Why was it staying away? I huffed in frustration. If I could control all of them and have them work together, I might be able to defend myself against Gabriel. Without Air, I didn’t have a chance.
The sky dimmed even more and I stood completely still. In this place without any large amount of water, I’d have to rely on Fire and Earth. I only hoped they would be enough to rescue Insepth and get us out of there.
I didn’t like being in the open, but in order to enter the maze of tunnels, I had no choice. I didn’t dare draw any significant power. The Angels would sense it immediately. I’d have to rely on some good old-fashioned stealth to reach the entrance.
I left the cover of the first bush and sprinted to the next one, making sure to look around as I went. The distance to the fallen pillar beside the steps was farther than I would have liked, but I didn’t hesitate. Running as fast as I could, I darted over the mounds of dirt and scrubby grass until I made it to the broken stones. I stopped long enough to catch my breath, assess my surroundings, and then stretched my legs to reach the crumbled steps. I jogged down them and into the dark opening, only stopping when I turned the corner.
I tried to slow my hard breathing and thumping heart. My organs were making too much noise in the shadows. I slid my back down the wall and paused, concentrating. This time when I let a little Gaia in, I entered a bat that was taking flight with dozens of others of its kind. It wanted to shoot though a hole into the evening sky to catch bugs, but I took it further into the tunnels instead. It used its sonar to navigate the black passageways. The little creature understood what I was looking for and it flew rapidly, turning left, then right, then straight again.
It entered a pathway that was brightened by moonlight and when I glanced up, I could see sparkling stars overhead. And then I saw him.
Insepth was hanging upside down, like a butchered animal. Anger heated my skin, and my Fire leaped forward. I embraced the flames but tried to hold them back, begging them to be patient.
Pain pierced my mind and I hit something. My sight went dark.
I blinked into the tunnel, forcing myself to be calm. Angel warding. Damn it.
How could I possibly get Insepth out of there if the room he was in was warded? I rubbed my temples, grasping for any idea that would help me.
The flash from the corner of my eyes made me bolt upright. I stared into the murkiness. It appeared again, hovered, and then shot away. I pushed my muscles, sprinting after the glowing ball.
I prayed it was what I thought it was.
The air was dank the further away from the entrance I went. My heart pounded in my chest as I blindly followed the ball as it zigzagged and turned. My lungs felt like they were about to burst when it finally stopped. It grew and brightened, lighting up the small room I’d stumbled into.
I drew in ragged breaths and waited, never taking my eyes off the light.
The ball suddenly exploded into a dazzling shower of sparks, and I covered my eyes until the radiance diminished. When I dropped my arm, I swallowed a lump in my throat and gasped.
“My dear, it makes my heart sing to see you.”
Ila was a wispy apparition, but she was grinning.
“How are you here?” I resisted the urge to throw my arms around her. From experience, I knew I’d go straight through her with an icy chill.
Riley’s ghost flopped down at Ila’s feet. It was good to see them reunited.
“Barriers that have held for an eternity are crumbling. I escaped my confines in Purgatory with everyone else.” Her lips tugged up in slight smile as if she was amused.
“But you’re a ghost. Are you happy like that?” I whispered, eyeing my mentor from transparent head to foot.
This time, she was in the same form as when I’d first met her. An older, straight-backed woman with long gray hair held up in a heavy bun. Her features were sharp and foxlike, and her body was slender. She spoke with a slightly English accent that had always made me imagine her as the lady of a fine estate. But in truth, Ila had been one of the simplest people I’d ever met. She lived off the land, growing her own food and making soaps and candles by hand. She had loved her little valley in the Tennessee Mountains and the pets she took care of there. She had enjoyed her solitude, but had been ready to fight evil and protect the common folk when the need arose. Looking at her now, I felt a strong sense of relief. Ila would somehow make everything okay.
Ila shrugged her shoulders, becoming misty with the action. “It is a burden, but one I’m happy to bear at the moment.”
“I need your help, Ila. Things are really bad,” I prodded.
“I know, dear. That’s why I’m here. We are connected through our blood and the elements. Even though I might not walk beside you in solid form, I’m never far from you.”
“The Devil took Sawyer away.” I quickly wiped the tears away that welled in the corners of my eyes.
Ila’s lips quivered. Her form became more solid, glowing brighter. “I chose your guardian well. When the time came, he saved you, and that’s precisely what he was meant to do.”
“You knew all along it that would happen—and that’s why you warned me about taking him to Purgatory,” I said.
“You give me too much credit. I had an ill feeling about Sawyer going to that place, but I wasn’t sure how it would play out in the end. As usual, you didn’t listen to me—and I’m glad for it. His actions saved your life. The Angels would have most certainly killed you if the Dark One hadn’t arrived.”
I had to swallow down the hot surge of Fire that sprang to life in my gut. “But I lost him forever, Ila,” I gulped. “And he might be suffering terribly.”
Ila inclined her head and looked at me with the same stern look that used to give me shivers. “Be strong and keep your wits, girl! Sawyer made the ultimate sacrifice so that you could live. Would you throw away that gift on self-pity?”
“But I—”
Ila cut me off with a wave of her misty hand. “You miss him, you loved him—I know. But you’re also filled with guilt that you can’t save him.” When my eyes widened, her voice softened. “I understand you better than you do yourself. You can’t always succeed. There are forces at work in the world that are much more powerful than you. When you truly accept that, you will find peace, even when you suffer great loss.” Her glassy eyes took on a faraway look. “I wasn’t able to save my beloved, Montery, either. A part of him remained with me, giving me great joy.”
I wondered what she was talking about and had opened my mouth to ask when she shook her head. “Not now, my dear. The remnants of the elements in my spirit make it possible for me to come to you in this way, but it’s not easy. Soon my gathered strength will be gone and so will I. There are more important issues at hand.”
“The Angels are acting insane. They’re battling each other, and Gabriel has taken Insepth hostage,” I blurted out, redirecting my thoughts.
“Yes, yes, I’m aware of all that.” Her gaze narrowed. “Nasty business, if you ask me. The Angels aren’t worthy to serve Him. But that’s for another time. Now, we focus on Insepth.”
“He’s chained and hanging upside down in a warded room. I sense there are Angels nearby. I can’t just waltz in there and save him. It’s impossible.”
“If you’ve learned anything, my girl, it’s that most things aren’t impossible.”
I grasped my forehead. “I wouldn’t even know how to find my way back to him. There are dozens of tunnels and they’re all so dark.”
Ila looked up and pointed. “I brought you to this particular room for a reason.” Her smile was devious.
“We’re below him?” My heart sped up as I raised my eyes.
“Directly,” Ila confirmed.
“But how does that help?” I returned my gaze to her.
“It’s not warded down here.” Her smile grew. “Don’t you remember what I taught you? Insepth and Adria as well?” I lifted my hands in frustration, and Ila added, “Sometimes moving objects in one location
affects objects in another place.”
The tingle of anticipation rolled through me. “He’s bound from the ceiling where the warding is. Even if I can take the floor out, won’t the warding hold him from above?”
Ila raised a brow. “That’s where your Air element will help you. It’s about time you learned how to use that magnificent power.”
“I’ve wanted to touch the wind for so long, but it’s elusive. How can you teach me how to control it in the short time we have now?”
“Your lessons and experiences of the past have prepared you for this moment. Fire is who you are, and Gaia is your closest friend. Water runs through your veins, and will help you when you’re in need, but it’s aloof. Air is the one element that you can touch, but it isn’t inside of you.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“It’s something you can only call upon when you’re in immense need, when you’re in your darkest hour. It will only come to your aid for the greater good. Air doesn’t help those who are selfish or arrogant or have evil intentions.” She nodded to herself. “Sir Austin, for instance, is a noble man. He strives to do what’s right in all cases.”
“Sir Austin was there when Eae was forced out of Piper. He helped kill her.”
Ila’s body trembled and turned to mist for an instant and then took her form again. “He didn’t know that the Angel’s rendering would kill the girl. Neither did Insepth. At that time, the Angels were hidden to us, merely myths. How were they to know that their actions would result in the death of your friend?”
I pushed the memory of Piper out of my mind. “Perhaps the Air will never aid me. Maybe I’m not worthy.”
She snorted and Riley whimpered. “Some things aren’t black or white. You are neither good nor evil, but you’re definitely worthy. Air has come to you before. It will again.”
“But how?” I hated the whine in my voice. There wasn’t time for me to learn what to do.
“You simply ask for it, my dear. It won’t obey you the way the other elements do. It will decide the best path and take it. With this element, you must be prepared for anything.”
Ila began to fade and the room grew icy.
“Don’t go, not yet!” I implored.
“My strength is spent. I’m sorry, but I must leave you.” Riley disappeared, and then her feet and legs became mist. “I wish you sweet success, Ember. It’s up to you to free us all.”
Her face dwindled away, becoming a thin haze, and then was gone.
“I love you, Ila,” I whispered into the now pitch black room.
There was no response, but a chill swept over me and I closed my eyes. Ila was always near.
I opened my eyes and looked up. Fire rushed through me and I held my hand out to hold the flame. Gaia was ready, and even Water was at attention. I still didn’t feel the Air, but from what Ila said, I didn’t really need to.
I couldn’t save Sawyer, but Insepth was another story.
Chapter 16
Insepth
Blood trickled down my eye, dripping onto the floor. I looked at the puddle developing, realizing it was the first time I’d gone such a long stretch without being able to heal myself. My circumstances had turned me into an ordinary man. I would much rather die, embracing my Earth power and giving Gabriel a fight, than to bleed to death like a slaughtered animal.
Gabriel paused, his fist in the air as he flapped his wings out behind him. “Do you sense that?”
Phanuel answered from the shadows, where he was leaning against a pillar. “I feel nothing out of the ordinary. More of our supporters are arriving, crossing through the barrier. Is that it?”
Gabriel straightened, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I’m not sure. It was an odd feeling.” He walked to the gap in the ceiling and peered up.
“The girl might have arrived,” Phanuel said, pushing away from the column. He was suddenly alert and I smiled, though it hurt my face to do so. A mighty arch Angel worried about a Watcher girl—it was a moment to be savored, even given the rotten conditions.
“No, I don’t think so. Nearly a hundred Angels are here, watching and waiting. She would only slip through by the grace of our Father. It’s something different.” I struggled to lift my head up to watch the Angels. “I will take a pass of the skies. Do not leave him,” Gabriel ordered, pointing at me.
Phanuel nodded, and Gabriel flew upward toward the gap. The Angel barely made it through the opening. Dust sprinkled down from above when his wings brushed the old stone.
I cleared my throat, spitting out a wad of blood. “You’re both arch Angels. So why does he order you around?” I asked Phanuel. “Is there a hierarchy among you I don’t know of?”
Phanuel rolled his eyes. “I would think someone in your condition would save his strength, instead of wasting it on ignorant words.”
“Ignorant? I simply asked a question.” I grunted. “It must be a sensitive subject for you.”
The Angel took a few steps closer and stopped. “I am wise to your intentions, Watcher. I will not be manipulated by you, and you won’t turn me against my brother.”
I was about to reply when more debris shook loose from the ceiling. Phanuel looked up and muttered, “What can that be?”
A wind stirred my hair and the sound of cracking filled my ears. The floor crumbled away in a blast of fire and rubble. Phanuel took flight, drawing his sword and spreading his wings in front of me.
“Run, Ember! Phanuel guards me!” I shouted.
Even if she had somehow gotten into the tunnels without Gabriel’s notice, her powers weren’t enough to break the warding that held me, or to defeat an arch Angel. She would be killed.
A flood of water entered the hall, flowing around the lip of flooring that hadn’t fallen away. The walls broke apart, and I flailed sideways to avoid the impact. Phanuel was searching into the chasm and barely got out of the way of a falling boulder. Flames shot upward, scorching my hair and skin. My heart hammered and I coughed into the smoke. A jolt of excitement ran up my spine, but fear dampened it. The three elements weren’t enough. Ember couldn’t free me or save herself from Phanuel.
“Show yourself, Watcher!” Phanuel called out. “If you surrender, I will show mercy on you.”
A gust of wind whistled into the room, gaining speed and volume until I was lifted completely sideways. Phanuel pumped his wings to stay in place. The expression on his face changed from annoyance to anger, and he raised a golden sword.
“So be it, then you die, girl!” Phanuel screamed.
Wind rushed from the chasm, carrying Ember with it. She lifted her hands and I saw the sparks on her fingertips.
“No! You die!” Ember hurled a blast of flame at Phanuel, pinning him against a fallen pillar.
The scent of burnt feathers filled my nostrils and I cringed. But I didn’t waste the opportunity. Using the draft for propulsion, I bent and grabbed the chain holding my ankles. Once the metal was in my hands, I struggled to climb up the chain. If I could reach the warding symbols, I might be able to damage them enough to break the power.
There was a flash of light and the flames were extinguished. Phanuel was glowing, his features almost indistinguishable.
“Look away, Ember! Don’t gaze upon him!” I began to squeeze my eyes shut, but hesitated, risking a glance at Ember.
She was looking directly at the Angel.
“You thought your childish Watcher games could destroy me?” Phanuel shouted, beating his wings, moving closer to where Ember now stood.
“No, I didn’t, but this will,” Ember said with smooth confidence that made me swallow hard.
Fire, Earth, and Water joined with Wind. They spiraled together and into the warded ceiling still suspended above my head. The blue flash was silent, lighting up the room.
“No!” Phanuel shouted, streaking toward me.
The explosion was deafening and rained chunks of the ruins down on top of me. The chains fell away from my ankles and I was falling. When
I hit the ground, I groaned, but the surge of earth through me was pure pleasure. Chords of power rushed to the places that needed healing. I rolled out of the way just as Phanuel’s sword dropped, striking the jagged rock beside my head.
The elements gathered again, slamming into the Angel and dimming his Heavenly light. He slashed with his sword, puncturing the stream of energy, and his scream caused a wave of air that knocked Ember onto the rocks beside me.
The use of so much energy had weakened her. I grabbed her hand and pulled her with me as I worked my still healing legs faster. The roar of Phanuel’s power pressed into our backs.
“Now!” I yelled into Ember’s ear.
She clung to my side and I drove my strength into the broken terrain at our feet. We lunged into the tunnel just as the earth rose up behind us.
“We can’t stop!” I picked Ember up and ran with her. A small flame rose from her hand, lighting our way.
The passageway collapsed after us as we escaped just a few feet ahead of it. Ember’s torch illuminated a solid wall rising up in front of us. I slid to a stop and braced my hands on the cold stone. With my lungs feeling as if they were about to burst, I let go of the energy and the rocks stopped falling away. A puff of dust filled the air and we coughed, falling against the wall.
I touched Ember’s face. “Are you all right?” I whispered, not able to keep the sense of awe from my voice. She had combined all of the elements for the first time, and on her own with no instruction. Not to mention that she’d gazed at an Angel in all his glory and was still around to tell about it.
She cleared her throat and leaned into me. “I’m alive—we’re both alive.”
“How did you learn to call on the wind?” I asked, trailing my hand over her cheek and down her neck. She wasn’t pushing me away, and more than anything, I just wanted to caress her.
“Ila helped me find you. She told me the way.”