Just Breathe (36 page)

Gavin sat on the other side. The girl’s aura blazed steady, primary yellow. Fresh from the transformation, she was a powerhouse of Air. Probably would be for a while.

“Your father said you would know how to get into the Dreaming. Do you remember?” Cautious about pushing too hard, but anxious as a kid on Christmas morning, he had to ask.

“I remember. Sort of. I was close to solving the puzzle when this” —she raised her arms— “happened.”

Gavin scooted closer. Jesus Christ, if they could get the information out of her, the Sentinels could find the Dreamweaver, lock the door today, and keep the Fyres out for good. And he wouldn’t have to worry about the oath anymore. “What sort of puzzle are you working on? Maybe Vexx could help.”

“She has helped. I think the rest is on me now.” Whetu lowered her head.

“She’s not ready.” Vexx spoke softly. “She’s too weak from the change, and I can’t give her any more Air.”

Weak? The kid had fucking destroyed an entire room. How much more Air did she need?

The necklace vibrated again.

Of course. Gavin touched the fluorite raven, then unclasped the leather strap. He held it to Vexx. “If you can open the bird, the Elemental inside is yours. Do whatever it takes. We’ve
gotta
find that door.”

Vexx accepted the necklace and nodded her thanks. Her fingers rubbed the pulsing bird, then touched the only other stone. The footprint. Face pale, she gasped and closed her eyes. After a moment of communion or some shit, she worked the raven off and handed the lone footprint gem back. “This one’s all yours.”

Gavin cocked his head. When the necklace tumbled into his palm, he felt nothing from it. No vibrations. No heat. No cold. Just a lump of rock. Yileen must have had some purpose in adding it to the collection of Elemental gems, but he couldn’t for the life of him guess what.

Disappointed, he returned the leather to his neck and stood. “If you don’t need me, I’m going to find out where the hell Jack is. Are we set as far as the attacks go? Have you contacted the authorities about the bombs?”

“Yeah. We should be good. As soon as I break this chick out and refuel, I’ll start monitoring communications. Cross your fingers all goes well.”

They’d need a hell of a lot more than crossed fingers. A well-timed miracle would be great.

But maybe the tide had finally shifted. Not only had Whetu emerged from her coma, but Gavin also had another tidbit of important information. Thoughts darted to events that had transpired in the Dreaming just before Whetu woke up. A tiny light of hope sparked in his chest.

Scarlet wasn’t the only one with a direct link to the enemy. Now Gavin had one, too.

* * * *

“What’s going on with these whales today?” Adriene called to the front of the boat.

Zoe wished she knew. The humpbacks were on edge, agitated, restless. “Must be the crazy weather.” That and something to do with the Elementals. She hadn’t seen a single Wæter yet. Couldn’t be a good sign.

Tomorrow was the equinox.

She scanned the lightning-filled sky from the bow, Dani and Elizabeth behind her, Adriene at the wheel. Not a drop of rain had fallen, but the air rumbled and crackled with hair-raising electricity. The seas were eerily calm.

Hands on her hips, Zoe sent her thoughts through the ocean to the whales ahead.
Has anyone seen Lily?

Splashes disrupted the surface. One of the humpbacks lobtailed, and two others followed suit.
Something happened last night. Lily and the other Elementals headed for shore, north of Urangan.

Chills seized her skin.
What do you mean, ‘something happened’? Was someone in trouble?

Nobody said, but they left suddenly.

Shit.

Zoe pulled out her phone and dialed Gavin. When he didn’t answer, an iceberg of dread sunk her stomach. She checked her watch. Noon. The Fyres’ attack was scheduled to take place now. If things went south, Gavin was probably involved in clean up. She swallowed hard. Those bombs could have taken out millions of people.

She climbed around back to Adriene. “Can you check the news on your phone?”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Adriene dropped her voice and glanced to Dani and Elizabeth.

“Nothing, I hope. Just check it for me, will you?”

Adriene whipped out her fancy smart phone and typed. Her eyes widened, and she held it up. “Breaking news. Looks like the police uncovered some kind of terrorist plot. Bombs discovered in every major city in Australia. Did you know about this?”

With trembling hands, Zoe took the device and scrolled through the news stories slowly. It was just as Sinnder had described. The exact locations he had mentioned. Bombs set to detonate at noon. No suspects.

Thanks to the police and government emergency services, no one had been hurt, though panic was evident in the tone of the stories. That would give the Fyres plenty to feed off, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse.

Dani winged a curious glance to Zoe and Adriene.

“I—I can’t talk about it right now.”

Adriene laid a hand on Zoe’s. “You’re going to tell me what’s going on when we get home. And explain why I feel like I’m being stalked every time I step out of Jack’s house.”

“You’re being watched,” Zoe whispered, lowering her head. “We all are. There’s a guy keeping guard over the house to prevent another fire.”

“Zoe, what have you gotten yourself into? Ever since Gavin came on the scene, I feel like we’re living in a weird sci-fi movie. Iri’s disappearance. Those three guys swimming beside the boat the other day. The research house exploding. Terrorist attacks. You talking to whales is mild compared to the rest of this shit.”

Yep, a sci-fi movie would be about right. “Gavin and Jack work for…an organization. I can’t go into details, but their job is to protect people. That’s all I can say.”

Adriene crossed her arms. “So, this is some kind of government conspiracy? With whales?”

Zoe exhaled long and hard. “Yes. Sort of.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.

White light forked like a snake’s tongue sampling the air, dangerously close to the water.

“I need to go back to the harbor,” Zoe said.

“We just got here a couple hours ago, and we still have tags to attach.” Adriene gestured to the ocean. “Randy won’t like it.”

“If he gets bitchy, I’ll tell him the weather had me spooked.” The black clouds above rippled with ominous electricity. “You have to admit, it’s creepy as hell out here.”

“Okay. You’re the boss.” Adriene restarted the motor.

“Thanks. One day, when this is over, I’ll tell you a story you won’t believe.” Zoe forced a smile to her lips.

“I’m sure it’ll be a doozy.” Adriene turned the boat around and headed toward the harbor.

Lightning increased on the ride home, carving open the dark sky and booming thunder so loud, it hurt Zoe’s ears. Static electrified her hair, and her skin crawled. Was this a product of the Fyres’ wrath at being discovered? Some sort of retaliation?

The sea remained virtually motionless, so getting to the dock took only about an hour. As they approached the breakers, Zoe’s heart took a tumble.

Flashing red and blue lights whirled from the street beyond the cafes and shops surrounding Urangan Harbour. Zoe clutched the handhold on the rubber bumper and stretched forward. Police, camera crews, and bystanders swarmed a small swath of beach a little ways up from the docks.

“What the hell?” Dani took off her sunglasses.

Please don’t let it be Lily and the other Elementals.

“Adriene, hurry,” Zoe choked out. Her legs turned to gravy, and she sat beside her friend, shaking all over.

A few minutes later, Adriene pulled into their slip. Zoe leaped out of the boat and tied it up quickly. “You guys get the equipment to the car. I’ll meet you there shortly,” she called over her shoulder as she took off down the creaky wooden planks.

She reached the scene and pushed through the crowd. Yellow tape sectioned off a big strip of beach. “What happened?” she asked an older man when she got as close as the throng would allow.

“A young woman washed up dead. They haven’t identified her. The crime scene blokes are scouring the place for clues.”

Shit! What the hell?

Zoe wriggled between bodies amid huffs and grunts. A few hundred meters out in the ocean, a trio of blows vaporized into the air. More followed.

Lily, is that you?

Yes, Zoe.
The whale’s voice was frail, wispy, like vapor. Sad.

Who is it? Who died here?

I’m afraid it’s Lana. She’s been murdered.

Chapter Thirty-seven

“When I get my hands on Sinnder, I’ll rip him limb from limb, bash his head to a pulp, and bite off his balls for good measure.” Scarlet stomped back and forth over the ruined, blackened carpet of her lounge room. An acrid plastic stench rose from the floor, along with lingering smoke after her fit of rage.

Gavin awaits.

“Fuck you.” She’d been certain the Fire would get to him by now. That bitch Zoe must’ve been keeping him well-lubricated.

She lifted her gaze to the ceiling and let fly a scream that rattled the windows.

“If I don’t get in his pants soon, I won’t have enough Fire to face Eidan. I can’t wait until the next equinox. Gavin’s the only one who can give me what I need.”

Sinnder could feed you. He’s stronger than he looks.

Yes, she’d sensed his Fire growing over the last few weeks. He hid it well. Maybe the Dreaming wouldn’t be the only thing on her menu tomorrow. Now that the terrorist plot had been foiled, thanks to an information leak—scratch that, a
traitor
—the dream attack would make or break her chances of ever snatching the Archelemental position from Eidan.

Sinnder or Gavin—whoever crossed her path first—should provide her with enough octane to burn the smug smile off Eidan’s fucking face.

At least her informant on the Sentinel Council had made good on Lana’s assassination. Gavin was likely at the crime scene. Along with Zoe.

Scarlet smiled. Now would be the perfect time to destroy that slag. She couldn’t harm her physically, but spilling the beans about Gavin’s Fire Oath would inflict more damage than any burn could. Zoe would have to live with the agony of knowing Gavin was bound to Scarlet. Oh, this was perfect.

“Let’s go reel in some Gavin-flavored goodness.”

Fire flared its lust between her legs.

An hour later, she shifted her appearance to that of a bodacious blond groupie and slunk through the crowd gathered at Urangan Harbour. It took a great deal of concentration to trace the Fire locked down inside Gavin’s chest, but she finally spotted him with Zoe, hanging along the edge of the crime scene.

His cheeks had lost their fullness and color. Worry lines dug deep into his skin. Despite the heat, he wore long sleeves, sunnies, and a beanie on his head. His attempt at keeping a low profile couldn’t stop their shared Fire from recognizing part of itself. It bellowed with greedy anticipation as she neared him.

Gavin’s Fire sang in her mind, wove a scorching melody of lust and pain and fear that juiced hot saliva from under her tongue. But all that beautiful Fire lay untapped and buried beneath thick waves of Water.

Zoe had ruined him.

All the more reason to destroy her with the truth about the oath. No way Zoe would stay with him once she found out. And when his pesky Water for Zoe evaporated into steam for Scarlet, he wouldn’t be able to resist the call of her Fire. He would be hers. Wholly and completely hers.

Barely able to contain her excitement, she slunk up to him and touched his sleeve. “Gavin?”

He faced her, brows scrunched together. Distrustful. He narrowed his gaze on Scarlet and squared his shoulders, blocking her view to Zoe.

“Do I know you?” He pulled his arm away. A ripple of accusation steamed her way. She breathed deeply of it and quivered.

“You don’t remember? We had sex at Mike’s house a couple weeks ago. You said you’d call.” She flapped her lashes and pouted.

He reached behind him to Zoe and stepped back, his Fire stoking. “You’ve got the wrong Gavin.”

Heat rose from Zoe now, too.

Yes. More.

“No, I remember it well. You had me bent over the bed in Mike’s guest room, arse up, and pounded me for
days
,” she gushed. “Hard to forget fucking like that.”

“Let’s go,” he said over his shoulder. His face blazed red.

That’s it.
Fire shot through her limbs. It reached out to him, sizzling the air, and connected with the flames inside him.

The virtual hook-up must’ve been as good for him. He dropped Zoe’s hand and semi-lurched forward as Scarlet yanked his chain in a violent mental jack-off. Muscles in his cheeks rolling, he said through tight lips, “Scarlet, this is not the time.”

She held his Fire in a tight grip. Information streamed out of him into her.

The scattered and weary Sentinels were prepared to counterattack in the Dreaming, but without the Wæter Archelemental, they had no chance of stopping the Fyres controlling the Balance.

Gavin rightly suspected a Sentinel traitor was behind the assassination.

Sinnder had tipped off the Sentinels about the bombings.

God damn him.

But the cruelest, most cutting truth—the one she’d known deep down but buried under denial—underpinned it all. Gavin really did love Zoe.

The profound pain of that knowledge severed the fiery connection and bit fanged holes into her heart. The acid blood from the wound stung worse than the loss of her sister centuries ago. Unbearable.

Zoe appeared beside him, his pathetic little wide-eyed doe, and wound her arm through his. Their fingers intertwined. “Come on, Gavin. We have to go.”

Scarlet sensed the thick, nauseating Water trolling between them, and her lip curled. Gods, how she hated Zoe. Fucking hated her.

She smiled at Gavin. “Did you tell her what we did the other night after that unfortunate fire claimed her house?”

Zoe’s brow puckered. She turned to Gavin. His face fell.