She slowly raised her head, not wanting him to see a mess of tears, snot, and mascara. “Nobody’s going to want me. A Passive is wanted for only one thing, and eww. Gross. I’m not having a bunch of babies.”
She recalled the spooky story she’d heard at the one slumber party she’d been invited to. One of the girls had held a flashlight beneath her chin and told a terrible tale of how a powerless woman birthed incredibly powerful babies. How she was sold like a cow. How she churned out children like she was a puppy mill, her body nothing more than a baby-making oven. How her shame had made her throw herself from a cliff into the sea.
Nausea rose in a hot flush.
“You’re not having any kids unless you want to and not for a long, long time.” Lach gave her shoulders a light shake. “Listen up, baby girl, and listen good. You aren’t a nothing. Power isn’t everything, and you saw for yourself tonight that it turns people into assholes. You’re smart and kind and funny and the prettiest girl around. You’ll be whatever you want to be, you hear?” He lowered his head level with hers. “Your life. Your choice. No one else’s. You got it?”
Her shoulders sank. Her black dress shimmered in the light breeze tousling the layered tulle skirt. How could a Natura in one of the world’s most powerful families be…nothing?
“I swear to you, E, right here in this field.” Lach’s low voice deepened. “Nothing bad’s going to happen to you. Ever. I’m going to be one of the strongest Duals in the world. I will deep-fry and blast-dry anyone who tries to hurt you. Until the day I die, I will always have your back.”
Not wanting to see the pity in his eyes, she nodded.
You’ve always been his favorite. Mathair’s words came as if from the grave.
She looked up at the sky and the stars that had failed her.
Not anymore.
Manhattan—Zenith Academy
Elspeth’s Junior Year
Elspeth crossed her legs, glad the partition in the limo was raised so the poor driver didn’t get an eyeful.
“This is a standing-only dress.” She eyed Kazumi Fukada, her best friend and maker of their outfits. Zum had a wicked talent for designing and making clothing, including the clingy emerald-green sheath barely covering Elspeth’s butt. What little material there was matched her eyes perfectly.
“That Fukada original will get you horizontal if you want. Guaranteed.” Zum’s dark eyes and slicked-back, jet-black hair gleamed beneath the soft lights inside the limousine.
Her bestie lost her virginity at sixteen and never looked back, but good Goddess, she talked about guys. Non. Stop. Leaving Elspeth to wonder what was wrong with her. Sometimes, she felt like she was seventeen going on ninety-seven.
“I don’t want horizontal tonight.” She wasn’t much for crowds and didn’t really want to be there, but her brother turned twenty-four only once, and she would be at the celebration. Zum, on the other hand, had lit up like a roman candle at the thought of attending the party of the year, and at the tippity-top of the VIP list. “But I do have a date next week.”
Zum’s perfectly penciled brows skyrocketed. “Wait. Eamon finally asked you out? Holy shit, McHottie finally grew some balls, and if you luck out…”
“Give it a rest, Zum. I’m not training for regen.” She shifted her gaze out the window.
She’d accepted her fate as a Passive, but not having the power of an Alpha or even a Beta meant there’d be rites she’d couldn’t partake in. Hell, she didn’t even have a vessel inside her, like the coven classes, which she could fill with called power, if only temporarily. She didn’t fit. Anywhere. Not human or witch, and Natura in name only. In the eyes of her people, she was a nothing, but the kicker?
Her future babies would be everything.
“I’m just playing.” Zum slid across the seat. “You’ll know when you’re ready, and you have to be careful.” She winced. “Sorry, I’m an insensitive bitch-clown. I’ve wanted to go to Terra forever, but Mom won’t spring for the VIP pass. Now that you’ve spilled you’ve been holding one for a year, I’ll forgive you since we’re on our way. I’m just excited. And talking nonsense. And I’ll shut up.”
Zum unzipped her tiny purse and pulled out a phone and lip gloss, expertly reapplying using the camera. “Strike a pose.” She leaned toward Elspeth and snapped a selfie, sliding back to her seat to splash them across the social media she lived for.
Given her reluctance to talk about it, maybe something was wrong with her. Perhaps it would be better if she were a human, completely unaware of how intense sex truly was. She could just orgasm her way through life, oblivious to what happened between Naturas at that magical moment. Or she could be one of the prudish humans who either denied themselves or attached stringent rules to any form of physical connection.
Naturas viewed the act for what it was: power. As in a way to refuel their element energy once it bloomed at twenty-four. With the age of consent at sixteen, Kazumi had gone the way of practice-makes-perfect and talked of her escapades nonstop.
Jealousy threatened to bite her at the details Zum dished about her latest date. She’d never squash her friend’s enthusiasm, but each steamy tale was a tick mark on her list of failures. She’d never know the pure, unbridled fun Zum seemed to be having, as sex would never be more than just…sex. She wouldn’t experience the mysticism, the power, the joy of discovery of refueling energy. Being Passive condemned her to the basics of legs open…ugh.
The limo pulled up in front of the club. Her guard climbed from the passenger seat, did his usual what-Naturas-are-in-the-vicinity scan, and offered his hand to help her out. Zum’s two-person detail met her at the curb, keeping their standard distance behind her. The night was cold and beautiful, the lights, whirr of cars, the glitter of cafés and bars—SoHo’s streets were alive with pedestrians.
The theme from Jaws cut through the cold. Zum held up a finger and put her cell to her ear, turning to talk to the Water element’s Queen Badass. Zum’s mom. The global Water Magnus.
A blast of wind cut through Elspeth’s not-quite-a-whole dress.
“Would you like my jacket?” Her security detail held out his coat.
Goddess, what was his name? Seanair kept changing up her team, but she tried to remember them, to call them by name. To smile, meet their eyes, acknowledge their courtesies, even if they were part of their duty. More than one had been shocked, and she’d heard there was a running list to be put back into her rotation. She’d like to think that meant something.
“No, thank you.” She folded her arms, turning away from him since the move had made her all cleavage. Freakin’ Goddess hadn’t blessed her with power, but she’d gone damn overboard on the boobs.
She caught Zum’s attention and nodded toward the alley, moving into the shelter of two brick buildings. A red carpet rolled down the space about the width of two cars. She spotted the heat lamps near the entrance, warming the growing line to get in, and headed for the closest one.
Yes, she was freezing her ass off, but New Yorkers didn’t fear cold weather, and she was one of them now. A Manhattanite. No longer a small-town Georgia girl. The crush of buildings and people and cars soothed her like Savannah never could. Her hometown was beautiful, quaint, slower-paced, and full of magnolias and Spanish moss. A part of her missed its simplicity, the comfort food, and the charm not found in a big city.
New York was an espresso shot to the soul, a vibrant existence sucking her into its energy the moment she left her dorm for classes every morning. Grilled meat from the street vendors, exhaust from the swarm of cars, the lively bustle on the sidewalks—Goddess, she loved city life. Best of all, no one cared here—about her, her grandfather, her personal business.
In this vibrant metropolis, she was just a girl, in the world.
To the humans flocking the streets, she looked like one of them, going about her life in blessed anonymity.
She could breathe here, maybe find herself. Make mistakes, learn, grow. Figure out who and what she was meant
to be, since she wouldn’t be tending the earth’s elements.
The quick clacks of Zum’s shoes brought a smile to her face. “What did your mom want?”
“Nothing worth talking about. My weekly get-it-together-or-you’re-returning-to-Tokyo lecture. Let’s get inside before my tits freeze off.” Zum’s dress was identical to hers, but in red, the color striking against her dark hair.
The Natura-only part of the club was accessible via an unmarked, heavily guarded door. In Natura terms, they were of legal age here, but who wanted to look like a teenager in a club of mostly twentysomethings? Thanks to Zum, they looked at least eighteen, which was a step up. Clubbing really wasn’t her thing, but once they got inside, there were no personal guards. Terra had its own staff, fully vetted by the owners, her grandfather being one of them. For tonight, all she wanted was to celebrate her brother coming into his power.
And just be free.
She spotted a brunette and a blonde at the entrance talking to an obviously annoyed member of the security staff. Regret filled her for the twentieth time that she’d given in to Jill’s and Kim’s blatant flattery to get on the Lennox fast-pass.
She’d better think fast, because Zum would be pissed. “Hey, I invited two others to join us since my ticket allows me to bring guests.” She no-big-dealed her voice, but the roil of second-guessing herself kicked in.
Zum stopped dead. At five-three, courtesy of a serious pair of fuck-me heels, she’d perfected her agility in hazardous footwear.
“Please, please tell me they’re full Alphas who look just like your brother and want to take us for a walk on the wild side?”
“First off, ew. Like I’d want to hook up with someone who looks like my brother. And two, haven’t you told me a bazillion times no fully powered Natura’s going to get naked with a prepowered?”
“Sex without power transfer might be like pancakes without butter and syrup, but hey, it’s still pancakes.”
She stared toward the awning, hoping her bestie would follow suit, her gut thoroughly convinced inviting the reigning queens from the Zenith Academy had been her worst idea to date. Zum was beside her again in seconds.
Good Goddess, her friend could frown.
“You’re acting super weird all of a sudden. Who did you invite?”
Crap. “Kim and Jill.”
“Are you shitting me? The bitchzillas?” Zum’s fingers wrapped around her arm. “Are you high? Or drunk?” She leaned in and searched Elspeth’s eyes, sniff-testing for liquor after not finding dilated pot pupils.
“Oh, stop.” Her sigh clouded in the chilly night air. “I kind of owed them. They’ve been nice enough to eat lunch with me since you’ve doubled up on your classes this quarter.” Her insides seemed to shrivel at the awkward moment. Kim and Jill had been friendly, made the first move, followed up with repeat lunch invites, while she’d done…nothing.
Most people at school avoided her like her Passive status was a communicable disease.
“And you haven’t been the slightest bit skeptical? Those two families are trouble. My mom has zero nice things to say about them, and she can find the silver lining in a shit pile.” A ripple went through Zum’s bluing irises, the early-stage characteristics of her element overtaking her normal brown.
“I thought it might be a nice olive branch.” Hello, guilt. “Their families aren’t big fans of Seanair, and I thought it might smooth things.” Maybe she’d earn much-needed points with her grandfather. “They’ve been nice to me.” And she’d done jack except sit there and make awkward conversation.
“Sharing a lunch table’s proximity, not kindness.” Zum’s hand slipped down and clasped their fingers together. “Look, I know you’re struggling. I hate that fucking school and most of the people in it, but you’ve got a place—with me. If we decide to add to our dynamic duo, it’ll be with people who like us for us and not our families or what we can do for them.”
Heat crept up her back, her embarrassment a wildfire over her skin. Could she screw things up more royally?
She shivered in the cold. Hurry up weighted her security guard’s patient stare, but the tightness around his mouth gave him away.
How would she recognize genuineness? She’d just been through her disastrous twelfth birthday when she’d met Kazumi, whose family had recently arrived from Japan, and they’d been assigned as roommates at boarding school. Through the years, she’d taken Zum coming into her life as a small I’m sorry from Goddess, but holy crap, how would she ever grow a backbone in a world where she had no footing?
“They’ve kept the assholes away from me in the halls. No one stares at me during lunch anymore. I know it’s because they’ve put the word out.” Okay, could she sound more pathetic?
“But why? With some people, the moment you meet, you know you’ll be friends. There’s something there, something you didn’t even know was missing. That’s what I felt with you. Like I’d found my sister.”
Her eyes welled, and she swiped beneath them, not wanting her perfect cat-eye eyeliner, thanks to Zum, to run.
“I just want people to like me.” She winced at the words, wishing she didn’t give a shit. Wishing she had an ounce of her best friend’s confidence.
“I like you. I love you. And you’re my very best friend forever. If those other ass clowns can’t see how awesome you are, make a list, and when I turn twenty-four, I’ll make sure it rains over their heads every fucking day until they mildew.”
Her smile pulled slowly, and a laugh bubbled up her throat.
“I love you too.” She threw her arm around Zum, completely confident her petite bestie would totally make good on her promise, take names, and kick ass when she came into her Water element. “I’m sure they just want to meet my brother. Lach’s got a bit of a reputation.”
“Yeah. As a party god. Everyone wants into his panties…I mean parties.” Zum eyed Kim and Jill. “Let’s get this over with.”
Jill hurried over and huffed. “Oh my God, they will not let us in without you. I thought you were going to put us on the list.”
Zum stepped forward. “If you’re so put out, why don’t you both slither back to the dorms, hold hands in front of the hall mirror, and ask who’re the whiniest bitches of them all?”
Goddess, her bestie was a tsunami of spectacular.
“Whatever, little drip.” Kim rolled her eyes and huddled with Jill, both of them laughing at the Water element insult they believed bothered Kazumi.
Elspeth’s shoulders drew back. Power or no power, no one insulted her bestie. “Listen up, you—”
A Terra staff member towered over them, interrupting her intended verbal takedown. “Miss Lennox, your brother’s been expecting you. Follow me.”
The moment broken, she took Zum’s hand and trailed the massive guy, her body coming alive at the heavy thump of dance music breaching the building’s brick. They walked through the nondescript entry and into a long, dimly lit hallway.
“This is going to be so over-the-top awesome,” Zum said, ignoring the tagalongs right on their heels.
“Remember what I told you. Lach’s a brother, a mother hen, and a crabby grandpa rolled into one. He thinks I don’t know how hard he parties, but I’ve heard all the rumors and believe ninety-nine percent of them. He’s always lived out loud, but he still treats me like I’m twelve. It’s the curse of the big brother.”
Lach would freak out at the deep-V plunge to her navel and her barely covered thighs. Zum had done her makeup too. Steel-gray, smoky eyeshadow lined in black. A Chanel red lip gloss called Dragon. She’d even had her hair blown out into long curls cascading down her back.
They stopped at an opaque partition, warm now from the wafting heat. Music and liquor and the faint scent of pot floated on every bit of air being moved by the massive ducts along the ceiling, this part of the club having an industrial feel.
Maybe Lach would be tied up with several women—literally, if the rumors were true—and wouldn’t have time to say hello.<
br />
“Graham’s not like that, is he?” Zum motioned her to go first.
“He keeps to himself. Always has. Graham’s too smart for his own good. He’s kind but quiet.”
A shriek of overdone laughter cut above the pounding pulse of the music.
“They’re going to act like toddlers on sugar, except it’ll be dumbasses on champagne and coke.” She looped her arm through Elspeth’s. “As soon as we’re inside, we ditch them, snatch a bottle of Cristal, and search for a couple hotties.”
A mic’d up man with a scowl and a body built to bench-press their limo filled the doorway. Her throat shrank, and if she hadn’t known better, she’d swear her blood had turned into said champagne.
“Lach says you’re in if you find him first. If he has to hunt you down, your asses are out. Got it?” The hulking dude blocked out most of the light of the hallway.
“Yeah.” She’d answered, hadn’t she? Or had she drooled?
His mouth pulled to one side, and his gaze raked over her with an appreciation she hadn’t before experienced. A thrill coursed through her at the desire he made no pretense of hiding, tightening her nipples and stirring between her legs. He was every-firefighter-in-the-city hot. She thought about her date next weekend with Eamon, but cute as he was, no one in high school had ever checked her out like this guy just had.
Would Eamon look at her like that? Like he wanted way more than a kiss?
She blushed as Guardalicious stepped aside with a this-way gesture.
“What was he?” she whispered to Zum, not daring to look back.
“Dual Fire and Air. That was some serious interest too.” Zum didn’t hesitate to glance over her shoulder. “Girl, he’s still watching you. I say you ride that train.”
Elspeth shook her head. “I’m here with you, and we’re dancing until we drop.” She narrowed her eyes to slits. “Dan-cing.”
“Drinks first. We need to toast our awesomeness.”
They crossed through a massive lounge area with Jill and Kim surprisingly quiet behind them. Her heartbeat climbed into her throat at the people draped over couches, sprawled in chairs. Pairs talking, flirting, kissing. People laughing, drinking, dancing. Her gaze hooked on a couple on a leather sofa, his hand up her skirt, her head back, mouth open.
The Beginning: A Natura Elementals Novella Duology Page 7
