Caution to the Wind: Book One of the Elementals Series

by F. R. Southerland

  “Uh, thanks. I’ve never done this before.”

  “You just have to stay relaxed and move. That’s all there is to it. Listen to the music and let it guide you.”

  “You’ve done this a lot?”

  “A few times.”

  They both fell into silence. She listened to the music, closing her eyes. Inching forward, Loren found her cheek resting against Avery’s chest. He didn’t seem opposed to it. His hands moved from her waist to the small of her back.

  She sighed softly, keeping her eyes closed. She moved with him. Everything was light and free. She drew back her head, opening her eyes.

  When Avery leaned down, Loren almost chewed on her lip again. Instead, she lifted her head to meet him.

  His lips were hot. She should’ve expected that, but it surprised her. They were so close to burning she nearly pulled away. Instead, her arms moved around his neck, pulling him into the kiss.

  Mouth parting, his tongue lightly traced her top lip. The kiss was scorching, but she found herself shivering.

  The heat lingered when he withdrew. Her eyes fluttered open and she exhaled shakily. “Wow.”

  “Yeah, wow.”

  “I think… did we fall?” Her tongue touched the corner of her lip. She still tasted the kiss. She didn’t look away.

  “Not yet.” He held her tightly against his chest. “We’re still floating.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Loren didn’t look down. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to.” Any second now, they could come crashing back down. She wanted it to last, this feeling of weightlessness and euphoria.

  “I’ve never literally swept a girl off her feet before.” Avery chuckled.

  “No one’s ever made me feel this before.”

  “What happens when we fall?” His arms tightened around her and she pressed closer to his body. They swayed together in mid-air.

  “I don’t know.” She really didn’t. “I think, um, I think we’ve already fallen.”

  Avery’s warm hands moved up and down her back. His touch was soothing. He looked into her eyes and smiled gently. He didn’t say anything, but Loren thought she understood that look.

  He’d fallen too.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Breathe. Breathing is key.”

  “Okay, I can do that.” Loren inhaled deeply and held it for two seconds. On the exhale, the pieces of sand on the floor began to swirl. A small tornado formed. She brought out her other hand to steady it, keeping the tiny whirlwind contained.

  She focused all her concentration on holding everything within her control. Callum’s suggestion helped and she didn’t want to ruin it. She was doing great, for once.

  She took in another breath and blew it out. The whirlwind moved slightly. Loren moved her hand again. When she did, the whirlwind began to follow a path.

  She was aware of Callum and Eva watching her. They were both silent. At the beginning of the lesson, she’d asked them to speak as little as possible so she could concentrate. They’d agreed and it had gone smoothly.

  “Very good,” Eva said.

  Loren didn’t look at her, but she acknowledged the praise with a stiff nod. She kept her gaze on the small tornado. The wind vortex drew in more of the sand, spinning.

  Callum walked a wide circle, following the perimeter of the training room. She saw the black of his suit in her peripheral vision but kept her gaze straight ahead. The tornado wavered. Her brow furrowed.

  As he moved in front of her, Loren looked away from the tornado. She caught a glimpse of his focused demeanor before she quickly looked back to her whirlwind. It was too late. She’d broken her concentration. The sand dropped onto the floor. “Damn it!”

  Loren dropped her hands. “I’ve been at this for hours. What do I have to show for it?”

  “You need a break.” Eva stepped forward. The sand vibrated as she neared and it swirled again, this time forming together in a tight lump. She stooped to retrieve it. “Too much exertion is causing your concentration to lapse. Why don’t I call for tea? Or lunch?” Eva ran her thumb along the ball of sand.

  “Yeah. Sure.” Loren brushed hair back from her face. She needed something to curb her frustration.

  “I’ll have something brought up.” Eva gave her a small smile before she left the training room.

  Loren stepped over to the couch and grabbed her water bottle from the table. As she drank from it, she watched Callum. Levi wasn’t present. It was odd not to see him seated in his usual spot in front of the computer screens and Callum seemed out of place there. His arms crossed as he studied the screen.

  After yesterday’s sudden cold shoulder, Loren had been apprehensive about starting her training. She noticed he didn’t quite smile at her as warmly as before, but there was no real animosity. He seemed guarded. Was it jealousy?

  Loren didn’t like it. Replacing the cap on her bottle, she sank back into the soft cushions of the couch and sighed. “I feel like I could sleep for hours.”

  “I know the feeling.” Callum’s voice was quiet. “It takes a considerable amount of energy to remain in a constant state of concentration.”

  “I’m getting the hang of it though. I think.”

  “You’ve had one lesson. I don’t believe you can determine that so early.”

  “I feel positive about it.” It was better than feeling anxious. She would take positivity over that any day. “And it’s hard for me to feel positive about much. I did okay though, right?”

  Callum confirmed with a small nod. “You did well. There’s a lot you need to work on.”

  Loren didn’t doubt it. Exhaling another sigh, she closed her eyes. Callum’s presence and the tension in the air had made it difficult for her to focus at first. Then, she’d thought of Avery and the feeling of weightlessness when in his arms. The memory of his heated lips against hers was enough to make her confident. After that, she’d been able to focus.

  “Confidence helps.” She shifted to sit up straight, open her eyes. “I mean, I think that would help.”

  “A positive, confident attitude can be beneficial, yes.”

  Loren fell silent and idly picked at the label on her bottle. She chewed her lip.

  “What’s wrong?” Callum unfolded his arms and leaned back against the terminal.

  “It’s nothing. Just stupid thoughts.”

  “I’m sure they’re not stupid. What is it?”

  She drew her lips together for a moment. “Are you mad at me?”

  “No.” His answer was quick. “What makes you think that?”

  She glanced away from him. “You just seem… different. Since yesterday. Since you got back.”

  “I’ve been very busy. It’s only stress.”

  It sounded like an excuse and Loren didn’t want to dispute it. “Yeah, sometimes I forget you run a huge company.”

  The silence became uncomfortable and Loren breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened. Eva entered, carrying a tray.

  “Sandwiches,” she announced. Loren helped her with the tray, picking up one of the cans of soda that accompanied the meal. Callum declined the offer of food and drink and turned his attention back to the terminal.

  Eva sat with Loren as she nibbled on a sandwich triangle. Her attention shifted back and forth between her brother and Loren. There was a questioning look in her eyes. Eva was as perceptive as her brothers were, but she’d hoped she wouldn’t notice the tension. However, Eva was polite enough not to discuss it. Instead, she eased them into a conversation regarding her workday.

  As Eva recalled something that happened earlier between herself and her assistant, Loren only half listened. She picked at a sandwich, not feeling much of an appetite at all. Her stomach was in knots again.

  She didn’t like the strain. It bothered her more than she cared to admit. She couldn’t let it settle.

  Her brow furrowed. She came out of her thoughts when she heard Callum’s laugh. She glanced over to see Eva chuckling with him.<
br />
  Having missed the joke, Loren smiled politely. She put her can aside and stood. “I think I’ll rest for a while. I have a headache.” It wasn’t far from the truth.

  “That happens sometimes. But we’ve had some progress today.” Eva smiled at her. “Do you want to be called to dinner later, or shall I inform the kitchen to have something kept back for you?”

  Loren thought of later tonight and her secret training session she was due to have with Avery. “If you could have them save something, I’d appreciate it.”

  “I’ll let the chef know.”

  “Thank you.” Her gaze shifted briefly to Callum. He gave her a look. Loren moved immediately toward the door.

  Once out in the hall, Loren walked quickly. As she turned the corner into the long corridor, she nearly collided with Levi.

  “Hey, watch out.” His hand automatically went out to steady her.

  “Oh, uh, sorry.” She eased away from his touch.

  “Yeah, whatever.” Levi glanced at her. “How’s the training?”

  Loren didn’t think he asked to be nice. “It’s okay.” She started to walk around him.

  Levi took a step to the right and blocked her. The way he looked at her now made her feel like she was a kid again and he was a bully, ready to push her into the dirt and laugh in her face. “Just okay? No big breakthroughs?”

  “No. It’s slow going.” She attempted to pass him again.

  He sidestepped again and Loren chewed on her lip.

  “Can I go? Please?” she asked.

  “Sure, but let me ask you something.”

  “Okay.”

  Levi’s lip curled into a small smirk. “Do you think it’ll do you any good? That it’ll fix everything? Make you better?”

  She was at a loss. She gave a small shake of her head. He expected an answer and she had a feeling he wouldn’t allow her to pass without one. “I-I don’t know. Probably not. But I have to do something.”

  “I like your optimism.” His sarcasm was thick.

  She shifted her footing and forced herself to gain enough courage to look at him. “Why do you have to be so mean?”

  The corner of his mouth turned up. “I’m not mean,” he said. “I’m realistic.”

  “What?”

  The distance between them closed rather quickly and Loren took one more step back. “This isn’t a fantasy world, Loren. This isn’t a castle and Avery and Callum are not the princes who will rescue you from your mediocre existence. I see you for what you really are.”

  “And what am I?” She didn’t want to know.

  He hitched his shoulder in a faint shrug, casting his eyes down to look her over slowly. The smirk pulled at his mouth again.

  “You’re nothing. You’ve always been nothing, and you will never been more than that.”

  It hit her as if someone struck her right in the stomach. She couldn’t breathe. Loren gaped at him.

  “Truth hurts, don’t it?” he said, laughter in his voice. He stepped around her to continue on his way, leaving her behind.

  She took in a shaky breath. The word echoed around her, more tangible than anything else.

  Nothing.

  ~~*~~

  “You’re bending your wrist.”

  Avery’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She frowned and stepped back. As she stared at the faceless and armless torso of the punching dummy, Loren visualized Levi’s face. It made her want to punch it harder. “Sorry.”

  She shouldn’t have come here tonight. She was certain Avery would take notice of her mood and be suspicious. He might not have been as perceptive as Levi, but Loren wasn’t as guarded as she’d once thought.

  “Keep your wrist straight when you jab.” Avery stepped over and took her hand. His touch was warm as he adjusted the glove around her wrist for more support.

  “I don’t want to do this anymore.” She drew away and pulled at the gloves instead.

  “We can take a break.” He grabbed a towel to wipe beads of sweat from his forehead.

  “No, not a break. I was wrong about this whole thing. It’s not what I want to do.” It wasn’t something she could do.

  Avery frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know. I know I said I needed to do this, but I was wrong. I don’t have it in me.” She threw the gloves onto the counter. Her fingers caught in her hair sweaty hair when she shoved it back from her face. “I can’t do it.”

  “I don’t understand. You were adamant about it the other day. Driven.”

  “Well, I lost the drive.”

  Avery crossed his arms and leaned back against the junk car. “What happened?”

  Loren sharply shook her head. “Nothing. Nothing happened.”

  “You’re not very good at lying.”

  “No. I’m not.” She bit her lip. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Loren…”

  “Everything is just… this isn’t me. None of this is. I shouldn’t even be here.” She squeezed her hand into a fist, her knuckles turning white. She slowly looked up at Avery. “Why am I here?”

  “We told you. You’re the fourth. We need you.”

  “To save the world. Right. Worlds. This world and some other world. Because I’m the missing piece. No.” She shook her head. “My powers. My powers are the missing piece. It never had anything to do with me, did it? Me as a person? Me as who I am?”

  “That’s not what I think.”

  “It’s what everyone thinks.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  She didn’t want to tell him Levi had brought her into this funk, but she didn’t have a lie prepared. “Because I know it’s true.”

  “It’s not, Loren.”

  She kept her attention focused on the floor, on the grease spot a few inches from her shoe. “I don’t know any more.”

  Avery pushed off the car and drew her into his embrace. She didn’t resist when his arms surrounded her. Her head rested against his chest. She could hear the steady beat of his heart and closed her eyes. Loren wanted to find comfort, but she couldn’t.

  “You mean something. I know you do. It’s not just your powers.”

  “I don’t believe that. I don’t feel it,” she murmured into his shirt.

  “Well, I know it.” His hands moved up and down her back.

  “How?”

  His warm breath ruffled her hair when he sighed. “It’s complicated.”

  “You always say that.”

  “I said it once. It was true then and it’s true now.” He looked down at her.

  “Can you uncomplicate it? Maybe?” she asked softly.

  “I can try.” He moistened his lips and released her to step back. “I saw you. I have another ability.” His brow furrowed.

  “I can see into the future. And I saw you in the flames. I wasn’t looking for you, not you specifically.” He busied his hands by picking up the gloves she’d discarded on the table. “Sometimes, before I go into the city, I look into the flames. I can see people in need, in peril. And those are the ones I go to help.”

  Loren nodded for him to continue.

  “When I looked that night, I saw you. I saw the mugger. I saw you upset. I didn’t know who you were. You were just some girl. I stopped him and you were safe. There was something about you. Something familiar. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I went to the rooftops and watched to make sure you got home.

  “And that’s when I saw you use your power. I knew who you were then. At first, I didn’t want to tell the others. I knew if I did, Callum would pull you into everything right away. The whole thing’s a mess. He treats it so seriously like it’s part of his job.” A frown pulled at his lips. “He keeps everything secret, secure. He sees the Shadow as a liability. As unnecessary. What else are we supposed to do with our powers while we’re waiting for shit to go down? I wanted to help people, so I did. Our father didn’t approve and neither does he.

  “It didn’t stop me though. I watched you. I saw where
you lived. Once you were okay, I went home. I hesitated, but it weighed on me, so I told Cal about it.” Avery let out a snort. “That was a mistake. The second I did, he berated me going out. It didn’t matter that I was the one who found you. He wasn’t grateful I put myself out there. He was annoyed by it.”

  Avery paused and ran fingers through his hair. “Nothing I ever do as the Shadow is good enough. He still questioned it. I got to you first. He wasn’t happy about it. I think he wanted you under his protection, not mine. I don’t know why. He’s jealous, petty, and comes off as perfect while I’m so far from it it’s a joke. I do something right for once, and he makes me feel like it’s wrong.”

  He looked over at her. “But it wasn’t wrong. I think that’s how it was supposed to be. That I was supposed to see your powers and bring you here. You’re important.”

  “You mean my powers are important?” she whispered.

  “Do you really think so little of yourself as a person that you don’t matter? That it’s all tied in with what you can do?”

  She didn’t deny it but she didn’t confirm it either.

  He stared for a beat before he spoke again. “Your powers don’t define who you are, Loren. They’re part of who you are. You’re something more than that. You mean something.”

  “What do I mean?” Her voice wavered. “To everyone else? To you?”

  “To everyone else? I can’t say.” Avery held up his hands. “To me? You’re special. I knew it when I first came across you—before I even knew what you could do.”

  Her breath caught at his words. Avery took a step toward her. “You’re more important than you realize. I know you are. You need to trust me when I say that. I can feel it.”

  Loren thought of Levi’s perceptions. They were more observations than gut feeling. She supposed it wasn’t the same.

  “I can just tell things. I’ve tried so hard to explain it to the others, but no one understands. They don’t understand what I see or feel when I look into the flames. They know it’s powerful, what I can do. They’re scared of it. Of me. I stopped talking to them about it a long time ago. I know what I see and I know what I feel and it’s very rarely wrong.”