by Viola Grace
Fire elemental Fehniel of Hickom knows that her friends have found true love. The wolf in her knows that this frost giant is her mate, but the fire elemental in her wants to fight him all the way. Tynir knows that she is meant for him, but her calculating mind may be more than he can handle when it comes to keeping her safe. Unprepared when he sees the real her, he has to make a choice, run like hell, or fight to keep a woman who makes his cold blood run hot.
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Frost and Fyr
Copyright © 2010 Viola Grace
ISBN: 978-1-55487-747-8
Cover art by Martine Jardin
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Frost and Fyr
Elymyntyls Book 3
By
Viola Grace
Introduction
In book one, Liquid Heat, the water elemental Djihntalia Bosun was attacked by a fire giant on the Raven's Rest space station. He was trying to collect a bounty laid on the three Terran descendants who run the station bar, Elymyntyl. Another fire giant, Ragnar, rescues her and he offers her protective custody until they are sure she is safe.
All goes well until he also offers her hospitality and her mind trips into the type of Hospitality sharing that first intimately united her parents, Terran Myka Michaels and D'hai Bosun of the Dremarai.
Ragnar is the fire elemental who starts a blaze in Jin's heart and body, too bad when they collide, the result could be nothing but steam…
In book two, Earth and Ayr, the air elemental Solial Kennan is lured by a rock giant to the planet's surface. He begins with the forbidden lure of kisses and then makes her account for every question…with a kiss.
Sol and Morgarn come to an understanding, but will it be too late to save Fen from her own looming fate?
Well…her fate is kinda cute and she has moves he can't even imagine. When your mother is a minder, your father is a wolf king and you are a fire elemental, dealing with a frost giant is a walk in the park.
Chapter One
Fehniel drummed her fingers on her desk and scowled at the man across from her. "I understand that the seer shot her mouth off, but I don't see why Lord Thosnas would make the assumption that it was us."
The frost giant sat back in his chair and gave her a smirking grin. "You have to admit that the coincidences are a little thick on the ground."
She tented her fingers in front of her. "Tynir, is it?"
"Yes."
"Are you insane, is that it?" She cocked her head and blinked.
He snorted. "Hardly. Thosnas had a seer on hand and all of his grandchildren were allowed to visit. When I went, Morgarn and Ragnar were waiting. She told us that our women would travel in a set of three as well, would be found in the sky and each would be an elemental born of a new world."
Fen scowled. "Unfortunately, that does sound like us. Why did Thosnas try to buy our bar?"
"It was a move to flush the other giants into threatening you. Once you were on the alert, you would be more receptive to having bodyguards and once close to you, it would be easy to see if the attraction was mutual."
"Which it was in the first case and probably is in the second." She went back to drumming her fingers on the table.
"What about the third?" He leaned back to display his bluish grey skin and dark hair. His white-blue eyes had an ever-present amusement that shook her grim, logical outlook the moment that she saw him. His physique certainly was more than acceptable, his chest wide, belly flat and thighs impressively muscled. The only thing that kept her libido under control was the waves of cold coming from him.
"You are impressive, but I have a little problem with the cold you radiate."
"I am a frost giant. It's what I do."
"I am a fire elemental. You don't see me scorching folks as I pass." Fen held still and sent a short, sharp stab of inquiry to his mind. She was deflected, but not before she caught a glimpse of his internal heat.
"Did you just send a mind probe?"
She cocked her head and glared at him. "I don't know, did you feel one?"
"I did."
"Then perhaps I did." Her mother hadn't raised a liar, but her father taught her diplomacy at all times. She always wanted Aleyn and Baileez to be proud of her and she wasn't sure that this man was the right fit for her.
"You have mental talents?"
"Of a sort. Nothing like my elder siblings. I am the runt of the litter." She chuckled at the turn of phrase. She was physically the smallest of her brothers and sisters, the royal family of Hickom.
"I see. Would you consider coming to my home and assessing it for suitability?" He was very forthright.
"You are being direct. Where is the attempt to weasel me to the surface under false pretences?" She felt her lips twitch in amusement.
"Time is of the essence. You don't want to leave your business unattended while it is in operation, so this week off is the only time available."
"Morgarn told you."
"Of course. He is my cousin, after all."
"Squealer."
He chuckled. "You are very controlled for someone whose base is fire."
She laughed. "In my family, you didn't get too far if you didn't have self-control. Being able to keep my emotions in check enabled me to reach adulthood."
"So, will you come to the surface with me?"
She ignored his raised eyebrow and thought about it. Her mind ran through all permutations and combinations, analyzing all possibilities of going down to Jotunheim with this giant that she had just met. Sex, she had no objection to, it was the living among giants that gave her pause.
The Hickom had their own seer and it had told her that she would find a man to cool her fire. It had been very vague, but a frost giant did fit the bill.
She would have to contact her parents and let them know where she was going, alert the management that the bar would be closed until further notice and pack a bag.
"I will go but only to check out the accommodations." Yeah, right.
"As you will, lady."
"I have a few things to take care of before we leave, so if you will meet me in my quarters in a few hours, we can leave then."
"I will escort you there and wait for you. The hired thugs are still on the station. Thosnas has not been able to recall them all yet."
She twisted her lips into a smile. "Just trying to make sure I don't bolt, aren't you?"
"Perhaps. Shall we begin our journey with a few steps?"
She stood and shook her head. "I am a little perturbed by your lack of romantic instinct. I always wanted to be swept off my feet."
"Romance will follow, Fehniel. First, I need to get you in my clutches."
She chuckled and came around the desk, he stood and Fen took his arm. "I will have to settle for you being in my clutches for
now."
He raised his eyebrow again, but led the way out of Elymyntyl and into the halls of Raven's Rest space station. Fen kept her lips pressed tightly together to hide her smile. A simple look from her companion sent the fire giants scurrying for cover.
"My quarters are--"
"On the eleventh level."
He wasn't guessing, making her narrow her eyes at him. "Have you been spying on me?"
"Studying a likely candidate. I am sure you would have done the same." Tynir checked the lift and when he was sure they would be the only occupants, he escorted her in.
She fought the urge to whistle while they waited for her floor to be announced. It was a sign of nerves and she acknowledged it. Her parents always stressed self-awareness and to be standing next to a man who bore all the hallmarks of her promised mate definitely struck a number of chords inside her, not all unpleasant ones either.
Her rooms were the same sparsely decorated ones that she had left that morning. "Please, be seated. I have to tell my parents where I am going."
He looked around her common area and took a seat on the couch. "I will be waiting."
Chapter Two
Fen punched in the transmission code and packed a selection of gowns and tunics while she waited.
"Greetings, Lady Fehniel. Blessings of the day upon you."
She slid into the chair at her desk and smiled at Von, her family's servant since before she was born. "Greetings, Von. Blessings of the day to you as well. Is my mother or father available?"
"Your father has a moment. He is passing judgement today, so it will have to be brief." Von nodded and crossed the room in the vid screen.
Fen waited and her father soon slid into view. "Hello, Father."
"Greetings, daughter. How are you this day?" His blond hair was only lightly silvered at the edges, his jaw firm and a small fanning of lines ran from the corners of his lids, his royal blue eyes looked straight into hers.
"I am well and I have some news."
"What news would make you look so nervous, Fen?" He leaned back and took up the pose that she remembered from childhood, all open and approachable.
"I believe that I have met my destined mate."
His eyes widened slightly, but he nodded. "That would explain the request for your hand I just received via Lord Thosnas of Jotunheim for his grandson, Tynir."
She whistled and leaned back. "They work quickly."
"What are your thoughts on the matter?" He sat back and she could see Von fidgeting in the background.
"I am about to go and see his home. He feels…right to me, if that makes any sense."
"Well, let me know. I am currently in favour of the union, but if you don't wish him to be yours, I will refuse it."
That got her attention. "Why are you in favour of it?"
"You have never called to tell me that you are going away with a man before. He has to be exceptional if you are willing to accompany him to the planet below. I may not be a fan of his presumption in inviting you before I made my ruling, but I will not argue with the sparkle in your eyes."
The eyes he referred to were mirrors of his own. She may have her mother's dark hair, but her father's gaze blazed with intensity from her whenever she made eye contact. It was enough to frighten potential suitors off with a simple look.
"Sparkle?"
"The same gleam that your mother had when she seduced me into crafting your brother."
"Dad, ick. I know the story, no need for a recap."
"Take care and call me if you require anything, including an armed force to extract you." He went from jovial to serious in one sentence.
"I will. Have a good day, Father. Rule well."
"Be safe, Fen. Keep your legs closed." His wink made her gasp and Von's strike with a scroll hit him in the back of the head as he disconnected the unit.
Fen sat back and started laughing. She had basically gotten her father's blessing to jump the giant. This was going to be an interesting trip to the surface.
She was still smiling when she finished putting the message in to the station management that the Elymyntyl would be closed until further notice.
With her bag over her shoulder and the silly smirk still on her face, she exited her bedroom and distracted the giant on her sofa. "I am ready whenever you are." She walked to the door and set the cleaning cycle on her rooms.
"That was it?"
"That was it. I spoke to my father and am now ready to accompany you. Shall we?" She opened the door and he quickly moved to take her bag from her.
"Yes, ma'am. They are prepping my shuttle and we should be ready to fly by the time we arrive." Tynir was looking a little flustered, but he moved with her down the hall, keeping his eyes open for any of the other giants lurking around.
"So, your father knows that you will be on Jotunheim?" There was a casual nervousness in his tone.
"Yes, he does. He has always been in favour of his children exploring new planets and societies." It was true, Baileez was always interested in what his children experienced, he considered it a step in their personal evolution.
"Ah. Is he planning to come and visit?"
She chuckled. "Probably not. It depends on his retirement plan or what my mother makes him do."
Fen was eager to get to the surface. Not only would she see a new civilization, but also she would be able to keep track of Jin and Sol again. They were currently beyond her mental reach, but on the surface, that would no longer be the case. If the giants thought that separating them by geography would work, they would be sadly mistaken.
"Your mother rules the king?"
"She submits when she has to, usually in public. In private, they are on very even footing." Not one of their children interrupted their private time twice. Once was enough to traumatize their offspring for life.
"Interesting. I have not heard much about your mother."
"That is the way she likes it. She is tired of being in the public eye and will no doubt force my father to abdicate so she can spend time with her growing selection of grandchildren."
They were nearing the shuttle bay and she fell silent. He seemed to be mulling over her words.
Tynir led her to a waiting shuttlecraft. "Please take the navigator's station. I will stow your bag and we can get clearance for departure."
She nodded and took her seat, strapping in out of habit. Fen regretted her impulse a second later when he spun her chair to face him and kissed her with an intensity that made her strain against the harness.
Her fingers scraped his shoulders while her chest tried to lift to him. He tasted of icy mint, cool and refreshing while being hot at the same time.
The texture of his mouth was firm and unyielding, but when he completed his exploration, he leaned back with a smirk of satisfaction and a blaze of heat in his ice blue eyes. "Just confirming before we leave."
He swivelled her chair and locked it back into position.
Fen swallowed and tried to calm her stuttering heart. "Confirming what?"
"That you were the one. It is all well and good to know it in your heart, but sometimes the head cries out for confirmation." He slid behind the controls and began their exit of Raven's Rest.
As they entered the blackness of space and rotated their trajectory to Jotunheim, Fen felt a shiver of disquiet. One of the girls was in trouble. She just didn't know which one. Her impatience to reach the surface doubled and she mentally spurred Tynir onward. He didn't respond, but his hands imperceptibly shifted as he increased their speed.
She sat back and let a small smile play across her lips. She hadn't used the full pressure of her mind on his, but he had done her bidding. This was an auspicious start to their future dealings.
"This is my home."
He circled the crystalline towers, slowly showing off his home. A village was inside the delicate keep, the population looked to be in the low dozens.
"It's lovely."
"Thank you. The weather here is cold, but you don't seem
to be suffering from a difference in temperature."
She laughed. "Hickom is on the cold side. My mother used to joke that my elemental talent was in self-defence. I was born in a snowstorm."
"Your talents manifested at birth?"
"Before birth. My mother had all of the windows wide open during her entire pregnancy. I was her personal warmer that winter." She snickered.
"The city is crystal, not ice, so warm any room you wish to as much as you wish to." He was smiling and there was a relaxed attitude to his shoulders that had not been there on the station. Surrounded by ice, he thawed just by looking at his home.
The shuttle landing was not smooth, jarring Fen's teeth as they bumped to a halt.
She waited until she was positive that the shuttle was powered down before unbuckling her harness. "That was enough to turn my hair white. You don't fly much, do you?"
He grinned. "I fly often. I just land as infrequently as possible."
She sighed in frustration and got out of her seat. He retrieved her bag, leading her to the door before he opened it to let in the frosty air. "You could have warned me to bring a coat."
He laughed. "I honestly didn't think of it."
She stretched and called her fire. A wave of heat started to come off her skin and she grinned brightly. "Not a problem. I have it covered."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and used the grip to shepherd her into the glittering residence that he called home. Knowing grins flowed over the faces of the males and speculation ran over those of the females that they passed.
"Why are they looking at me like that?"
"The men are imagining what a little thing like you would look like in their bed and the women are wondering how you would manage it." He was chuckling at his attempt at humour, but Fen wasn't impressed.
"You won't have to worry about me in your bed for a while." She snickered at his sudden change in expression.
He did not look happy.
"My lord, welcome home." Four women were lined up in the great hall and all bobbed a curtsy as they approached.