“Oh!” Air called out, stopping the argument. “He's chosen Air. Shush, all of you! I need to guide him.”
Shockingly, the others went quiet, no one complaining that I hadn't chosen them. They may argue, but they also knew the gravity of the situation.
“Ember, you will act differently with Death, and yet, I can tell you this; you must follow your instincts. You have worked with Death Magic. Controlled it. Been controlled by its consciousness. Which is all to say that you know it intimately. You can use that against it. But for now, you will train under the same premise. You know Air. How can you condense it?”
“I don't know. That's why I chose it.”
“Good lad,” Air said. “Smart. So, feel for it. Forget reason and feel. Delve into the magic and feel your way around it.”
I reached for Rath's Air Magic, spreading my mental fingers around it. Then I thinned my touch. Air needed to be coerced gently.
“Good. Now, hold it loosely,” Air said. “Got it?”
“Yes.”
“With Death, you will have to use your link to pull all of him into Aranren. Remember that. With Rath, you are containing only the magic inside him. However, the process of containment will be the same. So now, as you continue to hold Ratharin's Air Magic, summon the Elements to you.”
“Even Air.”
“Even Air. As I said, it will not be the same with Death. You won't be containing Death in itself. That would be impossible and so it is with Air as well. But you must practice creating a cage out of all the Elements. Air might be contained for a moment. If that happens, I will consider it a success.”
“But how do I summon Air when I'm holding it?”
“You will summonyourAir Magic. You are currently holding Lord Ratharin's.”
That's when it clicked into place for me. I understood. I saw the pattern. No, it wouldn't be the same when I tried to conquer Death, but it would be similar enough to prepare me.
I summoned the Elements.
“Excellent,” Air said. “Now unite us.”
Light filled my hands as it had the very first time I had unified the Elements. Back then, it had been to save Rath's life. It felt strange and yet appropriate that he be the one I practice on now. I felt the rush of four unbound magics swirling in my palms.
“That's it!” Air said. “Now, open the bonds between you and your other lovers.”
The air shimmered around me as the lines between me and my other three lovers snapped with power. They gave it freely, standing steadily beside me as we faced Rath together. Now, that felt wrong. But this was just practice. For the real event, Rath would be on our side of the battlefield.
And Ara would be in his place.
“I will be Aranren for you.”Rath's words came to mind again. I winced, and the power stuttered.
“Hold fast!” Air said. “Latch onto the magic and don't let go.”
I refocused and used the power I borrowed to solidify my hold on Air right when it was slipping through my mental fingers. I caught it. Held tightly.
“Now the cage, Ember,” Earth said.
But he didn't have to urge me. I already had the Elements joined. They swirled around Ratharin, together and yet separate. I needed one more thing to fully merge them—Spirit.
Holding Rath's stare, I poured Spirit into the tornado of elements around him. Water made Earth into mud. Fire hardened mud into clay. Air fueled Fire and dried the clay. They worked harmoniously under Spirit's guidance. But I didn't knowwhat to do after that. The first time I had tried this, I had turned the Corrupter into a statue. I thought I had killed him. But then he broke free. And I was trying for a different result this time.
“Now, pull Air out of Lord Ratharin as you lift the shell,” Air said.
Ah. I saw it then. And when I saw it, the magic reacted. My mind functioned with little guidance. I pulled Air upward while I lifted the clay. Even though it was solid, it rose—a perfect duplicate of Rath that rippled as it slipped over him, the clay turning into granules before becoming seamless again. When it was free of Rath, hovering above him, the statue sucked inward to become an orb. Within that orb, Air pulsed in fury. I managed to contain it for three seconds. Then the orb exploded, blasting clay fragments everywhere.
“Excellent!” Air shouted as the other elements cheered.
But I didn't cheer. Because as soon as the orb exploded, I looked at Rath. And Rath didn't look good.
