Blood Oath (A Gabby Girls Adventure Novel, Book Two)

by T. L. Clarke

  "What is your suggestion, Chaos?" Helios asked quickly.

  He ran his fingers agitatedly through his hair. "We send out a high alert to all Eternals informing them of the recent attack. In conjunction, send more Warriors to secure the academies."

  There was a sudden commotion in the corner, among some Ares, as they looked at Justice, who was talking urgently into his phone. He walked over to Chaos and whispered urgently in his ear. Chaos’s eyes widened, then narrowed. Justice shot him a questioning stare, causing Chaos to nod in agreement.

  Justice leaned over the phone confidently. "I just got word that the police and media were tipped off about the incident at Vineswell. So priority number one is to clean up the academy. That means moving the bodies from the site quickly and contacting our Normal allies to work some damage control with the media and the authorities."

  The council erupted with panic again.

  Thallo responded tiredly, "If that’s the case, then we need more Eternals, like, now."

  "Thallo, that’s in motion right now. The Elementi have authorized the opening of all portals, and Warriors are en route." Helios’s voice resonated with authority.

  "This is all so ridiculous. The Banished actually have us on our heels," Queen Nemesis spat nastily. "I knew this day would come. Now we can either run and hide or ramp up our efforts, ending this war once and for all."

  "Sister, dear, I think that we have exhausted that topic and the council is now at a stalemate. That’s why I asked Veda to organize a general Eternal meeting for tonight to discuss the path forward," Queen Harmonia responded briskly.

  I could just hear the thick tension between them in the air. It crackled like a whip.

  Someone cleared her throat noisily before speaking. "Chaos, how are the Neophytes holding up?"

  I knew that voice instantly. My lips automatically curled into a smile. It was Grandma Celeste.

  Chaos peered at me sharply. "I guess as well as to be expected under these circumstances."

  I shot him a nasty glare. How would he know? He hadn’t said one word to us since we left Vineswell.

  "Very well, Chaos. I trust you to get them to the Isles safely, or you will deal with my wrath," she said warmly.

  He chuckled huskily. "Yes, Celeste, I know the power of your wrath, almost too well."

  My brows shot up with surprise. The ice-cold Ares Warrior had actually thawed. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. As if he could feel my glare, Chaos turned toward me and smiled—coldly—then reached for the sliding panels and firmly shut them in my face.

  chapter

  FOUR

  Our invisibility lasted for most of the flight as Ares Warriors walked up and down the aisle, ignoring us completely. I looked over at Rosalinda, Jessica, and Zora, who were sleeping quite happily with no care in the world.

  I, on the other hand, was very frustrated, and quite honestly, I needed space to think. I got up and walked further up in the jet, plopping down in the leather seat in a dark, secluded section. I dabbed the dots of sweat that had suddenly, annoyingly collected on my forehead, feeling sick to my stomach, keeling over from the pain. This was definitely not right; it felt like someone was playing drums on my stomach. I closed my eyes as I curled up against the coolness of the leather seat and hoped that the pain would stop as I rocked back and forth. My thoughts drifted to Grandma Celeste. Something was not right with her. I could just sense it.

  Chaos looked at me with concern. "Is everything all right?"

  I squeaked with fright. I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed when he sat down across from me.

  "Yes. Fine." I looked at him haughtily.

  "I see that you’re a girl of very few words. A lot of fight—as foolish as that might be—but no words."

  I don’t know why, but as gorgeous as he was, I found him extremely annoying.

  "Are you serious? I mean, what do you want me to say? We’ve been sitting here for at least two hours, and no one has even said one word to us. We’re invisible."

  His gray eyes narrowed curiously. "Like what? You were listening to every word we said, which, by the way, was not cool. So you know everything now."

  Embarrassed, I could feel the heat rising from my feet to my face. I was about to go ballistic. "No, I don’t know everything. Like why is everyone so worried about getting us to Transcendence so quickly? And were we really the target of the attack? And what’s the deal with that weirdo with the lizard tongue?"

  His eyes flashed with annoyance. "Does it even matter at this point? You’re safe."

  Crossing my arms angrily, I looked at him like he was a nut. "Uh, yes, it does matter. We’re not babies, you know? We can handle truth. And we actually have a say in what we do and where we go."

  He snorted with contempt in his eyes. "First, you can’t handle the truth. Second, you don’t have choices, Neophyte. Your choices are what we say they are."

  I looked at him, shocked. Was he a lunatic? Ares boy was definitely letting this power thing go straight to his huge head.

  "What?"

  His eyes narrowed coldly. "Let me repeat myself just so we’re real clear. From this point on, you don’t have a say about where you go and what you do." He leaned in so close that I could smell the clean scent of soap mixed with earth that wafted from his body. "Your life is not your own, Neophyte, or didn’t they tell you that little fact?" he spat venomously.

  His condescending tone was really pissing me off. He was really hateful and obviously did not like me at all, which, by the way, kind of stung.

  "Don’t talk to me like that."

  He looked at me. His stare was so cold and methodical that a chill ran through my body. "Gabrielle, I don’t have time for games. So, I’m going to keep it as real as it gets. Back the heck off."

  Our eyes locked in battle. He examined me closely; it was as if he was desperately searching for something. There was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes before they narrowed angrily. I could instantly tell that he didn’t like what he saw at all.

  "Do you even know how close you were to being killed? Do you even care? What about your former classmates and professors? You know, the ones whose bodies were scattered across the ground, drained of blood, and cut into pieces like confetti. And what about the Circles sent to protect you? They’re dead too, so excuse me if I don’t care about your hurt feelings." He was so angry that each word came out like bullets, short and painfully to the point.

  I recoiled at his bluntness. I didn’t like him at all. He was just cruel. But I was not going to back off or let him intimidate me like a bully. "Look, Warrior boy, I was there. So you don’t have to remind me."

  At that moment, he actually made me feel like bawling my eyes out, which for me was super unusual and super girly. And I could tell that he was the type of guy who would be absolutely repulsed by any display of weakness. Besides, I would never give him, of all people, the satisfaction of knowing how deep a nerve he had touched.

  He leaned back in his seat, studying me calculatingly. "But you see, Neophyte, I think I do. You need to understand that this war against the Underworld is now your reality, your battle too. And the sooner that you come to terms with this, the less likely you are to get yourself or anyone else killed."

  Oh my goodness, was he really blaming me for getting everyone killed? Tears of anger stung in my eyes. "This is not my fault. I didn’t ask for any of this. And I think it’s cruel of you to even"—I paused, catching my breath. Gosh, I think I was hyperventilating—"to sit here and lecture me like I did something wrong. I was born into this Eternal thing. I didn’t sign up for it."

  I knew I touched a nerve when I saw his jaw tighten angrily.

  Moving in for the kill, I leaned forward, poking him in his hard, muscular chest angrily. "What are you, all of eighteen, pretending to be some sort of grown-up? Talking down to me, making me feel guilty like I had something to do with any of this? Well, I didn’t." I knew that I was borderline hysterical. But you know what,
I didn’t care. I was on fire. I knew that somehow I was wrapped up in the sudden attack on Vineswell. That guilt, rational or not, was making me crazy.

  Tears of fury rolled down my cheeks. "I had to stand there, helpless, and watch them being killed like cattle. Not you, me. So please don’t act like the all-knowing and like I’m some stupid little girl that you don’t want to deal with." I was so done. I did everything I swore that I wouldn’t do—cry. I could feel the rawness of my throat and eyes. I hated him with a purple passion for breaking me down like a baby, for breaking me down to feel every bit of my fifteen years.

  He just stared at me with a raw intensity that truly unnerved me. Abruptly, he touched my hair so reverently that I thought I would just burst out into another round of tears. He closed his eyes briefly, then sighed before swiftly standing up and storming away.

  Anxiously I bit my lip because I honestly didn’t know what to make of what had just happened. I leaned back in my seat, pulling my knees up to my chest for comfort. I knew that Grandma Celeste would be totally angry at my rude behavior. Sighing, my thoughts instinctively drifted to the last time I saw her. Which was only a few nights ago…

  Grandma Celeste smiled at me indulgently as she handed over a pristine white envelope. "I have something that I’ve been waiting to give you for a very long time."

  I looked at her warily, grabbed the envelope, and flipped it back and forth between my fingers apprehensively. "Who is it from?"

  Grandma Celeste smiled tenderly. "It’s something that your mother wanted me to give to you when the time was right." She pulled one of my fluffy, dog-eared ponytails playfully, then slowly walked away with her ornate silver staff clicking melodically. Suddenly she stopped midstride. "And Gabi, don’t share the information in the letter with anyone." She swiftly disappeared from the terrace.

  I stared at the envelope for what seemed like eons before my trembling fingers quickly broke the red wax seal and pulled-out the letter nervously. My eyes greedily read the contents.

  My sweet Gabrielle:

  With every day that you grow into your destiny, my heart swells with more love and pride than I could ever convey with mere words. There are so many things that I long to tell you and to show you, but I’ve run out of time. So I leave this letter as a last remedy, to right all that is wrong, to reveal the truth when there is no other recourse.

  And after all is revealed, I hope that with the passage of time, you will forgive me for every lie that I told in the name of my love for you. The most damning lie is one that I live with every day, a lie that when I look into your eyes, I am painfully reminded of. Painful reminders of the love that I left behind and the painful choices that I’ve made—for better or for worse. Every day I’m reminded of your real father, Aether, the love that I left behind.

  I reveal this now because this truth is all that might save and protect you against the darkness and bring you to the light. Remember, what is done in the dark will always come back to the light. And always remember that the light can unlock the Circle of Eternity and forgiveness can open unimaginable doors. All I ask is that you open your heart and forgive. This is all that will win in the end.

  In Circle and Eternally in love always,

  Eternally Mom

  What? How could this be? It was like everything that I had known to be true was slowly crumbling apart around me. My head snapped around when I heard the all too familiar clicks of Grandma Celeste’s staff as she briskly walked back onto the terrace.

  "Why?" I screamed with a pain-filled voice, wrapping my arms around myself protectively.

  She softly pulled me into an embrace. "Gabi, this life is not easy. A life of a Circle and Eternal is never easy. Always remember that."

  "But why, Grandma Celeste? Why would she lie to me about my father? And most importantly, who is he?" My voice was muffled against her body.

  She sighed as she rubbed her face with weariness. "Aether….this whole thing with Aether, frankly, should not have happened. And the only reason that your mother didn’t tell you the truth was to protect you from those that would take something so pure and good and bend it to do harm. And that’s you, Gabi."

  I was frightened by the chill that suddenly ran down my spine. "I just don’t understand."

  Grandma Celeste smiled sadly. "Honestly, even I can’t unravel the mystery surrounding your mother and father’s relationship—believe me, I’ve tried. Your mother always"—her voice cracked—"believed that anyone could be saved, even the most dark and lost souls. She was a tough Warrior and fulfilled her duty faithfully, but at times…she struggled with the rightness of our cause, especially after your father turned to the Banished."

  I felt absolutely woozy—my father, a Banished?

  "He was born into the Euros—the Air Conclave, one of the most powerful and respected family of the royal Elementi. His birth was celebrated by everyone, for the birth of an Elementi is indeed a rare event. It was so special that he was marked by the gods with power to control all four elements—fire, earth, air, and water. No other Elementi has ever been bestowed such a powerful gift."

  Something tickled my memory. "Wait, isn’t there another element?"

  She looked at me curiously. "Yes, spirit. The fifth element. But there has never been a Conclave of Spirit, and none of the Elementi has control of this element." She paused, sitting down on the stone bench.

  I still didn’t get it. I knew from my limited Eternal lessons that all Elementi were considered the pure, and could manipulate and control the energy of only one element. Why was there none that could control the spirit element?

  She patted the space beside her. "I guess I should start at the beginning, right?"

  I looked at her gratefully as I sat down, pulling my knees up to my chest, hugging them tightly.

  She sighed loudly. "Elementi and Eternals 101, it is. The Elementi are essentially the personification of elements. They are the creation of the gods and are considered the pure breeds because of the immortal blood that runs through their veins. In essence, they were created as the true controllers of the elements. They are the conduit to both worlds, immortal and mortal."

  "But they’re immortal, right?"

  "Well, yes and no. Like us, they can live forever, but obviously they can be killed."

  "Okay, so this is a win-win situation. They have control over elements, and they live forever. So what’s the problem here?"

  Grandma Celeste laughed. "As usual, I love your enthusiasm but that’s not totally accurate. There’s a fly in the ointment. They are bound to this planet forever, and without them, life on this planet would not survive. And without this planet, they would not survive. Imagine working twenty-four-seven to keep the natural balance of life, but not having the freedom of choice to stop. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the Daemons and Banished from destroying this balance. And let’s not talk about how hard it is to balance the challenges of managing the expectations of the Supernaturals."

  My head was bursting from all of the possibilities, the very bad possibilities. I never knew that these things even existed, except for in the movies. "Supernaturals?"

  She looked at me quickly. "We lump almost everything that goes bump in the night into the Supernatural category…including us." She looked at me pointedly.

  I gasped with shock.

  She continued, "Supernaturals have been around for centuries, before the caveman was even a thought. We are the things that fairy tales are not made of, and in reality, we surpass all myths and legends. We come in all different shapes and sizes, from looking like everyday humans to extraordinary beasts. We can be evil or good, dangerous or benign, depending on the path that we choose to take." Her eyes took on a strange glint like she was trying to pass on something that she wanted me to get without outright telling me.

  I looked at her quickly, tossing the words around in my head like a ball. "This is how the Banished are made, because of the choices that they make to use their powers for good or evil."
I tossed the words around some more, tugging at an important thought that flitted around the edges of my mind as if hoping not to be discovered. "It’s their actions—the harming or helping of others by the abuse of gifts and powers."

  She looked at me sadly, frowning as if she had hoped that I would not understand this point. "Exactly, choices that, on the surface, seem simple, but under the surface have deep rippling effects." She smiled in a melancholy way that wrenched my gut because she was talking about me. But what choices would I ever have to make that could be so important to anyone?

  A chill ran down my spine. I started a mental rundown of every monster story that I’d read in books or seen in movies, and my eyes widened with shock.

  "So, all that stuff is real? Vampires, fairies, and werewolves are real?"

  "Yes, yes, and yes; but they are nothing like the books and movies depict them," she responded calmly. "Supernaturals walk among the Normals every day, disguised by glamours to hide their true nature.

  Normals could never deal with knowing that we do exist or that the war we fight every day is to preserve their lives."

  "Glamours?"

  "Glamours, it’s the oldest form of magic. It disguises anything," she whispered softly, waving her right hand along her left arm majestically.

  I watched in amazement as her perfect, smooth mocha skin transformed, displaying intricate marks of inky twirling vines laced with bits of gold that trailed up the left side of her neck, intertwined with inky, squiggly dashes.

  She smiled. "Supernaturals use glamours all the time. The Eternals and Elementi use them to hide our marks when around Normals." She smiled before I could get out my next question. "Our marks are given to us by the gods. It tells others what our powers are and our power status."

  I almost fell off the bench with shock. Oh boy. I was seriously freaking out. "So what does that have to do with my mother and"—I swallowed painfully—"my dad?"