Tempest

by Karen Ann Hopkins

  Sawyer and Horas were both soaking wet and bent over with fatigue.

  “How do you handle this?” Adria said lightly. My gaze swiveled to follow hers.

  Lutz had dragged Ivan up onto the rocks. When Ivan coughed, I blew out a deep breath. The relief was short lived. A tentacle reached out from the pond, then another. They were the arms of a monster. The pink suckers flashed, wrapping around Ivan. With a jerk, he was stolen away from Lutz, who galloped back into the water after him. Sawyer and Horas recovered, following the bear into the shallow water. Sawyer punched at one of the arms, while Horas slashed at another with his dagger. Eae joined them, grabbing a tentacle that was attempting to wrap itself around Lutz. Angus barked, snapping at an arm that passed over him. Cricket reared, striking out at a tentacle that smashed into her.

  “Is this part of my lesson?” I rounded on Adria. “Stop that creature or I’ll kill it.”

  Adria’s eyes narrowed. “That creature is one of the last of its kind. It’s a son of the ocean and yours to command.” She wagged her finger. “Don’ hurt my pet.”

  The glint in her eyes told me she was dead serious. Shaking my head, I left her, running to the water’s edge. I filled myself with the tempest Adria had talked about and pushed my mind at the beast. It wasn’t like a land animal’s mind or even a bird’s. Predatory instinct was all it had. There was no reasoning with it. I ducked under one of its thrashing limbs. Cricket backed up beside me, kicking the tentacle hard. It recoiled back into the water as if the strike hurt it. I turned back to Adria with baffled urgency.

  “Treat it the same as the water, not as much a sentient being,” Adria called out. Her lips were pursed expectantly and her eyes shot between Eae, who broke one of the monster’s limbs with his bare hands and Sawyer and Horas, who together had ripped off the end of another. The tentacle that held Ivan dragged him deeper into the lake, hardening my heart against the giant octopus. Fire tingled in my fingertips, wanting to shoot out, burning the creature, especially when Ivan gasped for breath and Lutz bit into the tentacle holding him. But I swallowed the urge. In my panic, the water slipped from my mind and I gulped in a deep breath to focus, collecting it back again. I did as Adria had instructed, asking the octopus to go away and leave my friends alone with the power and not with my mind. The tentacles wavered in the air, and I pushed a little more forcefully.

  Ivan fell free, splashing into the waves the beast made when it submerged, disappearing from sight. This time, Lutz carried Ivan out of the pond with his human arms cradling him.

  I rushed forward as Lutz deposited Ivan into the sea grass. Angus licked his face and I touched his chest, flooding his body with the healing power of my Gaia. Sawyer, Horas and Eae stood over us, dripping wet and bloody, but not seriously injured if their rigid postures were any indication. Cricket was already grazing again as if nothing had happened.

  Ivan lurched to the side, throwing up a gush of water. Sawyer bent down to stabilize Ivan’s wobbly legs and Insepth handed him a wet handkerchief. My gaze locked on the Watcher, wondering where he’d been during the chaos. His eyebrow rose slightly and his lips puckered. “Shhh,” he whispered. Whatever game he was playing, I didn’t have time for it.

  “Are you all right?” I returned my gaze to Ivan.

  He nodded, sniffed and coughed. “I am fine. I think.” When his coughing fit ended, his golden eyes leveled on me. “I’m no good in the water, Ember. When do we go home?”

  My heart pounded. What we had been through since arriving on the Scottish island was too terrible to even consider. And yet, they had come with me on this journey, dangers and all. I was romantically involved with Sawyer, so I understood him risking his life to help me, but the others didn’t have to be here. Insepth was another story altogether. I wasn’t sure if he’d come along to support me or further his own agenda. I glanced at him standing quietly off to the side.

  “Soon. We’ve got to do what Ila told me in the dream, and then we’re out of here.” I leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I promise.”

  Pushing myself up, I turned to Adria.

  She spread her arms wide. “Come feast with me. You all deserve it.”

  I shook my head. “Not yet. It’s time we discussed our agreement. You don’t even know why I came here.”

  She chuckled, reaching out to pluck a small shrimp from an iced plate. She popped it into her mouth and chewed while I stared at her. After she swallowed, she cleared her throat. “You wan’ transform that horse—” she pointed at Cricket “—into a human.”

  My eyes widened and Sawyer snorted.

  “How do you know that?” I said the words slowly, running all the possibilities in my head with frantic speed.

  “Ila told me,” she said with a lopsided smile.

  Chapter 7

  And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.”

  Luke 1:19

  “That’s impossible.” I stopped. “She’s dead.”

  “Her body is gone, but not her spirit.” Adria sauntered the remaining steps between us and touched my hair, wrapping her fingers around a few strands. Sawyer moved forward and I stayed him with my raised hand. I pushed back my simmering fire and earth powers. She was powerful beyond belief and her close proximity had those elements on high alert. The water inside me pumped through my veins with deliberate purpose.

  “Water gives us power in our dreams—power to do extraordinary things.” She let go of my hair. “Ila visited me in that way and told me to expect your arrival.”

  My heart pounded faster with betrayal. Ila didn’t have a lot of time to communicate the other night, but she still should have mentioned Adria.

  I looked at Insepth. “How is this possible? Youmi suggested Adria had the answers we were looking for. It can’t be just a coincidence.” I didn’t care that I’d given away Youmi. The possibility that I’d been set up was strong on my mind.

  Insepth’s jaw tightened. “Anything is possible in times like these. We are all pawns on a celestial chess board, being moved here and there for a greater purpose.”

  My gaze passed over Sawyer and Horas. They wore scowls of distrust, indicating they didn’t have the answers I was looking for. Eae, on the other hand, might have an idea what was going on. My eyes settled on him as he toyed with his chin, looking thoughtful.

  “Is it true the Angels are manipulating us all?” My words made Adria grunt.

  “The planes of existence are separated, but the barriers are breaking. Events unheard of yesterday are acceptable today.” Eae frowned, his green eyes steady. “I do not know what your Watcher friend, Ila, has in mind. But if I were you, I’d tread lightly on the course you have chosen.”

  Eae’s words were cryptic, but I did get the gist of what he was saying. His warning only fueled my determination. An image of Michael, the leader and bully of the Angels, flashed in my mind. He would cut us all down in a heartbeat if he had the opportunity, and I feared my own forefather, Uriel, wouldn’t be able to stop him.

  I caught Adria’s searching eyes. “You know what I need. What do you want from me?”

  Her mouth lifted into a trembling smile. “Dragons. I want my dragons.”

  My stomach lurched and I heard Sawyer mutter, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Adria’s head snapped in his direction. “I do not kid. Your lover will release my pets from the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. A jealous Angel imprisoned them there a long time ago.”

  “The legends are true then.” Insepth sighed.

  When I looked Horas’ way, he shrugged. “Before my time.”

  I finally recovered from the shock and found my voice. “Ila told me about dragons. She even rescued one as a child, but the idea that they still exist is…rather hard to believe,” I stuttered.

  “The
y don’t fly the skies or swim the seas any longer,” Eae said firmly. He cast a scathing look at Adria. She returned her own stony stare. “Most were locked beyond the gates of the pit, but some were imprisoned in this realm.” Eae frowned. “They are not meant to be free.”

  For a change, Insepth agreed with the Angel. “There would be much chaos indeed if they were to return. I’m not sure if it would benefit anyone to add their kind into the mix we already have going on here.”

  “It won’t be allowed.” Eae’s voice was icy.

  “You have no power here, half-Angel. Until the end of times begin, neither do your winged friends,” Adria spat. Eae’s cheek twitched, but he held his tongue.

  “Ila told me dragons were hunted to extinction by humans, but you’re saying the Angels took them away?” I asked, trying to wrap my mind around the insanity of the words coming out of my mouth.

  “Oh, humans did their share, but it was the Angels that decimated their numbers completely, destroying the ones that were protected by Watchers, like me.” Adria’s voice dripped with sadness. A tear spilled from her watery eyes and she wiped it away. Some of her emotion escaped, causing Angus to yowl. I scratched his head.

  “Tell us your story, lady.” Horas gestured politely.

  Adria raised her voice and the melancholy vanished. “Long ago, after I made my first change, I decided to go back to my birth form, living in the sea. Being a Watcher complicated matters, but water was my home. I found a mate and used my powers, and some magic, to change him into a Growler. Vorago was my entire life and I kept him youthful beside me. Years passed and humans spread across the oceans like krill, killing with harpoons and spears. I couldn’t do much in dolphin form, so I lived as a human Watcher for a time. The Angels made occasional appearances in those days, interfering with the goings-on in the world.” Her eyes narrowed and she frowned at Eae when she paused. “You see, some of those big boys liked to have a human woman now and then. It was during the Ocean Tide Wars with the humans when I was doin’ my best to save my ocean friends, that an Angel came upon me. His power was so great, he calmed the tempest I’d created to destroy a whaling ship. He said it was to save the humans from a watery death, but I knew better. He wanted me.”

  She snorted, pursing her lips and Eae spoke up. “Who was this Angel?”

  Her brow lifted slightly. “Gabriel.”

  Eae looked away, not saying anything.

  “That one was a specimen to behold. Taller than him even,” she pointed at Eae. “With long, curly black locks that he wore in a ponytail. His eyes were as dark as his hair and he carried a huge scythe that possessed deadly sharpness. Buckled to his hip was a horn, nearly four feet long and forged of shimmering silver.”

  “The horn of Armageddon,” Insepth said.

  “Yes. It will sound when the rapture takes place. It calls the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The souls of the faithful will rise that day and join each other in eternal peace with the Father, as the prophecies foretell. The celestial blast will tear down all walls, break all chains and bend all bars separating the blazing pit from the rest of humanity.” Adria’s eyes wandered as though she were imagining the scene.

  “What did Gabriel do to you?” I whispered.

  Adria groaned. “Not to me. To Vorago. I made the mistake of telling the Angel that another had captured my heart, thinking he would show mercy. But no. His soft-spoken demeanor disappeared and he lashed out against my love.”

  “He killed your lover?” It was more a statement than a question.

  When Adria shook her head, my eyes widened. “Worse. The Angel used his powers to cast Vorago into the place In Between.”

  “Purgatory?” I caught my breath, glancing at Sawyer. His lips thinned into a tight line.

  “But how can this be?” Horas spoke up. “Only spirits of the dead reside there.”

  Adria coughed out a snort. It was Eae, standing a few feet behind Horas, who answered him. “Living souls may survive in the place of purification for a time. Only a higher Angel, or God, can imprison a soul in its realm, though.”

  Insepth chuckled. “Thus the need for dragons, eh?”

  I turned back to Adria. Her eyes were guarded. Insepth had taught me to read body language. Observing the water Watcher, I was pretty certain she worried she’d said too much.

  “Why dragons?” I asked.

  Eae stepped up. “This is folly—Watchers do not have authority to cross the planes of existence.”

  “Dragons do.” Insepth smiled broadly, as though he’d placed the final piece into a puzzle. He met my questioning gaze and said, “Dragons are water creatures. They have no masters. But in the past, they formed strong bonds with Watchers of that element, furthering mutual goals together.” Insepth’s voice rose to a higher pitch. “What makes them special is that along with their dominant water nature, they have fire, earth and air inside of them—plus one element elusive to Watchers—” He motioned to Eae with a grand gesture of his arm, prompting him to finish his sentence.

  “Stars—the celestial essence of Angels,” Eae confirmed.

  “Ila never mentioned another element to me,” I said.

  Adria folded her hands in front of her. “It is true. Dragons were here long before man or Watchers. The Creator gifted the giant, sentient beings with all the elements, even the precious one belonging to the Angels. He employed them to guard the gateways between Heaven, Hell and Purgatory, as they were able to travel freely along the planes of existence, just as the Angels were. Later, when they clashed with humans, he questioned the benefit of their superiority over all living creatures on earth. Realizing the problem, he turned away, allowing the Angels to support the humans’ killing spree. The dragons that weren’t destroyed were imprisoned for the rest of time.”

  I glanced at Eae, and he said, “There is much more to say on the matter. The Watcher has only dinged the surface of the story, but her words are accurate.”

  The cavern was silent except for the grinding sound of Cricket chewing the sea grass and the lapping of the waves. I stared at the lake, where only moments before a sea monster had ravaged. Sure, I could believe in dragons, but believing that they were intelligent was unnerving and even more so was the possibility of releasing them into the world.

  Ila wouldn’t have sent me here for nothing. She talked to Adria and she took care of a dragonling in her youth. If I followed Ila’s instructions, I might just be able to stop the apocalypse from happening. I swallowed, absorbing the thought. Up until that moment I hadn’t admitted, even to myself, which side I was on. But after the futuristic vision Youmi had shown me at the Biltmore lookalike mansion and the arrival of the Angels in flesh and bone, I’d made a decision. I was on the side of humanity. Damn the Angels and the Watchers. If God wanted the rapture to happen in the near future, nothing I did was going to make a difference anyway. But maybe He was open to changing the timeline or even the final outcome.

  Father Palano’s words boomed in my head. You are good, there is light inside of you. You have a choice. I chose to make a difference. It wasn’t in me to stand back and wait for the cities to burn and rivers of blood to run through them. I wanted to stop it from happening.

  Everyone seemed to be waiting for me to say something. Even Adria’s head was turned in my direction.

  I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “What makes you think we have the abilities to free your dragons? They were captured by Angels. I’d imagine the mountain they’re imprisoned in is impregnable.”

  Adria’s shoulders slumped and her lips turned up in a smile. “I am one of the oldest Watchers to have lived. I know things others do not.” Her smile widened. “You have four elements swirling around inside of you. You may not be a master of water or even air, but they will listen to you. Their combined power might be enough to break the bonds holding my dragons. I raised Chumana, the girl, and Ormr, the boy, when thei
r parents were killed by others of their own kind in a territorial battle. Once free, they will make it possible to enter Purgatory and rescue Vorago.”

  Sawyer laughed loudly and our heads turned to him. “Why should Ember, or any of us, risk our lives on this foolhardy endeavor?” His eyes swept the room, landing on me. “A damn horse isn’t worth the risk.”

  My cheeks warmed, and I had to work hard to keep my mouth shut until I collected my thoughts. Adria didn’t have any qualms about going off on Sawyer. “You don’ have a say in the matter, Demon.” She glanced between Insepth and me. She shrugged. “Besides, an item needed to transform your horse into a human is found in only two places. Purgatory and Hell. An’ I don’ think you wan’ to go to the later.”

  My heart pounded against my ribcage and the hair went up on the back of my neck. “Dark particles.”

  Adria nodded and Eae’s voice echoed around the cavern, “I must advise against this path. To touch the particles is to touch Hell itself.”

  I rounded on him. “Whose side are you on—the Angels?” His widened eyes caused my voice to drop. “The lines between right and wrong are blurred nowadays, so I’m following my gut. Maybe you’re right and I’m making a huge mistake. Only time will tell, but you have to see where your fears are coming from. Are you worried about our safety or that we’re crossing the Angels once again?”

  Eae rubbed his chin. “I agree. The lines are not clear and even I am unsure of God’s desires.”

  “Being an Angel, aren’t you privy to His plans?” Insepth asked.

  “Only the arch Angels talk directly to Him. They relay information to the rest of us. I have felt His presence and done His bidding on many occasions, but it isn’t something I can call upon on a whim. He makes Himself known when He wants to.” Eae stared at me. “It is a bad idea, but I’m always your guardian.”

  His words slowed my hammering heart. I looked at everyone in turn, Sawyer being the last. “This road is going to be dangerous. I can’t guarantee anyone’s survival. Honestly, we may all die. It’s up to you to decide whether to continue on this journey. If you decide not to, I understand. I really do.”