I opened myself to Spirit first as I thought about all the elementals in the world, all of them family, blood in some way or another.
The mother goddess was silent as I sent the power of Spirit out like a net, high into the air and then shooting out in rays, searching for every elemental.
They pinged inside my head one at a time while I counted them. Two thousand elementals left in the entire world. But they were not the only ones I reached. Elemental blood ran hot through the supernatural world, and Spirit carried my voice to those human children of our people. There were many more, thousands of their kind, and that gave me a small hope. I could pick out Rylee, Liam, Pamela and others … They paused and closed their eyes in unison as I began to speak.
"My family," I spoke and my words were carried to them, "the world is in a dire state. The mother goddess has called on me to correct it. The only way is to break the world. That will disrupt not only the humans and their deadly weapons, it will allow us all a chance to survive." I paused, struggling to find the right words. "Many will die. Not only the humans, but the world of magic, too. Do your best to be safe. Do your best to help those around you."
Rylee seemed to look right through me. "Lark, we are here. We stand with you. We are family."
Her words undid the tears in my eyes. "Thank you."
She grinned and winked through her own tears. "You got this, Larkspur. Cousin."
She faded from sight, but I could feel her strength as I could feel the strength of all the elementals and supernaturals hovering just out of sight. Ready to be used if needed.
I let go of Spirit, but felt no fatigue from using it.
I looked to my sister. Bella's face was covered with tears. "I'm afraid, Lark, for what is to come."
"So am I," I answered her honestly. "But I trust in what must be done. I will trust in the mother goddess."
"When?" River asked. "When are you going to do it?"
I stared at my hands as the five elements danced in a spiral of color that only I could see. "There is no reason to wait. There is nothing that must be done first. Go to the Rim and the Spiral. Even burned out, I think it will protect you." That was what the old king had said. A place of protection. Goddess, let it still be that.
Bella hugged me tightly and kissed me on either cheek. "You can do this, Lark. You can."
River even hugged me. I kissed her on the forehead. "Look after your mother."
Her eyes flashed. "Always."
Then it was just Raven, Peta, and me. I looked him over. "Where is your son, the son you had with Samara?" I didn't know if I should tell him his son was a child of Matarrah, that he'd bedded the very first air elemental. Would it matter? Probably not.
"He is with Cassava," he said. "She will look after him, and then take him to Pamela when he is older."
"You say that like you won't be around to raise him."
His eyes were on mine. "I'm not sure I will be. This thing the mother goddess asks of you is power beyond power."
Peta shivered across my shoulders. "I feel it too, Lark. This is an end to end everything as we know it."
I sighed. "Nothing truly ever ends, not without a hope for some new beginning."
I paused. "I would see her one more time, before I do this. Will you come with me?"
Raven nodded, and I took him by the hand and let Spirit take us to Cassava.
She sat in a rocking chair, holding a small bundle as she soothed the snuffling child. Cassava didn't even look up as we appeared in the room.
"Is Viv gone then?" she asked.
"She is."
"And you are here, why?" She lifted her head then and arched an eyebrow at me. My nemesis for my whole life, and yet she hadn't ever been my true enemy but the dearest friend of my mother's.
"I am sorry, Cass," I said softly. "For all you suffered to bring this day around. I wish it could have been different."
Her eyes widened and her lips trembled. "You … I would do it all again to make this world a safe place." She glanced at the child in her arms. "The half-bloods will rise up now without Viv's interference. As it always should have been, the world will no longer be broken into pure bloods, but instead, ruled by those who carry more than one power."
I nodded. "Less division."
"Yes."
The words halted between us and I didn't know what else to say. "Keep safe, then."
She smiled. "I heard your words, Lark. You did not need to come here to tell them to me in person."