Origin of Angels: Elemental Legacy Book 1 (17 page)

Taking one last look, I made myself focus on my mission. I had a troll to deal with, and if I waited much longer, he would find a way to slip past me. Since Travis had likely caught way too much of our conversation, I decided it would be better to take things outside.

Gibbit stood with his arms folded, eyeing me dubiously. At least he wasn’t going for the door without me. As I approached him, he tipped his chin up in obvious rebellion. I smiled, tempted to hug him again. No matter how gruff he pretended to be, he’d shown me who he was inside. Before Travis interrupted us, Gibbit had dropped the bombshell that Travis had a price on his head. Even though I’d already been told, the news made my insides quiver, mostly because even Gibbit hadn’t been able to locate the threat. How could I keep my brother safe now? We’d gone through all the trouble of finding him before, not to mention the deconditioning he went through once things settled here.

Even though I could barely push the thoughts of him from my mind, I managed. There were other people I needed to worry about, and as Travis reminded me, he could take care of himself.

Heath stayed by my side as we exited the building. I’d done my best to create an opalescent structure when I created Council Hall. I’d chosen pure white granite for the façade with heavenly stained glass and crystal chandeliers to cast an otherworldly glow. The problem was it looked mortal. Once we recovered the Elementals, I would have to work on something more suitable to this place. Most of what I’d made had come from something I’d seen in a magazine or imagined. I hadn’t gotten much travel time growing up, so the only castles I’d been exposed to were Faeresian. As much as I’d loved the places, I couldn’t bring myself to recreate something Valen had been instrumental in building. The last thing the fae needed was more of the same.

The morning was bright with rich sounds of birds and rustling leaves. In Faeresia, the air not only offered the musky scent of fresh dew, it lingered most of the day. Once the sun came out, the floral breeze brought exactly enough vitality to wake up any lazy soul. Today, the experience fell flat.

We walked into the labyrinth and meandered until we were completely alone. Gibbit stopped at the red bench, which remained in the shade. He lumbered onto the seat and heaved a sigh. I was grateful when he began without having to be asked. “Three lines have vanished. From what I can tell, there ain’t no O’briens, Halloways, or Campbells. Strange doings are happening ... like I never saw.”

Before he could go on, I butted in, “
Campbells, are you sure?”

“Checked all my sources, Miss. ‘Tweren’t one.”

Well, I knew two who were about to join the masses. “Anything else?”

“I’ve located a group of Elementals I believe are being targeted. Several have gone missing within the last few months. None have information to share.”

Every tick of the clock brought a sense of dread. Were the women missing or worse? With Lambert involved, it was anyone’s guess. “Which family?”

Heath
straightened, his head whipping to the right. “Quiet. Someone is here.”

If Travis were lurking in the bushes, I was going to kick his butt. I cupped my hands on the sides of my mouth. “You’re made. Come out.”

A dark figure emerged from behind a distant tree. It didn’t take long to identify the culprit. “Lacey?”

She smiled before Heath said, “She’s not alone.”

“Who else is there?”

Natalie stepped from the shadows, her head held high. I nearly laughed. “What are you two doing?”

Lacey folded her arms. “Following you. No one seems to want to let us in on this mission, so we’re making our own.”

My stomach dropped to my toes. I hadn’t considered the Elementals here, and Natalie was purely mortal. Both women came nearer. No matter how long I stared at the bushes, no one else emerged. It seemed someone was missing. “Where’s Roger?” I searched the shrub line again looking for him.

Lacey gave no outward reaction, but there was venom in her tone. “Staying here. He’s got his hands full of fae women.”

Once a Snake.
“I thought you two were patching things up.”

She clicked her tongue. “He’s more interested in what this place has to offer. I should have known.”

I’d seen slices of decency in the man, but he seemed to have left them somewhere between an island in the Pacific and Lombarda. I pulled her close until our foreheads touched. “I’m sorry. Want me to blast him with a bolt of lightning?”

She chuckled, her hazel eyes filling with a wicked light.
“Wouldn’t do any good. He’s a boy and always will be.”

“We’ll find you a man,” I said, sneaking a glance at Heath. He’d told me someone had it bad for Lacey, but he wouldn’t spill.
Traitor.

Lacey straightened. “Who said I want one?”

Wounded as she was, I let her talk. When we were on the island together, she’d shown me her softer side in the quiet of the night. No matter what she said now, I knew she wanted someone to love her. I’d thought the man would be Roger, but it was totally his loss. I avoided looking at Natalie long enough. When our eyes met, she gave me a halfhearted smile. Sadness permeated from her as if she’d marinated in it. It wasn’t as though I expected her to get over Sam’s death in a day, but she’d tucked so far inside herself, I wasn’t sure when she’d emerge.

I gave her a hug, hoping she’d break the ice. When she didn’t, I asked, “Are you sure you want to get into this mess?”

We’d brought her entire family here, and I was certain her mother would throw a hissy fit if she knew what her daughter was about. “I’m going crazy, cooped up like I am. I need something to do.”

I had hoped she would find a mystery to investigate here, but she hadn’t shied away from danger when we were back at school. Made sense she’d volunteer. Really, the only danger she’d be in is if
Lambert or one of his flunkies recognized her. The truth was she could be a real asset in the field. “Thanks for coming.”

She offered a dubious frown. “You aren’t going to tell me I can’t go?”

For dramatic effect, I shifted my eyes right and left, then gave her a secretive smile. “Like that would keep you here, anyway. Who am I to tell you what to do?”

She glanced at Lacey as if I’d lost my brain. “Last time I checked, you were queen of the fae.”

I shook my head, pushing down the insecurity. We still had a lot to do before we could leave; the first was to find out everything Gibbit had learned. He still sat on the bench, staring at us as if he watched a late night drama. All he needed was some popcorn. I left Natalie and Lacey to sit by him. “You were saying …”

His smile revealed his chipped and missing teeth. Surprisingly, his breath wasn’t horrendous. “It’s the Jamison clan, my lady. Like I said, they’ve had abductions. Normally, I’d say it was fae business as normal, but I’ve never seen so many girls taken at once. Most Elemental families know about the light and dark court
—”

A grave realization hit me. “What do you mean by dark court?”

“Those fae what followed Valen are calling themselves by the name.”

Valen had once explained to me the yin-yang relationship between dark and light elements and how they were symbiotic. The thing was he’d taken people from all the houses, which totally blew his theory to the next galaxy. “So we’re the light court, then?”

He stared, giving me a sneer. “Jokingly. You know, miss, if you keep interrupting me, we’ll be here ‘til next week.”

“Sorry, go on.”

He cleared his throat. “It’s no secret the dark ones aren’t above taking the women they want. Whoever is doing the deed have even nabbed a few before they’ve hit the age of power. The Jamisons have lost over thirty girls already. What bothers me is those of the dark court I’m still in contact with deny their involvement.”

Nausea crept up my throat. “How many Jamisons remain?”

“It’s hard to say. If I had to guess, I’d say fifty.”

“None of the other families are experiencing this?”

“Naw. Most are still sending their daughters to Order compounds.”

I leaned closer, trying to get a better view of his expression. “I thought we didn’t know where they were.”

He studied his dirt encrusted nails. “You didn’t. I’ve always known.”

I shook off my desire to argue in favor of getting to the point.
“Gibbit, where is the Jamison clan located?”

Gibbit shot a direct look at Heath.
“Liverpool.”

MY HEART LAY FLAYED AT FAINE’S feet. She’d been distant since she arrived, but I’d never had the nerve to ask her if this was a permanent situation. Now, I knew.

“How long?”

Her fingers fluttered over my jawline. “I wasn’t told, but I’ve been visited twice already.”

Anger stiffened the muscles in my chest and arms.
“Who?”

She shook her head as if she’d deny me,
then inhaled sharply. “You know him as Nicco. I believe he is Rayla’s biological father.”

All I could think to say was, “Why? What does he want?”

She gave the ghost of a shrug. “To help, I think. I hoped for a little less pressure from the powers that be.”

Nicco had been a Royal Guard, sworn to protect fae ways. We’d treated his kind like dogs in the dust until we discovered their true origins. Shortly after, every single Royal Guard had vanished. “What has he said to you?”

“I can’t say much, Ammon —”

I’d allowed her to use the name I hated purely because I had her here again, but I couldn’t let her continue. “Please call me Zach.”

She frowned, her emerald eyes searching my face as if for an answer. “Why?”

I whirled, unable to face her. “When I was Ammon, I did terrible things. I changed my name when my heart changed.”

Her breath caught as her fingers played with the plum ruffle at her throat. She’d always been dainty and girly, but I’d forgotten how much she loved frills. My body and my mind warred for control. Since she’d re-turned, I desired to touch her constantly, afraid she would disappear as quickly as she had arrived. Our eyes connected. In hers lay a thousand questions, yet they revealed no answers. She looked away after only a moment. “I’ll try to remember, but you are and always have been too hard on yourself. If you could see things from my point of view, you may reconsider your choice.”

The last thing I wished to do was get off topic, so I simply offered a quick thank you. To keep from reaching for her, I shoved my hands in my pockets. I could easily forget the world with her this near. She may have moved on without me, but I’d kept her in my mind so long I remembered every quirk, including when she was evading. “Did Nicco give you a timeline?”

Her breath whooshed, puffing her hair about her face in an ebony veil. “His demands were more about action than time.”

We’d been given few laws when we occupied this Earth, most of which were related to keeping balance be-tween nature and civilization. With Valen on the loose, we were in danger of losing our contract.
“What exactly?”

It had to be bad from how much she was stalling. I kept staring until she grunted.
“Fine. If we can’t get enough of the Elementals to tip the balance, we will be in violation of our agreement.”

She said it as if she were one of us. Faine had been as incorporated into fae society as was possible for an Elemental, but to hear her speak as if she were fae sent a shiver of pleasure through me. For a moment I wondered if she hadn’t moved on at all. I shoved a hand through my hair. “It’s no wonder Valen is taking whole families.” She nodded,
then glanced away. I’d memorized every nuance of her reactions when we were together, which was why I couldn’t let this go with the flimsy explanation. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Her shoulders straightened, and her jaw clenched. “If we can’t take care of our problems, the angels will come.”

Angels — hell no. Every dealing I’d had with the creatures involved punishment for me. Even when in dis-guise as a Royal Guards, the angels had carried out sentences for infringement of the law. I’d wondered from the moment I’d got the news why Nicco had run. He had nothing to fear from the fae, which made me wonder who he feared. The Royal Guards had been able to harness lightning in a way I’d never mastered. I had the distinct impression we were children compared to them. I appreciated my mate’s willingness to share this information, but she still hadn’t answered my original question. “Did Nicco give you a timeline?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Two weeks.”

THE BORDERLANDS WERE CREEPY AS HELL. We’d been here less than three minutes, and I was ready to bolt. Electrical impulses erupted sporadically between air splitting cracks. The sky roiled as if in a boiling cauldron, and the smell was like walking into the zombie apocalypse three days after the war. I kept a fist to my nose as we weaved through the thick jungle.

After the travel I’d done while with Lambert, I thought I’d seen everything. Nothing could have prepared me for the glimpses of creatures lurking in shadow. Rayla had reminded me these were normal fae who had been transformed, cursed, for supposed transgressions. Indentured to servitude, the forsaken things had fallen to the basest emotions and actions
— the actions of the damned. I’d heard of the Alp-luachra, but I had no desire to ever see them. Wraiths, I could handle. Even with the gaping maw, I could deal with something I could combat. From what I’d heard, the Alp-luachra could strip a bone clean of flesh in less than a second. It might be a fast death, but I wouldn’t want to face it.