Fire: The Elementals Book One

by Gilbert, L. B.

  “Of course not,” he said dismissively. His face cleared as his mood shifted back to academic curiosity. “I think it’s interesting you can feel it. Your sensitivity must be off the charts. All part of the package, I guess.”

  Stepping back, Diana made her second spontaneous decision of the evening. “Will you do me a favor and look into it some more? Maybe the records the museum keeps have some more details. I don’t need you to fly to Mexico or anything.”

  Alec lit up like a campfire. “Of course. I know the archaeologist who found it, and good news, he’s still alive. I can speak to him and pump him for information.”

  Diana nodded absently. “This thing is giving me a headache. I’m going to leave now. I’ll meet you outside the club at one sharp,” she said, turning away.

  He shifted, blocking her path. “I think it might be a good idea if you came with me,” he said, his expression growing less confident as he took in her growing scowl.

  Diana did not like being stopped in the middle of stalking out of a room. “I had Daniel get you a few different choices for outfits. You know, like a disguise. . .” he trailed off as her face grew darker.

  “I don’t do disguises,” she said flatly and continued out the door.

  He followed close on her heels. “It’s only that your description is pretty widespread in the local Underlife, and you agreed it was a good idea to go in quietly.”

  “You are way fucking braver than you look,” she returned with a bite as she exited the building and he locked up behind them. “I’m not going to dress up like one of your blood sluts.”

  The temperature around Alec dropped by several degrees. “I don’t like that term,” he said, his tone suddenly sharp as he grabbed her arm in one swift motion.

  Diana gave the restraining hand a pointed look before slowly raising her eyes to meet his own. He faltered slightly when he met her eyes, which were no longer green. His hands dropped to sides, but he kept on.

  “A blood donor should be given the utmost respect,” he added with a careful measured tone. “A vampire should always be grateful for their gift. I don’t like when others use that term—even one of my own kind. And yes, I know they use it a lot.”

  There was a trace of an apology in his tone by the end of his little speech, but she ignored it and walked away.

  “Are we still on for tonight?” he asked. She was halfway down the block before he tried again. “Diana?”

  “One AM in the back of the club,” she called back before disappearing from his sight.

  * * *

  “He’s a total nerd and a self-righteous prig,” Diana told Logan through the aether. She was actually feeling guilty for using the term blood slut but wasn’t about to admit it. “And insane. He actually had his servant get me disguises—a trampy vampire groupie outfit I bet,” she huffed.

  “Well, he does have a point about not wearing your uniform.”

  Taken aback, Diana looked down at her black cargo pants and tank. “It’s a good uniform.”

  “If you don’t want to be recognized immediately, changing it would be a good idea. And the winds are whispering about you. The description circulating through the local Underlife is not too far off. Why don’t you borrow something of mine from the closet? I left a plain black corset and leather pants in there. That’ll be perfect and not so far from your usual clothes. Although the combat boots have got to go. . .”

  “No way.” Diana was aghast. “The boots are non-negotiable.”

  “Okay, well, I have some other boots in there, I think.” Logan was unfazed.

  “You know I can’t wear anything with heels.” Diana was close to whining, and she hated herself for it.

  “I think those are Serin’s. I left some that are like knee high riding boots. Those are perfectly okay, and you know it.”

  “Fine,” Diana grumbled, aware she hadn’t put up much of a fight.

  She had long ago realized arguing with Logan was pointless. The girl was relentless till she got her way. It would be annoying if she wasn’t so damn lovable.

  Digging around the walk-in closet for the boots, Diana filled Logan in on the rest, including dinner and the visit to the museum. She mentioned the weird buzzing artifact.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that sort of thing before,” Logan sounded intrigued.

  “Not even in the mausoleum on Serin’s island?” she asked.

  Diana had refused to get anywhere near it, but it hadn’t bothered Logan much. She said it had been like visiting the catacombs in Rome.

  “No, but I didn’t really check out the artifacts,” Logan replied. “I mostly skimmed the written records. But those old guys get pretty huffy if you want to actually touch their stuff, so I didn’t stay long.”

  “What about all that crap about preserving the record for future generations that they always go on and on about when they chase you around for interviews?” Diana asked with frustration.

  “Well, I’ve decided it means future generations of scholars, not actual Elementals who inherit the gift,” Logan said.

  “Figures. . .They’re all eagerness and sunshine till you try and make them useful,” Diana grumbled as she pulled the corset from the closet.

  Am I seriously going to wear this? It has embroidery. “How do you tie this thing up if it laces in the back?”

  “Those are just for show. That one has clips in the front.”

  Diana signed loudly. “This is stupid. I don’t know why I’m bothering. We don’t have to hide what we are. . .I can track down this club owner without getting all girlied up.”

  “But it might be faster to do it Alec’s way. Especially if your mark has already left town. I know you will track him down eventually, but first you need to find something deeply personal, and he might have cleared all that stuff out. Or he could be another dead end, and you’ll have to find the circle another way. The Supes will want to talk to Alec. He’s their Prince William with a better hairline, even among the non-vamps. If there were more Supes in the world, he would get mobbed all the time. They’ll bend over backward to get on his good side.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t think he likes that,” she confided.

  “Rough to be a celebrity,” Logan said authoritatively. She had met several of the Hollywood variety in the human clubs she frequented. “So, what do you really think of him now?”

  Still a little annoyed that she felt guilty for the verbal insults she’d been slinging, Diana said, “Surprisingly prudish for a vampire. . .but if he acted like a typical one I’d already have set him on fire.”

  Logan practically squealed, “Aw! I’m glad you like him.”

  “Not what I was trying to imply but whatever. . .” Diana grunted while squeezing into the leathers to see if they fit.

  She wondered if they were supposed to coordinate with the corset because they had lacing up the side too.

  “When do you have time to go shopping for this stuff?”

  “I bet it only takes slightly longer than your clothes shopping does.”

  “Since I order in bulk online and deliver it to a safe house, I’m going to call you on that one,” Diana said, squeezing into the skintight leathers with a pant.

  “Fine. I like to shop, and I like to dance. Doesn’t make me less effective at what we do.” Logan sounded a little wounded, and Diana felt guilty for a whole other reason.

  “Of course it doesn’t,” she quickly agreed. “It just makes you more interesting than the rest of us.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. And I think the vampire prince finds you plenty interesting.” Logan was back to normal.

  “Maybe,” Diana said. “But not in the way you think. He is more interested in learning all he can about us. He’d write a paper—or several—on us if we let him. And I don’t plan on letting him.”

  “Are you sure that’s all he’s interested in?” Logan sounded disappointed.

  “What more could there be?” Diana asked, though she knew perfectly well wh
at Logan was getting at.

  “I know you never believe me when I say this, but you are drop dead kill-for gorgeous. Any heterosexual male would give his right testicle for a chance with you. Men would give up their fortunes, leave their wives, and possibly sell their souls.”

  “All right, enough,” she laughed. “I’m not ugly, I get it. But you mention another distinct possibility. What if Alec isn’t hetero? I mean, he hasn’t been linked with women since his wild youth. Maybe he’s not into girls,” she added, sounding satisfied with that explanation even though she knew it wasn’t right.

  Alec watched her in that non-platonic way men did when they were interested. She just didn’t know what to do with that interest. He wasn’t the jerk she’d assumed he was. But she didn’t have male friends. Could she be friends with Alec? She could email him from the road maybe.

  What am I thinking? Pen pals, seriously?

  “Well, I forgot to add that one to my diatribe—gay men would switch for you.” Logan was unfazed.

  Diana rolled her eyes at her reflection. “Okay, stop.”

  A pretty face wasn’t important. Look where her mother’s attractiveness had gotten her. The other Elementals were better looking than her anyway. If they had been friends and not Elementals, their collective beauty would worry her. A lot. That kind of loveliness tended to attract the wrong kind of attention.

  “Will you ask Gia if there’s anything she can do to speed up my search at the Denon headquarters? If you talk to her before I do, that is? And if you can put your ear to the ground about Brenda, Katie’s mom. See if you can get a bead on her location,” Diana said while adjusting the borrowed corset.

  “I will. But do both of us a favor and try to have some fun with Alec tonight. He sounds like a decent guy with varied interests. Even if one includes bloodsucking. He doesn’t have to take a personal interest in this, but he wants to help you ‘cause he takes care of his people. You read people better than anyone. If your gut says he’s trustworthy, take the leap and let him stick around. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious, but eventually you have to take a chance and let someone into your life. Be friends.” Logan’s voice took on a teasing note. “Maybe you can be more someday. But at least let him be a friend now.”

  Diana thought for a moment. “I will do what is best for all of us, not just me. I am not going to let anyone near us if he has any ulterior motives. And we already know how important Alec’s studies are to him. We can’t have an outsider revealing our secrets to the world.”

  “I’m sure he wouldn’t do that,” Logan protested.

  “You don’t know that, and neither do I. So far as I can tell, he’s thrilled to learn about us. He’s not stupid; he knows we’ll kill him if we consider him a threat. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t intend to study us and continue to publish what he can get away with. His work is really important to him. His friendly helpfulness may ultimately just be a means to an end.”

  “I still say it pays to give people the benefit of the doubt. Don’t prejudge,” Logan said with obstinate cheerfulness.

  “And is this attitude serving you well? Found anyone special yourself?” Diana asked even though she knew the answer already.

  Logan had lots of male friends in the human world. She said they were good practice. But she hadn’t taken that extra step and gotten seriously involved with any of them. When Diana had pointed out the hypocrisy of Logan’s frequent suggestions to take a lover, Logan simply pointed out their age difference and the amount of time spent in service to the Mother.

  It was one of the drawbacks of having a substantially younger best friend. They didn’t have to practice what they preached.

  “Not quite yet, but I’m starting to look around. I’m thinking of having a fling with an actor. Maybe Michel. Sort of a practice run,” Logan confided.

  “Eww. Can’t you pick someone less likely to have an STD?” Diana asked, wrinkling her nose as she tugged the boots up her calves.

  She was not a fan of the french actor.

  “It’s only an idea. And there isn’t a drop of magic in him or anywhere in his lineage,” Logan said enthusiastically.

  “I don’t get how that’s a plus. It’s not a guarantee they won’t hurt you. Emotionally at least. And you won’t have carte blanche to put the guy through the wall when and if he does.”

  “Pessimist.”

  “Always,” Diana said, frowning at herself in the mirror. “How many times have we had this argument?”

  “Too many, but now there are real guys to argue about, so in a way, it’s a totally new argument,” the Air Elemental replied cheerfully. “How does everything fit?”

  “Okay, I guess. Since I’m a little taller, there’s more skin than what you probably intended with this outfit. I am showing way more cleavage than I am comfortable with,” Diana said, looking at herself in the mirror in dismay.

  “Well, considering that you never show any, that is a step in the right direction. It will help you fit in as Alec’s companion.”

  “I may be too subdued for that, actually,” Diana reflected aloud, remembering the glittery and revealing clothes the women had worn the night she’d crashed the coven’s party.

  And my boobs are nowhere near as big as Sylvan’s.

  “With your hair, you can’t do subdued. Actually, you might want to darken it with a charm if you’re trying for incognito.”

  “I’m going to leave it wet and slicked back with something. It will look darker.”

  She didn’t want to actually color her hair and prove to Alec she’d taken his suggestion to heart.

  Logan said, “Won’t even throw him a crumb, will you?”

  Diana smiled. “I’m going to make everything as hard for him as possible.”

  “My guess is you already have,” Logan said suggestively, jumping to the innuendo Diana hadn’t even realized she’d set herself up for.

  She sighed. “Goodnight, Logan.”

  14

  Alec was waiting when Diana pulled to the back of the club. From the front, it looked like every other night spot, except it didn’t display its name for obvious reasons. It had the requisite line of young and nubile people waiting to be let in. The plain vanilla humans always had to wait unless they came with a Supernatural. Most of those didn’t know about the true nature of the other patrons.

  He rushed to help Diana off the bike. Noting his eagerness, Diana lifted a brow. “Were you that unsure I’d show up?”

  “I want to apologize about earlier. About using the term ‘bloodslut’,” he began, and she recognized the signs of a rehearsed speech. “I’ve often wished attitudes were different among my kind with regard to our blood donors. I hate it when they say that word, but they do so regularly regardless. In any case, I can’t expect you to meet expectations they don’t, especially when you’re not a fan of my kind to begin with,” he finished in a resigned voice.

  Though it had made her feel guilty, she’d respected him for standing up to her. Diana felt genuinely terrible now, but you couldn’t tell from her tone of voice.

  She crossed her arms. “You can stand your ground, old man. I won’t hold it against you.”

  Pursing his very young-looking lips, the vampire moved back. Diana took off her leather jacket and handed it to him. Getting his first good look at her outfit, Alec’s face lost all expression.

  His voice was extremely level when he said, “You look. . .nice. You should fit in perfectly.”

  “Good. This thing pinches. I can’t wait to take it off,” she said as she adjusted the side of the corset.

  Alec’s eyes followed her motion with a slightly dazed expression. Wondering what was wrong with him, Diana started for the back door. He caught up with her and offered his arm.

  “It might be a good idea if you let me do the talking in the public rooms. If you’re recognized, there’s going to be a stampede, and we don’t want that.” He gave her a pointed look until she finally took his arm.

  “Fine,
” she grumbled.

  They reached the back door, and it opened automatically as if they had been watched the whole time. No one stood behind it, but at the end of the hallway, there was a young woman, dressed to the Gothic nines ready to greet the VIP. She managed to smile while simultaneously breathing in deeply to stick out her chest as much possible.

  The woman waited until they reached her before extending a manicured hand to Diana. It wasn’t a typical greeting for a vampire. Diana looked at her closely. The hostess was mostly human, with some magical sensitivity, but not enough to be a practitioner.

  “Greetings, Doctor Broussard. Welcome to Whore,” the hostess said with a welcoming gesture before standing aside. It would have been impolite to touch a vampire without invitation. “You and your guest have been set up with complimentary beverages in our most exclusive VIP suite at the front of the club. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you there.”

  “The front?” Alec asked as they walked behind her.

  “Our guests enjoy being seen but can still enjoy their privacy in our VIP suites,” the hostess said, angling her bosom into his view a little more.

  It was quite an accomplishment given that she was ahead of them. The hostess led them down a brightly lit corridor with white walls and a red tile floor that led to a busy kitchen and farther down into the club.

  The music wasn’t the hard, driving beat Diana associated with clubs on television, but it was still danceable. The hostess swung open the inner club door open to reveal a futuristic vision.

  The walls were a matte white plastic with lights inside that changed colors slowly. Red melded into orange and then into yellow before skipping through the rest of the spectrum. The light flattered and flirted with the crowd, reflecting off the white leather furniture in cool patterns. Diana liked the effect even if she hated the name of the club and by extension its owner.

  They were led through the well-dressed crowd toward the front. Most of the heads in the room turned to follow them. Diana was apprehensive, envisioning the crowd turning to her en-masse and charging. Visions of her having to fight her way out of the club faded as she registered that no one was looking at her. All eyes were on Alec. Logan was apparently right about his celebrity status.