Page 185 of Gift from the Source
My mind spirals as the reality of what this truly means hits me and I sway.
I need my Nexus.
“Release them,” I scream, shoving my power out with the command.
The four of them spring from the bed as though we’re under attack. Their panicked bonds zap through my chest. The surge is so strong, I drop the books to the floor with a yelp.
“Princess…” Corentin says, breathless, as he’s the first to recover and approach me. His hands cradle my cheeks, and his thumb wipes the blood from my nose. “What happened?”
Tillman and Draken are seconds behind him, and they both lay their hands on my body. I suck in a desperate breath as their bonds finally calm down enough that it doesn’t feel like I’m having a heart attack.
“Were you reading, Primary?” Cas asks softly as he bends down to pick up my books.
He closes my journal, the book on true Primaries, and sets them on the edge of the bed. When he goes to close my mom’s book, I stop him.
“Read the last entry.”
“The last…” he trails off, his eyes widening as they meet mine. “Your gift?”
I attempt to nod, but Corentin’s hands still hold me in place. I croak a weak, “Yes.”
“Eyes on me, baby,” Corentin whispers as I stand frozen in time. It’s hard to tear my eyes away from Cas as his gaze bounces across the sentences as fast as he can. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“I know,” I mouth.
“Were you having trouble sleeping? Nightmares?” Tillman asks and I shake my head.
“No, I was woken up.”
Closing my eyes, I tell them about what happened that woke me and how they were being kept asleep. The only logical explanation I can come up with of why that is, is because Elementra felt I needed to read this on my own first.
“I thought I was one of her favorites. I don’t like that she forced me to stay asleep when you needed me, little wanderer.”
“I know. I wish—”
“Primary,” Cas breathes. His tone is so low, yet the anguish behind it makes it sound like a bomb just went off. The four of us turn to his stricken face and my throat closes. “Did you understand what this means?”
I nod as tears form in my eyes.
“What does what mean?” Corentin, Tillman, and Draken all ask at once, and I tell Cas with my eyes to explain for me.
“Her gift is a combination of wielding all four elements. She beholds the abilities of any that she has a bond with, and most importantly theblood in her veins. Her bloodline was the original bloodline of Elementra. The first beings ever to walk this realm. Filia mea isn’t just a sweet endearment her mother gave her or told our uncle to call her. It’s a title Elementra gave the five daughters that she created. She’s a daughter of the daughters. Willow is the last living direct line to our creator.”
He continues to explain how that all came about. Everything my mother explained, he does to his brothers.
There’s no relief found coming from my men as the realization of what this means also hits them. If we thought me being a target before was bad, this makes it all so much worse.
People have always and will more than likely always fear what they don’t know or understand. It’s one thing that I have multiple gifts and elements, but being of direct descent from the creator puts me in another category.
If history repeats itself, I’ll find myself in the same situation those before me were in. I’ll live hidden within my own home from the fear of being killed.
Or—and this is worse in my opinion—if I’m not able to defeat the Summum-Master, he won’t kill me. He’ll use me as a weapon against all realms.
“He knows what and who I am.”
“What exactly are you?” Corentin asks softly. I just realized Cas has finished talking but doesn’t finish it all.
And I broadcasted that loudly.
