Just Breathe Part 42

Ah...finally... Master stretched, slowly melting the meager boundaries of physical flesh.

A minute crack of trepidation fractured the smoothness of Scarlet's face. G.o.ds, her fear was robust, full-bodied, and rich.

"I've visited many places in my life." A quiver wobbled the otherwise steady flow of her words. "But that was almost 1500 years ago. You have a new home now and all the Fire you want. No sense living in the past."

The fuse popped on its long course, a minor hiccup along the path to ultimate destruction. Sinnder's hand shot forward and grabbed her around the neck. Fire flowed like a river of lava. "My family was inside that house, you f.u.c.king c.u.n.t. The man I used to be died when the smoke cleared. You left behind nothing but this sh.e.l.l of rage." He squeezed her tender flesh between his now-ignited fingers. So soft, yet her Fire roared strong.

Mine. The G.o.d's voice would not be denied.

Sinnder stroked the wildly thumping pulse beneath his thumb. He licked the skin covering that life-giving vein, branding a red-hot line into her flesh, marking her as Incendius's. And with the strike of a match, his world s.h.i.+fted.

Boiling saliva flooded his mouth. His erection primed for release. Earthly trappings of skin and clothing went up in flame.

Wide-eyed, Scarlet struggled to breathe. She beat her fists against his chest. "Gavin..." she eked out.

Gavin. He was still here.

Tightening his grip, Sinnder spun around, more monster than man. Fire had consumed most of his mortal form. Gavin startled when their eyes met, and a fleeting fountain of regret seized Sinnder's soul.

"This is the real Sinnder. The beast that lives under the facade." Fire owned his voice. Soon, nothing-not even Gavin's dead body-would remain but the blaze.

As the last shreds of Fynn McKenna succ.u.mbed to the inferno, that good man Sinnder had once been managed to toss out one word against Incendius's wishes: "Run!"

Gavin's eyes widened. The air steamed. Fire sizzled its course to detonation.

"No! Gavin, help me!" Lids peeled with red terror, Scarlet flailed like a rabid animal, kicking at Sinnder and clawing for her would-be savior.

The G.o.d laughed through Sinnder's mouth. "I am Incendius. And you belong to me."

The atmosphere bowed as if sucking in a great breath. Gavin startled out of his apparent shock, waved open a hole in the Veil, and dove through the membrane.

Incendius expelled a nuclear exhale, and together with Fynn, Sinnder, and Scarlet, eradicated three square kilometers of bush in southeastern Queensland.

Chapter Forty-five.

Holy. f.u.c.king. s.h.i.+t.

Gavin had never been so thankful for Jack's training as he was now. As the room exploded with heat, and the shadow of the Elemental he'd once known as Sinnder begged him to run, Gavin's Sentinel instincts kicked him in the b.a.l.l.s and ripped open the ragged Veil. He had no idea if he could Dreamwalk his corporeal form out of Realis into the Dreaming since he'd failed miserably the times he'd tried before, but the G.o.ds must have smiled on him.

He torpedoed his body and mind through the gaping rift and willed it closed right behind him. Good thing. The eruption that followed was so intense, he not only felt it, but it shook the Dreaming.

His legs gave out. He plopped into the ashy puddle beneath him and drew Elemental Water tight around his shoulders. With morbid curiosity, he watched the nuclear bomb explode through the fragile membrane separating the two worlds. The heat was indescribable.

Dear G.o.ds, he'd stared into the maniacal eyes of Incendius himself in the seconds before Sinnder detonated. He'd sensed the same power as the night he and Scarlet swore the oath- Scarlet.

He looked down at himself.

His heart pounded, but nothing else moved inside. He ma.s.saged his chest. Not even a dying ember left.

He faced the Veil again. Vast, empty blackness on the other side. Nothingness. No house, no lawn, no trees. Not even flames. The fire had burned so hot and gobbled up matter so fast that it must have snuffed out from lack of oxygen.

Everything was gone. Including Sinnder.

No way Scarlet could have survived the explosion if Sinnder hadn't.

Now Gavin understood why the Fyre wanted to confront Scarlet alone. He had somehow channeled Incendius-a f.u.c.king G.o.d-to take her down.

While part of him wanted to get up and celebrate death to the b.i.t.c.h who'd ruined his life, another part mourned Sinnder's loss. Had the Fyre known Incendius would come? Perhaps he'd counted on it. Aside from Eidan's, Scarlet's Fire was the strongest Gavin had ever experienced. He couldn't have gotten rid of her alone. Maybe this was Sinnder's only option.

And if what he'd said was true, Sinnder had lived for centuries with the pain Scarlet had caused him and his family. He had far more justification for killing her than Gavin did. Gavin only wished the Fyre hadn't had to pay for vengeance with his own life.

Celebratory shouts and laughter rang out in the distance. Gavin stood and scoped the scene. The ocean had calmed. Blue edged out the red that had maintained a chokehold on the Dreaming for so long. The place looked completely different. It was lighter, less hazy...happier.

When he and his mates had freed the Dreamweaver from confinement, the shock of her release must have caused the explosion that tore the Veil. Now, Elementals of every type swarmed the gaping hole, throwing off rainbow colors. Most seemed curious more than anything, but a few ventured into the Dreaming with huge smiles.

It would be impossible for the Sentinels to keep track of the Elementals since door had been thrown open. Things would be very different now. But the ensuing politics wouldn't be his concern. No longer a member of the Sentinel Council, he had no say in how they should deal with their new immigration problem.

Zoe's voice found him through the Dreaming's new blue atmosphere. He smiled and started toward it. When he got to the site of the battle, his spirits lifted. Wyldlings danced and laughed, whales splashed, Waeters rejoiced.

The Dreaming was free of the Fyres.

He tracked the song to his swimming muse and dove into the ocean. When he reached her, he tugged Zoe into his arms and kissed her. She melted into him, their shared Water zipping back and forth like the currents surrounding them. In that pure, peaceful moment, they were a single blue ent.i.ty.

Zoe's breath tickled his cheek. She broke the kiss, then puckered up for a couple more. Gavin laughed. His felt so light, he was certain he could have flown away if he'd wanted to.

"We did it. The Waeters snuffed out the Fyres. Lily ascended and sent Eidan home with his tail between his legs." Zoe laid her cool, blue-tinged hand over his heart. "Scarlet's dead?"

He nodded and hugged her. "It's just you and me, babe.

"My G.o.d, I can't believe it." She rested her head against his. They treaded water together, held each other up in a tight embrace for a long moment.

More laughter rose from nearby Wyldlings, and Gavin lifted his chin. "Is Lily all right? The rest of the whales?"

Zoe nodded. "After you left, she cut loose on Eidan with the Water the Tongans had collected. Those guys are seriously bada.s.s."

"No doubt. They really came through for Lily and the Waeters."

"And the Wyldlings." She turned left and gestured to the whale surrounded by frolicking blue Elementals.

"Let's not forget the Waeters had help." Gavin pushed a long, wet strand of blond from her face. "Every army needs a leader who won't falter under pressure. You brought the Waeters together when they fought to be apart. You gathered forces when no one else would. Your voice was their battle call. You're the real hero, Zed. I'm so f.u.c.king proud of you."

Tears filled her eyes. "Nah, I'm just a researcher who happens to talk to whales."

"And wipes out entire armies with her voice."

"Come on, my singing's not that bad, is it?"

He smiled against her lips and closed his eyes. "Your singing is beautiful. Not as good as mine, but close."

She laughed and swatted his arm.

Jack swam up, grinning. "You two lovebirds planning to help with damage control or are you gonna play kissy-face all night?"

Gavin splashed him in the face and put another lip-lock on Zoe, who giggled through it. When the kiss ended, he looked at Jack. "I leave for half an hour and come back to this." He gestured in a wide arc. "When will you learn to clean up after yourself, Jack? You're such a slob."

"Hey, that's my dad you're talking to. Be nice to him." Zoe waggled a finger at Gavin. She slipped out of his embrace and swam to Jack. "I'm glad you're safe."

Father and daughter hugged. Respect beamed out of Jack like a supernova. "You, too, Beauregard."

Gavin snorted. "Beauregard."

"I see you got rid of your problem." Jack nodded at Gavin's chest.

Gavin tensed. "You knew about Scarlet?"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Dude, I'm a Sentinel. Kinda hard not to notice s.h.i.+t like a raging inferno inside a guy. Yeah, I knew. And by the way, if you plan on staying with my daughter for any length of time, you and me are gonna have a long talk about negotiating with terrorists."

That would be one conversation he'd love to have. The thought of him and Zoe together beyond the here and now got the Water rippling anew. "I hear you."

"What happened when you left?" Zoe slipped under Gavin's arm. "Lily was putting the screws to Eidan, and shortly after, the entire Dreaming shook like an earthquake."

"Yeah. There was an accident. I've never seen anything like it. Sinnder went f.u.c.king nuclear and took Scarlet with him. He left nothing behind but smoke. I hope to h.e.l.l no Wyldlings got caught in the blaze." The only comfort was that anyone in Sinnder's path had died quickly. Gavin swallowed hard.

"What?" Jack startled and paddled closer, jaw quivering. "Sinnder exploded? Where is he now?"

Gavin shook his head. "I don't imagine there's anything left of him. When I said he went nuclear, I meant it literally. There's a black hole the size of a small town outside of Hervey Bay."

Panic lit in Jack's usually calm eyes. "f.u.c.k. I gotta go. I'll catch up with you guys later." He waved a hand and vanished from the Dreaming in a flurry of red, yellow, green, and blue.

Zoe's brow creased. "What was that about?"

Gavin stared after the s.h.i.+mmer of light left in Jack's wake, the weight of worry anch.o.r.ed to his chest. "No idea."

A sudden onslaught of sobs snagged his attention away from Jack's odd disappearance. Gavin straightened and searched the sh.o.r.eline. A woman bent over a body on the sand, her shoulders spasming. Council member Camira.

"I'll be right back." He kissed Zoe and swam for the beach.

He trudged up the sand to Camira. She spoke soft words in her native Aboriginal tongue to the dark-skinned teenager lying before her. She smoothed his wet hair, then faced Gavin, tears striping her cheeks. He knelt beside her. The boy didn't move, but his aura revealed weak signs of life.

"Can I help?" He had no idea who the kid was, but he didn't look good.

She sniffled and shook her head. The condescension and irritation that usually tightened her face when she spoke to Gavin had disappeared. Her aura pulsed with the blue-black of loss. Gavin raised a tentative hand, then laid it on her back. He'd been here and done this before. Too many times. His thoughts wandered to Trevor lying in intensive care.

Camira stiffened at his touch, then hunched her shoulders. Another bout of tears rained down.

Gavin studied the boy's features. He looked about sixteen, maybe a little older. A certain familiarity lined the contours of his nose and mouth. His eyes were closed, but their shape reminded him of Yileen.

Someone from their family?

"He's still breathing. Let's go back to Realis and get him to a hospital," Gavin said.

"He not make it."

"We have to try. Come on." He took Camira's hand and tugged her up.

Defeat saturated her weary black eyes. "I go alone. My son need me. You stay here and help Sentinels sort through mess." She met his gaze, and something akin to mutual respect pa.s.sed between them.

He hesitated. She shouldn't have to deal with the likelihood of her kid's death alone. "If you're sure."

Camira lifted her chin. "There a traitor among our kind. You find him. For my son." She glanced at the still body, then bolted for the shredded Veil.

His heart went out to her for the loss that would surely follow. Ellie and Jack had both warned him not to get close to anyone because of the imminent dangers that might befall the family and loved ones of a Sentinel. Camira's son was proof they were right.

He looked to Zoe bobbing on the ocean, laughing as the whales swam around her. He couldn't lose her again.

Ellie stomped across the beach toward him, followed by the other Sentinel Council members. Great. Steeling himself for the reaming he was about to get, he faced them and pulled in a deep breath.

"Was that her son?" Kai asked, concern tightening his features.

Gavin nodded. "I don't think he's gonna make it. He's in bad shape."

Ellie's hard gaze fell on him, the weight of it like a club to the cranium. "You let the Elementals into the Dreaming. They are forbidden from this place. You've reneged on the oath you swore when you became a Sentinel. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Slapped stupid by both her bluntness and her lack of empathy for a fellow Council member's grief, Gavin stared at Ellie slack-jawed for a few seconds.

"Yes, I let the Waeters in. By accident. When we found the Dreamweaver-you know, the one you said didn't exist?-who'd been chained inside a sensory deprivation tank, guarded by Fyres, I reckoned maybe I should let her out. I had no idea freeing her would result in...this." He gestured to the rip in the weave of the Veil. "With all due respect, Council leader, I should think you'd be thanking me. The Fyres have been temporarily disabled, the Waeter Archelemental is in place... What more do you want?"

He scratched his itchy arms as Ellie dropped the hood of her cloak and stepped toward him, eyes glittering with submerged rage. "With the collapse of the Veil, hundreds of Elementals have entered the Dreaming uninvited. Before, we had only a few Fyres to contend with. Now all four Elemental factions have free reign to come and go as they please. We'll never get them out, you fool!"

Gavin leaned forward, a few centimeters from her face. "Well, if someone on the Council hadn't been selling Sentinel secrets to the Fyres, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. Maybe you should question your nearest and dearest confidants before you point the finger at me." He glanced at his increasingly throbbing arms. The tattoos brightened in rolling waves over his skin, but the colors faded to white neon. What the h.e.l.l?

Kai, Erin, and Wyland inched closer.

Ellie's eyes narrowed. A tiny pearl of light shone through the heavy fabric of her cloak. The tattoos pulsed in time with the glow below her neck. He s.n.a.t.c.hed the material down. The footprint gemstone from his necklace sparkled at him.

"It was you. You're the traitor."