Dracian Legacy (40 page)

“You soulless bastard!” I screamed at Armen.

I wasn’t sure how, what, where, when, who, but I wanted vengeance. I was fueled with adrenaline and I wanted to kill. Kill Armen. That was my only purpose.

As I moved toward Joshua’s body, I stepped over the object my brother had in his hand before he was killed. It was still glowing blue. I picked it up, rage filling every inch of my existence. Warmth made its way into my body through this object at hand, inching its way to my cold heart. The air around me heated as my palms crackled with white sparks.

The suspended bodies around us unfroze, falling to the ground as they registered what took place. I didn’t care who was around me. Joshua was murdered. The murderer stood in front of me, looking directly at me. Alive. Very much what my brother wasn’t.

He. Will. Pay.

I squeezed my eyes shut and when I opened them, I felt nothing but grief-filled rage. I advanced toward Armen with mortal thoughts. The earth shook beneath my feet, the air filled with static, and my entire being burned. My body coiled and every inch of me ached to combust into million pieces.

“Tame your bitch,” Armen said before disappearing.

"You stole everything from me,” I shouted, discharging every bit of my hate.

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to be,” Telal said calmly.

How could he be so calm? He and his father murdered the only remaining member of my family. Axel’s hand reached for mine. I snapped my eyes to him, willing him to let me go. Instead, he fell to his knees, holding on to his body. I didn’t understand why he was in pain, but now wasn’t the time. I turned around and stalked toward Telal.

When I was in close proximity, I placed my hand on his chest and stood on my tippy-toes, inching closer to his ear.

"I’ll never be yours,” I whispered before falling back on my feet.

I glared into his eyes, leaving the palm of my hand over his chest as I felt the elemental magic mix with the rage released from every cell in my body. Telal’s expression softened with regret, love, and desire. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared as I stepped closer to his body, putting pressure onto his chest. I didn’t know how, but I knew this would hurt him.

And I wanted to… kill him.

White energy burst from my hands and his screams filled the room. The flames that surrounded him flared with my anger.

Vengeance held no mercy.

My heart smiled and my lips curved up in satisfaction, and I stepped back, letting him cry in agony.

"I love you. I always have. I always will.” I heard his voice reach my ears.

With a final burst of flames, the room lit brightly; then darkness overtook like a black hole sucking the light out of the room, taking Telal with it.

I turned around to find Cassie holding my dead brother, her beloved husband, her soul mate, her true love in her arms, cradling him as if he were falling asleep.

“Soon your strength will be tested when others take your place in the universe, others that are of most influence in your life.”
Nala’s words rang in my mind.

I fell to my knees.

EPILOGUE

A month had passed since the incident in Greece. In that time, we learned much about me, the Echo. For starters, my magic had been fully awakened and I could wield the earth element to the full extent. Well, less wielding and more losing control with the slightest emotional spikes. I was very volatile in my current state.

We also discovered that in the final moments leading to Joshua’s death, he gifted me with his magic. Apparently, there were only two ways magic can be transferred. One, the gifter must be willing, without reservations, to give up their magic. This was rare, as it meant they lost a part of their soul during this process.

Second, through controlled absorption, the magic can be taken. If the person absorbing the magic could not do so in a steady manner, they risked spontaneous combustion. Only one was ever successful in this skill in the history of
Kshadria
—Bermuda. Since then, many tried and failed in epic proportions.

For that reason, we came to the conclusion Joshua gifted me with his magical essence. Unfortunately, it was very instable thus far. Because Joshua’s magic was similar to Dean’s fire element, I’d been training with him, trying to learn to rein in its dangerous need to unpredictably erupt.

And I failed miserably. So far I set two couches, one bed, three dining chairs, and, oh yeah,
Dean
on fire. However overjoyed I was to know he was fireproof, that was the last straw. Setting inanimate objects on fire was one thing, but humans? No, I couldn’t risk it.

The only mystery left to resolve was
what happened to Telal?
No one understood if he’d been destroyed or merely weakened when the pure energy inside me burst with vengeance against him.

I sighed, shaking my head of the thoughts that were nothing but that…
Thoughts
. I closed the front door to my home, one final time. I hooked my thumb under the strap of my book bag and pushed it over my shoulder, taking one step at a time down the porch. My family and friends waited to say their good-byes as I embarked on a new journey to Dracia.

Pey stood before me, her eyes bloodshot and puffy. “Stay, please.” Her arms wrapped around my neck in a death grip.

I flinched, holding on to my stomach. Although Joshua healed me using his own essence, draining him of the power he needed to fight Telal, the battle wounds didn’t heal at the rate they should have. Rod’s black magic injections with Clouth and my near-death experience hindered my body from properly healing.

Great.

“Ah, Pey… I can’t breathe.” I patted her back as she swayed me back and forth, still not easing her grip.

Against everyone’s advice, I decided to tell Pey about the Dracians and what was expected of me. She was the one person in my life I would like to keep alive
and
be honest with. I was pleasantly surprised how well she took the news.

“Witch, you’re a bloody witch?”
she said, mimicking a British accent.
“That’s wicked. I could’ve used some of that mojo on Wade. A little bit of warts or boils or STDs would’ve been nice. Nothing major. That bastard deserved it.”

“We’ll see each other. Often?” she asked with hope.

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.” That was the wholehearted truth. “I-I don’t know.”

“Promise me.” She held my hand and my gaze. “Promise me you’ll try your damnedest to always keep in touch.”

I couldn’t promise to try. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try. Everyone I dearly loved conveniently found themselves snuggled in bed with Death. And she was one of the people that influenced my life. There was no way I would risk her life for my selfish needs.

“I mean, they aren’t so barbaric they wouldn’t have a cell phone or computer or the internet. Right?” She waved her hand impatiently. “Don’t answer that. I’ll just have to charge in there and beat the shit out of anyone that tries to stop me from seeing my best friend.” I tried to hide my smile, but it was impossible.

I could only imagine the wrath Pey would rain down on anyone that tried to dampen her parade. And I for one didn’t want to be in the vicinity… scratch that… on the island when she did.

“Hey.” Axel placed his hands around my waist and kissed my forehead.

“Hey.” I leaned into him. He was my strength.

Cassie had moved in with me as my legal guardian, and I took a week off before going back to school. That was the worst decision of my life. Apart from Dean and Pey, everywhere I went, people felt sorry for me. They wouldn’t look at me and if they did, they looked guilty, like they were enjoying their lives while I suffered. That was when I decided to go back to Dracia before my eighteenth birthday like I was supposed to.

“You okay?”
he asked.

“I will be.”

“Ohmygod, you guys are mind talking, aren’t you? Ohmygod.” She squealed. “Did you guys ever use it for, like, dirty talk or, like, phone sex… I mean, mind sex?”

I rolled my eyes and walked to the back of the black Cadillac Escalade. I threw in my book bag before heading back to Pey.

“Wait, is that better than real sex? I mean, since you guys will be in each other’s minds and…”

“Pey, babe, I love you, but take it down a notch,” Landon said, kissing her.

She pouted.

Axel laced his fingers with mine and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him. These days, he seemed to want to touch me every chance he got. I didn’t complain. He stayed over every night, but slept on the couch downstairs.

Since the incident in Greece, I’d fallen victim to irregular sleep patterns and regular nightmares. I would wake up a few times a week, screaming, but never crying. The dreams were so vague. The only thing I’d remember at the end was always falling. Falling into an abyss. And Axel was there to catch me.

He
was a dream boyfriend. He was patient and encouraged me to mourn my loss so I could start the healing process after Joshua’s death. But how ever hard I tried, I couldn’t.

This time I had no tears to shed, no sleepless nights. I ate well and remained healthy. There was nothing in my behavior to indicate Joshua was gone. When my parents died, I felt a part of me was torn apart. This time, none of that. I think that scared Axel the most.

Dean picked up my last lingering suitcase and threw it in the trunk of the SUV with a clunk. “What the hell did you put in here, Nellie?”

“Hey.” I pulled myself from Axel. “If it is any consolation, I’ve only got two and half suitcases.”

Axel pulled me to him. “You can buy a lot of what you need back home,” he said, rubbing my back.

My heart pinched, knowing why I was leaving my home and my friends.

“I don’t know if and when I’ll get the chance to shop, being on house-arrest and all.” My shoulders slumped.

“You’re being
escorted
, for your safety,” Axel was quick to point out.

“It doesn’t feel that way.”

“Hey, look at me.” He placed his fingers under my chin, tilting it upward. “I’ll die before I let anything happen to you.” He searched my eyes. “You know that, right?”

I nodded.

“Even you can’t protect her from everything, oh your royal high-ass.” Dean sneered.

Axel flinched.

Dean pulled me from Axel’s embrace like he owned me.

“Be nice,” I said, poking my index finger into his chest.

“Alright, alright.” He raised his hands in defeat. “Now, how about a hug for your best friend that you’re throwing away like a ragdoll?”

I wrapped my arms around him, chuckling. He pulled me into a bear hug and lifted me off the ground with a grunt.

“I’ll miss you, Nellie,” he whispered, his voice weak and sad.

“What’re you going to do with yourself?”

Dean’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

His lips curved up in an I’m-up-to-no-good type of smile. “You’ll see me sooner than you think.” Then his eyes turned dark blue and intense. His gaze narrowed in on my face. “You be safe. Got it?”

I hugged him. “I’m going to miss you, Dean.”

I hated good-byes and this was no different. I gave one-last-time hugs to John, Sarah, Landon, Pey, and Dean.

I looked at Cassie. “I’m so sorry,” I said, hugging her. “So, so, sorry.”

She was the only one I owed any kind of apology. If it weren’t for me, Joshua would be alive. If it weren’t for me, Cassie wouldn’t have lost her husband. If it weren’t for my very existence, none of this would’ve happened.

“It is
not
your fault,” she said, choking with emotion. She cupped my face between her hands and kissed my forehead. “Joshua knew what he was doing. I knew what we had to do. No one blames you, Ren. We would make this same choice all over again, if it came down to it.” She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before kissing my forehead tenderly. “I love you.”

That was the last straw. As a treacherous single bead of a tear escaped, I immediately swiped it with my hand. I gave her a weak smile and turned around, heading toward the SUV.

Axel held the door open, giving me a sympathetic smile. “You ready?”

I nodded and slid into the leather seat. I pulled on the seatbelt and locked it with a click as the SUV moved forward. I looked back as my only connection to the human world slipped from my sight. I closed my eyes, memorizing their faces before pushing them so far back in my mind it would take great effort to remember them.

“We’ll make it through this.” Axel pulled my hand into his, lacing our fingers together before pulling it to his lips and kissing them. “Together.”

I looked at our interlaced fingers on the middle console and knew the next thing I needed to sever from my life.

Am I strong enough?

The Journey Continues…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR