by S. N. Hunt
The Elementalist:
Journey to Zlorta
S.N. Hunt
Copyright © 2020 S.N. Hunt
All rights reserved
The characters, places and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the copyright owner.
ISBN: 9798580524955
Cover design by: germancreative
Printed in the United States of America
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Sneak Peek of the next book in the Elementalist and Guardian Series
Thank you
About the Author
Books by S.N. Hunt
Chapter One
Sarah awoke with a jerk, her scream dying on her lips. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath. The image of the black rider flashed behind her eyes. Her eyes opened quickly, the terror of the dream still fresh in her mind. She was tangled in sweat-drenched, crumpled sheets. Tossing them off, she sat on the edge of her bed.
She’d been having the dream now for a little over a month. Every night it was the same dream. It always seemed so real that the terror followed her into the waking world. The black cloaked rider chased her down through a yellow field of grain. Blades of grain slashing against her legs and arms as she ran to get away. The sting driving her on. The figure rode a massive black horse as dark as midnight. Its long black cape was so dark it made it hard to tell where the horse started and the rider ended. The only distinguishing marks were the strange silver symbols embroidered on the edges of the cloak and trim of the saddle.
She pushed her legs hard, but no matter how much she pushed herself, the figure gained. She spotted a forest ahead, dark and foreboding. The trees were gnarled and twisted, but somehow she sensed they were safe. She forced her feet to move faster, reaching out a hand to touch a tree. A strong arm caught her around the waist, lifting her high into the air. She screamed and kicked out, fighting against her captor. Turning to face her pursuer, she saw nothing but a black void where its face should be. Terror flooded through her as she let out a blood-curdling scream. It was always at this point that she awoke.
She stood and walked into the dark hallway. Reaching into the bathroom, she felt around for the light switch and switched the light on. She strode up to the vanity and leaned both hands upon the sink. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and she shuddered. The dream was taking a toll on her, judging by the dark circles under her eyes. She studied herself for a moment. Her long platinum blonde hair was wet with sweat and hung limp. Sweat dampened her pale skin. Her normally vibrant green eyes were dull with sleeplessness. Most people called her attractive, with her high cheekbones and delicate features.
At this moment, I look strung out.
Goosebumps rose on her skin as she recalled the dream once again. She shook her head, trying to dispel the memory away. She sighed and twisted on the cold water tap. Splashing the cold water on her face, she scrubbed it roughly against her skin. She grabbed the towel that hung next to the sink and dried her face. Once more glancing into the mirror, she wondered about the time. She flipped the light back off and walked into her bedroom. The room was dark, and she fumbled to turn on the lamp that sat on her nightstand. She shivered as a chilly breeze fluttered through the room, and she brought her brows together in confusion. Across the room, the bedroom curtains blew in the breeze. She didn’t remember opening that window the night before. She walked up to it and peered out the window.
The forest that surrounded the little cottage was usually dark on most nights. Tonight was a new moon though, making the trees even darker. Shadows seemed to cling to everything outside. Her home was nestled back in the woods neighboring the tiny village she lived in. It was a small home, but big enough for her. One bath, one bedroom. A small living area and a decent size kitchen with an island to separate the dining area. A front porch with a swing and plenty of flower pots made up the front of the house. The cottage had belonged to Shae Robbins, the woman that had run the orphanage Sarah grew up in. Shae loved to garden and dreamed of turning this little cottage into a whimsical English garden.
Sarah was left on the doorstep of the village orphanage as a baby. The village was small, most people knew each other. But no one had any knowledge of the baby or where she had come from. Shae instantly took a shine to Sarah. Few babies came to the orphanage, most of the children being older when they were abandoned. Over the years, a few couples came to meet Sarah, but none of them adopted her.
The other children did not care for the attention she received from Shae. They called Sarah names and bullied her whenever Shae was not around. Shae never let Sarah think she was unwanted, though. Sarah spent most of her childhood in Shae’s office. She played under her desk in a little blanket fort Shae let her build. Shae passed away only three months ago and left Sarah everything she owned.
Sarah reached up to shut the window, pausing as the emotions overwhelmed her. Shae’s memory caused a sharp pain in her chest, the sorrow filling her heart. The tears still threatened to fall when she thought of the woman who had raised her. She gazed out into the dark trees. A flash of green lights moved and then flickered out. Sarah gasped and slammed the window shut. She quickly locked the latch and stared out into the blackness. She stood there breathing a fog on the windowpane, but no more lights.
Get a grip, woman! That dream is really getting to you. Probably nothing but sleep deprivation. You probably left the window open. You just don’t remember.
Sarah turned the clock on her nightstand around. In bright red lights, it read 4:17 am. Tiredly, she sighed and got ready for work. She pulled out a matching blouse and a pair of slacks from the nearby dresser. She headed into the bath and turned the light back on. Opening the shower curtain and turning on the hot water to full blast.
At least I can take my time in the shower.
∞∞∞
Darien stalked Sarah from the upper limbs of the tree outside her bedroom window. His claws dug hard into the bark of the tree. He clutched his jaw, grinding his teeth, and suppressed the lust inside him. His long black fur bristled and then laid flat as he tried to calm down. With his dark fur, the shadows hid him completely. Only the reflection of light in his bright green eyes would give him away.
You idiot! She might have seen you! She is not for you, not for your eyes! She is for the master, only for the master.
His thoughts swirled in his head. He shouldn’t have opened the window. Shouldn’t have crawled int
o her room. Shouldn’t have looked at her as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Shouldn’t have sampled her on his tongue as he gently licked the sweat from her brow. He couldn’t resist her scent on the wind. His beast fought for control in that moment. He barely made it out the window before she woke.
The master said to watch, not to sniff! Not to taste! Not to touch!
He followed her as she moved around the cottage. The layout of her home was mapped out in his mind. He went into her home many times when she’d been at work. He’d used the opportunity to learn about her. She drank tea, liked to read, and did not own a television. He picked up her scent on her clothing and enjoyed laying in her bed. Her scent of lilacs surrounding him as he pictured her in the room with him. Imagined her stripping down and climbing onto his cock. He’d cum many times in her bedroom.
In her bathroom, he’d even showered with her shampoo and soap. The steam added potency to her scent. He rubbed his seed around her home to mark it. Though he knew she was meant for the master, not him. But sometimes the master let him have the leftovers.
He stared as she came back into the bedroom. The light flipping on and shining out across the tree he stood in. She approached the window and at that moment he realized he hadn’t shut it. He quickly averted his eyes, so as not to give away his position. Her gasp and slamming of the window drifted to his ears. He held his breath and waited a moment. Cautiously looking up, he saw she was getting clothing out of her dresser. A moment later, the bathroom light turned back on and he saw her shadow on the wall.
She would not go back to sleep. She had a routine. Up at 5:30 am daily, regardless of whether she worked or not. She would take a twenty to thirty-minute shower. Then ride her bike into the small village. She would return home each night at around 3:30 pm. If it was the weekend, she’d work in the garden till the same time. She would sit on her front porch swing and read a romance novel. Then dinner promptly at 5:00 pm. She would lie down in bed around 8:30 pm and continue to read. 9:30 pm lights out. She was a creature of habit. It made her easy to predict. He had been keeping watch over her now for two months.
From what he had witnessed, she had no friends. No one close to her. No one to miss her if she disappeared. Only her work would realize she was gone. He itched to just grab her and take her. But the master would punish him. He knew better than to give in. She was such easy prey it was hard to resist his animal urges.
He whimpered and leaned against the tree. Rubbing himself against the bark, hoping to relieve the pressure in his groin. He turned his head and saw her through her bathroom window. She disrobed and climbed into the shower. He panted and drooled, his spit dripping down his furred chest. He ground harder against the trunk, his claws sank deep into the wood. His claws created deep gouges in the tree trunk. The friction and pain of the bark rubbing against him was a heady mix. His green eyes flashed in the lights from her cottage.
Master said to watch. Watch I will!
Chapter Two
Sarah locked her bike into the rack outside of the Havery Printing building. She lived about a thirty-minute ride from the village. Which was a good thing, as she never had gotten her license. She didn’t need it. The village was tiny enough to walk from one end to the other in about forty minutes. What did she need a car for?
She looked up at the old brick office building. It wasn’t very large, only containing Mr. Havery’s office and a few HR staff. She had been Mr. Havery’s secretary since she’s been a sophomore in high school. He was rarely there, so she spent most of her time fielding calls and setting appointments. Even when he was there, the only extra work she had was getting him coffee and food. It wasn’t much, but she was glad for it in this small town. After all, being an orphan didn’t get you a great education.
Mr. Havery had been friends with Shae. He'd been more than happy to let Sarah work at the printing company. When Shae passed, he’d even given her two weeks off to move into the cottage and grieve. Since that time, Mr. Havery had almost become like a grandfather to her. He watched over her and made sure that she was okay. She called in one time since being his secretary; he sent the county police to check on her. She chuckled to herself at the memory.
Quickly she walked into the building. She smiled at Shane as he sat behind the security desk. Shane smiled shyly back at her. Shane was average height with a bit of a beer gut. He was your average Joe, except for the bright red hair he had. Sarah would classify him as a good old boy. He had asked her out a few times, but she had politely turned him down each time. Shane was nice, but not her type. He quickly got out of his seat and came around the counter to greet her. He looked at her with concern.
“Good morning, Sarah. Everything all right? You look worn out.”
“Good morning, Shane. Everything is fine, just not sleeping well.”
She rushed by him and into Mr. Havery’s office, avoiding rehashing the dream or answering any more questions. She sat down at her desk and turned on her computer. As it booted up, she grabbed the pumps from under the desk and placed them in her lap. She untied the sneakers she wore and kicked them under the desk. Riding a bike in heels was not the best way to get to work. She had learned that a long time ago. She bent over in her chair and started to slide them on.
“Good morning, Sarah. Good old dad ain’t coming in today, so he asked me to cover for him. Got to learn the ropes, he said, one day you will be running it.”
Sarah looked up from her task. Jason Havery stood leaning against the door to the office. She hadn’t seen him come in. He smiled and looked at her with half-lidded eyes. He was tall and muscular with tan skin. His dark brown hair swept across his brow. Most of the girls in town wanted him, and for good reason. He was panty-dropping gorgeous. He should be on the cover of the magazines his dad’s company printed, not ordering the printing. The problem was, he realized it. That made him arrogant and an ass. He thought all women wanted him and his attention was a gift. Sarah couldn’t stand him, and he had always given her the creeps. Especially right at this moment, as he stared down at her gaping blouse as she put on her heels. She sat up quickly.
“Good morning, Mr. Havery. I hope everything is well with your father.”
“Come on, Sarah, call me Jason. You know I hate the formal crap. And dad will be fine. He said the weather is making his arthritis act up. Would you get me a coffee? You remember how I like it, right? Oh, and maybe a bagel with some cream cheese?”
Jason walked past her into his dad’s office without getting an answer. Sarah clenched her fists and stood. The bakery next door to the office had coffee and bagels. She never minded getting stuff from there for Mr. Havery, but Jason always rubbed her the wrong way. Not looking forward to the day ahead, she walked out of the office.
∞∞∞
Sarah turned off her computer and tidied her desk up. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. She had fielded hundreds of personal calls for Jason. Mostly women who wanted to talk with him. Some of them even demanded to know who the hell she was. He asked her to make excuses for him. He would be busy all day. She had no idea what kept him so busy. Then a chestnut hair woman showed up in the office around 9 am. She had introduced herself as a friend of Jason’s. Sarah had never seen her around town before and buzzed into Jason. He let the woman into his office and they hadn’t come out till lunch.
She got his lunch for the day after the woman had left. Only an hour had passed when a blonde woman came in with the same introduction. Sarah wanted to vomit as the woman sashayed into his office. The afternoon breezed by and the woman left an hour before the end of the day. At least Jason left her alone for most of it. He had asked her to call for his dry cleaning and rsvp to multiple functions on his behalf. It was a decent day, but she still felt anxious and stressed. The only thing to blame it on was her sleeplessness. That and the fact that she loathed Jason Havery.
Lightning streaked across the sky outside the window. The skies opened up and started pouring. The rain hit the window hard and made it rattle. Th
ere was no way she would be able to bike home in this, and Mr. Havery wasn’t here to help. He usually would give her a ride home when the weather was bad. Maybe she could just wait it out at the bakery. She stood and stared out the window.
“The weatherman said it was supposed to be sunny and warm all day today. Shows what he knows.”
Sarah turned and looked up at Jason. He was standing right behind her. She hadn’t even heard him. She could smell the expensive cologne he wore. It made her nauseous. She fought to keep down her lunch. She smiled weakly at him.
“Well, I guess I will have to go get a tea next door. Hopefully, it lets up soon.”
Jason turned and grabbed her sneakers from under the desk. “Dad usually gives you a ride when the weather is bad. I will get your bike into the trunk of the car and take you home.”
Sarah bit her lower lip, chewing on it gently. She didn’t like Jason; he made her skin crawl. But she also didn’t want to ride home in a downpour. She crossed her arms in front of her and looked out the window again. The rain seemed to pour harder. It pelted against the glass. Her anxiety stepped up a notch. The lightning flashed across the horizon and thunder rolled loudly outside.
“I won’t bite unless you want me to.” He said cockily.
Sarah shot him a glare, and he threw up his hands in surrender.
“I promise I will get you home safe and sound.”
She stared at the sneakers in Jason’s hands. He sounded sincere.
Do I really have a choice? The rain didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon.
She nodded and took her sneakers from his hands.
∞∞∞
Sarah was glad that she had taken Jason up on his offer. The rain made driving in it a hazard, biking would have been impossible. Jason had to drive at a snail’s pace to even see the road. Sarah jumped at every lightning strike and thunder roll. Thunderstorms had always scared her. It was as if the fury of the storm gathered in her bones. As a child, she hid under her bed when it stormed. Shae would come to her on those nights and hold her. She would rock her back and forth till she slipped off to sleep. By morning the storm would be over. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her little cottage up ahead. Jason pulled up as close to the front porch as he could.