrogance, his mouth pursed in assessment. He turns it over in his hands, his fingers inspecting the portal and lotus design as he examines it.

  An overwhelming sense of defilement fills me at the intrusiveness of his probing, and I can’t stop my mouth from twisting in repugnance.

  “Remarkable,” he says without looking up, “how something as feeble as this can contain the energy of a Link.” His gaze lifts to me, and he holds the ball before him. “You have no concept of the power this holds.”

  I lick my lips. “Let’s hope I find out soon, for both of our sakes.”

  He returns his focus to the ball.

  “You have my word and now my Link. Release my friend.”

  The patronizing look he gives me sparks my panic, and for a moment I worry he won’t follow through. The side of his mouth twitches, and with a wave of his fingers, two outlanders collect Leila and haul her toward me.

  Relief overwhelms me as I rush forward, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug. Her breathing is shallow and she’s coated in a cold sweat. She doesn’t respond when I say her name, just hangs as limp, dead weight in my arms. Gilahn is next to me a moment later and pulls Leila’s arm over his shoulders. Together we retreat to the safety of the Laraek.

  I motion to Zaeza to take my place. “Get her to Kirahl.” I lower my voice. “Warn the elders—this isn’t over.”

  “Please reconsider your decision,” Zaeza pleads, laying a hand on my arm. “The security of the Nexus Key is more important than the Laraek. Doing this is not worth the risk.”

  “No one is going to die when I can do this to prevent it.” My hand covers Zaeza’s. “Warn the elders. Go.”

  She shares an apprehensive look with Gilahn before pulling her hand away, and they turn toward the village with Leila, flanked by two sentries Kais sends with them. I stare after them until they disappear into the dark of the forest. Taustin has agreed to my terms, but I know it’s likely I may never see my friend again. I swallow hard, blinking back tears of impending grief.

  When I turn back to face Taustin, he lifts the ball in his hand and waits.

  I cast a glance to the scouts and sentries around me, stopping on Kais. “Prepare the clan. There’s no guarantee Taustin will keep up his end of the bargain.”

  “We will track your location. A party will be sent to recover you.”

  “No,” I reply with a definitive shake of my head. “As long as he believes I’ll follow his command, I’ll be safe. Once the redirection happens, I’ll take care of him.”

  “It will not be as simple as that,” Kais warns.

  A tight smile. “I know.” My hand land
s on his shoulder and squeezes. “Trust me.”

  His eyes search mine, and he gives me a reluctant nod.

  A startled gasp and whimper rises from the outlanders. I whip around to see a circle forming around Ryka, who has a knife pressed to her throat. The Laraek stand in stunned silence, and I realize one of the scouts must have circled around and snuck up on the outlanders. They’re known for their stealth, after all.

  I peer into the shadows surrounding Ryka, and my stomach drops.

  Chapter Twenty

  I start forward before I realize what I’m doing, and Kais’ hand clamps on my arm like a band of steel. I tug against his grip, too focused on Ren to realize I’m not getting anywhere.

  “How…?” I whisper, stunned and breathless.

  His gaze flicks to mine for the briefest moment, hard and determined. It’s enough to snap me to my senses.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I yell across the clearing.

  His gaze remains glued to Taustin. “Return the Link.”

  “Damn it Ren, this is no time to be a hero!” I jerk hard against Kais’ hand, but he’s too strong.

  Despite the threat against Ryka, Taustin seems almost intrigued, his eyes narrowing. “The formidable Ren.” He waits a beat, seeming to absorb everything. “Last we met, you were no more than a frail boy who needed to be taught a lesson. Now you are the defense commander.” His features twist in a look of disdain. “The elders’ standards have lowered more than I had expected.”

  My gaze is glued to Ren as my head turns toward Kais. “How is he standing?” The dressing over his knife wound is gone, revealing the angry gash in his shoulder. It’s hard to tell from here, but it looks like it’s been hastily sutured. I grit my teeth. “Kirahl.”

  Of course. I said I wouldn’t put it past Ren to interfere tonight. It seems I shouldn’t have put it past her, either.

  “Ah, yes.” Taustin’s gaze falls to Ren’s shoulder. “The miracle healer. Her talent alone is enough for any clan to lay claim over the Laraek.”

  I cast an irritable glance at Kais. His mate has some secrets of her own.

  The difference in Ren between now and when I last saw him is remarkable. His color has returned, and the purple tentacles of the toxin are gone. At first glance, he looks strong and steady, like the statue I mistook him for when we first met. With the knife to Ryka’s throat, he looks deadly.

  But the longer I look at him, the more obvious his shaking is. A sheen of sweat coats his skin, his shoulders shuddering from unsteady breaths, and his lips press into a tight line to disguise the wavering in his jaw. The knife he holds against Ryka shakes in his hand, and with the determined glint in his eye, he looks something worse than deadly—desperate.

  My heart is in my throat with blood pounding in my ears, the pressure making my head ache. It takes every ounce of will power I have not to scream at him in frustration. Whatever Kirahl gave him to combat the toxin, it was enough to get him on his feet, but that’s it. He is in no condition to fight. His only leverage is his hold on Ryka, and judging by the look on Taustin’s face, it isn’t enough.

  “Return the Link,” he repeats, his voice hard with the strain that reveals his struggle. He’s in pain, and he’s fighting through it when it’s clear he doesn’t have the strength to.

  Taustin’s eyes take on a knowing gleam. “Maybe the elders think you will atone for your father’s failure.”

  Ren’s glare turns to ice, and Ryka lets out a small whimper as his knuckles turn white where he grips her arm.

  “After all,” Taustin continues, “his incompetence led to the demise of much of the clan—including his own family.”

  “Ren, do not listen to him.” Based on the red tinging his neck and cheeks, he’s too focused on Taustin to hear me.

  “And now I hold your bonder’s life in my hand.” Taustin rotates the ball between his fingertips. “The elders’ faith in your family was misplaced yet again. How disappointing.”

  Ren pulls an unsteady breath, shifting his feet like he’s trying to keep his balance. “Perhaps incompetence is a trait of the post. After all this time, you have yet to accomplish the one goal you have ever strived for.”

  Taustin’s expression hardens. His eyes narrow and his mouth twists, turning ugly. “Sometimes necessary measures require time and patience. If they are important enough, they are worth the wait.” He takes a step toward Ren, passing the ball to Lasula and pulling one of his knives from its holster. “At least now your death will be all the more satisfying than if I had killed you when I destroyed your disgrace of a father.”

  “Then be done with it.” Ren’s voice comes out in a low growl. “Let us find where the true incompetence lies.”

  My blood turns to ice in my veins as I stare at Ren. He’s not here just to keep me safe—he’s facing the demon from his childhood. And it’s a fight he can’t win.

  Taustin studies him before his expression changes, a strange smile taking over his face as he starts to chuckle. It’s a low, rumbling sound that makes the hairs on my arms stand on end. He goes to the outlander nearest to him and pulls a knife from the man’s side, like the toxin-coated one Ren took to the shoulder. He turns back, taking slow, deliberate steps, shifting the knife around and between his fingers. He stops a few yards from Ren and Ryka, flipping the knife from handle to blade and back, the smile turning his mouth bitter.

  I wait, breathless, to see what he’ll do, tension straining every one of my muscles as my mind scrambles for a way to get Ren out of here. But before I can open my mouth to negotiate with Taustin, the knife tears through the air and sinks into Ryka’s abdomen to the hilt. A sharp grunt erupts from her throat, and her face crumples into a mask of pain. Her knees buckle, forcing Ren to catch her.

  I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth, and I stare in utter shock as Ren struggles to lower Ryka to the ground. She lies in a shuddering, crying heap of stiff limbs as blood pools over her stomach, a thick stream of red running out the corner of her mouth. Ren grips her hand tightly, and their gazes are locked as she struggles to breathe, choking as more blood gurgles out of her mouth. Within moments, only wet whimpers escape her throat as she clutches at him, her eyes turning unfocused to the canopy above. She pulls in a ragged breath, then a second.

  Then all is quiet.

  It feels like minutes pass in absolute stillness. Ren’s eyes shut, and he bows his head, his mouth thinning to a grim line. Ryka may have been a traitor, but he was never going to hurt her. I know that, beyond a shadow of a doubt. It seems Taustin did, too.

  Ren looks up as Taustin walks over to him. He doesn’t try to get up. He makes no effort to resist. It’s like all his strength is gone.

  “You are nothing but empty words,” Taustin growls out, the force of his voice making me flinch. “A failure, the same as your father.” He lifts his long, curved knife until it’s mere inches from Ren’s face. “Now you can die on your knees as he did.”

  He draws his arm back, and Ren’s gaze finds mine. My heart stops.

  He’s saying goodbye.

  “No!”

  I wrench my arm free of Kais’ grip and run at Taustin. I’m across the clearing before anyone can stop me, my hands clamping on his elbow as he brings the knife forward to strike. I jerk hard on his arm, pulling him off balance and almost impaling myself on the blade. Taustin regains his footing and gives me a hard shove with his elbow, knocking me loose and sending me to the ground. I barely register the pain of the fall before hands clamp down on my arms and waist, lifting and pulling me back toward the Laraek.

  I flail and strain against their holds, desperate to get free. “Stop! Please!”

  Taustin glares at me, a cross of anger and incredulity on his face. His eyes are on fire, and the knife bobs as his grip shifts on the handle, ready to lash out at any moment.

  “Please,” I say again, breathless, my voice shaking, “don’t kill him, I beg you.”

  His gaze appraises me before looking back to Ren, who is slump
ed back on his heels and breathing in strained wheezes. Taustin angles his head toward me and scoffs.

  “Your attachments make you weak, Bonder. One may be excused, but two—” He shakes his head, giving me a disparaging frown. “And such disappointing choices at that.”

  “You gave your word to spare the Laraek if I cooperate,” I say, tugging at the hands on my arms. “We agreed to uphold each other’s terms.”

  “This”—he points his knife at Ren—“goes beyond the agreement.”

  “Then I ask to change it.”

  He lifts a brow, incredulous. “To spare his life?”

  Ren is giving me a hard stare, shaking his head in warning.

  I force my gaze back to Taustin. “Name your terms.”

  He’s still for an endless moment, then drops his arm to his side, the knife bouncing. He tips his head back a little, regarding me with an unreadable expression. Then he sniffs, the corner of his mouth twitching.

  “Very well.” His brows pull up, and he looks to Ren, pointing at him with the knife again. “I will spare his life”—he looks back to me—“on one condition.”

  Ren’s gaze is on me, imploring me to look at him.

  “Anything,” I say, because it’s true.

  His eyes narrow in challenge, as if calling a bluff. “You must become my mate.”

  My breath rushes out like I’ve been punched in the stomach. Murmurs of protest sound around me, and the hands on my arms loosen a little. Ren looks as shocked as I feel, and everything about him screams “No!” at me.

  When my focus returns to Taustin, I gape at him, stunned. “Why?”

  “If you insist on depriving me of one retribution, I will find satisfaction in another.” He scans me up and down, lingering on places that make my insides recoil. His gaze returns to mine. “All the better for the irony of it.”

  A wave of disgust fills me. My mother had rejected him—refused to help him in any way, most adamantly by rejecting the echo with him. She fled to another dimension to escape, and by all accounts had succeeded in putting a stop to his plan.