Forgotten Elements

The ramping energy reached a crescendo, and Heath exploded in a sudden spike of energy that fanned out and knocked us off our feet. My body ached from the impact, while, at the same time, felt a little numb from the tingling magic that washed over my body, making my legs shake as I stood. I couldn’t imagine how much worse it would’ve been had Wyatt not put the shield in place.

Another perk of the barrier spell was that it protected us from getting sprayed with blood and chunks of Heath. The sight left behind had my stomach turning, and I had to look away or risk throwing up.

“What in the actual fuck?” Jade groaned as she rolled to her knees and shoved her blonde hair from her face.

“Did the thing kill him so he wouldn’t answer any more of our questions?” Ari asked as she shook out her limbs.

Parker shook his head as he ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t think so; it seemed like the rune backfired.”

“I’m fairly sure he was attempting a summoning spell,” Wyatt murmured, letting the barrier fall with a wave of his hand. He surveyed the carnage for a couple more seconds before turning away with a frustrated sigh.

We had just lost our best lead, and we still had no clue what the hell was killing the others.

“Fucking idiot. Summoning spells aren’t something to fuck with.” Koa shook his head as he pulled Jade close and glanced at the blood bath. “We should get away from this site. We don’t know how this thing gets around, and I’d rather not face it until we know what it is.”

“I’m good with never meeting it,” Jade muttered against Koa’s chest.

Without another word, Wyatt created a portal that led us to one of the islands that were forbidden to us while on the retreat.

We were standing at the edge of one of the five villages in this realm that looked like it was plucked straight out of a fantasy movie. The wooden buildings were simple and no taller than a story, lining the wide dirt pathway where elementals walked between buildings, a few carrying supplies.

A passing woman paused, her eyes widening when she saw us. Unlike in the courts in our realm where we had a few of every species—usually due to matings and their resulting children—only elementals lived in this realm. Seeing sorcerers and summoners must’ve been a huge surprise.

Other than blinking at us several times, she didn’t interact with us. Instead, she turned on her heel and rushed down the path at a faster speed than before. We said nothing as we watched her disappear, probably telling someone we were here.

“Why the fuck are we just standing around?” Jade asked after a few minutes of waiting and more stares from the nearby elementals. It was like they forgot that we had such good hearing as they whispered to each other loud, not bothering to be quiet.

“It’ll be easier for them to track us down,” Wyatt murmured, and sure enough, not even twenty seconds later, a woman hurried toward us. She was statuesque, standing as tall as the men, with rich dark skin and a shaved head that only few could pull off. Her steps were purposeful as her dark eyes carefully scanned our group.

I doubted they had a select leader here since it seemed like they wanted to get away from all of that, but I’d bet she held some position of power since the other woman rushed to her right away.

“Magnus gave us permission to enter the realm,” Wyatt said as she approached, holding out his upturned palm. A bluish-white stone sat in his palm and gave off a faint trace of magic that reminded me of Magnus’ energy.

The tension holding the woman’s shoulders eased a fraction as her gaze landed on the crystal.

Wyatt kept his movements measured, the way one would with a scared animal, and placed the crystal onto her awaiting hand. She briefly closed her eyes as she probed the energy in the crystal with hers, checking to ensure it was Magnus’. I didn’t think there was anyone alive who was dumb enough to lie when it came to him.

I did think it was odd Magnus wasn’t here himself, but I’d have to wait to ask questions.

“What’s wrong?” Her velvety voice fit her appearance.

Wyatt’s gaze flicked to the nearby elementals that had stopped moving and were casting glances in our direction. “Maybe we should take this discussion somewhere a little more private.”

The woman met the stare of a nearby man before returning her focus to Wyatt and nodding. “Of course.”

Wyatt and Parker shared a long look, having some sort of silent conversation before Wyatt’s attention returned to the woman. “Parker and Harmony will tell you everything that’s happened. The rest of us need to check in on the other elementals participating in the retreat.”

She took everything he said in stride despite the confusion filling her expression.

“Don’t leave the island without talking to me first, and stay close to Parker. We don’t yet know if they were targeting whoever they can get their hands on or if it’s specific targets,” Wyatt said, meeting my gaze, his gray eyes swirling with his churning magic.

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out because it was true. I’d already been targeted, and heading straight toward danger wasn’t the smartest move. So, even though I didn’t want to be separated from my friends again, I nodded.

Wyatt and Parker shared another look that I had no hope of deciphering and turned away from us. After a brief goodbye with the others, they soon followed him and portaled back to the mainland.

Parker and I had some catching up to do since the woman hadn’t waited for us and was already over twenty feet away. She led us to a wide house that was a fairly plain log cabin. Inside was just as simple, without any excessive decoration. Everything in this place was needed for survival and comfort. The living room had a small sofa and a couple of chairs that weren’t all that comfortable. I should’ve gone for the sofa.

The woman paused in a nearby doorway, asking if we wanted tea. I immediately accepted her offer, having only had water for the past few weeks. As much as I loved water, and I did, I missed having tea.

“Where’s Magnus?” I asked, turning to face where Parker sat in one of the other uncomfortable chairs.

Parker leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out in front of him as he folded his hands behind his head. “He’s informing the kings and queens and looking into why the rift had been severed and when it happened.”

“Wait, the rift was severed?” How was that even possible? The connection of Magnus’ rift had been solid.

“When Reed called him, he checked the rift for the first time and couldn’t find it. He said he would call if he found anything out. We figured it was for the best if he remained in the realm as our backup.”

Before I could respond or fully wrap my head around the implications, the woman returned, handing me a steaming mug of tea. After inhaling the rich, earthy aromas, I thanked her and asked for her name since it felt rude not to know it. I would’ve told her my name, but Wyatt had already taken care of that for me.

“Matilda,” she said with a hint of a smile, and I decided it suited her.

This time, when she asked what was going on, we gave her a rundown of what I found, everything Heath told us, and the rune misfire. She had no clue as to what this thing could be, nor had she heard about any murders.

I expected her answer but was still disappointed nonetheless.

When she told us to wait here as she left the cabin, Parker and I waited in a charged silence. Even with the distance between us, I was acutely aware of where he sat and his every movement. I’d been so caught up earlier with everything going on that I didn’t have the chance to truly appreciate he was here.

“Did you annoy other women while I’ve been gone?” I casually asked, or at least I tried to sound casual.

A slow smile spread across his lips as his gaze slid over my body, sending heat coursing through my veins. There was little doubt in my mind that I looked like a hot mess from my fight and spending the past couple of weeks in nature. And yet, there was desire in Parker’s gaze as he stared at me.

“Only you.”

A burning fire began low in my belly and had me squeezing my legs together to ease the throbbing ache that returned with a vengeance. Before I could respond or wonder if that comment meant he hadn’t been with other women, Matilda returned.

“I’ve sent word to the other villages. We’ll soon know if they’ve had any deaths or disappearances.”

I pursed my lips as I nodded. It was hard for me to figure out which was worse: that this thing was going around killing everything in sight or it was specifically targeting those participating in the retreat.