Chapter 36

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

T he earth danced beneath him with power before it started to shake. Aterra was the god of earth and aided by the wild magic in this place. Luc’s one accomplishment so far was that Aterra no longer had his artifact. Maybe it wasn’t great that Arie, who had it, just had a tunnel collapse on top of him. But at least Aterra couldn’t use it.

Rose’s glance went upward. Luc would bet anything she was thinking about the village of Bury somewhere above them. If their magic was too strong, if an explosion like the one that had happened in this place so many years ago erupted, the village wouldn’t make it. The villagers and Tara, still taken by the mist plague, wouldn’t even be able to evacuate. They would need to be careful about how they won this battle. But he was committed to them winning—no matter the personal cost.

Luc funneled magic to Rose while taking a separate shot at Aterra. Using his signature move, he tore a hole in the ground below his opponent.

“That won’t do you much good.” Aterra taunted. “That power came from me. I know everything it can do.” He took the distraction Luc offered, hovering above the hole.

“I’m more than happy to keep trying.” Luc rose himself and looked down the hole—he couldn’t help but compare it to his abyss in Loch. Definitely not as devastating as that one, but something about the magic here—the thinning he felt when he first arrived—he knew he could do better.

Rose made eye contact with him. He dropped to the ground and nodded to her as he sent her more magic for their combined onslaught. His magic, already thick around them, grew heavier. It wrapped protectively around Rose as she pulled their powers together seamlessly. He used to think she was used to his magic—used to directing it—but he knew it was more than that now. Luc felt the power build in the stream as she pulled in Carter and Juliette’s elements. Rose whipped the stream of earth, wind, fire, and water at Aterra.

She aimed to knock Aterra back—possibly trap him in the other half of the tunnel he had collapsed. If she could block him into a corner, maybe he wouldn’t be able to see them well enough to attack.

Aterra barely stumbled at the onslaught of magic.

Luc had an idea, but it would not be particularly easy to communicate. Rose wiped the sweat from her face. Her furrowed brow told him that she wasn’t sure what to try next. Aterra retaliated, sending a rolling wave of rock and stone toward Rose. She barely had time to lift herself with her wind to get out of the way.

“I’ve got an idea,” Luc yelled, hoping her wind magic would catch his words and bring them to her.

It did, as she replied, “I’m all ears.” She lifted herself above another earth shake.

“We’ll try the old-fashioned way,” Luc said as he reached for the blade strapped to his back. Rose laughed. He understood the sentiment. This was a life-or-death situation, well beyond their ordinary dealings, and she likely hadn’t even thought to grab a weapon—he hadn’t. But he had a sword, magically imbued by the best weapons master on the continent. Rose grabbed her weapon from the back sheath she wore, and Luc moved to her side, as they positioned themselves to face off against Aterra.

Luc lost sight of Aiden. He must’ve been staying out of the way. Luc could mostly determine where Carter and Juliette were positioned along the cavern. Far enough from each other that one earthquake wouldn’t collapse the ground between them both. Getting into this room and spreading out had been a good idea. It was too bad it hadn’t slowed Aterra. He was relentless—tailoring attacks to each Compass Point simultaneously.

“You are proving to be quite a disappointment,” Aterra said as he shook the ground below Rose and Luc. He was not trying to kill them, only ensuring their magic was distracted in defensive measures. Luc steadied them both as he approached Rose. He knew what this was. Aterra was testing his magic.

Heat flared from the left as Carter and Juliette tried to help with a fanned flame. Aterra appeared to have no problem stopping the wind and fire, building a stone wall blocking the elements on the side they attacked.

He was boxing them in again, forcing them into a smaller space where his control of the earth controlled the battleground.

“Did she even like you? Or did you demand her submission?” Luc spit out.

The disdain in his voice pulled Aterra’s attention back to his son. Good. Luc was angry, no matter how much he pretended not to be. He was angry for himself, and no matter where he and his mother had stood, he was angry on her behalf. Had she even known what she was doing? Or did Aterra use his artifact on her?

These wounds were old and deep, but this was likely his only chance to get his questions answered. Plus, his backup plan could only benefit from his heightened emotions—that’s when his power was most volatile. He let himself sink into the anger.

His mother had met more than unfriendliness from the fae community over Luc’s father disappearing. Bound fae were impossibly rare, and life partners weren’t always common, but it was unheard of for a fae parent to disappear from the child’s life completely. Their village blamed his mother. And when he was older and his power more apparent, they blamed him. Luc could never escape the shadow of whoever passed their magic to him, and neither could his mother.

He had a chance to reckon with Aterra now. He would take it for both of them.

“How dare you,” Aterra spat.

Luc didn’t need a real answer as he lunged across the cavern toward Aterra, bringing a wave of rock and stone with him as he moved.

Aterra created a shield of the earth to meet Luc’s blow. Rock exploded in all directions as they clashed. Luc shielded himself, levitating through the backlash. He glanced at Rose to ensure she was covered. Her wind circled, protecting her, but Luc also felt a strand of his power lying in wait. His magic wouldn’t stray from her in such a precarious situation.

“She wanted me.” He scoffed. “And every time I returned, she was more than eager.” Aterra’s words drew his focus back to the god before him.

Luc didn’t know if that was true—part of him hoped it was—he didn’t want to imagine his mother’s choices being taken from her. Anger flowed through Luc’s attacks, his magic becoming more reckless with each onslaught of earth and stone. Aterra, however, wasn’t going on the offensive against him. He was only defending.

Luc was happy that Rose didn’t immediately join in. He knew his attacks weren’t productive, but they felt good. He shook his head slightly as he sent another rock hurling at Aterra. His gaze marked the boulder’s path but caught on the black bird flying into the cavern. He must have transformed into something small enough to get through the debris. Arie dropping onto Luc’s shoulder was the reminder he needed.

They had to defeat Aterra together—all four of them.

“I’m assuming you had a better plan than simply wailing on dear old dad here?” Arie asked as Luc put some space between himself and Aterra.

“Yes,” he whispered. “Tell the others to send their magic to Rose again, but we need to let her take , not just use what we’re offering. She’ll understand—tell her to do what she did with me in Sandrin.”

Arie nodded and uncurled his talons, dropping the onyx ring into Luc’s hand as he mentally passed the message to the others. Luc slipped the ring on his finger. He would take every advantage he could get against Aterra. His well of magic never felt empty, but somehow, the ring made it instantly overflow. Power shook through him as the natural amplification took hold.

Arie said nothing about the ring or the power pulsing around them as he replied, “ They’re ready.”

Luc sensed it before he saw it. Before Rose had a chance to reach for his power, he felt a wave of magic crashing. A literal wave, as the rocks that Aterra had dropped to block the tunnel rolled and washed away. A surge of water crashed them forward, and steam hissed as it slipped into the cracks where the magma lurked below the cave floor.

Aurora stepped through the rubble, looking regal, though she’d certainly been through hell. “You and I have unfinished business,” she said to Aterra.

The list of those who had a bone to pick with Aterra was growing long.

Luc looked back and forth between Aurora and Aterra. He wanted to let Aurora take her shots—there was no question she deserved them—but Arie had been pretty clear before they left Compass Lake. It wasn’t a god or goddess who could subdue Aterra. It was only going to be the Compass Points.

They had to do what they were made to do.

“You were in the way. You needed to be taken off the board.”

“It’s never your fault, is it?” Aiden said as he erupted from where he had been hiding, near the water entrance behind Rose and Luc.

“You are just doing what you must—what needs to be done. You’re a god! Take some responsibility for your own plan!” Aiden yelled. “No one made you do anything. You chose this.”

The room stood in silence at Aiden’s outburst. He had been cooped up with Aterra for too long. Given the impact of his actions, Luc couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for Aiden, but he could recognize that this was him picking a different path now.

Aiden stalked up beside Luc as he raged at Aterra. Luc didn’t think twice as he handed off his blade to Aiden stomping forward, water erupting from the cracks in the floor as he passed. Aiden had made poor choices, but he, too, was entitled to a reckoning with Aterra.

Aiden, whose Norden mother and father only saw him as a means to an end. Aiden, who had been alone and vulnerable as a child and whom Aterra had preyed on for his own means. Luc knew this wouldn’t solve their problems, but as with Aurora, Luc had difficulty saying he didn’t deserve his revenge. If nothing else, it would give the Compass Points needed moments to send Rose their power. To let her take more of it.

A wave erupted beneath Aiden as he took the offered sword, propelling him across the cavern as he lobbed himself at Aterra.