Origin of Angels: Elemental Legacy Book 1 (5 page)

I TURNED TO SEE WHAT WAS keeping my sister and Rayla, and what I found was the two women in a speed walking match. They were both nearly running, but neither seemed willing to make the first move for the imminent sprint. I smiled, shaking my head and waited for the outcome. Rayla was trying, and I admired her for it. One would have to be a saint to really like Ainessa — or else compelled.

I twisted my neck to look at the oddity among us. Travis was the first of his kind, like his sister, but unlike Rayla, there had never been a male Elemental. Since we still didn’t know if Travis had access to his powers or any power at all, perhaps my judgment was premature. No matter what, there was something different about the boy. Since the showdown with Valen, Nicco and the other royal guards had disappeared. It was no wonder. All a person had to do was put together the connection between father and son to realize who was most important in the equation. I chuckled considering how many times Ainessa had snubbed the royal guards. All along they were the group she’d been searching for.

Even though Faine, my previous bondmate, was firmly back in my life, I couldn’t ignore the protective instincts I had for Rayla. Faine had been called back to Earth when Rayla fought Valen. Faine hadn’t told me why she was here, other than she needed to fix her mistakes. She’d started the Elemental “curse” — as the power and bond were known by mortals. I’d tried to console her, even shield her from the truth, but her pain over the outcome of her decisions was palpable at times.

To spare her further heartache, I’d asked her to investigate Ainessa’s claim that Gibbit had truly returned to the mortal realm. Somehow I doubted Ainessa had let the thief go so easily. She most likely had him waiting in the borderlands. Before the realms were combined, Gibbit had made use of my old residence there. It was a place I had kept to escape the political unrest in Faeresia. Considering the extent of the battle and cost of it all, not much had really changed. Sure, the landscape was vastly different, but unfortunately the lords and ladies of court thought themselves superior to others. My sister happened to be the leader of the movement, with her haughty glances and condescending behavior. I was all for equal rights if it meant equal work.

I’d made every effort to compensate females for the lack of bonding, and still Ainessa had insisted she get a chance at an attempt with Rayla. The lure of the girl’s power was what had first brought me to her, but I soon learned her greatest attributes had nothing to do with the Elements. Rayla could argue with the best of my men and come out ahead. She’d outwitted all of them at one point or another. She’d demanded change from the start, which was exactly what my people needed. No doubt about it. Even though it would take time, Faeresia would never be the same, and it was because one Elemental had refused to do what she’d been told.

To be fair, she and her brother had the advantage of angel genetics. At least it was my impression of who the royal guards were. The truth was we’d likely never discover their origins. I had to wonder if they’d been sent for the sole purpose of turning the Elemental equation. The Order had grown out of control. I’d warned my people for years of the danger of leaving the men unchecked, that I needed more lords to help with the human realm. It was unfortunate they didn’t listen until it was too late, until Valen took nearly half our people with him.

Rayla made it to my side first, giving a slight smirk. To her credit, she was barely out of breath. “So what’s the plan?”

I was surprised how many times she had deferred to me since she’d taken over as queen. A fae would never do such a thing. One might ask guidance, but to let another lead, especially not her bondmate, was unthinkable. For Rayla, including others seemed to be in her nature. I truly believed once issues were settled, my people would come to realize she was the best influence they could have. What she lacked in experience, she made up for with a thoughtful mind and a kind heart. Such things could not be faked. If they could, my sister would have claimed the throne centuries ago.

When I looked at Ainessa, she gave me a tired nod. I’d never seen her so despondent. It wasn’t easy to slip into the role of brother after so many years of trying to forget I had a sibling, but I made the effort all the same. I sidestepped Rayla to place my arm around Ainessa’s shoulders. Rayla gave me a curious once-over but didn’t comment. If looks could speak, hers asked me why I was wasting time. Ainessa’s expression was no less confused. So much for the healing power of sibling affection. I gave her a squeeze before I stepped away. Then, I angled myself between the two women. “The testing will be simple to begin with.” At this point, I gave my full attention to Rayla. She’d be the most likely to complain. “However, you must understand if we cannot compel him to use his powers, we may have to resort to other means.”

As expected, Rayla’s hands shot to her hips. “What other means?”

I shifted my weight to the other leg, wondering how best to approach the subject. “Sometimes, people need a reason to use their abilities.”

Aghast, she frowned. “So you’re just going to attack him?”

I grunted at her lack of strategic understanding. “Only if we need to. It will be a last resort. I promise.”

As we made our way to the arena, Rayla stayed silent. She was probably upset with me. I could try to access her mind, but since I’d lost the bond with her, the task would prove difficult, and I needed to save my strength.

The giant coliseum came into view. Rayla had captured nearly every detail when she’d recreated it. The archaic structure with its high columns and glistening stone always brought a sense of dread. Not because I lacked the desire for battle, but for how quickly things could spiral out of control. Whether by intent or instinct, Rayla had infused high levels of each element in the surrounding area. The structure itself was mostly earth based, but under the stone lay water and fire. Out in the open expanse both space and air were accounted for. It truly was equal where battle was concerned. With no option for an upper hand, some might resort to underhanded tactics to win in the upcoming tournament of lords.

It appeared Luke, Taylor, and Jett had already started debriefing the boy on the rules of battle. To his credit, Travis looked on with eager excitement. He stood tall next to the other men with no outward expression of intimidation. The conversation became clearer as we approached the others.

Luke sniffed, giving Travis a once over. “Have you a mark?”

Travis didn’t hesitate in his answer. “None I’m aware of.”

Rayla cut her gaze to me immediately, her tension charging the air. I gave her a slight shake of the head, hoping she would let her brother answer without jumping to conclusions. I couldn’t blame her for her trepidation. When we’d found her, each member of the hunt had insisted on seeing nearly every inch of her to verify her claim. Rayla huffed, but she didn’t comment. She was learning to control her nature, which was a rather welcome surprise.

Taylor stepped in. “Since we know his sister was not chosen, we can assume he is correct. If he leaned one way or another, surely one of us would know.”

“I don’t mind checking to make sure,” said Ainessa in an over cheerful tone.

Travis paled considerably, his face twisting into a grimace which couldn’t be ignored. “I agree with Taylor,” I said before Rayla could slip a circuit. “We have no reason to check; we already know his lineage.”

Ainessa grumbled something incoherent under her breath before she moved to stand beside Travis. Her slender fingers found his bicep, which flinched under her touch. She lifted her determined eyes to his. “It really wouldn’t be a bother, and it would be the quickest way to determine which course to take.”

Travis eased away until her fingers fell from his arm. “I want to learn, not strip.”

Rayla’s laugh burst out of her at lightning speed. The rest of us kept a tighter leash on our amusement. Ainessa shot a warning glance to her queen, who promptly ignored her. Rayla came to stand near Travis. “Do you feel a connection to the Elements at all?”

Travis focused on nothing in particular, as if trying to come to a conclusion. “I’m not sure. Sometimes, I think I’ve felt something, but most often I’ve only got indigestion.”

Rayla punched his shoulder. “Be serious.”

He rubbed the area, frowning. “Hey. I am.”

Before the two could continue bickering, Jett spoke up. “The surest way is to begin the testing. We still need a representative from —”

“Stop your moaning. I’m here,” said Finn from near the wide gates. His long stride brought him to us quickly.

Jett offered him a smile, which seemed strained. “Good of you to show up. We’re just about to start.”

Finn gave a tight twist of the lips before turning his attention to Rayla. “Cassie will be along in a few minutes.”

A GRIN CAME EASILY. I didn’t get to see Cassie much lately, and I missed my best friend. I could use a chat like we used to have — lazy hours without much to worry about. We never tired of each other, except when we’d been at school, but Cassie had been acting strangely since her bonding to Finn. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something she wasn’t telling me. I hoped not because we’d only barely overcome our college mess when the fae had taken over my life, and Cassie’d been stuck in the middle. Understandably, she’d been upset when all the lords seemed to want me, but then Finn had defied his people and his queen to pursue a relationship with Cassie.

She’d been so excited to bond with Finn, and I’d been so happy for her
— until she’d collapsed. It had taken Tabitha, the mage of the fae, a long time to heal Cassie. I just hoped she was okay. Bondings could last for centuries, depending on the Elemental’s life span, but she wasn’t exactly an Elemental. The one thing I didn’t want to think about was losing my best friend.

The idea that Cassie’s own father had experimented on her still tinted the world with red. Nigel Lambert was the worst sort of man. He’d been trying to make an Elemental. He’d given her injections of who knew what to change her DNA. Even the fae doctors couldn’t determine what he’d actually done. They also couldn’t tell if or when Cassie would gain Elemental power. The worst thing was none of us knew if the bond would be the same for Cassie and Finn, or if it was slowly killing her. I’d only wanted her to be happy when I’d arranged the ceremony, but now I wondered if I’d made the biggest mistake of my life in helping her bond with Finn.

When Finn joined with Cassie, he essentially turned his back on his realm and his queen. I wasn’t sure how relations really were within the houses now, and I needed to find out. I just might corner Cassie this time or Finn or both to get some answers.

Giving Finn a broad smile, I said, “I can’t wait to see her. Is she feeling okay?”

Finn didn’t answer right away, which brought a pang of fear to my chest. “To be honest, I don’t know. She’s been distant. I was hoping you could get her to talk. I’ve tried, but she refuses to admit there’s a problem.”

Worry clamped around my throat, straining my reply. “Why didn’t you come to me sooner?”

Finn lifted a dismissive hand. “She made me promise. Said she was fine, and you had enough to figure out.” He gave a huff, crossing his arms. “I’ve run out of ideas to get her to open up.”

I bit my lip, a habit I picked up from my best friend. “Cassie only spills when she’s ready. I’ll see what I can do, though.” I steeled my expression, capturing Finn’s full attention. “If she ever tries that crap again, come get me.
Cassie’s family. I will always have time for her.”

Ainessa gave an irritated grunt. “We should get started, unless you want another mortal year to pass.”

Using deep breathing techniques to keep the rage away, I envisioned myself as the world’s best punter and Ainessa’s head as the ball. One could dream. Despite my efforts, my voice filled with annoyance. “Whatever you wish, princess.”

As was usual these days, Zach stepped between the two of us. “Let’s make a circle.” When Travis moved to join us, Zach said, “Stay where you are.”

I TRIED TO SHAKE OFF MY nerves, but it was hard to do with so many eyes trained on me. Once the group was settled, I waited for instructions, partly hoping I had no power at all. It sure would simplify a lot of things in my life.

Zach closed his eyes, and soon, the others followed. I wasn’t giving up my sight unless it was totally necessary. I’d been through enough evaluations with the Order to know to keep my guard up. After a few minutes of utter silence, I couldn’t take it. “What are you guys doing? I thought we were testing me here?”

Zach opened one lid, sending a silent command my way. I tucked my hands into my pockets, tempted to pull up a spot on the grass. The others stood like statues for so long I could have sworn a witch had cast a spell on them. I chuckled at my own joke, which brought a round of shushes. For once, I agreed with Ainessa: this was a waste of time. I caught her peeking at me a couple times, but for the most part, she remained in utter concentration.

Rayla’s face twitched before her eyes snapped open. She stared at me. Strangely, her mouth falling agape.

“What?” I wondered aloud, no longer hiding my frustration.

“I can feel your power,” she said, almost reverent like.

My pulse jumped, so I made myself take a long breath. She didn’t know what she was talking abo
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