elemental powers were cerebral.
He couldn’t create wind, a wave, a fire, a lightning storm or anything other
than what a normal human could do physically.
To top it off, the shore had disappeared. In all the water
surging, rocking, and manipulation, they’d somehow completely left the river
and were now in the Atlantic. Vince wouldn’t be swimming his way out of this
either. Ray had time to figure out what the hell had just happened.
He turned toward the woman now sitting on the deck. Her head
still down, chin on chest, she trembled with the aftereffects of a huge power
outlay, but her gasps had quieted and her skin had returned to normal, no
longer red from exertion. She stiffened a bit, as if she felt his gaze on her.
“It was the best I could do. The power syphoned off me by Astrid severely
hampered my efforts.”
“Are you feeling all right?” A pinch in his chest panged and
his mouth went dry. He knelt next to her and his hand halted above her head. He
let it drop, instead of caressing her. They were friends. Friends didn’t stroke
one another’s hair.
“My power. It’s like it’s a gaping hole in my middle.” Her
whisper came in aching horror.
“It’s only temporary,” Ray tried to soothe her, and without
volition, his hand returned and lightly caressed and stroked over her wet hair.
“Is it?” Clarissa’s chin jerked up and she faced him. The
watery pools of blue captured him and he couldn’t turn away from the concern
lurking there. “Astrid’s only just faced her syphoning power. I like her. I do.
But she hasn’t been taught. Susan just started her training. What if she did
damage while she was in there?”
Para-talents had an innate fear of syphons. They could take
away power temporarily or permanently. All para-talents had that
reaction—including Ray, if he were honest—except for Griffin. Ray’s brother had
taken one look at Astrid and known she was his mate. Ray had protested, worried
for Griffin, a weather mage. If two opposing powers joined together as mates,
they could become more powerful and live even longer. Para-talents lived for a
few hundred years. Joined in a balanced partnership, double that. But if they
didn’t balance, the weaker of the couple would sicken and die. Ray shrugged off
the concern. Griffin had found his mate. He was safe.
For now, Clarissa needed his attention.
Ray knelt, gathered her in his arms, and stood.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting you out of the sun while I figure out where we
are.”
“We’re about twenty miles out to sea.” She slipped her arms
around his neck and tucked her head beneath his chin.
Tightening his hold, he hugged her against him. He’d never
cradled her in his arms like this. The solidness of her body, close, tight
against him, loosened something inside his chest. She belonged here. And this
body was more than happy to have her near. But now was not the time to spring
wood in his trousers. He cleared his throat. “I’ll just call the Coast Guard.
Figure out how to start up that engine…”
“There’s a problem.” She shifted in his arms. But he didn’t
loosen his hold as he walked down the stairs into a small bunkroom beneath the
deck. There wasn’t much under here except the built-in chest of drawers and the
bed. He put her down on it.
“What’s that?” Arms empty, he stepped back. The small room
was intimate. Too much so. He jerked around to face the stairs.
“We’re stranded,” she replied in a dull voice.
“How is that possible?” Reluctantly he turned around.
Somehow, he knew that there was no going back from this moment. That fate had
grabbed him by the balls and tugged.
Clarissa licked her lips and he froze. His cock hardened and
his balls ached as if life had decided to tease him to death. She winced. On
the edge of the bed, her bare feet crossed at the ankles, she sat on her hands.
She seemed young. A bit lost. “We got out here from my power pushing us along
the water. I couldn’t
He couldn’t create wind, a wave, a fire, a lightning storm or anything other
than what a normal human could do physically.
To top it off, the shore had disappeared. In all the water
surging, rocking, and manipulation, they’d somehow completely left the river
and were now in the Atlantic. Vince wouldn’t be swimming his way out of this
either. Ray had time to figure out what the hell had just happened.
He turned toward the woman now sitting on the deck. Her head
still down, chin on chest, she trembled with the aftereffects of a huge power
outlay, but her gasps had quieted and her skin had returned to normal, no
longer red from exertion. She stiffened a bit, as if she felt his gaze on her.
“It was the best I could do. The power syphoned off me by Astrid severely
hampered my efforts.”
“Are you feeling all right?” A pinch in his chest panged and
his mouth went dry. He knelt next to her and his hand halted above her head. He
let it drop, instead of caressing her. They were friends. Friends didn’t stroke
one another’s hair.
“My power. It’s like it’s a gaping hole in my middle.” Her
whisper came in aching horror.
“It’s only temporary,” Ray tried to soothe her, and without
volition, his hand returned and lightly caressed and stroked over her wet hair.
“Is it?” Clarissa’s chin jerked up and she faced him. The
watery pools of blue captured him and he couldn’t turn away from the concern
lurking there. “Astrid’s only just faced her syphoning power. I like her. I do.
But she hasn’t been taught. Susan just started her training. What if she did
damage while she was in there?”
Para-talents had an innate fear of syphons. They could take
away power temporarily or permanently. All para-talents had that
reaction—including Ray, if he were honest—except for Griffin. Ray’s brother had
taken one look at Astrid and known she was his mate. Ray had protested, worried
for Griffin, a weather mage. If two opposing powers joined together as mates,
they could become more powerful and live even longer. Para-talents lived for a
few hundred years. Joined in a balanced partnership, double that. But if they
didn’t balance, the weaker of the couple would sicken and die. Ray shrugged off
the concern. Griffin had found his mate. He was safe.
For now, Clarissa needed his attention.
Ray knelt, gathered her in his arms, and stood.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting you out of the sun while I figure out where we
are.”
“We’re about twenty miles out to sea.” She slipped her arms
around his neck and tucked her head beneath his chin.
Tightening his hold, he hugged her against him. He’d never
cradled her in his arms like this. The solidness of her body, close, tight
against him, loosened something inside his chest. She belonged here. And this
body was more than happy to have her near. But now was not the time to spring
wood in his trousers. He cleared his throat. “I’ll just call the Coast Guard.
Figure out how to start up that engine…”
“There’s a problem.” She shifted in his arms. But he didn’t
loosen his hold as he walked down the stairs into a small bunkroom beneath the
deck. There wasn’t much under here except the built-in chest of drawers and the
bed. He put her down on it.
“What’s that?” Arms empty, he stepped back. The small room
was intimate. Too much so. He jerked around to face the stairs.
“We’re stranded,” she replied in a dull voice.
“How is that possible?” Reluctantly he turned around.
Somehow, he knew that there was no going back from this moment. That fate had
grabbed him by the balls and tugged.
Clarissa licked her lips and he froze. His cock hardened and
his balls ached as if life had decided to tease him to death. She winced. On
the edge of the bed, her bare feet crossed at the ankles, she sat on her hands.
She seemed young. A bit lost. “We got out here from my power pushing us along
the water. I couldn’t
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