The Soothing Scent Of Earth (Elemental Awakening, Book 2) (30 page)

Good
, the Fire said inside.
This is good
, it added.
Hide, we will do the rest.

The rest? Oh, good grief, what the hell did my
Stoicheio
have in mind? This was entirely new ground I was standing on. Before I was clumsy and unskilled when wielding my Element. Now my Element was wielding itself, and I was locked out of the picture completely. Was this part of being an
Aether?
I wasn't a born
Athanatos
like Theo, did that mean my relationship with my
Stoicheio
would always be different than his? A visitor occasionally allowed to control the power, but more often than not, only because the power let me.

It was a disturbing thought, and I wasn't yet at the point that I trusted either of my
Stoicheio
enough to let them lead the way without worry. There wasn't much I could do though, my
Pyrkagia
had a plan and was refusing my interference. And my
Gi
was cut-off. I was just along for the ride. Rather like Theo was every time his attention swayed back to me.

We approached the check-in counter and Theo pulled out two passports. Surprising me that he held mine in his hand, too. He'd thought ahead, thank God. It hadn't even crossed my mind that the
Gi
had smuggled me into Brazil without documents. At least I'd be leaving legally.

I didn't utter a word while he talked in Portuguese to the airline staff, my eyes were on the surroundings. On the people who milled around, or scuttled past like ants on a mission for food. Every now and then my gaze would be captured by an oversized pot plant, the desire to reach out in some capacity and touch was so great, that my
Pyrkagia
would flare like an inferno until my eyes moved on.

Theo shifted uncomfortably, and a few of the passengers waiting in line behind us started eyeing me up like I was their next dinner, too. They may not have been
Ekmetalleftis
, but that didn't mean they avoided my influence. Intended or not.

Clasping the boarding passes in his fist and offering a few curt pleasantries to the counter staff, Theo grasped my hand firmly in his and practically dragged me away from what looked like an impending mosh pit. A few winks were given, several leers and the odd seductive smile. Then one guy slipped from the queue and rushed up to my side, slipping his phone number into my palm, even though I hadn't raised it.

"Can't take you anywhere," Theo muttered. "And I don't sense any
Gi
," he added, as though that was argument enough for my
Pyrkagia
to tone it down a bit.

I had no way of knowing if the
Gi
were inside the terminal without reaching for the Earth, and the flare of heat that thought caused left me in no doubt that the Fire did not like that idea, one bit. I shrugged my shoulders at Theo. I was clearly not the one driving right now.

He started to head towards the airline private club area, but with a blast of superheated Fire he changed direction, heeding my
Stoicheio's
warning.

"It wants us to hide in the throng," I whispered.

"I gathered that when it slapped me across the face," he ground back. I glanced up and saw a red mark forming on his left cheek, making me feel decidedly ill.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, as he found us a table in the centre of a huge food court, hundreds of people standing, sitting, walking with trays, and generally providing excellent visual cover.

"Casey," he said with a sigh, sitting down and dragging me onto his lap. His arms wrapping around my stomach, his head resting on my shoulder. "Don't apologise. Your
Pyrkagia
could be all that's saving us from the
Gi
right now.
Aetheros
knows, mine just wants to fuck you."

I jerked at his admission, receiving a low chuckle in reply.

"I think I'm going to need an extra special reward for my control tonight, don't you?" he whispered in my ear, making a shiver run down my spine and goosebumps rise all over my body.

He moved his thighs, forcing me to slip down further between them, right onto his raging erection. A groan sounded out against my cheek, as he rocked his hips, as surreptitiously as he could manage, up into my rear.

"You do not want to know what I'm thinking right now," he murmured, heat washing down my back as his own
Pyrkagia
threatened to wrap around me.

I knew it wasn't a good idea to continue this conversation, but the words were out before I could stop them.

"Bending me over this table, maybe?"

Another groan. "Minx."

I laughed, my eyes still somehow managing to scan the area for any obviously looking
Gi
.

"No?" I whispered. "Then I guess we'll have to settle for a little frottage as we sit here."

"Good God, where has my sweet, innocent little
Gi
gone?" Theo rasped, inadvertently doing exactly as I'd suggested. His groin rubbed deliciously hard against my backside. Another groan.

Pyrkagia
surged around us, making me realise I'd been playing a very stupid and dangerous game.

"Ah, Theo, your turn to rein it back in," I urged a little frantically.

"Shielding us," he replied in a husk. "Enough so I can do this," he added, as his hand came around and slipped between my thighs.

"This isn't a good idea," I announced, my head already falling back on his shoulders, as his fingers found exactly the right spot to rub. He rolled his hips, panting out a groan as he rubbed himself against me.

I lost a minute or two then,
Pyrkagia
burning through our bodies, becoming perilously close to entwining. The sounds of the airport went on, offering a buffer of sorts that complemented the shield Theo had erected to distract those around us. The scents of food and people layered another blanket of surreal on top. And the delicious sensations Theo created threatened to blast the lot apart and let us float on those enticing embers of Fire.

I was so close. So was Theo. Four more swipes of his finger across my centre, and four more rubs of his erection against my behind, would have done it, I was sure.
So close
.

And then when my eyes flickered open lazily, the second before I detonated and blew apart, I spotted him. Not a
Gi
. But he looked like one. And I knew him.

Noah the Alchemist doctor was here in the airport, which begged the question, had he escaped the
Basilissa
or brought her here?

"Theo," I said, suddenly wide awake and clear headed. Fire still burned within me, but it was scorching in a way that lust was not.

Theo jolted to a stop, panting and slightly sweaty, but his eyes, shimmering the last vestiges of gold, were scanning the area as well.

"Where?" he demanded, all business, no more husky, low, seductive voice.

Even now in a crisis, when his ability to turn off the seduction and lust was desperately required, I felt miffed. I was still strung as tight as a bowstring, any second now if he just moved in the right way, I would come apart at the seams.

"Breathe," he instructed in my ear; alert, on guard, and still aware of what I was feeling.

I sucked in air, keeping my eyes on the doctor and let my body relax its fervent hold on my impending release. It took several long seconds. Time we really didn't have. Noah wasn't getting any closer, but he wasn't moving on yet either.

"By the McDonald's counter," I finally replied.

"Got him," Theo said. "Is that...?"

"The Alchemist," I supplied. "Noah."

"I can't spot any
Gi
nearby," Theo added, a note of hope in his voice.

"Doesn't mean they're not using him," I pointed out. I couldn't imagine he'd escaped the
Basilissa
without consequence. But I had no way of determining which enemy he now was.

"Either way we need to avoid him," Theo suggested, looking at his watch, and then shifting me to the seat beside his. "Boarding in ten more minutes."

"Do we go now to the gate, or hold off?"

Theo scanned the environment, eyes hard, focused, and experienced. He'd been a
Pyrkagia
Scout before all this changed his life forever. I was sure some of those talents had included evading detection. When he chased down those who had broken their laws, he must have wanted the element of surprise on his side. And to do that, he'd have had to approach unseen, remained hidden until
he
wanted to be noticed.

"We're too exposed here, even with
Pyrkagia
shielding," he finally murmured. And considering Noah could wield some
Gi
and some
Pyrkagia
it wasn't a foolproof hide. "But it's too soon for the gate. If we're spotted there before we board, we'll have no avenue of escape, and our flight will be compromised."

Then what? I looked around the food court, taking in the happy and excited people, keeping Noah in my sights, and scanning for
Gi
. My eyes landed on a sign for the public toilets, but I discarded that idea as soon as it formed. Not only icky, but a dead end. What I found next was a long shot, but had two entryways at the front of the store, and a clear line of sight out of the further exit at the back in the distance.

"I need some more clothes," I announced, making Theo glance down at my well worn and now slightly grubby yoga gear.

"Now?" he asked, incredulously. I nodded my head towards the big brand name clothing shop and saw the cogs turning behind his eyes. "And I should really accompany you into the changing rooms, just to make sure they fit."

I smirked, I was sure it was as corrupt as his appears sometimes, and flicked my eyes to Noah. "We need a distraction," I muttered, and felt my
Pyrkagia
swell inside.

Leave it to us
, it eagerly offered.
We know what to do.

I didn't have a chance to argue before several people around Noah began to eye him up like delectable candy. Theo snorted as two very flamboyant looking guys approached, and a third person, in the form of an air-hostess complete with tight fitting blouse, entered the fray.

"Covering all options?" Theo asked, eyebrow raised.

"Hey, it's not me," I defended.

"That argument will grow very old very fast,
Oraia.
" Whatever.

I grasped his hand and led the way into the store, grabbing clothes off racks as we passed, letting Theo keep a lookout as I directed our snatch-and-grab towards the changing rooms near the back exit. If Noah had spotted us he'd come in from the front, and we'd be able to slip out the back. Hopefully.

The curtains closed and Theo planted himself at a gap in the material, keeping a lookout towards both the front and rear of the store. I sat down exhausted again on the bench seat, the clothes I'd selected discarded on the floor, my head in my hands.

Twice I gave clothes back to the shop assistant requesting different sizes. I didn't try any of them on. Then finally, ten minutes later the announcement for our flight came over the intercom. And ten minutes after that we slipped out the back entrance and raced to our gate.

We boarded as the doors were about to be closed, the check-in flight crew not impressed with our tardiness.

But we'd dodged a bullet, I was sure.

While my
Pyrkagia
crackled with glee, and as we took our seats, having scanned those in our area of the plane to ascertain we were safe, I finally felt like I could enjoy it, letting myself sink into the heated bliss of Fire. Warmth wrapped around me, fuelled me, exciting me, as Theo's hand slipped into mine clasping it tight. He lifted it slowly to his lips and laid a soft kiss on the back, his eyes holding mine.

We'd made it. We'd escaped
Gi
territory... and were heading straight for
Aeras
.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire? And I wasn't entirely sure if that particular fire had a capital 'F' or not. Nor if it made a jot of difference.

Theo held my hand the entire four and a half hour flight. And didn't once mention the mile high club. My
Pyrkagia
had settled the moment the wheels on the plane left the ground, and touching Earth from here was impossible. So, I didn't even try. His thumb gently brushed over my skin softly, the comfort and familiarity of his hand in mine was reassuring in a way nothing had truly been for the past few days.

At some stage he felt safe enough to fall asleep, but his grasp of my palm never eased. I watched him slumber, drawn to his beauty, both inside and out, like a moth to a flame. Even without the use of his
Pyrkagia
his proximity threatened to make me burn. I sat, turned in my seat, curled up on my side, so I could gaze at him. His chest rising and falling rhythmically, his brow uncreased, his plump, soft lips curved in a semi-smile.