Of Earth and Air (Heir of Blood and Fire Book 3)

  Contents

  Books by Cameo Renae

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Note from the Author:

  For more information

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Books by Cameo Renae

  In My Dreams

  In My Reality

  -

  Hidden Wings Series

  Hidden Wings

  Broken Wings

  Tethered Wings

  Gilded Wings

  Wings of Vengeance

  -

  Midway Novels

  Guarding Eden

  Saving Thomas

  Dominating Dom

  -

  After Light Saga

  ARV-3

  Sanctum

  Intransigent

  Hostile

  Retribution

  -

  Misteria

  OF THE BLOOD

  Text copyright © 2021 Cameo Renae

  Map copyright © 2021 Cameo Renae

  Edited by: Kimberly Belden

  Formatting by: Red Umbrella Graphic Designs

  Cover Designed by: Jay Villalobos – Covers by Juan

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.

  This book is dedicated to all those who have the strength to stand up for what is right.

  Chapter One

  My mind was a whirlwind of agony and chaos as I propelled through the water toward Aquaris. My heart was thrumming loudly in my ears, my pulse racing. The dim sea, harsh and stifling, was threatening to devour me whole. Everything was a blur—a midnight watery funnel aimed toward whatever fate had in store for me.

  War? Death? Failure? Redemption? It could be any one of those. Or all of them.

  According to Kylan, when Trystan learned of my father’s abduction, Trystan ordered his cadre to immediately rescue him. But this was what Roehl had been waiting for. He was betting on retaliation, but probably never anticipated Trystan would arrive before I did. Now he’d garnered the ideal situation. The upper hand, using them both as bait to draw me out, knowing I wouldn't hesitate to save them.

  My heart was wrenching, aching to the point of shattering. Trystan, who from day one, had been watching out for me. Who first showed up in Sartha, and again in Morbeth after my capture, to offer an exchange—half of his kingdom’s riches … for me. Me. A human, Incendian, and vampire mutt.

  Trystan, who showed up in Incendia with his cadre in a funnel of air to save me. Trystan, who offered me his blood, something sacred amongst purebloods, so I could heal faster and become stronger. Trystan, who was now engaged. Yet, he still showed up and held out his hand to me, offering me safety, security, and a chance to run away with him, forsaking his father, his kingdom, and his crown.

  I had turned him down, and had hurt him deeply, even after all he’d done for me. The impact of my decision would be permanently engraved in my mind. Because I was scared and felt like I wasn’t worthy of someone like him. The pureblood Prince of Carpathia.

  His father demanded his son to marry a pureblood, so he arranged a marriage with the Princess of Northfall. Northfall was a powerful and flourishing country, and I could understand why Trystan’s father was creating such a diplomatic move. It would strengthen not only Northfall, but Carpathia as well.

  But that wasn’t what Trystan wanted. Trystan had made it clear from day one who he truly wanted. But I hadn’t been able to bring myself to accept him, believing I was doing the honorable thing for him and his kingdom.

  But I was wrong.

  Trystan was his own man. Yes, he was the Prince of Carpathia, but he shouldn’t have been required to wed someone he didn’t love.

  I’d heard stories that most royals had arranged marriages. It was accepted for them to marry cousins or other distant relatives to establish stronger political alliances and strengthen their families, but those days had diminished. Now they married for strength, riches, alliances, and to help prevent war or feuding as well.

  The amulet warmed against my chest. The amulet that had once belonged to Trystan’s mother but had somehow found its way to me. I wasn’t certain what kind of magic it possessed, except for what Trystan had told me. It acted as a beacon, allowing his father to always find her, and I secretly hoped its warmth meant Trystan was nearby.

  I didn’t know Trystan’s mother. But having an item like this, that had been owned by royalty, was priceless.

  Inside, my stomach knotted, and my heart throbbed knowing Trystan and my father were in the devil’s hands. By taking them, Roehl knew he had the upper hand. He knew my weakness, that I cared for those I loved over myself. He or his men had slaughtered everyone on board my father’s ship, my mother included. He was ruthless, a cold-blooded murderer.

  Roehl knew making me suffer wasn’t enough to break me. It was hurting those I loved that would do it. I had already felt some of his wrath in Morbeth. With those cold, lifeless cell walls around me, with the manacles clamped around my wrists and ankles that made my skin raw and infected. I’d been starved, battered, bruised, and broken. He had barely kept me alive in the bowels of Morbeth’s gloomy cell for too long.

  He also knew that Trystan had claimed me and there was a connection between us. And being the vile demon he was, he would make Trystan suffer for it.

  I was confident that Trystan’s father, when he found out, wouldn’t allow such a treacherous act to pass without consequence. Roehl had kidnapped the Prince of Carpathia, his only son and heir, and I knew they had a formidable army.

  Hope. Mine was dangling on a delicate and fragile thread, but it was the only thing I had left to hold on to.

  I was frightened and moving with no plan. Because the truth was … there was no suitable plan worth going up against Roehl. Not with the kind of power he possessed. Especially with his army, dark mages, and the alliance he’d made with Incendia’s false queen.

  He had the two men I loved most in this gods forsaken world. I would have to go to Roehl and try to strike a bargain with him, but knowing the wicked snake he was, I would have to pay a heavy price. A price I wasn’t sure I could pay. I had no doubt he would use his power to break me, but with my newly awakened gifts, there had to be a way to stop him. Leora had said my powers were stronger than Roehl’s. I just had to believe that. I had to believe my powers could overcome his dark magic and come to me when I needed them most.

  I wanted to march straight up to him and thrust every ounce of power I had at him. But I knew that would be a foolish and hazardous move. My power was still raw and wild and untapped, and I knew Roehl could easily overpower me. But what I was afraid of most was that he would kill them both. And I wasn’t sure I could withstand the pain of losing either one of them, let alone both of them.

  Yes, I wanted to walk in and burn them all to hell, but I knew Roehl was ready, waiting for me to do something reckless. I had to be patient and focused. Even if it meant surrendering and going in with my arms in the air and letting him take me, knowing full well I’d be thrown back in a cell, starved and tortured.

  But I would do it again.

  For them.

  My head ached as Kai relentlessly tried to contact me through our element bond, begging me to tell him where I was going and why. But I couldn’t tell him. Kai had no association with Roehl or Morbeth. He would be coming because of me alone. Trystan’s cadre had been ambushed and Trystan apprehended. They hadn’t stood a chance. I wasn’t going to jeopardize their lives or draw them into a battle I knew we couldn’t win.

  I knew I would eventually need the help of my friends, but not this time. I had to try to free Trystan and my father on my own. I had to believe that Leora, or any other relative or ancestor on the other side, would somehow find a means to help me. Because right now, I could use any freaking help I could get.

  A faint light flickered above me, letting me know I was reaching the surface and would shortly be breaching the waters near Aquaris.

  I’d spent many summers in Aquaris with my grandparents and was told of how it came to be. Legends say there was a man who appeared in Aquaris. He was handsome and tall and as powerful as he was wise. It was said that he had once lived under the sea.

  This man made many friends and allies and swiftly rose to power. He was eventually appointed ruler and
gave his land a name. He chose the name Aquaris, after his former home … Aquaria. A mythical kingdom that survived under the sea, occupied with immortals who could manipulate water with their magic.

  No one genuinely believed the legend, except my grandfather, who had met the King of Aquaria himself. I hadn't even believed in such a wild tale until I had witnessed Aquaria for myself and met the people who lived there.

  And now, Aquaris was where my father and Trystan had been captured. Would Roehl be waiting on the shoreline? I had no doubt he had a way of finding out where I was. His dark mages could perform a simple tracking spell, and it was possible for me to be taken as soon as I emerged.

  Slowing my pace, I headed toward a section near the shore that had a steep rock face. If they knew where I was, I’d make them work to get me.

  As soon as I broke the water’s surface, I inhaled the cool, crisp air. Above, the twinkling stars and moon cast a faint glow on my surroundings. The water was placid, and there was only a slight breeze, so I swam to the bank and scaled the rocks.

  My boots, the ones Trystan had given me, didn’t slip. It was like they were made for any condition, and it was another thing I was grateful for.

  The amulet around my neck was growing warmer and when I looked down, the azure stone warmed against my chest and was glowing bright. Was Trystan nearby? Is that what it was telling me? I quickly tucked it into my tunic, hoping it wouldn’t act as a beacon and call them to me.

  Focus.

  That’s what I wanted to do, but my nerves were frayed, not knowing what was going to happen. It was that fear of the known and unknown. Of not knowing if there were mages here who could use their power against me. But also knowing I was soon going to be back in Roehl’s clutches, and that thought alone was suffocating.

  I knew things weren’t going to end well. Not with Roehl in charge. He believed he was still the puppet master, pulling the strings, but I was going to fight with everything inside of me until Trystan and my father were free.

  Exhaling, my mind kept replaying the prophecy of the Seer in Aquaria. “Death lingers around you, heir of blood and fire,” she’d said. “And because of this, your blood prince will die. The prince with whom you share a bond.”

  Quietly, I scaled the rocks and peeked over at the sandy shore adjacent to me, and lo-and-behold, spotted six shadowy figures scouring the shore. Roehl’s men.

  The amulet was growing warmer and glowing even brighter, so I placed my hand over it, hoping to conceal it.

  My clothes were soaked, and the air was cold, so I sat down and settled my back against some rocks and concentrated, just like Kai had taught me. Concentrated on my water power, on my wet clothes and hair. A few beads of water separated from my tunic and slowly drifted in front of me, like crystals glittering in the moonlight.

  Goddess above. I was really doing it.

  Focusing on my entire body, I pressed my power a bit further.

  To my sheer delight, thousands of water droplets began pulling from my clothes and hair, hovering all around me, suspended with magic. My magic. I couldn’t help but smile, knowing Kai would be proud. If I survived this, I’d eventually tell him, maybe even show him.

  I sat in awe, watching the little beads of water glisten and glow floating all around me. Smiling, despite the fact that Roehl’s men were on the other side of the rocks, scouring the shore to find me, ready to take me as soon as I was found.

  I'd done it! My clothes and hair were dry, and that was a massive accomplishment for me. I'd performed something new with my water powers without help from anyone else. And that gave me a little more confidence that I’d make it out of this.

  Movement from behind made me lose my concentration, and the thousands of glittering water droplets crashed down to the rocks and sea water below. The magic was over, and the tormenting darkness, and what awaited within, coiled around me.

  Sounds of someone climbing the rocks made my heart hammer. I was about to call my flame, but I couldn’t move or speak. Every muscle in my body had locked, and I was frozen. An icy trepidation coiled itself around me, and when I looked, a mysterious, hooded figure materialized to the side of me.

  Roehl.

  I struggled to scream, but my voice had been muted. The only sounds around us were those of the waves slapping against the rocks below.

  The figure appeared three feet away, features shrouded within the dark shadows of their cowl. Whoever it was raised a finger and shushed me, which was entirely irrelevant. Whatever they had done made me mute and incapable of using any of my power.

  The darkened figure stepped forward and, with a twist of their hand, we were suddenly shrouded in blackness. The rocks, the water, the moon and even the stars … dissolved into a thick, harrowing mist.

  What the hell?

  I was swiftly picked up and thrown over a shoulder. This person was strong, their power still coursing through my blood and bones, rendering me defenseless.

  Gods be damned. I had to find a way to keep these bastards from doing this to me. There had to be a way to protect myself.

  In seconds, the darkness surrounding us dissipated, and we were no longer near the shore. We were indoors in a small room. I struggled to get free, but I was still incapacitated.

  The room looked like it could have been in a tavern. It had a single bed, a small table with one chair, and a door to what I assumed was an exit. That was it. There were no frills here. It looked like a place where they would drag a drunk person and throw their ass on the bed to sleep it off.

  The hooded figure walked over to the bed and gently laid me on it. I was still unable to speak or move, but with another wave of their hand, I was free.

  I made a move to stand, but the world around me began to spin. I quickly sat up on the edge of the mattress and doubled over, dry heaving.

  I wasn’t sure who this person was. Whoever they were, they were broad and towering over me. And they had powerful magic, so I didn’t stand a chance of running.

  “Who are you?” I breathed, feeling my power pulsing again beneath my skin. I would fight and would turn this bastard and this shitty room to ash if I had to.

  The figure didn’t speak, but slowly raised his arms, pulling back his hood to reveal his face.

  I stopped breathing.

  That face. I’d seen it before. Seen it in Melaina’s magical bowl of water.

  A handsome face with intense golden eyes. Eyes that looked like my father’s. Like mine. He had broad shoulders and sharp features with mahogany hair that fell just above his shoulders.

  “Hello, Calla. It’s nice to finally meet you,” Nicolae spoke, his voice low and melodic. He had an accent, but it wasn’t strong. It was different from any I had heard before.

  I shook my head, a tear escaping my eye. My heart was constricting, being in the same room with this man. I’d never thought this day would come. Never thought I’d meet Nicolae Corvus, especially at a time like this.

  “H—how did you find me?” I could barely get the words out.

  All my life, I thought he was dead, and at this very moment, it was as if I were staring at a ghost. So many emotions were running through me, I couldn’t process exactly what I was feeling.

  A dashing smile rose on Nicolae’s lips. “It took some time, but I heard tales of a girl who defied Roehl, escaped Morbeth’s prison, and boarded a vessel to Incendia.” His smile suddenly turned solemn. “I have magical friends in high places, one in particular, who broke through my wards to tell me Roehl had sent out a death decree on your family because you were from my bloodline. I’m so sorry. Had I known I had kin, I would not have been so reckless.”

  “I know you didn’t know you had any family,” I said softly. “And I also know what happened wasn't your fault.”