Fate of Elements by M. Stratton, Skeleton Key Page A

you know if there is anything you can do.”
    “Be safe.” I wasn’t sure this was the best thing to do, but we couldn’t let Dayna get Ronin.
    “Go now.”
    We whisked out and back to the canyon where a bloody battle waged. The smell of blood filled the air. It was senseless, this death, and the weight of it buckled my knees. I’d already lost.

Raina
    “ N o !” Hallet screamed as his fire rushed across the canyon where Dayna held a rock suspended over Ronin. I saw his magic flicker and fall back on his element: fire. In the heat of the moment, he had forgotten that he had Earth magic of his own. I willed the rock to explode into tiny pieces, and Dayna whipped around facing me as I ran up fast behind Hallet.
    “Dayna, Queen of the Earth Elements, you are to relinquish your crown immediately.”
    Dayna’s lip curled back. “Who will take it from me? You and what army? Because the one you brought here is almost all gone. You can’t beat me.”
    “This is your one and only warning. Step down now, or you will be put to death.”
    “If I have my way, I won’t be the one dying, you will. I don’t think you understand the power I have.”
    “Oh, I think we do.” Hallet’s voice shook with anger. “How could you? We all grew up together.”
    “I’m so sick and tired of hearing about how we grew up together – and what – we owe something to each other? No, we don’t. You know what? I watched my parents wither away, weaker than the other elements. All the while the others grew stronger, they were the ones who had more power. Not us, my parents wouldn’t fight for it. They said it wasn’t important to have all the power – that it wasn’t meant for us. It wasn’t fair. I deserved it. I deserved to be the one everyone knelt down to, the one true Queen. But no one would listen because they were stuck on this prophecy. Some god who would walk through the Skeleton Door. I needed to do something to make it all stop. To make them understand how powerful I am.”
    “What did you do?”
    “I killed them. I killed them all.”
    “Who?” Hallet’s voice was dangerously low, vibrating the ground beneath him. Flames ignited on his flesh, flashing wildly.
    “Your parents, Naida’s, and Erion’s, too. You all thought they were taking each other out, or that the battles were fought over injustices between one element and another, but it was all me. I killed them, and everything was unfolding exactly as I had planned, but your damn temper got in my way. My parents weren’t supposed to die, but you couldn’t control your fire, and you burned them.”
    “Because you had made me believe your parents killed my parents, and Erion’s! Our parents treated you like one of their own. How could you do this to them?”
    I reached out and grabbed Hallet’s arm. His fire raged; I didn’t want him to do something he would regret. My touch radiated control into him whether he wanted it or not.
    “Easily. You know what the best part was? Watching the utter horror in their eyes when they realized it had all been me, and they had foolishly underestimated my power. My only regret is not knowing I could have taken their powers and added their elements to mine. Otherwise, I could have ended this whole thing before it ever began.”
    “This can’t continue,” I said. “Call off your people before anyone else gets hurt.” I knew Hallet wasn’t in control of his fire, and if I didn’t end this, we all would be destroyed.
    “The only one who’s going to get hurt is you.” Her voice shook. “You’re the reason all of this started.”
    I watched as Dayna closed her eyes and stretched her arms out. I saw ribbons of light being pulled into her. Somehow I felt like I should know what was going on, but my brain didn’t seem to work fast enough. I began to feel lightheaded, and I couldn’t catch my breath.
    With a boom so loud it shook the ground, a rock materialized in front of us and knocked us back, distinguishing