He shot her an anxious glance.
Pausing, she looked up with a grim smile. “Don’t worry. It’s not the nausea that warns me when we’re about to be attacked. It’s just nerves.” She glanced out the window. “Where are we headed?”
“We need someplace we can hide and where I can have water to practice and you have some barren ground so you won’t catch the countryside on fire.”
Her mouth pinched into a scowl.
“I’m thinking the West Coast. Maybe Oregon.”
“The ocean?”
“Got a better idea?”
“No…” She bit her lower lip, looking out the side window. “I’ve never seen the ocean.”
“Really?”
“My mother didn’t have much money for vacations. She usually drank away most of her paychecks and gave away the rest to her parade of men.”
Will resisted the urge to offer comfort. It would piss her off if she thought he pitied her because of her past. “Then the coast it is.”
She was silent for several seconds. “Jake once told me I’d see the ocean. Without him.” Her voice broke. “Since that one prediction hadn’t come true I used to think that maybe, just maybe, we could change things. Now…”
Will cringed then slipped his fingers through hers. “We’re going to figure a way out of this. You look at the book first and then I will and we’ll keep reading it until we find something.”
She nodded and turned her attention to the pages.
They rode in silence and the last few days filled his head. Will knew he should be more surprised at his true parentage, yet it was as though he’d always known that the Colonel wasn’t his father. The Colonel had hated him, no matter how hard Will tried to please him. Now his mother’s decision to stay in Morgantown made sense. She’d tried to protect him. Had she loved Marcus? Her reaction when she gave him the ring insinuated that she did, but was it like Emma’s mother, Brandy? Had the relationship been one-sided or was it reciprocated? Did it even matter?
Marcus had helped manipulate it all. Insisting that Aiden create a new daughter. Creating a son to compete.
Aiden had known all along that Marcus was Will’s father, which was why he wanted to keep Will away from Emma. Will had thought that understanding why Aiden had done what he’d done would make it more palatable, but he’d been wrong. The manipulation from all sides made him angrier.
Marcus confessed that neither he nor Aiden expected them to fall in love. In the end, it didn’t matter what Aiden or Marcus wanted. Will and Emma belonged to each other. Forever. Not because some egotistical elementals deemed it so, but because Will and Emma chose it.
Will still wondered if joining had been the right choice, more for her sake than his. He had no doubt whatsoever that he wanted to spend eternity with her. He’d known it since Colorado when he worried she would die from her gunshot wound. But would Emma end up regretting her choice? Would she resent him?
Would they even live long enough to care?
Chapter Four
Jake sat next to the fountain. The singed shrubbery emitted a burnt smell that made him want to throw up his breakfast. He was supposed to be practicing, but he didn’t see the point. He wasn’t angry now. He was only sad.
The more he thought about last night, the more he realized that his anger had produced the fire and storms. He’d been angry last night. He’d been angry the day Alex’s men had taken him from Mommy. But the night he’d branded Will by the fire, he hadn’t been angry. It was like the power was simply part of him. As natural as the heart that beat in his chest. So why wasn’t it here with him now?
The night Jake had gotten his power, he’d been near a fire.
Jake’s eyes clouded and his heart skipped a beat in surprise. Was this a vision? He hadn’t had a vision in weeks. Not since Aiden had shown up.
Everything around Jake faded as he fell into the vision. He stood outside in the dark, choking on smoke that hung in the air. Will knelt on the ground while Jake’s mother stood several feet in front of him, her face blackened. Aiden shouted something and then the air was filled with fire, the heat surrounding Jake’s body but not burning him.
Power rushed around him in a vortex and he felt his own energy sucked from him. He fell to his knees.
“Mommy!” he screamed.
The fire increased, followed by a rush of water. And then it was gone, replaced by a terrifying nothingness. As sure as Jake knew his mother loved him, he knew that one of the three of them was dead.
The vision faded and Jake fell to his hands and knees, the tiny pieces of gravel next to the fountain digging into his palms.
One of them would die.
No.
Panic flooded his head as he gulped several deep breaths, choking back a sob. He had to stop it. He had to save them, but as soon as the thought entered his head, he knew it was useless.
He’d never changed a vision. Ever.
Sitting back on his heels, he wrapped his arms around his chest as though he could hold his fear inside if he squeezed tight enough.
One of them would die.
Thunder rattled over his head. One of them would die, but he didn’t know which one. Did that mean he could decide who? As much as he hated to admit it, that was an easy choice, even if it filled him with guilt.
Voices floated across the lawn and Jake recognized one as Aiden, but not the other. It was a man, and he was upset.
Jake turned to listen. No one but the staff came to Aiden’s house and none would ever dare raise their voice to him. This voice had to belong to a stranger. Jake was curious.
The voices came from the other side of the hedges, surrounding Aiden’s private patio. Jake hesitated. If Aiden caught Jake eavesdropping, there was no telling what cruel punishment Aiden would give him. Turning his back, he decided to head to the house.
“I have information about Will,” the stranger said.
Jake stopped, torn. If he was going to make sure Mommy lived, the more he knew about Will, the better chance he had of saving her.
Still, Jake hesitated. Aiden could sense his thoughts, and would know he was there. But Jake had hidden himself in the closet the night before and Aiden had found him by accident, not because he could read his mind.
Could Jake hide from him again? Last night had been an experiment and he’d been more angry than scared, like he was now. It might not work. If they were talking about Will, Jake was willing to risk punishment to hear what they said. Focusing inward, Jake covered all of his thoughts with a blanket of power, hoping it would work.
He crept to the bushes and crouched, peeking through the branches. Aiden sat in a chair, his legs crossed. His face was pulled into his bored look, the one he wore when he was irritated and about to let his anger out on someone. Most people wouldn’t have noticed, but Jake had spent hours trying to read Aiden’s face, trying to make him happy. Something had made Aiden unhappy.
And it had to be the man sitting across from him.
The man was about Mommy’s age with dark curly hair and dark skin. He wore nice clothes, and he didn’t look scared of Aiden.
“You’re lucky I haven’t killed you yet, Raphael. I told you to never come here.”
“Oh, you’ll want to hear what I have to say, Aiden. For once, something hasn’t gone according to your plan. Someone else is making the rules.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Will.”
Jake sucked in his breath.
“You’ve already mentioned you had information about Will, but I don’t know what you could possibly have. He’s history. Gone.”
Raphael laughed, but it sounded ugly.
Aiden’s fist clenched slightly. Not enough for Raphael to notice.
Raphael cocked an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth rose. “Are you so sure about that?”
“Yes.” Aiden’s hand curled over the edge of the armrest. “I convinced Emma she had to give him up for good or I’d kill him.”
&nb
sp; “And you’re sure that happened?”
Aiden sighed with an impatient air. “My men assured me that Emma showed up to tell him goodbye. She knows I’ll kill him if she doesn’t.”
“Will thinks that you can’t kill him.”
Anger flickered in Aiden’s eyes before he blinked it away. “And how would you know what Will thinks?”
“Will and I have had several encounters. One of particular interest was in a warehouse about a week ago.”
“What Will thinks is irrelevant.”
“Is it? What if he convinced Emma otherwise?”
“He couldn’t do that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Enough!” Aiden’s voice filled the air. “You’re talking in circles. You think you have information that I don’t. Tell me what it is before I strike you dead where you sit.”
“Emma told Will goodbye.”
Aiden groaned and pushed himself from the chair. “Why the hell are we having this conversation? I know this already.”
“But then Marcus intervened.”
The color washed from Aiden’s face and he sat down, his hands gripping the chair arms.
“That was my reaction too.”
Clearing his throat, Aiden lifted his chin. “How do you know this? Last I heard, you were ripping Albuquerque apart.”
“True. Emma’s a stubborn girl.”
A wicked smile lifted the corners of Aiden’s mouth. “She is my daughter.”
“Maybe more so than you’d like. She defied you, Aiden. Emma is with Will at this very moment.”
Jake sat back on his heels. Mommy found Will. Jake knew that he should be happy for her. Will loved her and his job was to protect her. But jealousy burned in his chest. It wasn’t fair. He was supposed to be with Emma, not Will. Emma was supposed to want him.
Red flashed in Aiden’s eyes. “You’re lying, Raphael. You’ll say anything to try to gain the upper hand.”
“You don’t believe me? Go find out for yourself. Last I knew, they headed to northern New Mexico.”
“Why would she do this? She knows I’ll kill him.”
“So why haven’t you? Why the games, Aiden? You should have killed him weeks ago. This doesn’t make sense, even for you.”
“What I do or don’t do is my own business, Raphael. You are out of line.”
“I wonder if Will might be right. Maybe you can’t kill him. What if Emma figured that out, eliminating your threat and leaving her free to be with him?”
Aiden stood, his anger sending shockwaves into the air around him. The leaves on the bushes rattled from the vibrations. “Get the hell out of my house before I finish you now.”
“Emma figured out who Will really is.”
Aiden released a primal growl and the bushes burst into flames.
Jake’s shirt singed from the heat and he jumped backward.
“Will is no one. Will is inconsequential.”
“Will is Marcus’s son. See, Aiden? You don’t know everything.” Raphael grinned, hatred in his eyes.
Aiden flung his arm and Raphael flew backward and through the smoking shrubs, landing on his back. Aiden stomped over to him and placed a foot on Raphael’s chest. “I knew Marcus sired a child before you were even born this cycle, Raphael. Don’t you dare presume to think you know what I know and don’t know.”
The ground shook and Raphael jumped to his feet, making Aiden stumble backward. “You dare to tell me that you knew that Will was the son of Water?”
“Yes, you fucking imbecile! Of course, I knew. That was part of the end game. Marcus asked to insert his son into the mix so we could end this once and for all.”
Raphael shook his head, then grinned. “I suspect you don’t know this little fact: Will and Emma joined last night.”
Aiden’s mouth dropped open. “You’re lying.”
“If you don’t believe me, ask Marcus. He witnessed it as well.”
Aiden lifted a shaking hand to his mouth. “He did it. Marcus actually did it.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means Marcus succeeded in changing the game. He’s orchestrated this for centuries.”
Raphael erupted into laughter.
Aiden’s face reddened and his hand fell to his side. “What the hell is so funny, Raphael? Your chance for survival just dropped from slim to none.”
Raphael pointed to Aiden, still laughing. “You. I’ve never seen someone best you, Aiden, and I’ve never seen that priceless look of pure shock on your face. It almost makes my end bearable.” He stopped laughing and his eyes narrowed. “Almost.”
“This changes everything. The Vinco Potentia was supposed to kill him. Emma was supposed to send him away.” Aiden turned to Raphael. “She swore to me that she would leave him. Her promise was the one surety I could count on.”
“She did leave him. When I found her, she was alone. Will showed up after I’d pushed her car over a cliff and, despite her situation, she kept insisting he leave.”
“She couldn’t have tried very hard if he found her.”
“Marcus brought him.”
Aiden scowled. “You pushed Emma over a cliff?”
Raphael shrugged. “She refused to hand over the book.”
“Forget the gods-damned book.” Aiden growled. “The book is a distraction.”
“The book holds answers to what’s unfolding now, and I need those pieces to fill in the blanks. But then again, maybe you don’t know what’s going on yourself anymore, Aiden. Maybe you need the book too.”
Aiden’s mouth pinched tight.
“Alex and I never stood a chance, did we?”
“You always stood a chance. You had millenniums of chances.”
“I’m not slinking off into the shadows, Aiden. I’m going to fight to the end.”
Aiden shrugged. “You can try.”
“So why did you create a new Emmanuella?” Raphael’s voice caught on her name. He cleared his voice. “After centuries and centuries, why replace her?”
Aiden began to pace. “Marcus. He demanded it.”
“Since when did you give into anyone’s demands, let alone Marcus’s?”
“He offered me the one thing I’d coveted since the beginning as a prize. His power.”
Raphael shook his head. “Why would he do that?”
“To end the game. To restore order to the world, he said.”
“And you believed him?”
“Of course not. But his offer intrigued me, as did his terms. I agreed to let his son enter this final round, but in return Marcus requested that I create a new daughter.”
“So when you figured out Will was Marcus’s son, why didn’t you just kill him?”
“Years ago, Marcus killed Emmanuella when she was a small child, before any of you were aware of who you were. He told me that he would kill her every cycle unless I agreed to let him enter his own son at some point. We vowed then that we wouldn’t kill each other’s children. I can’t break that vow.”
“Which is why you couldn’t end Will.”
“I figured Marcus’s son would appear the next cycle, but several centuries went by and nothing. It may have seemed that Marcus forgot, but I knew better. Marcus was plotting.”
“What does he want, Aiden?”
“What we all want. Not just to survive, but to rule with more power. Marcus has been outcast for a very long time. He wants back what he thinks is his.”
“With his son.”
“You’re sure Emma and Will joined?”
“I’m surprised you missed the light show. You’ve lost your upper hand, Aiden.”
“Emmanuella is still my daughter.”
“Who bears no love for you, only hatred. She loves Will, and will do anything for him. Perhaps she’ll be fonder of her new father-in-law than her own daddy.”
Aiden’s stare landed on Jake.
Jake froze, having forgotten that he was no longer hidden.
“I have someone she loves more tha
n Will. She will fall in line.”
Raphael’s gaze moved to Jake and he walked toward him, stopping several feet in front of Jake with his hands on his hips. “So this is Jake.”
Jake lifted his chin in defiance, electricity sizzling on his skin. “You tried to kill my mother.”
Raphael’s eyes widened and he chuckled. “Only by accident.”
“I’ll kill you on purpose.” Jake glared, raising his hand.
Raphael laughed until Jake sent a ball of fire toward him. Raphael ducked in time to avoid contact.
“Enough, Jacob.” Aiden’s voice boomed. “There will be a time for that, but not today.”
“Feisty little guy, isn’t he?” Raphael asked.
“That was a very minor demonstration of what he’s capable of. Do not underestimate him.”
Raphael cocked his head, studying Jake. “He resembles Alex.”
“In looks only. His disposition is more like his mother’s.”
Raphael’s eyes narrowed as a smile lifted his mouth. Jake didn’t trust him.
“So why are you really here, Raphael? Surely, there’s more than your need to gloat.”
“I’ve come to make you an offer.”
Cocking an eyebrow, Aiden looked amused. “And what could you possibly have that I want?”
“Information. You’ve shut yourself up here with Emma’s son and I’m out in the world seeing things.”
Aiden watched Raphael for a moment. “Go on.”
“I can track down the two of them to see what they’re up to so you won’t find any surprises when they show up for the final confrontation.”
“And what’s in it for you?”
“You and I unite our power.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “I have men to keep track of Emma. They report what they find.”
“But they didn’t tell you about Will or their joining.”
“They would have.”
“Would they know what they saw? Would they understand that Will and Emma’s joining has tipped the balance for all of us?”
“Their joining means nothing.”
“How can you say that, Aiden? Their joining means everything.”
Redemption (The Chosen #4) Page 4