The Tempting Touch Of Fire (Elemental Awakening, Book 1) (11 page)

They whispered sweet nothings, comforting words aimed to soothe. The smells of the plant life and Earth surrounded me, lifted my spirits but couldn't lift the ache from my heart. I'd told myself I wouldn't fall for him. I'd made myself promise to remember what this actually was. But I hadn't been as strong as Theo. He'd remembered. He'd caught himself last night and reminded us both.

Because I saw it. Just a glimpse. He'd dropped his guard and let me in. For one brief moment in time it had been heaven. It had been everything I had imagined it could be.

But he was right. We were enemies. Maybe his God hadn't intended it that way, but clearly his God no longer cared. So, this was the world of the
Ekmetalleftis
. This was the world I now walked in. And in this world Theo Peters was my enemy, part of the branch that gave our secrets away to the Alchemists.

God, I still had so much to learn. The Alchemists were greedy and wanted to further human race with knowledge of Theo's -
my
- kind. But who were they really and what threat did they pose towards me?

Theo had wondered if I had been an Alchemist. Then when he realised I was truly a
Gi
, he had wondered if the Alchemists had made me. Had they? Were they the ones who put me in that pit of dirt?

So, I had enemies everywhere. The
Pyrkagia,
and in particular Theo Peters, and every other 
Ekmetalleftis
branch. Because I could hardly call the other
Gi's
, wherever they were, friends. They'd look at me the same way Theo does, sure I was an Alchemist mole. And now I had the Alchemists, because if they were responsible for creating me, for making me suffer two days in a pit of dirt, then I would use every ounce of my strength to repay them the kindness.

The trees around me shifted restlessly, their branches creaking and groaning, sounding out a warning on the still morning air. Not a warning for me to be careful, but a warning to
anyone
who wanted to do me harm.

You are ours
, they whispered.
We are yours to command
, they added.
We will fight with you
, they promised.
It is time
.

Time for what exactly? Something was missing from my mental picture and I couldn't put a finger on what. I had to face Theo again, and how embarrassing would that be? I rubbed both hands over my face and cringed. I was a big girl and it's not as though Theo hasn't seen me squirm before. I'd just ignore my body's reaction and get on with this. Four weeks to figure out what this all meant and what I could do about it.

Four weeks to be with someone who wanted only one thing. And I'd given that one thing to no one before in my life. It was precious to me, but I was about to have to hand it over to someone who didn't really care. I could have sobbed for that injustice. I could have caved right then and there. But the plants held me closer, the Earth shifted to make a comfortable bed, and I finally fell asleep some time before Theo returned.

I woke to a grunting sound. A gargled, angry noise from the back of someone's throat. My eyes sprang open. I had to wait several seconds for them to adjust to the lowered light. It was darker in my tree cave. The sun, if it was still up, should have peeked through the leaves. But I was guessing the stars were out now. I'd slept the rest of the day here, missed my afternoon lessons with Theo - if they had been still scheduled that is, and I was guessing not - and woke to this.

Theo hanging upside down in vines, tied up so tightly he couldn't lift a finger or open his mouth to speak. Every so often he'd incinerate them, but the speed with which more vines entrapped his body meant the effort was a waste of time. I wondered how many attempts he'd made to escape. How many vines had perished to hold him captive. For me.

An incredulous sound sprang from my lips.

"What the fuck?" I announced to the plants and man alike.

We have a gift for you
, the vines whispered.
How would you like him to die?

"Ah," I said, scrambling to my feet. I realised I was covered in dirt. It was on my face, in my hair, under the nails on my fingers. I must have looked a right sight. "Don't kill him," I instructed aloud, thinking Theo would want to hear my side of the conversation at least. He thrashed a little, set the latest vines alight and then garbled out a sound of disgust when he found himself trapped again.

I frowned. Was Earth really that much stronger than Fire?

"I still need him," I admitted on a sigh. "He's the only one who can help me."

The trees complained, they groaned and scraped their branches together. It was entirely too creepy, but I understood their anger. He'd hurt me. They didn't like it.

"You were a real arsehole," I pointed out to him and received a grunt and full body thrash in return. "What the hell are you doing here?"

His eyebrows rose, a clear indication that he couldn't speak.

"Release his mouth, but keep him contained," I added.

The vines crushing his lips unravelled and he spat out a leaf or two.

"Casey! Let me go."

"It's not me, it's them."

"They use your energy to do this. I have never been attacked by my own garden until you arrived." He did not sound happy about that.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.

"I was asleep, so I guess my hatred of you is so deep that even in my sleep I can command them to trap you."

"I guess," he replied casually.

"Why are you here, Theo?"

"I was concerned." I scoffed at that. "Aktor said you hadn't come inside since early this morning. You must be starved."

My stomach chose that moment to grumble. Traitor.

"Let me go and we'll head inside for dinner. I haven't eaten yet either."

"Why would I want to eat with you?" I demanded, angrily, if not a little immaturely. I didn't even want to be talking to him, even though I needed to. It hurt. I wasn't a masochist.

Theo sighed. "I know I was harsh." I laughed. It wasn't pretty. "But surely you realise I am right. We can't let our feelings for each other grow. It will lead nowhere."

"So you admit you have feelings for me?" And did that sound as desperate to his ears as it did to mine?

He stared at me. Time stretched. I was so sure he was going to deny it. He looked rigid, face impassive, a mask in place to shut the world out. I braced for it. I'd have to accept that Theo wasn't ready to risk more than his life for me.

"
Oraia
, I visited you for a year in your store," he said softly, after so much time had passed, I was getting ready to sit on the grass and have another snooze. I was awake again now. Completely. "I didn't even use my
Stoicheio
on you, I wanted
you
to take the next step when you were ready. Of course I have feelings for you. I have too many."

"Ah, crap," I whispered, because now he'd gone and done it.

I sat down on the dirt and felt tears pool in my eyes. This was a strange kind of pain. An ache so poignant that I felt hollow inside, completely emptied out and filled up with grief.

"What do we do now?" I asked, my throat constricting so tightly I had to swallow several times to get all the words out.

"We have four weeks to enjoy each other, then we go our separate ways."

"That's going to hurt," I pointed out.

"Why do you think I freaked out last night?" he replied, making me smile, because 'Theo Peters' and 'freaked out' were just words you didn't see in the same sentence. Ever.

"Let him go," I whispered, then mentally added,
gently
. He'd seen enough of my heart laid bare for now.

The vines unravelled and lowered Theo to the ground. He looked around stunned at their retreat. I was guessing it was the manner in which it was performed. He
had
just crispy-crittered several of their branches.

"You need to apologise to them," I said, still not getting up from my lotus style position in the dirt.

"Ah," Theo said, glancing around at the trees. "I was trying to protect her. Sorry."

I found it amusing that his apology was for hurting me last night, not for burning them to a crisp. They seemed happy with that though, waving gently and singing a tuneless sound on the air that was quite divine.

"You really have a delightful touch with them," he said, walking over and offering me a hand.

I stared at it for a moment, wondering if I could do this. Be with him and then walk away in four week's time.

"You can't hurt like that again, Theo," I said, still staring at his outstretched hand. It was immaculate. No dirt under the nails.

"I can't promise you that,
Oraia
. But know I am hurting myself as well."

What a strange statement. If it hurt him too wouldn't he avoid it?

I sighed and took the still outstretched hand. I needed answers, he could help me get them. And along the way I was going to lose my heart. There wasn't a thing I could do about it. Just wait for it to happen and hope I survived.

"I am sorry," he whispered, brushing a kiss against my cheek. When he pulled back to look at me, dirt smudged his lower lip. A smile tipped up the edges of my mouth. I couldn't help the little huff of a laugh that escaped. He cocked his head and gave me a questioning look.

"I think I need a shower," I advised instead of explaining.

"Now, what a splendid idea," Theo quipped, returning to the teaser he'd become before last night.

"And I'm hungry," I announced, as we began to wend our way out of the forest.

"We could combine the two," Theo suggested. "You lick the honey off me and I'll..."

"Theo!"

"OK, chocolate. But I bags licking the ice cream, it'll melt too quickly on my skin."

I shook my head. How could I stop this, when he could be so full of light and fun? He made me want to fall for him. He made me not realise I had already handed him my heart.

"You're very dangerous," I whispered. If he heard me, he chose not to remark.

Aktor was pacing when we walked through the side door to the house. He took one look at me and burst into a flurry of activity.

"What's he doing?" I asked, as we followed in his slipstream.

"Probably running you a bath and then creating a masterpiece for your meal. He's rather fond of you."

"He only met me last night."

"Yes, well, you must have made an impression."

"Hardly, I argued about what he should call me."

"He always did like a girl with spirit," Theo pointed out. I just laughed. "
That
," he whispered in my ear, "is so much better. I missed it. I'm so..."

"Stop!" I insisted, turning to face him. We were on the landing near our rooms. "It happened, it's passed. If you keep apologising, it'll make me nervous. And if you keep being nice to me, I'll..." Now it was my turn to not complete the sentence.

"We are a fine pair," Theo announced, brushing some loose tendrils of my hair back off my face. "Shall we make a promise to each other? Despite what happens, where we both end up, we try to enjoy this for as long as we have it."

I nodded.

"I want to show you off tonight. Bathe, get dressed and meet me downstairs for a quick bite to eat."

So, the plans were still on track. For some reason that made me feel sad. I don't know why. I guess it was the reality it brought to the front of my mind. Theo may have declared some sort of feelings for me, but I had more pressing matters to be concerned with right now. I couldn't enjoy the sensation of believing he felt the same way as me, I didn't have that luxury. And with reality, came doubt. In front of his kind how would he act? Alone he could show he cared, no one would judge. Out there, with
Pyrkagia
watching, I was thinking things would be different.

I needed to stay strong. To hold on to the knowledge that I meant something to him, more than just the arrangement we had, even if I wasn't sure what that
something
yet was. It was all I had, so I'd hold it close and ignore everything else. Even if in my heart I knew that something was not enough to overcome centuries of mistrust.

I wore a blue dress. It matched the colour of my eyes. It hugged my body like the green one did, but rather than leaves encasing me, it felt like water wrapped around my frame, shimmering in the lights. When I moved, the dress moved. Not with me, but against me. But not in a way that felt wrong. Just in a way that made you notice. My body beneath the waves. Every single curve.

I hadn't chosen it. Theo obviously had. It was waiting for me when I exited the bathroom. Along with shoes and a small jewellery box. My hand shook when I opened the velvet lid, not because I was worried about what lay within - well, not really - but because I'd never received a gift like this before. Inside were sapphire stud earrings. So plain, but their simplicity complemented the simplicity of the wave dress.

It also was a small enough gift for me not to freak out over. I think Theo knew me pretty well.

I walked down the stairs and into the parlour. I hadn't explored Theo's house yet, but the smell of something delicious was coming from there. Theo stood by the fire, it was roaring. He clearly felt the need to feed before we went out. And I wasn't referring to the food in the domed dishes off to the side.

He also looked like he was talking to himself, not exactly muttering, but having a full blown conversation.

"Are you OK?" I asked, as I approached.

He straightened, said something in Greek, which made the flames flare brighter in the hearth and then turned around to look at me. There was a smile on his face. It grew once he took in the sight of me in the dress.

"I am now," he husked, reaching out a hand for me to take. I slipped my fingers into his palm and let him pull me closer. His face nestled into my neck, a move so familiar it stunned.

I shouldn't have been so relaxed about this intimacy. I'd never been this relaxed with a man before in my life. But Theo was chipping through my walls, slowly worming his way inside. Even last night, although it hurt me, strangely made me feel closer to him. How is that possible?

"Were you just talking to yourself?" I asked, in an effort to change the course of my thoughts.

"Communicating with one of my Guard." Huh. Communicating
through the fire
. Very cool.

"There will be some powerful
Pyrkagia
in attendance tonight," he whispered, moving on from supernatural tom-tom drums and running his lips up my neck, taking advantage of my compliant state, I think. His breath washed my ear for a suspended moment, then his teeth tugged gently on my lobe.

Oh dear God. What was this?

His arm slipped around my waist and pulled me against his body, chest to chest, hips to hips. I sucked in air at the intimate contact. I liked it. It scared me. I wanted more.

"I need to be at full strength should any strike," he whispered. I stiffened in his arms and his tongue lay a trail down the side of my neck, around past my collar bone, and then dipped between my breasts.

"Are you trying to distract me Theo, from what you just said?" My words were entirely too breathless.

"Absolutely. Is it working? It's working for me." He groaned and shamelessly buried his face between my mounds.

My legs gave out.

He scrambled to catch me.

"Bloody hell. Am I that good?"

I laughed feebly and worked on locking my knees.

"Ah, Miss Inexperience here," I said, waving my hand as if to say hello. Heat washed not only my face, but my entire body, I think.

He gave me a wide smile. Then it slowly fell. His forehead came and rested against mine. He didn't say anything, but I knew what he was thinking.
Why was I not born Pyrkagia?
It was the same look he wore every other time he wished for that.

He cleared his throat.

"A few things you need to know." Businesslike, if you ignored the huskiness at the edge of each word. "Do not go all green on me. Keep those beautiful peepers contained. You may have permission to be here, you may be on my arm, but to a
Pyrkagia
, any sign of your
Stoicheio
will still be considered an attack." Oh, boy. "Stay close to me. Do not wander off. If I get into an argument, do not come to my aid. I am more powerful than most, and those that I am not as strong as, will have only gotten that way by politically playing it safe. I am the
Rigas'
son, to harm me, would be to draw his wrath. Even if I am out of my father's favour right now."

"You are?"

He pulled back and stared at me with a strange look on his face.

"Oraia
, he threatened me with the Brazen Bull."