Eternal Sacrifice (Mortal Enchantment Book 4) (16 page)

Then I heard his voice inside my head.
“No, Ariel. No! Please don’t leave me,”
he cried.
“Not like this.”

I tried to respond telepathically.
“Marcus, I’m so sorry.”

He turned to face me.
“You can hear me?”

“I don’t know how or why, but yes,”
I replied, still unsure how to explain what was happening between us.
“For the first time, I can.”

Marcus shifted his glare to Valac. He had remained there, only a few feet away from them, still seemingly in shock by what he’d done.
“You did this.”

He let out a roar that shook the entire room.

“Marcus, don’t,”
I begged.
“He’ll kill you.”

“Can’t you see?”
Marcus replied, crouching down into a fighting stance, growling from deep in his throat.
“I’m already dead.”

Valac raised his sword, ready to defend himself. The blade was still wet with Ariel’s blood.

I was heading over there when Selene stepped in between Valac and Marcus, her hands straight out at her sides. My brows snapped together. Was she protecting Marcus? “Please, I’m begging you,” she said to her brother. “If you have any shred of love left for me, you’ll leave now.”

“I didn’t want to kill her,” he replied, pointing his blade at Kalin. “
She
was supposed to die.”

Valac went after Kalin because she was the only one that could stop him if he pierced the mist. Without her, we’d have no other choice but to surrender to his demands. Kalin carefully sat Ariel’s head on the floor. When she rose to her feet, fire burned from one hand and a wind tunnel spun in the other. “Take your shot,” she said, waving him on.

I struggled to reach them. Giving up on my legs, I tried flying. My wings were too heavy, and I tumbled to the ground. None of us were at full strength. Even combined, I wasn’t sure if we could take him down. “Don’t do it, Kalin,” I yelled. “That’s exactly what he wants.”

“Please,” Selene pleaded to Valac. “Let them grieve.”

Marcus had shifted around Selene. He was a second away from pouncing. I had no time to reach him. He was still too far away. Then it hit me. If I could communicate with Marcus, there was a chance I’d inherited my mother’s ability to control the hounds. I didn’t want to do that to him. He’d experienced it before when she forced him to tear off my wings. But if I didn’t do something, Valac was going to kill him.

“I’m sorry, Marcus.”
I concentrated solely on him. Focusing on the bones in his limbs, I tightened my fists until my knuckles were white. My body was completely still. He tried to push forward and stopped mid-step. He roared as he tried to move, but went nowhere. I’d done it. I had the power to control the hounds.
“This was the last thing I wanted to do to you. But I won’t let him kill you.”

“I don’t care what happens to me,”
he snarled.
“Let me go.”

“Which is why I can’t let you go,”
I replied. There was movement going on all around me. I heard the sound of swords scraping against one another. But I couldn’t see any of it because I needed all my concentration focused on Marcus. He fought back. Each second that passed was harder than the last. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep this up. My core force drained away at a rapid pace. If it emptied completely, I’d die.

“You can’t hold me forever.”
he said, pushing back against my power.

“No, I can’t,”
I replied, struggling to maintain him.
“But I’ll protect you until my last breath. Even if I’m protecting you from yourself.”

“I don’t need your help,”
he growled.

There was one last thing I hadn’t tried. The only way I had left to reach him.
“Marcus, Ariel is dying. There’s nothing that can be done to stop it. Do you want to spend her final moments fighting Valac or by her side?”

Instantly, he stopped and I released him. Once the connection was broken, I saw that war had exploded all around me. I couldn’t see Marcus or Kalin. There was too much happening. Still on my knees, I felt the world was teetering back and forth. My vision blurred.

Then there was nothing.

Kalin

My best friend was dying.

I was about to challenge Valac when I heard Marcus struggle. Something was holding him in place, preventing him from moving. I scanned the room. That’s when I saw Rowan, who seemed to be in some kind of trance. I watched in awe. He’d told me about his mother’s power over the hounds, but he said he didn’t have it. Maybe he’d just realized it. Neither of them said a word, so I concentrated on their bond. I heard the end of what I assumed was a conversation between them.

Holy shit.

Rowan had the power to control the hounds.

Whatever he said seemed to stop Marcus. I stood frozen in place as he morphed back into his mortal form. Other hounds fought all around us, clearing away the remaining rogues. I spun around. Valac was gone. He must’ve gotten away. I reached behind me. The shield. It was gone too. He’d taken it while I was trying to connect with Rowan and Marcus. How had I let this happen? Ariel had given her life to save mine. Marcus had lost the love of his life. All for nothing. Pain seared through me like a hot knife, slicing right through my heart.

Marcus took Ariel’s hand in his. Tears welled in his eyes. I wanted to grieve with him. To show my support and tell Ariel how much I loved her. But it felt like an intrusion. They loved each other so much, and now everything had been taken away from them. It wasn’t fair. None of this. Ariel groaned from the pain. None of the ointments we had would help her. Excalibur’s blade acted like a poison. Even our strongest medicines did nothing to relieve the stress on her.

“I can’t heal her,” Selene said, sniffling. “But there is something I can do to ease her pain. Will you let me?”

“Yes.” I was supposed to be the all-powerful akasha, and yet I couldn’t save my best friend. But if I could ease her pain in any way, I was willing to do it. “If it’s okay with Marcus.”

He nodded.

Selene bent down on the other side of Ariel. She slid her hand in hers and began to sing. Banshees were known for the part they played in death. Not many knew they could also ease the pain of sufferers with their song. Her voice was soft and soothing. Ariel watched her as she sang. An ease came over her. Everyone around us seemed to be calmed. She continued for several minutes. Ariel watched her with a smile on her face. A line of blood ran out of her mouth, and down her cheek.

Her eyes closed and she took one last breath.

And then she was gone.

The song ended abruptly as Selene ran away in tears. Marcus put his head on Ariel’s stomach and cried. Riddled with grief and guilt, I decided to do the one thing I could do for my best friend. I’d make sure Marcus was given privacy to grieve. I turned around, and walked toward a group of my knights. I pointed to them, taking one last glimpse of the greatest friend I’d ever known. A lump swelled in my throat. “I need you to form a blockade around Marcus and Ariel. I don’t want them disturbed for any reason. Do you understand?”

They nodded.

The hurt from her loss made it hard to breathe.

Where was Rowan? I’d lost sight of him during all the commotion. I searched through the bodies in various stages of decay. Then I saw him, face down in the middle of the dance floor. My chest tightened. He wasn’t moving at all. I raced toward him. When I reached him, I got on my knees and rolled him over. I put my head on his chest and listened for a heartbeat. Relief spilled over me when I heard him breathing. It was faint, but he was still alive. “Rowan,” I cried. “Can you hear me?”

No response. He wasn’t injured. At least, not physically. He appeared to be passed out. Whatever went on between him and Marcus had drained his power. Since he’d already weakened himself making that fire barrier, he had to be near death. I had to do something. Now. The woodland faeries told me that they weren’t able to help him because he needed to return to the eternal flame. That was the only way to revive a fire elemental after he’d used all his core power.

But I couldn’t do it alone.

Several hounds stood outside of the barricade. Selene cried on the shoulder of one of them. They each looked on as their pack leader grieved. I ran over to them. “My knights will protect Marcus.” I pointed to Rowan. “Your king needs your help.”

A younger-looking one was the first to speak as we made our way over to Rowan. “Do you know how he was injured?”

“He used up all his core power,” I replied, although I wasn’t sure if he had other wounds. There wasn’t time to check. “He may die if we don’t return him to the eternal flame.”

Another hound stepped forward. He picked Rowan up off the ground, cradling him in his arms. “We can take him.”

“I’m going with you,” I insisted.

Selene shook her head. “The flames will burn you.”

“No, they won’t.” I opened my palm, and ignited a ball of fire. They glanced at each other as they shrugged their shoulders. I peered at Rowan, lifeless in his arms. “We can’t waste any more time. Show me the way to the eternal flame.”

Marcus

I stood over the remnants of my wife.

A few small flecks of ash were all that was left of her. The rest had joined the winds, and carried her away. For a short moment in time, I had everything I ever wanted. I was happy. I had hope for the future. And as quickly as it came, it was ripped away from me. Leaving my heart torn into shreds. Now I had nothing except the emptiness. The swelling hole inside of me that would never be filled. I rubbed my hands over my face as I tried to make sense of all that had happened.

When I finally stood, I realized I had knights from the air court all around me. They were each in a fighting stance as if they were prepared to defend me. I scanned the rest of the area. The ballroom was empty. The once-immaculate reception room was destroyed. Blood had pooled on the floor, stained the silk linens, and even sprayed on the walls. Tables had been overturned and broken. The ceiling had burn marks and ruined light fixtures. Shards of glass were in several small piles as if someone had begun the cleanup.

I had one last mission in this world. One purpose. I’d search until I found the elemental responsible for all of this death and destruction. The one who had started a war that cost the lives of thousands of elementals. The one that had stolen the only pure happiness I’d ever known. Rage rose within me. I’d be the one that killed him. I’d watch as life left his eyes, and I hoped he’d experience the kind of pain I’d carry with me for the rest of my days. But I couldn’t do it alone.

“Where are the hounds?” I asked one of my guards. “Where is King Rowan?”

They turned to face me in unison, lowering their weapons to their sides. “They took him to the eternal flame. He’s been badly injured.”

My chest burned. I couldn’t take the loss of another person I loved. “Was he attacked?”

They glanced at one another as if they were searching for the answer. One of them stepped forward. “He passed out during the fighting.”

I tried to think back to what happened after I found Ariel. The memories were covered in a red haze. I was still in my hound form when I tried to go after Valac. But Rowan was in my head. He used his power to physically stop me. After all these years, he discovered he inherited his mother’s ability to control the hounds. It was her blood that created us. Since he was the last of her line, it made sense that he had her power. That must’ve been what caused him to lose consciousness.

He’d exhausted his power to save me.

I pushed my way through the knights, and headed outside. The portal to the fire court was just down the hill. When I stepped out the door, I gasped. The grounds were an extension of the damage I’d seen inside. I surveyed the area. It was an epic-level natural disaster. Pools of water had formed several muddy pits. Trees had been uprooted. Patches of grass were burned and torn out of the ground. More blood in every direction. Abandoned weapons and tattered fragments of clothing scattered the ground.

I had to get out of here.

Running as fast as I could, I reached the pathway in a matter of minutes. The ring of fire grew as I approached. I strode inside and kept my thoughts focused on Rowan.

The tunnels surrounding the eternal flame had gotten easier to navigate. It hadn’t been that long since I’d followed Rowan to the eternal flame. Along with a few of my pack, we’d traveled to the core of the planet to watch as he proved he was the rightful king of our court. He had no idea that the elders would return his wings. I wished I could’ve been there with him as it happened. A ton of guilt washed away when he flew out of the caves. Although I'd been forced, I’d never forgiven myself for ripping them off. Years later, his screams still echoed in my head from that dark day.