The Chilling Change Of Air (Elemental Awakening, Book 3)
Read The Chilling Change Of Air (Elemental Awakening, Book 3) Online
Authors: Nicola Claire
The Chilling Change Of Air
The Elemental Awakening Series, Book Three
By Nicola Claire
Copyright © 2014, Nicola Claire
All Rights Reserved
ISBN: 978-0-473-28964-5
nicolaclairebooks.blogspot.com
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organisations is entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
Cover Art: by Nicola Claire
Image Credit: 123RF Stock Photo
Image #
6017008
Font Credit: Last Soundtrack "Birth Of A Hero"
Chapter 2: Could This Get Any Worse?
Chapter 3: A Lot Has Happened, Miss Eden
Chapter 7: And All Hell Broke Loose
Chapter 9: If The Butler Was Hitting The Booze, I Was In Deep Freaking Trouble
Chapter 10: And Then I Knew True Fear
Chapter 13: Haven't You Heard A Freaking Word I've Said?
Chapter 14: You Are Fire Itself
Chapter 16: So, What You're Saying Is... What Exactly?
Chapter 18: And In The End None Of It Mattered
Chapter 19: How Did I Combat This?
Chapter 21: It's Not Your Fault
Chapter 23: There Was No Freaking Way I Wanted To Argue With That
Kindred Series
Mixed Blessing Mystery Series
Dark Shadow (Coming Soon)
Sweet Seduction Series
Sweet Seduction Secrets (Coming Soon)
Elemental Awakening Series
The Tantalising Taste Of Water (Coming Soon)
H.E.A.T. Series
A Touch Of Heat (Coming Soon)
For:
Romantics at heart... Never stop craving.
Aeras -
Air
; one of five elements
Aether -
Quintessence
; one of five elements
Anaisthetikos
-
Anaesthetise;
a
Gi
ability to channel the essence of a plant, in order to remove a person's sentience
Athanatos -
Immortal
; or near immortal
Basilissa -
Queen
Ekmetalleftis -
Elemental
; can control one of five elements
Gi -
Earth
; one of five elements
Hederin -
Hallucinogen;
a
Gi
ability to channel the essence of a plant, in order to manipulate what a person sees/experiences
Nero -
Water
; one of five elements
Oraia -
Lovely
; term of endearment
Pateras -
Father
Pyrgos -
Castle
Pyrkagia -
Fire
; one of five elements
Rigas -
King
Stoicheio -
Element
; five power-filled elements exist
Strychnos Toxifera -
Paralytic;
a Gi ability to channel the essence of a plant, (Curare), in order to immobilise a person
Thisavros -
Treasure
; someone precious, an Elemental mate
It Was Not Alone
The hiss of a roaring Fire met my ears. Welcoming and warning in one flare of superheated brightness. Embers danced on a night sky, floating higher and higher, making my lips curve and a smile spread across my face.
I wondered if they'd reach
Aetheros
.
Stars were out, twinkling above my head, my long hair blowing around my face as though the Air had teasing fingers. I brushed at it, my hand coming away wet. Was I crying?
Not unless my tears were red.
The Earth sighed with joy as blood splashed from my fingertips onto broken, dried and cracked soil. I stared as the dark liquid seeped through a crevice, a small vine twisting and growing from the gap.
I took a step back, suddenly afraid of what the vine would do. Of where I was. My eyes lifted to the Fire which seemed dangerous now, uncontrolled, about to leap and spark and engulf anything near enough to be caught within its licking fingers.
An ember floated lazily towards the ground before me.
The vine burned to a crisp and I felt the Earth cry out its agony.
Fire roared. Air howled.
It started raining.
I spun around looking for shelter as the storm took on a life of its own. Dried twigs and small stones were lifted on angry winds, thrown towards my body. I shielded my face, feeling the biting edge of debris slice my skin, but could see only darkness beyond the decreasing circle of light from the Fire.
Closing in.
Getting smaller.
Crushing me with the weight of what was to come.
My heart thundered in my chest, a pounding started up between my ears. I sucked in a breath through my nose, searching for the soothing scent of Earth, but all I smelled was chaos.
A shiver raced down my spine as the Earth rumbled beneath my feet, the gaps between the dried soil now filling with water. The rivulets becoming torrents. Little sprays of Water lifting off the surface as the wind whipped the world into a frenzy.
I called out, but my voice was lost in the thunderous roar of a tempest. There was no one to hear me anyway. I knew this, as though it was my reality. Destined to wander alone through a tornado of Elements that warred with each other.
What had the
Aeras
shaman said? "
Never two, always one. Alone Aether must face the sum."
I shouldn't have thought it. I shouldn't have gone there. Wasn't it enough that I was battling a raging storm, combating imbalanced
Stoicheio
? Did I have to be reminded of being alone?
Something glistened in the distance. Moving closer. Giving me hope.
I took a tentative step towards the light, away from the heat of the Fire. The world blew in flurries and eddies about me, the sounds deafening and stinging my ears, my eyes squinting through horizontal sheets of rain. Blood dripping from small cuts along my bare arms.
I trembled with the chill that had invaded my bones, knowing I couldn't stay here any longer. If I stayed, I'd surely die. But there was a reason why I should stay. For a second, I hesitated. Trying to remember why I stood in the middle of nowhere, an angry Fire for warmth, the dying Earth beneath my feet, the bitter Air buffeting my body, the hard Water of rain pelting my naked skin.
I shivered. Lifted a shaking hand to shield my eyes as the glow of whatever approached grew brighter. Suddenly blinding in the darkness that surrounded the centre of this raging storm.
Here was life. Beyond what I knew lay only darkness.
But still that glow grew bigger, until I felt compelled to take a step further. Closer, almost close enough to make out the shape of who held it.
Was it a torch?
The Earth groaned, the Air joined the mournful lament. Water cried a river of raindrops, Fire hissed in agony.
I looked up towards the stars, one last glimpse to guide me. But they were gone. Only blackness coated the night sky. Deep, dark, unforgiving.
When I lowered my face from the stinging rain I met eyes so old they had to be ancient. Amber and jade and whiskey.
"Miss Eden?" the old man said, holding out a hand.
I stared at the wrinkled fingers, the open palm, the invitation I should accept. But didn't. There was a reason why I shouldn't accept that hand.
Just like there was a reason why I couldn't leave this hell.
I took a step back towards the waning Fire. Back towards the still violent squall.
Back towards...
Then the man pulled a sword of Fire out from behind his back, the glistening glow I'd been drawn to, but knew could not bring true hope.
"Very well," he said, in tones of disappointment and condemnation.
The sword swiped down, aiming for my head,
my neck
, and I threw myself backwards, finally remembering.
Why I was here.
Why the world was falling apart in a tempest of fury and aching sadness.
Why I couldn't leave without
him
.
Why this man could not be trusted.
Betrayal is a hard edged sword. I should know. I felt its keen slice as it broke through the meat of my heart. I felt its bitter taste as blood pooled on my tongue. I smelled its pungent odour as smoke engulfed me.
I lay panting on the hard packed ground, water pooling beneath my body as the wind blew sand into my eyes.
"Aktor," I whispered, watching his face become indistinct.
The storm disappeared.
The cracked and broken dirt became cool, hard stone.
The wind stopped howling, replaced with something so much more dreadful than that simple sound.
The heat of flames became a chill instead.
And a man's voice said, "Ready, Miss Eden? What shall we attempt first?"
Not Aktor.
"Perhaps the heart today, hmm?" he said with impossible cheerfulness. "The
Rigas
does hope without it your unrealistic love of the Prince will disappear."