Just Breathe Part 2

Was she breaking up with him?

A long moment of silence embodied the cool s.p.a.ce between them, yet unspoken words volleyed back and forth inside his head like tennis b.a.l.l.s on speed.

I love you.

You betrayed me.

I need you.

You cheated on me.

I'm sorry. So sorry...

I'll never forgive you.

Zoe's sigh interrupted his maddening inner dialogue. "I think it's best if I get my stuff and head back to Queensland today. There's nothing left for me here, and I have a whale to find in Hervey Bay."

Another gut wrench. Could she twist the knife any harder? "I'll take you to the airport."

"No, you go and check on Jack and Whetu. I'll grab a taxi."

She was breaking up with him.

Certainly wasn't a shock, given the circ.u.mstances. Sentinel circuitry took charge, and a fresh, reasonable breeze of Air directed his words. "Then promise me you'll keep hidden-in the Dreaming and Realis. The Fyres think you're dead. You have to maintain that illusion."

"I can hide in the Dreaming, but I won't stop working my day job. I have whales to tag. The Fyres aren't likely to look for me on the ocean anyway. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." She smiled and patted his cheek. He fought the urge to recoil. "Besides, I have plenty of Water to keep me company."

He couldn't deny that. He only wished it was the warm kind of Water that used to dominate her aura before everything went to s.h.i.+t, rather than this new, cold variety laced with a shot of despair.

Maybe she was right. She needed time and s.p.a.ce. And he needed...s.h.i.+t, he didn't know what he needed. A do-over card would be nice to play right now.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" The words came out in a desperate rush before he could put a leash on them.

Her eyes narrowed, and she took a breath. "Yeah."

She paused, then leaned over as if to kiss him. Instinct pulled him away, but then love shoved him forward, just in time to miss his opportunity. The dull ache in his chest flared to a sharp, jabbing point on the tiptoes of their awkward dodge-dance. She looked to the handle where her fingers twitched.

"Be careful. I'll see you later." She yanked the lever, shouldered the panel open with a squeak, and bustled out.

"I love you," he said softly. The words crashed into the slammed door and rebounded into him like a slap across the face.

Scarlet lay in bed, giddy.

Off with her head. The b.i.t.c.h is dead. Gavin will keep me fed, she sang to herself.

She giggled and touched the wet folds between her legs. Hot embers of victory flared again. She slid her fingers in and out. Not nearly as filling as Gavin's c.o.c.k, but it would do for now. The memories of him pounding her bareback, followed by Zoe's head cracking against the brick fireplace provided excellent visual stimulation.

Gavin had been a proper beast in bed.

I'm still inside you, Scarlet, she imagined him saying.

She plunged her fingers harder, faster, and closed her eyes to focus on the delicious rhythm. "You liked f.u.c.king me, didn't you? You liked feeling all of me."

Your Fire is exquisite.

"Isn't it just?" Her breaths increased as an o.r.g.a.s.m snuck up behind her.

His rich cedar scent lingered in her memory. The silky red sheets added to the sensory overload. She switched hands and licked the sweetness from her index finger, imagining it was Gavin's c.o.c.k slathered with her juices. That was all it took.

Her body ignited, and she screamed in pleasure as flame after flame scorched her. Moments later, she emerged Fire-drunk in a blazing bed. The inferno danced around her like the cage of Gavin's arms. She sucked the energy from the bonfire, drank it down, and stored it in her soul. When the high ebbed and the fire went out, she lay on the scorched remains of her bed. Black scars singed into the carpet. A beautiful, burnt aroma lingered in the air.

It was her third climax of the morning, and by far the best. Imagine how good it would have been with Gavin's flesh burning against hers.

Ah, soon.

She laughed. She'd never get out of the house today if these incessant thoughts of Gavin didn't stop taunting her. Might end up burning the whole place down.

I want you again, Scarlet, Gavin's voice whispered in her head. Zoe's dead, and soon, we'll be together forever. You as Archelemental and me as your mate. We'll steal Eidan's Fire and rule Australia side by side.

"Yes, my love. We will."

She stood up and stretched, her body languid, though primed for yet another go. She could have wallowed in Fire all day long, but she had things to do. Time to contact her informant on the Sentinel Council to get things moving along. She grabbed her cell phone, wandered out of the bedroom through the thick haze of smoke, and dialed.

"Scarlet," the voice said. "What news have you?"

"Zoe Morgan is dead, by Gavin's hand."

"Interesting."

Scarlet snorted, then bent over with giggles. "You should have seen the Fire rolling off him. It won't be long before it pushes him out of Balance. Might even tip him enough to turn Fyre Elemental. The Council will have no choice but to relieve him of duty, and you'll take your rightful place at its head."

"Excellent. Pressure him with your Fyre minions. I eagerly await his fall from Yileen's precious little perch. Our only remaining task is to prevent the ascension of the whale to Archelemental. Without her, the Waeters have no hope of stopping us. And without Zoe to translate, the Waeters will be forced to promote a weaker Elemental to the position-one who should be easy to dispatch, should the need arise."

Scarlet twisted a curly red lock around her finger. "The Fyres are out in force, scouring the ocean from above for the whale. Gavin won't be a problem. I almost turned him after I killed Serena. Zoe's death will break him. If it hasn't already."

"Contact me when he gets closer. And relieve him of that b.l.o.o.d.y necklace. I need it."

"I'll be in touch soon." She ended the call.

Let's go back to bed. What's left of it, her imaginary lover said.

Another o.r.g.a.s.m to round out her morning might be just the motivation she'd need to track Gavin down later.

"If you insist, darling."

The phone vibrated in her hand. d.a.m.n it. A text from Archelemental Eidan: 'The Equinox approaches on 23 September. I need more Fire for the t.i.thing ceremony to Incendius. This will be our last chance to take control of the Balance until March. Let the Fyres loose in and out of the Dreaming. And get rid of that whale.'

Her Fire flared. More.

She tossed the phone aside with a shrill cackle. "Oh, I'll get more. For you and Eidan."

Chapter Four.

"How's Zoe?" Jack Weaver asked, chomping a little louder than necessary on an apple.

Since the accident, Gavin had flinched every time Jack mentioned her name. Zoe's father, recently reconnected with her after a lifetime apart, had developed a healthy appet.i.te for chewing up and spitting out anything that might threaten her.

Jack's aura pulsed deep blue-green-guarded, suspicious. Not surprising. He had every reason not to trust Gavin after he had accidentally murdered Jack's daughter.

"She's on her way back to Hervey Bay." Another wave of guilt crashed the bow of Gavin's sinking heart. He folded his frame into a chair. He would have opted for the fetal position had Jack been absent.

He sifted through the low light in the hotel room to the bed. The frail, burned form of the nine-year-old girl they'd rescued from Fyre Elementals in the Concord Hospital Burns Unit lay surrounded by clouds of thick white pillows. Her gaunt face had a pale yellow tinge. Covers pulled up to her chin, she barely breathed.

Before he died, Iri, Whetu's Aer Elemental father, claimed to have secreted the location of the door into the Dreaming within her unconscious mind. No one had been able to revive her.

Without access to the information hiding inside of Whetu, the Sentinels' ramshackle plan to take back the Dreaming from the Fyres had zero chance of success. Just this morning, Gavin saw headline on the news about another fire in Port Douglas that had left thirteen dead and twelve others in critical condition. It was the third arson in Queensland this week.

Wyldling suffering weighed on him, heavier than lead.

Gavin startled out of his reverie and glanced over to his Sentinel trainer.

Ankle resting on top of his knee, the bloke sat on the far side of the bed, gaze targeted on Gavin like a rifle. An accusing shock of neon yellow knifed through his aura. Long strands of gray hair framed his deceptively relaxed face.

Caught in his sights, Gavin was totally exposed, with nowhere to run.

The two of them had been pretty close mates until he introduced Jack to Zoe, and all three of their respective paradigms made a collective, unexpected inter-dimensional s.h.i.+ft into another galaxy. Friends, turned boyfriend and father, turned murderer and father of the victim...

Gavin was pretty sure he now ranked near the top of Jack's list of most hated enemies. And Jack didn't even know the part about Scarlet. He'd probably castrate Gavin and feed him his own b.a.l.l.s if he did.

"Do you love my daughter?" Jack's lips moved, but the rest of his body remained as calm as Gavin's was paralyzed. h.e.l.l of a question.

Gavin squeezed his brows together, and he straightened in his seat.

"Either you do or you don't. Not so hard to answer." Jack ripped into the apple again.

"Yes, I love Zoe. I told her so the other day." And a few hours ago. Though she had yet to say it back.

The intensity in Jack's aura eased a bit. A release of tension collapsed Gavin's back into his chair.

"You ever hear that expression, 'If you love something, set it free. If it doesn't come back, it wasn't yours to begin with?'"

Gavin sighed. "Yeah."

Jack leaned forward. "I'm in no position to give anyone advice on romance and s.h.i.+t, but it's as plain as day she loves you, too. You don't deserve her, but women are funny like that."

He pressed his lips together and nodded-perhaps rea.s.suring himself-and slapped his knee. Then he stood and paced the small room. Yellow Air masked the emotional blue Water that always snuck into his aura when he talked about Zoe.

Jack the father exited stage left, and Jack the Sentinel took the cue to resume his place in the spotlight. "We gotta transport Whetu to Hervey Bay. I spoke with some Aer Elementals this morning about sneaking inside her head, but they refused to touch her. They think she's too big of a Fyre target, and they're probably right." He stopped pacing and faced Gavin. "The Aer on my Librus Group team wants a crack at her."

Gavin gestured at Whetu. "How the f.u.c.k are we gonna take her anywhere? No way we can put her on a plane. She's totally out of it. The kid needs a hospital."

Jack stroked his gray beard. "Jet healed her body. Physically, she's fine. Mentally...well, we won't know until my Aer Elemental has a look at her. But if anyone can reach her, it's Vexx."

Gavin snorted. Vexx. That was a good one. "What is it with these over-the-top Elemental names?" He'd always wondered but never bothered to ask.

Jack took a huge bite of apple and spoke between chomps. "When they go through the change, a lot of Elementals consider it the beginning of a new life-a resurrection or rebirth-what-the-f.u.c.k-ever. So they take on a name that suits them and honors their G.o.d or G.o.ddess. Not all of 'em do it, but most."

"Why's your Aer friend called Vexx?"

Jack swallowed and chucked the apple core into the garbage bin. A wry grin spread slowly across his face. "Dude, it'll make total sense when you meet her."

"Oh, I can't wait." If she was anything like most of the other Elementals he'd met, he'd probably need to stock up on heartburn medicine.

Jack walked around Whetu's bed, and stood before Gavin, hand extended. The crusty yellow edges of his aura softened.

Gavin wiggled the lip ring with his tongue, got to his feet, and met Jack's eyes.

Zoe's dad had returned, the periwinkle blue of acceptance tingeing his aura. It couldn't have been easy on Jack, not knowing exactly what had happened at Gavin's house. But here he was, offering his hand.

f.u.c.k, Gavin had so much respect for this bloke. And felt so much shame for himself.

Nose tingling with the threat of another regret-fueled meltdown, Gavin clasped Jack's hand hard. Jack leaned into him, b.u.mped his chest, and slapped him once on the back. All four Elements ping-ponged between them, but Water dominated the others.

"I know her death was an accident, and I believe you love her. You're not remotely worthy, but for some reason, she digs you. And you're better than that d.i.c.khead boss of hers. If she deigns to keep your sorry a.s.s around, you have my blessing."

"Thanks, mate. I'll leave it to her to fill in the details if she wants, but I'll be honest. It was ugly." Gavin shook his head and swallowed over the catch in his dry throat. "I don't expect her ever to forgive me."

"Come on man, don't think like that. She'll come around. She has to. I wanna see her married one day. What better son-in-law could I ask for than a f.u.c.k-up like you?" Jack grinned and cuffed his arm.

Son-in-law? f.u.c.k, he and Zoe didn't even know how to be boyfriend-and-girlfriend. Marriage? Talk about an unattainable dream.

But it was good to have his friend back. Zoe might not forgive Gavin, but at least Jack seemed to be in his corner. Grudgingly.

Jack smacked his hands together and rubbed them in circles. "I have a plan for how to get Whetu to Hervey Bay without arousing suspicion."

Gavin crossed his arms. This oughta be good. "I can't wait to hear it."

"Easy as a gold-digging hooker on Rodeo Drive." Jack snapped his fingers. "I'm gonna steal an ambulance."