Destroyer (The Elemental Series #7)(35)

"Talan, we can do this with you, or without you. Will you come?" I held a hand out to him, an offer of peace. An offer to keep training. "You had to know there was no way you'd be able to keep me here for long. That I'd find a way out." 

He stared at me and I stared right back. "There is always a way," he said softly. There was no warning, there was no ability to block the power of Spirit as it cascaded over me and I swayed on my feet.

"You will stay here, and you will train," Talan said, and I fought the desire to repeat the words back to him. They clogged my throat.

Raven grunted and there was the flutter of his black cloak beside me. "I will stay."

Well, shit.

I knew I was stronger in Spirit than Raven.

But could I ever truly face down Talan and win?

"I will stay and train with you." I bit the words out, one at a time as if they dropped from my lips. Peta shivered on my shoulder. "I will help her train."

"Good," Talan said. "I am sorry, but we have to make sure you are ready, Lark. I have worked too hard, for too long, and we have all lost too much now to race into a battle with Vivica before you are ready."

I stood there, unable to turn away. Talan tucked his hands behind his back. "We start your training now, Lark. Raven, you will train as well because it is obvious you have forgotten your lessons with me."

I swallowed the words that leapt up my throat. I wanted to scream at him that he was a stinking pile of shit. But my mouth wouldn't move. I had no control over that.

My mind, though, was another thing. Carefully I sent a thought to Peta. Can you hear me?

Her green eyes flicked over me and she gave a single blink.

We will play along, I sent to her. He will make a mistake and Raven will help us.

Her eyes narrowed and while her thoughts were not actual words, I saw her concern. There was the distinct possibility that Raven would betray me yet again. But what other hope did I have than to put my trust in the brother who'd once been my favorite sibling? Nothing, I had no other hope than to believe I could outwait Talan. That he would let his guard down at some point.

The only questions were, how long would it take, and would any of the original elementals be alive when we finally escaped?





CHAPTER 12



Peta leapt from my shoulder as I stood, frozen by Talan's command of Spirit in the caves under the waterfall. Raven stood beside me, in the same predicament, watching Peta. She shifted into her leopard form. "You don't seem to want to hold me back now. Why is that?" Her body hunched as she stalked toward Talan.

He held up a hand. "Because you were my closest friend for many years, Nepeta. You were my confidante, and of all the souls left in this world, you know me the best. You have to know I am trying to fix things that were done wrong so many years ago."

"Stupid damn way to go about fixing things by letting your siblings die and holding two of the strongest and most temperamental elementals alive captive." She sniffed at him, then promptly sat. "Don't make me kill you, Talan."

His eyes widened. "You wouldn't. You aren't like that, Nepeta."

"Using my full name will get you nowhere. The bond between elemental and familiar trumps all. I can fight your commands when they involve the safety of my charge. You'd best remember that."

I wanted to ask her why she wasn't taking him down right then. Why she wasn't using her ability to do what she wanted, and then I understood. I had told her we'd hold back, that we'd lull Talan into a sense of security. It was the only way. And he could still knock her out with Spirit, even if he couldn't command her.

Having Peta flat out on the floor did me no good.

I managed to turn my head and look to Raven. He was two steps behind me and I'd never seen his blue eyes so full of anger. Narrowed to slits, they were locked on Talan. As if by mere thoughts, he could strangle the elemental who held us with Spirit.



       
         
       
        

Slowly, he turned his eyes to me. I gave him the barest of nods. Trust me.

He nodded back.

Allies once more against a common enemy.

If only it would be as easy as stealing pies from the kitchen in the Spiral.

"Your first lesson is simple, Lark." Talan strode across the room. "You need to learn how to break open your own memories, the ones that have been distorted and changed against your will. When you do that, you will be able to see much of your own truths and the reason for things that otherwise would make no sense."

I frowned. "I have no other memories that are twisted. Those that Cassava played with when I was a child have been opened to me. I know that they were not a dream. Besides, I would think that memory breaking is not a useful tool against Viv."