Chapter Thirty-Three
Jade
JadeandCelesinestrolledamong a cluster of pine trees near the hot springs. Kai, Aidan, and Isla had left earlier to wait for Rynn to finish his tantrum. Jade, however, wanted to spend as much time with her old friend as she could before Celesine’s strength ran out and she had to return to the spirit realm.
“When will we see you again?” Jade asked.
“If all goes well, not for a very, very long time, darling,” she smiled. Even though the top of her head barely met Jade’s chin, Jade always felt protected in the Aether’s presence. While she was unable to permanently exist with them in the physical world, she had visited them occasionally over the millennia—but never for more than a few hours at a time. It had been hard for the four of them to form any kind of strong relationship with her.
A few centuries after their creation, however, Celesine had saved Jade from herself, in a time when she was in over her head with her powers and close to going down a path that would have caused great destruction in her life. It pained Jade to think of that part of her past, even now. Since then, Jade trusted Celesine without question. She owed the Aether everything. The others may not have the same blind faith that Jade did, but they all knew the spirit elemental cared for them.
“I want to speak with you about something before I depart,” Celesine said.
“What’s wrong?” Jade asked, pinching her eyebrows.
“Nothing is wrong, necessarily. I simply fear the division growing among the four of you. It’s going to be difficult for Rynn to cooperate with anything involving the mortal.” Celesine’s lips pressed into a straight line.
“So, youdothink she could be the key to this?”
Celesine looked ahead as they continued walking. “I honestly don’t know what to make of it. It’s curious that she’s immune to your foe’s mind control abilities, and that could be meaningful. However, you know I despise the idea of putting an innocent human’s life in any sort of jeopardy.” She shook her head and sighed. “I trust your judgment, Jade. You have always been the strongest of them. It’s in your nature—you provide stability to their more volatile instincts. I know you can guide them once more to what needs to be done.”
Jade swallowed, her chest swelling at Celesine’s confidence in her. She wanted to make the Aether proud and do what was best for the kingdoms. Her gut told her there was a reason Isla was with them, a reason the girl wasn’t affected by the dark god’s powers, but Jade didn’t know what to do with that or how to convince Rynn of her logic.
“I will try, of course, but—”
“Well, well. It’s surely my lucky day, finding two such beautiful creatures up here all alone.”
Jade whirled at the unfamiliar voice, the rock beneath her immediately shuddering, vines curling up from the ground, awaiting her command. Her gaze landed on the intruder: a pale man dressed in all black, leaning casually against a tree beside the hot spring.
She had never seen him before but instantly knew who he was. Her eyes narrowed.
“You will leave here at once. I won’t warn you again,” Celesine said with a cold sneer. Jade’s eyes shot to her, surprised at the change in the spirit elemental. Jade had never seen her as anything other than her compassionate mentor. But with her soft lavender eyes now a sharp violet stare, a pulsing light emanating from her small frame, and those icy words that sent a shiver down her spine—it was like she was a different person.
The man merely chuckled. “Is that supposed to be a threat?”
“You are mistaken. I do not threaten,” Celesine began. “Butshedoes.”
In an instant, Jade thrusted her arm forward and a large spike forced itself from the ground at the dark god’s feet. He dodged it, but dozens more followed, trapping him inside a prison of rock and stone.
“You know, this saves us a lot of trouble.” Jade strode toward the man. “I can just finish you off now,” she snarled, bringing another sharp spike through the ground. It pierced his foot, and Jade reveled in the sound of cracking bone and the scream of pain.
“You really are…the most vindictive,” he said in between heavy breaths. “I’ve visited all of you…and you have been the only one to…get a shot in.” His laugh quickly turned into a grunt as more rocks pressed into him.
Jade’s fury at this man, at what he had done to her companions, at what he threatened to do toher, ignited inside of her. She leaned forward, wanting to watch his last breaths and the light leave his black eyes when she ended his life.
“Now you’re the one saving me the trouble,” he said. The pain had left his voice, turning low and sultry, calling her closer, his wicked eyes reaching into her soul. Jade stilled as her vision darkened and centered on him, slowly dragging her under until she didn’t know which way was up or down.
“Strong and fierce, yes, but you all bow to me in the end.” His words were like silk, caressing her mind and taking her captive.
“Let her go.”
Jade heard the powerful voice, one that broke through the darkness like a beacon of bright light. She sensed the hold on her mind lifting like talons of steel being extricated one by one, little wisps of shadow struggling to wind their way around her before being forced out by a heavenly purple aura.
Suddenly, Jade was on the ground. She blinked against the sunlight streaming on her face, gasping as Celesine approached the man, tendrils of that same purple aura sneaking from her body and wrapping around the dark god’s head.
“I told you I would not warn you again. You will leave, and if you ever deign to harm my people, I will show you what a true master of mind and spirit can do.” She wasn’t even touching the man, and yet he cried in agony at whatever damage she inflicted on his mind with her power. In a billow of what looked like dark shadows, he disappeared, leaving nothing but echoes of his shouts and blood from his injured foot.
The moment he was gone, the spirit elemental slumped to the ground.
