Under an Onyx Sky (Elemental Enchanters Series Book 4) Read Free

attack like they did was not smart. It was foolish. There weren’t enough of you.”
    Her chest tightened, and her throat closed. Images of the small battle flashed in her mind. Then she remembered Havok killing Savina, and leaving Aaron crying over her, all while Ava had remained emotionless. She hadn’t shed one tear for her. “He killed Savina. He killed his own child. And I willingly joined him.” Ava could feel herself on the verge of a breakdown. Her knees wobbled and the fatigue threatened to take over.
    When she lost her balance, the man caught her and eased her to the floor.
    She drew a shaky breath. “I can’t do this.”
    “Don’t do that. Don’t get discouraged. Hold yourself together. Remain strong. Turn off your emotions, and keep him from reading your thoughts. Just like you did yesterday. He can still get inside your head. Just make sure you give him the thoughts he wants. Don’t think of your previous life. Ever. Or the people. You have to keep that part of your life hidden.”
    She nodded. Even through the murkiness, she remembered Gabriel explaining that. She’d gotten him to teach her the heart of stone and many other talents. She missed him and needed him. He had always been there for her, especially when Havok had forced her into a coma. Gabriel had always helped her. He never lost faith in her, even when she doubted his allegiance. And she had betrayed him by joining Havok and sending Gabriel to be tortured or wherever Havok put him.
    But now she wasn’t allowed to think of him.
    “You must go. I will take you back to your room.”
    “But I have so many questions.”
    “I can help you all later tomorrow. But you must keep it secret.”
    “Of course.”
    “Come on, we have to hurry.”
    “What’s your name?”
    “Klaus.”
    He took her by the arm and led her down the corridor. She stumbled behind. The memory of Ilya, having morphed into Gabriel, pulling her through the snowy forest flashed in her mind. She was drugged then, too.
    What if this was a trick?
    Ava pulled back, releasing her arm from Klaus’s grip. He turned back, his lips pressed in a hard line. “Don’t resist me,” he whispered. “We must go.” Klaus jerked her toward him.
    The walls came at her fast. Too fast. Were they running? She couldn’t tell. Everything was a blur.
    A dark figure rounded a corner. “What are you two doing?” he demanded, as he moved closer to them.
    Klaus halted. Ava lurched forward, but he caught her from falling. “Sleepwalker.”
    “Oh. Is that one of the Elementals?” The man had a deep voice that for some reason gave Ava chills. She could barely make out his face, but he had shoulder-length dark hair. It looked like he had facial hair around his chin, but it was all fuzzy darkness to her.
    “Yes.”
    “We don’t need them. We’ve been doing fine without them.” The man sounded irritated.
    “They’re powerful, Donovan. More than you know.”
    Donovan scoffed. “ We’re powerful. And we’ll show Havok. Xavier can’t control us much longer. We’ll show Havok that these Elementals are nothing but weak insignificant Enchanters. They’ve got nothing on us.”
    “Time will only tell,” Klaus said.
    He moved closer to Ava. “Does she have any idea what’s going on?”
    “No. She’s been drugged and doesn’t know where she is.”
    “It’s pretty pathetic Havok made you remove their memories. He didn’t have to do that with us, and we’re loyal.”
    “I know.”
    Donovan shook his head. “We spent years trying to get the Elementals. And it was all a waste. They’re not gonna remember shit. We’ll have to retrain them on fighting, using their powers.”
    “They’ll know all that. They know they’re Enchanters.”
    “Yeah, but you erased everything. Now, we’re gonna have to babysit them. Makes me sick.” He raised his arm. The last thing Ava saw was his fist in her face.

CHAPTER TWO
PRISONER
    Still groggy from the drugs and rubbing her aching cheek, Ava