Earth's Touch (Her Elementals Book 1), page 21
"What did you just say?" Rose asked as she nervously scooted closer to Avani.
I stared into the night sky, fisting my hands at my sides. "Get ready. You're about to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
~ FLINT ~
Rose swallowed hard enough that I heard it.
For a long moment, nothing happened, and I wondered if Bayu might ignore my call, but then a strange and eerie silence blanked the forest. A familiar chill worked its way up my spine because I knew what was about to happen.
"What's happening?" Rose breathed. She glanced around, her body visibly trembling.
"He's coming." I turned toward the North as a blast of icy wind breathed past us.
"Who?"
"My brother."
More wind came and began to swirl around us in a wide circle. Dirt, grass, and broken branches lifted within the cold whirlwind, creating a dark tornado, and lightning cracked inside that darkness.
Growing annoyed and impatient, I groaned. "Enough with the theatrics, Bayu! I need your help."
The tornado thundered a sound that shook the ground beneath our feet.
"I said enough!" I yelled back.
The storm of debris stopped abruptly and crashed around us. Rose yelped and covered herself over Avani's body to protect her. Before I could take my next breath, ribbons of darkness swirling in and out of each other rushed toward us. It looked like it might blast right through me, but I held my ground. He couldn't intimidate me, not like when we were younger.
Just before slamming into me, the ribbons stopped and spun until they took the form of a familiar-looking man with a stupid smirk that never seemed to leave his face.
"Hello, Flint," Bayu said. "You must've gotten yourself into serious trouble if you had to use the elemental ring. What did you do this time? Use up all your magic saving villagers who would rather you didn't exist?"
"Good to see you too, Bayu."
His green eyes glowed suddenly, and his brows drew together. He sniffed the air. "My magic was used here recently. By who?"
"By the woman I told you about, remember? We need your help."
"We?"
I stepped to the side, revealing Avani and Rose. Rose's mouth fell open like she wanted to say something but the words stuck to her tongue.
Bayu's playful expression returned, and he chuckled. "I understand now. You've forgotten how to satisfy two women at the same time. You were right to use the elemental ring to call me. Had you attempted this alone, you would've left these poor, beautiful women confused and completely frustrated with your incompetence."
Having enough of his jokes, I said, "Shut up, Bayu. The woman unconscious is Avani. She nearly died fighting Rishka to save me, and now I can't wake her up. I need you to transport us back to Loreen's army, hopefully still camped on the road between Loreen and Kel."
Bayu's gaze lowered to Avani. His body stilled, and his expression turned serious. "They are. I saw them on the way over. Many of their men roam the forests nearby."
He said the words without looking at me, then knelt on the other side of Avani to eye her up and down. "So you think she is the one."
"I know she is," I answered.
"One what?" Rose asked.
Bayu reached out and lightly traced his fingers up Avani's arm. She moaned, making me think she might be coming to, but then she fell quiet again.
"Hands off," Rose snapped at Bayu. "This is Princess Avani of Loreen."
Bayu slowly withdrew his hand, his expression puzzled. He straightened. "You may be right, but I need more time with her."
"We were headed to Kull, where I hoped you'd meet her, but Sodon's beasts and Rishka attacked us."
"Why did you not protect the road?" he asked me, his gaze still focused on Avani, which told me he felt something like I had when I'd first encountered her.
"I did, but Rishka got to me. She beat me with a Kukpitna, and it broke my magic."
This got his attention, and he turned to me. "The witch has that magical blade?" He looked me up and down. "How are you still standing? And where are your wounds?"
"Avani healed me."
Bayu returned his focus to Avani and whispered, "She did that?"
"She healed me too," Rose said. "I'd probably be dead if it weren't for her."
"Then this Princess must be something special, but I shall need to find out for myself." He glanced up to the skies. "Let's get you three back to your people."
I picked up Avani and held her close. Her body felt warmer, warmer than it should be. To Rose, I ordered, "Hang onto my arm, and no matter what, do not let go."
She quickly obeyed. "What's going to happen?"
Bayu leaned close and whispered in Rose's ear, "I'm going to turn you into an angel so you can fly."
She sighed like she had grown faint. "Oh my sweet heavens. You are sin on a stick."
Bayu grinned and stepped back. "One day, you'll have to taste that sin on my huge stick. Actually, it's more of a massive rod."
"Just get us out of here," I growled at him.
He winked at me. "As you wish."
In an instant, Bayu burst into a gust of wind and rose into the sky. That focused, turbulent breeze began to expand until it had entirely engulfed us. It was so strong that it made it difficult to breathe.
Rose buried her head into the crook of my arm, but when we began to lift from the ground, she screamed and scampered up my back, nails digging into my bare flesh until her fingers hooked tightly around my neck. I snarled and resisted the urge to throw her from me but let her be for Avani's sake.
"This is crazy!" Rose cried.
"Just don't look down," I answered, but my voice was strained and high-pitched because her hands cut off my windpipe.
Once we cleared the tree line, Bayu moved us rapidly across the tops of the trees, faster than probably my wolf could run. I glanced down at Avani lying peacefully in my arms. If it weren't for the blood warming her back, the wounds on her body, and her pale skin, she might just be sleeping in recovery, but I knew that wasn't the case. Even now, as I tried to push earth's magic into her, dark energy expelled it back. This worried me. Why so much darkness inside her? Maybe Bayu would know. If he was the same brother I remembered, he still had friends on both sides of the fence.
"I see them!" Rose said excitedly, her mouth near my ear.
I looked up. In the distance, a trail of lighted torches lit up the path to Kel. To Bayu, I said, "Lower us just before the road. I want to speak with you about Avani before she returns to her people."
A moment later, Bayu guided us through a narrow opening through the trees' tops and gently placed us on the ground. Had I not been carrying Avani in my arms and Rose upon my back, I felt confident he would've dropped me.
To Rose, I said, "Return to the soldiers and tell them I'm just behind you with Avani."
She slid off my back and stumbled slightly as she circled in front of me. "You saved our lives, so I'll let Avani out of my sight just this once, but if I don't see you in five minutes, I swear I'll fillet you alive."
"I promise I will return. I just need a few minutes with my brother alone."
She nodded and turned to leave, but I added one more request. "Please don't say anything about my brother. His identity must remain secret even from Avani."
She bit her lip apprehensively but finally said, "Fine but no more favors."
Rose walked away as quickly as her body would allow in the direction of the dancing lanterns and torches through the forest.
Following a gust of wind, Bayu appeared at my side, his gaze returning to Avani still lying in my arms. "What's wrong with her exactly?"
I resisted the urge to point out how he already seemed to care for her, a woman he'd never met or fucked. Clearly, that meant something.
"I was hoping you could tell me. What do you sense?"
He took hold of Avani's hand, his lips parting at the contact. By his expression, I knew what he was feeling. The rush of emotions, the awakening of long forgotten memories, the surge of pleasure that was no doubt echoing throughout his body...
Bayu swallowed and closed his eyes. The second he tried to push his magic into her, the air hummed with electricity that buzzed across my bare skin.
His eyes flew open. "Dark magic blocks me."
I nodded in agreement. "That's what I felt too, but why is it there? Could Rishka have done something?"
"I'm not sure, but it's stopping me from healing her." He looked up at me. "Maybe if we try together, we can expel it."
"Let's do it."
Bayu touched my shoulder with his left palm while continuing to hold Avani's hand. We both closed our eyes. The moment my earth magic touched his, an electrical current surged through me with such force I sucked in a sharp breath. The power felt incredible! It was like riding on a comet through space, knowing that heated energy and speed were yours to control.
As one, we pushed both air and earth magic into her consciousness. Darkness immediately moved to block us, but it was no match for our combined powers. I pressed harder, as did Bayu, to expel the dark magic from her, but instead of leaving, it only retreated and continued to withdraw from us deeper and deeper inside her, a move that worried me. I didn't want this darkness to remain, for I had no idea what that might mean for Avani.
I made a desperate attempt to chase after it, but Bayu pulled me back. His voice appeared in my mind: "You can't go that deep. It could harm her."
Gathering my wits, I returned to our original goal of healing her. I could deal with the dark magic later. With both of us using our elemental magic, Avani's body recovered quickly. I could literally feel her get better and become stronger within my arms.
When she began to stir within my arms, I opened my eyes. "It's enough."
Bayu, whose eyes were already open and on Avani, looked up at me. "What now?"
"I will make sure she remains on the road to you, but it's under the guise of trying to convince King Oren to join armies with Loreen."
Bayu shook his head. "That may be a problem."
"Why's that?"
"King Oren died last night, making Prince Bayard the new King, but many people are unhappy with this. It's a bit unstable in Kel right now and maybe not safe."
My body tensed at the news, but it didn't alter my goals. "We can't change our plans at this point. We must continue to Kel because Bayu," I hitched a breath, "it's her, I swear it. She's come back to us, which means we can rid the world of Sodon once and for all and finally be happy. All of us."
"You always were an optimist, brother. I'll get to know her, then decide for myself."
"Speaking of the road to Kel, my magic broke when Rishka attacked me. Could you re-secure the road to Kel for Avani and her army in case they encounter more of Sodon's monsters?"
"Easy enough." Bayu trailed his fingers down Avani's cheek and then her neck. Unmistakable lust made his eyes glow bright.
Avani moaned, and her eyelids fluttered.
"Go," I hissed at Bayu. "I don't want her to know you just yet."
Bayu leaned over and whispered, "I'll see you soon, Princess."
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
~ FLINT ~
Bayu exploded upward into a flurry of wind. The cold, sudden gust of wind made Avani gasp for breath. I quickly placed her on the ground cradling her head in the nook of my arm. "Take your time. You're safe."
At the sound of my voice, her frantic gaze found mine. She blinked. "Flint?"
I nodded and smiled, my heart soaring to see how much better she already appeared. Color had returned to her face, and her hand gripped mine tightly. I owed Bayu as he could've ignored my call.
Avani reached up with her free hand and palmed my face, her eyes tearing. "You're okay."
"I am, thanks to you."
"And Rose?"
"She's safe too. Drew and the rest of your army are just up that rise."
She turned her head and squinted into the darkness. "How did we get here?"
I hesitated. I didn't want to lie, but I didn't want Avani to know the truth about Bayu just yet. She might get preconceived notions, and I worried how it might affect their connection.
"Magic." Not a lie. To keep her from asking more questions, I asked, "How do you feel?"
She pursed her lips in concentration, drew her knees up, and then relaxed them again. "A little achy but so much better than I did before." She sat up, wincing through the remains of pain. Her eyes widened a little, and she reached for her shoulder. "Rishka stabbed me…."
I nodded and felt familiar anger rise within me once more. "I took care of her."
"She's dead?"
I opened my mouth to answer yes but closed it again. Rishka should be dead, but I hadn't inspected the area before we left, and she had escaped death's grip many times before. "She should be. I'll go back to be sure once I know you're safe."
Avani glanced at the flickering flames in the distance. "I should return. Drew is probably beside himself."
I came to my feet, taking Avani with me, my hands gripping hers tightly. She swayed a little and had to rest her head on my chest.
"I feel like I'm forgetting something," she said, "something significant that Rishka said."
"It will come to you. Do you think you can walk? I'm happy to carry you if not."
She looked up at me and smiled. "As much as I love being in your arms, I should walk. My army will need to see strength right now." Her eyes filled with worry. "How many did we lose?"
"I'm not sure." Regret plagued me once more. "I'm sorry, Avani. I should never have left your men, left you—"
She silenced me with a finger. "You did what you thought was best, and that's all any of us can do."
Avani turned and began to walk back with her arm linked through mine. She drew her brows together, and whenever moonlight found its way through the treetops, I could see her growing frustration.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I'm trying to remember exactly what happened. I keep getting this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something important."
"It will come to you. Just give it time."
"That's the thing. I feel like there isn't enough time. My chest," she patted her heart, "is panicked. Something's wrong."
"There they are!" a voice called in the distance.
Within seconds, more than two dozen men escorted us back to the road. Rose hurried to Avani's side the moment she saw us again. Before anyone could speak, Avani assured them she was okay. They probably would've asked her many questions, but, as acting captain, that was Drew's job.
When we reached the road, I counted the soldiers best I could with all the flurry of movement around Avani. By how Avani's gaze darted to each person, she was doing the same. If I had to guess, Loreen had lost maybe a dozen men, which was a miracle considering how many of Sodon's beasts I'd discovered in the forest. But then again, their purpose hadn't been to destroy Loreen's army. They'd only wanted Avani.
The sound of horse hooves thundering against hard earth interrupted me. Rounding the bend, two horses rapidly approached. Soldiers parted quickly, realizing they'd probably be trampled if they didn't move.
Drew leapt from his horse before fully stopping it and ran toward Avani. He took her by both arms and looked her up and down.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He was so breathless he could barely say the words.
She laughed a little. "I'm fine. I promise, but what about you and your men? How did we fare?"
The sharp lines on his face relaxed. He dropped his head in noticeable relief and inhaled several deep breaths as if to calm his racing heart. After a long moment, he looked up at her. "I'm better now that you're here. We've been worried sick. I couldn't imagine what I'd tell the King if something had happened to you. It would destroy him."
Avani's gaze lowered to the ground. "My father…"
Drew shifted his attention to me. "I'm not sure what happened to you, but I'm glad to see that you're alive too, as strange as that may sound. I assume you had everything to do with saving our Princess?"
Before I could answer, Avani's head snapped up, her countenance pained with sudden panic and worry. "My father!"
"What is it?" Drew asked.
"Barbos. He was there." She spun to face me and searched my eyes as if trying to recapture a memory. I did remember the sound of Barbos's voice just then, but I'd been so caught up trying to free myself to help Avani that I'd missed much of their conversation.
Drew frowned. "The King's brother? What was he doing there? And where was there?"
Avani quickly recounted what happened after she tracked the creature who took Rose captive. She chose her words carefully, skipping over many events involving magic—a wise decision considering the fragile state of the men around us.
"That snake!" Drew said about Barbos when Avani had finished. "I'll kill him myself."
Avani met my gaze. "We need to stop him before he harms my father."
"I'll get my best men on it," Drew assured her.
"No. I want Flint to go." She sucked in a sudden hitched breath as if the words had been painful for her to say. "He can get to the King faster than anyone here."
The thought of parting with Avani drove a dagger into my heart, but she was right. I could reach him faster than anyone else. Plus, I didn't want anything to happen to Eric as I considered him one of my few human friends. This alone, however, wouldn't have been enough for me to leave her side. Only the fact that I knew Bayu was out there somewhere securing the road to Kel made me feel like Avani would be safe if I left her side. I'd also seen the look in Bayu's eyes when he'd touched Avani. He'd felt something, and I knew he'd keep a close eye on her until he could figure out why he'd felt the way he did around her.
"I'll go," I assured her. "No one will hurt the King. I promise you."
Her eyes teared, and she smiled. "I believe you."
"You better not fail," Drew warned me.
I returned a snarl for his lack of faith in me.
Rose, who still held Avani's arm as if she might disappear, asked, "So I assume after everything that happened today, we will be returning to Loreen tonight?"
