Page 45 of Elemental Evolved


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“It’s done,” Light murmured, sounding exhausted. “When you return to your realm, you will need to spill blood from each of the realms on the temple floor. After that, the binding will be sealed, and the realms will not be able to be parted.”

Dark pushed shakily to its feet. “Dragons will join the united realms once the binding is complete. Our magic will sustain the four realms and ensure they never part again, no matter what magic the others use. But be warned, we will seek vengeance on those slaughtering our kind.”

“I understand. The one who was behind the murders has already died, but not all of his followers are gone. I am sure some of them are responsible for what was done to your kind, but some of them may not have had a choice.” I wasn’t sure why I was defending the One Realm cult members, but I felt something needed to be said.

“Our blood cannot be washed away with just water. There is a magical residue left behind that will direct us to the guilty parties,” Light reassured.

“Those guilty parties will then be executed like they did to my brethren.” Dark’s voice at that moment reminded me of how it had sounded in the lake of El Dorado.

It reminded me of something. “You said in the waters of El Dorado that I wasn’t supposed to survive. If that was true, then why create a key at all?”

“You weren’t the first key, and if you failed, you wouldn’t have been the last either. The issue would have been whether or not there was time before the realms completely collided. I am glad you were successful, Tessa. You have saved more lives than you can understand." Light dipped its head to me.

"I couldn't just ignore everything." How could I have just walked away after everything the guys explained to me? If there had even been a chance they'd been right, and I turned my back on them, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.

"Some keys did," Laelak murmured.

"You are special, Tessa. Not just for what marks your body but for what's in your heart. There is a reason the hatchlings want to stay with you, they feel safe enough around you to choose you over flying free. It's what's in your heart. Your love and compassion, the empathy you carry for others, even those that have wronged you, like the One Realm cult, is what makes you so special. That, combined with your determination, is why you were successful." Light's words made me choke up a little. It had been a long time since I felt like anyone outside of my guys, and maybe Queen Ulrika, really saw me, and Light did.

"Your body is dying so we should return you unless you'd rather slough off the bindings of your mortal form?" Dark asked.

A small smile tugged at my lips. "I don't even know what that means, but I'd like to go back to my guys if possible."

"Then you shall have that which you desire. Don't forget about the blood to make the realm binding permanent." Light's voice faded, and the large white dragon and what I thought was its sibling, Dark, both faded from view, leaving just me and Laelak.

He moved to stand in front of me and then bumped me with his snout. The sensation of falling and not being able to catch myself made my breath catch as everything went black.

23

Tessa

When the darkness fades, I find myself on the cold, damp stone of the temple. I'm not standing like I was. I'm on the ground, carefully positioned with my hands over my chest like I'm a vampire about to wake from the dead.

My lungs burned like I'd been holding my breath, and when I inhaled, it was a long, shuddering thing that drew the guys' attention.

"Tessa?" Griff's voice was a hoarse whisper.

"Hey, what's going on?" I croaked as I pushed into a sitting position. My head was killing me, and I had no idea how long I'd been out, it felt like it had only been a few minutes, but the light coming into the temple had changed, and it was dusk.

His face was red and blotchy, and he was staring at me like he was seeing a ghost. I looked from him to the others and found them all the same.

"Have you guys been crying?" Concern rippled through me. What the hell could have happened while I was out that would have all of them this upset?

"We thought you were dead, siren," Finn hissed, his voice torn with equal parts pain and relief.

Alarm bells went off in my head. "Wasn't I just unconscious?"

"You were...frozen, sort of," Dres said. A moment later, my head filled with an image of myself that I would have assumed was static if it wasn't for the guys meandering around me.

Kai's words were the ones that sent a chill down my spine, though. "Your heart stopped beating, and you weren't breathing."

"How long was I, uh, frozen?" Part of me didn't even want to know the answer. I mean, I already knew it had been longer than it seemed, thanks to the fading light, but I supposed I didn't really need to know specifics.

"Ten hours or so." Griff's empty tone reminded me of what I'd felt when I first arrived in Agartha. That and anger, and I couldn't help but wonder how angry they'd been when they couldn't wake me.

Very angry. I'm surprised the temple is still standing at all, to be honest.Niall's words were filled with sorrow.You scared us all, Tessa. We could sense that something was keeping you alive, but we couldn't reach you, and we didn't think you'd wake up again. After the first hour, Griff started to lose it. Finn and Kai quickly joined him a couple hours after that. Even Dres started to get pissed because we couldn't figure out what was happening.

I wanted to hug them all. My entire chest ached for them, a throbbing well of grief for what they'd just gone through. "Can I have a hug?" I asked quietly.

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