Another agonized cry rose over the other screams of pain. I dropped my gaze back to where Stone had stood. Fionna now stood over Lars’s body, most of the magic funneling into him, a glowing golden trail running from her core to his. The pained cry died away, his mouth froze in a large circle, and his body jerked as though with a seizure.
Then the tail of the link left Fionna, the glowing essence sinking inside the stone’s chest. The magic snapped back into her, dissipating from the atmosphere in a whoosh. Stone crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Oxygen zoomed back into my lungs, my bones groaning with relief, free of the oppressing weight. I had a strong idea of what was controlling Fionna.
“Ember?” Hearing Eli’s voice, I raised my head. Naked and back in human form, he crawled to me. “You okay?”
“Yeah, you?” My eyes raked down his body, taking in that he was okay, then darted to West. Also nude, he lay on his side, staring into the void, grief etched in his expression.
“West!” I scrambled over to him. “Are you all right?”
He didn’t respond, his gaze finding mine, the sorrow so deep he didn’t have to say a word. I could feel it. Leaning over, I wrapped my arms around him. West and I had a close bond, and seeing him in pain made me feel as though it were my own.
The sound of a gasping cough bolted all three of us to our feet, where we huddled together in protection.
Lars’s form burst up, sucking in air, his hand on his chest, green eyes blazing back.
“Lars?” I straightened to my full height, hope pounding in my chest.
His head turned, blinking. “Ember,” he croaked out.
What Stavros had said earlier—about Lars being my real father—was he playing with us? Was it true? Every ounce of blood in my body hummed with truth, finally having proof of what I always felt. Somewhere in my gut I had sensed a deep connection to Lars. He was more than my uncle. He was my father. And it sat in my soul like fact. I knew this with every fiber of my being.
“Oh my god. Lars…” I ran to him, feeling Eli reach for me, but I crashed down at Lars’s side, my arms wrapping around him. “You’re alive.” Emotion tangled my words and dampened my eyes as I held tightly to his neck. I was overwhelmed by the urge to cry in my father’s arms like a little girl, something I had never gotten to do with him. I took a deep breath, fighting back the tears.
His arms circled me, crushing me into him. For a moment we didn’t move, until his hand grasped my hair, yanking it back painfully.
“Sorry, Daddy had to step out for a moment.” Black eyes dug into my soul, a snarl dancing on Lars’s mouth. “I did not miss sharing space with him. I will make sure this time he is permanently taken care of.”
My nose flared with rage and dread. The stone yanked me to my feet by my hair, nails digging into my scalp, his gaze landing on Fionna’s form.
“You thought you could get rid of me so easily? I am vastly more powerful than any little trick you can brew up.” The stone snarled like a feral dog, tugging me around with him, his feet moving as if he stopped he might fall over. “All of you put together couldn’t even begin to challenge me,” he barked out at the crowd circled around. His men and our people still bristled, ready to fight, but many of Stavros’s hired strighoul and trolls slunk off. Their benefactor was dead. They had no reason to put their life on the line anymore.
“It’s humorous you are trying to be grand while you can’t even stand. No outside help will be needed to end you.” Fionna circled him resembling a tiger coming on its prey, motioning to the throng hooked on her every move. “Just inside help. He will help put you back in your cage.”
Magic swirled around my feet, pulsing off Stone, his grip clenching down, like he used me as a crutch. Energy balled up, shooting forward, pummeling at Fionna. A fae version of dodgeball. The skies echoed with pops and flashing colors as their forces collided.
Cauldron tipped her head back, a laugh pealing from her. “That was adorable. Close to being hit with bath bubbles.”
A grunt emanated from Stone as he shoved me away, his full attention on his true enemy. The rest of us peons were nothing compared to the treasures.
Eli grabbed me, pulling me back between him and West.
“It’s about time you and I had it out. You have been a thorn in my side for centuries,” the stone snapped, saliva flying out of his mouth. He flinched as if in pain and grasped his stomach. For a flicker of time, yellow-green eyes pushed through the black pits, then disappeared.
Lars. He was fighting.
My heart twisted in my chest, wanting to help him. Could we do anything or were we doomed to lose him all over again? No. Screw that. I would not lose my father. My father. What a strange and natural thing to say. My dad. Not my uncle, but my birth father.
My dweller part was exceptionally protective of my family. I leaned forward, needing to act. A growl hummed on my lips
“Don’t you fuckin’ dare, Brycin,” Eli muttered in my ear, gripping my arm tighter.
Sometimes I really hated the bond between us. I couldn’t get away with shit. My impulsive nature occasionally needed to be reined in, but I still hated it. I wanted to jump in, protect what was mine.
“How wrong they were about you. Always cast you as the good one to balance me. You are no different from me.” Stone ground through his teeth, motioning at the cauldron. “You longed to be freed from your cage as well. You twisted and played with these creatures like it was a game. Because it is. They are nothing to you either.”
“You’re right. I don’t feel anything for them. I wanted to experience life through my own body. To taste food, to have sex, to do all the things I had to watch, but never experience.” Cauldron stepped closer. “But I was still created to counter you. There is room for only one treasure at the top.”
“Yes. There. Is.” His boots touched hers. A gust of magic swept in, like the tip of a hurricane just hit land.
“Oh crap,” I mumbled, realizing two formidable treasures were about to fight each other, and we were right in the crossfire. “Run!”
Magic exploded into the courtyard, rocketing through the space. Cars, debris, and bodies tumbled away from the sources, as though an atomic bomb detonated. A train of energy slammed into me, flipping me up in the air.
I smacked onto the ground, rolling until a wall stopped me, my head cracking against the cement; my vision blurred. Magic banged and popped in the air with overpowering density and smoke, causing my lungs to spasm.
Brycin!
My head jerked up. Eli! I called back, my eyes trying to break through the haze. My head throbbed, but I stumbled to my feet.
Eli’s outline strode for me, tugging me into his body the moment his fingers could reach me.
“We need you to get everyone out of here. The war is now between them, and we will have to deal with the last one standing, but until then, it’s best to stay out of their way.”
He nodded.
Another flash of magic caused us to stumble to the side, and it brushed over my skin like fire. His body bent forward, his beast forced to the surface.
“Come on.” I dove in a little deeper, grabbing any of our people I could and sending them out the gate.
“Kennedy? Have you seen Ken?” Panic scraped at my throat. I hadn’t seen her in a while.
“She’s at least alive.” Eli hunkered close to me, dodging the loose items flying around in the air. Magic echoed around like a tornado and two treasures were at the heart of the storm. “Believe me, you’d feel Lorcan through the link if anything truly bad happened to her.”
“You know, Dragen, that’s not very helpful,” I snapped dryly.
“My lady! My lady?” Simmons zipped past me, not able to slow down, his body tossed through the air like a dust particle.
“Crumbling crackers in dung sauce!” Cal rolled through the air after him. Eli reached up and plucked him from the sky. “Turtle dumplings, my head feels as if it’s been put on spin cycle!” Cal rubbed at his head
, looking dazed.
“My lady!” Simmons zipped by my ear, his mechanical wings twirling wildly, flipping and circling along with the loose debris.
“Dammit, Simmons, stop spinning. You’re making me dizzy.” Cal leaned his head into Eli’s grip. “I’m gonna vomit.”
“If you throw up on me, pixie, you’ll be wearing your tongue as underwear.”
“You think I want to throw up? Lose all that wondrous juniper juice in my belly?” he exclaimed, then tilted his head. “Wait…if I tossed my cookies… I would get to experience it a second time around...”
“No. Just no.” I grabbed for Simmons as he zoomed by me again.
“Don’t be so snotty, girlie. If we were in a dire situation…and had no juniper juice around…I don’t think you’d be so firm on that stance.”
“Yeah, I would.” I continued to search the area, tucking Simmons into my neck. He gripped my hair, holding on against the wind pummeling us. In the distance, I spotted two forms lying on the ground.
Oh gods. Piper. Kennedy.
“Kennedy!” I screamed, running to my friend, her arms wrapped tightly around Piper, guarding her from flying debris.
Blood gushed from Kennedy’s head, but she blinked at the sound of my voice.
“Em?”
“Are you okay?” I dove down next to her, touching both her and Piper, needing to feel they were real and breathing. Piper stared up at me but didn’t talk, appearing a little dazed.
“Yeah. We’re okay.”
Kennedy sat up, pulling Piper into her lap, peering at me with agony. “The cauldron. It tricked us. It has my sister…” She trailed off, sobs choking her throat.
“I know.”
“Kennedy!” Lorcan rushed to her, practically pushing me out of the way, panic carved into his features. He ran his hands over her wounds from her head to her belly.
“I’m fine.” She cupped his face, making him fully look at her. “Really.”
His shoulders did not budge an inch, still riding tight with tension, but he nodded, bringing his head against hers briefly. Their love was so strong it brought tears to my eyes.
Kennedy pulled back, glancing over to where her sister’s body battled with Lars’s body, looking utterly defeated. “I felt it take her, heard the cauldron’s plans. It wants to destroy the stone, which is what Fionna first wanted, but now I understand. If it succeeds? If either of them does? We are doomed. One will possess all the treasures’ powers. It will be too much. We not only lose Lars, Fionna, and Zoey. But everyone.”
My attention shot to the two figures battling. The magic swirling around the stone and the cauldron was tangible, a ray of colored magic spitting off them. Kennedy had me watch Star Wars enough times to recollect the big fight between Vader and Luke. But this time there was no good side. Only the emperor’s side.
“Fionna wanted to use Cauldron to put the stone back.” She pointed at the rock lying inside the cauldron. “The cauldron wants to take Stone’s power back, but that’s not its only plan.” Kennedy’s eyes grew wild and full of fear. “I can’t let it happen. But… I don’t know how…if I can.” Sorrow crumpled Kennedy’s features. “No matter what I do. They die.” She curled forward, clutching her face.
In that moment I felt hopeless. Bleak. Useless. Terrified. We’d come all this way, and it was still going to end the same.
“Guys, look!” West’s voice tore my gaze to the side. He stood a few yards away, pointing down at the field. My neck twisted around, following his finger.
For a moment I had no idea what he meant, until I noticed dozens of figures coming through the port. Not on a ship, but swimming.
“Sirens.” I gaped, watching the cluster move in, surrounding the enemy ships. Forms started jumping off the deck, giving themselves over in abundance to the siren call. “They came…”
“Oh my gods.” Kennedy rose, her gaze not on the water, but latched on to a hill by the field. “I can’t believe it.”
A handful of figures charged toward us, weapons high, magic chanting from their mouths in unison. None of them I recognized, but I knew what they were. Druids.
“DLR.” She shook her head in wonder. “They’re here. To fight with us.”
I had heard of them from Kennedy. The Druid Liberty Republic was a group Fionna had founded to fight against the fae after centuries of their massacring Druids. And here they were, to stand alongside fae, to come to the aid of the Queen.
The sight of the sirens and the DLR coming to assist us sent a surge of optimism in my stomach like excited butterflies.
“Hope.” Kennedy plucked the exact feeling from my chest, clutching my hand.
I turned to her, straightening up. “Do you think you can try to pull the stone and cauldron back into their original forms?”
“I don’t know.” She fluttered her lashes, pushing through her doubt. “But I will give it all I have.”
“Me too, Auntie Ken. I help too.” Piper tugged on her aunt’s shirt. Kennedy stared at her, and I could see the horror of letting her niece participate. But this was war. We had no other choice. Piper was an extremely strong Druid already.
“We’re gonna get Fionna back. And I’m getting my father. This is not over. We fight until the end,” I said.
“Until the end.” Kennedy nodded in agreement.
“Whatever I can do for you, my lady, and Majesty, I am at your will.” Simmons bowed his head toward Kennedy.
“Thank you, Simmons. I am grateful for your help.” Kennedy smiled at him.
“Such a kiss arse!” Cal voice shot over to us.
“I want Mummy and Darz back.” Piper curled into Kennedy’s side, wrapping her arms around her waist.
“I know, sweetie.” Kennedy nodded. “We will get them back.” She kneeled to face Piper. “Do you understand what we have to do? I know you are scared and tired, but I need you to be extra strong. Together we can try and save your mummy.”
“I know, Auntie.” Piper cupped Kennedy’s face. “I am strong. I will fight for both Mummy and Darz.”
Wow, this little girl. I blinked back tears.
Kennedy grabbed the vacant cauldron lying a few feet from them, setting it upright, then yanking out the gray rock next to her. I could see her mind working through the problems.
“Piper and I will be here with the cauldron and stone. Ember, I need you to use all your strength to break through their field. If they kill each other, all is lost. We need to stop that. They’re both going to have to fight like hell, but I hope Piper and I can draw the treasures out of the bodies enough to at least give Fi and Lars a chance.”
“What do you need us to do?” Eli set Cal on my other shoulder, ready to shift if he needed to.
“Kill every one of those things.” Kennedy nodded at the Frankenstein creatures, her queenly persona back in place. “And keep anyone from getting near us. Piper and I can’t break out of our spell once it’s started.”
“On it. Be safe, li’l bird,” Lorcan whispered, kissing her, before shifting back into a dweller along with Eli. Then Lorcan, Eli, and West dove back into the throng, spreading out in an arch around Kennedy and Piper, protecting them from attack.
“Cal, Simmons, stay here and be another layer guarding Piper and the Queen.” I nodded to my two boys.
“Aye, my lady.” Simmons saluted me, while Cal hmphed in my ear, but flew off my shoulder, landing near Piper. He hated when I left him behind.
“Come back to us. Me and Ryan need our spice.” Kennedy squeezed my hand.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded, not able to find my voice. I turned, parting ways with my friend, knowing this might be the last time I see her.
The stone and cauldron’s battle filled the air like being on a tarmac next to a jet, roaring energy into my eardrums. Pushing forward, wind slashing my skin, as though I were walking into a tornado, I forced myself closer to the fight, using the electricity to fill me up, my dae clawing at the surface.
My demon smiled, a bo
lt of lightning zigzagging across the sky, the clouds rumbling angrily. “Oh, this is going to be fun.” I opened my arms and turned my face to the sky, magic building and ripping across the grey afternoon. I always held my dae on a leash, scared to let her out. But now I needed her free.
Completely.
I closed my eyes, pulling away from the driver’s seat, releasing both my demon and high fairy out of their binds. Electricity zapped around me buzzing me with adrenaline and power. Imagining the child amplifier, Asim, touched me and enhanced my powers, I summoned every molecule of fire and electricity down on one target.
Heat thrashed in the sky, building as I shoved my demon forward, switching off all emotions.
Boom!
A hungry current zapped to earth, scorching it, peeling away all magic like a cheese grater.
Turning everything to embers.
Chapter 30
Zoey
Pain volleyed up my backbone and into my head, the hard stone gouging my scalp. I blinked furiously, every nerve in my body responding to being crushed into the cold ground, the cauldron’s force leveling everything that had a pulse to the ground.
The pain didn’t bother me because only one thing dominated every thought and feeling…when the cauldron’s magic lifted off me…
Freedom.
The sensation of liberty and release was so great I felt as though I might rise off the ground and float into the stormy sky. I wanted to flex my hands and stretch my legs. I could almost taste it—the freedom. I desired to cry with relief, but I didn’t dare move. Not even a twitch of my mouth; the stone would realize he had fully vacated me and raid my body again.
Cauldron had broken Stone’s tie to me, declawing the parasite sucking on my soul. It wasn’t the same as before when I had moments of freedom, where he still lingered somewhere on the perimeters. He was completely gone, but in leaving, he seemed to have wiped me of my strength. My magic barely hummed in my body, dormant for so long.
Rise From the Embers (Lightness Saga #4) Page 37