Elemental Awakening Book Bundle

by Nicola Claire

  Nico sighed. "Whoever took you, could have bound your Stoicheio somehow."

  I arched an eyebrow at him. Really?

  "It's possible," he defended. "I have no idea how, but if the Alchemists can steal our elements, they can sure as hell find a way to lock them up." I closed my eyes. "You know what I think?" I really didn't want to hear it, but my throat had closed completely and I couldn't make a sound. "I think the Earth found you and did what it had to do to make your Stoicheio return."

  "Why now?" I managed to say on a whisper. He heard me though.

  "Because the Alchemists want you for something. Why they've waited, I have no idea. But I'm telling you, Casey. They are serious. They are sacrificing their numbers to get you to come out. And in doing so, they are killing my people." He took a deep breath in. "I have no right to ask this of you, but I'd rather we did this amicably than... well, you can guess what the other way would entail."

  His eyes flicked over to where Aktor lay beneath the debris. A look of remorse and agony crossing his face.

  "You don't belong here. He doesn't belong with you," he repeated. "Please, do the right thing. I can hand you over to the Alchemists, but that would be a fate worse than death. The Gi are undoubtedly on their way. News of what's happening here is on the international channels. When they arrive, please, please, just go home with them."

  I sat numbed to the bone and stared bleakly across the rubble strewn floor towards the sea. I could hear it, but not really see it. I just knew it was there, through the sounds of the waves washing up on the shore and the scent of salty brine on the air.

  Dear God I didn't want this. Here was where I knew and loved. Brazil? The Amazon? A bunch of Ekmetalleftis I didn't even know - or had memories of? A single sob escaped my lips.

  What if this was the lie?

  And Theo. Could I leave Theo? Could I stay and watch the Alchemists and Gi unite to get me... and then kill him?

  It should have been an easy decision, but when your heart's involved, there's absolutely nothing easy about it at all.

  "I want to see Theo one last time," I said feeling utterly spent.

  "No. Not a good idea," Nico shot back.

  "Because he'd talk me out of it?" I asked. "Or because he'd kill you before you could hand me over?"

  "Take your pick, either works. But the only correct solution to this disaster is you leaving Pyrkagia. Don't tell me you don't see it. Because even though I've only known you a couple of days, you're a good person, Casey Eden. You care. You love. You wouldn't seek a selfish result at the cost of so many lives. And they are dying, Casey. My people are dying because of you."

  Oh, and wasn't that enough to make me hiccup and sniff like a pathetic wimp. This was all my fault. This had started with me and it would end with me.

  But to never see Theo again? Ever?

  The ache was too much, too deep. It was a part of me that would never get eased. It didn't matter that he wasn't mine to keep. My heart didn't care about little trivial details such as that. I was a woman and he was a man, to hell with what branch we belonged to. In my heart we belonged to each other and no one else.

  But, did he feel the same way? Truly love me as deeply as I love him. He'd never said the words. But then, neither had I. However, I couldn't even console myself with his actions, because Theo Peters was the most confounding, confusing man I had ever met. One minute so very tender and loving, the next a blank mask and hard stare.

  "OK," I said, seeing the relief settle on Nico's face. "But, we have to avoid the Alchemists. Because, Nico, he will kill you if I end up with them."

  Nico swallowed thickly and nodded.

  Then out of nowhere a voice said, "Not before I do."

  Aktor's bolt of fire was precise and beautiful in its terrifyingly accurate strike. He was aiming for the neck, whilst making sure I didn't get caught in the crossfire. The skill required to execute such a manoeuvre was astounding. If I'd had longer to appreciate it, I would have. True talent, exceptional ability, no doubt because of his vast age.

  But all I could think, whilst somehow managing to be impressed at the same time, was that Nico - even though he was betraying me and hurting Theo in the process - did not deserve to die. He wanted to save Pyrkagia lives and his argument had been sound, even if my heart wept at the notion I was Gi royalty and could never be Theo's or he be mine.

  My bare feet found the soil through the rubble and my blood dripped off my fingertips, where it had made its way down from my shoulder wound, into the Earth.

  Take him deep. Keep him safe. Protect him for me.

  Before Aktor's strike could connect with Nico's skin the ground opened up and swallowed him whole. It was fast. So fast, I hadn't thought it through completely. Everything I did was a gut reaction; an action coming from deep inside, apart from my mind and the comprehension of what I was seeing...

  Aktor launching the bolt of Fire, the Earth swallowing Nico up at my command.

  When the tremors settled, I stood staring into the stunned eyes of the old butler. Neither of us said a word for several seconds. Then he smiled, let out a little huff of a laugh, and bent over at the waist, bowing low with respect.

  "Please," I said, unable to face him acting differently around me. "Please don't."

  He stood upright again and tilted his head, surveying me carefully.

  "You are more than just a Gi, Miss Eden." I shook my head to deny it. "I don't know what you are," he continued, ignoring my defiance. "But you are something more."

  "I don't want to be," I whispered.

  "My dear," he said softly, gently. "When is life ever what we want it to be?"

  I started crying, I couldn't help it. Even Aktor knew I didn't belong here. Oh, my heavy heart. How did I survive this? How did I go on knowing Theo lived in this world and couldn't be mine?

  Aktor wrapped his arm around my shoulder and helped me across the last of the rubble to the driveway where Nico's car sat. He opened the door and gently, but purposely placed me inside. I wished for his soft touch, but I needed his direct approach. I didn't want to do this. A part of my very core, what makes me me, was crying out in desperate agony for me to stay where I was, to not get in the car and face my destiny.

  But it was a destiny, in a way. It was something I couldn’t avoid now. Even if lives weren't at stake, Theo was. And if I stayed, his father would punish him. And if I stayed, the Pyrkagia would shun him. And if I stayed, the Gi or the Alchemists would attack, and Theo would surely be killed in the fall-out.

  How bad could it be? Living in a forest. I'd grown attached to the Earth in such a short amount of time. I could find solitude there, I was sure. A vast forest, a dense parcel of land which rivalled no other in nature. Even if the Gi didn't feel like home, part of me knew the Amazon would.

  I stared blindly out of the side of the car as Aktor navigated the windy road back towards town. I didn't have it in me to ask him where he'd take me. I knew he wouldn't take me anywhere the Alchemists would likely be. He had to have a plan, somewhere we could hide until the Gi showed up and I could be handed over. I trusted Aktor. I trusted him to do what I could not do alone.

  I tried not to think about the specifics. Hell, I was incapable of thinking about much right then. Just breathing. Just holding back the tears and stopping my body from falling apart in the front seat of that car. I hadn't even left the country yet, but I was already pining for him.

  Would he miss me? I think he would. I think he genuinely cared. Theo had grown fond of me, but Nico was right. He was thousands of years old. This would not be new to him. He would survive.

  Me. I wasn't so sure. But perhaps the memories would sustain me. See me through until I developed a thick skin like the rest of the Athanatos. Learned to be a little ruthless too. I wouldn't forget though. Even if he did. I would remember for us both. Because Theo had set my world alight. Had set my heart afire. And there was no way a boring Earth-loving Gi, or any other man for that fact, could compare.

  I wo
uld always love a Pyrkagia. Always.

  The buildings were coming closer together and I recognised our surroundings at last. Whitford, just south-east of Howick. We coasted past suburbia, the lights in the windows of houses flashing by. Smoke was evident on the horizon, towards where Howick would be. I craved to visit my trees again. I longed to check up on them, to make sure they could survive whatever the Alchemists had done. But either Howick or Epsom were out now. The Alchemists would be there.

  I sighed, defeat a weary passenger in my heart. I wasn't ready for this, I didn't want it. But Aktor was right. When was life ever what we wanted it to be?

  I sniffed unattractively as Aktor drove through the gates of the Pakuranga Country Club. I glanced around, mildly intrigued. I guessed, if there was a place to wait out the arrival of the Gi, a golf course near Howick, but covered in trees and grass, would make sense. At least for me. Even now, Aktor was trying to soothe me, by giving me a place to rest and wait where I could commune with the Earth for support.

  I wanted to say thank you to him, but my tongue was stuck to the roof of my dry mouth. It meant a lot to me that he cared enough to do this. Despite the gravity of what was about to happen, Theo's butler showed how much I meant to him. Even if I was to be but a fleeting visitor in his life.

  The car rolled out onto the course itself, just like a golf cart, but no doubt doing more damage. I smiled at Aktor's lack of consideration for the golfers, who'd go to play a round tomorrow and frown at the tyre treads down the fairway. I shouldn't find it amusing, but really, what were a few tyre tracks when compared to Pyrkagia dying and my heart being broken?

  We came to a stop on the seventeenth hole. I tried to decide where on the course it would be as we stepped out onto the green, surrounded by trees and bush and nature. We were hidden from the road here. We were as safe as we could get for now.

  "The very centre of the course," Aktor announced, coming around the front of the car to where I stood. "Hopefully it won't be too much longer."

  Part of me agreed with him. Get this over with fast, so we can all move on. But part of me broke at those callous-to-my-heart words. Soon I would be a memory. One to add to the multitude that Aktor and Theo have in their minds already. Aktor will seek seclusion and quiet to digest it.

  And Theo will seek a diversion, to distract instead.

  Why do I do it to myself? I shook my head. It's not as though I'm a glutton for punishment, but my mood was not helping out in the keep-positive-thoughts department right now.

  I leaned back against the car and stared up into the night sky. It's hard to see stars in the middle of Auckland normally, but the smoke from the fires made it even worse. I knew they were there, just like I'd known the sea was there when I couldn't see it, but only hear and smell it instead. And it's not as if I could hear and smell the stars, I just knew. Sometimes you just knew; no explanation, no reason why. You just did.

  Just like I knew when Theo had arrived.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  No Matter What

  I turned slowly and watched him stride across the grass towards us. His face was set in hard lines, his eyes blazing gold. I shifted uneasily, a frown forming on my brow. Why was he here? Things were obviously pretty bad, if the news reports and smoke in the sky hadn't given it away, his apparent mood did. He was angry and had retreated inside himself, placing that mask of blankness on his face. But it wasn't impassive, although still a mask, this time it was irate.

  "What news?" Aktor asked, pushing off from his lean on the car when Theo came within hearing distance. Acting as though seeing Theo here was totally expected as well.

  "One moment," he shot back at Aktor, his eyes on me.

  Before I could take evasive action his hand came up and cupped the nape of my neck and his lips crushed down on mine. He pushed me back until my rear met the door of the car, and then his other hand wrapped around my frame and he really let the kiss go.

  I was so startled, so relieved, so surprised and yet so elated, that he was kissing me, I actually kissed him back. And just as I realised what I was doing and was about to push hard against his chest, he pulled away.

  Then stole my anger by resting his forehead against mine and closing his eyes as if in agony. My hand came up and cupped his cheek without thought. I couldn't stand seeing Theo in pain.

  "Are you all right?" he asked. I nodded against him and watched as he withdrew, gave me one last long look and then turned his attention to Aktor. "What happened? I tried the house, but when there was no answer came straight here."

  I stared at him. How did he know we were here?

  "Nico happened," Aktor said, voice dark, but pain lanced across his face. Part of that pain was for Theo.

  I don't think I ever expected to see such a devastating look on Theo Peter's face. It was as though Aktor had punched him in the stomach. Blood left his cheeks and he even doubled over slightly; eyes wide, mouth open in shock.

  "Why?" he whispered.

  "For Pyrkagia," Aktor said softly. "He tried to reason with her." At least Aktor wasn't telling Theo about the fact Nico had aimed to kill. Theo had enough to digest for now.

  Theo's eyes shifted to mine on Aktor's last words, I held his gaze, saw the question in them, but didn't offer an answer straight away. Instead, I said, "He really was sorry. He just wanted to stop his people from being killed."

  "Where is he now?" Theo demanded, the hard look back on his face.

  "Cassandra has buried him in the Earth," Aktor replied.

  Theo suddenly smiled at me, it didn't quite reach his eyes, but it did banish the dark haunted look for now. "Well done, little Gi. Such talent." He reached out and stroked my cheek, his face softening further with every glide of his thumb across my skin.

  "So, once she dealt with him we came here as planned," Aktor said, finishing his side of the story.

  "You planned for us to come here?" I asked, looking between the two men.

  "A back-up plan, in case things went south quickly and we lost contact with each other. We would rendezvous here, regroup and decide our next move," Theo explained.

  Oh. I'd been expecting Aktor to hand me over to the Gi. I'd almost resigned myself to not seeing Theo again. I was suddenly very mad.

  "And you didn't think to let me in on that plan?" My hands had made it to my hips as I glared at him. Receiving a small tilt of his lips at the edges in return.

  "There's that Fire," Theo murmured. I made a growling sound and resisted the urge to stamp my foot. "But tell me, Oraia. Why are you so angry?" He stepped closer, fully intending to touch me or embrace me or make me melt, I was certain. But I sidestepped and kept space between us. Why? I'm really not sure. Considering this may have been the last few moments we'd have together I was being an absolute fool. But I was a disgruntled one.

  "I thought..." I couldn't say it. I couldn't voice my fears. They'd been too real. They'd cut too deep already.

  "Casey," Theo murmured, somehow reaching me before I could dodge, and cupping my cheeks in both hands. He bent down and looked me in the eye. "How could you doubt that I would come for you?" He seemed genuinely hurt that I had.

  Damn the man, but he confounded me. I sighed and leaned my cheek against his chest, letting him pull me closer and kiss the top of my head. His hands ran over my body, seeking that touch the Pyrkagia crave. And I noticed that I wasn't above Ekmetalleftis quirks. I'd already inhaled deeply to capture his scent.

  We stayed like that for several seconds, but it was obvious Aktor was desperate for any news.

  "All right," Theo murmured, squeezing me comfortingly, but refusing to letting me go. "This is what I know. The Alchemists have called our bluff and contacted the Gi."

  Aktor swore profusely, but Theo just waited for the older man to get it out of his system before he went on.

  "It is purely out of spite. The negotiations broke down."

  "Negotiations?" I asked, pulling my head up to look at his face.

  "From time to time the Alch
emists approach and try to convince us to share information again. We can usually handle these attempts to entrap us, but this time they had ammunition."

  "Ammunition?" I asked, voice flat. I was guessing exactly what ammunition they had.

  Theo shifted slightly, as though uncomfortable about what he was about to divulge.

  "Yes," Theo acknowledged my unspoken statement. "They knew about you. I don't know how, but they threatened the elders. And the elders attempted to plead ignorance, but something pushed the Alchemists over the edge."

  Aktor stopped pacing and lifted his head to look at him, eyebrow arched.

  "I truly believe they are becoming more unstable," Theo said, directing his words to the older man. Aktor frowned. "With time and exposure to our elements anything is possible."

  Aktor nodded. "It is a frightening thought," he agreed.

  "In any case," Theo continued, never stopping his soft caress of my side as his arm wrapped around me. "They have alerted the Gi to our 'duplicitous involvement' in hiding Casey for over twenty years."

  It wasn't true. It just wasn't true. It couldn't be true.

  "Casey," Theo murmured, his head dipping down to look directly into my eyes. "Oraia." That one word held such a depth of agony in it. "They truly believe you are this princess." I shook my head back and forth, it was all I was capable of doing. "There is a chance that they are right."

  "No!" I managed to gasp and pulled back, escaping his warmth and touch.

  Theo looked distraught, but didn't make an attempt to follow me. I started pacing behind Aktor, placing the old man between me and Theo. Which was ridiculous, because one look at the butler and you knew he was in full agreement with his master. I chose to ignore that, just needing some space from Theo's heat, in order to think.

  This couldn't be true.

  Theo spoke in low words to Aktor, but I heard every thing he said.