Just Breathe (23 page)

Calm down, or Jack will sense something’s wrong.

Scarlet’s laughter stung his ears as a wave of cinnamon from his skin choked him.

Water. He paused for a moment, closed his eyes. The rain and the Water Zoe had shared flowed over him. Absorbing the Element and channeling it to the burning hole in his chest, he sighed. Scarlet sunk deeper in her cage and quieted. A temporary fix, but he was safe for now.

Zoe waved him to her side. He slipped his hand in hers. More blue streamed into him. Even better.

Jack answered the door, beer in hand. With brows raised, he seesawed his gaze back and forth between Gavin and Zoe. “Am I seeing this right? I thought you two weren’t speaking.”

Gavin exchanged glances with Zoe. She blushed and lowered her head. “We’re working things out,” she said.

Jack laughed and stepped out of the way to let them in. “Glad to hear it.”

Zoe half-hugged Jack as she went into the house. Both of their auras cooled to blue. Father and daughter were still a bit awkward around each other, but Gavin was glad they’d been spending time together. No one would protect Zoe better than Jack.

Voices rose from a back room. A crash followed, then a string of curses uttered by a bloke with an American accent. Jack turned in that direction and shouted, “Byrn, I swear to fuck, if you mess with Vexx again, you’re in time-out.”

“I got him.” That voice was familiar. Jet.

Clunking and bumping thundered from the room. Fast moving shadows danced into the hallway. Then a man with a bright red aura flew out and slammed against the wall.

What the fuck was going on in there? Gavin glanced at Zoe. She smiled. “I’m sure he deserved it.”

The Fyre got up, rolled his shoulders, and swaggered back in the room. “I love the way you sweet-talk me, Jet.”

Jack shook his head. “They’re like children, I swear. Worse, actually.” He whacked Gavin’s arm with the back of his hand. “You want a beer?”

“No, I’m only here for a minute. You mind if I give my regards to Jet?”

“Be my guest.”

Tightening the Watery enclosure around Scarlet’s Fire, Gavin headed down the hall. His Dreamsense buzzed with a low whine. He passed a closed door, and his blue tattoos crawled. Jack’s Wæter friend must’ve been in there. He continued onward.

Three Elementals stood around Whetu’s bed. The girl looked the same as when Gavin had last seen her—asleep with burn scars down her neck. Jet hovered like a mother hen. Behind her, the big Fyre peered over her shoulder at Whetu. Pink-haired, bubblegum-popping Vexx looked on from a chair beside the bed, her brows knitted tightly together.

“Sorry to interrupt.” Gavin stepped into the room, careful to keep the Fire to a low simmer.

All three faced him. The bloke—Byrn, he assumed—puffed out his chest and narrowed his eyes.

Scarlet’s Fire answered with a flare. Fucking hell.

He pushed it down with a quick swallow of Water.

Jet reached around Byrn to shake Gavin’s hand with a vise-like grip. “You look much better than the last time I saw you.” Her green eyes sparkled behind the glasses when she smiled.

Pay your respects, and get out before the Fyre gets suspicious.

Gavin nodded. “I wanted to say thanks for what you did for Zoe and me. I owe you…a lot. I won’t forget it.”

Jet sat on the bed near Whetu’s feet. “It wasn’t a problem.”

The Fyre straightened. A grin spread across his face like slow-moving molasses, more spicy than sweet. He wound his arms across his wide chest.

Fuck.

Gavin held his breath.

“So you’re the one who’s banging Zoe. You guys ever considered a threesome? I could totally make it worth your while.”

Fire prodding him from dual sources, Gavin ground his teeth and took a dive into Byrn’s personal space. Inflamed words flew before he had a chance to ground them. “Mind your mouth, dickhead.”

“It’s okay,” Zoe interjected behind him. Her hand warmed his back. “Byrn’s just joking.”

Hell, no, it wasn’t okay. Heat rolled off the Fyre and half-melted the hardened gel in Gavin’s hair.

“Packing a little extra heat there, buddy?” Byrn glanced at Gavin’s chest.

Scarlet’s Fire licked at his insides, goading him toward violence. Gavin gathered some Water and pushed his body against Byrn.

Fire, Air, and Earth levels in the room spiked.

“Easy,” Jet cautioned. “Byrn, don’t mess with Gavin about Zoe. Even in jest. You’ll get yourself a one-way ticket to Incendius talking that kind of smack.”

Byrn’s lip curled. His gaze never strayed from Gavin’s. “You scared to say yes to a three-way, Sentinel boy? Afraid you might end up liking the Fyre cock a little too much? Oh, the things I could do to you.” He passed his tongue across his lips, then licked the five fingers on one hand in turn, a few centimeters from Gavin’s face.

Scarlet’s Fire smiled.

Gavin’s Water wasn’t amused.

“Oh, shit,” Vexx piped up from her chair. She snuffed a giggle with a cupped hand.

Gavin ushered Byrn to the wall with his body. Despite the Fire urging him on, he had the sense to route Water to his fists. He shoved the Fyre and stepped back as the bastard slid to the floor, squirming the whole way down.

Gavin crouched beside him and leaned close to his ear. “Where I come from, it’s bad taste to proposition a man’s lady. Worse to do it to someone’s daughter. That’s two strikes. One more, and your mates will be mopping your ashes off the floor. Now, go be a dear and tell Zoe you’re sorry. Then you can apologize to Jack.”

His face distorted with pain, Byrn stood, swiped the back of a wrist across his mouth, and flashed a toothy grin. “Can you and I have make-up sex afterward? I’m getting the distinct impression you’re my kinda lover.”

“Byrn.” Jet hadn’t moved.

“Uh—” Zoe’s voice trembled.

Byrn blew a puff in Gavin’s face. A warm, seductive scent curled between them. Scarlet roused in Gavin’s core, as if sniffing the air. Wild, animal-like screams from the day he accidentally fucked her lit up his ears.

A sudden wave of Firelust damn near knocked him over.

Byrn tilted his head and narrowed red eyes on Gavin.

Fucking hell. He’d sensed Scarlet’s Fire. He
must
have.

Zoe wriggled between them and elbowed Byrn and Gavin apart. “Stop acting like children.”

Her Water meant business. The magnetic pull between Scarlet and Byrn dampened when she touched him, and the connection severed.

Gavin rubbed his chest. It hurt. Like bruises scattered over his soul. Scarlet’s Fire had sunk its talons in hard. He met Byrn’s eyes and saw recognition in them. A shiver bolted through his muscles.

Please don’t tell Zoe.

“That’s some strong Fire you got there,
mate
.” Byrn pronounced the last word with an Aussie kick. “With the crazy heat around here, you’d be wise to keep that shit on a leash. Wouldn’t want to attract any unwanted attention, now would you?”

Byrn turned to Zoe. “And
you,
Lady Hot Ass, must be one lucky girl. All that Fire to keep your hoo-ha nice and toasty. I’m insanely jealous.”

Gavin’s lip curled as he fought back Scarlet’s explosive Fire clamoring for a bite of Byrn, but Zoe hooked her arm through Gavin’s and stroked his blue tattoos. They glowed in reply, and her Water soothed his fury. “Lucky doesn’t begin to describe me.”

Byrn cocked a brow.

Shame and worry tunneled through Gavin’s blood vessels like parasites. Fuck, if the bond to his most hated enemy didn’t kill him, the guilt and fear of living a lie that Byrn might expose on a whim certainly would.

Chapter Twenty-five

After Jack and Gavin left on a quest into the Dreaming for the mysterious Dreamweaver, and Byrn disappeared in search of “chow,” Zoe sat beside Whetu’s motionless form on the bed and watched the intent Aer Elemental on the other side of her.

“I might be getting something.” Vexx leaned closer to Whetu and pressed her index and middle fingers to the girl’s temples. She held her breath and closed her eyes.

Whetu’s brows squeezed tightly for a long moment, then the muscles in her face slackened.

Vexx fell into the chair cushion, pink and black pigtails bouncing with the impact. “I’m
so
close. Come on, Whetu. I know you’re in there. You’re gonna have to come out sooner or later, chick.”

Zoe slid her hand over Whetu’s soft arm. “Has she blocked you from her mind, or is something holding her back?”

“Maybe a little of both. I’m sure the heat Byrn and Gavin were kicking around like hacky sacks wasn’t helping either.” She paused and swept Whetu’s cheek. “She’s put up a mental wall, and I haven’t found a weak spot to start picking at. Once I do, it’ll go much faster. Her old man was a legend, so I’m not surprised she’s packing major Air. To be honest, I think the change will come in a matter of days.” Vexx popped her gum loudly and faced Zoe. “You ever see a Wyldling go Elemental?”

“No, I don’t know much about that process.”

“It’s effin’ wicked.” The golden flecks in Vexx’s eyes sparkled.

No doubt. “How does it happen? I mean, I thought Elementals were just born that way. Is it genetic?”

“There’s a genetic component, yes, but more than anything, it has to do with a Wyldling’s Balance. Most humans are pretty well-rounded in the Element department. Sure, they have minor fluctuations, peaks and valleys, throughout the day—that’s normal. But ever notice how some people are just crazy-smart or strong or intuitive or sexy without even trying?”

Zoe nodded.

Vexx glanced at Whetu. “Those are the ones who stand a good chance of becoming like us.”

“So
anyone
can become an Elemental?” Zoe asked. Imagine the research implications. Wow.

“Theoretically, yes. The change usually happens after a life-rattling event. In Whetu’s case, it could be the loss of her father, though that would be more likely to evoke Water than Air. This girl has Air in spades.

“Whatever the reason, the inciting event creates a massive spike in one Element’s production inside the human body, and actually causes the biological parts associated with that Element’s Shade to wither and lose functionality. The ‘host’ Element rushes in to compensate for those deteriorating pieces, thereby strengthening the person in one area and depleting stores in another. That’s why Fire weakens Air. We Aers don’t boast much Fire, therefore we have very little resistance to it. The older the Elemental, the less of the other Elements he or she has.”

“What happens when you become all Air?”

“We return to Aero in the purest form and ‘commune’”—Vexx made air quotes—“with the god. At least that’s what we’re told. People like Jet, Byrn, Xanthos, and I prefer not to believe in that archaic dogma. It cramps our style.”

“Why do you call it dogma? You either ascend to the god or you don’t, right?”

“It’s dogma in that the Archelementals are a bunch of power-hungry asshole politicos who—just like human politicians—want to be reelected to another term so they can steal power from the masses. That whole tithing thing is a huge load of horse shit.”

Gavin had mentioned Elementals were subject to the same bloody politics and backstabbing humans were. “So, you four are renegades. I can appreciate that.” Man, could she ever.

One question had been bugging her since the Gavin-Scarlet incident. She didn’t really want to know the answer, but she needed to. Just in case.

“What about children? Obviously Elementals can have them.” Zoe nodded at Whetu. “How does that…happen?”

Vexx giggled. “Same way it happens for you. Want me to draw you a diagram? I could call Byrn back here for a demonstration.”

Zoe bit her lip. She shouldn’t even be asking this question. She trusted Gavin hadn’t lied to her about not finishing his business when he and Scarlet… She shook her head. “No, I mean, is it easy for an Elemental to get pregnant?”

Vexx propped her hot pink Chuck Taylor high tops up on the bed. “Easy? No. Because we’re out of Balance, Elemental bodies tend to reject ‘foreign objects.’ Fyres are too hot. Wæters are too cold. Aers lack the physical space. Erthes are the only ones who don’t generally have fertility problems.

“To sustain the pregnancy to term, an Elemental must give up some of her base Element and allow the others back in. Most aren’t comfortable with that plan because they fear they might lose control of their native Element for good. That’s why you don’t see many Elemental mamas. Much easier to be a dad.”

That was good news. Scarlet didn’t strike Zoe as the motherly type anyway. She craved Fire too much to give it up for a defenseless baby—

“Best not to think about it, Zoe.” Vexx folded her delicate fingers neatly across the plaid pink and purple of her mini skirt waistband.

Heat warmed Zoe’s cheeks. “You’re not a mind reader like Iri, are you?”

“Nope. Well, not exactly. I’m good with suggestion though. So why don’t you forget about Scarlet for now.” She leaned over and wiggled her fingers in front of Zoe’s eyes, painting the air shimmery gold.

Wow. Gorgeous. Zoe lifted a hand to touch the glittery ribbon of light, but it disappeared before she could.

She blinked. “Did you say something?” For the life of her, she couldn’t remember what they’d been talking about. Must not have been too important.

“I said I’m good with suggestion.” Vexx flashed a pearly white smile.

“You made me forget something.”

Vexx’s shoulders lifted with a girly giggle.

“Jedi mind tricks really do exist.” Huh. Zoe wouldn’t ask what she forgot. They’d been discussing something about Elementals that made her uncomfortable. Probably best to keep the train of thought derailed.

“If you’re good at planting ideas, why not use your skill to lure Whetu out of the coma—or whatever she’s in?”

“Normally, I would, but she’s so close to turning, I’m afraid if I dig too deep, I could damage her brain. She’s in a precarious, cocoon-like state. A mental foible on my part could not only wipe out her knowledge of the location of the dream-door, but it could end her permanently.”

Zoe swallowed hard and studied Whetu’s frail, burned body. If this innocent child didn’t wake up soon, Australia might be nothing more than a forgotten nightmare in a week.