I scrambled over to Marge the next instant, but the state of her body was horrendous. Parts of her were so scorched that her skin was completely gone and even her bones were burnt and blackened. She shook all over from pain and shock, and I knew her body had to have been shutting down. She’d helped save Cade from a fireball to the chest, but there was nothing I could do to help save her. All I could do was numb the pain.
More tears rolled down my cheeks as I held my hands above her broken body.
Away, I calmly ordered the Fire.
As it fled and the burning subsided, a calming peace washed over her face. She smiled and sighed almost contentedly, but she never took another breath after that.
“I’m so sorry, Val,” Jay said, shaking his head. “I…I tried to get there in time.”
I touched his forearm and forced a small smile. “I know you did.”
If I’d thought for even a moment the devastation would end there, I’d have been dead fucking wrong. If I’d thought, for just one fleeting second, I’d get a break from the pain of losing someone I loved, I’d have been wrong a-fucking-gain.
I’d no more than turned around when I saw my father with a giant root jutting through his chest.
This can’t possibly be real…
Flashbacks to Delaney’s death assailed my mind. Nicholai had glued everyone to the ground that day and slowly ran her through with a root—just like now. Henrie had broken both legs trying to get to her and save her life, but it was no use.
While my mind was busy rifling through memories, it apparently saw fit to remind me of another moment in time. The image of Alana’s face filled my mind, and our conversation from the afterlife echoed around in my brain.
No one’s life, not even my own, is worth thousands of others, I’d said, or something like that. To which she’d replied, Remember that, Valerie. If you do, you just might succeed where your mother and I failed.
Suddenly, the weird memory trip ended, and I was thrust back into reality once more. I almost wished I hadn’t been, though, considering Dad was still pierced by that gnarled plant. Nicholai’s root had lifted him a foot or two off the ground, and he hung limp as blood trickled from his mouth onto the jagged soil.
My chin quivered, and for the hundredth time in less than an hour, I was crying uncontrollably. My dad was my lifeline, the only parent I’d had growing up, both when I’d thought my mom was dead and when I’d thought she’d simply abandoned us. He had supported me in everything I did, respected me, and loved me unconditionally. He’d taught me the meaning of hard work and respect, and he’d taught me how to adapt and cope with life. Just like my mom, Henrie, and Marge, he was now gone.
“Surge Protector!” I demanded as I marched ever closer to Nicholai, a look of pure and deadly hatred blazing in my eyes.
But I was met with shaking heads and shrugging shoulders.
“They’re all gone,” Sienna said solemnly.
I blew past her. “What do you mean they’re all gone?”
“I mean they’re fucking gone. Used. Shattered. Spent.”
I stared Nicholai right in his cocky-ass face but replied to Sienna. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to kill him no matter what.”
Nicholai threw his head back and laughed. Arrogant little shit.
He didn’t know I now had my mother’s power on top of my own, didn’t know my elements had no doubt mutated in some badass, mind-blowing way. Even I didn’t know what the change would be, exactly, but buddy, we were about to find out.
I lifted my hand, but Exis rested her own on my forearm, making me pause.
“If you alone kill him, his energy will destroy you. You already have so much power your body can barely handle it. I can see it shining beneath your pores. You’re glowing.”
I looked down, mildly surprised to find she was right. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. She didn’t appear to be bluffing, nor did she necessarily seem to be stopping me. She was merely informing me of my inevitable fate if I continued down this path.
No one’s life is worth thousands of others, not even my own…
The thought echoed once more in my mind.
That’s how I’ll succeed where my mother and grandmother failed, I realized with sudden clarity. I’d already lost most of the people I cared about; now it was time to sacrifice myself.
I nodded to Exis, and she removed her hand. Then I tipped my head slightly in the direction of her weapon, hoping she’d understand. “So be it.”
Thankfully, she did not fail me. As soon as I spoke the words, she shot a net at Nicholai faster than he could shut the fucking hole in his face. As he stumbled and fell over backward, I jumped on him in an instant, pinning him down into the very dirt he could no longer control.
I grabbed a dagger from my belt and held the blade up high.
“This is for my mother!” I screamed, stabbing him once in the chest. “And for my father!” I stabbed him again. “And my aunt!” I stabbed him a third time.
“Valerie, wait!” Elise called from out of nowhere.
She stood at the end of a small line consisting of Lilly, Chase—and Cade! He was walking carefully between the three of them, arms on their shoulders for support. When his emerald gaze locked onto mine, my very soul lit up.
“We’re a team,” he reminded me in a raspy voice.
God, it was beautiful to even hear it at all.
“And we’re going to end this together.” He looked around at the rest of the demigods. “All of us.”
Suddenly I realized what he was doing. He was saving my life.
Taking all of Nicholai’s power into myself would be suicide, but taking in just an eighth of it? That might be manageable.
Nicholai’s eyes were wide and terrified, and his chest was gushing blood. I didn’t think he’d ever thought his time would run out, but every season comes to an end—even his.
“Don’t worry,” Cade told him as he grasped the hilt of a dagger. “Maksim will forgive you.”
Nicholai’s Adam’s apple bobbed sharply as he swallowed. Sweat beads bubbled along his brow. “How do you know?”
Cade’s smile was warm and genuine, not the sort of look I’d give someone who’d just freaking beat and tortured me…
“Because I’ve seen the afterlife,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “Just trust me on this.”
To my sheer and utter astonishment, Nicholai nodded curtly and closed his eyes.
“All right, all together,” Cade said, directing us once everyone had a knife in hand. “One, two, three!”
The eight of us reared back and stabbed Nicholai as one.
His power exploded in violent, vibrant rays of color, surging through us until every inch of our bodies lit up with electricity and our hair stood on end. The power transfer was excruciating and seemed to last for hours, though I was pretty sure it was only a few seconds.
By the time it was done, we were all exhausted and so full of energy that we were bursting at the seams. Our eyes glowed bright white, as did our fingernails and veins. Light shot from our mouths when we opened them to speak, and cracks of brightness shined through our skin when we turned our heads a certain way or bent our elbows and knees.
Exis stared silently at the destruction all around, and then eventually, she stared at us. Even now, after all that had happened, she looked calm, composed, and graceful as ever. She reluctantly shook her head.
“The balance is still not restored.”
She was referring to us; she had to have been. We were the only ones left, and our newfound powers were painfully obvious. She couldn’t kill us, not with a whole army of Sect soldiers, and certainly not by herself, but her one and only goal in life was to preserve the balance of power, so she was clearly at an impasse.
I realized then what Elise had realized years ago: Exis was not inherently evil, nor was she inherently good. The balance was all she cared about, and if I was being completely honest, after everything I’d learned and experienced, I was pr
etty sure I understood where she was coming from.
I took a deep breath and nodded. “If you agree to work with the humans”—God, my voice sounds strange…deeper, louder, commanding—“creating a world where they can peacefully coexist with the remaining Elementals, the eight of us will leave this realm for good. The gods will allow us to live in Euphoria with them, I’m sure of it. Will that solve the problem?”
She nodded. “It would, yes, and I will gladly work with the humans to restore the balance. You have my word.”
I turned to my fellow demigods. “I guess now’s the time to say our goodbyes.”
They all took turns crying and hugging Kale and Jay, leaving me for last.
I pulled Kale into a hug. “Where did the Revolutionists hide Kendrick?”
“In one of Elise’s safe houses in the woods.”
I exhaled a nervous breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. “Good. Can I ask you for an incredibly huge favor?”
Kale released me from our hug and grinned knowingly. “You want me to take care of your brother once you’re gone.”
God, hearing those words was painful.
I nodded in response, because I didn’t know if I could speak.
I was sort of hoping it might be beneficial for Kale, too. He’d lost his twin, so maybe it would be therapeutic for him to have another chance at being a brother.
Kale simply smiled and nodded back. “Don’t worry, Val. I’ll take good care of the little guy.”
I hugged him again. “Thank you, so much, for…everything.”
Then I turned to Jay.
He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed so tightly it hurt, but I welcomed his strength. After all that had happened, I definitely needed my best guy friend to help hold me together.
“I don’t want you to go,” he whispered, sounding sad and almost scared. “I have nothing and no one without you guys. How am I supposed to find my inner light all alone?”
I couldn’t take many more gut-wrenching moments like these. I’d already lost so many people; I didn’t want to lose him, too.
I squeezed him even tighter. “We have to go, Jay. We’re too powerful for this realm. But, if I have anything to say about it, you’re coming with us.”
I pulled back and watched as his blue eyes open wide. I didn’t know if he was grateful or uncertain, but he slowly ran a hand through his fauxhawk and nodded.
“Thank you.”
Cade came over and took my hand, bringing it up to his lips. “We’re ready when you are, baby girl.”
I smiled and raised the knife in my hand. It was still dripping with Nicholai’s blood, but I didn’t give a damn. I had a feeling I wouldn’t need a sacrifice or a spell this time.
I pulled down on the hilt, and it was like catching the blade on silk. The barrier between the realms tore effortlessly, exposing the perfect beauty of Euphoria beyond. Lush, floating islands drifted by on an invisible breeze, and misty waterfalls dropped off the edges into blissful eternity.
We all held hands, and the strangest feeling overcame me as I stepped through. I smiled, savoring the sensation as it filled me with peace and certainty.
I had finally found where I belonged.
Epilogue
Cade and I lay on our backs, staring up at the endless sky as pure white clouds drifted past. Our fingers and souls were laced together, and peace flowed through every vein in my body.
The sounds of our friends laughing and playing in the fields and bodies of water nearby tickled my ears like a melody. They splashed and tossed balls back and forth without a care in the world.
I’d convinced the gods to let Jay stay, and best of all, I’d convinced them to include Charlene. I figured if they could bring Chase back from the dead, surely they could bring Charlene back, too. Seeing the two of them reunited in Euphoria was absolutely perfect.
Life was perfect.
“There you are, my little champions!” Ida called, cresting the top of a nearby hill in her glittering red gown. The other gods were right behind her, smiling proudly as they strolled over to us. “We have some exciting news for you.”
I quirked a brow. “News?”
My voice was back to normal here, and there was no more glow. It seemed Euphoria was better equipped to contain the power of the gods than the human realm was.
Nik smirked. “Remember that game I lost to the Norse gods?”
I smirked right back. “Yes, I do. As I recall, you were going to use your champion’s winnings to pay them back. How’s that going for you?”
He wasn’t even bothered by my playful jab. “Really well, actually. Since you all tied, technically no one lost. I did a favor for Ida, and she paid them off on my behalf, no problem.”
My gaze narrowed slightly. “A favor?”
What sort of favor would be valuable enough to cover a countless number of jewels and coins lost in a game of gambling?
Ida smiled brightly. “The favor was simply Nik’s cooperation. You see, my friends at Mount Olympus have started a new school, The Academy of the Gods, and they asked if we’d be willing to teach a few classes. They also asked if our demigods would like to attend.”
I glanced from Ida to Nik and the rest of the deities. Then I moved my gaze over to the stunned faces of my friends, who’d all gathered around to hear the news.
“We’re going to have to attend school…again?” I asked in complete shock with only a hint of frustration. “And you guys are going to be our…teachers?”
Damn it, we’d only just gotten out of high school. After saving the entire human realm, I assumed we’d get to bask in blissful nothingness for the rest of eternity. Now we’d have to study, do homework, and take tests? I mean, come on!
“Oh, you’ve never attended a school like this before,” she said persuasively. “And besides, all the demigods and descendants from every realm will be there. It’s going to be so much fun!”
I groaned internally, but they heard it clear as a bell thanks to their epic mind-reading skills. Each of them shot me a stern look.
Okay, fine. Maybe I did have more to learn. Reading minds was certainly a skill I’d have liked to master one day.
I suppressed any irritation I might’ve felt and slapped on my brightest smile.
“So! When do we start?”
Ida clapped her hands excitedly. “We leave for Mount Olympus today!”
Cade crossed his arms and a small grin slid onto his handsome face. “And where exactly is Mount Olympus?”
“Oh, just a few islands over.” She gestured off to the side, and my gaze followed her fingers across the endless sky.
I could almost imagine I saw the pointed tips of an academy’s buttresses, flags billowing in the wind, a wrought iron gate standing ajar as students poured onto a perfectly manicured lawn, a dormitory filled with demigods eager to learn and others eager to cause trouble.
Another anxiety-filled year of starting at a new school and wondering where I’d fit in…I could hardly believe it.
It was happening again…
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading the Essential Elements Boxed Set! I hope you enjoyed Val’s story ♥
If you liked this series, please consider leaving a review. It would mean the world to me!
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Also By Elle Middaugh
Storms of Blackwood Series
Book One: Taken by Storm
Book Two: Stormy Nights (coming soon)
The Queen Witch Trials Series
Book One: Queen Witch
Book Two: Alpha Witch (coming soon)
Enchanted Royals Series
Book One: A Crown of Blood and Ashes
Book Two: A Sword of Scales and Song (coming soon)
The Essential Elements Trilogy
Book One: Elemental Secrets
Book Two:
Elemental Lies
Book Three: Elemental Betrayal
The Essential Elements Boxed Set
★ series complete ★
Standalones
Siren Awakened
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ABOUT ELLE MIDDAUGH
Elle Middaugh is a USA Today bestselling author living in the Pennsylvania Allegheny Mountains with her wonderful husband and three beautiful children. She spends most of her time raising kids, writing stories, playing video games, reading, and attempting to keep a clean house.
She’s a proud Navy wife, a frazzle-brained mother, a fan of health and fitness, a lover of tea and red wine, and a believer in happily-ever-afters.
Sassy. Seductive. Spellbinding.
www.ellemiddaugh.com
The Essential Elements: Boxed Set Page 82