Exhale (5 page)

“Yeah, the sperm whale project is starting up there,” Randy replied. “Figured I’d stay a few weeks to help Chuck get it off the ground and let you have Iri in my stead.”

She stabbed a wedge of iceberg lettuce. The loaded fork hovered over her plate. Frank Sinatra crooned ‘Dream (When You’re Feeling Blue)’ through speakers hidden in the ceiling of Hervey Bay’s finest Italian restaurant. “Chuck doesn’t need your help any more than I do. You’re the most over-protective parent I’ve ever met, and you don’t even have kids.” She shook her head and shoved the pale green morsel into her mouth.

“Regardless, I can be back in Hervey Bay inside of a day if you need me.” He held her gaze for a moment, then returned to his meal.

Her ex cleaned up well, despite the thickening grooves of age etched into his tanned skin, the need for a haircut, and the greed in the shrewd blue eyes surveying her.

The ‘ex’ part of their mutual equation meant she kept her mind on business. Or at least pretended to.

As she buried her attention in her dinner, an image of Gavin Cassidy snuck through the back door of her mind—a thief without a conscience—for the hundredth time today. Funny how much he and Randy had in common. Both cocky, pushy, larger than life. Except the simple thought of Gavin set a wildfire ablaze in her gut. Randy had never held that kind of sway over her. The danger, the thrill of engaging in some reckless, adolescent behavior with Gavin, regardless of how stupid it would be, had her decidedly preoccupied.

But she’d lost her chance with him, hadn’t she? If she hadn’t blown him off yesterday, she could have been staring across the table at Gavin’s lip ring right now instead of listening to
blah-blah-blahs
from the boss from hell.

“I’m pretty sure I won’t need you.” Her thoughts returned to the dream from last night. The bird she’d seen reminded her of Gavin’s little toy falcon. The one she’d given him.

She grabbed her wine glass and emptied it in two gulps.

God, she had to stop obsessing over him.

“Well, if something comes up, give a holler.” Randy brought his napkin to his mouth and kicked a casual glance around the restaurant. “Or if you change your mind. About us.”

A bitter taste seeped into her mouth. She spat it out with a hard laugh. “As far as I’m concerned, you have about as much chance of getting back in my bed as anyone in this room.” She waved her fork around at the older men dressed in button-down shirts and khaki pants. “Actually, probably even less, considering what you did to me.”

She picked at her salad, then laid the fork across the plate. She’d lost her appetite.

“I can’t apologize enough for what I did, but I swear that intern didn’t mean anything to me. It was just a fling. A stupid…fling.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “I’ve thought long and hard about us, and I’ve come to a conclusion.”

She pictured Gavin in Randy’s place, sitting across from her at The Whale & Whistle.

“I want you back.”

She snorted and quickly covered her mouth. In his dreams. “I want world peace, but there are plenty more lucrative outlets to invest my time and emotional currency in.”

Randy’s eyes flashed as he reached across the red and white checked tablecloth for her hand. She pulled away. “Whatever it takes, I’m gonna have you again, Zoe.”

“Wooing me with promises of promotion and sweet-talking me at fancy restaurants isn’t enough anymore. You can’t win back the trust you killed with lies, infidelity, and secrets. It’s gone.” She sliced the air with her hand. “I learned my lesson the hard way. Now you get to learn yours.”

He pursed his lips. Determination danced like lightning across his face. She recognized this look. Had given in to it countless times before.

“Like I said. Whatever it takes.”

A couple months ago, she’d have believed him, but since their break-up, she discovered a secret weapon. His determination didn’t stand a chance against her newfound self-confidence.

As the sounds of clinking glasses and low chatter filled the air, memories of Gavin’s kiss drew the corners of her mouth into a grin. She brushed the backs of her fingers over her lips. “Good luck.”

* * * *

At a table in the back of the same restaurant, Scarlet scowled at Zoe Morgan. “I’ve got some new information that’s going to put the Fyres back in business.”

Sinnder crossed his thick arms and dislodged the burgundy-streaked hair from his eyes with a quick headshake. “What?”

“I know who the Wæters want for the Archelemental job.”

“Oh? Who’s that?” His bored expression crawled under her skin and ignited her nerve endings. Lazy bastard.

“A mother whale with a newborn calf.” She smiled. Between her Sentinel informant and Iri, she should be able to locate the whale in no time.

Iri had proven invaluable in brainwashing that idiot Randy Heller into hiring him as the Cetacean Research Network’s back-up boat captain. Now that the Aer Elemental lived under the same roof, he could keep tabs on Morgan in both Realis and the Dreaming. His initial report this morning had been full of juicy tidbits on the bitch—so useful, Scarlet might not be able to hold up her end of her deal with Iri when all was said and done. He was too damn good to let go.

She salivated at the promise of having Gavin back in her bed. His Fire was the sweetest, hottest, and strongest she’d ever tasted, and after nearly a thousand years of indulgence across the globe, she considered herself an expert on the subject of Fire.

No doubt in her mind. Gavin was
made
for her. He just didn’t know it yet.

Sinnder rolled his eyes. “‘A mother with a calf’ narrows it down to only a couple hundred possibilities.”

She hissed at him. The candle on the table flickered sharply, then snuffed out as the Fire retreated back inside her. After Archelemental Eidan had taken—no,
raped
—a sizeable portion of Fire from her a week ago, she couldn’t afford to let go of what little she had left, especially not to Sinnder. She could barely keep herself together as it was.

“You can’t stand it, can you? I’m the one getting shit done here, while you sit around buggering yourself with your brooding thumb, watching the world pass you by. You’re pathetic, Sinnder. Really pathetic.”

His big body tensed, leather jacket crunching as he eased forward, a subtle snarl on his lips. “Mind your mouth, Scarlet. It’s gonna get you in trouble.”

Ah, there’s my boy.

Her smile broke out like a rash. Under the table, she slid a foot up his leg. “No need to get your panties in a twist. You may be pathetic, but you’re also the best tracker around. If I didn’t trust your talents, you wouldn’t be here with me, enjoying this lovely meal, which you haven’t even touched. What’s the matter, the food not spicy enough for you?”

He looked away. “The company must have put my stomach off.”

Boiling anger rose in her chest. Forcing it down to a simmer, she pinned him with a hard stare. “I don’t give a three-balling
fuck
what you think about me, but until the Wæters are out of the picture, we’re stuck together. We’ll get along fine as long as you keep your personal feelings out of our business.”

The ghost of a grin floated across his lips. A sliver of white teeth caught and held the light. “Like you do? Tell me, Scarlet, what’s the fascination?”

She pursed her lips. “With?”

“Zoe Morgan.” His calm tawny eyes revealed nothing of his motivation in mentioning her. Twisting his head to the side as if pointing at the whore, he dropped his forearms to the table and leaned in close. “You jealous of her being with your golden boy, Gavin?”

Gavin wouldn’t know a good thing if it dressed him in women’s lingerie, tied him down, and fucked him up the arse. A puff of smoke escaped her lips. Scarlet shoved her rekindled Fire into a box, closed the lid, and buried it deep in her chest.

“No, you dickhead. Did you hear what I said? A
whale
is slated to be the next Wæter Archelemental. Morgan is a
whale
researcher. The Wæters have already shown interest in her, and she gave Gavin the bloody key to release the Wæter Elemental that nearly wiped the Fyres out in the Dreaming. There’s a connection, and I’m going to find out what it is.”

Sinnder’s eyes lost focus as he stared over her shoulder. “A translator,” he murmured.

Scarlet’s heart skipped a beat. A shiver passed over her skin, and she straightened.

Of course…

If Morgan was a translator, the Wæters would need her to communicate with the Archelemental whale candidate.

A plan brewed.

Meeting Sinnder’s gaze, she grinned. “That’s it.” She tipped her head left, peering around him at the booth where Zoe sat, and licked her lips. This was too delicious.

“Have you ever been hunting?” She reached across the tabletop and slid her fingers over the back of his hand.

He yanked it away with a grimace. “A few times.”

“Good. I hope you like the taste of whale meat. You’re in charge of the hunt.”

* * * *

“This is worse than school,” Gavin said. “Can’t we take a break?”

Jack had been relentless in his instruction and showed no signs of slowing. It must’ve been one a.m. by now. Maybe later.

With worries about Zoe draining his last two functional brain cells dry, he found it difficult to concentrate on the Sentinel and Elemental history lessons. He should be with her right now, especially after the strange dream last night. He still hadn’t worked out who she’d been talking to. It was like she had a conversation with the air. Odd.

He rubbed his eyes. Fuck, he had a bugger of a headache.

“You look like a man who needs a change of scenery.” From his seat on the lounge, Jack leaned across the coffee table to punch him in the arm, but Gavin deflected the blow.

“You reckon? Christ, you’re killing me, mate.” Gavin stood and stretched. The mocking white walls of his rental house closed around him like a whopping-great python. If they were going to pull an all-nighter, he had to get out, just for a while.

Funny thing was, despite the late hour, he wasn’t physically tired. Quite the opposite. His body seemed to be running on hidden extra cylinders. It had been like this since his muse—
Zoe
—helped him break a Wæter Elemental out of the necklace Yileen had given him. Apparently, the necklace wasn’t the only thing that snapped that night. Something inside him had cracked wide open too. Something powerful.

He had yet to understand where the restlessness came from or what it meant, but he was constantly wired, even in his sleep.

“Hey, you’re lucky I volunteered for this gig. The Librus Group was gonna send an uptight British dude to train you. Royal dickhead, if you ask me.”

“Why’d you ask to come here?”

Jack waved his hand dismissively. “Got some family shit I need to deal with when I’m done putting the spit shine on you.”

Gavin stretched his back until it cracked. “Well, after listening to you yak about fuck-all for hours on end, I can appreciate the beauty of Yileen’s hands-off approach. I know this history shit is important, but is there any chance you can show me how to be in two places at once? That would make my life a hell of a lot easier.” Man, if it were only that simple, he could keep an eye on Zoe in the Dreaming while training continued here.

“You ever heard of Albert Einstein? Great American.” Jack crossed an ankle over his knee and took a pull off his beer.

Gavin shook his head. “He wasn’t a fucking American.” Jack must have hit the bong before coming over. He made absolutely no sense.

Rising from the faded blue lounge, Jack grinned. “Of course you can be in two places at once. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Oh, this ought to be good. Gavin gestured to the door. “Age before beauty, mate.”

Thirty minutes later, the two stood in the shadows of the Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens. Though visiting hours had long since ended, Gavin wasn’t worried about getting caught trespassing. He had a feeling Jack could talk the hide off a cranky croc and sell it back at double the going rate. Police—if they showed up—would not be a problem.

Jack spread his arms wide. “Have a seat, and find your place in the universe.”

Shaking his head, Gavin put his ass to the grass. They’d sent him a bloody hippie. He’d have words with Ellie about this later.

He sighed and braced himself with hands planted on the ground behind him. Though it was too dark to make out much, the gardens had a calm vibe. Should have been a lot cooler than it was, this being late winter, but the warm air carried a beautiful fragrance to his nose. Like the smell of Zoe’s hair.

Jack sat cross-legged in front of him, board shorts and tee shirt rumpled, hands rustling the tips of grass. “This, my friend, is some solid Earth. It’s strong. More powerful than you realize. And it’s yours. All you have to do is access it.”

Jesus Christ.

Dipping his fingers into the green, Gavin quirked a brow. “Feels like dirt and grass to me.”

Jack sighed. “You’re stuck in the physical realm. Hold onto it with one hand and push your consciousness into the Dreaming at the same time. Let go of all the shit keeping you here, and balance yourself between the two.”

Gavin did as he was told, but he didn’t expect it to work. He’d seen both worlds simultaneously a few times, though he’d never been in both places at once, if Jack was serious. He closed his eyes and focused on the sound of a bubbling creek somewhere nearby. Water always reminded him of her…

Crisp yellow Air slid in and out of his lungs, freeing his mind. Green Earth cradled him, cool but heavy with life, steadying his body. Burning low and even, red Fire kindled his soul and gave him purpose. Blue Water flooded his heart as random pictures from Zoe’s dreams flipped like pages of hand-drawn animations.

The scenes flew by so fast, he registered the images after they had already passed. Rescuing Zoe from drowning, the two of them building a raft, Fyres attacking the Dreaming, whales, Shaggy’s, his toy falcon…

His head twitched and jerked. Lids fluttered as yellow saturated his vision. Too much to process…too fast…too…

…late.

His eyes snapped open. He’d been close.