by Aspose
“I’m thinking about it,” he said, edgy because his ideas hadn’t worked. He’d hoped she would bond with one of his wolves, hoped it would replace the pet she’d lost. It hadn’t worked, and dojo sessions wore her out, but didn’t restore her smile. Maybe he needed to force her to mingle and hope she made friends.
He glanced at his daughter. “You could offer to take her to the elemental mall.”
“She refused, several times. I offered to show her my home instead, to meet my friends, and she’s made excuses. She’s buried herself here.”
“We’ll think of something.”
Blossom wasn’t so sure. She stared across the room rebelliously, and slowly her expression hardened. She hadn’t helped her brother forge her father’s wedding jewelry to see the wearer lost to sadness. If her father wouldn’t do the right thing, she would.
Gale was at the ice cave, watching the aurora paint the sky when she felt a tickle. Startled, she saw a tiny ice sprite zip by. The being giggled and hovered in front of Gale’s nose, making Gale’s eyes cross.
“Who are you?” The sprite asked, her blue and green wings awhirl. Her body was pale blue, her hair spiked indigo, and her dress seemed to be made of interlocked snowflakes.
Gale smiled for the first time in days. “Gale. What’s yours?”
The sprite landed on her knee. “Kikicaw. Whatcha doing, Icykins?”
Gale blinked. “Thinking.”
“Borrring! We need to do something fun. Wanna tease some humans?”
Gale frowned. “What do you mean?”
Kiki winked. At least, that’s what Gale thought; Kiki’s eyes were so small it was hard to tell. “We’ll make them think they’re seeing things.”
“You can do that?” Gale asked, surprised. “I was told only powerful old elementals could make a human see them.” Maybe it was different with sprites.
Kiki sniffed. “Who told you that? Even children can make humans see them. They get in trouble for playing ghost all the time. It’s lots of fun.” She flashed tiny white teeth.
Shock froze Gale to the spot. “That bastard,” she whispered. She felt the wind rise with her agitation and quickly calmed it, lest it give her away.
Kiki looked skittish, as if she would flit off at any minute. Gale shackled her emotions with iron control and whispered, “Show me.”
Gale floated just inside the ionosphere, which was the highest she could go without dissolving. To air elementals, it was the equivalent of Siberia. She welcomed the chill and the isolation that allowed her to think. Kiki had showed her more in an hour than Nitro had in a week.
He’d lied. The betrayal cut deep. She’d been blinded by his kindness and hadn’t realized how deep his hatred of humans went. She suspected he’d denied her communication with her family, hoping she’d come to accept her new status as an air elemental.
She was furious. The power inside her buckled, demanding release, and she shot it into space, knowing there was nothing alive to harm. It might take out a satellite, but that was nothing compared to what she was capable of.
Had he wanted her crippled, dependent on him? Curse him!
She couldn’t go back there, not like this. There was a great deal Kiki could show her and Gale had promised to meet her tomorrow. In the meanwhile, she needed somewhere to sleep. The cold was numbing her body, making her sluggish. She began to descend, but the cold had snuck up on her, confusing her. Did air elementals suffer hypothermia? Where was she going?
She drifted in the icy mesosphere, barely stirring when a pair of heavily clothed air elementals found her. Astonished at her presence in their icy realm, without the slightest protection, they quickly bundled her into their sled and sent their ghostly reindeer racing for their home.
“Maybe someone dumped her there, trying to kill her.”
Gale drifted toward awareness. Vaguely she realized she was warm and bundled, and someone was talking about her.
“Maybe she dumped herself there,” someone suggested soberly.
Gale opened her eyes and stared at the trio in front of the flickering green fire. It flashed like the aurora but radiated a soothing heat. The room was simple and homey, reminding her of a cabin even though it wasn’t made of wood. “Who’s dumped?” she asked groggily, sitting up.
“Easy,” a matronly air elemental commanded, hurrying to her side. Her white hair was neatly braided and she had an apron over her simple dress. Her eyes were a vivid blue. “You nearly froze to death. Sidi, bring the soup.”
Gale felt stiff, and she wasn’t tracking too well, because the mug seemed to appear under her nose instantly. She grasped the wrist of the young male elemental to keep him from pouring it down her throat. She took a cautious sip and stiffened with surprise. “This is good! Why is this good?” she asked, confused. She’d gotten used to food being barely worth consuming. This was spicy, with hearty bits of something in the broth.
The woman shook her head. “Frost fuddled, that’s for sure. Don’t worry, Icykins, we’ll fix you up.”
Gale shot her a sharp look at the endearment, but shrugged it off. Probably it was a common one among their kind.
The soup helped immensely, and Gale reclined on the plumped pillows with a sigh. “I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
The matron snorted. “Hardly. My name is Nonna and you’re in my house. These are my sons, Sidi and Vidi. They found you floating outside.” She indicated the strapping youths with wild hair and clothes that marked them as the blue collar version of air elementals. They reminded her of her teenage cousins.
“Thanks. I was lost,” Gale said tiredly. “I got confused.”
Nonna frowned and smoothed Gale’s hair distractedly. “It’s not good to get lost out there. Who can we notify that you’re here?”
Gale laughed grimly. “My family can’t hear you. There is no one else.” She thought about it. “No, I have a friend, Kiki. She will want to know. She’s an ice sprite.”
Nonna blinked. “A sprite? That’s all? What about your clan?”
Gale clenched her jaw as she began to lightly steam. “My clan betrayed me.”
“It can’t be that bad,” Nonna chided. “Your clan will want to know what happened to you.”
Gale let the woman see her rage, her betrayal. She shook with it.
“All right,” Nonna said, gathering her up like a small child. She rocked Gale in her lap, much to Gale’s astonishment.
Gale burst into steam. It was as wrenching as body wracking sobs.
“There, there,” Nonna murmured as the boys crowded close, turning to soothing mist. She was bathed in a cloud of comfort, the others absorbing her pain and sorrow. It was incredibly consoling and not the least intrusive. Her human intellect was astonished. Had she really changed that much?
The mist withdrew after she’d calmed, and Nonna tucked her into bed. “There, now. You’ve had an exciting day and need your rest. We can talk later.”
Gale nearly began to steam again. Instead she closed her eyes. “Thank you, Nonna.”
Nonna hummed. “Anyone would have done it.” She patted Gale’s hand and continued with her housework. The soothing sensation of family, somebody’s family, eased Gale into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The cloud mixing, as Nonna called the mingling of elemental molecules they’d used to calm Gale, restored her more than she’d dreamed possible. Gale woke the next morning feeling more like her old self. Was that what Nitro meant when he said they needed touch?
In the next breath, she remembered she was furious with him. They needed to talk, but not right now. She smelled something divine, and followed her nose to the kitchen to peer in wonder at the pot Nonna stirred. “What is that delicious smell?”
“Go to the table and find out,” Nonna advised.
Gale obeyed eagerly, sharing smiles with the boys as they came in. The breakfast didn’t disappoint. She closed her eyes and moaned as she chewed. “I don’t know what this is, but it’s divine.”
Nonna snorted,
but anyone could see she was pleased. “You behave as if you haven’t eaten in days.” She frowned as she scanned Gale’s thin form, perhaps wondering if that was true.
“I thought all the food here sucked,” Gale admitted apologetically. “I’d given up eating and was siphoning pure air.”
Nonna frowned fiercely. “Don’t you have cooks in your family?”
“My mom’s a great cook, and my aunts and grandma, but my…er, there were prepackaged meals where I was, and later the cook… Well, I’m not sure he was any good now,” Gale confessed, not sure if she should mention Nitro. After a few more bites, she decided it didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to hide from him, though the food was enough to make her want to stay. “Would you consider teaching me how to cook?”
“Your mother was a good cook, and she didn’t teach you?” Nonna persisted. It was clear she wasn’t going to leave it alone.
Gale sighed and looked regretfully at the rest of her breakfast. She hoped Nonna wouldn’t kick her out after she knew everything. “Have you ever heard of the Fates?”
Twenty minutes later, Nonna and her sons stared at her as Gale tucked into the food as fast as she could without completely abandoning her table manners. She wasn’t sure whether Nonna’s silence meant she was about to be shown the door.
“You poor child,” Nonna finally managed. “The cold must have addled your mind.”
Gale nearly choked on a laugh. “You think I’ve lost my marbles.”
Sidi nodded wisely. “The cold will do that sometimes. Remember old Vic? He never did recover.”
“At least she didn’t lose a leg or something,” Vidi consoled. “She might still find a husband someday.”
Gale rolled her eyes. “I was human. Why do you think I became hypothermic? I didn’t know it would be dangerously cold up here.” When they continued to regard her doubtfully, she wracked her brains for a way to prove her story. “I could take you to meet my parents. They have pictures of me on the wall.” The idea made her wistful. Yes, she needed to see them today, now that she could. Unless…
She frowned at the temptation to let them remain ignorant. Was it right to visit them when she could never be a part of the family again? They wouldn’t be able to tell anyone.
She shook her head sharply to dislodge the thought. Was she nuts? If her parents were consulted, she knew they’d want to see her. They would work out the details later.
“I’m not sure we should let you wander around,” Vidi said. “You might hurt yourself.”
She gave him a quelling stare. “I appreciate the concern, but I don’t think you’re in charge of where I go, buddy.”
Nonna sighed. “Children, please. It won’t take long to make this trip. After that, we’ll see. Finish your meal and help me clean up, and we’ll go.”
Gale was glad to help, and surprised when Nonna fetched a wrap and then looked at Gale expectantly. “Now, where should I open the portal?”
Gale gaped. “You’re that old?”
Nonna tapped her sharply for impertinence. Ignoring her son’s snicker, she said pertly, “Mind your manners, girl.”
“I meant, you’re very powerful to do that,” Gale stammered. She felt as if her grandmother had reprimanded her. “Because I can’t do that.”
Nonna sniffed and gestured for Gale to hurry up.
“Right. Do you know where Fairbanks, Alaska is?”
Gale stood quietly in her parent’s living room, nerving herself for the big reveal. After looking at the pictures, Nonna watched her quietly to see what she would do. Sidi and Vidi talked quietly in the corner, giving her time to think.
Gale watched her mom Lisa put the lid on the crock pot and grab her purse and keys. She always drove when she was with Gale’s dad. “Hurry up, Randy, or we’ll be late.” She had the frown that telegraphed a backache; she’d fallen on the ice last winter and still had pain. Someone needed to convince her to see a chiropractor. She was due for another touchup to her lowlights in her graying blond hair, and she had her 'fancy' sweatshirt on.
Her dad looked tired. Tall, his hair starting to thin, he held a worn bible and a travel mug of coffee. “I’m ready.”
Gale had to look away as she began to steam. She needed to talk to them, and found herself reluctant to stop them from leaving. Were they better off without her?
Her father paused in the entryway and touched her picture. His eyes welled and she was lost. “Dad?”
Randy swung around in surprise and frowned when he didn’t see anyone. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking troubled.
Gale took a deep breath and shifted into view. “I’m not a ghost, Dad. It really is me.”
Randy dropped his coffee.
“Baby?” her mom whispered. She was pale, but she stepped closer anyway. “Are you an angel?”
Gale choked. “Definitely not! I’m…I’m an air elemental, Mom. Please, will you have a seat and listen? This might take a while, and Dad looks kinda shaky.” She fluttered uncharacteristically around them, wishing she were more substantial. She could manage light touches, but not the bone crushing hug she craved.
Her mom paused in front of the couch but didn’t sit. Instead, she reached for her daughter, hesitating at the last minute. Gale solved the dilemma by stepping into her arms. “Gently, Mom,” she choked. “I’m not as solid as I used to be.”
“It’s like holding a dandelion puff,” her father managed after he’d taken his turn. “What happened to you, sweetheart?” He sat on the couch and held Lisa’s hand tightly. Her mom was making liberal use of the tissues on the end table.
“Right.” Gale sat on the coffee table, aware that she was steaming. She knotted her hands, trying to get a grip. She told them everything, leaving out Nitro’s claim to be her husband. They didn’t need that right now.
Her parents looked bewildered. “That’s so much to take in. I can’t believe…but you’re alive, and that’s all that matters. We have to tell…” she frowned as she thought about what she was saying. “We can’t, can we?”
Gale shook her head. “I want to, but can you imagine Grandma with this? I almost didn’t tell you, but…”
“Gale Leslie Adams! I can’t believe you even considered that!” her mom protested. “We are your parents!”
Gale laughed as fresh steam threatened. “I told you, didn’t I?” She looked away and met Nonna’s gaze. “The thing is, I can’t live here. I have to learn to live like this now. I can visit,” she raised her hand to still her parents’ protest, “but I can’t move in. I don’t eat human food, and there are other things.”
“But…Christmas! Your cousin is getting married this fall and…” her mom trailed off as she choked up again.
Gale raked a hand through her hair. “I can come, Mom, but only you and Dad will know I’m there. I can’t participate.”
“I don’t care! I have my daughter back.” Her dad leaned closer, intense. “You’re healthy…right? You won’t blow away or anything?”
Gale laughed. “Very healthy. Elementals live a long time.”
Her mom frowned. “You seem a little thin.”
“Until recently the food sucked,” Gale said with a grimace. “Thankfully, I met Nonna. You remember I told you about her?”
Nonna chose that moment to materialize. “Hello.”
Her father got to his feet, amazed.
Gale was surprised, too, and she looked to see if the boys would show themselves, but they weren’t in the room. “Mom, Dad, this is the wonderful cook I told you about. I wish you could exchange recipes.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Nonna said with a smile. She placed a hand on Gale’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly. “I will look after your daughter as if she were family. I can see she is very important to you.”
“Thank you,” her mother whispered, awestruck. It was one thing to have her daughter show up, another to speak to an alien being. “You live in the sky?”
Nonna nodded pleasantly. “Perhaps I can show you a p
icture some time. I would enjoy visiting with Gale when she comes.”
Lisa perked up. “Maybe you could come to our niece’s wedding.”
“It sounds delightful. I would be happy to bring something so Gale can share in the feast.” She raised a hand at Lisa’s exclamation of delight and turned to Gale. “I’m sorry, my dear, but the boys are telling me there are two wolf winds outside watching the house. One just left.” She didn’t need to say where it had likely gone.
Gale pursed her lips. “Nitro. Yes, it’s time we had a talk.”
Nonna studied her thoughtfully. “Not many are willing to take him to task. I can’t think of any, in fact.”
Gale smiled, all teeth. “I’m up for it.”
“Honey?” Her father said, concerned. “Do you need help?”
She knew he couldn’t do anything, but she loved that he wanted to. “Thanks, Dad, but he won’t hurt me.” Somehow she felt confident of that.
It didn’t mean she would forgive him easily.
“I will go with her,” Nonna said to comfort her parents.
They shot her looks of appreciation.
Gale gave her parents air kisses on their cheeks and promised to visit soon before they broke down again. She shook herself after flowing out the crack under the front door. “That was hard, but I’m so glad they know.” She was exhausted, but she wasn’t done yet. She looked at the wolf wind. “Tell Nitro I need time to recover from visiting my family, but I will visit him very soon.”
Her emotions were in such a storm, she didn’t trust herself not to scream at him. Fishwife wasn’t the impression she wanted to leave him with.
She considered avoiding him forever, of course, but she wasn’t a runner. Besides, he had the power to save Alaska, and after this stunt, he owed her. He might not see it that way, but it was one more card in her deck. She would find a way to make him care, to get him involved and to protect her family.
She was going to stop the war if it killed her.
