The Soothing Scent Of Earth (Elemental Awakening, Book 2) (26 page)

Pyrkagia
blazed through our bodies. His and mine. Entwined, fuelling the other. And one orgasm became two, even Theo succumbing to a second round, which was just as divine, but this time also sending little jolts of electricity through my skin, making me shake and tremble as though I was having a small fit.

I opened my mouth to suck in air, maybe to murmur something about that being
fantastic, out of this world good,
and a third orgasm stole all thoughts. Making it impossible to breathe, much less register what was happening around me. All I felt was the bliss of release, mixed with the sensation of
too much
, and Theo's body as it collapsed; heavy, sated, replete on top of me. Both finally panting, managing to get much needed air in our lungs as somehow Theo made our
Stoicheio
untangle, settling the inferno we'd created, easing the Fire back to just a pleasant burn.

We lay there, limbs numb, chests heaving, eyes closed as the world spun around us. Fire crackled in the hearth, and was matched by the Fire in our hearts and bodies. A minute passed and neither of us had spoken. I think Theo was as spent as me, and as he hadn't lifted his head or opened his eyes yet, I was guessing the room was on a spin cycle for him too. It wasn't unpleasant, but the longer it took for the room to right itself, the more the Fire within me wanted to play.

I reached out to the
Gi
in the room, finding that
Stoicheio
much easier than I had done in the past. I wasn't stroking a hand down the leaves of a plant, nor did I have my toes in the soil of the Earth, but the scent of orchids in the room infused me, settled me, and I soon realised provided me access to my Element without physically having to touch.

Gi
washed through me, stopped the twirling and grounded me to the Earth. My eyelids flickered, as the soothing scent of Earth calmed me and brought me back to the room at last. Talk about out of body experiences. I looked down at the sweating man lying collapsed on top of me and became aware that he was in a worse state than me. The room probably still revolving for Theo. So, I sent a little of my
Gi
to wash him, too.

Within seconds his head tipped up, a lazy, satisfied, and I think, impressed smile graced his lips, and he finally settled into a more comfortable position down the side of me. So my body was no longer trapped or crushed by his.

He licked his lips, gaze scanning what he could see of my body, gold still blazing from his eyes.

"You passed with flying colours," he announced on a roughened whisper. I wondered if he was as thirsty as me, or if he'd lost a little of his voice when he'd shouted through each of those orgasms.

I smiled and stroked fingers through his hair, unwillingly to talk just yet. Still enjoying the after effects.

"In fact," he added, his own fingers exploring, seeking contact, needing that
Pyrkagia
urge to touch. "You absolutely astound me,
Oraia
. I have never experienced anything like that."

"Really?" I asked, the word out before I could stop it. I winced at the faux pas.

Theo smirked. "You need to ask? Look at me. I'm incapable of moving an inch, nor do I want to. But if someone were to barge through that door right now, I'd be a hopeless protector."

He hadn't meant to bring gravity to the situation, but our lives right now were precarious, and someone
could
barge through that door at any minute.

He sat up, proving his words were a stretch of the truth. He didn't move far, and he blinked a few times, no doubt to clear his vision, so I was willing to bet they hadn't been an outright lie.

"I have
Pyrkagia
to burn, Casey. Thanks to you," he added, offering a wink, lifting the tone again with that simple action. "I could still do harm, but I'd rather lie entangled with you and bask in the sensations you've just created."

"You created them too," I argued, a small smile tipping the edges of my lips up.

"I was only responding to you,
Oraia
. You are so delicious. So perfect." He leaned in and nuzzled my neck. "So mine."

My hand came up and found the
Pyrkagia
mark I'd left on his neck. It hadn’t disappeared and I wondered how long it would stay.
Athanatos
heal most injuries, I couldn't see this one lasting longer than a day. But for now, I enjoyed the sensation of the raised outline of my possession under the tips of my fingers.

"
Thisavros
," Theo murmured, his own fingers tracing what was left of his mark on my neck. "I never knew it could be like this," he murmured, almost to himself. His eyes were glazed as he stared transfixed at his mark, repetitively tracing its outline on my skin.

I almost asked. The words were on the tip of my tongue.
Was I his first and only Thisavros, or not?
But I didn't. It would have ruined the moment. Like he said, we couldn't have other
Thisavros
when already claimed like we were. What was the point in bringing up the past?

I searched his face for an answer to the question I didn't have the courage to ask. But he seemed blissfully happy, content, maybe a little in awe. No secrets lay there. Well, none that I had any right to be seeking.

But no matter how I tried to just sit back and enjoy the tender moment, to just relish the post orgasmic bliss, the question still hungered to be answered. Still begged for me to seek the truth.

It took a moment for me to rationalise what I was feeling, and even then all I could come up with was... jealousy. I was infinitely jealous of Melita. Because even though I didn't know for sure that she'd been his
Thisavros
, I was certain that she'd been his first.

His first real love.

His first broken heart.

His first lost treasure.

And an emotion I had never suffered in my life took root deep down inside. Jealousy burned almost as hot as Fire. Would it consume me? Would it ruin everything Theo and I had?

God.

I hoped not.

"Peru?" I asked, once we'd redressed and settled in to eat some snacks Theo had managed to buy at the reception to the camp grounds we were staying in. The little woodsy cottage was one of twelve, set at the back of a pretty camping ground, behind the main communal building, the reception/owners' cottage, and the powered sites for tents and camper-vans.

If I couldn't find the courage to ask the one question dogging me, then I'd focus on our real problems right now. Namely, where to from here and the unknown of the
Aeras
.

"I don't agree with Aktor," Theo replied, snagging the biscuit I was reaching for and swallowing it whole when I frowned.

"Hey!" I complained.

"What?" he mumbled around a mouthful of crumbs. He swallowed thickly, clearly feeling every little bit of that chocolatey goodness and cleared his throat. "You snooze, you lose," he added, taking a sip from his soda can.

"You have no manners," I pointed out, picking up another biscuit and nibbling.

"I'm famished," Theo explained. "
Someone
wore me out."

A laugh escaped before I could stop it, making biscuit crumbs rain down on my top.

"Who's lacking table manners now?" Theo teased, reaching over and swiping crumbs off the corner of my lips. He licked the evidence off his fingertips with an exaggerate sigh.

"Can we concentrate?" I asked in a fake beleaguered voice. I liked him too much in this playful mood to really complain. And I think he knew it.

"Impossible," Theo remarked, sitting back in his seat and eyeing me through half lidded eyes. "Not when I'm already imagining round two."

I arched my brow at him, but couldn't stop a smile. Round two was a given, once we'd replenished. Even now I could feel his
Pyrkagia
burning to reach out and touch mine. It was only my constant touch with the Earth grounding me that made it possible to ignore it, and not send my own
Pyrkagia
back to tangle. Tangling
Stoicheio
I'd discovered was quickly becoming my favourite pastime.

"We've got nowhere else to go," I pointed out, refusing to drop the topic. We'd have to move on tomorrow, or risk the
Gi
finding us here. For now both Theo's and my
Pyrkagia Stoicheio
were shielding us, but as Theo had pointed out as we dressed, sooner or later a
Gi
travelling past would wonder why he was thinking lustful thoughts on the BR-230 outside a camp site.

With time we'd be discovered. So one night to replenish and regroup, and then we'd have to go... somewhere. But where?

Theo ran a hand over his face before answering. He looked tired, if not a little sex happy as well. But the tiredness I saw around his beautiful eyes was not from sexcapades, but stress. It had been a hard three months for him too.

"You know as well as I," he started, "that differing branches of
Ekmetalleftis
do not mix."

Yeah, I knew only too well. My reception, when just
Gi
, in
Pyrkagia
territory had not been nice. Theo and I were still considered enemies, and I wasn't entirely sure if me now being part
Pyrkagia
, part his branch, would have changed that. The
Pyrkagia Rigas
was a foreboding and unforgiving man.

God, I just wished life was normal again. Back when all I had to worry about was whether my customers liked their deli sandwiches, or planning the next social outing with my best friend. Sonya. Oh, how I missed her. And yet I knew I couldn't get back in touch.

Sonya was human, and as such had no idea what I was, or what I could do. Even when my
Gi Stoicheio
had made plants move and wave hypnotically in her presence, she'd not picked up on anything unusual. Likewise, the eye colour change
Athanatos
experience when tapping into their Element was lost on Sonya, too. And although she would always be my best friend, there was a gaping big whole in our relationship now, because of all of that.

I sighed, Theo eyes came up and settled on my face.

"Are you tired,
Oraia
?" he asked, voice soft and tender.

It felt like I'd been tired for months. I nodded, but we had to discuss this before I could get any sleep.

"I think we should go to Peru," I announced and then it was Theo's turn to sigh. "Think about it," I urged. "We can't go back to Auckland. You admitted yourself that the
Pyrkagia
Council has misinformed you of what an
Aether
is. Aside from you being exiled and me being persona non grata, there are no answers to be had there."

He nodded slowly, but didn't say a word. Waiting for me to get to the hammer blow.

"We need answers, Theo. I'm scared."

"Casey," he said, leaning forward and reaching for my hand. I let his fingers capture mine, but I shook my head.

"My grandfather said I was special." I laughed, it sounded bitter. "Not that I subscribe to that point of view, but the Earth's call for help. There was something to it." I closed my eyes and tried to envisage again what I'd felt when the Earth had been calling for me to
save it
. "This happened for a reason," I whispered. "And it's not over yet."

Theo's fingers clenched mine in support.

"Gramps always said there's power in knowledge. It was one of those lessons he repeated while I was growing up. Like believing is a tangible thing. My brother Mark and I would be sitting in his wood working shed, listening to his stories, and I swear not a day would go by when he wouldn't repeat those lines to both of us.
Knowledge is power, Casey. Belief is a tangible thing, Marcus. Balance is essential for life to prosper, kids.
"

My eyes closed again, tightly, as all the sayings my grandfather forced on us came rushing back in; the sound of his voice so real. "
Know yourself and you can't go wrong.
Rise above your mistakes, but never forget them.
"

I sighed, opening up my eyes and looking directly into the concerned ones of Theo's. "
Let the solid Earth ground you.
" God, I'd forgotten all of these. Where had they gone? "
Let the light of Fire guide your path."
How had I not remembered them? "
Let the clean Air take away your fears.
"

Tears began to well in my eyes. He'd known, even then as a child. My grandfather had known what would happen one day.

"
Let the cool Water revive you."
My voice cracked. I'd thought it already, that Gramps had abandoned us to his wretched cause. But now I
knew
it was only me he'd abandoned. Because of what
I
was to become.