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

by T. L. Clarke

  Her apple green eyes narrowed sadly. "Wanting? Wanting is temporary; needing is forever." She sighed softly, "But this has always been the problem, Fire King…even after all this time, and all this death and destruction, you cannot move past the wanting and move towards needing and loving. If you had, then we would not be having this ugly standoff."

  His gold eyes turned crazed. "What difference does it make? I can give you the world, if you give me your blood oath to become mine."

  Tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled away from him quickly. "No, Proteos, I do not love you. I could never love a cruel man such as you."

  I felt her pain to the core of my body. I knew that she was torn, conflicted by the love that she felt for the Fire King. How could she deal with such a burning pain? More importantly, how could she love a man who was obviously filled with darkness and cruelty? My thoughts were stopped by the whirl of snow, first soft, then hard, that spun around my body. It was so sudden, so violent that I knew the Fire King had manifested it, showing his anger at Akasha like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum.

  His face twisted into something dark and ugly as black tendrils of energy rose from this body, snapping at the air like hungry, feral animals. "Then, my beautiful Akasha, if I can’t have you, then I will ensure that no other man will, in this life or the next."

  He flicked out his hand, sending a black wave of energy that slithered through the air like a python. I gasped with horror as its mouth opened to twice its size, latching on to her neck for what seemed like forever. She did not utter a word as it held her paralyzed, draining her body of energy. Abruptly it released her and disappeared into thin air.

  Akasha crumpled to the snow-covered ground with stunned eyes.

  The Fire King hovered over her with disdain in his eyes. "What a waste. And for what? Your stupid pride? Your unwillingness to love a man like me?"

  She crawled to her knees, looking at him proudly as she wobbled to her feet. "You know nothing about love, Fire King." She looked up to the sky, her beautiful face twisting cruelly. "By the goddesses above, I curse you and your Kings of Kings to the elements from which you came. I curse you and everyone that comes after this life as cursed creatures in bondage to the realm of the Underworld, never to be undone until amends have been made."

  "Please, Akasha, your spells and incantations do not work on me. I am the Fire King, king of the Royal Elementi Conclave, keeper of the elements. You and your people bow to me." He laughed coldly before flicking his hand, sailing bursts of flames through the village, burning everything in sight. "Such a pity," he spat before storming away.

  She looked around with despair as everything he touched burned with such furiousness that it was hard for even me to watch. Akasha’s body rocked with despair as tears streamed down her face. She screamed at the top of her lungs like a wounded animal, and in response, the ground shook as if an earthquake rocked it.

  "There is nothing left. Not of my people, not of my soul, I am truly empty." With a loud sob, she ran away from the village.

  I looked at Kassandra and Echo angrily. "This is so not right. Why have you brought me here?"

  "It is not done, Akasha reincarnated. Follow us," they said in unison, then abruptly turned on their heels and walked away.

  A chill ran down my spine. Something was not right. I could feel it in my bones. Part of the story between the Fire King and Akasha was blatantly missing, and I was only seeing a snippet. Reluctantly, I followed them, finding them looking at Akasha with great interest. Something about their interest irked me. Why were they so interested in a story that had nothing to do with them and everything to do with me?

  I stood by them quietly and watched as Akasha stood at the tip of the mountaintop, looking toward the sky with heartbroken eyes. Her long midnight black hair cascaded down her back like a beautiful cloak. She raised her arms in the air. "Goddesses, why have you allowed this? I stood by you faithfully as the Kings of Elements taught our women forbidden magic, spells, and incantations, and our men the art of warfare."

  A painful sob escaped her lips. "I stayed loyal to you when these teachings sent my people into a state of destruction, causing war between us. I stood by as they greedily lusted after the daughters of our leaders, taking them as wives against their will."

  She balled her hands into fists, shaking them violently. "I even stood by while the Fire King demanded me as his wife and, when I refused, cursed my father and people with sickness, then death. Why have you not answered my pleas for help? Do you not love me, your creation?"

  A faceless woman’s voice pierced the stillness of the sky. "Your faithfulness has not gone unnoticed, spirit daughter."

  I gasped as the star-studded sky parted as if a curtain had been pulled aside. A beautiful woman with long white hair floated down from the sky, appearing before Akasha. She smiled lovingly; her violet almond-shaped eyes sparkled with joy as she softly touched Akasha’s cheek. It was Goddess Ananke.

  Her voice tinkled, dotting the air musically. "Akasha, our daughter, never question our love for you. It is just not in our will to meddle in the business of Normals or go against the Elementi."

  She pulled Akasha away from the tip of the mountain, walking calmly across the snow-covered bluff.

  Tears tinted in gold flowed down Akasha’s cheeks. "But I am not just a Normal; I am more. I am born from the stars and sky that you have created. You have gifted me with the powers of the goddesses. And I look to you when everything that I am has crumbled." She stopped, looking at Goddess Ananke with desperation in her eyes. "What use are my powers if they could not save me or my people from him?"

  The woman sighed softly, "Was the problem truly that you could not, or is it that you would not save yourself and your people?"

  Akasha gasped with shock, in her eyes hurt.

  "Look within yourself, spirit daughter. Ponder the choices that you have made and not made, and then you will discover how you can save yourself and your people."

  Akasha spoke softly. "But how can I undo what has been done?"

  The Goddess smiled wistfully. "Because we love you so, our gift to you is redemption—for you and your people." She touched a finger to her forehead, pulling away a shimmering golden string of light that clung to it caressingly. She touched her finger to Akasha’s forehead and attached the string of light to it. "We fill you with the element of spirit, killing your mere shell of a body, sending your soul to ascend into immortality in wait to be reborn."

  She tugged the string of light, causing it to disappear. "It is done. Remember this gift in this life and the next."

  Akasha’s body swayed. I could feel her soul leaving her body, lifting with light airiness.

  Ananke leaned down and picked up a handful of snow. "We bind the kings to their elements—air, earth, fire, and water—in punishment for their unspeakable deeds against the universe, only to be released if your spirit is never reborn or is killed by the darkness." She blew the snow away. It floated away slowly, hovering, then completely disappearing. "Your fates are now tied, the kings to you and you to the kings."

  "I thank you, Goddess, for the gift of rebirth. In the next life, I will not disappoint you." Akasha fell to the ground with a soft thud, her eyes shutting softly, her last breath escaping from her heart-shaped lips.

  As her soul ascended from her shell of a body, I felt her joy, her happiness, and yes, sadness.

  Kassandra and Echo looked at me silently. "This is what you must understand. Keep it close to your heart, Akasha reincarnated, for if you do not learn from it, you are doomed to repeat it." Echo’s voice was soft, almost pleading.

  Something about them was softer, kinder, but I was still suspicious. "Why are you showing me this?"

  Kassandra’s eyes narrowed coldly. "Because we have been here since the beginning of time as the keepers of all history. And even though we would love to see the Eternals and Elementi eat dust for their arrogance, this would only result in the destruction of a world which we happen to love.
"

  I shook my head with disgust. There it was, rudeness back in full effect. I knew it was too good to be true.

  Echo looked at Kassandra admonishingly. "What my sister is trying to say is that we must do our part in reminding the Elementi and Eternals of their torrid past. And if they conveniently choose to forget it, they are tragically doomed to repeat it. The winds are changing in your world, and not for the better. We had to show you the way because you are the only one that can save them."

  Kassandra mumbled some ancient-sounding words softly as she traced in the air with the tip of her sword. A shimmering oval shape appeared. On the other side, I could clearly see the classroom, with students peering through with fascination.

  Kassandra rolled her eyes with annoyance as she casually walked behind me. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Okay, so now that this stupid ‘I love Akasha’ show is over, good-bye, Akasha reincarnated."

  She promptly shoved me hard, practically tossing me through the portal with a hard thud.

  chapter

  NINETEEN

  I rushed out of Defensive Magic and across the courtyard. I didn’t want to be late for my first training session with Veda. I was already really anxious about Veda’s expectations and whether she would even like me, which for some reason was very important to me right about now. Veda had left word that we should meet in the Themis Sanctuary, which Brooklyn described sarcastically as meditation city.

  I ran through the castle and down a very dark, narrow hall, skirting anxiously to stop at the bottom of a steep set of stairs. Hesitating, I looked up at the large, imposing white marble statue of Themis placed at the top of the stairs, the base of which was decorated in reliefs sculpted in the stone.

  Putting on my "I can do this" face, I climbed the stairs, staring at the walls that surrounded the magnificent gold door with intricate filigree work. As if they were compelling me to touch them, I ran my fingers across the walls sculptured in reliefs, extending over the total length of them, each relief depicting some epic battle. My fingers tingled as energy of the reliefs flowed into me. I smelled the fear, the blood of the people depicted; I also felt their sadness, their fear. My body quaked as the walls rumbled with power, causing me to jump back with shock. It felt so real, like the walls warned of the folly of war.

  Wiping the sweat that now trickled down my face, I stepped back, hovering anxiously before pulling open the massive gold doors and peering into the darkness of the main hall. There was a multilevel altar centered on the wall across from the door, with a statue of Themis standing in the center of the top level. On the lower levels were candles and incense burning, a huge ornate glass jar filled with rich, dark soil, and another huge ornate glass jar filled with water. The walls were painted with various depictions of the Eternals’ life.

  My body froze as I teetered between running the other way and stepping into the unknown. It wasn’t that the main hall was scary, but it just had a weird vibe thing going on that made me feel that, with just one step in, life as I knew it would completely disappear. And this was something, quite frankly, I wasn’t sure that I was prepared for.

  I heard her warm laughter before her voice, low and husky. "The items on the altar represent the four elements, the candles, fire; the incense, air; the jar of soil, earth; and a water jar, water."

  My eyes narrowed on the altar. I now understood the significance.

  "Gabrielle, come in already."

  I felt plain silly just standing there like a scared rabbit fighting the urge to run. I walked further into the hall, my eyes finally adjusting to the darkness, the air cool, and the light scent of exotic sandalwood incense permeating the air. My senses reeled when I took in the sheer magnitude of the area. Huge, snarly trees towered. From their limbs hung tons of bright red leaves. The ground was covered in dewy bright green grass, dotted here and there with leaves that had fallen.

  I gasped with wonder. It was a secret garden encapsulated within the room. A red bridge nestled in the center of the garden, stretching over a sea green lake. I knew that over that bridge, Veda was waiting patiently. I walked across it, looking down at the huge fish that swam tranquilly beneath the water’s surface. At the end of the bridge, I felt strangely free, almost giddy; I pulled my boots and socks off, letting my toes dig into the soft grass.

  And there she was, sitting on the grass, cross-legged and facing a large, cascading waterfall. She was dressed in all black, yoga pants and a racerback top that revealed inky marks that covered the entire left side of her neck, down her shoulder blade, and wrapping around her entire arm. I just stood still, not knowing whether to walk in or wait to be acknowledged.

  "Come, sit beside me," Veda beckoned softly. Her eyes were softly closed, her palms lying open, faceup, on her knees.

  I quickly walked over and sat down next to her, mimicking her by crossing my legs and placing my palms faceup on my knees. I looked at her with wide, questioning eyes.

  "Why are your eyes open, Gabrielle? Close your eyes and relax," she murmured softly.

  I closed my eyes, impatiently sitting, my mind racing to all of the things that I had to do today, especially my dreaded training session later on with Chaos. I shifted with agitation.

  Veda sighed loudly. "Gabrielle, clear your mind. I can hear your thoughts, and believe me, your training session with Chaos is not important right now. Just settle down and meditate."

  She could hear my thoughts?

  "Yes, I can hear your thoughts. Quiet down." She looked over at me, her hazel eyes twinkling mischievously. "Straighten your back, pull in your stomach, head straight, and just listen to the water falling. That’s all. Just listen, okay?" she urged with a soft, hypnotic tone.

  I breathed out quickly, but I really didn’t get what we were doing and why. I guess she didn’t know that my patience was…well, frankly, I had no patience. And my attention span was even worse.

  Veda laughed loudly. "Don’t worry, we’ll work on your patience and attention span."

  I gasped; she was really freaking me out now.

  "Meditation, that’s what we’re trying to do. Meditation is the only way to be one with the universe and Gaia. But you have to relax your body, release all thoughts, breathe in deeply, and just listen," Veda answered softly.

  Reluctantly, I followed her instructions. At first my mind resisted, thoughts of everything and anything flooding in. I sighed. This was not working. I was one step closer to totally giving up when I felt a warm sensation at the base of my spine that crept up to the back of my neck. Then suddenly, a floodgate of sensations flooded through my head, and it was as if I could hear each individual drop of water hitting the stones at the bottom of the waterfall. I inhaled deeper, my mind relaxing as it followed the hypnotic drops. And then it happened, first low, then louder. I could actually hear Veda’s thoughts as our minds connected. My mind wheeled back, frightened of this weird connection.

  "That’s it, Gabrielle, relax. There is nothing to be afraid of. Through meditation, you can control and expand your gift. Breathe. Concentrate. Allow yourself to open to everything around you."

  And that’s exactly what I did. I could hear the birds chirping, the fish flopping and frolicking, the leaves softly hitting the grass. It was simply amazing.

  I could sense Veda shifting. Then I felt the soft pull of energy disconnecting from my mind, like a plug being disconnected from a socket.

  "That was very good for your first lesson, Gabrielle; you can open your eyes now."

  My eyes snapped open to find her looking at me proudly. Energized like I had drunk ten energy drinks, I shifted to face her.

  "How is that possible? I could hear your thoughts. I could hear things that, frankly, I shouldn’t be able to. And now I feel energy like I have never felt before."

  She stretched her arms overhead delicately, but never broke eye contact. "Because you are truly gifted. You just did something that took me years to master. The connection to me through your gifts, that’s a two-way connection."

&
nbsp; "Two-way connection?"

  "When done correctly, it’s like a turbocharged version of a telepathic connection. It’s the ability to communicate our thoughts and feelings through the use of our gifts. What makes it turbocharged is that we can also share our gifts and powers through this connection. Hence, the energy burst that you’re feeling now, I gave you just a taste of my powers through our connection. The truth is that I can count on one hand the number of Eternals with the gift of two-way connection, and you and I are included in that count."

  My mind reeled. Something about the last part, about the sharing of gifts and powers, needled me. It felt totally wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on why.

  "But I’ve never been able to hear another person’s thoughts. Believe me, if I could, it would have gotten me out of a lot of trouble," I responded ironically, wondering if my gift could be used to read Chaos’s thoughts. I laughed with glee. I bet they would be very interesting.

  Veda chuckled huskily. "The answer to that question is a big, fat no, Gabrielle. You can’t use your gifts to read Chaos’s thoughts. That’s strictly against the rules."

  I looked at her guiltily.

  "I kind of get the sharing of thoughts and feelings part, but something about the sharing of the gifts and powers thing seems off. Besides, it would suck something awful to have some random person reading my private thoughts and feelings or, even worse, stealing my powers. So, how do you turn this connection thing off?"

  Veda’s eyes lit up with wonder, "You are truly the Akasha. Your enlightenment is so far ahead for your age."

  I looked at her, shocked. "Umm, thanks, I guess, but I don’t feel like I understand anything, really." I fumbled with my thoughts, because it was true. I didn’t understand most of what was happening to me, and that made me feel woefully inept.

  She looked at me patiently. "You are way too hard on yourself. This"—she waved her hands toward the garden—"is not an open-book test; it’s all learned by going through the journey. There is nothing that I or your professors can teach you that can prepare you for the reality of this world. It’s all trial by fire, Gabrielle." She grabbed my face softly. "Question everything and everyone to find out their true motive, and dig further if your mind prods you when something rings false. These are the things within your control."