The Chilling Change Of Air (Elemental Awakening, Book 3) (31 page)

She ducked her head, a pain I had never thought I would see on her beautiful perfect statuette features flashing over her face, then walked off in the opposite direction and disappeared into the darkness by some shelves.

Silence for a suspended moment and then a small, weak voice said from the couch, "Did Mark bag that? Because, man, he's got some balls."

I spun around to look down at Sonya, but she'd closed her eyes and gone back to sleep again. Breaths even and deeper than before. Colour suffusing her pretty face. My gaze met Nico's; his expression said it all.

Joy. Relief.

Hope
.

An uncomfortable silence followed all of that, and it wasn't long before Theo was insisting I take a break from Sonya duty, handing over the reins to an able bodied Aktor - Nico refused to move at all - and drawing me towards the brazier for some optimistic but misplaced Fire fuelling.

Hope. It was an unusual thing. I wanted to find my wayward brother and tell him Sonya had spoken, because I was sure he'd missed her words when he'd practically run off like the coward Isadora had accused him of being. But although I'm sure he could have done with a boost in hope on hearing she'd come to, even if only briefly, I was too exhausted to go hunting for him, in the back of the cellar, in amongst all the dust and darkness.

I let Theo guide me over to a pile of cushions, and place me between his spread legs, my back to his chest, as he leaned against the table and wrapped his arms around my waist. We stared into the flames for several seconds before either of us spoke.

"So, Isadora and Mark," I said, as Theo announced, "We need a plan."

His chest rumbled invitingly behind me and he ran a hand though my hair, laying a soft kiss on my temple.

"You should be pleased,
Oraia
," he murmured. "Her attentions have moved elsewhere."

"I don't trust that for one little bit," I replied steadily. You don't pine after someone for a couple thousand years and move on to a "human" that easily.

"She's not as bad as you think," Theo pointed out.

I just snorted.
That
did not require a reply.

"All right," he said with an edge of laughter in his tone. "How about we just stay out of it and let it go where it may?"

"My brother needs his head read," I offered.

"Is that so? Are you insinuating anyone who befriends Isadora is crazy?"

"You could take it like that, if you choose."

"So, that would make me crazy, because she is still my friend."

"My point exactly."

His chest rose and fell harder.

"Cassandra, you cannot be jealous of her still?"

"How do you know I was jealous of her at all? Have you got your memory back?" I demanded.

"Isadora told me."

I sat up straighter. "And you believed her?"

"I've known her for close to two thousand years," came his oh so aggravating reply.

"But not for the past
one
year," I said deliberately.

"No," he agreed slowly. "But I cannot believe she would..."

"Don't," I said softly. "Just... don't. OK? It's hard enough you don't remember me, but to be reminded that you don't even remember all the crap she caused and so are still under her wicked spell is just too much right now. We've got a Genesis to deal with.
Stoicheio
to find. And... and a world to right."

I was no longer going to add "a
Thisavros
connection to re-establish." I was done holding out for that.

"OK," Theo said softly. "The
Stoicheio
," he offered, pulling my reluctant body back against his chest. He sighed when I complied, and then started running his hand absently through my hair.

"The
Stoicheio,
" I agreed, capitulating to his tender care.

"We know they are still there, even though it injures us to reach for them. We also know you can refuel somehow, but we cannot, it seems," he summarised.

"That about covers it."

"Let's break it down. What did you feel when you reached for
Gi
?"

I tried to think back, but all I remembered was the splitting headache that I'd been certain was not from Earth but from
Aetheros
himself, trying to communicate his despair. At the time, I was sure my skull would fracture, brain seeping out all over the ground at my feet. But could I have gotten that wrong? Was the headache from my
Gi
not the god?

"The worst ever headache," I advised Theo. "I thought it was
Aetheros
talking to me. I felt like he was too big for the space inside my mind."

"Maybe," Theo conceded. "Anything else?"

"Earth was silent and then I blacked out."

He was quiet a moment, letting that memory settle again.

"Dora said she felt like her blood was on fire," he announced suddenly.

"And Mark drowned," I offered, finishing off what we knew about the efforts to reach our
Stoicheio
to date.

"Maybe your reaction was hidden in the quake itself," Theo suggested. "Maybe you would have been swallowed by the ground if it hadn't already been shaking, counteracting the reaction unintentionally."

"We could go around in circles with this," I pointed out softly. I wasn't trying to throw up a wall at every suggestion, but we were just guessing. Nothing solid to go on for now.

Silence for a while.

Then, "You didn't try to reach for
Aeras
?"

"I knew better."

I could feel his smile against the top of my head.

"Bloody hell," he muttered. "She does heed advice."

I elbowed him in the stomach.

He grunted but didn't otherwise complain.

"I think we really have only one choice," he said into the warm, comfortable silence that had enveloped us.

I tipped my head up and tried to determine his expression, because the words had sounded innocuous, but the tone was hesitant, unsure. Not Theo.

"Go on," I encouraged.

"You were right," he admitted, but I wasn't sure which pearl of wisdom of mine he was referring to. He ducked his chin so he could look me in the eyes. He looked chagrined. "We need to test this further. We can't risk sitting around and waiting for it to right itself."

I frowned.

"Test what? How?"

"Our
Stoicheio
."

I arched my brow. "The exact thing you made me promise not to do."

"No need to point that out. I am well aware of the fact."

I sniggered. He gave me a good glare. Then tightened his arms as though he thought I'd run from him because of it.

I turned to look back at the fire, feeling the warmth and welcome in the heat.

"There's no other way," I agreed.

"No, and with two Genesis events passed, we have weakened. If this continues, we may not survive."

I closed my eyes, let the image of Mark drowning and Isadora's silent internal agony wash my mind. I still felt the headache and seizure were from
Aetheros,
and maybe that had masked what
Gi
would have done, but I wasn't sure. I just didn't know. And I'd have to attempt to reach it all over again.

"So, how do we do this? On the sly, away from everyone else? Or group effort?"

Theo let a long breath of air out. "It is traumatic to watch, but I would prefer we had everyone available in case things go wrong."

And the potential for things to go wrong was definitely there.

"OK. When?" I asked.

"We've eaten and rested. Sonya has given us a boost. I think now."

"What about Mark and Isadora?"

He made a little grumbling sound, which was really quite cute. "I would prefer they are included, but rounding them up may be difficult and Mark..."

"May be quite drunk by now," I offered.

"Yes."

I shook my head at my stupid, idiotic big brother and then decided as he was my sibling, I'd have to be the one to sober him up.

"All right," I said, getting to my feet in a surprisingly smooth move. That food and fire session really must have made a difference. Or maybe, just Theo's arms.

He stood in a glide next to me.

"I'll go in search of Dora," he suggested, and I immediately corrected with a snapped, "
Isa
dora."

His smile was wide.

"How cute. Is that the first time you have corrected me?" he asked casually.

I rolled my eyes. He may not have remembered the past year, but he
knew
I would have said that more than once.

"Watch yourself,
Pyrkagia
," I muttered, attempting to step away.

In an instant I was spun back into his arms, my breasts crushed against his hard chest.

"Or what?" he whispered in my ear and then gently bit. "You'll remind me why I love you and not her?"

It was all I needed to hear. That was probably why he said it. I melted against him, my arms winding around his back as his lips kissed their way toward my mouth.

"Later," he murmured against me, kissing once softly and then pulling away.

Hunger and desire burned in his eyes. I let my gaze wander down his body, soaking him all up, wetting my lips with anticipation and then smiling triumphantly at the bulge that had appeared in his pants.

"You may go on your search now," I declared regally.

"You do vex me sometimes," he murmured, but laughter shone in his eyes as he sauntered away.

I spun around, looked over Aktor, Nico and Sonya quickly, to determine nothing had changed. Nico and Aktor were talking quietly, as one softly stroked her hair and the other massaged her knees and ankles alternately. I hoped in her sleep she was feeling loved, because it was obvious she was very much indeed.

Satisfied she was in good hands I went after Mark, in the direction I'd seen him scampering.

I hadn't thought to take a candle or torch, but thankfully one was on a shelf as I progressed further away from the fire. I had to climb up to grab it, but with illumination in hand I set off again. I should have called out. It would have made perfect sense. But the dark, deserted corridors, the dust and cobweb covered vintages, and the eerie quiet of the far reaches of the cellar made my throat close up and my lips remain sealed.

It wasn't as though I'd swallow a spider or anything, just a sense of solitude that shouldn't be disturbed.

I'd made a grave mistake, because as I homed in on soft sounds coming from just ahead, and awareness of what I was actually hearing registered, it was too late. The light from the flickering candle reached them, splashing shadows across bare skin, reflecting back off sweat soaked flesh, showing me an image I really would have preferred to have been spared.

"Oh, dear freaking God," I muttered, spinning and placing my back to the spectacle.

"Casey!" Mark hissed. "Fucking hell. Go away!"

I cringed.

"We need..." I started.

"Just, fuck, Casey!" Mark added. "Ah." He attempted to sound less aggravated. "Give us five minutes, OK?"

"Five minutes?" Isadora asked in amusement.

"Well," my brother purred. Actually purred! "Maybe fifteen."

"That's better," she said and then moaned.

Oh, crap.

I left in a hurry, feeling the blush cover the top half of my body, muttering curses under my breath and brushing cobwebs wildly from my face. I burst out into the arched area, spotting Theo emerge from his gap between shelves, and threw myself down on the cushions in front of the others, covering my face with my hands and groaning out loud.

"What is it?" Theo asked, appearing in an instant beside me.

"You don't want to know," I moaned between my spread fingers.

Aktor started laughing, Nico's chuckles could be heard in the background as well.

"What's happened?" Theo pressed.

"Did you get an eyeful, Casey?" Nico asked, amusement clear in his tone.

"Ah," said Theo, settling himself down on the floor beside me. "Learn anything?" he asked in such an innocent voice it must have been contrived.

"Don't even go there," I growled back at both of them.

"It is a natural thing, Miss Eden," Aktor pointed out, enjoying himself too much as well.

"Not for my brother," I argued.

"What?" Nico burst out. "He's never done it?"

I groaned again, shaking my head in dismay. You should never,
ever
, catch your brother screwing a woman against shelves holding hundred year old bottles of claret. Oh, freaking hell. The woman was older than the wine.