Just Breathe Part 14

Zoe shook all over. "Why are you here, Sinnder? Aside from Fire, I don't have anything you'd want."

"Wrong, Translator." His breath smelled so divine, she was tempted to stick her tongue out for a taste of it. d.a.m.n, Zoe. Focus.

"Well, you certainly don't want my Water."

He stared at her silently. A bulb lighted in her brain, and the remains of her fear ebbed away. s.h.i.+t, maybe he did want her Water. "This visit has something to do with Scarlet, doesn't it?"

The red sparked.

Curioser and curioser. "You want her dead as badly as I do. She hurt you, too."

His expression darkened, and a crack of pain marred his handsome face. The heat fled his irises. He turned away.

"Tell me what she did to you."

She stepped in front of him. The Fire tangoing between them cooled. He didn't answer.

Zoe caressed his warm cheek, and he covered her hand with his.

"Same as she did to you. Took someone I loved."

The raw emotion in his gaze startled her. It was the first time she'd ever seen him display anything other than thinly veiled Fire.

In that moment, her heart ached for him. For both of them. She clung to his touch for several breaths, and he let her. Nothing s.e.xual, but intimate nonetheless.

They shared a common tragedy and a common goal. Two people with nothing to lose and a h.e.l.l of a lot to gain by partnering up.

"What do you want to do?"

He released her hand and stepped back. His soft expression reverted to the hard, predatory one she was accustomed to. "I want to kill her."

"You and me both. How do we do it?"

"If you can handle the Fyres when they launch their attack on the equinox and push Scarlet back into Realis, I can take her from there."

So, she'd a.s.sumed correctly. The Fyres were planning to storm the Dreaming on September twenty-third.

"That's it? I just get rid of fifty or so Fyres, and give you the glory of snuffing out that b.i.t.c.h on your own? Screw that." No way she'd let him steal her prize.

"Try a hundred or so Fyres, and yes, you'll want me to handle Scarlet alone. She's strong enough to kill Eidan himself."

Zoe hitched her hands to her hips. "Oh, and you are, too?"

His teeth flashed. "I will be."

"I don't like not knowing the details. Why should I trust you? We may have a common goal, but who's to say you aren't in this to take the Archelemental job yourself? How do I know you're not the bad guy?"

He did that speed demon thing again and suddenly became an intimate occupant of her personal s.p.a.ce. He breathed heavily in her face. "I am the bad guy, Wyldling, and my super power is the only thing that can take out Scarlet. You either want her dead or you don't. Which is it?"

His super power? More mystery. She wished she could spend just one minute digging through his brain. Imagine the secrets she'd uncover. And the desires. She s.h.i.+vered.

Never mind.

Though his aim was to frighten her, her gut told her Sinnder had the power to do exactly what he said. The Fire raging inside him was palpable.

"Scarlet dead sounds heavenly to me. But I don't want any innocents to get hurt."

He shook his head. "They're already getting hurt. And the death toll will continue to climb. Get the Waeters' Archelemental in place, lead your little army into battle on the equinox, and let me handle Scarlet."

Zoe lifted her chin. "I'll keep the whales safe and do whatever I can to help the Wyldlings in the Dreaming, but I'm just one woman. I doubt I'll be much help to you or anyone else."

Sinnder's mouth eased into a loose, rugged grin. He shook the tousled hair out of his eyes like a sated, lazy lion tossing its mane. "You underestimate yourself." His gaze dipped to the center of her chest, then he refocused on her eyes. "I'm pretty sure you'll be able to hold your own. And then some."

Not likely, but she'd d.a.m.n sure try. With her slowly building reserve of Waeter Elementals congregating nightly outside the Dreaming, waiting for the Veil to open and let them in, and the whales she'd been talking to on the boat every day, she had ama.s.sed a small contingent of 'soldiers.'

Sinnder sauntered to the window.

"Wait. How will I contact you if I need to speak with you?"

His back to her, he said, "Light a fire and call my name. I'll hear you."

"You know, it would be a h.e.l.l of a lot easier if you'd just tell me where the door to the Dreaming is, let me go in, do my thing, and chase Scarlet out now, rather than later."

He glanced over his shoulder. "I'm sure it would. But then I wouldn't get what I want out of the deal: more Fire. Think of it as a compromise."

A s.h.i.+ver climbed her spine. "What exactly are you planning to do with the Fire when you get it?"

"Take care of Australia's Fyre Elemental problem for once and for all."

Oh, h.e.l.l. She swallowed the lump of dread lodged in her throat. "Wiping out an entire population of Fyres will throw off the Balance in a different direction."

"Not all of the Fyres. Just the two biggest ones."

She barely had time to catch her next breath, and he was gone.

Gavin had been searching about six hours for the Dreamweaver in the Dreaming when Fire reared unexpectedly inside his chest. He stumbled to a stop. Two seconds later, heat warmed his back. What the h.e.l.l?

He whirled to face the Fyre behind him, his Water guns c.o.c.ked and targeted on the bloke's heart. It was the male Elemental who'd killed three teens a few nights ago and narrowly escaped death after Gavin's Water bomb had misfired.

He eyed Gavin's weapons and raised his hands in surrender. Good. He bought the bluff.

Gavin didn't have s.h.i.+t for ammo. Again.

"Why are you following me?"

The Fyre licked his lips. "I'm hungry."

"Yeah? Have you had my specialty? Here, try a bite of this f.u.c.k you steak." Gavin decked the guy with a crack to the jaw that launched him a good three meters and ended with a crash landing. His body skidded through the ashes until friction and a half-exposed tree root stopped him. At least Gavin's Earth was working.

There was that d.a.m.n flare again. Dread sunk his gut like a doomed s.h.i.+p as he pressed a palm against his hot sternum. Flames leaped within. Recognizing the cinnamon bite, he swallowed hard. f.u.c.k.

Scarlet's mocking laughter echoed in his ears. He'd been experiencing these hot flashes since he made the oath. The truth he feared could no longer be denied. He wasn't just bound to her. Part of her Fire was lodged deep inside him, attached to his. Their Fire was one.

Finish him off, Scarlet seemed to say.

Gladly, but not for her. Gavin trudged to the Fyre's p.r.o.ne body, a cloud of gray dust announcing his arrival. He leaned down. The Fyre must've been pretty young. He didn't have much- The Elemental's eyes snapped open, and he yanked Gavin to the ground, crus.h.i.+ng his face into a patch of glowing embers.

Pain and rage took control and promptly handed the reins over to instinct, which unloaded a volley of vicious blows to the Fyre's face and neck. An Elemental tap opened and unleashed his fury in full spate, Scarlet goading him on. Anger consumed him, stained his vision red. He didn't realize the extent of his frenzy until he paused to catch his breath.

The Elemental's face was a red crater. Gavin held up his hands. They were sticky with gore-brain matter, meaty chunks of skin, even a few shards of bone. Lacerations sliced deep into his knuckles. Spatters of blood coated his arms and lips. He wiped his mouth and crawled off the body. What the f.u.c.k had he done?

But even as he stared in horror at the damage he'd inflicted, the craving for more swelled behind his ribs. Bloodl.u.s.t filled him, occupied every available s.p.a.ce within his body, consumed him.

And he liked it.

Scarlet's laugh softened to a tickle in his chest, like a lover's caress. His Fire sunk into hers, wound its tendrils around her. f.u.c.ked her. They fed each other, teased with playful jabs, back and forth. His c.o.c.k stirred, a battering ram against the wall of his pants. Their collective flames stoked and rose together like a long-awaited climax after hours rough s.e.x-too intense to describe.

A long, sad note of music in the distance broke the fever. Gavin shook his head free of Scarlet's thrall. Her Fire protested with a long, furious hiss. The writhing flames scrambled to regain control, but it was too late. Zoe's whale call had shattered the spell.

Gavin stood and faced the ocean. f.u.c.k, Scarlet had more power over him than he realized. Stupid fool. He should've known better than to take their oath so casually. This was Scarlet. She never did anything half-a.r.s.ed-least of all playing the role of the jealous, psycho ex-girlfriend.

Closing his eyes, he focused on Zoe's song and let it wash over him. After a few moments, the Fire retreated, and Scarlet all but disappeared from his mind. He glanced at the bit of blue pulsing in his hands. Water restoration to boot. Gavin smiled. Still his muse. Maybe now more than ever before.

Frantic pleas for help from beyond the forest snagged his attention. He trotted in that direction, glad for Zoe's Water refill, but fearful of what he might do if Scarlet sunk her claws in again. As long as Fyres were on the other end of his rage, he'd be okay. He just prayed no one else got in the way the next time she decided to blow.

Chapter Eighteen.

September 15 Zoe dropped Adriene, Dani, and Elizabeth off at the research house after work and headed to Jack's. She had somehow navigated the trials of another day, but waking up without Gavin every morning had become harder, rather than easier, as the week wore on. Shouldn't she be healing by now?

Sadness surged. Happiness receded. Water was Water, regardless of the variety, but man, she wished things could be different. When the time came, she'd fight Fire with the Water of desperation and regret.

And emptiness.

She grounded her turbulent emotions with a righteous dose of Air and s.h.i.+fted attention to her number one priority: saving Australia from descending into h.e.l.l on earth. Since she and the leader of the Sentinels were no longer speaking, she figured she'd better tell Jack about Sinnder's warning of another Wyldling attack.

Never having visited her father's pad, Zoe had no idea what to expect. She rapped on the door, which flew open before her knuckles got to their third tap. Jack yanked her inside and locked the deadbolt behind her. Must've been expecting her.

"Hey, Zoe. Glad you made it. Come in and meet my team."

"Team?"

He ushered her to one of the bedrooms. Female voices flowed out and then silenced when Zoe got to the threshold.

A pink-haired girl who couldn't have been more than twenty-three smiled and waved from her perch beside the full-sized bed that split the room in half. She reminded Zoe of a flamingo.

Another woman sat in a chair on the other side and met Zoe's gaze through a pair of gla.s.ses. Hard emerald irises practically glowed from behind them. Fragmented memories fired off in Zoe's brain. The Erthe Elemental who saved her after...

"I know you," Zoe said.

The dark-haired woman stood and held out her right hand. "Jet Hawthorne. We've met."

On most intimate terms. Jet had seen Zoe from the inside out-reorganized her broken skull bones, glued them back in place, and got her heart pumping again.

Zoe eagerly accepted the offered hand and shook. Holy c.r.a.p, Jet had a strong grip. "Thanks for putting me back together. I don't remember much, but...thank you." She glanced at Jack, who said nothing.

Jet nodded and resumed her seat. A woodsy scent followed her. A little like Gavin's yummy cedar soap.

The younger woman bounced-literally bounced-to her feet. From either side of her head, pink and black pigtails bobbed, thick as yak fur. She blew a bubble the size of a cantaloupe, sucked it in with a loud pop, and shook Zoe's hand.

"I'm Vexx. You're Zoe Morgan. With Cetacean Research Network. Come to see about Whetu, huh?" She looked down at the girl tucked beneath the covers. "Well, join the club. She's a cute kid, no? So sad what happened to her dad. You knew Iri, didn't you? I never met him, but I heard about him. Quite a legend among my kind. Such a shame."

Barely able to keep up with Vexx's fast talking, Zoe just nodded. The air between them swirled with the same, bubbly animation that poured off Vexx. It kind of made Zoe dizzy.

"Aer Elemental?" she asked.

Vexx made a gun with her fingers, pointed, and winked as she pulled the trigger. "Yep."

"Whetu's still not responding," Jack said from behind her.

Zoe shot a look at Vexx. "I gathered."

The front door opened in the other room, and the temperature in the house rose. Heavy steps thundered down the hall toward them.

Uh-oh. This couldn't be good. Zoe turned.

A gorgeous guy with gleaming red eyes and a hard-cut, shoulder length man-bob flamed into the room, the ends of the red-streaked blond hair splaying outward as if possessed by static. "Behold the c.o.c.k that launched a thousand screams. And that was just last night."

Zoe tripped over the grinning Jack to get away from the Fyre Elemental. Jack caught and steadied her.

"Oi! Children in the room, you a.s.shole." Vexx scowled at the guy and gestured to Whetu. The rising pink in her cheeks almost matched her hair.

"Oh, excuse me. Behold the p.e.n.i.s that launched a thousand screams." The Fyre flipped her off and rolled his eyes. Heat and cool wrestled for control of the Elemental thermostat, but Fire quickly gained the upper hand. Vexx threw out a hand. A fierce wind whipped up from nowhere.

Jet s.h.i.+vered, frowned, and then stepped between the Fyre and Vexx. Some of the heat slaked. "Back it up, Byrn."

He didn't move.

Matching his height, Jet leaned her chest into his and herded him to the wall.