I would protect as many as I could, and then I would find a way to bring the crystals together.
It was the only way to make their plan work.
The shouts of the fight came at me all of a sudden, and I knelt on the ground, my hands shoving into the earth. I looked up and screamed.
I pushed all of my strength into the dirt, and a huge wave of Earth slammed into the men and women coming at me.
I stood up then and used my Air Wielding to soar into the air, landing on top of that wave and then using my Fire and Water as one, sliding my hands to the side, and then back together again. It created a spiral of Fire and Water that didn’t douse. Instead, it burned hot, coalescing into a boiling mass.
It stormed the others, and the screams echoed in my ears.
I had to ignore the screams of those I couldn’t help, and it killed me.
Teagan and his father were fighting together, each using their Fire in such manic ways that I knew they were feeling the loss of the Lady of Fire.
Despite the grief, they were still smart, still warriors to the end.
Teagan gripped his father’s shoulder, and I could see the Lord of Fire become a funnel of sorts as Teagan shoved his power into his dad.
Twice the amount of Fire erupted from the lord, and it burned those in its path to a crisp.
I turned my head away from the screaming and focused on those I was trying to get past.
I needed to make a path, needed to get beyond the king and into the castle. If I could get to the crystal, maybe I could end this.
That was always a plan. Easton would take the king with Rhodes at his side, and I would take the crystal.
I just needed to get there.
Alura danced across the pile of Earth next to me, spinning out of the way of Air shards and Water crystals that tried to attack her.
I couldn’t even see what type of Wielding she was using, but people were falling down, one after another as she shot her hands at them.
I still didn’t know what type of Wielder Alura was. All I knew was that she was powerful and a little bit scary.
Rosamond was on her other side, using her Water and Air as one, trying to get through the combatants.
A Fire Wielder who had defected from us sprayed a torrent of Fire towards her, and she fell back screaming. I couldn’t even reach her.
It didn’t matter, Luken was there, Brae hovering by his side. She was larger than I’d ever seen her before, almost the size of a panther with large wings as she opened her mouth and growled flames.
Luken used his Air Wielding down his sword and shoved it at the Wielders who came at them. He held out one hand, and Rosamond took it. She shook off the dirt on her side and spat out blood before going back to using her Wielding.
Wyn stood off by herself, her Earth Wielding making the earth tremble around her.
People fell into crevices that opened up, and Water filled those holes, drowning them as they screamed and burbled.
There was such a manic expression on her face that it scared me a bit. I wanted to go to her and hold her. Tell her we would figure everything out.
Only there was no time for that.
Delphine stood at Wyn’s side, using her Water Wielding in a way I had never seen before. She created soldiers out of Water, ones that moved in a marching pattern of wet slaps against the earth as they advanced on the other Wielders. They fought for her like an army or even pieces on a chessboard, battling those who came against her.
People she had trained, those who had been by her side.
I could see the moments of recognition when they noticed their former queen fighting on our side. That quickly turned to pure shock and then rage.
And then they came at her. But she was stronger.
When a Fire Wielder threw his Fire towards Wyn when she wasn’t looking, I screamed, even as I attempted to shoot Air Wielding towards it to try and move it away.
Suddenly, Delphine was there and threw her body in front of that wave of Fire, her Water Wielding protecting most of her but not her eyes.
She screamed and fell back, and Wyn, who had almost died right then and there in front of my eyes, caught the Queen of Lumière as she toppled, holding her eyes as she screamed.
I wanted to help, but I couldn’t. Instead, I stood between Rhodes and Easton as we fought back to back, combining our Wieldings as much as we could.
I still didn’t know how to fight with Spirit, and I didn’t know if it was actually an offensive element at all.
But, we were fighting. We were trying.
I looked up as Rhodes snarled under his breath, and I saw the Lord and Lady of Earth in front of us.
“We’re not allowed to kill them,” Rhodes growled out, and I looked at him, nodding.
“I am,” Easton said with that smirk of his that I kind of liked.
He lifted up into the air, Fire licking at his feet, and then did something I’d never seen before. Fire erupted from his hair and moved down his body. He grinned.
“Lord and Lady of Earth,” Easton shouted over the din of people. “I see you’re late.”
“You are a false king,” Valor growled. “You have sent us to our deaths, brought destruction. You have corrupted the Spirit Priestess, and you have doomed us all.”
I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
“If that’s what you think,” Easton said, and then he shot Fire from his palms, the sound of it so loud, I almost clapped my hands over my ears.
It sounded as if I were in the middle of a tornado, and Rhodes reached out and gripped my arm, steadying me.
I trusted Easton not to hurt me. Just like I trusted Rhodes.
The Lady of Earth slid behind her husband. She didn’t even bother to try and protect him.
I had always known she was hiding unknown depths of depravity. I hadn’t known she would sacrifice her husband, however.
When Valor screamed as he burned alive, Zia screamed also, parts of her arms and legs that could not be hidden behind Valor burning, as well.
And then the Lord of Earth ceased screaming, and there was no sound from him as his corpse fell on top of Zia. I wanted to shout, wanted to do something.
Zia had to be alive. She had sacrificed her husband to save herself.
They had both sacrificed so much for their desires.
I was so busy watching what was happening in front of me that I almost missed the Air dagger coming at me. I cursed, trying to fling my way to the side. I knew I was probably going to be too late.
It was not going to end like this. I shot out my Air Wielding, but it wasn’t at the right angle. A blink, and suddenly, someone was at my waist, pushing me down quickly. The Air dagger flew over my head.
I rolled to my back and looked up as Emory scrambled off me and held out her hand.
“What are you doing here?” I called.
“Apparently, saving your behind.”
The shackles at her wrists lit up, and I knew that the energy within her that made her a siphon was calling out to the many people around her.
“You’re going to get hurt, you’re not trained,” I said.
“No, I’m helping move the wounded. I just didn’t want you to die.”
She met my gaze, and I wanted to reach out and hug her. I wanted to go back for just a moment and pretend that everything was fine, and we were going off to college. I saw Braelynn off in the distance, protecting Luken and fighting for our side. I could feel the elements within me wanting to get out, needing to protect our kingdom.
With those realizations, I knew there was no going back. There never had been.
I gave Emory a tight nod, and then she ran off back to where someone was screaming for help.
She dragged them to the side, where Ridley and the other healers were helping.
She was doing what she could. She wasn’t the same person she was before.
Neither was I.
I took a deep breath and felt the crystal within the castle calling to me.
It was so close. I could almost save it.
As I reached out, wings filled my vision, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get there anytime soon.
The King of Lumière swiped out, and I ducked, pushing Rhodes to the side as Brokk tried to kill his nephew. The king caught my braid and sliced down with his blade of Air.
My hair fell, the parts that were left lying in choppy waves around my face. It didn’t matter.
He hadn’t hurt me, he’d only taken my hair.
He could have it.
Because I was going to end him.
I had to.
I looked at Easton. He stood on the other side of the Pegasus and nodded at me.
This was the time. There would be no second chances. No surprise rescues.
We were it.
And the king was ready.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Easton
* * *
I slammed my Fire Wielding towards the king. He flew up, missing the band of Fire.
Lyric threw both hands into the air, creating a Water wall to protect her and Rhodes, and I cursed under my breath.
“Coward!” I called out.
“Are you okay?” Lyric asked as she came to my side.
“I should be asking you that. I almost killed you.”
“No, I can protect myself. Now, we need to get the king.”
I reached out and slid my hands through her now shorter hair.
“I kind of like it,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
She grinned at me, even though her eyes were a bit watery. And I knew it wasn’t because of the hair.
“Okay, we’re not done yet,” Rhodes said, rolling his shoulders back. “The others can handle what we have in front of us and anything that comes after. We need to move forward. Get to the crystal.”
“I bet you Eitri and the king are the ones protecting it.”
“Is Delphine okay?” Lyric asked, and I shook my head.
“I can’t tell. She’s still breathing, so that counts for something.”
Lyric nodded, squeezed my hand, and then we were off. The three of us used our Wielding together as if we had been born doing this, as if we hadn’t been living in three separate worlds before this. Lyric was a mix of both Rhodes and I, and I relished it. She could use her Wielding with both of us, although I knew it was easier for her to do so with me.
That was fine. We were soulmates. It was what we were supposed to do.
The fact that she could use her magic with Rhodes didn’t make me jealous. Maybe it should have, only not when we were at war. Not when I knew that if I were to fall, she would still be protected. There would be someone there to help her get through this, to help her survive and to fight on.
There would still be hope for our realm.
Because I didn’t think I was going to survive the end of this war. I knew in my gut that The Gray had more plans for me.
He wouldn’t let me go that easily. And he wouldn’t be able to let Lyric go. If, somehow, we defeated him and we didn’t survive, Rhodes would be there to protect our people. And knowing that calmed me enough that I could fight—even if it surprised me just as much.
The fact that the man had been my rival for my entire life and now was someone I relied on for so much should have shocked me.
But this was our destiny.
I shouldn’t be surprised anymore that our lives were intertwined just like our fates were.
I slid my Fire Wielding up, mixing it with my Earth, and Lyric did the same, then used her left hand to mix in her Water and Air.
I had never seen someone do that, not that anyone in my life had all the elements.
The fact that Wyn had the two she now had was a revelation that I knew we would have to deal with.
First, we needed to survive this.
“The crystal should be over on the left.”
“I can feel it,” Lyric said, her voice shaky. “It’s coming closer.”
“The crystal?” I asked, confused.
She shook her head. “No, the tendrils from it. It’s scared. It’s sad. And we need to save it. We can’t let it be used like this.”
I frowned over her head at Rhodes. He shrugged.
We didn’t know what she was talking about, but that was fine. We kept moving, kept fighting, and somehow, thanks to the others on our side, we were able to make it to the castle. The king was nowhere to be seen at the moment, and I growled out, wanting to scream or hit something.
One of the League came out of the castle, using Water Wielding to create sharp spikes of ice to fling at us.
Lyric slammed up her hands, and Air sliced off the tips of the spikes while I used my Fire Wielding and melted the rest.
Rhodes twisted his hands around, creating a vortex of Air that shoved the now-melted ice towards the League member.
The man didn’t even scream as he drowned. We made it past another League warrior, and then two more Creed assassins, and then we were in the throne room. We worked on autopilot, working together as a unit so we could defeat anyone in our path. We needed to get to the crystal. Somehow, Lyric had to work with it to save our kingdoms.
The king had to be near. I could practically feel The Gray’s presence, and that meant the king was around somewhere.
I didn’t know if The Gray would bring his minions, but I wanted to face them. I wanted to kill them for what they did to Lyric.
I would end them all.
I just had to find Garrik and the rest of them. First, however, the crystal.
Rhodes kicked in the door to the crystal room, and I turned, protecting his flank as three more guards came at us, shooting daggers of Air and trying to lift us off our feet. Lyric slammed into the wall. I didn’t reach out to her. If I did, it wouldn’t be enough. The distraction would end us both. She slammed out Fire Wielding from her place on the floor, and the guards ducked out of the way. I used my Earth to slam a slab of stone from the castle right on top of them.
Sweat covered my brow, and I reached down to help Lyric up. Suddenly, she sent Water all around us, dousing the flame from a former soldier of mine. He had betrayed us, but even as I killed him, part of me broke.
My people were dying, and they were deserting.
All because of the king’s lies. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. Nothing I could do to protect my people aside from getting Lyric into that room. Rhodes slammed into the door again, using all of his Wielding. And then, we were in the room. But we weren’t alone.
Eitri was there, his slender body encased in leathers that I knew no blade could penetrate. Because I knew the scent of that magic.
The Gray.
Delphine’s son, Rhodes’ cousin, and perhaps the future of the Lumière Kingdom if we weren’t careful, had also aligned with The Gray. We wouldn’t be able to kill him easily.
Though we would.
Because there was no way to get to the crystal without going through him. Ending him.
“Traitor,” Eitri snapped over at Rhodes.
“You’ve betrayed our entire race. For what? Power? No, I’m not the traitor.”
“You are.” Eitri snarled. “You couldn’t have the girl, lost out, and yet you’ll still kneel at the winner’s feet. You never were a good loser, but it turns out you’re just a supplicant.”
“That’s a big word for someone who hasn’t actually fought on his own before,” Lyric said, and I smirked.
That’s my girl.
“You know, it would be easier if you just let us through,” I said, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. You’re not going to beat us, not three against one.”
Eitri puffed out his chest. “I’m not alone. I have your master at my beck and call. He’ll protect me because I am the future of this realm. You never were, Easton. You were merely a pawn to get to her.” The prince of the Lumière laughed. “And, look what happened? Her parents are dead, and it’s all your fault,” Eitri said, grinning.
Lyric shook betw
een us, and then she slammed out her Fire Wielding. Gray smoke created a web between us and Eitri and doused her flames. We weren’t done. We sent Water, Air, Earth, and more Fire at him.
It wasn’t enough, not with The Gray battling us using Eitri as his puppet.
By himself, Eitri was nothing, not even a full-blooded warrior. But with The Gray practically stealing his soul, he was so much more.
And we were going to lose if we didn’t find another way out of this.
“Hold me back if it becomes too much, if it overtakes me,” Lyric whispered, and Rhodes and I looked at her, and then at each other.
“Don’t sell your soul for this,” I growled out.
“I won’t. But he’s already sold his.”
And then her eyes went opaque, smoke reflecting in them. Not that of The Gray. It was white and beautiful and of the Spirit Priestess. The hair that now barely touched her shoulders billowed around her head as if caught in a magical wind.
She held out her hands, and a sense of magic swept over me. I knew this was Spirit Wielding.
Eitri’s eyes widened, and then he gasped, clutching at his chest.
Lyric wasn’t done.
No, she opened her mouth and screamed. However, I could hear no sound. Nothing.
But I knew she was screaming. She was in pain, whatever she was doing was hurting her, and there was nothing I could do about it. Eitri screamed, as well, and I could hear his voice, I heard his panic.
I felt no pity for him.
He had made his bed, and now he had to lie in it, a rotting corpse of the boy he had once been.
Maybe he’d never had a chance, not with the father and uncle he had.
Delphine had never had a chance to raise her son, and this was what happened because of it.
Eitri bent forward at the waist, and then backward. Then one leg after the other went out. Before Lyric could finish whatever she was doing, smoky chains wrapped around Eitri, pulling him into the abyss.
Lyric screeched and reached out. I gripped her waist, holding her back.
“He’s gone.”
“He was dead, I held his soul in my hand. The Gray took him, so I don’t know what’s going to happen to him now. I couldn’t finish.” She spit up blood and uttered a curse, wiping her chin after.
From Spirit and Binding Page 30