The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series (193 page)

Beatrice grabbed the bottle from him and set it on the counter before she leapt into his arms. He caught her and held.

“Wow,” she said breathlessly, “you are really good at this.”

He grinned and said, “I know.”

Giovanni held her with one arm while he grabbed the bottle with the other. Beatrice snagged two champagne flutes from a cupboard before he walked toward the stairs.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Gio.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Tesoro.”

Wind Speaks

You say you want to know me.

I don’t think you do.

I am old.

You don’t want to know the things I have seen.

Have you watched a tree grow, from seed to leaf? Days and nights passing as you rest in a shadowed place. Light and dark flickering by like one of the film reels you love to watch. Have you seen this?

I have.

I am as old as the wind I walk upon.

I am a mother. A daughter. A sister to murdered kin.

A friend. A lover. An enemy.

A hero?

I have been a hero and a villain in the same moment. If you grow old enough, you might understand what that means.

I dream in a tongue that died a thousand years before time was counted. I no longer count time. It is meaningless. There is only the light and the dark. Hot. Cold. I am a creature of sense.

A murderer.

A liar.

A thief.

I hold myself subject to no man’s law. The laws came after me. There is only one law I recognize.

I survive. I protect what is mine.

You say you want to know me. Maybe you do.

Do you want to see rivers change course? See mountains fall and islands rise? Do you want to see waves of humanity ebb and flow as civilizations grow? When they die? Both are equal in my eyes. Humanity grows like a canyon cut by rivers of blood and conquest. Leaders rise and are swept away. I have seen it. I will see it again. Are you sure you want to see it?

It might make you mad.

I have been mad. It was… freeing.

I have been mad and wise. One is only a shadow of the other. I have been fueled by rage and love in the same breath.

When I choose to breathe.

I have loved. And love has made me mad.

I have loved, and the loss of it made me rage.

I have killed those I loved.

Love is more dangerous than madness. More fickle than rage.

Love.

The Greeks had many names for it. Foolish humans divide everything, as if the dissection of an emotion will let them understand its power.

Love is larger than their divisions. I have loved. I will love again. There is only that. The love I hold has lasted as I have. It lives in my blood.

Don’t pretend to understand, human. You cannot.

We are immortal. We are the elements. Earth. Water. Wind. Fire.

Other.

We are born of them. We feed on them. We return to them when our bodies are slain. That is our eternity. We will be born again.

You say you want to know me, but what do you want to know?

I have killed thousands of your kind.

Thousands
.

Did you want to know that?

I cannot hide among you. I don’t even try. If you met me, I would only be a shadow that your brain chooses to forget. A trick of the darkness. I am only known to those who I choose. I lie when it suits me. I might be lying now.

I probably am.

You want to know what I see when I look at him?

I see a shining boy with shadows in his eyes. A shallow pool that grows deeper with every footstep. One day, he will be infinite.

You see only the edge of a shadow of who he will become.

Do you see visions?

I do.

Don’t pretend to understand. You’re lying now. Like me.

You say you want to see a happy ending, but what does that mean for me? I have no ending.

You say I deserve to find love?

I don’t.

Love has been handed to me, and I threw it away. I deserve nothing.

Do I want it?

I take what I want.

You say you want to know me. I don’t think you do.

I am not what you can understand. The span of your life is a speck of dust in the wind of my existence. I exist outside of this world. They call me a wind-walker. There is truth in that. The wind travels over the world untethered. It has many names.

Zephyros.

Vardar.

Taku.

Bora.

Mistral.

Nashi.

They are all the same air. Like me. I am all of them and none of them. I chose my name.

Tenzin.

Holder of teachings.

I will choose another some day when I am tired of this one. I have had many names.

Mother. Daughter. Sister. Lover. Friend.

I am all of those, but none of them define me.

Maybe you do understand.

No.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This special edition is dedicated to the many readers who have made this fictional universe such a fun place to write.

Special thanks to the pre-readers who keep me accountable and coherent, who make me a better writer, and who listen to my whining when I’m feeling insecure. They also ply me with wine, avocados, and sometimes chocolate so I will keep writing. Since we all benefit from this bribery, I’ll call them out by name. (And I’ll probably miss someone, so if it’s YOU, you’ll get the next manuscript first before anyone else gets a chance to see it.)
 

And so, I offer my many thanks to the excellent Kristine M. Todd, Kelli Good, Lindsay Mason, Sarah Reeder, Sandra Tuleja, C. S. Starr, Genevieve Johnson, Paulette Melton, Nichole Chase, and Molly Wetta. All of you have contributed to all or some of the books in some way that has helped me so much. You all have different strengths, and I am a richer writer for having your eyes, your brains, and your hearts part of my first series of books. Thank you.

My editor for all four of the Elemental Mysteries was Amy Eye, of the Eyes for Editing. I cannot thank her enough for her professionalism, flexibility, and dedication. My books are better for her excellent touch and she and my proofreader, Cassie McCown taught me so much.

I want to thank the amazing artists at
Damonza.com
for their wonderful work on the new cover art. I am so pleased to be working with them. Their vision is exceptional.

And thanks, always, to my family. You are God’s gift to me, and you keep me sane. Thank you.

The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series

Copyright © 2013

by Elizabeth Hunter

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design: Damonza

Edited by: Amy Eye

Formatted by: Elizabeth Hunter

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

For information about the Elemental Mysteries series, please visit:

ElementalMysteries.com

This ebook is licensed for your personal use only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

The Irin Chronicles

The all new fantasy series from Elizabeth Hunter

NOW AVAILABLE

From all major retailers

"THE SCRIBE is a perfect marriage of urban fantasy with tinges of romance." —Killian McRae

~

"Hunter's finest work to date.... This book is simply stunning.”—Leisha O'Quinn, Rolopolo Book Blog

~~~

Hidden at the crossroads of the world, an ancient race battles to protect humanity, even as it dies from within.

Ava Matheson came to Istanbul looking for answers, but others came looking for her. A reckless warrior guards her steps, but will Malachi's own past blind him to the truth of who Ava might be? While ancient forces gather around them, both Ava and Malachi search for answers.
 

Whispering voices. Deadly touch. Their passion should be impossible... or it could be the only thing that will keep them alive.

THE SCRIBE is the first book in the Irin Chronicles, the new paranormal romance series from Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Elemental Mysteries.

~~~

The Cambio Springs Mysteries

NOW AVAILABLE

From all major retailers

"Take a simple contemporary plot, add a pinch of paranormal, sprinkle with insightful, down-to-earth, wry characters,
 

mix with a murder mystery, shake vigorously and enjoy Cambio Springs! "
 

—NOCTURNAL BOOK REVIEWS

~~~

Somedays Jena Crowe just can't get a break. Work at her diner never ends, her two boys are bundles of energy, and she's pretty sure her oldest is about to shift into something furry or feathery. Added to that, changes seem to be coming to the tiny town of Cambio Springs, big changes that not everyone in the isolated town of shapeshifters is thrilled about.
 

Caleb Gilbert was looking for change, and the quiet desert town seemed just the ticket for a more peaceful life. He never counted on violence finding him, nor could he have predicted just how crazy his new life would become.

When murder rocks their small community, Caleb and Jena will have to work together. And when the new Chief of Police isn't put off by any of her usual defenses, Jena may be faced with the most frightening change of all: lowering the defenses around her carefully guarded heart.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:

ElizabethHunterWrites.com

Or

ElementalMysteries.com

ELIZABETH HUNTER is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance author. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class but decided that middle school was far less frightening. Thankfully, people now pay her to write books and eighth graders everywhere rejoice.

She currently lives in Central California with an eight-year-old ninja who claims to be her child. She enjoys music, writing, travel, and bowling (despite the fact that she’s not very good at it). Someday, she plans to learn how to scuba dive. And maybe hang glide… but that looks like a lot of running.

She is the author of the
Elemental Mysteries
and
Elemental World
series, the
Cambio Springs
series, the
Irin Chronicles
, and other works of fiction.

Website:
ElizabethHunterWrites.com
 

Elemental Mysteries fan site:
ElementalMysteries.com
.
 

E-mail:
[email protected]
.

Twitter:
@E__Hunter

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