Elemental's Heart

by Ciara Lake

  “No.” She moaned.

  “Well, don’t say that. If he hears, he’ll be jealous of me. Worse yet, Aphrodite will be after me too.” He gazed directly into her eyes and leaned in to kiss her lips. His hand roamed over her breast and down to her taut stomach. He sat back and pulled her into his lap, facing him. “You are perfect.”

  She straddled him. They gazed at each other for several moments. Her eyes shone like green jewels. Her skin was a warm and lovely tan. She glowed in the firelight.

  “You’re far better than Adonis,” she whispered and pushed his hair back on his forehead.

  Then she tightened her legs around his waist. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she kissed him. The kiss was deep, and his tongue playfully touched hers. She opened her mouth fully to him, and they explored each other with such intensity the earth moved.

  She stopped and pulled back. “Did you feel that?”

  “Yes, my love. I told you the earth would move, and we have yet to join.” Aetius allowed himself to fall to his side, taking her with him. They landed on the grass and laughed.

  “You’re so proper.”

  He could see the teasing mirth in her eyes. His swimming trunks vanished, and he pulled her closer to him. They were skin to skin, and he loved the feeling of her.

  “I’m not so proper really. I can be bad.” He rolled her onto her back and moved on top of her. Aetius pushed her legs apart and laid between her thighs.

  “That’s what all clandestine scoundrels say.” She wrapped her legs around each of his thighs, holding him to her. “I like bad boys.” She grinned.

  Most of his weight was on the ground. He held himself over her as he caressed her breasts as he kissed her. Terra kissed him, allowing her tongue to tangle with his.

  His cock jutted up between them. He moved his hips to rub against her pelvis and stomach. Terra caressed his arms and his back. Aetius groaned as his seed escaped him. Terra touched his cock and rubbed its stiffness.

  Aetius kissed the side of her face. “I want you.”

  She moved her arm out of his way, and he adjusted his hips so they would fit together. With a slow, firm thrust, he entered her. After he was fully nestled within her tight hole, he stilled, enjoying the feel of her.

  She clenched her muscles around him. Aetius moaned, and he could think of nothing else but her. He moved against her, pushing his cock deep into her. She clung to him, relaxing her legs, and opening wider. His hips thrust up and into her as she pressed into him. They joined together in perfect, rhythmic harmony. Her soft body cushioned him as he rode her. The friction they created was smoldering. They were generating an incredible heat, hotter than the flames burning next to them.

  “Aetius, it feels so wonderful.” Terra held him tight.

  He continued to move his hips, varying his speed as he pushed inside of her. He wanted to scream with the intensity of power he was generating. From the tip of his penis, to the bottom of his feet, to the crown of his head, he felt the growing pressure of the force building. The feeling increased so rapidly he couldn’t slow it down. The heat burst from him, manifesting into flames.

  “Terra, hold me.” The sound of lightning surrounded him. There was a sizzling then a striking noise. The volume pierced the serene environment’s silence. It echoed loudly through the jungle and over the lake. The earth rumbled and rolled as if a volcano was about to release. Aetius was the volcano, and the flames coming from him grew.

  “Aetius.” She clutched him, and her nails bit into his flesh. “What’s happening?”

  He couldn’t answer her; his emotions were too intense at the moment. The core of him which contained his soul and his magic came together with his body as he climaxed. Aetius literally exploded in a white light of uncontrolled energy. The yellow flames erupted and transformed into white-blue ones. All his skin was aflame, and fire encompassed her. Even their hair radiated with the white-hot energy. It was so powerful it lifted them off the ground. The supernatural fire eradiated from him, it was part of them, encompassing both. They were a flaming ball of energy.

  “Aetius…” She looked at him. Her eyes were silver-white from the burning flames within. She trembled as she climaxed in his arms as the fire roared around them.

  Aetius wrapped his arms around her. “It’s okay.” He kissed her. Their bodies turned while being held off the ground by the force of the flames. He caressed her back. “Everything’s okay.”

  The flames reduced, lowering them back to the grass. Aetius was on his back, holding her in his arms. He ran his hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head. The flames had completely extinguished, leaving his skin tingling. Nothing was charred or burned.

  Terra pulled back and gazed at him. “At first I was frightened.”

  “I’m sorry.” He hugged her.

  “It was incredible. The flames made the sex with you really hot.” She smiled. “Was that supposed to happen?”

  “I think it was sex with you that was so hot, not only the flames.” He kissed her cheek. “What happened is new to me. I only worry it’ll make you fear me.”

  “No, I don’t fear you. It felt wonderful.” She kissed him. “But why did it happen?”

  “Do you want it to happen again?”

  “Yes.” She touched his chest. “Of course I do.”

  “The legend says it occurs between a Master Elemental and his mate. The elements know you’re my soul mate. I thought, because it had never happened to me, it was a fable. I’m nearly two thousand years old and this is the first time I’ve experienced this. I guess it took me this long to find my mate.”

  “Amazing.” She looked at him with wide eyes. “I knew you were old, but wow.”

  “I only know of two other males who are the masters of all the elements. One has found his mate, but I don’t know what he experienced.”

  “What about your sister?”

  “She’s not the master of the elements, she’s the mistress of the elements.” He grinned. “There’s a difference, in more than one way.”

  “You’re saying I’m your soul mate?”

  “The elements seem to think so.” He nodded. “And I know how you make me feel. In such a short time, I know I’m…in love with you.” He looked away.

  “The elements know rather or not we can love one another?”

  “Yes. The elements know all things. The elements are more than the gods. They’re all-powerful. They’re what all things come from, and we forget there’s a fifth element—the most important one.”

  “Are you the Master of it too?”

  “Yes, it’s called the aether. Only Master Elementals are one with it. I’m part of it.”

  “What exactly is aether?”

  “The pure essence of space the gods breathe. That all beings breathe, and life originates from. It’s the element that crosses the boundary between terrestrial and celestial.”

  “That’s why the gods fear you?” she asked. The fire next to them had died down to embers, but the moon was still high in the sky.

  “It’s not so much fear as it is respect. At least the ones who aren’t crazy respect me.”

  “You mean like Hecate and Amuliana?”

  “Exactly, those bitches are mean and nuts.”

  “They can’t do anything to you, not really. You control what sustains their life.”

  “They can’t hurt me directly. But there are other ways, like hurting the ones I love. I guess they could behead me, but that wouldn’t be easy. That’s how they killed my sister. But she wasn’t a fighter back then.” He sighed. “The reason I told you about the aether is to explain how the elements know you’re my mate. The aether knows what is, what has been, and what will be.”

  “That is far more than any one of the gods know.”

  “Yes.” He caressed her hair. They laid there for a long while looking at the stars.

  “Aetius, every time I’ve loved someone, they’ve disappointed me.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m not two thousand ye
ars old or even close to it. I’ve only lived a speck of time in comparison to you.”

  “I realize that, more than you know. Terra, I know you care for me. But you don’t have to tell me you love me until you know for sure. I hope one day you do. It takes time for someone your age to trust their feelings and know certain things. Experience and time give you wisdom, like I have. I don’t expect you to react and know things like I do. I’m prepared to give you time to discover your feelings. All I ask is that you give us a chance.” He lifted her hand up and kissed it.

  Chapter 6

  Aetius held Terra close to him. She was warm and soft against his hard body. Her hair was near his face. It was soft, like silk, and it smelled like cinnamon and oranges, which surprised him since they had just swum in the lake. Her unique scent was another thing he adored about her.

  He smiled and nearly started to laugh when he thought about what she’d told him earlier. I think I’m in a fairy tale. Because I’m in a magical place and you’re the giant Fey, who looks like Prince Charming, and I’m the good witch. She had laughed at her analogy, then snuggled into his arms and fell asleep. She was full of cheerfulness, always laughing, even at herself. He was surprised how happy she was, even though she’d been through so much as a child.

  They had returned to the Village of Tellus after they took another dip in the lake. The huts were all furnished comfortably. He knew this because Terra had insisted that they check out every hut. She’d said she was Goldilocks looking for the comfiest bed. Her enthusiasm made him laugh until tears were in his eyes. After she had found the bed that was just right, she announced she wanted to dance some more.

  The musicians were gone, and she didn’t want to call them back. So she’d suggested they make their own music. He had instructed the wind to blow the surrounding trees as she directed. As his mate, the wind surrendered to her command and listened to her. She communicated with the trees, and the wind followed her directions, and all together, they created an exceptional symphony. She was thrilled by what had been achieved. Terra hummed to the music nature made. They danced for over an hour, until she was so sleepy she could barely stand up.

  As they danced she had told him that she never wanted the night to end.

  “But all evenings end, my sweet,” he whispered next to her ear. Aetius closed his eyes and drifted into a deep, restful sleep.

  * * * *

  “Aetius, wake up!” Terra lightly hit his muscular arm. Hitting him hurt her hand, his arm was so solid. “Wake up, please!”

  He sat up. His hair was messed, making him look even more handsome. He snapped his fingers, and the nearby lantern flamed bright. “What’s wrong? Are we under attack?” He glanced around the room. She could see the alarm on his face; she was sure the alarm was because he was worried for her.

  “No, we’re not under attack. I had a bad feeling.” She held the celestite stone in her hand. “And the celestite stone started to grow warm. It must be a sign.”

  “Yes, it could be a sign. What kind of bad feeling?”

  “I think this stone is giving me a message of some sort, a warning.” She clutched it in her hand.

  “Okay. What kind of warning?”

  “I think the stone woke me up. Donna was on my mind. I’m worried about her.” She pushed her hair off her face. “She’s home alone this weekend, Her husband’s gone on business.” She jumped out of the bed. “She’s all alone.”

  “Who’s Donna?”

  “One of my friends, and I don’t have many.” She paced back and forth in the small hut. “She’s more like a mother to me. She’s my friend and associate at the college.”

  “Okay, so why are you worried?”

  “I had a dream about her. It was an odd dream. It was as if I were her and then everything ceased to exist. A darkness came over me.” She stopped at the end of the bed and nibbled her fingernail. “I feel dread, even terror, when I think of her.” She started biting on her other nails. “Something’s wrong.”

  “Have you had these types of feelings before?”

  “No, not really.” She shook her head. “I had some premonitions, but not as strong as this. I think the stone’s amplifying my feelings.”

  “These feelings you’re having sound serious.” He moved to the end of the bed and sat in front of her. “What do you want to do?”

  “I need to go see her now.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’m afraid to flash home myself. I’ve never flashed further than a few feet on my own. Please, take me to her.” She put her hand over her stomach. “I’m going to be sick.” She bent over and moaned.

  Aetius got off the bed. “Of course I’ll take you.” He hugged her.

  “Thank you.” She laid her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry for waking you like this.”

  “Don’t be. I have all my life to sleep. I can take you to the college campus. I know where it is. But you’ll have to get us to where she lives. It’s hard for me to flash to Donna’s house since I’ve never been there and I don’t know her.”

  “Okay, let’s go to the campus.”

  “Take my hand.” He held his hand out to her, and she took it.

  The world swiftly moved around her, and lights flashed before her eyes like a lightning storm. It made her dizzy. When the world stopped spinning, she was standing in the center of the college’s campus. It was close to four in the morning, and the whole campus was quiet.

  Terra stumbled and nearly fell. Aetius grabbed her by the elbow to steady her. She pulled away from him and rushed to a nearby trash can. Her body shook with spasms as she vomited.

  When she finally stopped and stood up, she was still shaky. “My head’s throbbing. I’m embarrassed for getting sick.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” He stepped closer to her. “Young immortals often get sick when they flash long distances. You kept your eyes open this time, didn’t you?” He rubbed her back.

  “Yes, I did.” She rubbed her forehead to try to alleviate the sudden tension she felt above her brows. Some of tension subsided.

  “I forgot to remind you to close them. Open eyes make it harder.” He handed her a tissue which appeared in his hand. “As soon as you’re ready, let’s go to Donna’s house.”

  She grabbed his hand. “Okay, let’s run. I can’t possibly flash again anytime soon. Come on, it’s this way.” She started to move.

  He resisted her tug on his arm. “Terra.”

  She stopped and turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

  “My car’s over here. The car will be quicker than running.” He pointed to the nearby side street. “I summoned my car here.”

  “You can do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “I would think it would be hard to summon things that big.”

  “It is. There are many benefits of being old. I brought your car here too. I parked it near mine. Come on.”

  He quickly moved toward the street. She followed him and saw her jeep on the street.

  “It’s this one.” He pointed. His car beeped as he approached it. It was a polished, royal blue sports car.

  Terra got in on the passenger side. He was already behind the wheel waiting.

  “I would have gotten your door, but I know you want to hurry and check on your friend, so I didn’t want to waste time. Buckle up.” He started the car, and the engine roared. “Tell me where to go.” He pulled out of the parking spot.

  “Go to the end of this road and turn left, then go to the sixth light, turn left, and it’s the fourth house on the right.”

  “Got it. He sped down the road. “No one’s out this early in the morning, so we should be able to go faster.” He glanced over at her.

  “If I wasn’t so worried about Donna, I’d be drooling over this car.” She caressed the leather door. “It’s the fanciest car I’ve ever seen. What kind is it?”

  “This is a Bugatti Chiron. It’s almost as beautiful as you.” He looked
at her and winked.

  “Thanks, I think that’s a compliment. I’ve never heard of this brand of car.”

  He turned onto the main street. “It’s not a common car. It’s expensive.”

  “Aren’t all cars?”

  “No, not like this one. This is my favorite in my collection.” He accelerated to make the next light.

  “You have great taste.” She ran her hand over the dashboard.

  “I like pretty things.” He grinned.

  “I’ve heard Fey like shiny things. But so do I.” She shrugged.

  “That’s probably a true stereotype,” he said. “Let’s check on Donna, and then, if you want, you can drive. Mortals made magic when they invented cars like this one.”

  He made a swift left turn. A police officer pulled out behind him.

  “Oh no, the police. They’re going to slow us down.” She looked in her side mirror. The police car’s lights were flashing red and blue.

  “They love to stop me, even if I’m not going fast. They just want to see my car.” Aetius looked in his rearview mirror. The sound of the siren stopped.

  Terra turned to look behind them, then she glanced at Aetius. “Where did he go?”

  “I sent him to Las Vegas.”

  “To Las Vegas?”

  “Yep, he can see more flashy cars there.” Aetius passed through a yellow light. “Don’t worry, he’s unhurt. I could have sent him to Dubai—they’ve got even nicer cars there. I sent the last police car that followed me there. That’s a lot harder to get back from.” He grinned at her as he turned onto Donna’s street.

  “Remind me not to piss you off. And don’t send me to a country that will burn me at the stake because I’m a western woman.” She sat back in her seat.

  “You mean a witch?”

  “No, a woman. The house is right up here.” She pointed.

  “You can take care of yourself.” He drove his car up into the narrow driveway and turned off the ignition.

  “There’s Donna’s Volkswagen bug.” Terra excitedly pointed to Donna’s blue car. It was parked close to the unattached garage at the rear of the house. “Of course her car would be here.” She sighed. “What am I thinking?” She pushed her hair out of her face.