Origin of Angels: Elemental Legacy Book 1 (27 page)

I walked to her and pulled her into a hug. Her shoulders shook as she let out the horror of her experience. “I’m sorry, hun,” I whispered, stroking her matted hair. “They will pay for what they’ve done. I promise you.”

Another girl spoke, “We don’t ever want to see them again. We want to leave. Let us leave.”

I shook my head, wishing I had a different answer. “They’ll only find you again. The fae have special abilities in locating our kind, and Lambert has access to any number of fae who would be more than happy to use their talents.”

“We won’t go with them!” shouted the girl who spoke first.

I patted her hand, and she frowned, wiping her perky nose with her sleeve. “You don’t have to. We’re taking Elementals and their families back to the fae realm where the Order has no reach. Come with us. It could be your families are already there.”

She turned to stare at the boy she’d clung to. He shook his head. “I love you, Amanda, but I can’t live through this nightmare anymore. I’m leaving.”

When he stood, she did, too. “I’ll go with you.”

His expression hardened. “I can’t risk it. I have to protect my family. What would my mom do if I never came home?”

Amanda’s angry response split the night air. “You’ve been gone for months and haven’t said a word about her.”

“It doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about her. I can’t go to some other realm. Your life is crazy, and I want no part of it.” With that said, he walked away. She stared after him, tears leaking down her face. Heath followed, and I was sure he meant to compel the boy to forget Amanda and the whole lot of us.

As much as I wanted to blame the kid for ditching her, he was right. If he came with us, he would never see his family again. More boys stood and left, leaving crying girls in the aftermath. Surprisingly, a few stayed.

From the moment the fae entered my life, I’d wished for normal. I understood what it was like to want something I couldn’t have. I got the worry and the heartache, but these Elementals needed a reality check. “We won’t force any of you to come with us. It is completely your choice. What we’re offering is a safe place to live. Some of you might consider bonding when the time comes, but if you don’t want to, you will have the choice. Our goal is to bring as many Elemental families into Faeresia as we can and to set up a symbiotic community. For centuries, our kind have been hunted by the fae and the Order. I used to think the fae were evil, but I’ve come to understand they only desire to be happy…to have as much of a normal life as possible. They aren’t un-feeling like I thought. The truth is I’ve come to love them, and I think if you gave them a chance, you would, too.”

Skeptical glances were shared between the girls. When Creed and Heath returned with the rest of the Elementals, we explained the situation. Some chose to leave, but most stayed. We ended up with twenty-seven Elementals and ten boys.

I was about to suggest we take everyone back to Faeresia when Heath tapped my shoulder. “May I have a word, my lady?”

Taken aback by his formality, I frowned. “Sure.”

He led me away from the others to a smaller crevice. His hand snaked through his dark hair, pulling a few strands out of the ponytail at the back of his nape. “We are letting go a perfect opportunity to ambush the enemy.”

I closed my eyes, not sure how to react. I’d considered setting a trap for the Order soldiers myself, but my first priority was to these women. “After we drop off the Elementals, we can come back.”

“It’ll be too late by then. I know you’re worried about these young ladies, but we can’t let an opportunity like this slip through our fingers.”

Creed would probably say the same thing, if given the opportunity. “Fine,” I said. “But we will not put them in danger.”

He smiled, eyes and mind alight with the impending battle. “I wouldn’t think of it.”

MY HEART LURCHED AT THE SIGHT. Valen carried my son, who gazed into the too perfect face of the fae. When Blade saw me, he screamed and kicked. Valen lowered him to the white marble floor, and he raced to me. I caught him in my embrace, soaking in the scent of his hair. It wasn’t the way I remembered, but I would take it.

“Mommy,” cried Blade.

In one word, my life had meaning. I looked at Valen, who stared as if in anticipation. The past few weeks had been torture without Blade, but Valen had shown me a side of himself I’d never thought possible. The entire time I’d known the man, he’d been aloof. Not so since the day he took me from the Order compound. I hadn’t seen Lambert since, and I hadn’t asked about him. I’d been told the fae were without feeling, but it was a lie. If anything, Valen’s feelings were out of control. It was as if once unleashed, they couldn’t be locked up again.

I stood, switching Blade to my other hip and walked to Valen’s side. I hugged him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “I would do anything for your happiness, my love.”

The pet name echoed in my mind. My love. My love. My love. My love. I had to stop myself from going down the slippery tunnel of compulsion. My fingers glided over my son’s plump calf, keeping me in the present. I offered Valen a genuine smile. I hadn’t been shown much of the palatial estate, but I hoped there was a comfortable place for Blade to play.

Valen’s hand came to rest at the small of my back. “I have something to show you,” he said, secretive like.

I giggled. “What?”

I was given a gentle nudge to go farther down the hall. The dove gray walls were scattered with renaissance artwork, mostly pastoral scenes, but some were gruesome displays of battle, or worse, naked bodies doing who knew what to each other. I certainly didn’t want to know.

Valen laughed. “It was a great time in human history.”

I swallowed.
“If you say so. I’ll have to take your word for it. Where did you get all of these?”

He gave a casual shrug. “I borrowed them, here and there.”

He meant he stole them, but I didn’t let myself dwell on it. The hallway led to an open room with at least twelve-foot ceilings. Back when the place was built, it might have been a ballroom, but it had been converted into a modern game room. A pool table waited in one corner and a bar in another. Two long sofas had been arranged for conversation or viewing the large screen, where a football game played. I turned to my companion, searching for the reason he would have such a room. He didn’t need human entertainment.

Footsteps clattered in the hall, and a man entered. He was too beautiful to be human, but I wasn’t fascinated by him at all. It was strange how much pull the bond had on me. I could look at other men and notice things about them, but the usual feelings were gone. Valen leaned down to kiss me,
then placed gentle lips to Blade’s forehead. “I will return, my love.” He pointed to an area by the sofas where a smattering of toys were scattered. “Blade should be happy there.”

My body nearly convulsed from Valen’s absence, but I focused on my son, ignoring the longing in my heart, or maybe it was in my mind. I couldn’t be sure. I hugged Blade and sat at the sofa, but soon, he was off to play with the blocks. It was the same set we’d had at the compound. I looked to the empty doorway, then across to the wall of windows which let in the afternoon light. For a moment, I allowed myself be happy to be here. Valen had been true to his word, and I needed to keep mine. It wasn’t hard for me to show him affection. When he was away, I ached to be in his arms, but there was
a hollowness to the emotion, as if it were an echo.

My thoughts jumbled into a confusing mess, so I went to play with Blade. He handed me some blocks. I placed them where I thought they’d fit, yet it wasn’t to his liking, so he rearranged my design. In the end, I enjoyed watching him more than anything. In the background the football game lent a surreal feeling to the moment.

The chatter changed, and I looked at the screen to see grim-faced news anchors. The woman was the first to speak. Her accent hinted of the British flavor. “An earthquake, six point eight on the Richter scale, struck Xinjiang, China, today. Reportedly, no deaths have occurred. However, local residents insist an entire town was destroyed, along with its residence. Maps of the region show no inhabitants in the quiet mountain area, but when our camera crew arrived, we found evidence of —”

The screen went blank. I switched to other channels, but no one else even reported on the earthquake. I let my mind wander with the television as background noise. It was strange to be here without Valen. He’d been attached to my side since he took me from the compound. I hadn’t stepped outside in ages. The truth was I had no idea how long I’d been here with him. For all I knew it could be winter already. I had a feeling from the bright, sunny sky it was still spring or summer.

I walked to the windows to scan the countryside. The trees were so thick I still couldn’t tell where we were. It really didn’t matter, but not knowing our location lent a heaviness to my already sagging heart. I should have abandoned the thought of being rescued or of ever having a different life. This wasn’t so bad, if I ignored the compulsion. Valen treated me well, most days. Still my mind and heart battled for control. It was the idea more than the reality of compulsion which bothered me.

Sighing, I walked back to Blade. He had moved on to cars, so I lowered myself to the carpet and grabbed one to play with. “Vroom,” I said, racing the toy along his arm. He laughed, face anticipating another pass. A smile came freely to my lips, and pretty soon I got involved in playing.

I didn’t notice Valen until he knelt beside me. He didn’t make a move to join our game but watched in-stead. I gave him an honest smile, then went back to enjoying my son. We used every toy provided at least twice. When Blade calmed, he climbed onto my lap, and I carried him to the sofa. I ran my fingers through his dark hair, enjoying the feel of his skin. I closed my eyes and leaned against the cushioned back.

Valen’s voice gnawed through my serenity like a wolf through bloody bone. “How much are you willing to do to keep your child?”

I involuntarily pulled Blade close. “Anything,” I said, meaning it.

His cold gaze flicked to the newscast, drawing my attention. “A level two tornado struck county Kerry this afternoon, inflicting widespread damage to the countryside. Although no deaths were reported, a few homes were destroyed. The residents have not been located. Gardai are investigating the scene.” The screen filled with images of a ravaged pasture. Where once cottages stood, rubble lay. The land had been ripped apart and sewn back together in strange patterns. “Unpredictable weather patterns continue to plague Europe according to reports from Estofex.” The woman looked at the man sitting next to her. She gave a smile, but true fear shone in her eyes. “Between the recent disappearances and the weather, it might be prudent to remain indoors for the foreseeable future.” He nodded,
then went on with a story about cows.

Valen’s features remained impassive, while I fought to keep calm. “Is this
your doing?”

He nodded. “Our fight has begun. I will need your help soon, my love.”

My insides curled at the inflection in his tone. I was running out of the will to fight. “What is it you’d like me to do?”

“To win this war, I will require your strength. I’ll need you by my side when the battle begins.”

“Of course,” I said while shivering inside. The images of the newscast came to mind, and I tried to push them away. “Where will it be?”

He patted my hand. “You needn’t worry. We will avoid areas with human settlements.”

I took a deep breath. “What about Elementals?”

He shrugged. “There may be casualties. Where war is concerned, there always are.”

LUKE ASKED US TO FIND a quiet place for him to concentrate. I’d never seen him able to stick to one thing for long no matter what the noise level, unless it came to women. Perhaps his excitement for recovering countless Elementals would keep him on task. We located a boathouse which was not in use. I sent a couple of underlords to watch the perimeter. Neither Jett nor I wanted to leave Luke to himself to accomplish such an important task. He didn’t seem to mind.

Decked out in bright colors, the place seemed more like an American’s version of what Mexico should be than owned by a local. I took a spot on the couch next to Luke while Jett brought a chair from the table. To my surprise, Faine kept the others occupied with tales of her introduction to the fae and Luke. My mind drifted back to the time I first saw her. I’d been smitten from the beginning, but she wanted nothing to do with me. She’d fancied herself in love with Luke.

Looking at her now, I could see the innocence of those days in her eyes, still. I’d been more of a fool than I would ever want to admit. I’d let Valen talk me into going along with the council. I’d nearly lost my best friend over a girl, but I would do it again. She’d stolen my heart when I thought I didn’t have one. She caught my eye, smiling, apparently listening in on my thoughts. I gave her a wink,
then focused on Luke.

His eyes were closed, and he’d crossed his legs as if in meditation. He’d agreed to let Jett and I tag along in his mind, so I delved in. Normally, it was a turbulent place of whizzing thoughts, but now, quiet reigned. He searched for the machine, the frequency easily recognized. He cut the link immediately to John Keller. His thoughts sprang forward, searching for the other end of the link. It led straight to Valen. With ease, Luke evicted the dark fae. His focus remained straight on task, and he sought out Lambert.