Destroyer (The Elemental Series #7)(47)

Your mother’s unique gift was her ability to see the lines of power. See them on yourself, Lark. See where you can cover them with other lines of power and your connection to me.

Something clicked inside my head as the words opened understanding in me.

The lines of pink that held me touched the earth in places.

Like a brilliant flash of light, I understood how I could circumvent Talan’s hold on me. The lines of power from the earth were there, just waiting on me. I slid them up and over the lines that held me down, and the power of Earth flowed through me, even when I was blocked as I was right then. I funneled it through my body and smothered the lines of pink that kept me from moving.

Released, I shot to my feet and ran at them.

Meghan barked at me, “Move now and he’ll die for sure. There be a chance yet!”

I froze where I was mid-step. “What?”

“We can’t stop the spell or he will surely die,” she breathed out. “We must finish now.”

Shazer grunted, sweat rolling down his face, his flanks trembling.

Talan stared at me, his eyes wide. “How did you free yourself?”

“He dies and I will kill you.” The words were hot and fueled by more anger than I’d ever felt in my life.

My son… he is trying to help you, Lark. Even if he is going about it the wrong way.

“Then your own connection to Spirit will be lost.” He smirked at me. Fucking well smirked.

I smiled back. “Then so be it.”

He paled.

Power hummed around us, yet I could feel none of it.

“Meghan, if I add my power, will that help?”

She shook her head. “No. Be quiet.”

Biting my lower lip, I watched as Shazer’s skin thinned and his body began to shift, his wings drooped and the feathers sloughed off one by one. Tears slipped down my cheeks. They were literally pulling him apart, a piece at a time.

“Please, Meghan,” I whispered. Caught between rage and fear, I still had hope that Shazer was strong enough to pull out of this.

“I’m trying,” she bit back. “This don’t be easy, Elemental.”

I clamped my mouth shut and just watched.

Raven cleared his throat. “Little help?”

I didn’t look back at him. “Earth dampens the lines.”

He gasped and in seconds was at my side. “Shit. How did you figure that out?”

I didn’t look at him. I kept my eyes on Shazer even when Peta pressed against my legs. She, too, carried ability with the earth.

And now all three of us were immune to Talan’s and Viv’s machinations.

Shazer’s body shrank and shifted, bones cracked, and then the Pegasus I knew was gone, and a man lay in the sand at our feet. Meghan stumbled away from me and I dropped to my knees to cradle Shazer’s upper body, his long white hair spilling over my arm.

A Sylph, Shazer had been a Sylph.

I put my hand to the side of his neck. “Shazer, talk to me.”

“Magnus,” he whispered. “My name was Magnus and Viv cursed me because I sided with those who banded against her. I led the rebellion, and now I leave it in your hands to stop her.” He opened his eyes, soft gray eyes like the underbelly of a storm cloud. He lifted a hand to my cheek. “Lark… you are the one we’ve waited for.”

His hand slipped down and I caught it, clutching his fingers. “Magnus, don’t you dare!” I pushed a pulse of Spirit into him to heal whatever was wrong, but I could find nothing. “Raven, help me!”

There was a flurry of movement and then Raven was there on the other side of Magnus. Raven put his hands on the Sylph’s chest. “His heart isn’t beating.”

“Get it started again.” I barked the order even though I knew in my own heart… I knew what I was seeing. Shazer was gone, his life snuffed out by attempting to give him his real form.

Peta wrapped a big paw around me and tugged me away. “You can’t bring him back, Lark.”

A sob slipped from me and I put my hands over my face. I cried for Shazer. I cried for his willingness to be the test subject and I cried for what it meant. “I knew it. I knew this would happen.” Why hadn’t I stopped this when my instincts screamed there was no way it would work? Something had told me, and I’d not listened. I’d wanted to know it was possible.

“Lark,” Raven said, “Talan is gone.”

I jerked my head up.

Both Talan and Meghan were indeed gone. “A coward always runs when they finally realize they are out-powered.”

Raven nodded. “He knows he can no longer hold you down. He won’t come at you again.”

Shaking from head to toe, I wasn’t so sure Talan was done with us.

“This was another lesson,” I whispered. “One that cost us a dear friend. Talan will not stop. I just think we won’t see him coming.”

“He did something, though. He saved Ash’s life,” Raven said.

I blinked up at him. “What are you saying?”

He swallowed hard. “Ash as he was—a man—is lost to you. And I don’t think you would have believed it if you hadn’t seen Shazer die.”

I closed my eyes and leaned over Shazer’s—Magnus’s—body. Tears slid from my face and onto his. “Goddess, please…do not leave me now.”