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Authors: Denise Tompkins
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sorry?”
“Nope.”
Her answering smile felt so good, so right. “Me neither.”
Rolling his shoulders, he turned to face her in the same manner, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “How’d you manage it, Red? You said something about how controlling the elements isn’t easy for you. What is it you’re not telling me?”
Emotion clogged Eden’s throat. He’d called her Red. She had to tell him, couldn’t let this huge elephant in the room keep tap dancing around them. “I’m the Elemental Guardian.”
Seth went so still she had the urge to check his pulse and see if his heart had quit moving, too, or if it were racing as fast as hers. He stepped back, breaking their contact and looking at her with something akin to fear. “Elemental Guardian? That’s a myth.”
Her answer was a single, humorless bark of laughter. “Right. Because we’re not myths ourselves.”
“No. I mean, yeah. We are. But we’re not. You, though. You’re not supposed to be real. You’re a nightmare, a threat the elemental djinn use to scare their children into behaving.”
“A nightmare.” The words were so soft they were little more than a breath of air.
“You know—if a kid won’t stay in the spatial bend where we exist, say he keeps playing with mortals before his element is anchored to his soul, the kid’s told the Elemental Guardian will come for him and steal his element as punishment.” Reaching out in tentative fits and starts, he finally rubbed a loose curl between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re our greatest threat and the most beautiful nightmare I’ve ever had.”
“I don’t want to be a nightmare. All I ever wanted was to be normal, to live with people who didn’t try to shove me into some type of ideal Wiccan mold, force me to learn to wield a magic that’s too big for me or try to break me simply to prove they could. I didn’t ask the Goddess for the internal power grid I ended up with.”
“Clearly she thought you were the right person for the job.” He considered her. “Is it true you keep the four elements aligned?”
“Yeah, it is. I hold the core of each one inside me. They’re tied to me sort of like your element is tied to you, but if I lose even one, I have to be destroyed.” She slumped to the floor, sighing when her ass hit the cold tile. “Feels good against the burn.”
“I didn’t leave permanent marks. You’ll feel it for a day or two, but then it’ll get better.” He slid to the floor next to her. “Why did you seek me out, Red?”
A harsh sob escaped. She swiped angrily at the tears that tracked down her cheeks, misery’s little soldiers. “I wanted to know what it was like, to give up the responsibility. I have to take up the mantle of my power tomorrow in a full moon ceremony.” She looked up at him through spiky, wet lashes. “Just once, I wanted to put someone else in charge, switch places and… Oh!” She scrambled to her feet. “That’s it!”
He didn’t bother to get up, just looked at her with mild curiosity. “What?”
“We have to switch!”
Chapter Nine
“Switch places.” Anxiety raced through Seth’s veins. “As in, actually switch places.”
Her exasperated sigh didn’t bode well. “Not physically, no.” Chewing on her bottom lip, she refused to meet his eyes. “I’ll top you this time.”
“You’ll
what?
No. No way. I don’t bottom for anyone.” He lunged to his feet. “Besides, you have no idea how to properly dominate someone.”
“You have to try, Seth.” She stepped toward him. “And all I can do is what has been done to me. If I repeat your actions, is that okay?”
“Absolutely not.” He backed away, fighting not to run. No freaking way was he giving up control. It had been too hard won. “Not happening. I’d rather do my smoky bit and wink out, thanks.”
Her mouth set in a hard line. “Don’t be an ass.”
“I’m an ass for holding onto what I believe?” He shoved his hands
“Nope.”
Her answering smile felt so good, so right. “Me neither.”
Rolling his shoulders, he turned to face her in the same manner, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “How’d you manage it, Red? You said something about how controlling the elements isn’t easy for you. What is it you’re not telling me?”
Emotion clogged Eden’s throat. He’d called her Red. She had to tell him, couldn’t let this huge elephant in the room keep tap dancing around them. “I’m the Elemental Guardian.”
Seth went so still she had the urge to check his pulse and see if his heart had quit moving, too, or if it were racing as fast as hers. He stepped back, breaking their contact and looking at her with something akin to fear. “Elemental Guardian? That’s a myth.”
Her answer was a single, humorless bark of laughter. “Right. Because we’re not myths ourselves.”
“No. I mean, yeah. We are. But we’re not. You, though. You’re not supposed to be real. You’re a nightmare, a threat the elemental djinn use to scare their children into behaving.”
“A nightmare.” The words were so soft they were little more than a breath of air.
“You know—if a kid won’t stay in the spatial bend where we exist, say he keeps playing with mortals before his element is anchored to his soul, the kid’s told the Elemental Guardian will come for him and steal his element as punishment.” Reaching out in tentative fits and starts, he finally rubbed a loose curl between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re our greatest threat and the most beautiful nightmare I’ve ever had.”
“I don’t want to be a nightmare. All I ever wanted was to be normal, to live with people who didn’t try to shove me into some type of ideal Wiccan mold, force me to learn to wield a magic that’s too big for me or try to break me simply to prove they could. I didn’t ask the Goddess for the internal power grid I ended up with.”
“Clearly she thought you were the right person for the job.” He considered her. “Is it true you keep the four elements aligned?”
“Yeah, it is. I hold the core of each one inside me. They’re tied to me sort of like your element is tied to you, but if I lose even one, I have to be destroyed.” She slumped to the floor, sighing when her ass hit the cold tile. “Feels good against the burn.”
“I didn’t leave permanent marks. You’ll feel it for a day or two, but then it’ll get better.” He slid to the floor next to her. “Why did you seek me out, Red?”
A harsh sob escaped. She swiped angrily at the tears that tracked down her cheeks, misery’s little soldiers. “I wanted to know what it was like, to give up the responsibility. I have to take up the mantle of my power tomorrow in a full moon ceremony.” She looked up at him through spiky, wet lashes. “Just once, I wanted to put someone else in charge, switch places and… Oh!” She scrambled to her feet. “That’s it!”
He didn’t bother to get up, just looked at her with mild curiosity. “What?”
“We have to switch!”
Chapter Nine
“Switch places.” Anxiety raced through Seth’s veins. “As in, actually switch places.”
Her exasperated sigh didn’t bode well. “Not physically, no.” Chewing on her bottom lip, she refused to meet his eyes. “I’ll top you this time.”
“You’ll
what?
No. No way. I don’t bottom for anyone.” He lunged to his feet. “Besides, you have no idea how to properly dominate someone.”
“You have to try, Seth.” She stepped toward him. “And all I can do is what has been done to me. If I repeat your actions, is that okay?”
“Absolutely not.” He backed away, fighting not to run. No freaking way was he giving up control. It had been too hard won. “Not happening. I’d rather do my smoky bit and wink out, thanks.”
Her mouth set in a hard line. “Don’t be an ass.”
“I’m an ass for holding onto what I believe?” He shoved his hands
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