Just Breathe (8 page)

Jack returned a moment later, the half-eaten fruit tucked under his arm, and beer in hand. He popped the top on the can and slurped up the stream that shot out before it sprayed the carpet. A mini victory pose followed.

Zoe covered her laugh behind a balled fist. Where had he been all her life? Growing up, she never missed having a dad. Now, after knowing him for only a short time, she’d be hard-pressed to make it through the day without at least talking to him on the phone.

“Ah…” He wiped off his beer ’stache with the top of his arm. “Where were we? Oh, yeah. Elementals deal with things differently than we do. They’re very political, but it’s not like our version of politics. Some of these dudes have been around for thousands of years—”

“That long? Really?”

Jack nodded.

“What about Sentinels? How old are you?” Zoe never thought about the possibility that her dad—or Gavin—might be pseudo immortal.

“The incarnation before you is ninety-two. But other versions of me have been around a lot longer than that.”

Zoe’s jaw dropped. “You’re serious.”

“As a horny, drunk priest with a whorehouse gift card on the night before the apocalypse.”

“Whoa.” Scratch that.
Major
whoa.

“Back to what I was saying… Because Elementals have long life spans, they tend to take their time, think things through, and don’t like to be rushed. Wæters are wise. Let them work out their differences. You’re just the messenger.”

Zoe nodded. “You’re right. I should handle it like a scientist. Keep my opinions to myself. Whatever happens, happens.”

Jack pointed at her and winked. “Bingo.”

He eased against the couch cushion, crossed an ankle over a knee, and snagged another bite of fruit. After chewing thoughtfully and swallowing, he washed it down with a long swig of beer. “Gavin misses you.”

Oh God. She missed him, too. Despite how hurt she was, longing tugged at her heart harder than ever. It thrived like a parasite in his absence. “Tell him I said hi.”

Jack wiped his hands down the front of his shorts. “Any other message? I’m going to see him when I leave here.”

Yeah. A whole list:
I wish things could be different. I’m lost without you. Can we pretend it never happened? I can’t live with this agony.

Zoe shook her head. “Nope. No other message.”

Jack’s expression never changed. He nodded and stood. “Okay. I’d better get out of here. You have calls to make, and I have a Sentinel to train.”

“Did you guys make any progress with Whetu?” Zoe had been thinking about the girl since Jack and Gavin rescued her in Sydney. Though she hadn’t met Whetu, Zoe was worried about her. So young to have lost her father. And to have to go through the change to become an Elemental alone? That must be awful.

Jack ambled over to the door. “I’ve got a friend trying to help her, but so far, nothing.”

“Let me know if I can do anything.”

“I’ll pop by tomorrow.”

“Thanks for checking on me.”

He lingered for a moment as if he wanted to say something else, then he turned the knob and left.

Zoe sighed, picked up her phone, and took it to her bedroom. She dialed the number Jack had given her. A rich female voice answered.

“My name’s Zoe Morgan. May I speak to Lana please?”

“Ah, Gavin’s Wyldling. I was wondering when I’d hear from you.” The gruff words slid effortlessly together, smooth like aged whiskey. Reminded Zoe of a Southern belle, except the accent was Australian.

Wait a minute. Gavin’s Wyldling? Hardly. She cleared her throat. “I’m calling on behalf of Lily. She’d like to talk with you. In person.”

Silence.

“Did you hear me?” Zoe asked.

“I did.” Another long pause. “You’re the translator?”

Zoe straightened. “Yes. I am. Is that a problem?”

“Where does she want to meet?” Lana’s tone cooled.

“I’d rather not say. Is it possible for you to meet me in Hervey Bay on the sixteenth? I’ll take you to her myself. I don’t want to risk her safety. I’m sure you’ve heard of the threats against her. And me.”

After thinking long and hard about it, Zoe was convinced someone in Lana’s camp—not a Fyre Elemental—had masterminded the plot to drive Zoe out of Hervey Bay. Catherine Marchand from Oceania Whale Trust had provided almost enough evidence to prove it.
Almost
.

“I don’t control or condone the actions of my followers. Your boyfriend knows I had nothing to do with the incidents you’re referring to. How is Gavin, by the way?”

Hackles raised, Zoe reminded herself to be polite. “You’d have to ask him. We haven’t spoken in a few days.”

“Really?” Her voice perked up. “Well, then, I may invite him to our little soirée on the sixteenth.”

Zoe closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ll contact you in a week or so, and we’ll set up a time to meet. Thanks for your cooperation. And if you don’t mind, leave your thugs at home. I doubt Lily would appreciate any further threats.”

“See you soon, Ms. Morgan.” The voice turned icy.

“You bet.”

Teeth clenched, Zoe got ready for bed and prepared to make another trip into the Dreaming.
Ms. Morgan
had some big-time recruiting to do this evening.

Chapter Nine

September 10

Sinnder frowned as he watched Scarlet across the polished wooden table in the Fyre Council chambers. Smug as ever—relaxed, even—she played with her long, curly hair and shot coy smiles at each of the bishops.

Her Fire had doubled since the last time he saw her. Which explained the spate of arson stories holding the evening news channels hostage lately.

The heat in his chest rumbled like a pissed off thunderhead with a bad case of indigestion.

“The Wæters still have no Archelemental, and there’s no confirmation yet about whether any of the whales Scarlet and Sinnder killed was the right one,” a female Council member reported.

Eidan nodded behind steepled fingers, his elbows resting lightly on the table. “I’ll take that as a sign we should push forward. Even if they do get a new leader placed before the equinox, she won’t have time to gather enough Water to be a threat to us.”

The Archelemental stood and moseyed around the room. Each bishop subtly turned in his or her chair and maintained eye contact. Though the bishops were sycophantic morons, none were stupid enough to turn their backs on Eidan.

Scarlet aimed a pleased grin at Sinnder and wiggled her shoulders. After the stunt she pulled on Gavin and Zoe two weeks ago, she’d occupied Sinnder’s every thought. So many long-buried memories had boiled to the surface of his mind. Dangerous. Very dangerous.

Why did history choose to taunt him now? Didn’t matter. The important thing was that he’d rediscovered some of his
raison d’être
. He’d been dilly-dallying over what to do about Scarlet for centuries. It was time to feed his past—and Scarlet—the cyanide it deserved.

He stared at Scarlet.
Open wide.

Eidan ambled along his circular path. “I’m proud of the work you bishops have put into Incendius’s rise to power. The panic you’ve created among the Wyldlings has filled our Elemental coffers with much of the Fire our god demands.

“But there is still not enough. We have before us a great opportunity that we may never see again. If we can amp up the conflict among the humans with one last, potent shove, we’ll surpass the other Elementals’ stores, and Incendius will reward us with fiery riches for years to come.

“We live in turbulent times. All the more reason to play on the Wyldlings’ natural fears. In recent years, terrorism has turned our world upside down—Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Israel, the United States, China. Why not leave our mark by adding Australia to the list?”

Eidan stopped behind Scarlet, leveled his gaze on Sinnder, and popped open a knowing smile, full of flashing white teeth.

Shit.

“Sinnder, you’re new to the Council. I suspect you wish to gain favor among your peers.”

Hardly.

Eidan glanced around the table at the stormy faces. Fire surged and retreated like fighting dogs between them, hungry for a root with the baton of leadership.

“I’d like you to devise a plot for a country-wide push for Fire and oversee its execution.” The Archelemental gestured at the bishops. “You have your choice of any of these pawns. They are all at your disposal.”

A collective growl rose up from the heated throats of the six other Fyres, and all eyes turned to Sinnder.

He didn’t give a flaming fuck about Eidan, the Council, or the Fyres.

He fixed his gaze on dismayed, red-cheeked Scarlet.

But her…

Kill her. Make her pay for what she did to Eileen. For what she made you.

If he involved Scarlet in the plot, he could take her out when she least expected it. All the lives she’d ended, all the love she’d murdered, and all the heartbreak she’d exacted would be avenged. He’d waited over a thousand years for this opportunity. His reward was long overdue.

The fiery predator lying dormant inside him shook awake and stretched against the earthly confines of skin and bone.

Sinnder jostled out of his reverie, insides trembling at
His
unexpected appearance.

No. No. No! It’s too soon. I’m not ready…

Fire smiled.

Certain the bishops had noticed the abrupt change in his Fire, Sinnder glanced around the table. They just stared, apparently waiting for him to respond to Eidan’s request.

A mixture of fear, acceptance, and satisfaction seized Sinnder’s reeling mind. Last thing he wanted was
Him
involved. Yet, Sinnder had always known the presence he harbored inside was the only means of ensuring an acceptable end to his problems.

The old man Yileen had been right about everything. Sinnder’s destiny was fixed. There was nothing he could do to change it. So he didn’t bother trying.

A plan sparked to life.

Sinnder snapped his focus to Eidan. “We’ll target the most populous cities in the country: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, New Castle, and Canberra. That would account for two-thirds of the population. We’ll set off bombs on the twenty-second of September, the day before the equinox, to ensure the Wæters have no chance of retaliation.”

Eidan flashed a half-grin. “Excellent.”

“I’ll need explosives. Lots of them. And every Fyre you’ve got.”

The Archelemental’s grin smeared into laughter. “Done.”

Sinnder felt red swell in his eyes.

Fire—
true
Fire—was back. And
He
was hungry.

* * * *

Scarlet burst out of the Council meeting room, steam puffing from her nostrils. She waved the smoke away, fumbled with her keys, then tore her spiked heel shoe off and pounded it on the Porsche’s window when she couldn’t get the door open. The glass refused to break, which only infuriated her further.

That pretentious prick. How could Eidan pass her over for leading the terrorist attack against the Wyldlings? She’d served him for decades, done his bidding—even fucked him a time or two—and
this
was her payment? For shit’s sake, she was the one who’d found the door into the Dreaming, thanks to the tip from her informant. She deserved better.

She settled her nerves enough to replace her shoe and open the car door. Mind spinning with blossoming ideas, she drove to Mike’s house where, according to her fuck buddy Trevor, Just Breathe had been rehearsing. Gavin was sure to be there.

Action on her plan to dethrone Eidan and take Gavin back had waited long past its expiration date. Palms itchy with anticipation, she rubbed them hard on the steering wheel. Gavin could be hers
tonight
.

She pulled into the drive and parked. Sad, Watery music oozed from the Cave’s open windows as she climbed out of the Porsche. God damn it. Hadn’t Gavin gotten over that Morgan bitch yet? She slammed the car door shut.

Fuck Zoe. And Sinnder. And Eidan.

No one answered her rapping—probably couldn’t hear it over the music—so she let herself into the house. The moment she walked in, the Watery, blue-themed audio décor in the lounge room shifted to that of red Fire.

Ah, much better. She licked her lips.

Gavin took one look at her, shoved the strap off his shoulder, and tossed his guitar aside. The monitor screeched feedback in protest. The rest of the band stopped playing their instruments and stared. The Fire dancing across Gavin’s skin sent feverish shudders sizzling to her core. He was almost as hot as when he’d fucked her posing as Zoe, but furious instead of turned on.

Didn’t matter. Whether rooted in passion or hatred, Fire was Fire.

The muscles in his cheeks clenched. He stomped to the door, dodging the hand she tried to stop him with. Oh, the dark, brooding eyes, the flash of silver from his lip, and the rage pouring off him hooked her Fire and pulled.

Yes, that’s it. Closer.

Trevor slammed his sticks onto the nearest drum and rounded on her with a jealous glare. She gave him her back and followed Gavin outside. She’d fuck the Fire out of Trevor later.

A couple walked their dog down the sidewalk in front of the house. Though it was dusk, enough light remained for passersby to see what was going on at the Cave. People were always in and out of here, so Scarlet should be safe. No way Gavin would risk Elemental exposure in public.

She took three steps into the drive, and her Fire reared like a frightened horse. A couple feet away, Gavin trained his Water-laden hand on the center of her chest. The rest of him burned so red, it hurt her eyes. She couldn’t concentrate with that delicious Fire eating up the Air between them. Salivating, she bit her lip and tamped down the heat threatening to spin her out of control.

Emboldened by the promise of his passion, she ventured closer. “You’re angry.” Her voice rasped in the sexy tone she’d used on him in bed when they dated.

He tipped his head to the side, and the footprint gem attached to his leather necklace skidded across his collarbone. “You reckon?”