Page 26 of Gift from the Source (Source of Elementra #5)
Twenty-One
Willow
“Hey, my little dragonfly.”
My mom’s voice pulls me straight from my sleep. I sit up frantically, glancing around, only to find my bedroom empty aside from the guys surrounding me.
A whoosh of air followed by a light chuckle falls out of me. “Just a dream.”
To my left, Corentin and Tillman are sleeping like the nonmagical realm used to describe vampires. Flat on their backs and hands on their chests as though they’re just waiting to be woken up.
On my right, though, the sight is to die for.
Cas still has his arm wrapped around my waist, but Draken’s arm is wrapped around his. It seems as though he was trying to get closer to me but had to settle for the barrier between us. His head is lying literally on top of Cas’s with his mouth open. The gentle snores falling out of it ruffle Cas’s hair back and forth with each inhale and exhale.
I make sure to brand a picture of this in my mind so I can show them when we wake up .
Still giggling quietly, I lay myself back down and carefully turn out of Cas’s arm. I snuggle into Tillman’s side so I don’t disturb how comfortable they all are.
I sigh softly after inhaling his calming scent and my eyes flutter back closed.
“Willow.”
My lids fly back open and a chill spreads down my body.
I one hundred percent heard that.
Definitely not dreaming.
“Mom,” I say quietly as I sit up once again.
Much slower.
Pulling the covers off my legs, I crawl to the middle of the bed and start scanning my room. The corners are dark, but the lamp on my desk gives enough dim light that I know we’re alone in here.
“Mom,” I whisper again.
Over by my bookshelves, a pale glow emits from the floor. My satchel lies there open from where I placed it there last.
The last time I pulled out my book on true Primaries and my mom’s book.
“Guys…wake up. Something weird is happening again,” I say, staring at it as I shake Tillman’s leg.
No response.
There’s always a response.
Whipping around, I madly run my hands over each of them, attempting to wake them up. They don’t so much as stir. My breaths come shorter as I hover my finger under their noses. I clearly see their chests moving up and down, but I just need to be sure.
“What the fuck is happening?” I mumble.
My trembling fingers trail down Cas’s face, Draken’s shoulder, Tillman’s neck, Corentin’s chest. Nothing. They don’t respond whatsoever, but my fingertips vibrate from the contact of their skin.
Something’s keeping them asleep.
“Go to the book, filia mea,” CC orders.
I shriek as his presence comes and goes just as fast. Their voices have me on edge. They’re as loud as if they were in the room with me.
Scrambling off the bed, I nearly trip three times in my haste to get to my bag. As soon as I cross the room, I fall to my knees and turn my satchel upside down.
All the random contents spill out everywhere, and I scatter them even further as I snatch up my mom’s book. The moment it’s in my grasp, it quits glowing, and I haul ass back to the bed.
I’m spooked, scared, worried, excited.
Everything.
Confused.
I don’t know what to feel.
I can’t stop the tremors in my hands as I sit crisscross at the end of the bed by the guys’ feet. The stillness of them makes my throat close. I don’t like it at all.
Elementra, please let this be your doing. And I need an explanation as to why you’re doing this.
I don’t hold my breath for an answer I know isn’t going to come right now.
After pricking my finger, I lay it to the Nexus mark on the cover and begin tracing the design.
“Air, Earth, Water, Fire so bright,
Four elements, pure and right.
Remember these with joy and cheer,
The elements become one, the world becomes clear.”
Hey, my little dragonfly.
Buckle up.
I don’t. Because my warning was minuscule and her words take over my mind the second my eyes read them.
Four creators. Four realms. One whose knowledge and powerful abilities reigned supreme. One whose magic could be tasted in the air. One whose strength was unmatched. One whose appreciation for creation was alluring.
Another being became. Different than all others of her stature.
Elementra wandered .
Each new realm, she thought she found her home.
Each exploration ended with banishment.
The realms would not accept her. There was no possibility that a being of that power wouldn’t take over. She’d rule over all as she saw fit.
She created a home of her own to prove her ability to co-exist among them.
A fifth realm was born.
She still was not accepted.
Rejected and alone.
She kneeled in the realm she made from the being of her.
Four elements combined. Four breaths breathed life.
Four drops of blood.
Four daughters were born.
Wisdom. Fortitude. Compassion. Courage.
Too much power given. Too much power taken.
A fifth daughter was born.
Balance.
Each of the five daughters were given the elements to care for the land, but Elementra knew that her realm required more than them to sustain it.
She populated.
With the air, the earth, the water, the fire. She brought her beings to life. They found their purpose, love, and beautiful beings began to make a life.
It wasn’t long before Elementra realized the creations she had made were beginning to view her daughters just as the realms view her.
Too much. Too powerful.
They were the only beings different in a realm not diverse enough.
The power was imbalanced.
Elementra roamed the other four realms once again, searching for answers. She was again turned away with the threat of destruction if she ever returned.
This rejection hurt worse than the last. She now had more to lose than just herself.
Though this time, she didn’t return empty-handed.
She brought back with her the knowledge, observations, and inspiration she gathered .
Blowing her essence across the realm, gifts and magic were blessed upon her people.
Everyone began to live in harmony.
Except for the daughters keeping her realm alive.
No being was willing to accept a relationship with those that held that much power over them. Even without getting a gift or magic from Elementra, her daughters were still viewed as different from the rest because they alone could manipulate any part of the realm.
The bonds were born.
Four men possessing magic and one gift each, paired with one daughter possessing all four elements.
Five souls split.
All blessings mixed.
A new gift was born.
Nexuses were formed. Bloodlines created. Daughters having daughters. Gifts spread. Everyone could control an element.
Elementra lived peacefully.
Until a disturbance only those of her status could recognize shook her to her core.
A sixth realm was born.
She couldn’t fathom how it was possible when no other creator but herself could travel across the dimensions. She moved through time and space to find the unknown.
What she found broke her heart once again.
Through her travels, she’d never realized her desire to belong, to be accepted was leaving a trail made of blood and tears. She herself had been opening portals among the realms every time she had been forced to leave.
The creators found those portals and used them to connect to each other.
Together, they formed the sixth realm.
A banishment land for those unworthy of their own realm. Those who were less, a threat, or just did not belong. A realm of no power. No hope. No acceptance.
The nonmagical realm was born.
Elementra was enraged. She regretfully paid each realm another visit .
Every time she traveled the expanse and left her own realm behind, it made the power weaken. It pulled the blessing she’d given to the land back to her and harmed her own creations.
That would be her last travel.
On her return, she visited her daughters.
She tasked them with their purpose, and they accepted graciously.
It was now their responsibility to monitor the realms. Guard the portals and make it clear any who sought refuge would be welcome in Elementra.
This was an honor and power, but it was also the most dangerous blessing of all. She would only bestow this on her daughters.
A gift evolved.
After all was said and done, she vowed to keep the youngest realm and its inhabitants alive. She took responsibility for the realm because she ultimately felt like it was her fault it was ever created.
She would not fuel it enough to be powerful, but it would survive and eventually thrive.
Times in Elementra changed as the daughters who had ruled and led the people seemingly disappeared. Way of life adapted. It soon was as though they never existed.
Then new beings came.
Those who sought refuge were welcome.
Elementra came to life.
The daughters, the Nexuses, and the generations they created continued to live among the people unknown for what they were capable of.
But life was not always peaceful.
As you know too well.
People started searching for the source of who was making it possible to move through realms.
Over time, no matter Elementra’s interference, one by one the daughters were discovered and killed for their capabilities. Their generations stayed in hiding as best as they could.
There was always someone hunting. Whether it be from the other realms or even from our own. People wanted their power for many reasons.
Many for the wrong ones .
Elementra poured power into the line that came from her. She tried fiercely to protect them. Each one that came to the beyond, she welcomed them and wept. They were to stand at her side with their power in the beyond.
They always served her, and she served them in return endlessly.
She’s sought answers, challenged forces unknown even to her, and battled creators in a fight we couldn’t begin to understand.
In the end, she is still challenged.
Her daughters, their daughters still hunted.
They hunted to the point Elementra could see the end of her lines.
Two lines left. One asked to be spared the fate, one offered to be the sacrifice.
She and her daughters in the beyond knew more would have to be given. Deadly, seemingly unfair, and brutal sacrifices would have to be made.
The daughters declared their power finally be recycled. It was time.
A new give and take relationship was built.
One daughter’s line remained.
Many allies along the way were blessed to help.
Generations survived. Planning, preparing, and waiting for the next evil to come about.
And he did.
And he would win.
Elementra saw what it would take to possibly change that outcome.
One daughter would be cursed, so another would be blessed.
The joining of creation and destruction to produce the last one.
One balanced with all the things needed to survive the longest.
With all given from the daughters before, this filia could carry on the responsibilities of the realm for as long as the realm shall live.
Elementra will not only survive but thrive if she can defeat the destruction.
And you will.
A drop of red falls on the words and I slowly lift my shaking fingers to my wet lips. The salty taste explodes across my tongue as the blood continues to dribble from my nose. My eyes bounce across the pages so fast I don’t even truly see what the ink says. I just know what’s there because it’s imprinting on my mind.
The power crackling around the room is suffocating.
My breaths come shorter, but my mom’s words don’t relent or release me.
Our gift began as just the blessing of being from Elementra’s direct line.
It became so much more.
We have the blood to travel the realms, the control of all four elements, and we are the beholders of any ability given to the ones we share bonds with.
As you well know, the strengths of bonds vary.
The strongest of them all is the bond between a true Nexus.
To ensure that we were balanced with our men, our gifts that we get from them will reach a limit. Whereas theirs will grow slightly stronger. The same is said for the elements but opposite. Our elements will always come more naturally and stronger than theirs will.
That is why some of the things your men and other bonds can do, you cannot. It’s why you can control both your elements and theirs so well.
Times and evolution of our gift changed as needed.
In the beginning, we would only get their gift once we bonded. The souls needed to split and merge as one for the blessings to be shared.
A small piece of what we’d eventually get once we found our Nexus came through with our emerging but not enough the gift would manifest. Think of it like a signal being sent from our soul to theirs. On a deeper level, we’d know we had a Nexus and they’d know they’d have what we now call a true Primary.
The wait between emerging and finding them was more like training. The members of the Nexus needed to find each other and form a cohesive relationship first. While we harnessed our elements to the best of our ability before they came, and we added their gifts as well.
Then it was just a matter of time finding them once we were ready.
That took approximately twenty-six years.
Desperate times called for our gifts to emerge sooner, though .
As you’ve seen, my wolf emerged along with my elements. I needed a sense of protection. My wolf was going to be the strongest defensive gift I was going to get.
You were a mixture of the two. The beginning and the now.
A piece of your Nexus’s gifts latched onto your soul much earlier than when you emerged. Your signal was sent out with your first awakening.
With CC.
Your soul forced your oldest Nexus member’s emerging to happen. His emerging triggered his brothers’ to follow course.
When you emerged at fourteen, your gifts had been patiently building up and they wanted to be freed as well alongside your elements, but it was too dangerous of a risk.
He had to bound them all to protect you.
They each were unbound with your bondings, giving you time to catch up on all that you missed being raised elsewhere. As well as gaining your memories back.
I broke all this down, my girl, so who we are and the influence we have on the realm would be easier to understand.
The structure of the five daughters’ Nexuses trickled throughout time. They were the original blueprint. The original formation. The first true Primaries.
The Primary is the sole Source of the Nexus.
The realm called the daughters Primaries because they were the center point between them and our creator.
Elementra called us filia mea or filiae.
Us filiae called ourselves Sources.
That is our gift. We are a Source.
We are the source of all blessings brought forth.
We are the Source of Elementra.
You are Ultima unum.
The Last One.
A shuddering gasp falls from me as I sling my mom’s book off my lap and fall to the floor. It takes multiple failed attempts to get my bearings before I finally give up and crawl back to my satchel .
Frantically wading through the mess, I snatch up my infinity journal and the book on true Primaries that CC left. I flip the cover open to the first page in his book while I choke out the search spell in my journal.
“Ostende mihi the Primary bond.”
I strangle back a sob as I read the answer that’s been there for so long. I’ve read it countless times over, but this is the first time it’s all made sense.
The Primary is the sole Source of the Nexus. They’re the center being who can fully activate a Nexus as one and balance the power of air, earth, water, and fire.
My knees try to buckle as I stand and make my way back over to the bed. I grab my mom’s book and stare down at the words that have stopped. I know there’s more in there, but they aren’t revealing right now.
Not that I could handle them.
My blood runs so much deeper than I thought.
Gathering all three books in my arms, my body trembles. I lift my head to look over the bed where my men’s sleeping forms still lie.
I need them.
I need them to know this.
I know what and who I am.
“Wake up,” I whisper.
They don’t move. The power still pulsing in the room is strong and it’s slowly taking its time to recede. The longer it takes, the faster my heart pounds.
My mind spirals as the reality of what this truly means hits me and I sway.
I need my Nexus.
“Release them,” I scream, shoving my power out with the command.
The four of them spring from the bed as though we’re under attack. Their panicked bonds zap through my chest. The surge is so strong, I drop the books to the floor with a yelp.
“Princess…” Corentin says, breathless, as he’s the first to recover and approach me. His hands cradle my cheeks, and his thumb wipes the blood from my nose. “What happened? ”
Tillman and Draken are seconds behind him, and they both lay their hands on my body. I suck in a desperate breath as their bonds finally calm down enough that it doesn’t feel like I’m having a heart attack.
“Were you reading, Primary?” Cas asks softly as he bends down to pick up my books.
He closes my journal, the book on true Primaries, and sets them on the edge of the bed. When he goes to close my mom’s book, I stop him.
“Read the last entry.”
“The last…” he trails off, his eyes widening as they meet mine. “Your gift?”
I attempt to nod, but Corentin’s hands still hold me in place. I croak a weak, “Yes.”
“Eyes on me, baby,” Corentin whispers as I stand frozen in time. It’s hard to tear my eyes away from Cas as his gaze bounces across the sentences as fast as he can. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“I know,” I mouth.
“Were you having trouble sleeping? Nightmares?” Tillman asks and I shake my head.
“No, I was woken up.”
Closing my eyes, I tell them about what happened that woke me and how they were being kept asleep. The only logical explanation I can come up with of why that is, is because Elementra felt I needed to read this on my own first.
“I thought I was one of her favorites. I don’t like that she forced me to stay asleep when you needed me, little wanderer.”
“I know. I wish—”
“Primary,” Cas breathes. His tone is so low, yet the anguish behind it makes it sound like a bomb just went off. The four of us turn to his stricken face and my throat closes. “Did you understand what this means?”
I nod as tears form in my eyes.
“What does what mean?” Corentin, Tillman, and Draken all ask at once, and I tell Cas with my eyes to explain for me.
“Her gift is a combination of wielding all four elements. She beholds the abilities of any that she has a bond with, and most importantly the blood in her veins. Her bloodline was the original bloodline of Elementra. The first beings ever to walk this realm. Filia mea isn’t just a sweet endearment her mother gave her or told our uncle to call her. It’s a title Elementra gave the five daughters that she created. She’s a daughter of the daughters. Willow is the last living direct line to our creator.”
He continues to explain how that all came about. Everything my mother explained, he does to his brothers.
There’s no relief found coming from my men as the realization of what this means also hits them. If we thought me being a target before was bad, this makes it all so much worse.
People have always and will more than likely always fear what they don’t know or understand. It’s one thing that I have multiple gifts and elements, but being of direct descent from the creator puts me in another category.
If history repeats itself, I’ll find myself in the same situation those before me were in. I’ll live hidden within my own home from the fear of being killed.
Or—and this is worse in my opinion—if I’m not able to defeat the Summum-Master, he won’t kill me. He’ll use me as a weapon against all realms.
“He knows what and who I am.”
“What exactly are you?” Corentin asks softly. I just realized Cas has finished talking but doesn’t finish it all.
And I broadcasted that loudly.
“A Source,” I mumble before clearing my throat. “I am the Source of Elementra.”
I don’t have time to gasp or blink.
Darkness takes over my mind.
“You all have failed me for the last time. ”
My bellow shakes the walls harder than the floor trembles from the ten useless bodies that hit it. They don’t matter. Worthless fools.
Ten peasants step up and pull the lifeless corpses away. None have the privilege of seeing my face, but a whip of my head toward them is command enough. They know better than to utter a word or they will join them.
With my power, I can kill them all where they stand.
My power…
“My power,” I bellow.
Another waste of space hits the ground.
“My throne.”
Another one.
“Millenia in the making.”
A useless mutt howls in pain.
“All ruined because of my flesh and blood.”
The five who made a sound die immediately.
Unworthy.
My chest heaves and a cloud of darkness cloaks my body. Nifty gift from that low-level Shadow Walker. It isn’t enough, though. I deserve more. I will have more. It has always been mine for the taking.
I want what was stolen from me returned.
My throne. My gifts. My elements. My relics. My son. My useless, stupid granddaughter.
The Vito line have always stolen what they want. The Elementrian line has always been blessed more than others.
Not this time.
I will have what is rightfully mine.
Then the creator shall see how well she fairs.
No one in the room moves, waiting for the next death or decree.
“The royal line will weep where they lie today. My granddaughter will stare at the heads of the ones she so desperately loves until their skin rots from their skulls. Prepare the society and the creatures. We leave at dawn.”
With a flick of my cape, I vanish into darkness before the trembling useless fools. I will rid myself of all of them once I have what is mine.
I’m shoved out of the mind of a madman, but not of my own. Darkness still reigns as I internally beg for light.
“It is time, Ultima unum.”
My consciousness slams into me while my control over my body lags. The fleeting heartbeats give me enough time to weigh the future in front of us. The moments that are closing in.
The darkness behind my eyes unsettles me just as much as my inability to move. For all I know, that cloak of death could already be lurking outside, waiting to pounce on the palace. On my family, my men.
The people I desperately love.
Elementra…
All the discoveries we made last night.
The plans to assemble missions today.
Meaningless.
“Let me go. Let me go right now,” I order.
The restraints holding me hostage snap and I sag in the arms holding me as I gasp for air.
I frantically crane my head around as I begin to hyperventilate.
I’m on my knees right where I was standing between my men moments ago. They’re kneeling around me now with concerned looks crossing their faces and panic pulses through the hands that are keeping me up.
I rush to my feet, tripping over Draken in my haste to run across the room. I brace for impact that never comes as shadows catch then right me.
“Let go,” I beg, waving my hands through them to get them to release me, but they grip tighter. “Please, Cas, let me go. I need to see outside. I need to see where the moon is.”
I don’t turn around to look at them as I stumble as fast as I can to the doors on my balcony.
The bright full moon that’s shedding so much light in the blackened sky only eases my panic and fear a touch.
“He’s coming.”
“What did you see, little warrior?” Tillman asks.
The tremble in his words tells me he hasn’t read my thoughts, but my reaction and own feelings give it away.
“He’s angry. Angry isn’t even the word. He’s killing his own followers in his rage. The members he left alive, he ordered to prepare the society and the creatures. They’re attacking us here, at dawn.”
“We need to see, princess. Show us exactly what you saw,” Corentin orders as he rushes to the nightstand to grab all the communicators.
Draken crosses to where I am and with a firm grip on my elbow, he pulls me away from the doors. He places me in the middle of them with a growl that chases away the chill slithering up my spine.
When Corentin joins us again and his eyes meet mine, I do just as he commanded.
The tension in the room explodes, yet my men rein it in just as fast and a sense of calm covers them. Their shoulders relax and with a nod to each other, like they’ve rehearsed this a million times, they say, “Full scale protocol.”
Corentin shoves communicators at their chests and my mind swirls as I try to play catch-up. They’re each saying something, but I can’t process any of it.
“Get to the Central foyer now. Full scale protocol,” Tillman barks down the communicator, hanging up and moving to the next. “Will, call your brother, give him the same order you just heard me say.”
Right. I can give an order.
Fuck, where’s my communicator?
I need to take better care of that thing.
“Princess.” With his own communicator to his ear, Corentin passes me mine before I can freak out over it. “Dad, full scale protocol. You’re about to have a lot of people in your foyer. Get dressed.”
“Vince, full scale protocol. Get the boys to Gaster’s office then to the Central foyer,” Draken orders.
Each of their voices continue to echo around the room, and the only one I don’t hear is Cas. When I look at him, I don’t find him on a communicator. He’s creating and strapping shadow weapons to his body. His eyes meet mine as he senses me staring. The wild mess that’s his hair right now drapes over his face as he hangs his head low for a moment.
Then he groans darkly.
He stomps toward me with a fierce scowl and grips my throat. With far more gentle movements than what’s pouring off him, he tilts my head back.
I swallow roughly.
“I know this night has been one extreme to the next for you and I’m sorry it’s all happening so fast. I don’t have time to talk you through any of it or even make sure you’re okay,” he says softly as he lays his lips to the corner of my mouth. “But I need you to get it together. Right fucking now. I can’t lose you. I refuse to lose you. So I’m begging you, Primary, pull yourself out of your mind.”
The sheer desperation paired with the command has me straightening my shoulders. The more his thumb runs soothing circles on the pulse in my neck, the more the dizziness in my mind gives way to clearer thoughts.
I close my eyes and exhale deeply. I command everything within me to balance itself out.
“Good, sweet Willow. I’m taking Keeper to the forest. Make your call,” he orders low, finally laying his lips to mine.
The forest…the creatures.
Oh Elementra.
“Now, Primary,” he commands once more before shadowing out.
Right.
Call my brother.
By the third ring, my knuckles turn white with how tight I’m gripping my communicator. If his ass doesn’t answer by the fifth ring, I swear I’ll transport into his bedroom and stand over him.
“Little dragon, someone better be dead.” His groggy voice causes a lump to form in my throat.
“Lyker…” I trail off. He was so pumped just hours ago about how later this morning we’d be making our own plans to attack the Mastery. Clearing my throat, I order, “Full scale protocol. Get to the Central foyer. ”
“You’re serious?” he says with more awareness than he had a second ago.
“Unfortunately.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he barks, then hangs up.
The reality of how he easily jumped from big brother to soldier makes my heart bleed.
My family is prepared for war.
Elementra be with us.
A hand wraps around the back of my neck and Tillman’s element glides across me. The weight of the clothing at first is so heavy, I’m afraid I’ll have to tell him this isn’t going to work, then it seals to my body like a second skin.
It’s different than any E.F. uniform I’ve seen. Even theirs.
My fingers graze over the different textures and the reality of why that is clicks immediately.
“You all made this together.”
“We did. Oakly, Aria, and Aunt Rory have a uniform like this as well. Made by their Nexuses,” Tillman says seconds before he’s coating himself, Corentin, and Draken in uniforms as well. It’s then I realize Cas’s all black attire isn’t just a uniform but his shadows solidifying to his body.
The same material covers my sides and back.
Protecting me with the darkness.
“Let’s move. Everyone will make the five-minute arrival time. We need to be there first,” Corentin says and they surround me.
Five minutes. That’s all the time it takes to call in our family.
That’s all the time they need to get ready for battle.
“Full scale protocol. That’s the provision you touched on with me. If the palace was ever under attack…” I say to Tillman.
“Correct. We didn’t go over it nearly as much as I should’ve. This isn’t what we thought would happen after you cleansed the Binding. And after last night with everything we recovered, my mind had gone in a totally different direction.”
As did mine. I went from fearful to hopeful, back to scared, to a little more confident we’d be making the first move in a short few hours last night.
Now I’m facing the opposite. I thought we had more time.
Malvolio is smart, calculating, and as much as I loathe admitting it, he doesn’t make rash decisions. Never has. He’s planned to a T for many, many years.
I thought this blow would force him to retreat and spend time attempting to build back what he lost. Instead, we hit him where it hurt. Now he’s losing it. He’s going to do everything he can to get it back.
This rage and impulsive action are a deadly combination.
“You know the basis of what’s important. The five families, well, three of them, will report to the palace immediately. The E.F. army will be preparing to protect the palace and the Ruling Nexus with everything they have. What will surprise you the most is what you’ll see once we get outside. Those calls we made started a chain reaction. Everyone has someone else they have to call. There will be small teams left behind to guard the stations and academies, but for the most part, the entirety of our army will be outside the palace, waiting for Aunt Rory’s and Uncle Theo’s orders,” he tacks on just as Aurora and her men round the corner into the Central foyer.
Gone is the sweet and warm motherly love that radiates off her. Marching toward me is a warrior. A Matriarch readying herself for battle to protect her people, her family, her throne.
Part of me desperately wants to tell her she should stay here, get to safety, and not put herself in a position to fight. But that request would fall on deaf ears. Not only that, but she’d reverse the logic. She’d tell me if anyone should get to safety, it should be me. The Awaiting Matriarch.
And I would never. This is my responsibility.
I’m so much more than that now…
Her eyes collide with mine and her fear is masked with determination. I share the same sentiment. Out of duty, we wear our brave faces, but in our hearts, the fate of our family beats wildly.
We’ll fight together. We’ll win this together .
I give her a firm nod when she approaches me and our shoulders brush as she moves to stand at my side. The confidence mixed with apprehension rolling off her washes over me. She doesn’t have to say it. I know she has the same thoughts as I do.
We don’t utter a word. We sit in our silent agreement with each other.
I don’t have to turn around to recognize the footsteps practically running down the hall. His worry slithers across my chest and panic sets in for me.
“He has to go. He can’t be here for this.”
“We’ll talk with him in a minute, princess,” Corentin says, stopping me from moving toward Gaster as he rushes into the foyer.
It’s as if he knew we had incoming. And he probably did. He was more than likely counting the seconds.
The ward around the Central foyer doors vibrates subtly and we all turn toward the entrance. The three of the five council families appear first. Their heads turn to the side hall and they look shell-shocked as Pran, Dillon, and Maxima appear alongside a guard.
“They know the truth now?” I ask.
“Yes. After I called my dad, he called them. The truth of the other two families would’ve been relayed. I’m sure the news was also delivered with a threat of what would happen if they betrayed us now,” Corentin says and as I gaze across the faces of the remaining five families, I know that statement is true.
I’ve known from the time I read their files, the Drovers weren’t betraying us. I don’t believe they even want this responsibility, but out of duty, they comply. Now their faces are set in fierce determination and hurt, but there’s also a finality in their eyes.
After this fight, they’re going to step down voluntarily.
The Tealwaters and Alewoods have pinched looks about them that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I follow the instinct and cast my gifts across them. Their auras are darkened, and their thoughts spill the truth, bringing my anger to the surface quickly.
It’s not a betrayal like the Everglows or Gales committed but a betrayal to how they’re supposed to carry themselves for the realm. They’re disgusted they’ve been called here, and they believe they’re better than this. They shouldn’t have to lower themselves to actually fighting on the front lines.
I’ll give them one chance to change that tone.
“Tealwaters. Alewoods. Anything you’d like to say?” I grit out. None speak, rather just pull their shoulders back and my eyes narrow.
“Remove them,” Aurora announces and the palace guards behind them quickly jump into action.
“We haven’t done anything. Release us this instant,” Reny Tealwaters shrieks.
“If my daughter felt the need to call you out at a time as important as this, there is a reason and that’s all I need to know. By the Elementra-blessed power bestowed on me, I hereby strip you and the entirety of your line from their council seats. Take them to a holding cell.”
Her unwavering belief in me simmers my anger. I feel absolutely nothing but disappointment in them and their righteousness as the guards transport them out. The outraged shrieks falling from the Primaries echo through the room and I shake my head in disgust.
When my eyes meet the Drovers once again, their shoulders have straightened, but their minds speak their truth. My disappointment dissolves as their thoughts are the opposite of those I just heard. I don’t have to say anything, just a small bow of my head tells everyone, even them, they’re in the clear.
Those tense few seconds held all my attention, but now peering behind the last remaining family of five, my throat begins to close. I look over the familiar faces that have become so important to me that now stand there proudly. I hadn’t realized they’d begun piling in here.
There’re so many people. It’s like the ball once again, but deadlier.
I recognize the faces of palace E.F. leads I’ve had the opportunity to get to know by name since living in the south wing.
I could laugh and face-palm myself as I look at Vince’s fierce glare. The first thought that comes to mind is how I thought he was a little kitty when we first met. We’ve come so far since then and he means so much more to me now than just some shifter instructor or mentor. He’s a friend, family .
Trex and his brothers. Everything we’ve been through. Our destinies have been tied for years.
I nearly crack as the gathering crowd parts and my sister leads the horde of our family toward me. I look her over from the tight topknot of purple hair, down her battle armor to her boots. She looks like a badass.
I want to command her to go away with Gaster.
She’d never listen to me. She’d snort, roll her eyes, and say, “Yeah, okay.”
I hide my sharp inhale as she, Ry, Nikoli, San, Jamie, Aria, Lyker, Lennox, Kyan, and Zane come to stand around us. When they’re all silently situated, Aurora speaks.
“What’s coming our way?”
“The entire society of the Mastery. They’ll be here before dawn,” Tillman announces, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. His gift caresses my mind and I take that as my sign.
I latch onto every mind here and show them all the nightmare of a vision.
“The time has come,” Aurora announces loudly, breaking the tense silence after my gift releases everyone. “For longer than any of us could’ve imagined this society led by Malvolio Choice, has plagued our realm, our people. It ends now. We’ve all known of this possibility and have prepared for it. Now is not the time to doubt anything. It’s time to unite and protect our people. How long until dawn?”
Before anyone can respond, a dark cloud appears in the corner of the room and out step Cas and Keeper. The looks on their faces speak a thousand words that I don’t need interpreted.
This just went from bad to worse.
“Forty vampires will accompany their army. The ward is still intact and it wasn’t him, but a Mastery member who used a relic to slice an opening for those that have decided to be loyal to him to exit. It was sealed back once they left. The remaining vampires will stay there and want nothing to do with this war,” Keeper informs us. His eyes are fully crimson, and his bloodthirsty rage is potent.
“We only have one hundred vials of the Bane of Essence,” Jamie says from behind me .
“It’s easier for the shifters to track their movements in our animal form. Exclude us from those who need a vial,” Lyker volunteers instantly and bile collects in my throat.
“Sir,” a palace guard calls, gaining Tillman’s attention. “Exclude those of us who accompanied you on the Forest mission. We’ve been trained and prepared more on what to expect from them.”
With a fist to his chest, Tillman nods to him pridefully. “Jamie and Nikoli, take point on distributing the vials. Start with the newest members, any who have never been on a mission before. Go retrieve the vials now. Keeper, what’s your plan?”
“I’ll use my compulsion to slow them down. If you have eyes on them, kill them. Don’t hesitate. Beheading is the only option. The Keep will not accept traitors on the return home,” he growls.
“What about the Charm?” Corentin asks.
“The Charm will compel any here who don’t have the mental strength to fight it off. It would put far too many of our people at risk,” Oakly answers and Keeper nods.
“Oakly’s correct.”
“Then you all heard him. If you have eyes on a vampire, kill on sight. If you can’t get close enough to them, use an element to hold them until you can,” Tillman barks.
“Again, how much time until dawn?” Aurora asks, drawing the attention back to her.
“One hour,” Neil says.
“Then make that hour count. Get ready, stationed, and spend a moment with your families. Your objective is not to protect this palace. It is only a building and can be rebuilt. You are to protect one another and defeat our enemies no matter what. I can’t thank you all enough for what you’re about to sacrifice for this realm. May Elementra bless us all…” She trails off, taking a deep breath and turning toward us.
My eyes burn as her face softens on Corentin, Cas, myself, Draken, and then Tillman. The battle between being a ruler, an aunt, a mother, and a sister contorts her features.
“Tillme…” she says so ftly, “give your orders.”
His shoulders sag and I run my hand across his back as he surprisingly steps around me to swallow her in a hug. I purposely ignore the gentle words he’s murmuring to her but just imagining them makes my heart crack open for him.
He holds her shoulders as he steps back from her, sharing one last sweet, healing moment between them. When he faces the crowd in front of us, his leader mask is back in place, and we step up beside him.
“Formation, outside.”
And just like that, the first order of war has been declared.
My Nexus will be the one leading the charge.