Air: The Elementals Book Two

Chapter 2

2

TWO WEEKS LATER

“I’m fine,” Logan repeated for the fourteenth time. And it had been fourteen times. She was counting.

“You need to be more careful,” Serin said. “You were seriously hurt, and it would have been far worse if you’d not taken out those witches beforehand. They might have killed you.”

Her sisters, Serin and Gia, were communing with their elements, water and earth. When they did, their voices carried to her along the aether, the fifth element, which bound all magic to the world. They sounded different from the spirits Logan had heard since she was a child. Though those voices could be annoyingly loud at times, they didn’t resonate with the vibrancy of magic and life she associated with the living. And unlike those others, her sisters never lied to her…

As the Air Elemental, Logan technically communed with her element at all times. She had to breathe after all. And she was usually grateful she could keep in touch with her sisters so easily, but not when one of them wanted to lecture her.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Gia said eventually, coming to her defense. “They weren’t a match for our Logan. Even crippled, she’s a force to be reckoned with. Not that I don’t agree about being more careful. But I have faith you can handle most anything anyone throws at you, including those newbie grey witches. But a little discretion in whipping objects heavier than yourself might be in order.”

Logan sighed, a long, drawn-out sound of suffering. She’d been getting the riot act from all three of her sisters since she’d returned from Quebec. Even Diana had lectured her on keeping things simple when she’d contacted her yesterday.

Logan had been hurt while giving some witches a much-needed set down. The witches had dabbled a little too close to the dark, enough to shift the balance in their vicinity. They hadn’t done anything worth stripping them over, and they weren’t black yet. Instead, the girls referred to them as grey. As a group, the Elementals had decided to send a message before the witches did something that would shift them all the way to the black.

And Logan had delivered it with style, as she always did.

But it was her flair for drama that had gotten her in trouble. She had been showing off—although that wasn’t something her sisters frowned on. Making a lasting impression was a big part of her job. In this case, she had decided to huff and puff to blow the witches’ house down.

Unfortunately, it had been more than a dark shack in the woods belonging to some old crone. The substantial log cabin had been difficult to destroy, and Logan had whipped a heavy log a little too carelessly. It had hit another log embedded in the dirt, causing it to rebound on her. It struck her back with considerable force.

The log would have broken her spine if she’d been human. As it was, she had a couple of cracked ribs. Fortunately, the witches were rolling around the ground, too busy groaning and praying for death to notice what she now called “the little mishap”. Despite her injury, she’d managed to dematerialize and make her way out of there.

“The little mishap” was why she was currently rusticating in Provence, enjoying the mistral’s soothing touch in the south of France. They had a cozy safe house there, one passed down from earlier generations of their kind. The Air Elementals had always loved it there, especially when the wind blew so hard it shrieked.

“I’m almost as good as new,” Logan assured them. “And I’ve learned my lesson. No more playing the big bad wolf without knowing where each log is going to land.”

“How about no more whipping around huge logs instead?” Serin persisted.

“Well, how about a compromise? No more than one log at a time anymore,” Logan said, feeling rather generous.

She loved the Water Elemental, despite the older woman’s need to mother her to death.

Serin sighed. “I’ll take what I can get.”

“That’s the spirit.” Gia laughed before her voice became serious. “Has anyone heard from Diana lately?”

Logan smiled. Gia was still suspicious of Alec Broussard, Diana’s new mate. It was an unusual choice for a Fire Elemental. Vampires were the most flammable of all the Supernaturals, with the possible exception of very old wood nymphs. But Logan had met the man in person and thought he was worthy. Alec was certainly less annoying than Serin’s pompous and conceited mate, Jordan.

But comparing the two was not fair. Serin and Jordan had been together since before Logan was born. Just because she’d never liked him didn’t mean he was a bad guy. He was simply irritating to be around.

“I heard from her yesterday,” Logan replied. “She and Alec are in Adelaide, wrapping up a case. They’re good. They’re heading to the North Coast afterward. Alec wants to take Diana to dive the Great Barrier Reef for a little vacay. And before you ask, she already lectured me too.”

“Well, that’s good. About the vacation, I mean. She doesn’t take enough downtime,” Gia said.

The Earth Elemental sounded upset, but Logan suspected it was more complicated than that. Gia was happy for her sister; they all were. She just didn’t approve of her choice. Gia had issues with vampires, but they seemed small compared to the giant chip Diana used to have on her shoulder before she met Alec.

Once upon a time, there wasn’t a species Diana had detested more than vampires. But now, she was practically married to one.

“Yes, well, she has been a little quiet,” Serin added, but her voice held no judgement.

“She and Alec are still in the honeymoon phase,” Logan explained. “And Di deserves a break. She’s always worked too hard.”

Before Alec came along, they had all taken turns trying to talk Diana into relaxing more. Unlike the rest of them, Diana had no family—no obligations to stop and check in with anyone. Until she met her vampire, Diana had avoided any relationships outside of their small circle. As a result, she had never learned to rest in between missions. She went from town to town, doing her job and not much else. Alec had forced Diana to slow down and learn to enjoy herself a little. They were probably sexing it up and down all over the Australian continent right around now.

Logan sighed, a little envious.

“No one is disputing that the relationship has been good for Diana. She deserves to be happy. And I am glad she has someone…supportive,” Serin said, a very noticeable edge in her voice.

Was there trouble in paradise? Maybe she’ll break up with Jordan, Logan thought gleefully.

For half a minute, she let her hope rise before the guilt set in. After, she started hoping whatever was bothering her sister wasn’t related to her mate. Serin loved the man, and on paper, there was nothing wrong with him. He was simply a bit selfish. The biggest problem was that he seemed to make Serin’s job harder instead of easier, like Alec did for Diana.

“In any case, I’m glad she’s happy,” Serin continued without acknowledging her lapse. “No doubt she’ll check in more often once she and Alec settle into a routine.”

Of the four of them, Serin was the most concerned with appearances. She wouldn’t want to discuss anything wrong with her personal relationship with her sisters until the issue had been resolved. Serin was tight-lipped about family issues too.

That last part was understandable. If Logan had been saddled with Serin’s parents, she’d spend a heck of a lot more time whining.

“I’m sure that’s true,” Gia said carefully.

Gia had obviously also heard the unusual note of frustration in Serin’s voice, but she’d known the Water Elemental for almost a century, long enough to know not to bring it up.

“It is true,” Serin continued in a determinedly upbeat tone. “I have to go. I’m meeting Jordan for dinner before heading out to Cancun again. Not a cartel this time. A shifter is acting up. Feel better, Logan. Don’t move too far from the mistral until you feel like your old self.”

“I don’t intend to,” Logan assured her. “I’m sitting on my favorite rock. The wind really picked up today. It’s great.”

“The wind always picks up wherever you are,” Serin said with genuine humor this time before saying goodbye.

“Rest up and be more careful next time, sweetie,” Gia said.

“I’ll be fine. Practically one hundred percent now. Already back in dance form,” Logan said, opening her eyes to check how long she had till darkness fell.

She was basking in the sun on a windswept hill close to their safe house. The two-story dwelling was nestled between some trees at the bottom of the hill.

“All right,” Gia said. “Try not to break anything else. Like your bones or anyone else’s unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“I did not break any of my bones. I only cracked ‘em a bit,” Logan said, knowing better than to promise not to break anyone else’s bones, despite her forced vacation.

You just never knew.