Love (The Allure Chronicles Book 4) (17 page)

“I know.”

“And I can’t promise it’s going to work.”

“I know.” I floated easily in the water. There must have been a high concentration of salt.

“You know everything, huh?” Sol removed his sunglasses. There was still a faint hint of brown in his eyes, but there was no pupil, and I knew they would be completely black soon.

“Pretty much.”

“Ok. Then let’s do this.” He stood over me and put his hands on either sides of my head.

His eyes became deep black holes. They were cyclones circling around and pulling me in. His grip on my hands tightened painfully, but I ignored it and focused on his eyes.

A searing pain spread through me, but this time I was prepared for the combination of fire and ice that racked through my entire body.

I wouldn’t scream. I was conscious enough to know that would send Owen running over and could ruin everything.

An intense ringing reverberated through my head, and then joined the pain as it spread throughout my entire body.

I was prepared for all of that, but I’d forgotten about the sensation of tugging, as if someone was pulling me in every possible direction all at once. It felt like I was being pulled apart from the inside.

And then, just when I thought I couldn’t handle anymore, the images returned. They were grey-scale at first, but then they became color and three-dimensional. They were more than pictures. I could feel, taste, and smell them.

I was eating my grandmother’s cookies. I was touching my childhood puppy’s fur. I was kissing Owen’s lips, running my hands through his hair. His eyes were crystal clear and locked on mine. I could feel him.

The ringing intensified as the images suddenly disappeared. Owen floated away, and I was left in complete darkness. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I couldn’t feel anything, or see anything. I was lost.

I waited for Owen’s face to return. I waited for him to rescue me, but instead the darkness grew, until I questioned whether I’d ever seen light before—whether I’d ever felt anything.

“
W
hat was that
?” Jared glanced out at the water.

“I don’t know. I need to watch.” I couldn’t take my eyes off Daisy in the water. It was hard to sit back as she went through this. I didn’t know what was happening exactly, but her face was pained, and it was taking everything I had to restrain myself. I wanted to help her. To save her. She needed me. And I needed her.

Taylor, Glendale, and Sol remained with Daisy. Sol was intently looking into her eyes, and Taylor was saying all sorts of stuff in a strange language. Jim stood there holding the empty sack and glancing back at me every few moments with what I assume were supposed to be reassuring looks. They did nothing to reassure me.

Taylor continued chanting, Sol continued his crazy looking stare, and I continued worrying.

Taylor whispered something to Jim. I strained to here, but the sound of the wind made it possible only to hear a few words.
Power. Need. Now.

“They need more power than these herbs contain.” Jim took a few steps up the beach toward me. “We’re losing her.”

Daisy gurgled. Hailey grabbed my hand. “Stay back. You promised.”

“Losing her?” My chest clenched. “No. That’s not possible.”

“Watch her.” Jared stepped away. “Owen, focus on Violet. We have to keep her here.” His expression was stern.

“What are you doing?” I watched as he put on a glove and pulled out an iridescent purple crystal that seemed to glow from his pocket.

He held up a crystal in the faint light. “Vera makes me travel with these now.”

“What is it?” I asked warily.

“An origin crystal. I have no time to explain, just trust me on this.” His expression and words left no room for argument. He walked into the water. “Vera activated this so it should work.”

“It’s impossible.” Jim stared at the crystal with wide-eyes. “These don’t exist.”

“When are you going to accept that everything exists?” Wyatt looked up at the sky and then back at Jim. “You act surprised every time.”

“So I don’t know what you’re doing here exactly, but this has a lot of extra power, if that’s what you need.” Jared held out the crystal to Taylor. “But you’re going to have to explain to me what needs to be strengthened exactly.”

“I can do it.” Taylor grabbed for the crystal.

Jared held back. “I can’t give this to you.”

“I’m the witch saving your friend’s girlfriend. Give me the crystal.”

“I can handle the crystal. You tell me what to do.”

“How? You’re not magical.” She put a hand on her hip. “This isn’t the time to play games.”

“You don’t know what I am or not.” Jared glared at her.

Glendale twitched his tail. “I thought I sensed something else with you.”

“What do I need to do?” Jared held up the crystal in his hand.

“I don’t know exactly.” Taylor barely whispered, but her voice carried. “But in theory we need more power to force the change and bring her back.”

My body tensed.

“And charge the water,” Taylor added. “I think the water might help even more than we anticipated.”

During all this Sol appeared to be in some sort of trance staring at Daisy. I understood his warning earlier. It was not an easy thing to watch.

“Got it.” Jared took the herb and crystal and put them in the water beside Daisy. The water slowly darkened to a navy blue and seemed to surge in height as if the tide was coming in. He suddenly pulled the crystal out of the water and pocketed it again. “Don’t want to overdue it.”

Daisy gurgled and her body convulsed.

“What’s happening?” I eyed Violet and then eyed Daisy. I needed to be with her.

“Keep Owen away!” Glendale yelled.

Daisy gurgled again, she was taking in water.

“Stay here.” Hailey gripped my hands. “Violet could ruin everything.”

“I can’t stay away. I can’t.” I shook Hailey off and sprinted toward the water.

Sol was out of his trance, and he released Daisy when I arrived. She was just floating there with her eyes closed.

“Daisy.” I fell to my knees in the water. “What did you do to her?”

“Give her time.” Sol stayed close by and calmly put his sunglasses back on.

“Give her time?” I wanted to punch him, but I needed to stay close to Daisy. “Go watch Violet. I’m staying with her.”

Sol nodded and walked up the beach. I checked for her pulse and was reassured when I noticed her breathing. I rested my head on her chest to reassure myself, and to hear her heartbeat. I took both of her hands in mine.

She squeezed my hands and relief flooded me.

“Daisy?” I looked down into her now peaceful face.

She opened her eyes and tears streamed down her face. “Owen.”

“Are you okay?” I pulled her into my arms. Cool water streamed down our bodies.

“I’m.” She seemed to be struggling for words. “I’m. I’m not numb.”

“Where’s the essence?” Taylor turned to Sol. “Do you know where it went?”

“I don’t know.” Sol let out a deep breath. “It’s gone. But she’s not human either. I have no idea what she is. This is a first for me.”

“But the numbness is gone.” Daisy rested her head on my chest.

I breathed in her sweet scent and ran a hand through her wet hair.

“You don’t have the Allure essence anymore, so it makes sense that you can feel normally,” Sol studied her face. “I guess we can call this a success.”

“What about ticking?” Taylor demanded. “Do you hear any?”

“No.” Daisy shook her head. “I feel great.”

“It worked.” Jim grinned. “It actually worked.”

“Thanks to Jared’s crystal.” Taylor smiled at him. “Not sure how you had one, or how a Pteron knows how to use one, but it’s not my problem.”

“No it’s not.” Jared gave her a knowing look before coming to join Daisy and me. “Don’t worry, Daisy. The side-effects eventually wear of.”

“What side-effects?” Daisy blanched.

“It increases your strength.” Jared gave a sly smile.

“Ok.” Daisy smiled. “That’s not a bad side-effect.”

“One goal taken care of.” Taylor wiped her hands against each other in an exaggerated way. “And we solved my problem too.”

Glendale remained laying in the sand. “Unfortunately that crystal did nothing for my strength.”

“Because you’re imbued with dark magic.” Taylor knelt down beside him. “The crystals are light.”

“Whatever you say.” He lolled around on the sand.

“How did it solve your problem?” Daisy turned in my arms so she could look at Taylor.

“It seems using dark magic made the ticking stop. I’m not sure if this is a permanent fix or not, so I’m just going to have to keep using magic.” Taylor grinned, and her eyes darkened. Maybe I should have been concerned with how excited she was to use dark magic, but there was too much going on to intervene. We’d just have to make sure to keep an eye on her.

“Which means you’re stuck with me.” Glendale wrapped around her ankles.

“Yes, so we need to get you a new form.” Taylor bent down and picked him up.

“How do you do that?” I asked.

“You don’t want to know.” Glendale rubbed his head against Taylor.

I turned Daisy in my arms so she was looking at me again. “Are you really okay?” I looked deep into her eyes.

She nodded. “Yes. Although I don’t know what I am. Sol is right; I’m not human. But I’m not an Allure—at least not by feelings.”

“You’re just you I guess.” I brushed my lips against hers.

“Yeah, I guess.” She pressed her lips into mine with such intensity she nearly knocked me over.

Daisy gasped. “I guess that’s what Jared meant by more strength.”

“The essence is really gone?” Violet watched with a blank expression.

“It is,” Sol replied. “I can’t explain where it went though.”

“How is it possible?” Daisy asked. “How could you remove the essence without killing me or hurting me like Taylor?”

“You were never really changed into an Allure,” Sol explained. “You were stuck halfway. If you had been fully an Allure the herb wouldn’t have done anything. But the herb combined with my tapping into your emotions, and perhaps most importantly Jared’s crystal, did something to remove the essence from you. There must be some seriously strong magic in that crystal.”

“It’s powerful all right.” Jared tapped the pocked that housed his crystal.

I
was terrified
on our walk across Pyrean. Really, truly terrified, and it felt good. I kept searching for the numbness, expecting it to rear its head, but it didn’t.

I also felt nerves. My stomach churned, and I felt joy. I walked hand in hand with the man I loved. We’d left the beach behind and were now walking through what looked like a jungle. The Pyrean Realm was lush and full of some of the most beautiful foliage I had ever seen. Large flowers bloomed in a rainbow of colors all over vines that hung from the canopy above.

“The Elders are going to be upset when they see her.” Violet added to my anxiety. “They’ll kill her. I don’t know what you have planned, but it’s going to fail and Daisy will end up dead.”

“They’ll be able to tell she’s different?” Andrew asked. “It will be that obvious the essence is gone?”

“Yes.” Violet gave me a sidelong glance. “And there’s no telling what the Elders will do.”

“Then we’ll use you as bait, Violet. So glad we have you.” Wyatt smirked.

“If you cared about the girl one bit you’d get her out of here.” Violet dug her feet into the dirt.

Hailey pushed her so she’s start moving again. “Stop trying to pretend to care.”

“I don’t care. I’m an Allure. But I do think her death would be senseless. So much work for absolutely nothing.”

“We don’t care what you think.” Taylor picked up a stick and proceeded to break pieces off until it was the perfect size to use as a walking stick. Or maybe a staff. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on in her head.

“You think you’re part of the club now?” Violet cocked her head toward Taylor. “You think that now you’re all friends? Because if you, do you’re mistaken. They got what they needed from you.”

“No. That’s something you would do, Violet. But not us.” I wasn’t going to let her poison anyone. I didn’t really understand what role she’d had in the mess my life became, but she had a role in destroying Taylor’s. And she felt no remorse. That wasn’t her fault—being an Allure made that impossible, but it didn’t mean I would forgive her. “Taylor helped Sol bring my emotions back. She helped take away the numbness and give me a semblance of a normal life.”

“Until she does something to hurt you. You’re too good, Daisy. Maybe that’s why you couldn’t be a true Allure. But Taylor isn’t good. She practiced dark magic, and now that dark magic is in you. There’s no telling what it will do.”

“Don’t try to play with my mind. It won’t work.” It was strangely easier standing up to Violet now. I had fear, but not of her. She couldn’t hurt me anymore—well she could, but not as much as she could before. I wished we were done. That we could go home, or whatever home would be. I needed to figure out what I was, but not until we knew the Elders were off our back. Taylor wasn’t the only one who’d helped. Glendale, Sol, and Wyatt did too. It was time for me to uphold my side of the bargain.

We walked for miles. I wasn’t entirely clear why we were walking instead of flying, but I didn’t ask. I was so elated to have the numbness gone that I probably would have gone along with anything. The sun had come up and was beating down on us with intensity like I’d never experienced before, but I didn’t mind the heat or the sweating. I could feel, and I wasn’t losing that ability again. I knew it this time. It felt right. Secure. Something had happened in the water. Of that I was sure, but I wasn’t human. Sol hadn’t needed to say anything for me to realize that.

As if reading my thoughts, Taylor opened the conversation again. “Do you still think you’re going to live forever? Can you tell if that’s changed?”

“I have no idea. I hope not. I don’t want to live forever, but I understand why you do.” I understood her more now. I understood her anger and why some of that anger applied to me.

“I get why you don’t.” There was a lightness to Taylor that hadn’t been there before. She held onto Glendale as if he was the most precious treasure on earth, and maybe to her he was. He was essential to the magic that might give her a longer life.

The ground started to rumble beneath us. “What’s going on?”

“We’re almost to the volcano.” Wyatt smiled. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Why are we going to the volcano exactly?” Hailey asked.

“Because the fire in that volcano isn’t any average fire,” Wyatt pointed into the distance.

“Meaning what?” Owen asked.

“Meaning it’s one of the few things that can kill an Allure, and Elders are Allures at heart. Even if it doesn’t kill them, it will weaken them.” Wyatt raised his chin. “There is a reason we’re in the Pyrean Realm.”

“And you think the Elders will let you get them in that fire?” Violet laughed. “Good luck with that.”

“We will see who’s laughing later.” Wyatt scowled.

“We were friends once, weren’t we?” Violet rolled her shoulders.

“Allures are incapable of being friends.”

“That’s not very nice.” Violet pouted. “I tried to be your friend.”

“This conversation is touching and all,” Sol went heavy with the sarcasm. “But does anyone else hear that?”

“Hear what?” I strained my ears as my heart rate accelerated.

“Buzzing.” Hailey froze. “I hear buzzing.”

“That’s what I hear.” Sol looked up at the sky. “Wyatt, any chance that’s your men?”

“My men don’t buzz.” Wyatt wasn’t smiling. “We need to hurry to the volcano.”

“Shouldn’t we fly then?” Flying was the fastest way of travel I knew of aside from Glendale’s transporting.

“Not when we have no clue what that buzzing is.” Wyatt began to run. “Let’s go.”

I could think of a dozen things that could have been making that buzzing noise. None of them would be good, but it was the dozen creatures I wasn’t even aware of that scared me more.

We hurried forward, Owen keeping me right at his side.

The rumbling grew louder, and the ground beneath us shook more.

“Almost there!” Wyatt called out from a ways in front of us as he disappeared over a ridge at the top of the volcano. Seconds later he cried out in pain.

Hailey was right behind Wyatt, and she too cried out in pain. Owen and I ran at full speed ahead.

I tried to make sense of the scene in front of us as I took in the sight of Wyatt, Hailey, Sol, and Glendale all surrounded by what looked like a cage of electrical current. Wyatt reached out for it and fell backwards as if from a shock.

At the same moment Owen froze, and I slipped out of his arms. I caught myself, landing on my feet just as I felt a horrible stinging in my arm. I reached out for Owen, but I couldn’t move. Seconds later I too was surrounded by an electrical cage

Violet walked around freely, unaffected by whatever was trapping us. She looked at the sky just as a flash of light lit up the landscape, and Abe and Arabella walked over.

“How cute!” Arabella clapped her hands. “We caught more than we thought.”

“The cute part is that they thought luring us here would somehow give them an advantage.” Abe laughed. “Or maybe not cute. More like pathetic.”

I heard the pounding of giant wings as I looked up to see at least two dozen Dragos swoop in. They went for the Allures, but before they could touch down Abe sent up a flash of light with his hand. All of the Dragos fell to the ground limp.

“What have you done?” Wyatt screamed. He shocked himself as he tried to escape his prison.

“We found some helpful friends more than willing to turn over their power. It’s made life so much easier.” Abe blew on his finger as if it was a gun.

“Willing? You mean you stole their power from them?” Wyatt yelled.

“All for the better good of their leaders.”

“Where is Troy?” Wyatt raged. “What have you done to him?”

“You know I have a soft spot for him.” Arabella licked her bottom lip. “I’m keeping him around—for now.”

“And there she is.” Arabella walked over, the heels of her stilettos digging into the dirt below.

“Fear?” Arabella scrunched up her nose in disgust. “What is this?” She turned to Violet. “What happened to her?”

“She never fully transformed. You know that.” Violet made complete eye contact with Arabella, a feat I’d have never been able to do.

“This is different. The essence is gone.” Arabella frowned. “How could you have let this happen?”

“She’s an abomination.” Abe glared at me. “She holds onto the greatest gift of being an Allure without having to pay the price.”

I was too terrified to say or do anything, but Abe’s words still hit me. The Allure’s greatest gift was immortality. Was he saying I still had that? How would he know?

“She will have to pay a price, Abe.” Arabella’s eyes darkened. “Everyone has to pay a price.”

“She’s paid a price enough.” Owen struggled against the electric walls that held him. Each time he touched them he was sent flying backward in pain.

Abe reached for me, seemingly unaffected by the electric current that kept me prisoner. He dragged me over toward the edge of the volcano. I could feel the heat of the fire even from far below. My heart rate accelerated, and I could feel bile rising in my throat. “The fire of this volcano is one of the few things that could kill an Allure. It’s why Wyatt brought you here. He wanted to lure us in. I assume he’s smart enough to know it wouldn’t kill us, but it would take us a few years to recover. Clever really. Especially clever for one of them,” he spat out.

“You can still use her.” Violet walked over. “She may still be helpful.”

“Helpful?” Abe narrowed his eyes. “Like she has been helpful to you? Have you been thinking about that man again?”

Violet looked down. “He’s my descendent.”

“Which is why the children of an Allure should be killed as soon as they are changed!” Abe thundered. “This is your fault. You let this happen.”

“It’s not my fault.” Violet came within steps of where Abe held me. “You sent her to that Seer. That was your choice.”

“You should have gotten her back.” Arabella walked over. “But you wanted her for yourself. You wanted to use her for your own gain.”

“No.” Violet shook her head.

“I know she is the one you made, Abe, but she needs to be punished. She cannot get away with this.”

“I know she does.” Abe tightened his grip on me. “She will spend five years in a cell.”

“What?” Violet’s eyes widened. “Five years? By then it will be too—“

“Enough!” Abe yelled. “So that’s all that matters to you now. Even as you face your punishment you cling to your need to keep your human line alive. That five years is now ten. Speak again, and it will be fifty.”

Abe lifted his finger, there was a flash of light and Violet disappeared.

“What did you do with her?” I probably should have kept my mouth shut considering Abe still held me over the fire, but if it delayed him, maybe someone would come up with a way out of our mess.

“You care don’t you? You care for one who hurt you?” Abe inched me closer to the edge.

“I don’t care.” I didn’t. I was past caring about Violet. She wasn’t the one facing death less than an hour after finding hope.

“Elders, you like to make deals, don’t you?” Owen called out.

“It depends on the bargain.” Arabella sauntered over to him. “What kind of deal were you thinking.”

“You want to punish Daisy?” He asked.

“It’s more than just a punishment, it’s a price.”

“Let me pay the price.” Owen looked at Arabella.

“No.” I started to shake. “Stop talking Owen.”

“You want to pay the price for her?” Arabella asked in a sugary sweet voice. “Is that what you just said?”

“No. He isn’t doing anything.” I’d never let Owen risk himself for me again. “This is about me. Leave him out of it.”

Abe turned me so I could look at Owen. I struggled against Abe’s hold, but his grip was iron tight.

Owen nodded. “Yes, I will pay the price for her if you promise to let her go and never look for her again.”

“Why would we look for her?” Arabella frowned. “She’s worthless to us. I hope she enjoys a very lonely life. She won’t be accepted by her own kind, so she’ll be forced to befriend mortals who will keep on dying. That’s punishment—but it isn’t a price. What are you offering, bird? To die in her stead?”

“I am.” Owen refused to look at me.

“No!” Tears streamed down my face. “Owen, don’t do this. I’m not worth it.”

“You’re worth everything.” His eyes locked on mine. “How could I ever let you die?”

“How can I let you die?” I fought against Abe. Weren’t those crystals supposed to make me strong? They did nothing. Or maybe the Elders were that powerful.

“It’s not your choice.” Owen’s eyes pooled with emotion. “Find happiness, Daisy. Know my love for you is everlasting.”

“We will keep our word.” Arabella grinned. “She will have a long life of loneliness.”

“It’s better than no life at all.”

“Very well.” Abe flicked his hand, and Owen tentatively stepped forward. He walked over to the edge a few feet from me.

“I will always love you, Daisy. You are my everything. Never forget that.” He turned to Abe. “You will uphold your end of the bargain.”

“On my life.” Abe nodded solemnly. “And you know how much we value our lives.”

Owen slowly closed his eyes and then opened them. Looking at me again.

“Owen, don’t do this!” Hailey screamed.

“I have no choice.” He looked back at his sister. “I love you, Hailey. Take care of Daisy for me.” With one last long look at me, he jumped off the edge down into the fire below.

“No!” I screamed, using every ounce of strength to break free from Abe’s hold.

He held me up, forcing me to watch as Owen disappeared into the red, angry flames below.

I heaved, vomiting as I tried to comprehend that the only man I’d ever loved had sacrificed himself for me. “It should have been me!”

“Thanks for the entertainment. We’ll be back to play again sometime soon.” Abe released me just as he and Arabella disappeared into thin air.

“Daisy. Don’t move!” Jared yelled. I glanced behind me, he was walking toward me. I crawled toward the edge and pushed myself off. I wasn’t giving up. I’d never give up on the chance to save the love of my life. Before I could reach the bubbling fire, Jared swooped in and picked me up. He flew me up to the side and set me down. “Don’t! His death will not be in vain.”