Destroyer (The Elemental Series #7)(31)

CHAPTER 12



Peta leapt from my shoulder as I stood, frozen by Talan’s command of Spirit in the caves under the waterfall. Raven stood beside me, in the same predicament, watching Peta. She shifted into her leopard form. “You don’t seem to want to hold me back now. Why is that?” Her body hunched as she stalked toward Talan.

He held up a hand. “Because you were my closest friend for many years, Nepeta. You were my confidante, and of all the souls left in this world, you know me the best. You have to know I am trying to fix things that were done wrong so many years ago.”

“Stupid damn way to go about fixing things by letting your siblings die and holding two of the strongest and most temperamental elementals alive captive.” She sniffed at him, then promptly sat. “Don’t make me kill you, Talan.”

His eyes widened. “You wouldn’t. You aren’t like that, Nepeta.”

“Using my full name will get you nowhere. The bond between elemental and familiar trumps all. I can fight your commands when they involve the safety of my charge. You’d best remember that.”

I wanted to ask her why she wasn’t taking him down right then. Why she wasn’t using her ability to do what she wanted, and then I understood. I had told her we’d hold back, that we’d lull Talan into a sense of security. It was the only way. And he could still knock her out with Spirit, even if he couldn’t command her.

Having Peta flat out on the floor did me no good.

I managed to turn my head and look to Raven. He was two steps behind me and I’d never seen his blue eyes so full of anger. Narrowed to slits, they were locked on Talan. As if by mere thoughts, he could strangle the elemental who held us with Spirit.

Slowly, he turned his eyes to me. I gave him the barest of nods. Trust me.

He nodded back.

Allies once more against a common enemy.

If only it would be as easy as stealing pies from the kitchen in the Spiral.

“Your first lesson is simple, Lark.” Talan strode across the room. “You need to learn how to break open your own memories, the ones that have been distorted and changed against your will. When you do that, you will be able to see much of your own truths and the reason for things that otherwise would make no sense.”

I frowned. “I have no other memories that are twisted. Those that Cassava played with when I was a child have been opened to me. I know that they were not a dream. Besides, I would think that memory breaking is not a useful tool against Viv.”

Talan smiled at me, but it was sad and I hated the pity I saw on his face. He didn’t address the point I was making at all. “Your mind has been tangled with more than once, Lark. I will give you a false memory right now, one that I believe you will be able to fight easily so you begin to understand.”

I didn’t like the sound of this. “Are you even going to tell me how to disprove the false memory?”

“Of course.” He stepped closer until we were almost nose to nose, bent and kissed me on the lips.

I blinked up at him, but he was ten feet away from me. “Why the hell did you kiss me?”

“I didn’t,” he said. “But you believe I did. You need to find the connection to your skin, to your muscles and your body memory. That is the key to making the memory in your head real or not real. What does your body feel?”

I wasn’t sure I understood, but I thought about how my body felt when Ash kissed me, the pressure of his mouth, the taste of his skin, the way my heart picked up… the memory of Talan kissing me held none of that… and as I tried to find the physical memory of his mouth on mine, the memory faded until it was no longer in my head.

“Good, you’re a fast learner, as I’d thought you would be.” Talan nodded. “But that was an easy one. Because the reality is I put no weight into that false memory. I let it be a simple kiss with no emotion, no sensation at all. But do you understand better how to dissect your memories now?”

“All well and good,” I said, “but just how do I know which memories have been tampered with? I could spend years going through my memories! And again, are there not better things you could be training me?”

“You will have memories tucked away and hidden that you have no knowledge of,” Raven added.

I turned to him. “What?”

He shrugged. Obviously, Talan was allowing us some movement now, small bits. “There are memories that can be completely hidden. Just wiped clean as if you slept through them. Basically, if you don’t know what you are looking for, you would never find them in your subconscious at all.”

“Worm shit,” I breathed out.

Talan flipped his hand through the rushing water, splashing us both. “I am the teacher, Raven. Let’s make sure she can pull apart the obvious lies before she goes hunting for the rest.”

Raven glared at him, and I just watched the two face off. Then Raven bowed his head. “You’re right, Talan.”

Talan nodded and flicked his hand at Raven. A curl of pink flowed over Raven, releasing his bonds completely. I couldn’t help my eyes from bugging out.

“You’re letting him connect to his elements?”

Talan nodded. “He won’t fight me, unlike you. I trust him.” Talan paused. “You are eager, Raven. That is your only downfall.” He turned from my brother.