Rayna's Sacrifice (The Katori Chronicles Book 3) by A. Lombardo (intellectual books to read .TXT) 📗

“My son,” Keegan smirked, “we finally meet face to face.”

Lucca glared at the sight of Keegan. “Why are you here?”

“I came for my son—he belongs to me.”

“I am not your son!” Kai shouted.

Keegan laughed. “You are every bit my son. As we sailed around the Mystics, I felt your fury. Your magic electrified the air. I see your passion even now behind your changing eyes. You are just like me—as is your white crystal.”

Kai had noticed the tension in his mind and felt it change the color of his blue eyes to green. “I am nothing like you, Keegan, and your crystal is no longer white. It is black, just like your soul.”

Keegan snarled and pointed at Lucca. “This man ruined me, and he will do the same to you. Trust me, son, Lucca took everything from you. Anything bad that has ever happened to you is his fault. Let me guess, he stood against your Conhaspriga. His Guardians tried to keep you out.”

Kai twisted his eyes to glare at Lucca, but his grandfather stood resolute. Keegan laughed. “I’m right, he did. Every moment you suffered after the loss of your mother is his doing. The Katori elders were cruel to abandon you.”

His father’s words stung, but it was all true. Lucca had never believed in him. Hatred filled his heart, and he turned to glare at his grandfather. Before he spoke, Rayna’s soft hand clasped with his. “I believe in you.”

Lucca clenched his jaw, but his gaze lowered. “Keegan is not wrong, Kai. I made choices. They may have been mistakes, but everything I did was out of love for my daughter—even today.”

The thought of his mother reminded Kai why they were all here. He could not risk Keegan discovering the truth about his mother being alive. His only choice, for now, was to align with Lucca. “I stand with my chief—my grandfather. I will never follow you, Keegan. You should leave.”

“I was afraid you might choose him.” Keegan motioned to his men.

The Weathervanes began to work their magic with deft aggressive strokes. They created a windstorm around the sandbar. Sand swirled, and Kai shielded his eyes. Shafts of ocean water rose overhead. Before anyone could move, they punched down on Kai’s group.

Kai fell, pounded into the beach. He gasped for air, and the water poured over him. Dazed, he searched for Rayna. To his surprise, Rayna, Yulia, and Liam remained standing. A cascade of water slid off a dome of air created by Yulia’s outstretched hands. Ryker and Basil pulled themselves up from the wet sand. Lucca stood in a dry spot; his fists clenched in fury.

The sneer on Keegan’s face filled with pride. “I’ve had years to think about this day. You bested me with the help of the elders, but you’re alone now, old man. It must be my lucky day. I will have my revenge. ATTACK!”

A blue spark announced Ryker’s transformation into a Shuk. Basil beat his chest, blue light sparked within his crystal. His muscles rippled and bulged with black fur. Doubling in size, Basil became a gorilla. Ramps dropped from Keegan’s ship, and more men in black flooded the beach. Lucca blasted the first group.

The wind whipped over the sandy beach. One of Keegan’s Beastmasters transformed into a grizzly bear. Ryker attacked. They rolled across the sand, all teeth and claws. Fur and blood stained the beach.

Wind and waves struck the beach against Yulia. She battled the Weathervanes, deflecting what she could. She pulled lightning from the clouds. Four against one—they fought back, returning her charge. She was cast into the sea.

Two dark brown eagles took to the air. They swooped downward, claws ready to attack, but Lucca pulled at their forms and men fell from the sky into the surf. More men rushed Lucca, swords drawn. Disarming the first man, Lucca punched him in the chest and kicked the next in the knee. Landing punches and kicks, he took on the onslaught.

Charged by Keegan’s men, Kai fought back. He had only his dagger for defense. His Katori speed was his advantage against mere men. The first man jabbed his sword at Kai’s ribs. Kai sidestepped and disarmed the man. Using their own weapons against them, he defeated his attackers, but they kept coming.

Seaweed crawled up the beach past Kai’s feet. Over his shoulder, he saw Rayna, her hands willing the ocean’s bounty against their attackers. Liam punched the next set of men with a blast of sand and rock. Keegan motioned and the Weathervanes assaulted Liam with a barrage of wind and waves. A sand-filled wall of wind formed to protect Liam. Yulia was back in the fight.

A man punched Kai in the jaw. He fell to his knees. A spot of blood dripped from his mouth. The man dropped in the sand beside Kai. Hand out, Lucca urged Kai to his feet.

Kai took his grandfather’s hand and stood in time to block a Caroco man about to stab Lucca in the back. More seaweed crept up the beach, dragging men into the water. Rayna was thinning the horde.

Two new people, a man and a woman, emerged from the chaos. Green light bloomed beneath their shirts. They waved their hands and the sea vines receded and turned on Rayna. She fell to her knees and was dragged across the sand to their feet.

The woman kneeled at Rayna’s side. Blade drawn, she paused. Kai noticed the bewildered expression as the two women stared at each other. The curve of her face, the shape of her eyes was all too familiar. She had to be Rayna’s mother. There was no other explanation for the similarity or her hesitation.

The woman reached out, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Rayna, is it really you? How are you here?” She recoiled and looked at the man behind her.

A punch to the face brought Kai back to his own fight. In several swift strikes, he dispatched half a dozen men. Standing in the center of chaos—Keegan laughed.