The Soothing Scent Of Earth (Elemental Awakening, Book 2)

by Claire, Nicola

  Theo shifted uncomfortably, and a few of the passengers waiting in line behind us started eyeing me up like I was their next dinner, too. They may not have been Ekmetalleftis, but that didn't mean they avoided my influence. Intended or not.

  Clasping the boarding passes in his fist and offering a few curt pleasantries to the counter staff, Theo grasped my hand firmly in his and practically dragged me away from what looked like an impending mosh pit. A few winks were given, several leers and the odd seductive smile. Then one guy slipped from the queue and rushed up to my side, slipping his phone number into my palm, even though I hadn't raised it.

  "Can't take you anywhere," Theo muttered. "And I don't sense any Gi," he added, as though that was argument enough for my Pyrkagia to tone it down a bit.

  I had no way of knowing if the Gi were inside the terminal without reaching for the Earth, and the flare of heat that thought caused left me in no doubt that the Fire did not like that idea, one bit. I shrugged my shoulders at Theo. I was clearly not the one driving right now.

  He started to head towards the airline private club area, but with a blast of superheated Fire he changed direction, heeding my Stoicheio's warning.

  "It wants us to hide in the throng," I whispered.

  "I gathered that when it slapped me across the face," he ground back. I glanced up and saw a red mark forming on his left cheek, making me feel decidedly ill.

  "I'm sorry," I murmured, as he found us a table in the centre of a huge food court, hundreds of people standing, sitting, walking with trays, and generally providing excellent visual cover.

  "Casey," he said with a sigh, sitting down and dragging me onto his lap. His arms wrapping around my stomach, his head resting on my shoulder. "Don't apologise. Your Pyrkagia could be all that's saving us from the Gi right now. Aetheros knows, mine just wants to fuck you."

  I jerked at his admission, receiving a low chuckle in reply.

  "I think I'm going to need an extra special reward for my control tonight, don't you?" he whispered in my ear, making a shiver run down my spine and goosebumps rise all over my body.

  He moved his thighs, forcing me to slip down further between them, right onto his raging erection. A groan sounded out against my cheek, as he rocked his hips, as surreptitiously as he could manage, up into my rear.

  "You do not want to know what I'm thinking right now," he murmured, heat washing down my back as his own Pyrkagia threatened to wrap around me.

  I knew it wasn't a good idea to continue this conversation, but the words were out before I could stop them.

  "Bending me over this table, maybe?"

  Another groan. "Minx."

  I laughed, my eyes still somehow managing to scan the area for any obviously looking Gi.

  "No?" I whispered. "Then I guess we'll have to settle for a little frottage as we sit here."

  "Good God, where has my sweet, innocent little Gi gone?" Theo rasped, inadvertently doing exactly as I'd suggested. His groin rubbed deliciously hard against my backside. Another groan.

  Pyrkagia surged around us, making me realise I'd been playing a very stupid and dangerous game.

  "Ah, Theo, your turn to rein it back in," I urged a little frantically.

  "Shielding us," he replied in a husk. "Enough so I can do this," he added, as his hand came around and slipped between my thighs.

  "This isn't a good idea," I announced, my head already falling back on his shoulders, as his fingers found exactly the right spot to rub. He rolled his hips, panting out a groan as he rubbed himself against me.

  I lost a minute or two then, Pyrkagia burning through our bodies, becoming perilously close to entwining. The sounds of the airport went on, offering a buffer of sorts that complemented the shield Theo had erected to distract those around us. The scents of food and people layered another blanket of surreal on top. And the delicious sensations Theo created threatened to blast the lot apart and let us float on those enticing embers of Fire.

  I was so close. So was Theo. Four more swipes of his finger across my centre, and four more rubs of his erection against my behind, would have done it, I was sure. So close.

  And then when my eyes flickered open lazily, the second before I detonated and blew apart, I spotted him. Not a Gi. But he looked like one. And I knew him.

  Noah the Alchemist doctor was here in the airport, which begged the question, had he escaped the Basilissa or brought her here?

  "Theo," I said, suddenly wide awake and clear headed. Fire still burned within me, but it was scorching in a way that lust was not.

  Theo jolted to a stop, panting and slightly sweaty, but his eyes, shimmering the last vestiges of gold, were scanning the area as well.

  "Where?" he demanded, all business, no more husky, low, seductive voice.

  Even now in a crisis, when his ability to turn off the seduction and lust was desperately required, I felt miffed. I was still strung as tight as a bowstring, any second now if he just moved in the right way, I would come apart at the seams.

  "Breathe," he instructed in my ear; alert, on guard, and still aware of what I was feeling.

  I sucked in air, keeping my eyes on the doctor and let my body relax its fervent hold on my impending release. It took several long seconds. Time we really didn't have. Noah wasn't getting any closer, but he wasn't moving on yet either.

  "By the McDonald's counter," I finally replied.

  "Got him," Theo said. "Is that...?"

  "The Alchemist," I supplied. "Noah."

  "I can't spot any Gi nearby," Theo added, a note of hope in his voice.

  "Doesn't mean they're not using him," I pointed out. I couldn't imagine he'd escaped the Basilissa without consequence. But I had no way of determining which enemy he now was.

  "Either way we need to avoid him," Theo suggested, looking at his watch, and then shifting me to the seat beside his. "Boarding in ten more minutes."

  "Do we go now to the gate, or hold off?"

  Theo scanned the environment, eyes hard, focused, and experienced. He'd been a Pyrkagia Scout before all this changed his life forever. I was sure some of those talents had included evading detection. When he chased down those who had broken their laws, he must have wanted the element of surprise on his side. And to do that, he'd have had to approach unseen, remained hidden until he wanted to be noticed.

  "We're too exposed here, even with Pyrkagia shielding," he finally murmured. And considering Noah could wield some Gi and some Pyrkagia it wasn't a foolproof hide. "But it's too soon for the gate. If we're spotted there before we board, we'll have no avenue of escape, and our flight will be compromised."

  Then what? I looked around the food court, taking in the happy and excited people, keeping Noah in my sights, and scanning for Gi. My eyes landed on a sign for the public toilets, but I discarded that idea as soon as it formed. Not only icky, but a dead end. What I found next was a long shot, but had two entryways at the front of the store, and a clear line of sight out of the further exit at the back in the distance.

  "I need some more clothes," I announced, making Theo glance down at my well worn and now slightly grubby yoga gear.

  "Now?" he asked, incredulously. I nodded my head towards the big brand name clothing shop and saw the cogs turning behind his eyes. "And I should really accompany you into the changing rooms, just to make sure they fit."

  I smirked, I was sure it was as corrupt as his appears sometimes, and flicked my eyes to Noah. "We need a distraction," I muttered, and felt my Pyrkagia swell inside.

  Leave it to us, it eagerly offered. We know what to do.

  I didn't have a chance to argue before several people around Noah began to eye him up like delectable candy. Theo snorted as two very flamboyant looking guys approached, and a third person, in the form of an air-hostess complete with tight fitting blouse, entered the fray.

  "Covering all options?" Theo asked, eyebrow raised.

  "Hey, it's not me," I defended.

  "That argument will grow very old very fast, O
raia." Whatever.

  I grasped his hand and led the way into the store, grabbing clothes off racks as we passed, letting Theo keep a lookout as I directed our snatch-and-grab towards the changing rooms near the back exit. If Noah had spotted us he'd come in from the front, and we'd be able to slip out the back. Hopefully.

  The curtains closed and Theo planted himself at a gap in the material, keeping a lookout towards both the front and rear of the store. I sat down exhausted again on the bench seat, the clothes I'd selected discarded on the floor, my head in my hands.

  Twice I gave clothes back to the shop assistant requesting different sizes. I didn't try any of them on. Then finally, ten minutes later the announcement for our flight came over the intercom. And ten minutes after that we slipped out the back entrance and raced to our gate.

  We boarded as the doors were about to be closed, the check-in flight crew not impressed with our tardiness.

  But we'd dodged a bullet, I was sure.

  While my Pyrkagia crackled with glee, and as we took our seats, having scanned those in our area of the plane to ascertain we were safe, I finally felt like I could enjoy it, letting myself sink into the heated bliss of Fire. Warmth wrapped around me, fuelled me, exciting me, as Theo's hand slipped into mine clasping it tight. He lifted it slowly to his lips and laid a soft kiss on the back, his eyes holding mine.

  We'd made it. We'd escaped Gi territory... and were heading straight for Aeras.

  Out of the frying pan and into the fire? And I wasn't entirely sure if that particular fire had a capital 'F' or not. Nor if it made a jot of difference.

  Chapter 21

  That Pit Of Despair Opened Up Before Me...

  Theo held my hand the entire four and a half hour flight. And didn't once mention the mile high club. My Pyrkagia had settled the moment the wheels on the plane left the ground, and touching Earth from here was impossible. So, I didn't even try. His thumb gently brushed over my skin softly, the comfort and familiarity of his hand in mine was reassuring in a way nothing had truly been for the past few days.

  At some stage he felt safe enough to fall asleep, but his grasp of my palm never eased. I watched him slumber, drawn to his beauty, both inside and out, like a moth to a flame. Even without the use of his Pyrkagia his proximity threatened to make me burn. I sat, turned in my seat, curled up on my side, so I could gaze at him. His chest rising and falling rhythmically, his brow uncreased, his plump, soft lips curved in a semi-smile.

  I wasn't the only one who thought he was gorgeous; the hostess in our section kept flicking glances towards us. But when she caught me watching her, she only offered a self-deprecating smile. Yeah, I got it, he was hard to miss.

  When the pilot announced we were about to land, Theo finally stirred, looking a hell of lot better than he had in Brazil. Just under four hours sleep was not prefect, but it was better than none. And I got the impression, sleeping while holding my hand, being so close to me, had made the experience even better. He looked refreshed, if not a little anxious about what lay ahead.

  "We'll find somewhere with a fire as soon as possible, then contact Aktor for an update on the Aeras," Theo suggested.

  "Why not just phone him?" I asked, thinking finding a fireplace would be tricky in a subtropical environment.

  "Fire is a secure network, one that cannot be tracked or overheard," he explained. "Even a Pyrkagia, not actually present near the flames, is unable to listen in on what is being said."

  "And you think a phone could be bugged?"

  "My father regularly bugs his people's phones," Theo offered, with a shrug of his shoulders. "I assume all Rigas are the same."

  Paranoid. Athanatos were extremely paranoid people. I shook my head in bemusement, just as the tyres of the plane touched down.

  "Welcome to Peru, Oraia," Theo murmured, then ruined the small natural smattering of excitement I had at being somewhere I had never been before. "Keep an eye out for any Aeras as soon as we exit the plane."

  Great. This was meant to be outside of Aeras territory.

  "OK," I said a little sullenly, receiving a questioning glance from Theo. I didn't explain my over-tired reaction to him, I was sure he could figure out I'd had enough stress for one day. "What do the Aeras look like?" I asked instead.

  "Scandinavian, if you can believe," he said with a smile. And I guess he was right, all Ekmetalleftis were of Greek origin; that should be tanned, dark hair colouring, hazel/amber/brown eyes.

  But the Pyrkagia seemed to be the closest, having dark hair, hazel eyes, and bronzed skin. The Gi on the other hand, had brown hair and dark blue eyes, and their skin was not quite the same bronze of Theo's, but paler making the unusual blue of their eyes stand out.

  "So, blonde hair and light blue eyes?" I suggested.

  "Yes, the same shade of hair as yours," - that would be dark blonde - "but a very light, pale blue in the eyes. Different from your dark blue. You're kind of a mixture of Gi and Aeras to look at, although the Aeras have paler skin than yours."

  "What colour do their eyes flash?" I queried, finding this topic fascinating despite the danger that awaited us when we met these new Athanatos.

  "White," he whispered, almost in awe. "It's a little freaky the first time you see it, but also quite spellbinding. Some say you can be hypnotised by their colour change, as much as you can be contained by their lightning."

  The plane came to a stop and and the fasten seatbelt sign disengaged. People began to hurriedly get up and unlock the overhead compartments. I ignored them, just stared at Theo in wonder.

  "They use lightning?" I whispered, leaning in to say the words so we wouldn't be overheard. I needn't have bothered; the passengers were too excited, about their next adventure in Lima, to be listening.

  "They command the weather," Theo whispered back, his forehead practically pressed against mine. "Most impressively they rule lightning. It is how legends were formed about Zeus."

  "Zeus the Greek god of lightning," I said in an awed whisper. Theo chuckled.

  "Now can you see why they are considered spellbinding?"

  "Ah-ha," I murmured, getting up out of my seat as our section of the plane had already emptied. "I don't think I'll be trying to piss them off any time soon," I added.

  "Just think, Oraia," Theo voiced softly behind me, as we began to head down the aisle. "You could soon be commanding your very own lightning, too."

  Oh, and God, didn't that put a dampener on my intrigue?

  We were the last to exit the plane, Theo becoming a little more agitated as we traversed the air bridge to the terminal. His eyes darting out of the side windows, at what had been a relatively mild day. There'd been clouds in the sky as we lowered from thirty thousand feet up, but the sun still managed to filter through them in parts, blanketing Lima in a golden glow. Now though, as soon as our feet touched down on Peru soil, albeit inside the airport building still, the clouds darkened ominously, a storm threatening to brew.

  "That's not good, is it?" I remarked, stopping to look out on the increasingly darker day beyond the windows.

  "I think we have a greeting party," Theo announced. "Can you touch your Gi side yet?"

  I frantically reached out to the scent of Earth on the air. It wasn't easy to locate. My feet weren't in soil, there were no pot plants immediately nearby, and so many conflicting smells that threatened to distract me, making my Gi side seem all but lost for good. I shook my head. I could feel the Earth waiting patiently for me, but for now it was just outside of my reach.

  "There's not enough plants," I explained, disappointed in my lack of abilities.

  "Gi is an animal based Stoicheio, too," Theo said encouragingly from my side.

  "But there's no animals in here," I pointed out, a little too wound up to figure out what he actually meant.

  "There are humans, Casey," he replied. "Lots of them."

  I'd never thought of that before. In theory I should have been able to reach my Gi Stoicheio whenever another person was near. I wasn't
sure it would work if it was just me, but the Earth should have communicated through any fauna or flora available, including Theo at my side. Which painfully led me to remember my time in that bunker prison in the Gi stronghold, and the fact I had felt cut-off from the Stoicheio whenever alone in that room with Davos, my torturer.

  He'd always had access to Gi. I'd thought it was because he'd just come in from the rainforest, but maybe it was because he tapped into the Earth through me. Yet I'd not been able to feel a thing through him, at all. Even when my life depended on it.

  I stopped dead in my tracks, sensations of that horrid time rolling determinedly through me, making my body tremble and my breaths come in short pants.

  "Cassandra," Theo murmured, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to the side of the corridor we were in, out of the flow of human traffic. "What's wrong?" he asked, voice gentle and caring.

  "I don't think it works like that for me," I said in a broken whisper. I was not made like other Athanatos. I was not born a Gi, but created an Aether. Although Theo had often said I had unusual skill and power, like that of an elder, there were clearly restrictions as to what I could do. And I was becoming more and more aware of them.

  I closed my eyes, trying to banish the images of Davos' fists. Of the glint that shone off his blade when he wielded it. Of the sound that reverberated inside my head when the whip swished through the air. The sharp sting of pain as it entered my flesh. The metallic scent of blood on the air, mixed with days old sweat and filth. I jolted, a whimper escaping me. My body curling in on itself, as Theo murmured words in my ear, trying to break the memory and bring me back to him.

  Back to the airport in Lima, Peru, where a greeting party of Aeras Ekmetalleftis were waiting to do God knows what. I sucked in a breath, and then another, and worked my way out of that pit of despair. We couldn't afford for me to lose it right now. Danger lurked everywhere.

  My eyes flicked open to see gold brimming Theo's. I wondered if mine had a shade at all.