Page 9 of Gift from the Source (Source of Elementra #5)

Six

Willow

A gut-wrenching scream rips through me as I’m released from my mind.

Everything is spinning so fast, it’s making the contents of my stomach turn viciously. The dizziness, plus the force of my bellow, knocks me off balance and I stagger into my tree.

The second my palm lands against the bark, I lose all control of my body, thoughts, everything as I’m sucked right back into the past.

“No, no, no. No!”

My screams slash through the silence of the clearing and the birds respond with petrified squawks as they fly for safety. The silence that follows is so haunting, it makes my ears hurt.

I rock back and forth, digging my fingers in the ground where he just laid and mutter please repeatedly just to fill the void of quietness.

“Elementra, please. Please give him back to me, please,” I beg as raging tears and bellows of agony come out of me.

My body feels like it’s been squashed under the weight of a mountain and my soul is shrieking out in pain. Nothing feels right.

It’s all wrong.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

It’s his birthday.

My birthday.

The day we always celebrate, just the two of us.

You’re not supposed to die on your birthday.

My head pops up and my hand slips into the pocket dimension in the tree, then I pull it back out just as fast.

“He’s not dead. There’s no way. If he were, his dimension would’ve permanently closed. Yeah, exactly. Th-that was just some weird new way of transporting. Right. He’s not gone. This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t…Elementra, please tell me this isn’t real.”

My rocking starts back up as I cover my ears with my hands, blocking out the sound of silence. It’s suffocating.

It’s going to be the death of me.

“Please answer me,” I scream as loud as I can.

“I am here, Ultima unum.”

“Oh, thank fuck. Please send him back to me. I don’t like this. This is a very, very cruel birthday joke.”

“Willow…”

“No, no, no. Don’t say my name like that. Don’t. He…he can’t really be gone.”

Even as the insanity and denial try to take full control of my mind and the darkness descends from all sides, I already know the truth. I feel it in every pore, nerve, cell, and crevice of my soul.

My dad is gone.

He’s in the beyond.

“He is. He is already here beside me. Safe and well.”

“No,” I cry.

My world tilts, knocking me from kneeling on my heels to slouching against my tree. I roam my hand all over the bark for some comfort until it finds its way back into our pocket dimension and my fingers tangle into our blanket. The fabric is softer than any material in the estate and I let the delicate fibers ground me to a piece of him.

“You have a choice to make, sweet Willow.”

“Another one? Haven’t I made enough difficult decisions today?”

“You have and I’m so sorry for that.”

“Sorry,” I scoff. “If you’re so sorry, why did you let him die? Why did he have to leave me?”

“I will allow him to explain that to you one day,” her other-realmly motherly voice wraps around me like a hug and I sit straight up.

“You will? I’ll be able to see him again?”

“You will be able to speak with him.”

Speak. I can still talk to him.

I’ll take it.

“What choice do I have to make?” I ask, ready and willing to do anything.

“I can take all this pain away from you. I can make it all stop. For now.”

“H-How?” I stutter.

“Your birthday gift, the one he left you. The stone, he briefly explained, has many, many possibilities and it will do most of the work. I will give your soul the relief it needs.”

I stare down, running my fingers over the wooden box that matches my willow tree to perfection. The delicate hinges creak as I open the lid slowly and my already shaky breath tumbles out of me when I fully focus on the stone.

Yeah, he showed it to me already, but the last thing I truly cared about in those moments was looking at a necklace. I wanted to look at him.

Be with him.

Now the beautiful purple gem that’s wrapped in silver takes my breath away.

“He…he was going to give this to me today. Why was that any different than option two?”

“All choices made affect more than just yourself. Someone in our realm made a choice that affected the way in which CC would perish. That changed the location of where he spent his last moments. He chose to spend them with you.

“Originally, he would not have made it here to tell you goodbye. You never would’ve seen him. That is what changed the outcomes. Your motivations would’ve been different. Without seeing him, but finding your gift, you wouldn’t have run. You would’ve hunted. You would’ve been fueled by the desire for the truth. Watching him, being with him in his last moments, has squashed that rage and morphed it into fear.”

I open and close my mouth repeatedly. The need to argue with her and tell her she’s wrong is strong. I have plenty of rage and I’m just as angry as I am crushed, but I stop myself.

It’s hard for me to admit she’s right because I’ve never been one to back down. Right now, though, all I can think about doing is running. I want to run so fast and so far, I’m never found.

“Why did this even have to happen? How could you allow it? Why did he have to die?” I mumble through my clogged throat and tear-soaked lips.

She’s already told me he’d tell me one day, but I need something now.

“All your answers will come one day, Ultima unum. This I vow. I will not tell you now, though, as I will honor his request and the decision you helped him make. Rest assured, he will be with you again, just not how you desire it.”

I sob.

I let it all out as her denial to give me answers cuts me to the core of my being. I want them. Need them. But I also just need it all to stop. I don’t know how much more I can take before I die right in this spot as well.

“Please take it away.”

“I will. You need to know and understand everything that is about to happen, Willow. It is not as you believe it will be.”

“Just tell me,” I beg.

“CC never had the ability to withhold your elements and magic as you’ve believed. It’s always been the Memoria Stone and him commanding it. That’s how they’re bound and released daily. From this day forward, they will stay bound until it is time for them to be freed. Together, CC and I will set their triggers for them to return to you.”

“How will you do that if it’s here with me?”

Her laugh vibrates through the trunk of my tree, causing my body to swell with warmth, and I relax more fully onto the ground.

“It will be returning to us in the beyond for the time being. Your blessings are not the only thing it will be taking, though. Your memories will be bound as well. ”

“My…my. What memories?” I whisper, horrified.

“All that have to do with myself, the realm, CC. Anything and anyone that is not of the nonmagical realm. It will take and rewrite everything, Ultima unum,” she says softly, and I shove the box away from me.

“What? No. I can’t forget him,” I shout as my chest begins pounding with panic and my soul screams in agony.

“It will not be forever. They too will be returned to you with time. I will fill the void in your soul. Reweave threads that make you fill whole.”

“Do I still have a choice in this?”

“There is always a choice.”

My quickened breaths echo around me and my eyes trace the branches of my tree. The weight sitting on my shoulders feels monumental. The memories of everything I’ve experienced here, all the love I’ve ever felt here surface the longer I stare. Instead of feeling like I’m home, I feel nothing but sorrow.

I can’t live like this.

I’ll never survive.

“Is there any memory I can keep?”

“Is there something specific you’d like to keep?” she asks knowingly.

“Our lullaby. The one they both made for me.”

“Very well, Ultima unum.”

With a sigh of relief, I twist my fingers together in my lap. “What do I do?”

“Take your box and place it in the pocket dimension.”

Pushing up to my knees, I grab the box gently, afraid I may damage it. What I feared seconds ago, I now know with unwavering certainty is going to hold the best parts of myself. I will forever treasure it.

The sizzling of magic reverberates around me and the concealment that hides the opening of our pocket dimension fades away. My eyes instantly water as I gaze at our blanket and set my box on top of it. It was the only source of warmth I had so many nights. The comforting hug it brought while I waited here for CC to arrive.

“Close your eyes, Willow. When they open again, you will see the realm through a different lens. ”

I release a harsh breath as I do what she said and the rawest, purest magic surrounds me.

The painstaking, gaping hole in my soul begins to fill back to the brim, but it’s different. It’s stitching itself back together, but it’s as though a cheap fabric was used compared to the original design.

When the last thread knots, the pain that has been causing my body to vibrate intensely finally ceases, yet I know there’s something missing. It isn’t an overwhelming feeling, but one if I focus on it too hard, my chest tightens painfully.

“Sing, Ultima unum. Continue to sing until I call you home.”

I don’t question her anymore as I already feel a familiar, yet foreign pull of magic dance across my mind. I just give myself over.

My hand lies on the trunk of my tree and I sing.

“Air, earth, water, fire so bright,

Four elements pure and right.

Air we breathe, wise and sweet,

Earth stands strong, soil beneath our feet.

Water flows, broken and whole,

Fire’s warmth feeds the soul.

Remember these with joy and cheer,

The element becomes one, the world becomes clear.”

As the word clear crosses my lips, my mind responds.

A thick fog laces its way through my brain and attaches to me until that’s all I register. There are no thoughts, noises, or interruptions as the meaning of time becomes irrelevant.

A vicious shock shoots up my arm and I snatch my hand back as my eyes fly open.

“What the hell?” I mutter, looking around my tree to see if I fell asleep again and got caught in a storm.

Fuck, that felt like lightning just struck me.

My willow tree releases my hand and mind so gently, it’s as though it knows I can barely hold myself up. The branches wrap around my waist and all I can do to keep myself balanced is run my fingers through the leaves. The moments following what felt like electricity running through my veins start to come forth and I hold my breath, watching a memory I’m already familiar with.

I did in fact run that day.

I left my tree in a fit of rage at the fact Franklin had started my birthday morning off with taking eight bags of my blood. I was so exhausted after that, I took a nap. That’s where the memories change. What I remembered was going to my tree and falling asleep again.

The reality was what happened to CC.

Everything else after the Memoria stone took my memories stayed the same as what I’ve always recalled, though.

Due to the dizziness and pissiness of having my blood drawn, I forgot that Franklin had told me I had to attend the Governor’s Gala with him that night. So when I woke up from my nap and went to my tree, I was out there far longer than I should’ve been. I returned to the estate to find him dressed in his society best, fuming. While I was covered in dirt and tear streaks.

He verbally laid into me and promised when he returned, he’d deal with me.

That seemed to break the dam that was holding the emotional confusion and anger at bay.

In my fit of rage, I went to my room and packed a bag. From one of the guest rooms, I watched through the window as his chauffeur drove him down the driveway. As soon as the taillights disappeared, so did I.

I ran through the woods for what felt like hours. Only to emerge at a paved road on the outskirts of our land where the sheriff drove up on me in minutes. He informed me Franklin had received an emergency business call and returned home, only to find me gone. Half the department was out looking for me.

Despite my screaming that I turned eighteen and could make my own choices, he laughed, telling me the sooner I learned that was far from the truth, the better off I’d be.

Then he dragged me back to the estate.

That day…Trex and his brothers sealed their fate. My running signed over my next eight years of misery with Donald.

And worst of all, CC died.

“CC…”

I don’t even know what I want to say to him or ask him. That…it…

That was my last memory that was locked away. The weightlessness in my mind tells me that’s for certain.

“I will explain anything you want to ask when you get home, filia mea,” he whispers softly.

“Home,” I murmur, turning my head to see my portal in the trunk still open, yet no one’s crossed back through. “Shit, they can’t come back across, can they? Why did you do this here?”

“No, they cannot. Right now, Elementra is only allowing one-way travel. Do you remember what you saw when you watched your mother step through the oak tree?”

“Of course I do. I’ll never forget it. The way she disappeared and Elementra made everything around her disappear from my sight so I couldn’t watch any longer.”

“She didn’t make everything disappear. The oak really did cease to exist when she stepped through. Its purpose had been served and Elementra released its ties between her and the nonmagical realm. Until it was time to make your tree,” he says slowly.

“What are you—Wait, so that means…” Reality hits me like a ton of bricks and I turn in a slow circle as my breathing quickens once again. “I’m going to step through, and my willow will be gone. Forever.”

That’s not the only thing my mind puts together. My thoughts race like a game of musical chairs and eventually, some of the pieces finds their seats .

“That’s why you had to show me here. The part of my memory that happened after you passed was tied to the tree, not my stone. It… she tied it to the tree. If I stepped through without watching, it would’ve been gone as well. Why would you give me the option to see that or not? You said, there is something I can show you. Why wouldn’t you just tell me there’s something important I needed to see?” I ask as I start to hyperventilate.

“A couple reasons, my girl. First, if you had chosen not to see, my passing would’ve eventually surfaced for you in a different way. You would’ve never told me or said anything, but I know deep inside, you would’ve been crushed to find out you didn’t watch our last moments together in the spot where it happened. In what was your most cherished spot. Then I would’ve informed you, you knew you’d be losing your memories.

“Second, and selfishly, I didn’t want you to have to relive the emotions you felt afterward, nor did I know if I really wanted to see how you reacted. I’ve never been allowed to know what transpired in the moments right after. Just now was the first time I’ve witnessed it, and I am so sorry, filia mea. I’m so sorry….” he says, taking a brief pause, then carrying on before I can bombard him with questions.

“Last, because you have memories of that day. Not the immediate minutes after, but after the Memoria stone was gone, you remember it all. They may be hazy due to the emotions you were feeling, and you’ve blocked some of the details out, but you remember. You wouldn’t have lost anything nor would your course have been altered dramatically by you not seeing it all here.

“There were pros and cons to bringing it up or keeping it from you. I’ve always hated keeping things from you, but in this case, I didn’t know which of my options would’ve been better. Ultimately, I decided the only choice that was truly mine to make, was to give you an option, let you decide if you wanted to see or not.”

A war wages inside of me, and I squeeze my eyes shut. After experiencing what I have inside of the amplifier room, I never thought in a million years I’d be mentally begging for the feeling of the Shadow Light stone. What I wouldn’t give right now, though, for the clarity that comes from it after so many negative and positive things have come to light at one time.

“Go home, filia mea. There, I’ll answer the rest of your questions, and you’ll find the comfort and balance you need. There’s nothing left for you here,” he whispers.

For a moment, I fear he’s about to leave me, but his presence stays strong across my mind. I latch onto it as I battle with the gut-wrenching knowledge that this is the last time I will see my willow tree.

Except there’s an exact replica waiting for me at home.

“Is my bag and blanket in there or in the south wing?” I ask as I peer down where our dimension would be, but instead, is being covered by the portal.

“The dimension has always led to the south wing. It’ll be there waiting for you, my girl.”

The coils around my chest loosen slightly and although he can’t see me, I nod appreciatively. Then I take a deep breath, swallowing down the mourning of rewatching his last day and the end of what feels like a huge chapter in my life.

Aside from returning to reopen the portals, there’s nothing for me in the nonmagical realm anymore.

“Time to go home,” I murmur to my tree, letting the thin branch and vine of leaves run through my fingers as it unravels from around me.

Without my memories, I never would’ve guessed this tree was magical. Odd, out of place, and didn’t belong, yes. But powerful? An extension of our creator that I’d been cut off from? No.

Now it’s obvious that it’s been sentient this whole time. Her way of watching me. Protecting, providing, and being a silent companion through my darkest days.

Just to prove my point, the branch pokes me in my back, pushing me toward the portal, and a small, watery laugh escapes me. The subtle heat pulsing off the swirling rainbow engulfs me. It seemed to have been waiting for my permission before pulling me into its orbit. Once its warmth sinks into my skin, though, the chill from the last however long escapes me.

I breathe one last goodbye and step through my passage home.

To my men. My family.

All who I’m sure are waiting on the other side, ready to kill someone .

Nothing could’ve prepared me for the sensation of being cocooned by a mixture of my power and Elementra’s. It isn’t darkness that greets me but an abundance of color just like the land is painted in. It’s breathtaking, freeing, and feels so right. There’s no dizziness or unsettledness that I’ve experienced from transporting. It’s purely peaceful.

I wonder if that’s been a sign from my body that it was craving to wander a little farther and I was cutting it off too soon.

As time slows—at least that’s what it feels like is happening—a thin veil of the same swirling rainbow appears in front of me. It beckons my body forward, and even if it wasn’t visible, I’d know that’s my exit.

An echoing gasp falls from my lips as I step halfway out, then freeze. The familiar scene in front of me has my throat closing and I lift my hand to my mouth as I slowly free the rest of my body from the portal.

Behind me, the warmth gradually recedes like a lingering hug, then closes, leaving me in darkness.

My eyes quickly adjust, and I stare at the spot CC stood over two hundred years ago, waiting to escort my mom. The cave is both reassuring and welcoming because I know exactly where I’ll be when I walk out the entrance.

Before I can take my first step away from the wall, though, the entire structure shakes, causing dust and debris to fall from above me. Panic grips my chest for a second, then the magic from outside washes all over me.

Shit. They’re going to tear this cave down.

My eyes nearly bug out of my head as I race through the small distance separating me from them to stop them. Once I pass through the cave mouth, my skin pulls tight. The block, almost like a ward, that Elementra put up to keep them from entering.

Air, earth, water, and fire fly toward me in a blaze of power as the guys cast out their elements once again. My feet skid to a stop as I watch the storm head straight for me, but it all fizzles out feet away.

My gaze tracks over each of them. Their heavy breaths, shaking shoulders, and the murderous looks that could kill on the spot. I have no clue how long that took back there, but judging by their emotions and body language, far too long for their liking .

Unconsciously, my breathing begins to sync with theirs and I find it harder to draw in air as the tension continues to climb. They seem almost in a state of shock while my body becomes too heavy to hold up. The emotional roller coaster I just experienced seems to have taken its toll on me and now that I’m home, feet from my men even though they’re mad as shit, it’s hard to stay standing.

Swaying harshly, I land against a chest as hard as stone, yet the gentle hands that cup my face betray that strength.

“Little warrior…You were right behind me. What happened?” Tillman asks, strained. When my eyes meet his, the power it’s taking for him to keep himself together is almost at its limit.

“My…my last memory unlocked before I stepped through,” I mumble, attempting to keep the tears at bay.

The other three surround me and their worry cuts me deep enough I have to slam my eyes shut.

“How long?” I ask.

“Too long,” Cas grunts while Corentin answers very literally.

“Seventeen minutes and forty-eight seconds.”

“I’m so sorry for worrying you all. I didn’t know it was going to happen.”

“Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for, little wanderer. You couldn’t help it, right?” Draken says, surprisingly being the first to calm down. Actually, judging by his bond and dragon, I think he was the calmest this entire time.

When I turn my head to him, I find our new bird friend still sitting comfortably on his shoulder. Those eyes speak a thousand words and I have a feeling not only did he warn Draken, but he knows far more than we do about everything.

“Yes and no. It’s complicated and I need to show you all but…” I trail off, looking at each of them. It’s their decision to know the truth, though. They deserve that.

“It’s about him, isn’t it? Uncle Orien? That’s the only memory that he’s withheld from you,” Cas concludes knowingly and the deep rumble in his tone hurts my heart .

“Yeah, it is.”

“Let’s go inside and make some tea. Your brother has already lowered the ward, and the rest are in there, waiting for your return, child.”

Tillman steps to the side and I nearly hit my knees at the sight of Gaster. The broken, knowing look in his features is a knife to my heart. Of everyone, even me, though, he deserves this closure. I’ll relive it once again to give him that. So with a pinched smile and a nod to him, he turns and leads the way for us.

Corentin leans in close, laying a gentle kiss on my cheek before moving to the side for Tillman to do the same. A mixture of fire and ice mingles through my blood as Draken takes one hand, and surprisingly, Caspian links his fingers with mine tightly. The tremble passing through his skin vibrates my entire arm and I gently coax his bond. Reassuring him as much as I can that everything will be okay.

I swear as we pass through my mom’s front door, my shoulders relax at the smell of rain. The threshold seems to strip the negativity surrounding us, leaving us more comfortable for the conversation to come.

A small smile dusts my lips as we enter the very crowded kitchen. Oakly’s voice sassing someone, mixed with Aria’s giggling at her draws a laugh from me that has every head turning in my direction.

“Not cool, little dragon. Not cool at all. They damn near destroyed our forest,” Lyker grumbles, crossing his arms and scowling at me.

“They would’ve fixed it afterward,” I say, still chuckling as they make grunting noises around me.

I believe agreeing with both of us.

“Come sit down. I’m not waiting over twenty-four hours this time for answers. I’ll be damned,” Oakly demands, crossing her arms and plopping down in a seat as she stares daggers at me.

“Do you need me to stay, Adored? Tanith is having a fit. She doesn’t even want to fly here but is demanding someone come transport her,” Keeper says as he pulls me in for a hug.

“Ugh, she’s going to hate that.” I grimace.

“Well, she will learn her lesson now, won’t she?” he says, smirking deviously .

“That she will. We can fill you in when the two of you get back.”

“San can transport you,” Ry tells Keeper before turning to Tillman and me. “The rest of us will be outside. Carrington couldn’t fit through the door, so the others are out there with him.”

I mouth, “Thank you,” to him as he makes everyone leave. The only people remaining now are my men, Gaster, Oakly, and Lyker, and the emotions instantly start to swell in my eyes.

“Here, child, drink this first,” Gaster orders, setting a mug in front of me, and I smell the calming tonic in it.

“Thank you.”

“What happened, Willy?” Oakly asks, much softer this time.

“My last memory unlocked. CC’s…the bits that he left out from the first time around. It’s his last moments,” I choke and the room descends into a deadly silence. I cough to clear my clogged throat, then continue, “I’d say just let me tell you all what happened, but it’s not just the way he died that’s important. It’s multiple pieces finally coming together and I think you should see it.”

Part of me feels guilty that Aurora isn’t here as well, but I quickly shut that down when my stomach starts to turn. She wouldn’t want to see this. She’d rather hold onto the last night they spent together. Her just finally knowing how will be enough for her.

If not, I’ll show her alone or with her men surrounding her.

“Go on, Primary. Don’t drag this out any longer,” Cas orders darkly and I reach out and squeeze his hand.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes,” everyone echoes.

Okay then…

Like I’ve done countless times now, my gift wraps around their minds and spills the secrets I always get to know first. It’s taken me up to this moment, this secret, to finally understand why.

Each time I’m shown something, I must make the decision, who, when, how, and why anyone else needs to know. Because the knowledge will give them each a choice to make and that will change their paths. Everyone is their own person, yet their reactions can cause a chain reaction that no one sees coming.

I wish I could say watching the second time around is easier because I know what’s to come. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

I don’t sob or scream like I did in the nonmagical realm, but my tears coat my face and slide down my neck like a waterfall. I know every eye at the table is wet. Even if I could open my lids right now to verify that assumption, I wouldn’t dare. It would kill me.

The emotions soaring off them and pounding into my chest are bad enough. It’s like a war drum, readying everyone for battle. And that’s exactly what this will start. We already know that time is coming, but now, the reason, the motivation is even more solidified.

As soon as I cut the threads connecting us, a kitchen chair hits the ground with an ear-splitting bang. The painstaking, deep, ragged breaths Gaster is attempting to take suck all the air out of the room. He rushes over to the counter and bellows in the empty sink, creating a melody that is haunting and unforgiving.

My men…they aren’t showing their emotions as outwardly as Gaster is, but their sorrow and anger bleed into me. They can’t cut off the flow, nor would I expect them to. Instead, I tie myself to each of them. A gentle hug to Tillman’s mind. A halo of light around Corentin’s laced fingers. A leash of shadows connecting me to Cas. A never-ending caress to my mating mark for Draken.

I sit with them in their mourning and let them feel whatever they need to feel.

Our moment feels like it lasts a lifetime until finally Gaster’s sobs taper off and my men all release deep breaths. With a squeeze to my shoulder from Cas and my thigh from Draken, I take that as my sign now is the time I can comfort him.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Gaster,” I whisper into his chest when he pulls me in close.

“Don’t apologize, child. I needed that answer. I needed it more than I could ever describe. I’ve lost sleep at night thinking he was by himself, dying alone somewhere. He wasn’t alone.” His voice breaks as his arms tighten around me.

“I wasn’t. I had a piece of both of you in those last moments, and that made it all better. I promise,” CC says and a shuddering breath falls from Gaster.

“Why, my boy? Why did this have to happen?”

“Please tell us,” I beg.

“Of course, filia mea. It’s time now you can know,” he easily agrees, I’m pretty sure for the first time in my life, and I release a relieved breath . “I want you to know, my death was an unwavering, singular path. The methods in which would change but never the outcome. I was Elementra’s first and only creation ever to be made with the intention of dying. I resented her so much for it.

“I even went as far as ignoring the first few visions that followed my emerging one. I deeply regret that still to this day. Despite what will seem like a selfish or unfair decision on Elementra’s part, it was far from that. She blessed me in so many ways and still continues to even in the beyond. I live in a paradise that I couldn’t describe to you even if I had the words for it. And I still get to live among you in a sense.

“So before you get angry at her for this, know that if this hadn’t happened, everything you all know now never would’ve happened. Starting as early as my mother. She never would’ve had any children, ending the Vito line. Her cruelty shouldn’t been have passed down. My creation paved a new path for her. Willow, you would’ve been born Nexusless. All the tangled webs have a perfect path. I promise.” His tone falls to a whisper, and I barely hear the deep breath he takes through the ringing in my ears.

Everything, every step has had a purpose, years in the making. The saddest and most heartbreaking choices were supposed to be made. Even the creator had to make those hard calls.

“Now the why it came about as it did,” he says, pulling me back into the moment, “you and Oakly have already figured out that the gifts that the Summum-Master steals are fueling him like he is still blessed by Elementra although the potency is different because she doesn’t recycle the power. She no longer serves him or any of his followers, but that wasn’t the original plan.

“He was always supposed to take my gift for himself. It was a sacrifice I had to make in order for us to control him. His next steps, the visions he saw, the decisions he made. She was going to sacrifice her strong belief in not crossing the line of balance in order to interfere with my gift through him. He would’ve gained the give and take relationship back, but she would’ve stood in his way as much as possible.”

“I don’t understand that, though. That would’ve tipped the scales in favor of the Mastery,” I say as I force my mind to focus one thing at a time right now.

“It would have for a short time. Then it would have changed.”

“How?” I ask.

“With your arrival, princess. You would’ve tipped the scales back,” Corentin says out loud and I whip around, wide-eyed.

I didn’t realize I’d left my mind open for them all to hear.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention, or I would’ve given you a warning.”

“It’s okay, keep it open. We need to hear this. Uncle Orien, is that true?” he asks calculatingly and the hair on the back of my neck stands up.

“It is.”

There’s a shift amongst my men and Gaster that I don’t quite understand. Oakly can also hear what’s going on judging by her pale face, but she isn’t tense like the guys. Lyker just looks utterly confused, so I quickly fill him in, and like the others, he clams up.

“What am I missing?” I ask quietly, to which no one responds as my eyes travel over them.

I land on Caspian, knowing if it’s something bad, he’ll rip the Band-Aid off, but not this time. By the way his shadows swirl around him, he doesn’t want to say it.

“Little wanderer.”

My whole body turns toward the purr leaving Draken’s lips and my eyes widen at the soft look on his face.

“It’s about the balance in the realm. The Summum-Master is the ultimate evil. Your mom—really from what we know, your whole family line—was the ultimate good. They would’ve been more equally matched. ”

“Okay…” I say slowly.

“The rules of unequally matched Primaries. It goes both ways,” Oakly whispers and when she lays her hand to her heart, it clicks for me.

“My mom outweighed Franklin. Tipping the balance. I would’ve arrived and it would’ve balanced the power out again,” I mumble. Shocked.

“The attacks and everything else picked up so much over the last few years because we lost Uncle Orien, didn’t have you or any of your family. The power still tipped but without the benefit of Elementra being able to interfere,” Tillman says.

“The true unbalance happened when Iris passed. I tried to keep everyone blind to it by running as much interference as possible,” CC says softly.

“You mean like how you befriended the second family that’s betraying us?” Cas asks. There isn’t any accusation in his tone, more so, he’s trying to piece something else together that doesn’t quite make sense to him yet.

Shit. How could I forget about the call he took?

“Dillon and Pran are in the Gale Nexus. The Central council,” I state the obvious.

“The two of them aren’t your enemies. They’ve been working from the inside for me for many, many years. I do consider them friends. The rest of their Nexus…” There’s anger in CC’s tone that I don’t think I’ve ever heard before. Neither have my men judging by how straight they sit up. “They’re vile. They’re to blame for so many atrocities I can’t even begin to explain. Nor will I forget or forgive, even from the beyond. Their crimes will come to light, and they will all get what you believe they deserve.”

That order mixed with permission has the energy in the room shifting once again. The bloodthirsty smirks that spread across the lips of my men says it all. They plan to dish out plenty of revenge for whatever it is the Gales have done.

“What now?” I ask quietly after a few moments of everyone sitting in their own silence.

I’m honestly in a state of shock that I don’t know how to explain. It’s both comforting and discombobulating knowing I have every piece of memory returned to me. That’s been one of my biggest obstacles I’ve had to face since arriving. There’s no more searching for secrets inside of me .

The only ones left are what’s in front of us.

What’s the first step from here?

“Return your blood to where it belongs, filia mea. Free it at last. Then you all need to take the young giant to the academy,” CC answers, although I thought that to myself.

“What happened to not making decisions for us?” I ask at the same time Corentin speaks.

“We were taking him to the palace. Why the academy?”

“I’m not making decisions for you all. I’m making one for Carrington. He will be safer within those wards and more accepted there. This is his home now.”

All eyes turn to Corentin, and he nods, guaranteeing that’s exactly what we’ll do. While he pulls out his communicator, no doubt warning his assistant or someone at the academy, I fill my brother in on the last tidbits he missed out on.

“Then let’s go return it, little dragon. What better place than where it always belonged,” he says, slapping his hands on his legs as he pushes himself out of the chair.

“Really? In Mom’s garden?”

“Absolutely. In our garden.”

Following behind him, just as we step toward the door, my steps falter as I feel the thin veil around my mind grow lighter. My heart clenches, knowing what that means.

“Time for you to go, huh?”

“Just for a little while. Be with our family, my girl. Let the worries and revelations of the day rest. Enjoy the happy moments and don’t dwell on the past. Everything is as it should be.”

I release a long exhale that mimics his presence fading from my mind. The subtle heat from my Memoria stone cools just as we walk down the steps out the back door and I take his advice to heart.

I don’t fight my smile at the sight of my family gathering around Carrington and one of the taller trees back here. His massive body basically floats through the air as he jumps, grabbing and hanging onto a branch any of us would have to use an element to touch. They’re cheering, causing his cheeks to pinken, and I just take in the small, peaceful moment.

His freedom is pure, childlike, and makes my heart so happy.

“You think you could beat him in a tree climbing race?” I ask Tillman.

“No,” he says just as Carrington loses his grip on the branch. His ass hits the ground with enough force that everyone wobbles and Tillman snorts, “Maybe.”

“Ready, child?” Gaster asks, drawing everyone’s attention to us.

“One sec,” I say, then tap into my link to Tanith. “Hey. Are you transporting or flying here?”

“Neither currently. We’re having a pointless argument. My lord has made it out like I can’t handle moving through the fabric of your creator. Insolent vampire. Who is he to question what I can handle?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “It is pretty jarring the first time. I got sick. But I’m about to release my blood and wanted to wait for you guys to get back.”

“We are on our way, Adored, don’t you worry.”

Again, I chuckle at the sass behind her words. There’s no doubt now she’s about to win that fight and I tell everyone we’re going to wait just a few more minutes for them to get here.

It’s not even a minute later and Tanith’s golden scales shine bright as she takes up space in the backyard. I’ve grown used to people poofing in and out of existence, but a dragon is a totally different story.

San and Keeper jump away from her as if she’s going to be ill or possibly breathe fire, then turn back to stare at her. After a moment, she huffs a ring of smoke that covers them both.

“She handled that far better than I assumed she would,” Keeper says with a smirk as he walks toward us, but I keep my eye on her.

“You okay?” I ask.

“That was absolutely dreadful.”

“And I assume you didn’t tell him that?”

“Of course not. Tell him he was right? Never in my day.”

She shoots me a wink and I hide my grin as I look at Keeper. “Will you have to control the blood again? ”

“No. It is free-flowing in Gaster’s dimension, so you will be able to just open and release it.”

“We’ll give you a little space, child. Plant your feet and connect to Elementra while you open it, then let it free,” Gaster says gently, patting my hand, but I squeeze his as he goes to step away from me.

“Thank you.”

“And thank you, my girl.”

Peering over my shoulder at my Nexus, I find them all standing there with prideful smiles on their lips. Despite this long, emotional, and seemingly never-ending day, there’s a thrumming of excitement for me lingering beneath their surfaces. I soak it all up and silently swear that after we finish what we have to today, we’re taking a break for the rest of the afternoon and night.

Taking a deep breath, I picture the pocket dimension in my mind. I command it just like I would if it were of my own creation, but with the small difference of adding in Gaster’s magical signature with the gift we share.

As the swirling silverish-lavender pool appears in front of me, I take a few steps away from it. The distance between us splits as my earth element opens a hole in the ground and I release the breath I’d been holding.

“Guide it.”

My air immediately responds and my heart thuds like crazy as I once again feel the power of my mom and grandma mingling with my element. It’s like the life force that’s been preserved in their blood recognizes the matching life force from me.

The river of red doesn’t surge from the dimension like wild rapids but flows into the earth like a gentle breeze. It’s soft, yet the power radiating in the air is raw and I’m almost jittery from it.

Emptying the dimension takes way less time than it did filling it and my stomach cramps with a wave of longing. I’m homesick for a home I’ve never even known, but there’s no doubt it would’ve been the most loving place I ever would’ve lived. It’s bittersweet.

This is an unconventional reunion, to say the least, but one I’m so thankful for, I couldn’t even begin to describe it.

I’ll cherish this moment forever.

As the last droplet of blood soaks into the earth, I close the pocket dimension, then turn my attention back to the hole.

“Welcome back,” I whisper to nothing, maybe everything.

And the realm responds.

A thud travels like waves across the ground, and I hear the gasps from behind me, but I can’t tear my attention away from the hole. I stare, transfixed, as it pulses, morphing the mud back to gritty dirt as our blood sinks deeper beneath the surface.

With no command from me or anyone else, the ground stitches back up, emitting one last powerful flutter.

It isn’t just a feeling or reaction this time.

Everywhere I turn, the spectacular colors of Elementra are repainted, brightened to a whole other level of beauty. If I thought this little slice of paradise my mom created was stunning before, now there isn’t even a word to call it.

Life seems to burst free everywhere.

Another layer of grass thickens the already green sea. The trees seem to stretch a little more for the sky and their branches spread like wings. Wildflowers of every color on any spectrum sprout free and I throw my head back laughing when a ring of small purple blossoms surrounds me.

A powerful gust of air circles my family and they each seem frozen in amazement. Oakly and Aria giggle, running their fingers through the breeze, and all the men stand a little straighter. When the familiar breeze caresses me, I sigh.

“You may not know the true significance of this yet, but you will. And I cannot thank you enough, Ultima unum.”