Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series
Her Elemental Dragons: Ride the Wave: Chapter 14

We reached the coast that evening, just north of the border between the Earth Realm and the Water Realm. Doran showed Reven and Slade how to turn saltwater into water we could drink, while Auric and Jasin rested after flying the entire day with few breaks. I took a walk down the shore, my toes digging into the wet sand for the first time in years, while lazy waves stretched closer and closer to my feet. The moon was bright overhead, making the surface of the water shimmer, and I bent to pick up a shell that almost seemed to glow.

“Kira,” a voice whispered across the salty breeze.

I jerked upright and spun around, the shell clutched in my palm. My grandmother Enva stood ankle-deep in the water, yet when the tide pulled back, she showed no signs it had ever touched her. She strode toward me, her gray skirts completely dry, her white hair shining under the moonlight like a pearl. She’d once been called the White Dragon, and though she’d been dead for centuries, she was trapped between this world and the next along with every other person who had passed. But unlike the others, her connection to the Spirit Goddess allowed her to hold onto enough life to manifest in front of me for a short time.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help while you were being held captive,” she said, as she drew near. “The bone cage prevented me from visiting you.”

“I assumed as much,” I said, relieved to see her again. “Why does the bone block our powers?”

“Your magic stems from life, and bones are objects of death. They’re abhorrent to us, completely opposite of our very nature.”

I frowned as I examined the shell in my palm. “But I’ve killed many animals and even people before. I’ve been around many dead bodies. It wasn’t until I touched Tash’s bones that I encountered that horrible feeling.”

“Ah, because there’s a difference between killing to preserve life, and killing only to end it. When you hunt animals for food for yourself or others, you’re sustaining life. When you’ve killed people, it was to defend yourself or protect other lives. All of those things are part of the natural cycle of survival. But when someone is murdered, their bones become tainted with darkness.”

“Nysa could touch them. How?”

Enva’s face darkened. “That is the ultimate question. I suggest you ask your father.”

I stared at her, while wind tugged on my hair and completely ignored hers. “So Doran truly is my father.”

“Of course. But you knew that already.”

“I did, but I wanted to hear you confirm it. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t my place, and I knew you wouldn’t take it well. Not at that time.”

I sighed. She was probably right. “What of everything he told me about Nysa—is it all true?”

“Yes, he has been honest with you. He’s just left out something very important. Something you should ask him about.”

“What is that?”

Enva’s eyes burned into mine. For the first time I realized they were the same green as my mother’s. “Nysa told you she has to stay alive in order to keep the Spirit Goddess contained. Ask him why.”

I nodded slowly. “I assumed it was so the Gods couldn’t replace her.”

“Not entirely. I would tell you myself, but it’s a long tale and I expect you’ll have many questions. I already feel the other side pulling me back now.”

“I wish we had more time together. There’s so much I want to know about your life. Like what was it like when you were a Dragon? Doran said you negotiated a treaty with the elementals and brought peace?”

“Every set of Dragons has one great challenge to face. Mine was the elementals. When I became the White Dragon, the elementals had ravaged the four Realms and humans were living in fear. The balance had tipped too far in one direction, and my mates and I did what we could to level the scales again.” She gazed across the water with a distant look in her eyes. “For some time, we had peace. And then the shades came.”

“Was that my mother’s challenge?” I asked.

“It was the start of it.” Enva sighed and stared at the sand at her feet. “There’s another reason Doran should tell you this tale. It hurts me too much to speak it aloud. I love my daughter, no matter how twisted she’s become. I understand why she did what she did, even if I disagreed with it. I only wish I could have prevented all of this or found a way to save her from the darkness. I’m her mother, and I failed her…and now I must help you defeat her.”

I took her hand, which felt solid even though she wasn’t really there. “No one should have to make such a choice.”

She squeezed my hand in return as she began to fade before my eyes. “Nysa and I both made mistakes, but I know you will be the one to right them. Stay strong, Kira…”

She disappeared from sight as her last words floated away on the wind. A sense of sadness filled me as I stood alone with the waves lapping at my bare feet while I clutched a shell in my hand. I released it into the water and turned to walk the distance back to my mates, while I mentally prepared myself for another conversation with my father. One that I wasn’t sure I was ready to have.

I stepped through the camp the others had set up, past a bonfire Jasin had started, where fresh fish now roasted. My mates stirred as I strode past them but must have seen the serious expression on my face because none of them said a word. Doran was stretched out in front of the ocean, leaning back as he gazed up at the stars, his hands folded across his stomach. He looked up as I approached and his expression changed, as if he sensed that something had occurred, but he wasn’t sure exactly what.

I stopped in front of him and met his eyes. “Tell me about the Spirit Goddess.”