Origin of Angels: Elemental Legacy Book 1 (11 page)

“Then, someone else did it. I’m telling you, Mom. Something isn’t right about the man.”

She gave me a quick look before motioning for me to stay put. I hadn’t had more than a few moments for my mind to wander before she returned with a book. Mom was wiry, but she seemed to be having a hard time carrying the thing, so I took the burden from her.

As I turned it over, the first thing I noticed was the fivefold symbol embossed on the cover. “Is it fae?”

She shook her head. “This is the first known copy of the Order bylaws.”

If she was telling the truth, Lambert had been lying when he proudly showed me a similar tome at Order headquarters. “Does Lambert know he has a second edition?”

She nodded. “He let you see the other one?”

“Yeah, right after I caved and slept with a poor girl on her very first day in the compound.” I expected my mom to chastise me, but she looked on with compassion in her brown eyes. She was one of the only women I’d ever known who knew when not to interrupt. “He told me a story of brave men who had fought to free Elementals through the ages. He cited the third law: race before conscience.” My mind took a brief trip to the lavish building. Most Order compounds were designed to be a fortress. Only one I knew of served both form and function. It was where new recruits and their families were taken. The families didn’t know any better because they only got to see their child again if they were one of the chosen Lambert kept away from the fae.

Mom opened the book, revealing a page of Old English script. “We believe the Order didn’t come into play until the middle of the first century A.D. At one time, Elementals survived
on their own.” She eyed the page, then turned over a few more. “It is hard to understand. Even our linguistics experts have yet to give us a good translation. We’ve been too busy trying to educate families to keep their daughters home. That being said, do you notice any difference in meaning?” She pointed at a spot near the top of the page.

I leaned nearer, snuffling at the dust stirred by her fingers. Not wanting the distraction, I scratched my nose on my sleeve,
then focused on the writing. Even though some of the words had a familiar spelling, who knew what they meant? “What is mann-cynn?”

“The noble among us think this is equivalent to mankind
— as in a global term for humanity.”

I knew her tone. There was something she wasn’t telling me. “And what do you think?”

She placed a finger in the book and turned to pace again. “In the dark ages, women meant nothing. They functioned in the background, serving their men.” She pointed at the similar word. “Or mann, as it was previously written. In all honesty, I don’t think men cared much more for women than what could be done for them, or what advantageous arrangement could be made. Women have always been a bartering tool to one degree or another.”

The horrible thing was she was right. I inched closer until I had my arm around her shoulders, pulling her tight. “Not all men want to exploit women. All I want to do is protect those I love.”

She patted my cheek, her chilled skin a reflection of her mood. “You’ve always been a good boy ...” De-spite myself, my brows rose. Her definition of good must not have come from Webster. She smiled, correcting herself. “Man. You’ve become a man without me knowing.”

I
grunted, eager to change the topic. “What was your point about the book?” Her eyes grew distant as if her thoughts were far away. I touched her arm and asked, “What is it, Mom?”

“For all the passing years, not much has changed. If Nigel Lambert could find a way to extend his life, he would use it. I hope you’re wrong, Travis.
Because if you’re not, the Order is a much greater threat than any of us have ever considered.”

I DIDN’T BLAME JETT FOR CARRYING such a jaded view. He hadn’t exactly come up with the winning hand with me or my mother. I had once vilified this very kind, gentle man because I didn’t have all the facts. I thought him no more than a monster then. It’s funny how views can change so quickly. Now, I couldn’t imagine the fae functioning without his strength. I rested my hand on his. Before I could comment, he flinched and turned away. I let him go, realizing physical contact was just as awkward for him
as it was for me. My voice faltered when I spoke, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. You’re right. I have changed a lot, but only because I’ve realized how little the fae have affected Elemental life.”

He stood at the window. Soft moonlight filtered in, casting shadows under his eyes and cheekbones. “It was not always so.” He swept a look at me,
then went back to watching whatever was outside. “There was a time we prized Elementals and their families. It was only when we turned to greed the Order was born. Some thought it would be easier for all involved if we kept a distance from the mortals. For a few centuries, we convinced ourselves the Order was a good idea. Ammon hated the concept from the start. He said humans had no business fooling with power.”

I interrupted him. “Why do you still call him Ammon when he hates it?”

“He’s pretended to be another man since he lost Faine, but a person can only change so much. Ammon fits him better. You’ll come to discover this as time goes on.”

With thoughts as deep as his name, he rarely surprised me. “Why do you say that? What does the name represent to you?” An air of seriousness permeated the room. I could no longer smile because of his reverence.

“Honor. Valiance. Determination. Zach is an everyday name … someone forgettable. Ammon is solid. It’s who he is.”

“You go by Jett
…”

“Only to those I don’t trust.”

My stomach flip-flopped. “Oh.”

He smirked. “I’ve told you to call me Jafan more than once. It is you who retains the use of my false name.”

I’d made fun of him before. Jafan is snooty to me, and he’s not. “I like Jett better. I think it fits you more.”

He faced me, frowning. “You’d better have a good reason to say such a thing.”

“Jafan is so stuffy! Come on. You aren’t that person.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “Jett was a name given to me as a joke. It is my mortal name. How am I a Jett?”

My breath hitched in my throat. “Well …”

“You cannot justify it. Do not even try.”

My mind spun as I thought of lame reasons. “You’re right. Jett is hip, and you are so not. If you want me to call you Jafan, I’ll do my best.”

He stared levelly. “Thank you.”

I shook my head. We’d gone on quite a tangent, and I’d nearly forgotten why I’d summoned him here in the first place. “Will you do it?”

His chest rose on a sharp breath. “As always, I offer you my best.”

I slugged him in the arm. “You’d better. I’m your queen, you know?”

I barely caught his smirk. “I’m well aware, my lady.”

“How long do you think it will take to draw up a plan?”

He took some time before he answered.
“Perhaps a day to choose team leaders. Another two for logistics. I have a few men in mind —”

“I want women involved, too.”

He hesitated a little long for my liking. “Are you sure, Rayla?”

“What reservations do you have? Lysanne would make a great spy.”

Jett laughed. “Spy?”

My hands wanted to go to my hips, but I kept them at my side. “What do you call them?”

He shrugged. “Spy, I guess, is an apt term.” The muscles in his forearms twitched. “The truth is I’m not sure what our women can do in the field. One thing I can tell you, though: they have no experience in the mortal realm, and even the most capable among them could be a liability.” He held up his hand as if he knew my blood was churning. “Before you get angry, hear me out. I’ve no doubt any number of them would make fine officers, given the proper training. Unfortunately, we don’t have the time or the resources to divert to them.”

“When will we have the time or resources, if not now? We can’t continue the way things have been. Some of the brightest women I have ever met are nothing more than servants. They deserve a chance.”

“So do the Elementals. Sending in unseasoned warriors will not aid us. If anything, such a tactic will give an even greater advantage to our enemy.”

My temples throbbed from thinking about our upcoming battle. No matter what we did we’d be at a dis-advantage. It didn’t make sense to do something on purpose which might jeopardize our mission any further. “We have to use them in some way,” I said, my sharp tone unyielding.

He nodded before taking a seat on the couch. “Intel can be obtained from any location. We could recruit your friend to set up a base. The creator knows the man is resourceful.”

I thought for a moment, wondering if he meant Creed. Since he didn’t seem willing to fill in the blank, I asked.
“Which friend?”

“The returned king.”

“His name is Creed.”

Jett shook his head. “His name is Braesal, and he is our rightful leader.”

I took a deep breath, attempting to relax my shoulder muscles. The more I thought about our situation, the more my body responded to the stress. “In any case, he doesn’t want the job.”

Jett studied me for a moment. “Why did you give him such a name?”

The moment came to me. The wraith, so vile I could hardly look at him if it weren’t for the kindness he had shown me. He’d protected me when no one else could. I wanted to give Jett a noble answer, but I settled for the truth. “It was what came to me.”

He laughed. “It is fitting, even if I have a hard time thinking of him as anything other than our king.”

I wondered if I should be offended, but I shook the thought off. Creed had a lot to offer our cause, if he were willing. The only way to find out was to ask, and the only way to ask was to find the man. “Do you know where he is?”

Jett nodded. “I know where every fae citizen resides.” When I stared dumbly at him, he continued. “You asked me to keep an eye on things, and I have.”

If he was anything, he was a man of his word. “Thank you,” I said. “Would you please bring Creed to me?”

“Of course.
Is there anything else, Rayla?”

When I shook my head, he vanished. Even though I’d become more used to the idea of instant travel, it was still a shock to see. I looked out the window, not wanting to seek whom I needed to talk to next.

My husband moved close behind me, startling me again, but I soon melted into him. He pushed my hair away to press a kiss to my neck. “I thought he would never leave.”

I groaned, turning in his arms. “There is someone I still have to see before we can get back to our reunion.”

His eyes swept to my lips, making me want to forget my tasks. Not risking it, I wriggled out of his arms. “Will you stay while I talk to her?”

His brow shot up. “Her?”

I nodded. “I need to see Ainessa.”

DAD WALKED IN, SHAKING HIS HEAD. The waders were gone, and he’d showered. The man refused to use the shortcuts to cleanliness the fae offered, and so did I. There was something unnatural about being filthy one minute and squeaky clean the next. I preferred the old-fashioned methods, and I probably always would. “Are you two still talking?” he asked, his voice amused. “I thought we were going to eat sometime tonight.”

Mom stiffened. “You can cook as well as I can. Or get Jenny on it, if you’d like.”

A mischievous glint sparkled in his blue eyes. “No one can dish up fish the way you can.”

With a huff, Mom pressed her lips together. “If I’m fixing diner, you two are helping.”

Dad smiled, working his way to the overstuffed chair in the corner directly facing the TV. “Give me a few minutes to unwind.”

In a flash, she blocked his path. “You’ve spent the better part of the day relaxing. It’s time you got to work, old man.”

My parents had the strangest relationship. Instead of getting angry, Dad shrugged, capturing Mom’s hand. “Lead the way. I’ve got things I want to see.”

She laughed. “There’s always some game on. It won’t be the end of the world if you miss a couple.”

“I’m already missing a few of them.” Dad’s favorite way to watch sports was six screens at once, and with the setup Luke gave him, he had an entire wall free to view them.

I’d never seen anything like it. The closest was a projector, but this system immersed a person in the experience of the game, as if you had front row seats. The sounds were sharper. Even the smells of dirt and beer were present.

We walked into the kitchen, Mom calling for Jenny along the way. Mom turned to her husband, barking out an order immediately. “You’re cleaning the things.”

He gave a hesitant nod, and before he could call me forward, I followed, knowing he wouldn’t let me get away with clean hands. Back in the small room off the kitchen, he searched for his favorite knife
while I grabbed a garbage bag. I wasn’t sure where the things went when I put them to the curb, but I had a feeling somewhere in the borderlands, a landfill had been started just for my family. Or the garbage men were incinerating the things on sight.