The Elemental: Rootbound Part 16

"ang on!" I tightened my hold on Bella and dove toward the wall on our right. Connecting with the mountain, I pulled the power of the earth around me and opened the stone face and shoved Bella in. "Stay there. I can't protect us both."

"Wait!" She held a hand out, but stayed where I'd put her. "Lark, duck!"

I spun and dropped to my belly as Scar's tail flung over my head. His eyes were full of tears as he stared at me. "I cannot stop myself, Lark. I'm sorry."

He lunged again, his mouth wide, his fangs as big as my forearm. I rolled to the left, and one of his fangs nicked my right shoulder. A searing pain sliced through me, the same fire that had been the lava whip against my bare skin, the same burn that had nearly killed me. I grounded myself to the mountain and let the strength of the earth keep me on my feet though I swayed as though poisoned.

I spun my spear off my side and pointed it at him. Though it was puny looking next to his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, he paused.

"Scar, fight it." I didn't lower the spear.

"I can't," he said, his voice the same soft gentle voice I'd known before. He lunged so fast there would be no dodging him. His mouth was wide, tongue flicking the air.

Peta leapt from my shoulder, s.h.i.+fting in mid-air.

Taking my place.

Protecting me with her own body.

"NO!"

Scar's mouth snapped shut, reflexes kicking in the second Peta touched the inside of his mouth as though he were a crocodile. She disappeared, as he clamped down, as if she never was.

Peta was gone and along with her went any coherent thought pa.s.sing through my mind.

Screaming, I ran at him, driving him back with each sweeping pa.s.s of my spear. He dodged me as if I were nothing. Over and over again I attacked, and he didn't even blink at my attempts. My spear bounced off his thick hide, not because it wasn't sharp, but because I wasn't strong enough to actually make it pierce.

Who cared if I saved the world, if I saved Ash even, if I lost Peta?

I tapped into both Spirit and Earth, weaving them together into a deadly mix of power. The two elements raced through me, firing my blood, feeding my strength and reflexes. I ran at the side wall, ran partway up, and leapt off twisting in the air, landing on top of Scar's back. He bucked and writhed under me, but I clamped my legs tightly and kept my seat.

Bella waved from the ground. "More Firewyrms."

Peta, I had to get Peta. I had to believe she was not dead, that somehow she was okay. I couldn't feel my bond to her, my panic and fear driving away all thought, all consideration except to save her.

I raised my hand and the tunnel behind us collapsed. I had to buy Peta time. I had to buy myself enough time to save her.

I lifted my spear over my head, let Spirit and Earth strengthen my muscles beyond anything I'd ever felt, and drove the blade down between two of Scar's vertebrae. He dropped under me, paralyzed, but not dead. I yanked my spear out, slid off him and ran to his mouth.

Bella was tugging at me and I pushed her back. I dropped my spear and grabbed Scar's mouth to yank it open. "PETA!" Nothing. "Don't make me come in there, cat." My voice wavered, the false anger barely keeping me from losing my mind. Shaking, I held his jaws open, holding the weight of them above me. I would hold them as long as I had to. "Bella, can you see her?"

Her hands were on my arms. "Lark, she leapt into his mouth to save you. We have to go. She is dead."

I s.h.i.+fted my hands so I could stand on his bottom jaw and hold the top up with both hands. "Peta, please."

Bella tugged at me, and my heart tugged in the other direction. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to concentrate on the bond between Peta and me. I would know if she was gone. I would.

A tiny flicker of gray and white at the back of his mouth caught my eye at the same time I felt her heartbeat inside my own body. "She's alive. Bella, please." I looked over at my sister, and G.o.ddess love her, she never hesitated.

Bella dropped to her knees and crawled inside Scar's mouth to the back. She scooped up Peta and crawled back out, covered in slime. And blood. I dropped Scar's mouth and held my hands out. Bella gave Peta over to me. "Lark, she's hurt but alive. I'm not sure I can say the same for us if we don't get the h.e.l.l out of here. The Firewyrms are almost through the rock."

Scar moaned. "The small pathway to the left. It will take you to the throne room. The one you used before. Do not worry about me. I will heal."

I put a hand on his nose as we pa.s.sed, unable to hate him. Manipulation, how far had it gone in my world? Was everyone I'd known touched by Spirit?

We slid into the small tunnel as the other Firewyrms arrived. Bella scooted ahead of me and I clutched Peta to my chest, feeling her life flickering unsteadily. "Bella, we have to stop. I have to heal her."

I sat up, hunched over in the narrow tunnel. The dim light that came from the end we'd entered was not enough to see Peta's injuries. Not that I needed to. I held her tightly to me and let my energy flow into her body, using the bond between us first. She let out a pitiful mew, raised her head and then let it lower again.

Gathering Spirit, I wove the element through her body, feeling the wounds in her belly where Scar's teeth had pierced. Carefully I put her back together until the injuries were nothing but a faint memory. I slumped where I was, exhausted. Bella sat beside me. "Lark, you can't face Fiametta like this."

"We can't stay here," I pointed out.

Peta slept, snoring softly. I clutched her to my chest, finally allowing myself to see how close I'd come to losing her for real. Her heartbeat had slowed to the point that I knew it only had a few beats left in it.

"Too close," I whispered.

Bella put her head against mine. "Her job is to protect you."

"And if she breaks me by dying? That won't protect me, it will destroy me completely." The words slipped out of me before I could catch them.

Bella let out a sigh. "You would survive, Lark. You always do."

I wasn't so sure she was right. Peta was a part of my soul, and the thought of losing her was beyond anything I'd ever experienced. I'd killed my own father and felt less pain. I'd lost my mother and little brother and slowly the grief had faded.

I wasn't so sure the same could be said if Peta died. I suspected I would go mad with grief if I lost her.

I rubbed a hand over my face, thinking. So much for taking the stones back with ease. "How the h.e.l.l are we going to do this?" I didn't ask because I thought she would have an answer. My question was for myself.

Bella was silent a moment. "I could go to Flint. He would listen to me. He might even be able to get the ring from his mother."

I hated to put this on her, but if we could avoid another confrontation, then I would take that chance. I opened my vest and tucked Peta inside. She snuggled against my skin, but otherwise didn't stir. "Let's try, if you think he would help you."

She scooted ahead of me, her voice echoing back. "I'm pregnant with his child, he'd better help me."

Shock rocked me back and for a moment I couldn't move. Then I was shooting forward. I grabbed her foot. "Excuse me? When the h.e.l.l were you going to tell me you were pregnant? And I let you come with me on this journey and you've been in danger the whole time! I never would have allowed you to come-"

"I know." She jerked her foot from my hand. "That's why I didn't tell you. I want to help, I need to help. And this baby needs to have a world that will allow for half-breeds to live. I don't know that he or she will be strong like River. Or you. I don't want this baby to end up a slave in the Deep." She led the way in the pitch black, her voice echoing back to me. "You already are protecting me, Lark. I trust you to keep us both safe."

Us. I closed my eyes and crawled after her. "Bella, you should have told me."

"I wasn't certain when we left the Rim. I felt the baby kick when we landed on the mountain."

Of course the baby would recognize its home. My heart lurched for Bella. Half-breeds were drawn more strongly to one side of their heritage. Cactus was drawn to the Rim and his Terraling side. River was drawn to the Rim too, instead of the Deep.

But if the baby Bella carried reacted here at the Pit, there was a good chance he or she would be drawn to the fire in their blood.

Ahead of us, light trickled in along with the sound of voices. Bella slowed and I caught up to her. The tunnel tightened until it touched my back and belly at the same time. Peta let out a m.u.f.fled mew and I touched her head. "Shh. Go back to sleep, lazy cat."

Bella slid out of the tunnel while I was distracted. She stepped around the huge statues that blocked the view of the tunnel.

"Flint," she whispered.

A gasp and the sound of lips on lips. "Bella, love, how did you get in here? Does my mother know you're here?" His voice had a lovely deep timbre; even I could see how she'd be seduced by it.

"Please, your mother can't know I'm here."

The sound of shuffling cloth, as if he'd pulled her tightly against him. I hoped for her sake he did love her. That he wasn't using her. Call me cynical, but after dealing with Cactus, I wasn't so keen on Salamanders and their professed love.

I s.h.i.+mmied close to the edge of the tunnel and slid out. Crouching behind the statue, I waited.

Bella cleared her throat. "My sister helped me get in. We need your help, though."

"Your sister? Briar is here?"

That was my cue. I stood and stepped around the golden statue of Fiametta. "No, the trouble-making sister."

Flint's eyes widened, but he caught himself quickly. "Larkspur. I'd say welcome, but your name is somewhat synonymous with chaos and destruction."

I smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "Your mother, how is she?"

He shook his head. "Psychotic. But that's why you're here, isn't it? To remove her from the throne?"

Apparently that was what I was remembered for as much as the trouble I caused. Removing unsuitable rulers from their thrones. I didn't like that a.s.sociation any more than I liked being a.s.sociated with destroying things.

I cleared my throat. "Something like that. We need to get the ruby off her first."

I hadn't even finished speaking when he started to shake his head. "It'll never happen. She's worn that ruby from the day you gave it to her and every day she's become increasingly unstable. And increasingly paranoid."

I narrowed my eyes. "You know what the ruby is?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't take a genius to figure out that it holds power. I added things together and it is the only thing that changed after you left. That, and the last person who asked to see the stone was beheaded."

The three of us stood silent for a moment.

"Does she sleep?" Bella asked.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, his deep gold eyes never leaving her face. He brushed a stray curl back from her cheek with his other hand as he smiled at her. d.a.m.n, it did look like love. Then again, looks could be deceiving.

"When she does she has the Firewyrms who are left guard her bedchamber. She trusts no one else."

I waved a hand at the doors. "Maybe standing out front of your mother's throne room as we discuss her is a bit like tempting fate?" I pointed out. "Is there a better place to talk?"

He shook his head and his eyes flicked away from me. Like he couldn't hold my gaze. "There is no safe place to talk. Your friend Cactus found that out the hard way."

A sudden lurch in my gut slowed my response. "What do you mean?"

Flint tightened his hold on Bella. "I can't protect you both. You understand that? Without Fiametta wearing the ring, I could face my mother. I am strong enough to beat her."

"That's not what I've heard." The words popped out of me before I could catch them. Peta snickered softly against me, then burrowed down again.

He didn't snap at me, though, only smiled. "I let people believe I am weak. Don't you find it leaves them unsuspecting when you finally show your true colors, Destroyer?"

I tipped my head. "Though that is true, I didn't plan it that way, and that is the difference between you and me."

He smiled. "Yet still, it has worked in my favor and yours. I could have trumped her before, but now there is no way. She is too tightly bound to the volcano and has threatened to let it loose on us."

"You'd survive," I pointed out.

"For how long?" Both his eyebrows went up. "Even the Firewyrms need to breathe. I'm talking about her filling the mountain with lava and destroying her own people. For no reason other than she chooses to."

I didn't want to like Flint, but I could see his mind at least was a match for Bella's and that softened me a little.

"Then I will face her if I must. You keep Bella safe, we are in agreement on that." I slipped Peta out of my vest and she blinked one green eye at me.

"Lark-"

"No, I will worry about you too much. And you are no good to me in the shape you are in."

Bella took her and cradled her. Peta didn't squirm, but her eyes never left mine. "Do not die on me, Lark."

"I don't plan on it."

Flint straightened. "You have a plan?"

I stared at the throne room behind us. "Get your family out, Flint. And get them out fast."

From the leather pouch at my side I sifted through the stones. The five fake ones I pushed to the side, and I pulled out the two real rings I'd collected so far. There was something about them that was more vibrant than the fake ones. I couldn't put my finger on it, more like a glimmer of the possibility that lay within them. I wondered if it was just me that saw it, or if my connection to Spirit allowed me to see beneath the surface.

The real emerald and sapphire blinked up at me, beckoning. Did I dare use them, hoping I would not be pulled under the spell of their creator?

Did I dare face Fiametta in all her rage and madness without them?

CHAPTER 15.

"he is in the lower levels with everyone." Flint broke my concentration as I stared at the stones.

I clenched my hand around the emerald and sapphire. "Bella, I need a piece of your skirt."