Read Online Caution to the Wind: Book One of the Elementals Series by F. R. Southerland - Free Book Online Page A

with the broken stones.”
    There was silence, but Loren knew the story hadn't ended. Callum pressed his fingers against his chin and remained quiet and thoughtful. It seemed a lifetime before he spoke again.
    “Castle took the stones and separated them. He believed that if they joined again, it would open the portal. Three of the stones are secure. My father ensured as much at Castle’s request. The fourth was never recovered.”
    The stoned weighed heavily against her chest. Her heart thudded against it and Loren swallowed. “What do the stones look like?” She needed to be certain.
    Callum leaned back in his seat, his hands resting on his lap. “Small, square—broken where they split from the original tablet. I only saw the three of them, once. The runes Castle mentioned vanished from them. Red, blue, and green in color. The fourth was yellow, I was told.”    
    Loren looked away from him. She resisted the temptation to touch the stone she wore. She didn't know what to say.
    “We never knew what became of the last stone. After his death—”
    “He died ?” Her breath caught.
    Callum nodded, watching her reaction. “Yes. It happened shortly after he divided his abilities between us. Sometime shortly after he gave you yours, I imagine.”
    The new information spun in her head. She tried to make sense of it all, to sort her thoughts and emotions. She was saddened Castle was dead. She hadn't known him, but she knew the loss. He was the one responsible for everything. He'd given her the ability to control air, had given her the stone from a mystical tablet.
    Her thoughts broke off when Callum spoke again.
    “We knew there was another. Castle told my father of his intentions. When they discovered his body, it was clear he had passed on the gift. He left no indication whatsoever of how we were to find the recipient. We searched, but...” he trailed off with a shrug.
    “No one found me.”
    It was heavy information, to know people had searched for her. She had meant something to them. Loren put it out of her head. She wasn’t important. It was her abilities. That was all. A small frown tugged at her mouth.
    “No, we didn’t. We’re sorry for— I'm sorry for that. If one of us had found you—if my father had found you—we would’ve brought you immediately here. You would’ve known everything then and could’ve learned to control your ability. My father exhausted so many resources searching.”
    Loren rubbed her hands on her jeans and nodded. Words failed her.
    Callum attempted a small, sympathetic smile. “I’ve given you too much again, haven’t I?”
    “No, no. I mean, well, yes but I’m okay. I’m just sorting through it.”
    There were questions—always so many questions. She didn’t know where to start. Her brow furrowed. “Castle came from another world,” she began, stating the information aloud for her own clarity. “He fought with his brother, Mal, who came here with him. There was a mystical stone.” She swallowed hard. “A tablet, which had broken apart. The pieces were hidden away, except for one, which became lost.”
    “That’s right.”
    She nodded. “What um happens if the piece is found?”
    “By Mal?” Callum sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Nothing good. For a hundred years, Castle kept the stones safe. I never understood how the last became lost, but it's possible Mal could have it. We don’t know.” He frowned. “If he does, it wouldn’t be good.”
    “What if the stone is lost? What if he doesn't have it and it's only lost. If it’s lost, no one knows where it is.” That was sound logic.
    Callum pulled a face. “It’s dangerous, regardless. If Mal hasn’t found it yet, it means there’s a chance he could . It would make me rest easier at night to know all the stones were somewhere safe and secure, away from him. He’s weaker in our world. Mortal. If he returned to his home world, he’d regain his full power and without Castle to no longer oppose