Envisioned (The Elemental Prophecy) (30 page)

A pain in between my eyes forced me to shut them in search of relief. Seconds later, a distant, piercing scream shot them open. The voice producing the scream was all too familiar—Brielle. I jumped up, ignoring the pain radiating through my body as I began slamming on the bars, desperate to get to Brielle. Her scream continued, causing me to roar in anger.

I'm coming, baby, hold on!
I told her. Her only response was screaming and whimpering in my head, fueling my desperation and rage more. I placed my hands on the hinges of the cell door, the fierce heat melting through the metal. I kicked the door off of the frame and stepped out of the cell, immediately hunching over as a severe jolting pain in my head hit me. I grabbed my head and fell to my knees, my jaw clenched from the pain. I felt as if someone was stabbing a huge, electrified butcher knife in the back of my skull. Another of Brielle's shrill cries pierced the air, forcing me to my feet. I took off running, stumbling and swerving through the hallway I had been dragged down, battling against the constant pain swarming my body. I burst through the foyer we had entered when we arrived, startling two guards by the door, who immediately began to pursue me. I followed Brielle's shrieks down the opposite hallway, her agonizing sounds becoming closer and closer as I ran. I lit the carpet and walls behind me on fire, creating an obstacle to block the guards chasing me. I sped faster through the hall, seeing a door similar to the one that led to my jail. I barreled through the door, the scene before me not what I expected. Brielle was lying on the ground in the fetal position, moaning in pain, however her guards were also on the floor, unconscious. I found the keys on one of the guards and opened her cell, rushing to her side and instantly cradling her in my arms. The pain began to subside as we held each other, and we both sighed in relief.

What happened to the guards?
I silently asked after a few moments of blissful relief.

I sucked the oxygen in the room into a shield with me, and they eventually passed out. I was so blinded by pain and fury that I had to make them suffer for keeping us apart.

We sat in silence, enjoying the tingle of our bond as we held each other.

“Jace, that was awful. I thought we were dying,” she finally sobbed into my chest as she clutched the back of my shirt.

“I know, I'm sorry you ever had to feel that. I never planned for us to be apart because of the pain. I don't plan for us to experience it again. Are you ready to leave?” I asked as I wiped tears from her cheeks.

“Kiera hasn't text me that my dad is back yet. I don't want to risk him being recaptured,” she replied sadly.

“I don't think we can stand another night like this, and they definitely aren't letting us stay together. Maybe we sh—"

“What is the meaning of this?!” the female Elder, Gwenyth asked angrily, her eyes scanning the unmoving bodies of the guards. The other Elders and four more guards stood behind her.

“We already told you we couldn't be separated. I needed to get to her, so I did.”

“This facade of the two of you being twin flames needs to be ended. You will be publicly punished in the courtyard tomorrow for your continuous blasphemy. As for right now, I think I know a suitable consequence for your disregard of our rules. Grab the girl first,” she ordered.

“Don't touch her!” I growled, blocking Brielle with my body.

“Fine, grab him first. Then, he can watch when it's her turn.”

One guard started to come into the cell and I immediately went into my fighting stance as he approached. He lunged for me and I met his advance with a swift right hook, landing it square in his jaw. His eyes rolled back in his head as he plummeted to the cell floor. I kicked his body back to the doorway of the cell, effectively making my point.

“Oh, for heaven's sake, all three of you get him!” the taller male Elder, Demetrius ordered.

The three guards obeyed, stepping over their fallen comrade as I readied my Fire for an attack. A fireball sparked to life in my hand, and I threw it at the guard directly in front, but he dodged it, anticipating my attack. I was flung backwards and pinned to the wall as I watched my fireball smack the second guard square in the chest. He flailed around frantically, fueling the fire and making it spread more rapidly across his body. Dumbass. I tried to free myself from the wall, but I couldn't. Fuck, I hated Air Elementals and their cowardly tactics. I wish they would just fight me like a real man.

I was abruptly released from my hold on the wall; Brielle used her Air to lift all three guards, sending them up to crash into the ceiling before slamming them back down into the concrete floor. Her eyes shone silver, her face a mask of rage, as she repeated this several times before leaving them on the floor, all unconscious. She turned her steel gaze to the Elders, who all looked baffled at the guards strewn about the jail cell. Her hand began to glow as she summoned her Akasha, the orb of light steadily increasing in size with each passing second. She outstretched her hand towards the Elders, daring them to attack.

“I wouldn't do that it I were you. We still have guards tracking your father. One word from us and they will bring him back here,” Gwenyth said.

Brielle's eyes narrowed in frustration as she held her ground. “Leave him out of this. All we are asking for is to stay in a cell together. You can do as you wish to us as long as we are together.”

“You are in no place to make requests. Your arrangements will stay the same, and you will accept the punishment we have chosen. Unless you want us to exact the punishment on your father instead,” Demetrius threatened.

Brielle let her hand drop in defeat before issuing a threat of her own, “You will pay for everything you have done to me and my family. I promise you that.”

The Elders laughed before Marcus responded, “Time for your first punishment. Kneel down on the floor and expose that mark on your neck.”

“What for?!” I countered. I did not want them touching Brielle, but I knew she would do anything to save her father.

“To remove that imposter Ultimate Unity tattoo, of course,” he replied, brandishing a scalpel.

Fear and fury pulsed through me as Brielle's emotions and mine mixed inside of me. “You will not touch her!” I screamed as I moved towards them, adamant about protecting my flame. I was thrown back by Anastacia, her eyes white as I was once again pinned to the wall. Fucking Air Elementals! I struggled to get down as Gwenyth and Demetruis grabbed Brielle and forced her to her knees. Everyone in the room knew she could destroy us all with a flick of her wrist, but she let them manhandle her anyway to save her family. She may be selfless, but I'm not. I continued to thrash and scream profanities as Marcus neared her with the scalpel in hand. He grabbed Brielle's hair and yanked it up, exposing her neck and eliciting a yelp of pain from Brielle.

“I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!” I bellowed, but none of them looked in my direction, each focused on their task. Marcus angled the blade, inching it carefully towards the delicate skin on the back of Brielle's neck. He sunk the blade deep in her flesh, causing Brielle to cry out as he dragged it across her skin, making a square incision. I screamed with her, from the combination of her pain and my rage creating a new level of emotion in me that was indescribable. I had never been so infuriated, helpless, and broken at any point in my life. All I could do is watch as they hurt my Brielle, my flame. They removed the square of skin with our mark, leaving a bloody patch of exposed muscle that I could feel throbbing with searing pain through our bond. The Elders released her, letting her fall to the floor like a rag doll. Blood continued to stream from the wound as she pressed on it with her hand, attempting to stop the blood flow. I continued to thrash wildly, desperate to get to her and heal her.

“Don't worry, you're next. I'm so glad that you're eager to do this,” Marcus sarcastically said.

I was dropped to the floor, but still held in place. Marcus approached me and forced my head down to gain access to my neck. I didn't fight, wanting to expedite the process so that I could get to Brielle as soon as possible. He repeated the process on me, digging the blade in my skin and stripping my flesh. I gritted my teeth, not wanting to please them further with my screams of pain. Brielle cried out in agony as she experienced the pain again coupled with the pain still reverberating in her wound. I could see the tears streaming down the sides of her face as she writhed in her blood on the floor, and I begged for them to let me go to her as I yelled, “Please just let me go to her!!”

“You will be taken back to your cell at once,” Anastacia ordered as three more guards entered the cell. The blood dripping steadily down my neck reminded me of my weakening state, but I refused to be taken from Brielle without a fight. I threw up a wall of flame, blocking them from getting to Brielle as I made my way to her. I kept it up as I held the back of her neck, and I began to feel lightheaded, the efforts of everything wearing me down. Brielle sat up as my wall began to falter, but she quickly fueled my fire with hers, keeping it erect. She braced her hand on my neck, and the pain started to subside after a few seconds. The amount of blood on both our necks would hopefully conceal that we healed each other. I didn't want the Elders to find out that piece of information, at least not right away. I directed my attention to Brielle, and I clasped her face in my hands before I pressed my lips to hers, trying to get as much of her as I could before they separated us. I felt her hands grab the back of my head as she slid her tongue in between my parted lips, mirroring my passion by deepening our kiss. Our bliss lasted only momentarily before hands grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me backwards, dragging me away from Brielle. I began to struggle, but Brielle's voice caused me to stop as she pleaded,
Don't fight, baby, please. I'll get to you later. I can't stand to see you fight them again.

I can't leave you again! I don't want you to be in any more pain,
I argued. I locked eyes with her and my determination crumbled; those warm honey eyes could make me do anything. They glistened with unshed tears, begging me to stop. Reluctantly, I stopped struggling, holding Brielle's gaze as they dragged me away.
I love you
, I told her right before she was out of my sight.

Until my last heartbeat,
she replied.

I was thrown back in my jail cell again, and I wondered how long it would be until morning. I would make them all suffer before we escaped tomorrow.

I stared at the ceiling, jarred awake from my nightmare. I couldn't believe that I still had tears left to cry, but they dripped down my temples onto the dirty cot beneath me. Without Jace there to comfort me, the fear creeping into my bones caused a shudder to tremble through my body. Now I was covered in sweat and my dried blood since those asshats wouldn't let me shower. I didn't know what time it was, but now that I was awake, the pain from my separation from Jace was returning, causing me to clench my eyes shut in an attempt to temper some of the hurt. I imagine this is what a drug addict goes through when they suffer withdrawals because he is the only remedy to this pain. I leaned over the side of the cot just as I began to vomit, which was the worst side effect in my opinion. I hated to throw up, absolutely hated it. My throat burned and the taste left in my mouth was disgusting. I needed to get out of here now.

I opened one eye to survey my guard detail. Six guards for little ol' me, and it still wouldn't be enough. I began to suck the air from the room again in preparation to find Jace. I was pleasantly surprised when this trick worked earlier, and now I would use my silent and invisible attack to my advantage whenever more direct attacks failed.

“She's fucking doing it again!” one of the guards yelled, coughing and gasping for air. They clumsily rushed for the door at once, panic thwarting their escape as they shoved and pushed each other as they all tried to get out of the jail. I smiled as they slumped to the floor, succumbing to unconsciousness as I stood on my wobbly legs. I froze the lock on my cell door before kicking it against the opposite wall and shattering it. I leaned against the wall as more pain enveloped me, seeping in through every pore. I took a deep breath in and let it out several times, willing the pain to subside. God, it was like someone was raking a knife all along my insides and pouring bleach in the fresh wounds. I slowly walked to the door, stepping around the pile of guards in my path. I cracked the door, peering outside to check for more guards. There were none that I could see so I stepped out from behind the door before shutting it behind me.