Air: The Elementals Book Two

Chapter 3

3

It was dark by the time Logan finished prepping her dinner. It was a quiche in homage to her current location. She couldn’t cook much, certainly not any of the elaborate Chinese meals her aunt had tried to teach her to make. Cooking wasn’t a high priority, unlike her training and missions.

She reminded herself to make time to go see her family before she went back out again. Hope, her mom, lived in San Diego with her sister. Aunt Mai was almost ten years older than her sibling, but she was every bit as youthful and energetic. Both women had emigrated to the U.S. in their teens with their globetrotting parents, who had lived all over Europe. The Air Elemental was the only one in the current generation born in the U.S., although Diana had ended up there after her mom died.

Logan had lost a parent too. Her dad had been killed shortly after her seventh birthday, but between Hope and Mai, she had a rich, supportive family life. She was close to her mom and aunt. And even though they hadn’t dreamed she would inherit, they’d taught her about her legacy as soon as she could walk.

Though Mai and Hope were gifted, neither had demonstrated Elemental-level talent. But they knew their place in history and what they owed to future generations. They had told her about the Elementals because it was a part of who they were—the legend in their blood.

Unlike Diana, Logan had grown up with full awareness of her lineage—her ancient forebears Feng-Po-Po, the Goddess of the Winds, and Xihe Li, the legendary Fire Elemental.

Her mother and aunt had spoken about those illustrious ancestors as if they were close relatives who lived down the block. The stories were passed down her maternal family line the same way her mother’s jade combs had been. As a result, she’d grown up with knowledge of the Elementals as part of her reality. Nevertheless, it had come as a shock when she had inherited in her teens.

Recalling those first heady days playing with her new abilities brought a smile to her face. Gia had called her a prodigy. And she had been a natural, able to take to the winds within the first few weeks. It was a skill that took months or years to master, even among those who had been born with their abilities.

She still had a lot to learn, but things were going well. Her sisters were pleased with her progress. Logan, however, couldn’t wait to be completely healed so she could get back out there. Downtime was great, but work was better. She loved her job.

Very hungry now, she threw her quiche in the oven, and then turned the music up loud.

Connell stood outside the two-story house, just beyond the lit windows. He was shrouded in darkness.

The devil take it.

She was dancing again. He stifled a groan. This was getting ridiculous. He’d been tracking the Air Elemental for more than two months. He’d started in England after hearing about what happened at the Burgess estate. Word had come almost immediately about the stripping of the Burgess heir.

Normally, the seven families would hush up that kind of disgrace, but a retainer had spread the story. For some reason, the sitting patriarch hadn’t done anything to squelch it.

That was how Connell had known whom to search for. He didn’t care that her actions might have been justified in the Burgess case. If the rumors were true, those damn witches had done something terrible to deserve being stripped of their power. But he didn’t know what it was, and he didn’t care. All he knew was that he hadn’t done a damn thing wrong, and he’d still been targeted. It didn’t make any sense. But that didn’t matter anymore. He wouldn’t leave until the Elemental restored him.

After he had found her twice in London clubs, found and lost her, he had tracked the Elemental through Italy, Rome, and then a small town outside of Milan. After that, it had been Canada, where he’d arrived too late. He’d missed her by only a few minutes, but she’d left a path of destruction in her wake. Not to mention some roided-out male witches, groaning and moaning like little bitches on a muddy field outside of Quebec.

His admiration had kicked up several notches after that, but he didn’t let it stop him from pursuing his goal. The only time he’d come remotely close to catching her was when she stopped to dance the night away at some club. She’d given him the slip the second time when a bunch of groupies had rushed the pretty boy actor she’d been with. They had disappeared, ushered out by the bodyguards the guy employed.

It had pissed him off more than words could say, seeing her waltz off with that douchebag. It had pissed him off even more that he’d spent all that time afterward tracking the stupid actor, expecting the Elemental to appear again, only to be disappointed.

Perhaps it had been a blessing he hadn’t found her right away. Connell wasn’t reacting the way he should when dealing with an enemy. To his complete disgust, he was as hard now as he had been in that club.

Inside, the Elemental changed rooms. He shifted to another window to follow her. When he caught sight of her again, he wanted to groan aloud. She was dancing on a table now, those graceful, fluid movements enough to drive any man mad.

Connell closed his eyes and willed his arousal away. He was successful, but it took him longer than he cared to admit. When he looked again, the Elemental wasn’t in sight anymore. Sniffing the air, he decided she was still in the house. There wasn’t a scent outside except his own.

He went to the door on silent feet. Christ Almighty, she hadn’t even bothered to lock it. Anybody could walk right inside.

Suppressing a sigh, Connell started to open the door. It rebounded on him with enough force to knock him backward. He hit the ground hard, his head snapping back and bouncing on the ground twice before he could blink.

The Elemental was on him, her small form crouching on his chest, an arm raised above him, ready to pound him with a tiny fist.

“Who are you?” she hissed before her little nose wrinkled and her expression became confused. “And what’s wrong with you?