The Elementals Collection

by L. B. Gilbert

  Alec also put Daniel on the trail of the bee pin and asked him to scour the club scene for other witnesses who might have seen the members of the circle. Maybe they could get a better description of the clothes and basics about their stature and weight. Alec was pretty sure a spell couldn’t disguise the body’s basic height and weight. The image had to conform to the laws of physics.

  After informing Daniel that he should offer a reward for information on the circle, he hung up.

  He checked in with some of his other contacts and spread the same information among them and then followed up with his lawyers and business interests. After contemplating what Diana might like best for dinner, he made a final call before lying down on the bed.

  For a long time, Alec stared at the ceiling, trying to decide whether or not to sleep. The idea of being woken up by Diana had definite pros and cons. If he did sleep, she might change her mind about their temporary alliance and leave town without him. It would be a challenge to find her again, but he was getting pretty good at that.

  It still felt weird, lying out in the open in an unsecured room. But, somehow, knowing Diana was in the next room made him safe.

  Oh, I’m in deep shit.

  Pushing away the impending sense of doom, he shut his eyes.

  18

  Diana walked into the guest cottage and marveled at her surroundings. The place wasn’t big, but it was a decent size and had some lovely old furniture. Their safe houses had nice furnishings and probably some real antiques but those were mostly of the weapon variety. None of the buildings were historical. Even in Europe, they shifted to newer buildings with higher security as a precaution. It would take an army to take down a single Elemental, but it had happened before, if their history was to be believed.

  This place was cozy, and the huge four-poster bed looked inviting. Maybe they could shift a few safe houses back to old buildings and retrofit the security. It might be worth it in a few cases, she mused, stripping down for a shower.

  Even the bathroom was charming, Diana decided.

  This town was an interesting contradiction. She’d passed through before but hadn’t spent a lot of time here. Despite what people thought, this place wasn’t all that different from any other in magical terms.

  It was her theory that people confused a pleasant historical atmosphere with a magical one. It made no difference to an Elemental, but most Supernaturals and even some humans swore that New Orleans was special. A place where magic was closer to the surface.

  Well, it did have a good vibe—even if she didn’t feel a closer connection to the Mother here. And really, she was already as close as she wanted to be.

  Diana put her pack down and pulled out a candle. She felt Gia’s presence across the connection and no other. Secretly relieved she wouldn’t be forced to dish for Logan, she called out.

  “Diana? Is everything okay?” Gia asked concerned, more adept at feeling emotion across their connection.

  “Yeah, I’m just processing a lot. I’m in New Orleans with the vampire,” she said.

  Though Logan was the most open and tolerant of other Supes, Gia had more rational insight into their natures. She knew a lot about the major families and their scions and probably knew more about Alec than Logan, whose only information was based on gossip.

  “And how is that going? Are you two working well together?”

  “Well, he hasn’t gotten in the way. And I’m not being that much nicer.”

  “Not nicer how exactly?” Gia asked.

  “As in not pulling any punches with the people I’m trailing and questioning. Not with this last one anyway, the club owner who was trafficking black spells on behalf of his VIPs. Or so he claimed.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Called forth a lion and gave the ass a permanent brand,” Diana said.

  The Earth Elemental laughed. “A brand? Couldn’t you just burn his house down?”

  Gia sincerely believed in the destruction of property over people.

  “It was his grandmother’s house, and I get the sense she is good people. And at least I did his initial and not mine,” Diana reasoned.

  “And how did the vampire take that? They do tend to be more flammable than the average Supe. Did he run from the flames?” Gia asked.

  “Didn’t seem to bother him at all.”

  “Really? That’s certainly. . .refreshing.”

  “No, it’s not. There are no self-preservation instincts in that sucker at all.” Diana sighed.

  “And you think that’s because he’s an academic first and vampire second?” Gia asked, a smile in her voice.

  “Yeah, I do,” she said, mulling over her impressions. “I also think being friends with one of us is a goal for him, probably has been for a long time.”

  “Do you really think he doesn’t like you for you?” Gia’s voice was gentle.

  “More like he’d probably be predisposed to like any of us. Like a kid hanging out with celebrities, only not that bad. He’s. . .trying to be useful.”

  “Which is extremely high praise for you,” Gia admitted. “Do you think you can trust him?”

  “I think so, but actually doing it is difficult,” Diana spit out grudgingly.

  She didn’t like addressing her trust issues with Gia. Mostly because the Earth Elemental understood her better than the others, how Diana had been abandoned by a mother on the run and left in foster care and what a disaster that ended up being. It was also why when it came to this situation it was Gia’s opinion she trusted the most.

  “You have to take the leap sometime, and I honestly don’t think you could choose a better man than Alec Broussard for it. Or vampire in this case. I’ve done some homework on him since his name came up,” Gia informed her. “He’s genuine.”

  “Just friends,” Diana said emphatically.

  “Of course,” Gia replied though the smile was back in her voice. “You know, if you feel comfortable and he reciprocates, you should share some personal details of your life. It’s normal to confide in your friends.”

  “You want me to tell him about my childhood?” Diana asked, slightly sick to her stomach.

  “Only if you want. If you get to the point where you trust him. Friends confide in each other. Real ones anyway.” Gia was firm. “He’s your first potential friend outside our group. It’s always a risk taking someone into your confidence, but it can be a rewarding one. I think it’s time you took that step.”

  “You really sound like a therapist,” Diana grumbled.

  “I’m sorry. I’m just excited for you,” Gia said, with genuine enthusiasm.

  Diana decided to broach the subject now that it had come up. “You know, you could find someone to confide in, too. I don’t want to sound like Logan, but it’s been a long time since. . .well, you know. You should find someone for yourself. It’s not like you’re, well, me.”

  Gia paused before answering. “I’m keeping an open mind. I may not be actively looking, but I’m not against meeting someone new anymore. I think when I meet someone worth it, I will be all right. . .with being friends.”

  “That’s good. That’s real good. Um, did Logan mention that I wanted an assist with the Denon situation? A bit of your special computer voodoo,” Diana said, eager to change the subject.

  “Yup, and I cooked up something special and sent it to the safe house in Boston. You’re going to love it. All you have to do is plant it. I tried looking from the outside, but their secure servers are in-house only. But this thing is thorough. It should get everything you need with a minimum of face-time. And your listening stone is still active. I checked. I suspect it got some interesting stuff.”

  “I hope so. I’ve definitely been neglecting that case,” Diana said, shifting uneasily on the bed.

  “A delay there won’t have much effect at this point. You’re right to focus on the circle. We know what’s at stake.”

  “Gia, what if they’re already dead?” Diana voiced her worst fear for the children
the circle had taken.

  “Then we avenge them, and make sure no others are taken,” Gia said in a soft steady voice.

  It may have sounded cold to someone who didn’t know her, but the Earth Elemental had been around the longest. She had seen a lot of messed up shit in her time and accepted what she couldn’t change.

  Of course, some of what was happening now could have been avoided. “Regardless of the outcome, I think we should take a vote,” Diana said, deciding. “Whether or not. . .to make an example and extend punishment outside the immediate circle. I think they are getting help from someone who knows better.”

  For a long moment, Gia was silent. “We haven’t done that for years.”

  “And the supernatural community is slipping away—especially if we are right that this black circle is led by a witch descended from one of the major families. And someone this talented has to be from one of the big seven,” Diana said.

  “If it’s another Delavordo, I’m going to bust someone up. Bad,” Gia said with a rare show of irritability.

  “I know they’re at the top of the list of usual suspects, but enough black has come from the other six to avoid jumping to conclusions,” Diana said reasonably. “Besides, the Delavordos keep track of their remnant talent a lot better these days. They’ve kept a fairly low profile for decades now.”

  “Only because they don’t want us coming down on them as hard as we did the last time. And because being shunned by the supernatural community does limit your social options.” Gia sniffed before returning to her old reasonable self. “We should discuss this with the others. It would be the first time for you and Logan, and it will depend on what you find when you catch up with the circle.”

  “I know, but if it’s the worst, then we should be prepared,” Diana said, reaching out to touch the candle flame with her finger.

  “Agreed. And you’re right. An example outside the first degree of culpability hasn’t been made for so long. The vampires would remember, I guess, but most of the current gen of witches and Weres weren’t around the last time,” Gia pointed out. “Memories like those fade into myth fast because people who don’t witness it firsthand don’t believe it happened in the first place. And those that did deny their involvement. Maybe it is time for a refresher.”

  “Yeah,” Diana agreed. “Oh, hey, can you look into something else for me?” she said, remembering the bee brooch. “Someone in the circle has an antique pin thing, a bee or something like it. Art Deco period. Can you see if there’s a vibration for something like that?

  “If the stones in it are real, then maybe. I’ll see what I can do,” Gia promised. “I’ll mention it to Logan as well.”

  Diana said goodbye and blew out the candle. She peeked in the direction of Alec’s cottage. No man shaped heat signature was stirring. Closing the curtain, she pulled back the covers on the luxurious bed, sinking down into the mattress with a satisfied wiggle.

  It was kind of nice knowing that when she woke, Alec would be there. Of course, she would set fire to a whole block before admitting that she liked having him around.

  19

  Hours later, Diana was standing over a slumbering Alec. He was out. He hadn’t stirred at all when she’d come inside his room. Not even his chest was moving, but that was probably because of the whole being dead thing.

  It was actually a very nice chest, not unlike the kind Abercrombie used to have standing outside their stores. She’d never been this close to one actually.

  Alec had also stripped down to his shorts, a silky looking boxer brief thing that hugged his hips. The sheet was thrown carelessly over the good parts. She decided to wake him up before she got tempted to move the fine Egyptian cotton away.

  With a regretful sigh, Diana put her hand on Alec’s bare arm. He woke with a start, sitting bolt upright with vampiric speed.

  “Told you it would work,” she said, averting her eyes from his chest now that he was conscious. “Sorry, I had to give you a little jolt.”

  “You mean an electric jolt? Is that part of the fire gift?” he asked blinking rapidly before getting up and pulling on his pants.

  Diana shrugged. “It’s one way to start a fire.”

  Alec’s eyes widened. “Do you shoot electricity out like Zeus?”

  “Not exactly, although there was at least one past Fire Elemental who developed that skill,” she said, peeking in the mirror as he put on a fresh shirt.

  It was a very nice chest. It could be tanner, but vampires, even the Daywalkers apparently, didn’t spend a lot of time sunbathing. Diana couldn’t really complain, though. Redheads didn’t tan, either.

  “Can you develop different aspects of your talent and not others?” he asked as he finished putting on his shoes.

  “Sort of,” she said, turning back around now that he seemed to be fully dressed. She squinted, trying to crush the mental image of that chest hidden underneath pristine white cloth. “Did you get in touch with your people?”

  “Yes. They’ll be looking for anything on the whereabouts of the circle and on that brooch. It would help if we found someone more observant that took a good look at that pin. Then we could get a sketch made to pass around to some jewelers. I’ve got Daniel on that,” he said, wrapping a fresh tie around his neck.

  “Sounds good. I’ve got Earth and Air checking in with their sources, too,” she said.

  “Sources?”

  “Their element,” Diana replied, wondering how much she could trust him.

  “How does that work?” he asked.

  With a sigh, she decided to take the leap. He was too intelligent to share their secrets with the wrong people or in some wordy monograph. And Gia was right. She could use a friend.

  “They listen to their element. Air hears the things whispered on the wind. And Earth can. . .well, it’s like she can hear the echoes in the earth. Like memories. Neither is truly reliable, but a surprising amount of information can be found that way,” Diana said.

  She didn’t mention communing directly with the Mother. It was a difficult and potentially damaging thing to attempt, and so far Gia was the only one who’d successfully done it.

  “Can you do that?” he asked.

  “No. Fire has no memory,” she said simply, waiting as he pulled out a jacket.

  “Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense since it’s ephemeral. Except maybe at volcanoes. Are you immune to lava?”

  Diana laughed. “Since I’ve never jumped into a volcano, I don’t actually know. Believe it or not, it’s never come up before. Where are we going for dinner? I’ve had some good take-out in this town.”

  “No, no, no!” Alec said loudly, startling her. “Fine dining in New Orleans is beyond. . .well, it’s simply beyond. There is no excuse for eating take-out here as a visitor. It should only be a restaurant or starvation,” he said, arms wide for emphasis.

  “You’re a vampire. You barely eat,” she said in an incredulous tone.

  “Which is why my word on this should be highly valued. If you can only consume a little bit at a time, it damn well better be good,” he said with a warm smile.

  “Fine. So what’s for dinner?”

  He stopped short. “There’s a restaurant called Broussard’s here, but since you haven’t been out to dinner here before, I opted for a classic, Antoine’s.”

  “I think I’ve heard of it,” Diana replied as they made their way into the courtyard.

  “Yeah, it’s always mentioned in books about New Orleans and highlighted on tourist websites,” Alec said. “We could go someplace else if you like.”

  “No, it’s okay if we can get in. But we could try the Broussard place too if you want. Are they related in some way?”

  “Yes, but they don’t know it. It’s a branch of the family where the ability to turn died out ages ago. We don’t keep in touch. Family, even distant family, outside the community is too tricky to deal with since we can’t be honest with them about what we are,” he said.

  “Yeah, I guess
that would be problematic.”

  Guess there are advantages to not having a family.

  Alec ushered her toward the luxury car he had waiting for them. This one was a shiny black Ferrari convertible he chose to drive himself.

  “Little mid-life crisis, isn’t it?” she asked trying not to laugh, even though she really liked the 458 Spider in this color.

  “Says the woman with a Suzuki Hayabusa,” he teased.

  “Hey, that’s for speed,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she climbed into the car.

  “So is this,” Alec argued as he revved the engine, making her laugh out loud.

  By the time they arrived at the restaurant, Alec had covered the history of the Broussard’s in New Orleans and had gone into the history of Antoine’s restaurant. As she’d come to expect, they were ushered inside to a prime table as soon as they arrived.

  “This is the Mystery room,” he explained to Diana as he handed her a glass of wine. “I believe there is a hidden door in a ladies room somewhere that led to this space. People would get served alcohol in coffee cups here during prohibition.”

  Diana’s interest was immediately caught. “I like movies about that era, about Gangsters. I don’t like them in real life, of course, but as fiction, they’re okay.”

  “Me, too. I met Capone once.”

  “Really?” It was her turn to be fascinated. “What was he like?”

  “He was charming and utterly ruthless. It was at a party in Chicago. There were a number of colorful characters wandering around in those days. I was attracted to the atmosphere, people partying despite the blue laws. Those little illicit rebellions.” He shook his head and smiled. “The little rebellions are so much more enjoyable than the big ones,” he finished, his gaze growing distant and unfocused.

  Determined to keep it light, Diana narrowed her eyes. “Were you studying them like an anthropologist?”

  “In a way, I suppose,” he admitted ruefully as he focused on her again. “But I did partake in the parties myself. A real anthropologist wouldn’t get involved in that way.”