Heiress: Birthstone Series Book Two (40 page)

Behind me, I heard a tree uproot. The soil around it thrust
it out and sent it sailing toward the king. It shattered mid-flight. Shards and
slivers of wood whirled past and became lost in the wind.

He laughed.

I blinked against the hot tears clogging my vision. As the
liquid rained down my cheeks, I saw him raise his arms, his face glowing with
elation.

Behind him, the earth groaned and rumbled. Trees exploded
out of the ground and shattered, the blast toppling more trees nearby. I felt
the soil beneath me shift and pull as the ground rose higher and higher,
reaching toward the sky with a jagged, bare peak.

The clouds that had gathered behind him split open and snow
poured to the earth in a blinding whirlwind. It mingled with the fires I’d
created and swirled around us in a mixture of ash and ice.

 I blinked at the sting in my eyes and stared up at my
grandfather through the haze. He took several steps closer until he towered
over me.

“I came across a messenger bird,” he said. “Sadly, he never
reached his destination.” He pressed a small scroll into my frigid fingers. “I
believe this was meant for you. I give it to you as a reminder, Aylen. You will
fight and fight to remain in control. You’ll believe in your ability to return
to yourself. You may even believe someone, perhaps this boy, can help you. But
someday, after you’ve destroyed him and everyone you love, once you’ve drained
the life from each person you cared about, you’ll know I spoke the truth. You
belong to the gems. And you will live and die by their power only.” His lips
curled into a bitter smile as he stepped back. His eyes flitted to the necklace
around my throat.

“Let us see how far you have to go before you are consumed.”
His features turned hard. I fought to look away from him but his words turned
my eyes back to his. “Give me your necklace,” he whispered.

My lips froze against the refusal I tried to utter.
He’s
compelling me!
I thought. My body shook against the urge to obey him. The
yearning to submit to him surged through me.

“Give me your gems,” he insisted again.

I closed my eyes and clamped my fists, holding fast to the
scroll he’d given me. A gust of angry wind ripped through me and I dropped my
head to my knees.

“I want them now!” he ordered. The earth shook with his
words and once again, I felt the urge to obey.

Through the haze of snow, smoke, and wind, I lifted my head
and clenched my fists tighter against the king’s demand pounding in my blood.
My nails dug deeper into my skin and I felt the scroll scrunch in my palm. My
hand shook as I lifted my fist. I uncurled my fingers enough to grab ahold of
the paper before it blew away and my frozen hands managed to unroll it. I
lifted the message to my eyes and struggled to focus, my eyelashes crusted with
frost and dirt. When I finally made out the words, I blinked again and again,
unwilling to believe my eyes. The words were few and I ached for more, but
still, every letter filled me.

“Aylen, my path will always lead to you. I’m almost
there. –Sai
”

I pressed the tiny note to my lips and choked back a
strangled sob from deep inside my chest. I remembered Ylira’s words again.
They’d never left me, I realized, and I believed them. The gems would always be
my greatest storm, but they wouldn’t sink me.

I felt the king’s cloak of misery rip away as memories of
Sai took the place of my grandfather’s emotions. The Protection Gem burned
against my neck and enveloped me in a cocoon of warmth. I stumbled to my feet,
Sai’s message an anchor in my hand.

I straightened my shoulders and fixed a steely gaze on the
king. “I won’t become you,” I said. “I’m a slave to no one.”

I turned my back to him, unafraid. As I walked toward
Hesper, I felt his gems tug at me, failing in their attempt to overcome the
power of my own.

“You will obey me!” He screamed. I whirled around, prepared
for what I’d see. His eyes weren’t focused on me this time. Instead, he stared
at Hesper’s still body.

I didn’t give him time to hurt her again. The warmth of the
Heat Gem filled my veins and I pushed it out toward the snow covered trees and
ground. In an instant, the snow turned to liquid. I shifted the earth into a
channel and made a path for the water to pour into it. Then I steered it
straight for the king.

“Shir!” I yelled at him. “Wherever you go, I won’t be far
behind.” As the words left my lips, thick, muddy water roared toward him. I
felt him use his gems against me but I clamped down and held fast to my own
power. His eyes grew wide when he realized I was stronger. A moment before the
water smashed into him, he disappeared with a crack.

I stared at the place where he’d been, breathless. I
listened to the gurgle of mud and water, drenched and shivering. Minutes passed
before my shoulders slumped in relief. He wasn’t coming back. But I knew the
reprieve couldn’t last long.  There was so much left to face, so many things to
do before it was too late. 

Nearby, Hesper stirred, her clothing coated with mud and
snow. She grimaced as she forced herself into a sitting position. I rushed to
her side and slid an arm around her shoulders.

“He appeared out of nowhere,” she croaked. “I’m so sorry I
didn’t warn you. All I saw was the dagger. After he stabbed me, I couldn’t even
speak. Then I fainted.”

“I know,” I whispered. I wrapped both arms around her and
held her tight. “He was using a Concealer. And the dagger was poisoned. It
wasn’t your fault.” I pulled away and studied her. “You’re all right though,
aren’t you?”

Hesper managed a smile. “Weak. But alive.”

“Alive is good.” I rose to my feet and held out a hand.
Hesper grasped it and let me pull her up. Around us churned a river of filth
and debris and the forest had been flattened. Our cloaks were soaked and dirt
streaked our skin and hair. But the blood stained rip on Hesper’s dress and her
trembling frame injured me the most. I’d nearly lost her.

“Do you think you can fly?” I asked.

She gave a small nod of her head. Encouraged, I reached for
her hand and unclasped my ruined cloak. My wings burst forth as it fell from my
shoulders. After she’d removed her own cloak, I squeezed her cold fingers.

“We need to hurry,” I told her. “We have a battle to win.”

On the battlefield, bodies formed small hills on the
landscape. Crumbled ruins of stone and rubble were heaped where the outer walls
of Indikae once stood, but the fresh mask of snow softened the harsh, broken
edges of death and devestation.

Near the western side of the city, I found a portion of the
wall that hadn’t been completely demolished. Hesper and I landed there and I
scanned the area, in search of a way to end the fighting. I had to act quickly.
The king’s army seemed endless in spite of the rebel groups that continued to
arrive.

More than anything, I wanted to draw my sword, find my
father, and fight by his side. But I knew I couldn’t. I’d learned too much
about my grandfather’s plans, and now that knowledge pounded a terrifying
rhythm inside of me. Every moment brought him closer to his goal, and if he
accomplished what he wanted, hope would be lost for all of us. I needed to work
fast and return to Et Loedin. I had to share what I’d learned.

“Hesper,” I whispered, “the flyers must stop fighting.”

She turned and regarded me.

“They, and any other rebels, should retreat toward the
city,” I explained. “If the flyers can help bring our people closer to the
wall, this will get done much faster.”

“You want me to spread the word?” she asked.

“As quickly as you’re able. Start on the east. I’ll be
ready.”

Hesper didn’t waste another moment. She lifted off the wall
and soared high to avoid stray arrows. I turned my attention to my gems, my
limbs quaking. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t use the Destroyer again but there
was no other choice. Every second counted and it would be the quickest way to
encourage the king’s men to retreat.

I gripped the small note from Sai in my hands and recalled
the moments I’d felt safest with him. The Protection Gem’s power flowed through
me and I smiled. That was the easy part.

A moment later, the Destruction Gem lay hot on my skin, as
though it sensed what was about to happen.  I swallowed hard against my own
trepidation. Gingerly, I focused on noble reasons to use the gem. I thought of
protecting my family, destroying with the purpose to help someone else.
Nothing.

It wouldn’t work to use Tanerris’ methods, I realized. The
gem was designed only to cause pain. I had no choice but to accept the
inevitable. Gritting my teeth, I let the gem’s power pour into me, this time
fueled by my own, personal darkness. As soon as the heat of its strength hit my
blood, I released it onto the nearest soldiers who wore the king’s armor.
Breastplates and helmets exploded at once. Gauntlets shattered from arms and
hands while knee and leg protection dropped to the ground, leaving the soldiers
vulnerable. Weapons cracked and splintered before crumbling from fists. I
turned to the next group and repeated the process, their screams piercing me
the way weapons pierced their exposed flesh. Still, I continued, moving my
attention from warrior to warrior, through clusters of fighting men, creating a
steady pattern of destruction. Many began to retreat when they realized what
was happening. The bolder, stronger warriors stood firm and looked for the gem
user responsible. But it didn’t matter if they found me. There was little they
could do to stop me.

As the rebels gained ground, I connected to my Earth Gem and
slowly began to shift the soil. Little hills rose up throughout the battle
field, each another step closer to separating the king’s men from the rebels.
Soon, the flyers began to arrive.

The rebels pulled back toward Indikae’s wall and I continued
to destroy armor and weapons. I heard the panicked cries of soldiers as they
began to stumble further away from the city. The sounds fueled my Destroyer
even more. With each moment, several more soldiers retreated or fell from
injury as their armor shattered from their bodies. When most of the battlefield
was cleared of rebels, I took my opportunity.

The long stretch of land in front of Indikae began to
rumble. I closed my eyes and willed my Earth Gem to match what was in my heart.
I felt the pull of sand and soil in my chest as I forced it to turn and twist.
Dust caught in my throat and I tasted loam and moss on my tongue. I sensed the
rolling of rock and clay and I swayed when the ground shuddered. Most of all, I
heard the screams of those caught in the wake.

When it was finished, I opened my eyes. Everywhere I looked,
the landscape had changed. Twisting channels and canals now surrounded Indikae.
In snakelike form, they wound around the city and through the valley until they
gathered in one giant pit.

I’d unearthed several large springs beneath the soil and
they gushed forth, filling the channels with muddy, churning water. It poured
forth and crashed through the valley where it finally dumped into the pit. On
the other side of the pit were most of the king’s soldiers, fleeing.

Satisfied, I released myself from all but the Protection
Gem. I stood alone, hidden mostly in the rubble of the wall, and observed the
retreat of the king’s men. I doubted they’d ever seen the gems used against
them with so much grandeur. I smiled bitterly. I’d steered them away from the
city, which had been my goal. But after today, I understood the cost every time
I used the gems in such a way.

I tucked Sai’s note away in my pocket and watched the skies
for Hesper. When she finally swooped down and landed beside me, I grabbed her
arm for support.

“You did well,” I told her.

“So did you,” she said, eyeing me warily. I tried to smile
but instead, my lips turned downward and I felt my body sag.

“We need to get back. There’s much left to do.”

“I know. They’ll need the able bodied to help with the
injured.”

“And I have a presentation to plan.” I said it half
mockingly but Hesper nodded.

“You have to go through with it, Aylen. Now, more than ever,
these people need to know you can protect them.”

I didn’t answer. We both knew she spoke the truth.

With a heavy sigh, I connected to my Sky Gem and felt my
wings sprout from my back. Together, we took flight for Et Loedin.

“How could you be so reckless?” Aluce hollered. I clenched
my fingers against Sai’s message in my pocket and tried to breathe. She’d found
me in my quarters not long after I’d arrived and hadn’t wasted any time in
diving into her tirade. “Do you have any idea how this has affected everyone?
Most of us thought you might have gotten yourself killed. You’re the main
source of hope to these people. You almost destroyed that!”

“My mother could have told you where I was. I let her know
my plan and she supported me.”

“You’re mother left as well, Aylen.”

“Really?” This news surprised me. “Where did she go?”

“She went to Benduin to help some of the refugees.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Aluce continued to glare at me. I turned and strode toward
the wardrobe in one corner of my room. After I’d opened the doors, I selected a
new training gown and draped it over my arm. “I desperately need a bath. We can
discuss what I need to learn for my presentation once I’m cleaned up.”

Aluce opened her mouth to argue but shut it again. After a
few moments of silence, she cleared her throat. “I’m glad to see you still plan
on preparing for it. There’ll be more people attending than we originally
planned. This will be good for them.” After a pause, she added, “And for you.”

“Of course,” I said, with as little emotion as possible. I
brushed past her and opened my chamber door. “I’ll find you as soon as I’m
presentable.”