elemental 01 - whirlwind

by Larissa Ladd

  That afternoon, as she did the grocery shopping and picked up the cleaning, Aira wondered what her grandmother would pull out next. She knew the discussion about her developing, soon-to-culminate abilities was far from over. There was no hint of a plot afoot when she returned, however. Aira decided whatever trials her grandmother had in store, she would just have to deal with them.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning when Aira emerged from her bedroom she was surprised to hear voices coming from the kitchen—unfamiliar ones. She paused in the hallway, listening sharply as her grandmother spoke to the unknown guest.

  “Thank you both for agreeing,” she said. “My granddaughter is not as…concerned as she should be about the way things are in the community.”

  Aira frowned, wondering what exactly her grandmother had gotten them to agree to and who these people were. The chill of suspicion ran through her. What had her grandmother done so quickly out of concern for her?

  “You said she’s been kept mostly out of the community since she was a teenager, apart from meeting some people her own age,” a soft-spoken, young-sounding, male voice noted. “It wouldn’t be surprising for her not to know how tense things have gotten.”

  Aira was transfixed. She stood in the hallway, wanting to know, but hesitant to show herself.

  “It shouldn’t be too difficult,” another voice said.

  Aira felt the stirrings of anger begin. The idea that her grandmother didn’t trust her with her own fate and had enlisted the help of two men for some unknown purpose without even talking to her about it cut deep. Even though she felt a little underdressed in her pajamas, she marched through the entryway into the kitchen and stared at the three conspirators as they sat at the table. Her grandmother smiled slightly, not even a little surprised at her appearance.

  “Aira,” her grandmother said, her voice completely pleasant and reasonable, “I’d like you to meet Aiden and Dylan.”

  Aira glared at the two men, her hands unconsciously positioned on her hips. She assessed them quickly. They were obviously related—most likely brothers—and certainly attractive. One appeared to be older, with medium-brown messy tufts of hair shooting out chaotically from his head. His blue eyes met her gaze with confidence. She stared back into his almost predatory, wolf-like features. He was fit and filled out his t-shirt almost as well as the younger one. Their features had some similarities – the shape of their jaw and lips. The younger, however, had a softer, gentler look to his face. His dark brown eyes were less intense and his short, dark hair laid flat against his head.

  “Have a seat, Aira. We were just discussing you,” Aiden gestured an empty chair beside him.

  Aira sat down away from the other three at the oblong table across the room, her arms folded over her chest.

  “So I heard.” She said tersely. She knew it wasn’t fair to blame the men, but she couldn’t bring herself to direct the fullness of her anger at her grandmother.

  The older woman stood slowly and walked over to the coffee pot, taking a mug out of the cabinet and filling it before bringing it to the Aira.

  “You’ll have to excuse my granddaughter. She’s not her usual sunny self this morning.”

  Aira took a deep breath and removed her gaze from the two men at the table as she added sugar and cream to her coffee then stirred the concoction, forcing her temper under control with effort. Finally, when she had calmed herself, she looked up, taking a sip of her coffee.

  “My apologies.” Her tone was derisive. “So what brings you gentlemen to the house?” Aira forced her voice into a pleasant tone. A glance from her grandmother told Aira one person at the table at least was not fooled by the sudden change in her demeanor. Her grandmother smiled pleasantly.

  “Since you are unwilling to find a mate, I asked the boys’ parents if they would be willing to protect you as you come into your abilities.”

  Aira inhaled deeply, glancing from one to the other. The younger of the two men looked at her with a rueful smile, as if he understood her frustration. The older maintained a slightly proud expression, looking at her unemotionally.

  “I don’t entirely understand why it is I need protection, Grams.” Aira fought to keep her voice neutral and polite in spite of her sense of betrayal.

  Her grandmother sighed. “My dear, there are a lot of people who would like you either dead or under their control, and that’s the truth of the matter. You’re too powerful already—once you completely transform, you’ll be more of a target. The elders are already worried about you.”

  Aira took another sip of her coffee. She shouldn’t be lashing out at the men seated at the table, but they were the physical representation of her grandmother’s lack of trust in her ability to take care of herself.

  “So what are Aiden and Dylan going to do to protect me?”

  Aira’s grandmother raised one well-shaped, dark eyebrow at the insolent tone of her voice.

  “They’re going to stay with you. I know you have plenty of room in your apartment for guests. I will give you money for their share of the rent, and they’re going to receive some money for a living as well.”

  Aira opened her mouth to protest, but her grandmother continued. “They will be your body guards, day and night, until you find a mate.”

  Aira gritted her teeth, suppressing the first angry retort that came to mind. She took a deep breath and counted to ten mentally.

  “Exactly how are they qualified to be my body guards? And why do I need two?” Aira could see her grandmother was enjoying her discomfort, amused by Aira’s struggle to maintain her composure. The elder of the two also looked amused, adding gasoline to the fire building inside of Aira.

  “You need two because you are liable to get yourself into trouble that it will take three people to get you out of.” Her grandmother placed her coffee cup down. “Aiden is a fire elemental who came into his full abilities a year ago; Dylan is his brother and a water elemental. Between the two of them, they should be more than capable of protecting you.”

  Aira recognized the tone in her grandmother’s voice. There was nothing she could say to stop the plan from happening; her grandmother had already made up her mind. As the matriarch of the family, there was absolutely no way Aira could contradict the older woman. If she tried to fight it, tried to go against her grandmother’s wishes, she would come under fire from her aunts and uncles. She felt herself becoming angrier, and as her rage grew, the wind picked up outside and Aira didn’t care. Her grandmother knew she was angry; the demonstration of her feelings, unconscious as it was, didn’t make a difference.

  Instead of arguing, Aira stood, abandoning her cup of coffee and walked quickly out of the kitchen. She knew she would catch it for leaving so impulsively—her grandmother couldn’t stand for one of her children or grandchildren to be rude—but Aira also knew if she stayed and tried to argue, she would only become angry to a point of losing control of her abilities. She let the door slam behind her and walked towards the woods.

  The wind rose, howling shrilly through the trees, shaking branches and sending dead leaves flying through the air. Aira looked up at the sky, her anger building as she thought how unfair it was she was being forced to live with two strangers set on her by her grandmother. She would have to accommodate them in her life, all because her grandmother didn’t trust her to handle herself. She closed her eyes, listened to the wind, and willed herself upward. Gradually, as she focused on the task, Aira began to rise from the ground, rocked by the wind that continued to howl through the trees. She pulled herself up through the air slowly, opened her eyes and found the tree she had loved to climb as a child. She moved in that direction, focusing her entire will on moving through the air. When she reached her favorite branch, she let herself come to a stop with her feet just above it. The venerable old tree had been her favorite haunt for years and when she learned to fly, it had only become more attractive to her. Aira wrapped her arms around and held onto the trunk of the tree tightly, not willing to
exert the effort to bring the wind speed down. The tree swayed, and Aira let the movement gradually calm her down.

  She knew she was acting immaturely and her grandmother had her best interests in mind by providing her with body guards, but she had become frustrated with the fact that, in the elemental community in general as well as among her family, she was still seen as a child simply because she hadn’t come into complete possession of her abilities. She’d managed to finish college and make a life for herself using the gifts she had been blessed with. She was financially secure. Just because she wasn’t a “mature elemental” her family elders, and everyone she met in the elemental community, still treated her as if she was a teenager who needed to be protected and bossed around.

  Aira was feeling thoroughly sorry for herself when she spotted Dylan. He was walking towards her tree, looking around, and she knew he was looking for her. As he came closer, the concern in his face grew clear. He battled the wind she had unconsciously directed at him and, for a moment, she felt her anger flag slightly. She knew she shouldn’t be taking out her frustrations on him; he had merely done her grandmother a favor. He wasn’t personally trying to mess up her life. Aira brought the wind speed down to a mere gust, but she stayed on the high branch, hoping Dylan would pass her by.

  Instead, he stopped at the base of the tree and looked straight up. “You don’t have to come down.” He said, projecting his soft voice up to reach her. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry my brother and I are getting in the middle of your life. Your grandmother’s friends with our Nana, and when she asked us to do her a favor, we couldn’t say no.”

  Aira abruptly felt ashamed of herself for her temper, hearing her grandmother’s voice in her mind. “Nobody will ever take you seriously if you’re always throwing tantrums.” She sighed and looked down at Dylan, who was watching her for some kind of reaction. With a deep breath, Aira launched herself off the branch, and floated down between the tree’s limbs until she landed a few feet from Dylan. He grinned. “That’s not a bad trick,” he said.

  Aira chuckled. “It’s saved me from injury more than once,” she replied. She licked her lips subconsciously and appraised the man standing in front of her. There was something kind about his demeanor, something comforting and conciliatory. She extended her hand to him. “I apologize for acting like a brat,” she said.

  Dylan took her hand, shaking it quickly and firmly with a smile. “Trust me, I understand. My brother kind of has a temper.”

  Aira heard the wry amusement in Dylan’s voice and decided he was understating the fact. Maybe it wouldn’t be boring having the two men stay with her after all.

  “Would you like me to show you around?” She asked, wanting to make up for her outburst. Dylan nodded, actually looking eager for the tour.

  Aira led Dylan around the property, pointing out the different plants her grandmother cultivated and telling him about the summers she had spent there. Dylan listened attentively. They stopped at the pond, just like she and her grandmother had the day before. Dylan watched the water in pure rapture, and Aira smiled to herself. They talked about their families, about growing up as elementals. It was strange to Aira how quickly she felt comfortable with Dylan, the easy friendship that seemed to be developing between them already. Dylan paid attention to everything she said, listening silently as she explained why she was so upset about her grandmother’s machinations. When she finished unburdening her mind, he told her he understood her frustration, but he could also see why her grandmother was concerned. The world of elementals was not as safe as it had been even ten years before.

  “Powerful elementals are in high demand in some circles.” He said, without specifying which ones. “Also, many of the older families are becoming more conservative, and there’s a lot of friction between younger elementals. It’s been a really tense time for everyone.”

  Aira found herself persuaded by the reasoning of Dylan’s arguments, in spite of her lingering resentment of being treated like a child. She led him through the remaining gardens and back towards the house, and was in much better spirits when they walked through the door. Her grandmother was still seated at the kitchen table, while Aiden had made himself at home in the adjoining living room with a cup of coffee and a book. It was an oddly peaceful scene. Remembering Dylan’s approach, Aira felt ashamed of herself for having stormed out, and for the exhibition of her ill-controlled abilities. Her grandmother gestured for her to sit down at the table, and Aira found her seat with the cup of coffee she had abandoned still there. Dylan had explained why her grandmother had specifically requested the two brothers to be her bodyguards; and that they had grown up mastering their skills much in the same way she had, but with the added benefit of an interest in investigation. There were enforcers among the elementals, and he and his brother had been chosen by the ruling elite to be trained in that direction. Their abilities had been developed for the purposes of protection and attack. While Dylan was the calmer, more conciliatory brother, he was just as equipped to protect her as his fierier, more aggressive brother.

  “I apologize for leaving so rudely.” Aira spoke slowly, swallowing the well of pride and resentment she felt. “I should have excused myself, but I knew if I stayed I would have been tempted to argue and would have gotten angrier and lost control of myself.”

  Her grandmother stared at her sharply for a long moment, and then subsided. “I accept your apology,” she said.

  Aira heard the slight stir of movement behind her. A moment later Aiden came into the kitchen, seating himself at the table with a grace Aira couldn’t help but admire.

  “I assume from your long absence you were showing Dylan around the property?”

  Aira nodded. Her grandmother turned and favored Dylan with a faint, but genuine, smile. “Did she think to show you my pond?” She asked with understandable pride and comprehension for how much that particular feature would attract him. Dylan nodded, smiling broadly.

  “You’ve done a lot of really wonderful things around here.” Dylan said with polite enthusiasm. “Our Nana told me you were a master gardener, but I really had no idea of what that meant.”

  Aira found herself oddly charmed by how Dylan and her grandmother were hitting it off; it seemed to her, from her experiences that water elementals seemed to get along very well…or very poorly. She was pleased to see in this instance, it was the former rather than the latter.

  “Aiden and Dylan will be staying here until it’s time for you to go back home.” Aira’s grandmother told her. “I thought it would be a good idea to give you a chance to get to know them both, and for them to get to know you, before you were outside of my protection once more.”

  Aira tried to find suitable grace to thank her grandmother for her thoughtfulness, in spite of the way the high-handed move still grated her. She knew there was no way out of the situation; she would let the men protect her, even if it was only from boredom.

  Chapter 4

  Aiden’s first impression of the woman he and his brother had agreed to protect was that she was pretty sexy, but difficult. When she walked into the kitchen, standing a few feet away with her hands on her full hips, looking defiant, Aiden had taken the opportunity to look her over as covertly as possible. She was a few inches shorter than he and his brother with dark hair, still mussed from sleep, tumbling down to her shoulders in an asymmetrical cut. Her big, dark brown eyes were set into an intelligent-looking face with slightly full lips and arched eyebrows. He couldn’t help admiring her curves. He was, after all, a perfectly functioning heterosexual male. The pajamas she wore clung to her breasts and hips, but obscured her legs. Aiden had torn his attention away from her, feeling his initial interest piqued, and recognized the attraction as a danger; he was supposed to protect her, not seduce her.

  He had felt a little sympathy for the woman as her grandmother explained the purpose of his and his brother’s presence in the house. Aware of her growing anger, he hadn’t been surprised when she stormed out. It was wh
at he would have done in the same situation. He wondered why her grandmother hadn’t even talked to Aira about her idea before bringing him and his brother in to protect her. Aira’s grandmother, who had insisted the two men call her Lorene, sighed as the wind began to howl outside. Dylan glanced uneasily at Aiden, and Aiden knew it would only be a matter of time before Dylan’s impulse to smooth things over came about.

  “I’m sorry, gentlemen,” the older woman said, folding her hands and smiling slightly. “It seems as though I didn’t calculate my approach properly.”

  Aiden chuckled at the rueful tone in the woman’s voice.

  They exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes, and then Dylan’s instinctive nature to be a peace maker drove him out of the house. “Miss Lorene, I’d like to speak with Aira, if you think she’ll listen to me,” he said in his soft voice, and Aiden hid his grin behind the coffee mug, taking a long sip. Aira’s grandmother shrugged.

  “I have no idea if she’ll hear you out, but she’s probably in her tree. It’s a magnolia, one of the tallest trees on the property.” The older woman locked gazes with his brother and Aiden knew the two water elementals were exchanging mental images—a talent he envied slightly in his brother. When Dylan left, Lorene turned to him, looking at him for a few moments with an intent gaze that seemed to bore into his very brain. “You’re a very different sort of person than your brother,” she observed. Aiden nodded, wondering in the back of his mind if the older woman thought that was a good thing or a bad thing. “You’ll need to take care with my granddaughter. She’s smarter than I think you’ve given her credit for, and tougher too. If she feels like you’re interfering too much in her life, she will find a way to push you out of it.”