elemental 02 - blaze

by Ladd, Larissa

  “I mean, we’re not going to find out what they’re after unless you interact with them more. You’ll be vulnerable, but you’ll have Aiden and me both there with you…and your friends.”

  Aira bit her lip, thinking of the way Alex had kissed her, the absolute charm he radiated. She was in danger of becoming attached to him, beyond a casual attraction.

  “Besides, when you come into your full powers, I doubt he’d be able to stand up against you.”

  Aira chuckled. “He’s an air elemental too. And not a wimpy one, either.”

  Dylan shook his head. “You’re underestimating yourself. You were able to keep yourself under control at lunch. You said yourself you kept getting hunches, kept pulling away from his charm.”

  Aira sighed. “Yes, but my…uh… ah, to hell with it. I’m getting more and more turned on by the hour, and he’s so gorgeous.”

  Dylan laughed out loud, rolling his eyes. “If you really need help restraining yourself, you can count on me to wet-blanket you.”

  Aira snorted at the turn of phrase, thinking it was a good description of the spell he had cast to suppress the violence of her powers and the sensation of Dylan infusing his more stable, watery energy into her.

  “If you don’t think it will be a total disaster and get me killed…” she said, trailing off.

  Dylan shook his head. “You can totally handle this.”

  Aira pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, feeling palpable relief. Maybe she was wrong; maybe Alex and Dolores weren’t spies. She texted him a flirtatious note, adding that she would enjoy having his help in celebrating her birthday. If Dylan believed in her ability to take care of herself in that fraught time, she would have to believe in herself.

  Alex texted back that he had hoped she’d want to see him again so soon. Aira gave Dylan a little smile, taking her phone with her as she went to her bedroom, beginning a rapid-fire exchange with the other elemental. While she knew she shouldn’t trust him, she found herself warming to his enthusiasm, blushing and feeling just as giddy as she had in his presence. She told herself firmly she would have to be careful—she could easily experience another power surge in the night—but it almost seemed worth it.

  After they came home from the lunch date, the repairman arrived to fix the broken window. Aira hadn’t considered how odd it would be to have just one window completely broken out until he asked what had happened.

  “Oh,” she said, latching onto the news coverage of another odd windstorm. “It was that windstorm last night. I heard it put out several windows in the area.” The repairman nodded, commenting that he had been busy all day with repairs. When Aira heard about the broken windows, she felt guilty. She was still waiting to hear from her grandmother about what a horrible display it was and how she should have controlled herself better. Then she remembered that, while coming into her full powers her grandmother had flooded her childhood home and caused another small, localized flood on another location when she had been consumed with grief at the passing of her first husband. She would understand, Aira thought. The lack of a phone call was likely a signal in and of itself. Her grandmother knew there was nothing Aira could have done in the situation to prevent the wind storm from happening.

  As she continued to text Alex, Aira didn’t realize she was forgetting her misgivings about the man; instead she was responding to his air-aligned charm, to the easygoing flattery that even she knew air elementals excelled in. She heard herself giggling at his comments, found herself glancing at her phone every few moments throughout dinner and even afterwards, waiting to see what he would say next. To judge by his preoccupation, Aiden was going through a similar situation with Dolores, and when Aira noticed, the sharp stab of jealousy resurfaced. It’s just my super-powered elemental hormones, she told herself firmly. They’d had another vicious argument when she suggested she was fine with Alex coming to her birthday, but she was hesitant to invite Dolores. Her reasoning was that the woman had nearly charmed Aiden into admitting everything, and Aiden couldn’t keep himself properly on the task of protecting her if Dolores was around to distract him. Dylan had interrupted the argument in his usual diplomatic fashion, telling them both firmly but gently that if either were having a problem keeping the correct caution, he would simply use his spells to bring them back in line. They both conceded.

  Aira decided a new outfit was in order for her birthday celebration, and so she spent the rest of her evening scanning local boutiques, wanting to get the shopping done as quickly as possible the next day before she went out. She wanted to look absolutely irresistible. The part of her mind not engaged in planning and making sure her friends would be available for her celebration, was dwelling on the air elemental. She pictured him easily in her mind, sprawled in bed with her, his hands wandering over her body as his intense blue eyes looked down at her full of lust. She had not failed to notice his long, deft fingers, the way his touch ignited something inside of her all throughout lunch, bearing the power to distract her from her annoyance at Aiden’s failure to remember they needed to be cautious. As long as she could keep herself from revealing too much, she thought, she was not at all adverse to seducing—or being seduced by—the other man.

  ***

  Aira awoke the morning before her birthday feeling both incredibly, vibrantly alive and on the edge of mania. The sensory overload that had accompanied her first power surge was back; not quite as strong as it was initially, but constant. Even Dylan’s magic was unable to put a dent in the sensation of power running up and down her limbs, coursing through her organs, igniting every part of her. If her attention waivered from controlling her element for even a few moments, the wind began to rise. She caught Aiden and Dylan exchanging a concerned look.

  “I’ll be okay,” she said, irritated at their doubt. Aira put on her most comfortable clothes, choosing fabrics that wouldn’t rub against her sensitized skin. In addition to her irritation, she found her lust increasing exponentially. She had to carefully force herself not to look at Aiden or Dylan for too long or her mind ran away with fantasies of seducing them, of taking them to her bed and satisfying the insatiable thirst, the itch that was driving her mad. She knew it would be a difficult day—that the next day was unlikely to be much better—but she had to believe she could get through it. She had put so much hope in her plans to go out, had looked forward to it so much that it would have crushed her to back out.

  Alex sent a text while she was getting ready to go to the mall with the two brothers, a flirtatious greeting that sent a thrill through her. She knew she had only to make the smallest mention of her desires and Alex would find a way to fulfill them. The same power filling her with knowledge of her own potential, however, also filled her with doubt—suspicion. She considered the quandary; Alex was certainly more than just an elemental who was interested in her. The solution hit her suddenly as she responded to Alex—while she didn’t have her grandmother’s intuitive insights, her air alignment did give her some abilities in divination and her grandmother had taught her extensively as part of her elemental training. She opened the top drawer of her dresser, moving pairs of underwear and bras around until she found the old, worn tarot deck her grandmother had taught her with. Aira heard the wind rising, but she paid little attention. Removing the cards from the pack, she felt the comforting weight of them in her hands, soothing her apprehensions.

  Her grandmother had taught her there were always answers to be found. Aira closed her eyes as she shuffled the cards, progressing them through her hands in automatic movements as she relocated to sit in the center of her room.

  She continued to shuffle until something inside told her to stop. She began selecting cards, setting them in a spread in front of her with her eyes still closed, relying on muscle memory and divining instinct. While she could divine things from a variety of sources—tea leaves, crystal balls, runes—she was most comfortable with the cards. Aira continued pulling cards until she had a full spread. She then set the remainder down next to
her. She opened her eyes and studied the cards she had selected, her gaze moving over each one in its position. The swords suit featured prominently. Aira almost rolled her eyes at such an obvious allusion to the situation at hand: swords, being the element of air, were certainly appropriate considering her alignment as well as Alex’s. She took a deeper look, knowing there was more to be seen beyond the obvious. In the position representing herself, she saw the Queen of Swords: the pinnacle of feminine air energy, representing her rise into her final state as a full elemental. It was compromised by the six of swords—a difficult transition, a rite of passage. The three of swords showed the potential for grief, for heartbreak. The outcome was the ace of swords: victory, raw power. The lover’s card represented a decision to be made.

  Alex’s alignment showed itself as the Knight of swords, paired with the Magician. Yet another influence in the spread Aira couldn’t quite understand was the World card, representing completion, which gravitated to the Chariot card. Aira shook her head; she would contemplate that influence later. The situation regarding Alex and Aira, and whether or not she should move forward with him, played out with the Tower, followed by the High Priestess in reverse—the need to listen to her instincts. Aira sighed.

  She was still contemplating the spread of cards in front of her when a knock sounded at her door. “Come in,” she said absently, trying to find out whether she was being told to avoid the situation altogether, or merely being told that she should be cautious. Dylan opened the door and entered, carrying a mug. He took a seat in a chair a few feet away, setting the mug down on Aira’s vanity.

  “I talked to your grandmother,” he said quietly, not wanting to interrupt her contemplation. Aira nodded, thinking of the Tower, the suggestion of a rite of passage, of difficult choices. She looked at the cards advising the potential of grief and heartbreak and wondered if that meant she would definitely be betrayed—that Alex had dark intentions for her, or was working with someone who did. Or that he was simply connected in some way to a potential for betrayal and heartache. She had to make a decision at some point, the cards were clear on that. But was it the present moment, or some future instant? Aira groaned and scooped up the cards, adding them back to the deck and began to shuffle it again. She looked up at him, letting her mind drift as she shuffled, looking for clarity.

  “She gave me a recipe that should help you with the power surges.”

  Aira raised an eyebrow.

  “It should at least help you function.”

  Aira nodded. If her grandmother had given Dylan the recipe, she had to trust it was going to work—at least a little bit. “I’ll drink it in a minute.”

  Dylan watched her for a moment as she finished shuffling and began blindly spreading them. She looked down at the cards, seeing most of the same cards once again. She was clearly too close to the problem. She tried to read deeper into the cards. She understood the choice she was going to have to make involved not only Alex, but the mysterious third influence, which was fleshed out with the King of Swords in this spread. Aira shook her head and sighed, scooping the cards up and putting them back into the deck, straightening them and putting them back into the case. She bit her bottom lip, deciding she would have to decide for herself; the cards weren’t going to give her the answer she sought.

  “Let’s see that potion,” Aira said, standing and putting the deck away in her underwear drawer once more. She avoided looking too closely at Dylan; just being in his proximity made her feel distracted. He handed her the mug.

  “It has chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower, apple, and a little vervain. It’ll taste weird, but it should do the trick—infused with water and earth aligned ingredients.”

  Aira nodded, sipping it. It was warm, but not overly hot. It didn’t taste as bad as some of the potions her grandmother had given her over the years; it was slightly sweet, almost a little minty from the lemon balm and vervain. As she drank it in, she began to feel the power coursing through her begin to recede to a low, constant hum. It wasn’t like being normal, but at least it was something she could deal with. Her thoughts slowed, the wind outside began to abate. Aira finished off the drink quickly, grimacing at the lingering sweetness clinging to the back of her throat. It wasn’t the worst thing she’d ever drank, but she would be glad when the need for it was no longer so strong.

  “I think you’ll need to make that for me again before we go out,” Aira said. Although she could feel the magic of the potion working through her, she could already feel the elemental energy transforming her beginning to go to work overwhelming it. Her innate magic did not like to be suppressed and grounded—not when it was going to be at its peak within twenty-four hours. She took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go to the mall.”

  ***

  Aira was able to maintain her self-control while they were shopping, but with great difficulty. She kept her gaze on the ground in front of her, glancing up at the store signs to find the ones she wanted. The potion Dylan had given her had suppressed the power coursing through her body, but it had done little to subdue the lust. In addition to the close proximity of Aiden and Dylan, her desire-hazed brain latched onto the various good-looking men in close proximity. She was easily distracted, losing her train of thoughts whenever she spotted someone even slightly attractive, forgetting what store she was looking for. Dylan and Aiden tried not to touch her; she was still overly sensitive, her nerves lighting up to every brush of a hand against her arm or shoulder.

  Finally, she managed to locate the stores she wanted, and Dylan and Aiden waited patiently as she moved through the racks indecisively. It was a special birthday and she wanted to look her best, not only because of the occasion, but because she had decided whether or not it was a good idea, she wanted Alex. The tarot cards had been unclear; she knew that she had difficulties ahead, but didn’t know what form they would take. Aira was aware of the store clerks watching with amusement as she tried on different dresses, showing them to Dylan and Aiden and eliciting their feedback. She knew Aiden had lost interest in the exercise quickly, but Dylan was patient, commenting on both the strong points and the weaknesses of each attempted outfit. After half a dozen dresses, Aira pulled the final selection on, zipped it up, and stood before the mirror; compared to some she had tried before, it was almost demure. The skirt fell almost to her knees with satiny folds that flowed from underneath the bust. The plunging neckline and sleeveless top paired with its colors: vivid red with a black bow and black shoulders, was daring enough that Aira felt a rush of sensuality. She slipped on a pair of black patent heels and spun in the confines of the dressing room, giggling with almost girlish delight. The plunging neckline demanded a different bra from the one she wore, and she thought that a pair of stockings would complete the look—but it was perfect.

  She stepped out of the dressing room to where Dylan and Aiden were waiting for her final attempt. Dylan’s eyes widened and he gave Aiden a shove to call his attention to Aira’s appearance before them. Aiden stopped looking around idly, and Aira felt her sense of undirected lust fasten on him as he stared, taking in every inch of her. “Oh my god,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You… you could kill a man, looking like that.”

  Aira blushed, smiling shyly, her heart pounding in her chest. She reminded herself firmly again she had no interest in them; that she was reacting to the desire pulsing a constant dance up and down her veins, to their admiring glances. She licked her lips unconsciously, trying to control her sudden need to pull Aiden into one of the dressing rooms and let him rip the dress off of her.

  “I think you’ll be torturing pretty much every man—and likely women—in that dress. It’s perfect,” Dylan said, grinning at her.

  Aira felt her shy smile spread wider with the warmth of being desired, knowing both of the men were reacting to her physique and the way the dress emphasized each one of her strengths. She almost didn’t want to take it off, the feeling was so potent. But she knew walking around the mall, finishing up er
rands, would be difficult in the dress and heels. She retreated into the dressing room, stripping carefully out of the dress and slipping into the clothes she had come into the shop in, taking a few moments to calm herself. It would be soon enough, she thought, her mind turning to Alex.

  She got through the last of her purchases—some makeup, the stockings she wanted, and a better bra—just as the potion Dylan had given her was beginning to wear off. “We need to go home,” she said lowly. “Now.” She was becoming overwhelmed by the feeling of increasing energy in her body, her senses in overdrive, her mind propelled to startling lengths of lightning-fast thought. When they stepped out into the parking garage, she heard the wind picking up, and slid into the back seat of the car, closing her eyes and focusing all of her mind on controlling the potent power welling inside of her. She would have to be on her best behavior, at least until she got alone with Alex. She didn’t care if her lack of control started a tornado; as long as she could be with him, she was willing to risk it.

  Chapter 7

  By the time Alex arrived at the bar where Aira, Aiden, and Dylan met with her friends, Aira had already put down two strong drinks, her friends refusing to let her pay. Melissa and Carmen were both curious about the two men who had accompanied her, and Aira had struggled to maintain her composure, introducing the brothers as friends of her family. When Alex arrived, with Dolores in tow, Aira’s status among her friends—as the luckiest woman in the world—was solidified. Aira could barely restrain herself as Alex approached where they sat on the patio, karaoke in progress. He wore a deep red shirt, matching her dress, with a perfectly fitted black blazer and pants. Dolores had chosen to wear a deep, dark green cocktail dress, which set off her creamy-pale skin and vivid hair. Aira’s friends hooted as Alex approached, immediately taking her in his arms and kissing her on the lips. “Happy early birthday, love,” he murmured, smiling down at her. “If this was not such a frightfully public place, I’d be happy to take that dress off of you—as good as it looks on, it would look smashing on a floor.” Aira felt herself blushing a deep crimson, her blood flowing faster from the combination of alcohol and steady lust. Even before Alex had arrived, Aira had found it difficult—in spite of the second potion Dylan had made her, stronger than the first—to restrain her desire-filled impulses.