Origin of Angels: Elemental Legacy Book 1 (10 page)

She pointed at the room adjacent to the kitchen and followed me in. I set my burden on the countertop and moved for the door, but she grabbed my elbow. “We need to talk, and you aren’t leaving until we do.” I gave a nod and waited. I’d learned a long time ago it was best to let my mother air her concerns before I brought up things she didn’t even know about. “What happened today? I heard you were tested.”

“Word travels fast, even in Faeresia.”

“Not the answer I was looking for, Travis.” She moved into the living room, and I followed. Normally, Jenny and Sarah would have been around, but it was clear they’d been ordered out. My gut clenched, wondering what my mother had in mind for me. “I had ability with Fire but not much else.”

She sighed. The woman actually sighed like she was relieved. Since I was pretty sure this would be a long conversation, I took a seat on the couch. As I grew up, we’d made do with what we had. Most the time when we got something new, it was from a neighbor who was redecorating, which meant we had been about a decade behind in fashion. So it was strange to see such lavish furnishings in my parents’ place. Grace Keller wasn’t one for primping or frills, unless it came to decorating. She loved gaudy things, and her tastes had translated here. The deep purple couch was made from some kind of velvet fabric that left handprints, not to mention butt prints when unoccupied. She didn’t seem to mind, and the thing went perfectly with the flowery curtains cascading from the window.

Dad had insisted on a TV and, at the very least, sports channels. The fae hooked us up with every channel available. I looked longingly at the remote poised on Mom’s armrest. She eyed it and tucked it away under a gold throw pillow. I folded my arms, preparing for another lecture. Eyes softening, she pushed her fingers through her graying ginger hair. “Travis, the last thing we need is for you to have unwieldy power. Be grateful you are not like your sister.”

Sometimes I wondered how Mom had lost her compassion, but most of the time I admired her ability to stay calm under pressure. It was something I couldn’t do. “What if I’m of no more use than a lord?”

She fiddled with the fringe on the pillow, bringing it onto her lap. “Don’t be absurd. You are not fae. Even if you had a tenth of the power they do, you are better off. And you are what Lambert has been searching for. You have an advantage the fae might never have again. You can create offspring.”

What would she do if she knew I might have already done such a thing? “So?”

She shook her head. “You’re not thick. Don’t act like it.”

I smirked, and she frowned. “Having kids isn’t exactly something new.”

“Travis.”

“Fine.
I’m the bee’s knees. The thing is if any of the bonded fae Lambert has come to fight me, I’ll have my ass handed to me.”

“Travis!”

I grunted. “They’ll kick my butt, Mom, and you know it.”

“Exactly why you need to stay here.
We can protect you while you’re in the fae realm.”

I shot to my feet to pace the room. “I can’t hide forever.”

“Why not? You have the perfect place to practice your skills. The human realm holds nothing for you. Your future is here.”

“You’ve been talking to Rayla.”

“It’s the truth. Why do you want to leave so badly? We can send others to fight. You don’t need to be there.”

“Yes, I do. If I wait much longer, I may never know if I have children. Lambert could already be raising my sons and daughters.”

Her face paled, making her freckles stand out. “Children?”

“This is no time for moral outrage. I did some things while I was with him, but I had to.”

She nodded, and for a moment I thought she’d hug me. “The man is depraved. I had no idea. No wonder you are so worried.”

“Lambert said he wanted an army standing a chance to defend itself against the fae, but I think there’s more to it. I kind of think Lambert
is trying to find a way to become immortal.”

Mom made a face,
then started biting her nails. She was one of the only women I knew with the habit. Most females I’d been around did anything and everything to priss themselves out. Rayla and Jenny had to rely on friends for tips on makeup and nail polish, although neither one of them actually wore much of the stuff. After she’d made a pass through her right hand, she looked up at me. “Fae can’t grant immortality. Only the creator can.”

“It’s a feeling I have. The man doesn’t accept his age. He tossed away a twenty year marriage for a fling with Ainessa. He did things to Amy, Mom.
Terrible things.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Like what?”

“I think he was stealing her life…hers and Cassie’s.”

My mom gasped, her hand covering her mouth. To my surprise, her only question was, “How?”

I paced in front of her, needing to expel some energy. “I’m not sure, exactly, but he has changed since I first met him, and the women in his life have, too. While he has become more athletic and tone, youthful even, each lady I’ve seen him with has slowly faded until she was bedridden or eventually died.”

“There is no way a human could drain life force, Travis.”

I shrugged. “What if the man isn’t human?”

I DIDN’T HAVE THE STOMACH FOR gloom and doom right now, and from the look of her, neither did Cassie. Her voice was rimmed with a steel edge. “We need to stop my dad.”

Heath shook his head. “We need to keep you as far away from the man as possible. I discovered something else I’m not entirely sure you’re ready to hear.”

Cassie pulled her knees near her chest and wrapped her arms around herself in a modified fetal position. “It can’t be worse than what I’ve been dealing with here.”

I expected Heath to make a joke, but he merely nodded. “I have reason to believe your father has kept several families while he was married to your mother.”

All she said was, “Why?”

“I’ve researched his bank accounts, and for starters, he has several in current use all over the world. He also has houses in places you’ve probably never heard of, and he was seen a few weeks ago with a woman who has three daughters not much younger than you. He acted the role of father. It may be he is filling in for someone who was killed in the recent skirmish, but he was rather familiar with the woman.”

My stomach revolted at the thought of Lambert having multiple families. Hadn’t the man put Amy and Cassie through enough? But I wanted to clarify. “You said there were more than just one?”

Heath tried to level the tension in his voice, but he couldn’t hide his concern.
“At least three…perhaps more.”

“How many more?” asked Cassie.

“Ten.”

Cassie clenched her fists.
“Bastard. No wonder he was gone so much.”

I moved from Heath to my friend’s side and put my arm around her shoulders. “We don’t know anything for sure. Heath is speaking in hypotheticals right now.”

“Actually, I’m not. The three I mentioned go by the last name Lambert.”

“Pig,” I said, sending Cassie a sympathetic glance.

“What could my dad have been doing with all those women? It wasn’t like he needed to father a bunch of Elementals considering he had a pretty big stash to work with.”

“Fathering and creating Elementals are quite a different thing,” said Heath. “I haven’t figured out what he’s been doing, but if I had to guess, I’d say the experiments have been varied depending on the family involved. Have the doctors tested your mother yet?”

Cassie bristled, her face contorting into a mask of anger. “They keep saying they can’t figure what’s going on, with me or with her. For people who are supposed to be more advanced than humans, you all kind of suck at it.”

He laughed, the sound startling me. I gave an effort at a smile, but the corners of my mouth refused to stay up. Cassie was right, and the idea that even the most sophisticated among the fae had no clue what was happening with her chilled my blood. Maybe we were asking the wrong people. What if the fae could only discover fae abnormalities? My next thought brought Travis to mind: what if we are wasting our time here? What if Cassie’s only hope lay within the human realm? I squeezed her shoulders. “I can’t guarantee the outcome we all want, but I can guarantee we will do everything in our power to find your father and discover what he’s been doing to you.”

Her lips turned in a ghost of a smile. “I know, Rayla. I’m trying to stay positive, but the truth is the longer we stay here, the weaker I become. I think I need to leave this place…Mom, too.”

I made every effort to conceal my worry when I said, “Start packing. We’ll leave in the morning.”

“Wait a minute,” said Heath. “I just got back. We need a plan, remember?”

I smirked at him. “What happened to the man who has winged everything since I met him?”

“I can’t take risks where you are concerned.”

My brows lifted as I stared at him. “I’m immortal now, remember?”

He shook his head. “Sometimes, living forever can be a curse, especially when torture is involved.”

“I haven’t forgotten about Valen, if that’s what you’re implying. We have a lot of work to do to prepare before we leave, but I think it’s best if we go as soon as we can.”

“And what of your brother? Is he ready to face Valen and the Order?”

I cringed. Travis was headstrong and the type to jump in before looking. I clamped my eyes shut, searching the recesses of my mind for the solution.

Warm fingers brushed my arm. When I opened my eyes, Cassie’s face was close, her look determined. “Heath’s right. We can’t go back before we have a shot of success, but I’d like to know we’re working our hardest until the time comes.”

“You have my word,” I said, leveling my stare. “We’ll convene the council in the morning, then.”

She scrunched her nose. “No offense, Rayla, but not much gets done in those meetings.”

I sighed. “That’s because no one can agree.”

Heath spoke up. “Where war is concerned, people need orders. It is no time for opinions and bickering over who should perform everyday tasks.”

Had he trolled my mind for an update?

“No. The more things change…the more they stay the same: isn’t that how the saying goes?”

“More or less.”

He grinned. “We still have most of our army, and unlike the rest of the people, we are used to moving by command.”

“Wasn’t Jett the head of the army before everything went down with Valen?”

“Yeah,” said Heath, “and he won’t let anyone forget it, either.”

I raked my hand through my hair, standing up. What did I know about warfare? I supposed it didn’t really matter as long as I had people on my side who were adept at the art. “I need to find Jett.”

Heath joined me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Summon him. It’s the quickest way.”

Since I had been previously bound to Jett, I still had a mental link. Though, I wasn’t so sure how he would react to being summoned. I didn’t have time to worry about upsetting him. Two seconds after I sent the call, he popped into our living room. His eyes immediately scanned the room for threats.

Only after he had raked the whole apartment did he come to stand before me. “What is the matter, my lady?”

I frowned. Since I’d made my choice, the other lords had distanced themselves from me, but I had expected Jett to maintain our friendship. Perhaps it would just take some time for him to get over it. I hoped it was soon, because I was tired of pussyfooting around the men who meant so much to me, no matter which one I took as my bondmate. “We need your help,” I said, trying to gauge his mood.

“I am always at your disposal, Rayla. What is it you desire from me?”

Heath jumped in, his voice tense. “We need your expertise, Lord Jafan. The mortal realm awaits, and we need a leader to orchestrate our attack.”

Jett’s eyes narrowed fractionally. “What has happened?”

I shrugged. “Every day we lose access to more Elementals at the Order’s hand. We cannot wait forever to fight for what is rightfully ours.”

A boisterous laugh leapt from Jett, his long, dark braids swaying with the movement of his head. “Ours? My lady, not too many months ago you were on the other end of this equation fighting for your freedom. Now you wish to enslave those who weren’t as fortunate?”

My hands shot to my hips. “I said nothing about enslavement. I intend
to free them from the Order monsters.”

His voice lowered until I could barely hear his reply. “All men are monsters when they can’t get what they desire.”

MOM SCOFFED, FLIPPING HER HAND IN the air as if I’d just said the most absurd thing in the world. “I’ve known Nigel for years. He would have shown signs if he were fae. Besides, the Order would never allow an immortal to lead them.”

“I’m not saying he’s fae. The truth is I don’t really know what he is; maybe he’s been changed by a fae. By Valen?”

Her arms came to hug her middle. “Fae can’t alter humans in any way. It’s part of the agreement keeping them here. Even Valen has to abide by the rules or risk eviction.”