Read Online Restless (Element Preservers, #4) by Alycia Linwood - Free Book Online Page A

aware that it wasn't their fault and that they were simply following their orders, but I was pissed off. I could only feel the guards' elements in the hall and I glanced behind me just to be sure. Before they could realize what I was planning to do, I focused on air, isolating it from my other elements. Two quick bursts of air came out of me, throwing the guards down the hall. They landed on their backs with a crash a couple of feet away from me, their breaths knocked out of their chests.
    "Sorry," I said and ran for the main door. It would take them some time to recover and chase after me. Hopefully, I'd find Adrian before they found me.
     
    It didn't take me long to find my way to the club. A bodyguard stood next to the door, but the entrance was free and anyone could go inside, so he barely acknowledged me when I passed him by. The smell of dampness and spilled beer hit me as soon as I put my foot inside of the club. It was so dark that I could hardly see where I was going. The tension left my shoulders when I realized no one would be able to recognize me, but the drunk crowd swarmed me in an instant, bumping their sweaty bodies against me as they danced to the rhythm with the deafening music.
    I elbowed my way through the crowd, pushing away hands that tried to grab me. Adrian was nowhere in sight, and I started to feel light-headed, cold, thirsty and out of breath at the same time. Warming the already hot air around me to stop myself from jumping at someone's throat, I pushed my way to the bar. The scene in front of me stopped me dead in my tracks.
    Adrian was sitting on one of the barstools and a girl was leaning on the bar next to him, trying to get his attention. I was rooted to the spot, feeling as if someone had cut my legs off. Even my fire died out inside of me, which was good considering that I wanted to put the girl's long blond hair on fire. Adrian smiled at her, but then he looked away and reached for the small glass on the bar, his movements slow and clumsy.
    I took a deep breath, focusing on the control I had over my elements and the disease. Adrian was clearly drunk and he didn't seem interested in the blonde, but I still wanted to tell the girl to stop batting her fucking eyelashes at my man. Maybe if I kept telling myself that she was harmless, I'd convince myself that there was no need to be upset. Yeah, right.
    I strode toward the bar just as the blonde bent forward, giving Adrian a full view of her breasts that were protruding from her tight red top. Leaning on the bar behind the girl's back, I fixed my gaze on Adrian and waited for him to notice me... if he ever decided to look over the girl's shoulder. He must have felt someone was watching him because he lifted his head, his eyes widening as he saw me. Then his lips broke into a smile and he laughed.
    I raised an eyebrow at him and glanced at the girl who must have thought he was smiling at her. He waved his finger at the girl and she came closer. He said something into her ear and she pulled back like he had slapped her. As she strode away from the bar, nearly bumping into me, I saw that her blue eyes were glassy.
    "Guess I didn't lose my charm." Adrian licked his lips.
    I rolled my eyes at him. "She's drunk. She'd fall for anything. And she doesn't even look like me." I wasn't sure whether I should be happy or not about the last part. I'd hate to think that Adrian could find a substitute for me so easily. "Come on. We have to go. You're too drunk to talk right now."
    "No, I'm not drunk." He waved over the bartender, pointing at his glass and slapping some dollar bills on the bar. The bartender poured him a glass of something that looked like whiskey and left the bottle within Adrian's reach. Adrian downed his drink in a second.
    "Why are you still here?" He glanced at me, pouring himself another glass of whiskey. "You should go before someone recognizes you and realizes you're talking to me."
    I snatched his glass before he could take it and let