Just Breathe Part 21

The Fyre straightened. A grin spread across his face like slow-moving mola.s.ses, more spicy than sweet. He wound his arms across his wide chest.

f.u.c.k.

Gavin held his breath.

"So you're the one who's banging Zoe. You guys ever considered a threesome? I could totally make it worth your while."

Fire prodding him from dual sources, Gavin ground his teeth and took a dive into Byrn's personal s.p.a.ce. Inflamed words flew before he had a chance to ground them. "Mind your mouth, d.i.c.khead."

"It's okay," Zoe interjected behind him. Her hand warmed his back. "Byrn's just joking."

h.e.l.l, no, it wasn't okay. Heat rolled off the Fyre and half-melted the hardened gel in Gavin's hair.

"Packing a little extra heat there, buddy?" Byrn glanced at Gavin's chest.

Scarlet's Fire licked at his insides, goading him toward violence. Gavin gathered some Water and pushed his body against Byrn.

Fire, Air, and Earth levels in the room spiked.

"Easy," Jet cautioned. "Byrn, don't mess with Gavin about Zoe. Even in jest. You'll get yourself a one-way ticket to Incendius talking that kind of smack."

Byrn's lip curled. His gaze never strayed from Gavin's. "You scared to say yes to a three-way, Sentinel boy? Afraid you might end up liking the Fyre c.o.c.k a little too much? Oh, the things I could do to you." He pa.s.sed his tongue across his lips, then licked the five fingers on one hand in turn, a few centimeters from Gavin's face.

Scarlet's Fire smiled.

Gavin's Water wasn't amused.

"Oh, s.h.i.t," Vexx piped up from her chair. She snuffed a giggle with a cupped hand.

Gavin ushered Byrn to the wall with his body. Despite the Fire urging him on, he had the sense to route Water to his fists. He shoved the Fyre and stepped back as the b.a.s.t.a.r.d slid to the floor, squirming the whole way down.

Gavin crouched beside him and leaned close to his ear. "Where I come from, it's bad taste to proposition a man's lady. Worse to do it to someone's daughter. That's two strikes. One more, and your mates will be mopping your ashes off the floor. Now, go be a dear and tell Zoe you're sorry. Then you can apologize to Jack."

His face distorted with pain, Byrn stood, swiped the back of a wrist across his mouth, and flashed a toothy grin. "Can you and I have make-up s.e.x afterward? I'm getting the distinct impression you're my kinda lover."

"Byrn." Jet hadn't moved.

"Uh-" Zoe's voice trembled.

Byrn blew a puff in Gavin's face. A warm, seductive scent curled between them. Scarlet roused in Gavin's core, as if sniffing the air. Wild, animal-like screams from the day he accidentally f.u.c.ked her lit up his ears.

A sudden wave of Firel.u.s.t d.a.m.n near knocked him over.

Byrn tilted his head and narrowed red eyes on Gavin.

f.u.c.king h.e.l.l. He'd sensed Scarlet's Fire. He must have.

Zoe wriggled between them and elbowed Byrn and Gavin apart. "Stop acting like children."

Her Water meant business. The magnetic pull between Scarlet and Byrn dampened when she touched him, and the connection severed.

Gavin rubbed his chest. It hurt. Like bruises scattered over his soul. Scarlet's Fire had sunk its talons in hard. He met Byrn's eyes and saw recognition in them. A shiver bolted through his muscles.

Please don't tell Zoe.

"That's some strong Fire you got there, mate." Byrn p.r.o.nounced the last word with an Aussie kick. "With the crazy heat around here, you'd be wise to keep that s.h.i.t on a leash. Wouldn't want to attract any unwanted attention, now would you?"

Byrn turned to Zoe. "And you, Lady Hot a.s.s, must be one lucky girl. All that Fire to keep your hoo-ha nice and toasty. I'm insanely jealous."

Gavin's lip curled as he fought back Scarlet's explosive Fire clamoring for a bite of Byrn, but Zoe hooked her arm through Gavin's and stroked his blue tattoos. They glowed in reply, and her Water soothed his fury. "Lucky doesn't begin to describe me."

Byrn c.o.c.ked a brow.

Shame and worry tunneled through Gavin's blood vessels like parasites. f.u.c.k, if the bond to his most hated enemy didn't kill him, the guilt and fear of living a lie that Byrn might expose on a whim certainly would.

Chapter Twenty-five.

After Jack and Gavin left on a quest into the Dreaming for the mysterious Dreamweaver, and Byrn disappeared in search of "chow," Zoe sat beside Whetu's motionless form on the bed and watched the intent Aer Elemental on the other side of her.

"I might be getting something." Vexx leaned closer to Whetu and pressed her index and middle fingers to the girl's temples. She held her breath and closed her eyes.

Whetu's brows squeezed tightly for a long moment, then the muscles in her face slackened.

Vexx fell into the chair cushion, pink and black pigtails bouncing with the impact. "I'm so close. Come on, Whetu. I know you're in there. You're gonna have to come out sooner or later, chick."

Zoe slid her hand over Whetu's soft arm. "Has she blocked you from her mind, or is something holding her back?"

"Maybe a little of both. I'm sure the heat Byrn and Gavin were kicking around like hacky sacks wasn't helping either." She paused and swept Whetu's cheek. "She's put up a mental wall, and I haven't found a weak spot to start picking at. Once I do, it'll go much faster. Her old man was a legend, so I'm not surprised she's packing major Air. To be honest, I think the change will come in a matter of days." Vexx popped her gum loudly and faced Zoe. "You ever see a Wyldling go Elemental?"

"No, I don't know much about that process."

"It's effin' wicked." The golden flecks in Vexx's eyes sparkled.

No doubt. "How does it happen? I mean, I thought Elementals were just born that way. Is it genetic?"

"There's a genetic component, yes, but more than anything, it has to do with a Wyldling's Balance. Most humans are pretty well-rounded in the Element department. Sure, they have minor fluctuations, peaks and valleys, throughout the day-that's normal. But ever notice how some people are just crazy-smart or strong or intuitive or s.e.xy without even trying?"

Zoe nodded.

Vexx glanced at Whetu. "Those are the ones who stand a good chance of becoming like us."

"So anyone can become an Elemental?" Zoe asked. Imagine the research implications. Wow.

"Theoretically, yes. The change usually happens after a life-rattling event. In Whetu's case, it could be the loss of her father, though that would be more likely to evoke Water than Air. This girl has Air in spades.

"Whatever the reason, the inciting event creates a ma.s.sive spike in one Element's production inside the human body, and actually causes the biological parts a.s.sociated with that Element's Shade to wither and lose functionality. The 'host' Element rushes in to compensate for those deteriorating pieces, thereby strengthening the person in one area and depleting stores in another. That's why Fire weakens Air. We Aers don't boast much Fire, therefore we have very little resistance to it. The older the Elemental, the less of the other Elements he or she has."

"What happens when you become all Air?"

"We return to Aero in the purest form and 'commune'"-Vexx made air quotes-"with the G.o.d. At least that's what we're told. People like Jet, Byrn, Xanthos, and I prefer not to believe in that archaic dogma. It cramps our style."

"Why do you call it dogma? You either ascend to the G.o.d or you don't, right?"

"It's dogma in that the Archelementals are a bunch of power-hungry a.s.shole politicos who-just like human politicians-want to be reelected to another term so they can steal power from the ma.s.ses. That whole t.i.thing thing is a huge load of horse s.h.i.t."

Gavin had mentioned Elementals were subject to the same b.l.o.o.d.y politics and backstabbing humans were. "So, you four are renegades. I can appreciate that." Man, could she ever.

One question had been bugging her since the Gavin-Scarlet incident. She didn't really want to know the answer, but she needed to. Just in case.

"What about children? Obviously Elementals can have them." Zoe nodded at Whetu. "How does that...happen?"

Vexx giggled. "Same way it happens for you. Want me to draw you a diagram? I could call Byrn back here for a demonstration."

Zoe bit her lip. She shouldn't even be asking this question. She trusted Gavin hadn't lied to her about not finishing his business when he and Scarlet... She shook her head. "No, I mean, is it easy for an Elemental to get pregnant?"

Vexx propped her hot pink Chuck Taylor high tops up on the bed. "Easy? No. Because we're out of Balance, Elemental bodies tend to reject 'foreign objects.' Fyres are too hot. Waeters are too cold. Aers lack the physical s.p.a.ce. Erthes are the only ones who don't generally have fertility problems.

"To sustain the pregnancy to term, an Elemental must give up some of her base Element and allow the others back in. Most aren't comfortable with that plan because they fear they might lose control of their native Element for good. That's why you don't see many Elemental mamas. Much easier to be a dad."

That was good news. Scarlet didn't strike Zoe as the motherly type anyway. She craved Fire too much to give it up for a defenseless baby- "Best not to think about it, Zoe." Vexx folded her delicate fingers neatly across the plaid pink and purple of her mini skirt waistband.

Heat warmed Zoe's cheeks. "You're not a mind reader like Iri, are you?"

"Nope. Well, not exactly. I'm good with suggestion though. So why don't you forget about Scarlet for now." She leaned over and wiggled her fingers in front of Zoe's eyes, painting the air shimmery gold.

Wow. Gorgeous. Zoe lifted a hand to touch the glittery ribbon of light, but it disappeared before she could.

She blinked. "Did you say something?" For the life of her, she couldn't remember what they'd been talking about. Must not have been too important.

"I said I'm good with suggestion." Vexx flashed a pearly white smile.

"You made me forget something."

Vexx's shoulders lifted with a girly giggle.

"Jedi mind tricks really do exist." Huh. Zoe wouldn't ask what she forgot. They'd been discussing something about Elementals that made her uncomfortable. Probably best to keep the train of thought derailed.

"If you're good at planting ideas, why not use your skill to lure Whetu out of the coma-or whatever she's in?"

"Normally, I would, but she's so close to turning, I'm afraid if I dig too deep, I could damage her brain. She's in a precarious, coc.o.o.n-like state. A mental foible on my part could not only wipe out her knowledge of the location of the dream-door, but it could end her permanently."

Zoe swallowed hard and studied Whetu's frail, burned body. If this innocent child didn't wake up soon, Australia might be nothing more than a forgotten nightmare in a week.

Please hurry, Whetu. The Wyldlings and my whales depend on you.

Gavin was worried. About a lot of things.

He and Jack had spent hours scouring the Dreaming for the Dreamweaver, to no avail. They disrupted several pockets of cl.u.s.tered Fyres but uncovered no leads. The Fyres had the Dreamweaver well hidden.

Jack left Gavin near the Sentinel Castle with a promise to catch up in Realis after he finished some Librus Group business.

Having been summoned by the Council, Gavin stood alone before the ominous drawbridge and shuttered his eyes under tight brows. This called meeting didn't bode well.

Though he'd only left Zoe a short while ago, his Water supply had dwindled to almost nothing. Keeping his inner inferno submerged had stripped his defenses, and it had become difficult to replenish his stores. He clawed at the itchy Fire tattoos, which now pulsed with a constant glow while the others dimmed. He had no clue what the councilors wanted, but they'd be able to smell the Fire from light years away if he couldn't mask the stench with enough Water.

If Byrn tattled about the deal with Scarlet, every ally Gavin had would turn against him. But losing the Sentinels' confidence-h.e.l.l, even Jack's-would be a piece of p.i.s.s compared to losing Zoe again. Zoe would view his pact with Scarlet as the ultimate betrayal.

And in truth, it was.

Hefting a sigh, he navigated the corridors and stepped into the Sentinel Council chamber. His heart ached with dread.

Wyland looked up and stood. "Finally. If it pleases the Council, I'd like to address some rumors floating around about our ill.u.s.trious new Sentinel leader." He gestured with a beefy hand to Gavin.

f.u.c.k. Gavin straightened. Metallic tinged saliva glutted his mouth. Taking the only available chair, he summoned Water to quench the spreading Fire but came up short.

Glances bounced between Kai, Erin, and Seth. Ellie and Camira lowered their heads.

"Rumors?" he said, knowing full well what Wyland meant.

Wyland flung a manila folder across the polished jarrah tree table. It slid to a stop in front of Gavin's surprisingly calm hands.

He opened it and read the typed paper inside: an anonymous letter to the Council doc.u.menting Gavin and Scarlet's Fire Oath, word for word. Exactly as they had spoken it.

Before his death, Yileen had warned about a traitor on the Council. Gavin had his suspicions, but he'd never gathered enough evidence to point the bone. Someone in this room was in league with Scarlet and had written the letter to get rid of him. Unfortunately, the accusations were true. Gavin couldn't deny the claims if he wanted to. His aura would give him away to these keen Sentinels' eyes. Probably already had.

He laid down the page and scanned the faces surrounding him.

"Have you nothing to say?" Wyland asked. "Your Council demands an explanation."

Gavin rose and rested his knuckled fingers on the table. There was no way around this. His only chance for mercy was via confession. He let out a heavy breath. "The allegations are true. I swore a Fire Oath with Scarlet so we Sentinels could take back the Dreaming. She promised to give me the key in exchange for my...Fire."

Murmurs of disapproval flew across the room.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Erin said. The disappointment in her straight-backed posture cut him to the quick.

Wyland smirked and tilted his head to the side. "You had a relationship with Scarlet before, did you not?"

Smug b.a.s.t.a.r.d. "It's no secret. When we were together, I didn't know she was a Fyre. The relationship ended when I found out. But that's beside the point. I entered into the agreement with her as a back-up plan in case Whetu doesn't wake up before the equinox." He paused, eager to gauge reactions to his other option. "Or if we can't find the Dreamweaver."