The Soothing Scent Of Earth (Elemental Awakening, Book 2) (29 page)

I sighed, but let him peel me off his chest and help me to my feet. We were both looking a little dishevelled, a shower was definitely on the cards. Theo led me by the hand to the bathroom, turning the taps on in the stall and then offering me my toothbrush as the water heated up.

As much as I didn't want the cocoon of our perfect shared moment to be over, he was right. It was time to turn our attention to dangerous matters.

"What did Aktor say?" I asked around a mouthful of toothpaste.

"The
Aeras
have received his request, but as yet not replied."

I spat, rinsed, then asked, "So, do we go straight there or hang around somewhere neutral until they give permission to enter their land."

"Anywhere, but here," he murmured, a semi-repeat of what we'd discussed yesterday.

I nodded and slipped into the shower. Seconds later Theo's hands took over the task of soaping up my skin. A delightful sensation of hot water, smooth skin, and... Theo. I returned the favour, and then once we'd completed our full body cleanse, we both towelled off in silence.

Dressed and packed some time later, we stared at the door to the little haven we'd shared, knowing what stood on the other side.

"We have tickets out of Bel
ém to Lima," Theo said, eyes still on the door, one hand on his overnight bag, the other clasping mine. "It should take another couple of hours to reach the airport from here, then almost five to get to Lima."

"Is Lima
Aeras
territory?"

"No, we should be safe there while we wait for permission to go to Urubamba."

Silence as I digested that.

"By this time tomorrow we could be with the
Aeras,
" he added, not sounding elated about that idea at all.

"First we have to get out of here," I pointed out, adding my own two cents worth of worry.

"Yes," he replied tight lipped. We stared at the door. "Can you sense them?"

"The
Gi?
" He nodded. I let myself reach for the Earth unsure what reception I would receive.

Gi
Stoicheio
rushed through me, filling me up and making me gulp in surprised air. Theo's hand tightened in mine and his
Pyrkagia
swelled in reaction to my obvious delight at being connect to
Gi
again. A hot hand cupped my neck, as Theo turned me towards him. Gold sparkled back at me, possibly matching the brilliance of my green.

"Beautiful," he whispered, awe coating every word.

I smiled, floating on his affection. Only to have the smile falter when the Earth whispered on the air, in the scent of the orchids in the room,
There you are. We've been looking for you.

Oh, freaking hell. We? The Earth? Or the
Gi
themselves, led by the
Basilissa
?

Who's 'we'?
I asked. A question posed in direct reaction to my fright, that didn't take into account the fact that the Earth could be controlled by the
Gi
.

Us
, it answered, in what had become a typical ambiguous fashion.

Are the Gi nearby?

Yes,
it replied, no note of concern evident. But that question had been the wrong one to ask, hadn't it? Of course
Gi
were nearby, that's why Theo had stayed awake all night, enforcing our shields.

Is it safe for us to leave?
I tried instead.

Never safe for Aether
, the Earth ominously replied.

A frustrated sound slipped out, and Theo tensed.

"What is it?" he demanded, gold washing my face when I glanced at his eyes.

"I can't get a straight answer from the Earth.
Gi
are nearby, and it's unsafe. But I can't tell if it means it's specifically unsafe outside this door, or in general. As usual, it's being cagey."

Theo shook his head, a look of bemusement crossing his face. Of course, when he asked his
Stoicheio
a question, he always got a straight answer. With me, it was never that easy.

I took a deep breath in and searched for my
Pyrkagia
side, finding it waiting, burning softly; ready for when I needed it. My hand spasmed in Theo's, perhaps because that was why my
Pyrkagia
was so close to the surface right now. Whenever I was near Theo a Fire simmered down low. Touching him in any way, made the flames lick higher and higher.

Is it safe?
I asked the Fire.

Never safe for Aether
, the Fire answered and blew all hope of getting a foot up on the
Gi
.

"We're just going to have to risk it," I announced. "If the
Gi
are out there waiting, we'll fight our way through. If not, we'll try to slip through their ranks without being detected."

Theo swore softly, then straightened his shoulders.

"Come on," he said, sounding like he was about to mount the side of a battlefield trench. "The car's directly in front of the door, I'll unlock it as soon as we're on the doorstep. Hold onto your Fire, and keep an ear out on the Earth."

I've been scared a few times recently. More frightened than any person should have to ever be. But opening that door onto the unknown, knowing that my
Stoicheio
probably had a lock on what would happen next, but was not divulging it to me, was somehow the highest level of angst I'd experienced yet.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears, my palm became sweaty where it was clasped tightly in Theo's. My vision sharpened, as adrenaline flowed through my veins. Sounds became ominous, scents shot to life. The smell of green leaves as soon as the door cracked open assailed me. The soft, moist, fragrant stench of rotten vegetation. The pungent odour of animal faeces. The sweat of a person off to the right. My eyes soon told me he was human. The smell of gasoline in the car's petrol tank in front of us. The sickly, sticky scent of tar on the ground beneath our feet as we crossed the short gap between the cottage and the SUV.

But no one else. No other
Ekmetalleftis
in the vicinity. No animal about to charge. No tree about the pound down a thick branch on top of us.

I realised I did have a weapon. One the Earth couldn't interfere with directly. Or at least, I hoped that was the case. And thinking that the
Gi
could mask their scent, or confuse me with imagined smells was a concern. But something told me, right now in any case, that what I could smell was legitimate.

I breathed out a long puff of air and relaxed my shoulders. Theo sensed the change in me, but other than a concerned flick of his eyes, said nothing. Letting my hand go as I climbed in the passenger side of the car, and throwing the bag he held in the back seat from the driver's door. We both slipped in, the vehicle started, and within seconds we were pulling out onto the highway.

Here smells didn't help me, even if I were to open the window at my side. We were travelling too quickly for me to pick up accurately what each scent meant. So, that left the unreliable and tenuous link I had to Earth, and my
Pyrkagia
side, which seemed to be as much in the dark as we were right now.

We were blind. Tearing along the motorway without a compass or chance of seeing danger before it was on us. Jittery did not even cover how I felt, right then.

Theo's hands held on to the steering wheel with single minded focus, his knuckles not quite white yet, but clenched tight. His eyes darted all over the road ahead, easily as jittery as me. I felt the Earth's pull, the further we travelled from Santarém. The call for help, for me to save it. I could no longer tell if it was truly a message of desperation from the Earth itself, or a trap set by the
Gi
. Distance didn't provide an answer, it just made the Earth's call that much more wretched to my ears.

With a heavy heart I sent one last thought out to my
Stoicheio, I'll return for you. I promise.
Then with a concerted effort I cut myself off from the first Element to have claimed me.

Pyrkagia
swirled inside, trying to fill the void left behind. Trying to bolster my emotions, to let me know I was not alone. One hand covered my mouth to stifle my cry of pain, the other rubbed over my heart to still the ache. Theo glanced across the space between us, then flicked his gaze back out the front.

"Everything all right?" he asked, softly. No doubt aware how ridiculous that question was. Nothing was all right, and even when we left
Gi
territory and I reunited with the Earth, there was no guarantee things would be all right then.

"We're on our own," I whispered. But couldn't voice the rest. He must have guessed what I meant, because he didn't question me further. Just reached over and clasped my palm in his, steering now with only one hand.

Belém grew closer on the horizon, but without touching
Gi
I had no way of knowing if we'd escaped detection. Or if the
Basilissa
was following us out of her territory, determined to capture us when we stopped moving at last. The temptation to check in with the Earth was astounding, but whenever the thought materialised, Fire would quell the urge.

By the time we parked the car at the airport, I was a nervous wreck,
Pyrkagia
burned too hot inside, and Theo was having trouble keeping his attention off my body.

"You need to rein it in," he whispered, as the cooling tick of the car engine filled the still air inside the SUV. "It's taking everything in me not to reach out with my
Stoicheio
and tangle with yours."

"It's not a conscious thing," I argued.

"Make it a conscious thing," he shot back.

I glared at him, meeting his too bright eyes, gold simmering on the edges, but with obvious effort he was working to keep it contained. I closed my lids, sucked in a deep breath and reached down inside myself, searching for all that heated
Pyrkagia
, determined to ask for a reprieve.

Need focus,
the Fire murmured in my mind.
No distractions
, it added.

Please,
I urged.
Just leave Theo alone
.

Thisavros
, Fire said with a crackle and hiss.
Impossible to exclude
.

I huffed out a frustrated breath. Just who was in charge here, anyway? Turning in my seat, I lifted determined eyes to Theo. He looked as hard as stone, that blank mask I'd seen on him in Auckland was back. I'd forgotten how desolate it made me feel.

"I think," I said slowly, trying to reason through what was happening with me, "that my
Pyrkagia
side is trying to protect me from
Gi
influence. They must be near, because it refuses to quieten down."

Theo's eyebrows rose on those words.

"Really?" he said, sounding completely doubtful. I guess his
Pyrkagia
didn't act like that, then.

I nodded. "It also said you need to harden up." A small stretch of the truth, but I was summarising here. "As my
Thisavros
you've got no choice but to enjoy the ride."

His lips quirked slightly at the edges and then he ran a hand over his face.

"You do realise," he finally replied. "That I will have a blatant erection when we walk through that airport."

My
lips tipped up at the edges.

"Well, it's still gotta be better than a
Gi
attack
,
because they tapped into my connection with the Earth," I offered.

"Good point," he agreed, adjusting himself obviously with one hand on the crotch of his trousers. "There's always the mile high club," he added, giving me a wink and then sliding from the car.

He came around my side of the vehicle, bag already in hand, and stood waiting as I gathered my wits after that statement. When I climbed down from the car he smirked.

"Imagining things,
Oraia?
" he queried. "Just how does one do it in an aeroplane bathroom?"

I shook my head. "Let's get on the plane first, shall we? Then you can plan your seduction, which I sincerely hope does not include a public toilet."

He chuckled, flicking keen eyes around the carparking area we were in. "There are other ways to join the club," he murmured, but he seemed a little more distracted now. Or maybe the correct term was focused; on the environment and not the heat burning inside of me.

We walked with purpose across the open space, not sure if we should feel safer outside, or in the terminal itself. Concrete beneath our feet, concrete surrounding us as we walked through the glass doors. And way too many people to make me feel at ease.