by Aspose
“Nice. Does he have space for it in the house? After it’s fixed, I mean.” Cara asked as she studied the end result.
“Good point.” Gale shrugged. “He can put it in his garden, I guess. I hadn’t realized how big it would be.”
“He’ll love it,” Cara soothed, accepting the knife and looking it over critically. She smiled. “Let’s head back to my place and have a drink.”
“I would love to, but I must excuse myself,” Blossom said regretfully. “I’d be happy to take your carving to Nitro for storage, if you like.”
After they’d exchanged goodbyes, Cara said thoughtfully, “I’d like to invite Kira and Alicia over, too. We need to have a meeting.”
“About what?” Gale asked. She did feel better. Cara was soothing.
“Secret squirrel stuff,” Cara said with a wink. “We need to discuss the party we were talking about, too.”
Except, once the four of them were gathered in Cara’s drawing room, the talk was anything but frivolous.
“She completed the knife,” Cara said when everyone was settled. She set the knife on the table to illustrate.
Kira gasped and picked it up, showing Alicia. “How did it happen?”
“How did what happen?” Gale demanded, unbearably curious. She wasn’t sure what they were discussing.
So Cara explained about the Oracle, how the men had a Fate-sent dream that said the only way to destroy the Oracle was to create the knife imbued with the powers of the four elements. The men couldn’t do it, but by accident or fate, the women had each instilled the knife with their abilities. It was supposed to shield the bearer from the Oracle’s sight long enough to get close and finish her off.
Gale frowned at the knife. “So someone has to kill her? One of us?”
There was a long pause. No one seemed comfortable with that. After all, they weren’t warriors. They fought to defend themselves, but they weren’t assassins.
“Good question. We were so focused on completing the knife, we didn’t think about what came after,” Kira admitted.
“Count on it, the men have discussed it,” Alicia said wryly. “Surge is a mastermind; plots are his thing. ‘Treacherous as the sea’ you know.”
“Lord of the Rings,” Gale and Cara said at the same time, giggling.
Kira shook her head. “Raze has been having super spy meetings with the Tremor and Surge, which he’s excluded me from due to my ‘delicate condition’.” She made a face, then smiled deviously. “It would be so satisfying to plunk that knife in front of him. The only question is, could I play it cool, or would I be gloating?”
They shared a laugh, throwing around suggestions. It was clear they were unanimously relieved they wouldn’t have to do the killing themselves.
“So it’s agreed? We bring the guys in on it?” Cara asked.
“Yes,” Alicia concurred. “We did our part by providing the super weapon.”
Kira sighed. “I’m pregnant, so if I even sneeze wrong, Raze is there with a hanky and a lecture. We’d better tell him.”
Gale shrugged. “It’s not as if I did much, so I’m fine with it. When do we tell them?”
Gale watched her parents take the last load of the day away. They would store it in the hangar while they stayed at her apartment.
The river was peaceful. It was eleven at night and the light had dimmed, but not faded due to the midnight sun. The crisp outlines of spruce and birch decorated the skyline and it was quiet.
“I like that the mosquitoes don’t bother me anymore,” she confided to Nitro, who held her as they watched the river. She turned in his arms to face him. His hair was down, and she ran an appreciative hand through it, enjoying the heavy silk. “Thank you for helping my parents.” He’d arranged for the freezer to be moved and plugged in to the hangar when the humans weren’t looking and ensured it hadn’t rained. He’d even helped keep the mosquitoes at bay.
“I like your parents,” he admitted. “I want to help.”
Her heart swelled. Gale pressed an ardent kiss to his lips that quickly got out of hand. He floated them above the trees, enjoying her passion, encouraging it. Without warning, he flipped her around so her back was to his front again. He growled in satisfaction when she protested. “Patience.”
She felt the gentle caress of a kiss on her ankle then. It inched higher, working its way up her calf. Her eyes widened. “What the…? Is that you?”
His laugh vibrated against her back. “Of course.” He pressed a kiss to her neck as the pressure was joined by another on the other leg.
“Relax,” he murmured as she stiffened. “It’s elemental love making. It’s just the two of us, and I’ve ensured no one can see.” His arms remained firmly around her waist, preventing her from escaping as her skirt floated up, exposing her. Gentle suction began on first one little toe, then the other, moving along the line of digits, not quite in sync.
“I-I’m not used to all of this at once,” she stammered. It felt as if multiple lovers were touching her and was indescribably naughty.
“Trust me,” he murmured, kissing her temple as her bodice slowly lowered. “I’ll take care of you, sweetheart. If you don’t like it, or you’re frightened, we’ll stop.”
The wind lapped at her breasts and she moaned as it kissed her belly. No matter how she twisted, the wind followed. She was hot, pleasurably tormented and unsure if she could take any more.
That’s when the suction gently, simultaneously covered her nipples and her bud. Gale shrieked, crying out for long minutes as orgasms rocked her body. “Too hot,” she gasped when she could get a breath. “I can’t…”
“Are you sure?” Nitro whispered, as pressure began to fill her. It felt as if he were slipping inside her.
“Nitro…” She cried out and twisted in his arms, franticly pulling off his clothes. He was happy to oblige, dissolving his and hers as she climbed him like a ladder. She fisted a hand in his hair, biting his shoulder to survive the punishing pleasure. The loving was hot and fast, and she drew blood as they climaxed together.
“Sorry,” she murmured, dazed. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He laughed. “I’ve never heard a man complain when his woman left a few scratches. You’re good for my ego.”
She murmured sleepily as he carried her to the temporary shelter. The equivalent of a small cabin, it was set up a couple of hundred yards above the house. It had few luxuries and she loved it. The walls were made of one-way “glass” to accommodate Nitro’s need for space and the bed was soft. It was more homey than the palace could ever be.
“I could stay like this forever,” she whispered as they snuggled. “I love this.”
“What about me?” His tone was teasing, but the question made him hold his breath.
“It’s a distinct possibility,” she said sleepily. She kissed his chest and began to drift.
Nitro nuzzled her hair and pulled her close. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
Gale woke in a horrible mood. One look at her parent’s home reminded her of what a close call they’d had. “I could have lost them,” she said moodily.
She shrugged off Nitro’s arm when he tried to hug her.
Hurt, he inquired, “What’s the matter?”
She gestured to the wreck. “Look at it!”
“We’ll fix it,” he soothed.
“You’ll never fix it. It’s your fault this happened!” she accused, and covered her mouth in horror. Nitro hadn’t set the privacy protocol, and anyone could hear them. The wind would carry their words far and wide.
He stiffened. “You didn’t feel that way last night.”
She looked away. “Sex isn’t everything. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“You sound like a spoiled little girl,” he said coldly.
“That makes you a cradle robber,” she shot back. “Look, I need to get away from you. I can’t do this right now.”
“You’ll take a bodyguard.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but rea
lized it was pointless. “Whatever,” she said sulkily. She took off, rising high, trying to outrun the guards and wolf winds who raced after her.
“You don’t have a future in acting,” a voice said dryly in her ear.
Gale snorted. The microphone dot on her ear brought Raze’s voice in loud and clear. She made sure her “scrambler” was on and muttered, “I never did like drama class.”
“Nitro isn’t any better,” Kira defended her. “But it was entertaining in a bad-soap-opera kind of way.”
Gale groaned. She didn’t need the critique, but she knew Kira was trying to keep things light. Despite the backup she had in place, her role as bait was dangerous.
They had insider information that the Oracle saw a vision of herself personally collecting blood from Nitro. Apparently her powers were on the fritz and she would do anything to fix them. She’d try to ransom Gale if she could get her hands on her. It was Gale’s job to make it look as if she’d succeeded.
Gale reached altitude and aimed for her target, dropping like a missile. She used the propulsion technique Nitro taught her, but it took longer than traveling by portal to get to the cave where she’d discovered Nitro. She’d used it frequently over the last weeks, so it was a natural place to go. Besides, anyone watching would have easily tracked her movements.
Despite her best efforts, the guards reached the cave before she did. She crossed her arms as she floated, watching a pair of wolf winds check out the cave. “Satisfied?” she snipped when they came out. She alighted and stepped inside the blue-lit interior.
Nothing had changed. Light filtered through the ice, illuminating the wall where Nitro had been trapped for centuries. She touched the wall thoughtfully. He’d lived lifetimes, and she had to wonder how much imprisonment had changed him. He was so old, yet he treated her as an equal. Certainly, she had to fight for it at times, but she understood that, too. He was used to doing things his way and he was good at it. Combined with his protective instinct, it surprised her they hadn’t had more problems.
“How touching. I’d have expected you to be weeping,” a woman said.
Gale didn’t have to fake surprise as she whirled to see the woman behind her. She was bundled in fur against the cold, and the hard faced soldiers behind her were decked in arctic survival gear and well-armed.
Though ordinary human weapons were little threat against her, the smoky air elemental on her right worried her. “Who are you?” she demanded, allowing her voice to quaver.
The woman tilted her head. “Call me Oracle. Your kind does.” She looked at the ice cave curiously. “It’s just as I pictured. The North Wind should be coming soon, I imagine.”
Gale flinched as the smoke elemental seized her, moving too fast for her to counter. He had a knife at her throat in a blink, and this one could hurt her. “Who are you?”
“Shut up,” the elemental snapped, lifting her to her toes via the arm at her throat.
That ticked her off, and she couldn’t help the way her eyes turned white.
“Knock it off,” he threatened, pressing the knife close.
“Can’t help it,” she choked. “Control’s not good.”
“Relax, Smoke. She’s truthful enough.” The Oracle shoved her gloved hands in her pockets. The temperature dropped as the wind picked up. She smirked at Gale. “How do you like being an elemental’s concubine? I saw what the Fates did to you.”
“Before your Sight became unreliable, you mean?” Gale taunted. Smoke’s grip had loosened enough to let her breath, so she made the most of it. “I heard your vendetta started when your ancestor couldn’t lure an elemental to her bed. Her loss, cupcake.” She ignored the warning grip on her neck. They wanted her alive for now.
The Oracle stroked the medallion at her throat. “Do you understand my power? None of your kind can lay hands on me as long as I wear this. I would have to allow you to harm me, which I will not. Everyone who serves me is protected, too.” She admired a ring on her finger, twisting it to watch the opal sparkle.
“Which is why elementals want to serve you? How stupid of them to forget that you don’t control the wind.” Gale struggled, testing her captor’s hold. He positively reeked of smoke.
At her words, the thin sheets of ice Surge had formed to hide her friends crashed, revealing everyone except Kira, whom Raze absolutely refused to allow jeopardizing her pregnancy. Nitro blew in without warning, rocketing for the Oracle as the men decimated her guards.
The Oracle smiled and everything froze. The elementals jerked like puppets as one by one, they turned to face her, wearing expressions of shock and fury. Even Smoke froze where he stood, still holding the paralyzed Gale.
The Oracle sauntered over to Nitro and gave him a sly grin. “Recognize this?” She showed him the ring. “It was part of the South Wind’s wedding jewelry. Smoke stole it for me and with it, gave me power over the wind. Now only one thing remains.” She took a glass bubble from her pocket and stuck it on Nitro’s arm. Slowly, it filled with pink mist.
Gale’s eyes frantically cut to Surge, who had the dagger. He was scowling ferociously, but couldn’t move. What was the matter? The dagger was supposed to be immune to the Oracle’s power. He should be able to kill her!
Understanding slowly filled her with horror. They’d been duped. The Fates, those twisted bitches, sent them here to die. Everything they’d suffered, everything they’d fought for was for nothing. The knife was a decoy, and they’d baited their own trap.
The bubble filled, and the Oracle sighed in satisfaction. “Finally!” She raised the bubble to her lips and drank greedily as they watched in helpless fury. Gale whimpered in despair. She knew the Oracle would kill them now.
The Oracle stiffened. Her eyes widened as a tremor wracked her body. Ice crystals formed on her skin, and she gurgled as pink foam dripped from her lips. Her eyes cut to Nitro, silently begging for help. He watched mercilessly as she twitched and froze, killed by the ingestion of liquid nitrogen that was his blood.
Her death freed them, and Nitro smashed her body with his fist, ensuring that the Oracle would never rise again.
“I’m glad that’s over,” Smoke announced, releasing Gale. She spun to blast him and recoiled as Frost took his proper form.
He grinned at her shock. “Sorry about that. Father and I thought it best you didn’t know.”
She narrowed her eyes, but her tirade was interrupted when Nitro grabbed her and put her behind him. Her protest was cut off as she peeked around him and saw the three Fates standing in the cave. They were dressed as she’d last seen them, and they were examining the Oracle’s remains with satisfaction
“That’s done, then,” Destiny, the tall Polynesian, announced. She inspected a shard of frozen flesh, then dropped it and stuck her gloved hands in the pockets of her Laplander parka.
Providence, the dignified black woman, had her hands stuffed into the sleeves of her long down coat, using them like a muff. Her shaggy, tasseled boots shifted impatiently. “We wanted to assure you that it was truly done.”
“And to say goodbye, and good riddance,” the dusky skinned Spanish Fate announced. She adjusted her tall Russian hat with mittens that matched her beaver coat. “Oh, and Fortune is with you.”
Cara stepped forward, outraged. “Wait a minute! You planned all this?” She swept a hand around to indicate the bodies littering the ground.
“It’s what we do,” Providence said coolly.
“So you can get away with anything, even murder,” Alicia said bitterly. It was amazing the emotion her ice face could convey. “Are you the least sorry about that? With your powers, don’t you think you could have done things differently? You scarred us.”
Fortune pinned her with a glance. “What? Should we have set you down in a fuzzy little counseling session in a pink room and petted your hand while we told you what your fate would be? That’s not how we roll.”
“If it helps, we bent the rules for you,” Destiny said solemnly. “We interfered with the
Oracle’s visions and sent her images that didn’t reflect her fate. There’s a price to pay for that.”
“But what about the knife? Was it for nothing?” Gale demanded.
Providence smiled and examined the knife she was suddenly holding, ignoring Surge’s swearing as he saw his empty hands. “We should all be here for this, don’t you think?” She tilted her head, and Kira appeared next to Raze, looking confused. He took her arm protectively, checking to see that she was okay, tugging the hood of her long gray coat closer around her face to protect her from the cold.
“It has the power to turn one of you human,” Providence announced, shocking the assembly.
There was a sudden hush. They could be human again? They could have their lives back?
Kira backed into Raze, who put his arms around her. “No thanks,” she said firmly. She looked frightened someone might hand her the knife. Raze glared at the Fate, daring her to try.
Cara considered the knife, then looked at Tremor and smiled. She took his hand. “I’m good, thanks anyway.” Relieved, he put a protective arm around her.
Alicia hesitated. She studied the knife, then glanced at Surge. There was a tense silence.
He took a deep breath. “Stay with me,” he said, heart in his eyes. He stepped closer. “I’m a blowfish, I know. I’m every name you ever called me, but I want to do better. I love you, and I want a future with you. You make me want to be a better man.”
Alicia looked away, her eyes glittering.
He took her hand. “I promise I’ll try. I’ll even take those couple communication classes you wanted. They start Wednesday, right? And that Love and Logic kid rearing thing, we can listen to the tapes, or take the seminar…” His words were cut off as Alicia kissed him. It took him a minute to realize his arguments had worked. He looked like man who’d just defused a nuclear warhead.
“Of course I’ll stay, you fool. I love you,” Alicia scolded.
He sagged with relief and kissed her ferociously. “I’m sure I’ll still screw up,” he began.