Page 44 of Liberating Water

Lailah

Dancingand my intimate moment with Jay had landed us at thirty minutes till midnight, according to the announcement made through the hall. They asked everyone to come outside into the back courtyard that had champagne stations set up for everyone to get their glasses before the stroke of midnight. The whole courtyard was decorated and had performers wandering around as we waited, helping us to forget about the chilly bite in the night air. Parker took my hand and pulled me off to the side through a gate that led us to a small garden maze. Leading me through, he brought me to the center where there was a stone bench with a bottle of champagne set up and waiting for us.

“Did you plan this?” I asked Parker, clinging to his arm.

Parker grinned down at me and gave a playful wink. “Sure did, Trouble. I plan to keep you to myself just for a little while.”

There were even blankets left so we could put one down on the bench and wrap the other around ourselves. “Parker, this is one of the most romantic things I think anyone has ever done for me.”

“In a way, that makes me sad, but on the other hand, I’m kinda glad that I got to be the first one to do it for you,” Parker murmured as he placed a kiss on my temple.

“How will we know when the countdown happens if we’re not with the rest of the party?” I asked when I noticed we couldn’t really hear what was going on anymore.

Parker reached up and took my chin, turning my head to look at him. “Trust me, nothing else matters right now except for the two of us in this moment. Like you keep telling us, as long as we stick together, we’ll be fine.”

His words made me melt into a puddle of emotion. I never would have guessed that Parker had this side to him, knowing he was always drawn to being the comic relief, not taking life too seriously. Then again, he told me that he was going to be working on building the trust we had, and this moment was going a long way to that next level he was talking about.

Leaning into him, I let my head rest on his shoulder, enjoying the quiet moment we had under the stars. There wasn’t even a cloud in the sky to cover them up. It was truly a magical moment, perfect to end one year and start another. All of a sudden, fireworks started shooting off all around us, splashing across the night in bright color, causing me to gasp. Surging to my feet, I slowly turned in a circle, taking it all in. Our party wasn’t the only one shooting them off—there were several others too, making it seem as if the whole of Drittilyn was lit up by them.

When I turned back forward, I found Parker on one knee with his weapon in his hands, holding it up to me. “Lailah Mackenzie, I wish to give you my Oath as an Elementi Warrior.”

My mouth dropped open, completely caught off guard. “What?”

“Lailah, bearer of Synergy, the sixth element, I would offer you my Oath if you will have it,” Parker repeated, only this time I knew that the angelic aura was present to hear his plea.

“Parker, Knight blessed with Spirit’s power, Warrior for the angels. I find you true of heart and mind, upholding the agreement given to your ancestors. Do you accept the eternal bond to protect the people of this world, and vow to cherish the vessel that holds the gift of Synergy, who has been placed in your protection?” I intoned.

“I, Parker Jones, Blessed Elementi Warrior gifted with Spirit’s power, vow to cherish and protect this world, my fellow brothers, and the one bound to us as Synergy; or my life be forfeit,” Parker answered, holding up his bladed staff to me.

“Rise, and seal your Oath,” I said, reaching out my hand for him.

Parker grasped it and stood, pulling me to his chest, but before I could kiss him, he stopped me. “I want you to know that I am giving you my Oath right now but not my Bond. There is still more that I have to prove to you before I can allow you to accept me for the rest of eternity. In giving you my Oath, I have announced to you and the heavens above that I am in this to the bitter end. No matter what happens with the others or how they might dislike me or think I’m not good enough to be an Elementi Warrior, I will not give up on you or them.”

I didn’t even realize that I was crying until he wiped away my tears with his thumbs. “Thank you, Parker.”

Leaning down, he kissed me. It wasn’t the normal, heated kiss that led to blind passion right after the Oath was given. This sent a surge through my heart and forged a new and budding connection to him and his powers. I didn’t have the small ball of energy sharing space with the others, but there was a faint purple line showing our blossoming Bond. We indulged in the sweet moment, sitting curled up on the bench, drinking champagne and sharing lingering kisses that warmed my very soul. All too soon it was time for us to head back to the others, but this was one New Year’s Eve I was never going to forget.

* * *

When we returnedto the party to search for the others, a woman let out a blood-curdling scream. Everyone burst into action, and if Parker hadn’t grabbed me close to his chest, I would have been swept away from the people running out of the wing where the dancing was. Looking up at Parker and catching his gaze, he nodded his head, and taking a firm hold on my hand, we headed against the flow. Having a tall, solid man as a shield while you had hundreds of people running was invaluable. Finally, we made our way into the room and easily found what caused everyone to panic.

On the stage where the band was playing, everything had been shoved off so all that was left was the dead woman bleeding out. The other four guys were by the stage. Micah was on the phone with someone, and Jay was taking pictures of the scene. When Brayden saw us enter the room, he shook his head no, and Parker halted.

“Why are you stopping? We need to see what’s going on,” I demanded.

Parker looked from me back to the stage and shook his head. “If Brayden says not to let you go over there, then I’m gonna do what he says. I trust that he is always thinking of you first, even if you’re not gonna like it.”

He wasn’t wrong about that, but if I was going to be a part of this team, then I needed to know what was going on.

“Look, I’m sorry, but I don’t need to be so protected that I can’t be of help, Parker,” I snapped, jerking my arm out of his hold and taking off towards the stage.

The others were too distracted dealing with the scene, not noticing me until I was right by them and was able to see what they’d been trying to keep from me.

YOU CAN’T SAVE THEM ALL, BUT YOU CAN STOP IT… THEIR BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS.

Unable to hold it back, I let out a mournful, wailing sob, crumpling to the ground where I proceeded to retch up everything I’d eaten that night. Brayden swore and grabbed me around the waist, hauling me away from the scene. The woman was sprawled out naked on the stage with a symbol carved into her stomach and her throat slashed. Ubel—because there was no doubt in my mind it was him—had used her blood to write the note, and it made me sick knowing he was just getting started. He didn’t get his first victim since I saved that little boy, so he had to try again.

So much for my magical New Year.