Read Online Caution to the Wind: Book One of the Elementals Series by F. R. Southerland - Free Book Online

worlds. He didn’t come alone. He brought his brother with him.” Callum paused and glanced up at the ceiling to gather his thoughts. “Most of this information came from Castle himself. Some of it came from the recollections of my father. Castle was his real name.”
    “His last name?”
    “No, his first.”
    “That’s a weird first name.” They entered a large, airy room with many windows. Moonlight streamed in, creating a beautiful ambiance. Loren paused to take it all in.
    Callum paused the discussion to watch her reaction. When Loren noticed his stare, she blushed. “The room is lovely,” she said.
    “I thought you might like it.” He gestured toward some chairs paired at a small table. “Sit, please.”
    Loren nodded. Callum sat with her, leaning forward. He resumed. “No, Castle was his first name, his only name.. We found it strange too.” He smiled some. “His brother’s name was Tower, originally.”
    Loren lifted her eyebrows. “Did their parents name them randomly or something? What do you mean by was ?”
    “I believe it was a custom to name one's child after common objects, things, places.” He waved a hand. “And I say was because his brother changed his name. Mal, he's called.”
    “Mal?”
    Callum nodded. “The names aren’t what’s relevant to the story.”
    “Um, sorry. I'm just curious.”
    “You want to know everything.” Callum shifted in his seat. “But let’s focus on the big details for now and we can discuss the smaller ones later.”
    Loren nodded again and let him continue.
    “Castle and Mal came to our world through a portal. Travel between worlds isn’t common. In the past, there were gateways, but they became concealed, lock. Only accessible through magical means. Castle told me something happened when they were younger. It changed Mal. It made him angry. He sank into a dark place.” Callum frowned. “Castle never told me the details of it, only what happened after.”
    “What happened?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
    “He waged a war against Castle. It tore their world apart. It threw everything out of balance. Castle ultimately defeated his brother and sent him to a place where he couldn’t harm anyone. Mal didn’t settle for having lost. He plotted revenge. He eventually came upon a weapon. It could destroy his brother and everything he’d worked to preserve.
    “The weapon came in the form of a stone tablet, inscribed with ancient runes. He believed the stone tablet could neutralize Castle’s powers. Castle learned of it and went to find his brother and the tablet to destroy both. It was a tough decision.” Callum paused and looked down at his hands. “Castle struggled with it for a long time. It was his brother. They had grown up together. Loved one another. But he had no choice. He had to choose between saving his kingdom and world and his people from ruin or allow his brother to destroy everything. So he met with his brother. There was a fight.
    “During the battle, Mal was wounded. Castle begged him to stop what he was doing, to relinquish his hold on the tablet. He offered him a chance to reform. Mal refused.”
    Callum stopped and rubbed his hands over his face. His voice was softer when he resumed the tale. “Mal activated the power within the tablet. Instead of harming his brother, the tablet did something neither of them expected. It opened a portal. Mal saw an opportunity and took it. He went through it and Castle followed, believing his brother would continue his reign of terror in whatever world he found himself.
    “They came to our world. Upon arrival, they discovered their abilities greatly diminished. The stone, however, vibrated with energy and they fought over it. Castle feared Mal would use it to return to their world or another to continue his conquest. Mal believed the stone still held the power to destroy Castle. In the end, Castle managed to break the tablet into four pieces. He left Mal injured and weak before he fled