Page 39 of Gift from the Stone

“What kind of instructions do you think it is?” He follows up.

I smile at his persistence. Everything else may surprise me, but Corentin’s constant need to have all the answers never will.

“I’ve been thinking about it the whole time since Elementra told me it was instructions. And I believe I know the answer to that.” I pause, my gaze taking each of them in, working the pieces out in my mind.

“Air, Earth, Water, Fire so bright.

Four elements, pure and right.

Air we breathe, wise and sweet.

Earth stands strong, soil beneath our feet.

Water flows, broken and whole.

Fire’s warmth feeds the soul.

Remember these, with joy and cheer.

The elements become one, the world becomes clear.”

After each element, I look at the man who possesses that element, the words resonating clear in my mind.

“The lullaby is about you, about us. It’s about our Nexus.”

Seven

Corentin

Us. It’s about us.

I repeat her lullaby over and over in my mind, analyzing every line, seeing if we missed anything.

We didn’t.

Her lullaby is about the members of this Nexus, there’s no doubt.

“If that’s the case, your stranger would’ve had to know that,” Tillman muses aloud. Willow’s playing with her Memoria stone, running it back and forth on its chain mindlessly, shaking her head slightly.

“Maybe, but I’m not so sure. I assumed Elementra told them, and they taught it to me. I learned this when I was six. You all were what, fourteen, thirteen, thirteen, and eight. At that point, Elementra would’ve been the only one to know we were a Nexus. The lullaby is vague enough to sound like it’s an easy way to teach me about the four elements.”

The order in which they’re listed is the same order as our ages. Starting with me and ending with Draken. I’m now thirty-four, Tillman and Caspian are both thirty-three, and Draken’s twenty-eight, so Willow’s right, we would’ve been children, our Nexus not even formed when her stranger taught her this.

The descriptions of the elements are vague and even if someone outside of our Nexus tried to decipher the words, they still wouldn’t be able to relate it to us. But once I break it down, it’s crystal clear.

Air wise and sweet. As the oldest, I’ve tried my hardest to lead them, teach them, and protect them as much as possible. I’m not sure I’m wise, but I try to know everything I can in order to take care of them, and now Willow as well. Sweet has never been a word used to describe me, but she gets that side of me, a side unknown even to myself. She pulls it out of me.

Earth stands strong, all Tillman. He’s physically strong, a fucking beast, but it’s his mental strength, his will. His will is stronger than all of ours combined, almost impenetrable. I’ve only seen him lose it a handful of times in our lives, the first when Aunt Tilly died and every time after has been over Willow.

I hate to think of Caspian as broken. I’d never want to think of my brother that way, but I can’t deny the fact that when he was taken, pieces of him shattered and they’ve never been put back together, until now. Willow’s slowly mending him whole.

And Draken, he’s the embodiment of feeding the soul. His carefree warmth reminds us, every day, to enjoy the life we’re given. His start in life was shit compared to ours and we baby him still to this day because of it, but without him, we’d be a bunch of workaholics. Lost, nothing but serious, unhappy men.

Then there’s her, the one. She’ll bring us all together as one.

“Knowing the identity of your stranger would answer a fuck ton of questions, but Elementra flat out said secrets would have to unfold. I guess it’s a waiting game.” Draken shrugs, that carefree nature of his ready and willing to just go with the flow.

“Well, none of you have said how you feel about this. I got the general idea from your emotions, but did you take it the way I did? Is this really a responsibility I have to take on?” Her eyes betray the brave face she’s been putting on for us since she woke up.

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