Read Online elemental 05 - inferno by Larissa Ladd - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Larissa Ladd
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remove the last of the energy, leaving Aira once more fully aligned with her element and freed of all poison and any lingering effects of her grandmother’s generosity. The best part of the cure—at least, as much as Aiden could perceive Aira’s feelings on the matter—was that Aiden wasn’t involved in it at all. He hoped against hope that at some point before Aira had to face her trial, he could finally have the much-needed conversation with her and clear the air. But he knew he would have to wait.
Aiden watched as his brother mixed the potion carefully, consulting a book every few moments that he had taken from Aira’s grandmother’s house. Potions were not at all Aiden’s specialty—being closely aligned with water magic, Aiden had never remotely given them a thought, other than to memorize poisons that could be used against elementals. He considered the information they had gotten from Alex the day before; there was clearly another elemental who was interested in destroying Aira’s bid to be the ruler of her element, if not killing her outright. Of course, removing her from contention would have the same ultimate effect. Who could it have been?
Aiden stepped away, moving up to his room for privacy. He would have to make some phone calls. He was relieved that he wasn’t needed for what Dylan was going to do. Aiden was hopeful that once Aira had the last of the poison and her grandmother’s energy out of her body, she would be a little more psychologically sound.
He decided to call an old friend, Thomas—another fire elemental, in the same line of work as he was. Thomas mostly worked as a bodyguard, though he occasionally functioned as an elemental bounty hunter.
“Yo, Tom,” Aiden said, sitting down on his bed and trying to pull his thoughts away from the infuriating, intoxicating woman downstairs. “I need information.”
Thomas chuckled on the other end. “I heard you were on some basic bodyguard duty. What’s the situation?”
Aiden gave Thomas a brief sketch of the details, omitting as much information as he could. Thomas would have to know it was Aira—but he didn’t need to know how close Aira had come to being utterly defeated by the poison she’d been given. He also didn’t need to know that he and Aira had been intimate. Just that she was in contention for the rule of her element, that Alex had poisoned her, and that he was under the control of another fire elemental. Thomas was a much more brutal elemental than Aiden—while he was not quite as powerful, he used his ability to its fullest extent, which was why the elders tended to call on him to deal with other fire elementals, when a strong water elemental wasn’t available.
“Ahh, that’s who you’re guarding. Hope you’re getting paid well,” Thomas said on the other end of the line.
Aiden chuckled. “Well enough. What do you know about it?” Aiden could picture Thomas shrugging. There was the sound of movement coming through the phone, wind rushing over the microphone. Aiden wondered briefly what his friend was doing.
“I’d heard that someone was out to poison her, but not who. It’d need to be someone pretty high up in the families, though, to be able to get the poison in Alex’s hands without interference.”
That was about what Aiden had suspected.
“Who would be on your list?” Aiden asked—thinking that with months more ‘on the ground’ as it were, not locked down into one assignment, Thomas might have some insight.
“Jeff Willis would be a likely suspect,” Thomas said musingly. “He had no love for Lorene; he wouldn’t be thrilled with her granddaughter taking up a position of power. Brigette wouldn’t balk at putting poison in someone’s hand if she was motivated and had another person in mind for the position. There’s also Oriel to consider—her grandfather is our ruler—and last but not least Ethan. He’s linked by family to earth elementals, and I understand they are, as a
Aiden watched as his brother mixed the potion carefully, consulting a book every few moments that he had taken from Aira’s grandmother’s house. Potions were not at all Aiden’s specialty—being closely aligned with water magic, Aiden had never remotely given them a thought, other than to memorize poisons that could be used against elementals. He considered the information they had gotten from Alex the day before; there was clearly another elemental who was interested in destroying Aira’s bid to be the ruler of her element, if not killing her outright. Of course, removing her from contention would have the same ultimate effect. Who could it have been?
Aiden stepped away, moving up to his room for privacy. He would have to make some phone calls. He was relieved that he wasn’t needed for what Dylan was going to do. Aiden was hopeful that once Aira had the last of the poison and her grandmother’s energy out of her body, she would be a little more psychologically sound.
He decided to call an old friend, Thomas—another fire elemental, in the same line of work as he was. Thomas mostly worked as a bodyguard, though he occasionally functioned as an elemental bounty hunter.
“Yo, Tom,” Aiden said, sitting down on his bed and trying to pull his thoughts away from the infuriating, intoxicating woman downstairs. “I need information.”
Thomas chuckled on the other end. “I heard you were on some basic bodyguard duty. What’s the situation?”
Aiden gave Thomas a brief sketch of the details, omitting as much information as he could. Thomas would have to know it was Aira—but he didn’t need to know how close Aira had come to being utterly defeated by the poison she’d been given. He also didn’t need to know that he and Aira had been intimate. Just that she was in contention for the rule of her element, that Alex had poisoned her, and that he was under the control of another fire elemental. Thomas was a much more brutal elemental than Aiden—while he was not quite as powerful, he used his ability to its fullest extent, which was why the elders tended to call on him to deal with other fire elementals, when a strong water elemental wasn’t available.
“Ahh, that’s who you’re guarding. Hope you’re getting paid well,” Thomas said on the other end of the line.
Aiden chuckled. “Well enough. What do you know about it?” Aiden could picture Thomas shrugging. There was the sound of movement coming through the phone, wind rushing over the microphone. Aiden wondered briefly what his friend was doing.
“I’d heard that someone was out to poison her, but not who. It’d need to be someone pretty high up in the families, though, to be able to get the poison in Alex’s hands without interference.”
That was about what Aiden had suspected.
“Who would be on your list?” Aiden asked—thinking that with months more ‘on the ground’ as it were, not locked down into one assignment, Thomas might have some insight.
“Jeff Willis would be a likely suspect,” Thomas said musingly. “He had no love for Lorene; he wouldn’t be thrilled with her granddaughter taking up a position of power. Brigette wouldn’t balk at putting poison in someone’s hand if she was motivated and had another person in mind for the position. There’s also Oriel to consider—her grandfather is our ruler—and last but not least Ethan. He’s linked by family to earth elementals, and I understand they are, as a
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