A Shift in the Air (34 page)

“
Caitlin?” Mara knocked and
poked her head around the door.

“
Come on in.” Caitlin sat
on the bed with a notebook in front of her, sketching out new runes
she hoped would quell Mara’s fire on her bad days. “You look
better.”

Mara nodded. “I feel stronger today.
But…I wanted to talk to you about what happened up on the cliffs.
Between your mating and me…not feeling well, we haven’t had the
chance.”

“
You mean when you sent
fire and water after Fergus.” Though Liam knew Caitlin’s fears,
they hadn’t shared them with anyone else, and until Caitlin could
translate more of the book, they didn’t think they
should.

“
I wanted to apologize. You
could have been killed. I don’t have a lot of control over my
elements right now.”

“
We needed your power—and
it worked.” Caitlin offered her a warm smile. “I’m trying
to—“

Mara stopped her with a hand on her
arm. “This lack of control isn’t all due to Katerina’s element. At
least, I don’t think so.” She looked down at her stomach and a hint
of a smile tugged at her lips. “I’m pregnant.”

“
Oh. Oh! That’s
wonderful!”

Fear, pride, and love warred across
Mara’s features. “I think…she—or he—is helping me. I’m probably six
weeks along, which means I was pregnant when we fought Fergus. But
I don’t know what that means for the baby or me. Carrying two
elements inside me…how will that affect my child? I’m terrified.”
Her voice cracked under the strain and she reached for Caitlin’s
hand. “The fire isn’t painful. Not right now. More…like an itch I
can’t scratch. Katerina’s element is pushing against my water. I
hear a song when I use my element. Do you?”

Caitlin nodded.

“
My song is off-key. The
quartz helps. You can’t imagine how much better I feel when I hold
the crystal you inscribed for me. Even the morning sickness fades.”
She chuckled and rubbed her still-flat stomach. “But I’m scared
what will happen if I have to use my fire again. When I tried to
hurt Fergus on the cliffs, I didn’t want to stop. Burning him…gave
me a thrill. And a small part of me wants that feeling
again.”

Caitlin pulled Mara into a hug. “I
won’t let what happened to Fergus happen to you. I
promise.”

“
What if you don’t have a
choice?”

“
Mara?” Caitlin pulled away
to search Mara’s gaze. Her bright green eyes sparkled in the
sunlight spilling into the room. Tears lined her lower lashes.
“What?”

“
The page you translated
yesterday. The one you shared at dinner. I…think I know what it
means.”

Caitlin flipped through her notebook
and read the words aloud. “Fire carves a path of destruction. Water
erodes strength. Air steals resolve, and earth crushes hope.
Together, they spell the end of everything.” She frowned. “We know
we can’t allow all four elements to coexist. That’s not a
danger.”

“
Isn’t it? Caitlin, you
give me your air when I feel the worst. And it helps me. What if
one day, I take too much? Or…if I find an earth elemental
and—”

“
Stop that right now. I
know how to protect myself from losing my element again. You’re not
a danger to me, Mara. I’d bet my life on that.” She surged forward
and enveloped Mara in a hug, rubbing her back and fighting not to
send more of her air to soothe the fire.

The two women stayed locked together
until Mara stopped shaking. “I hope you’re right. Because I’m
depending on you, Caitlin. So is Cade. And our baby.”

As Mara slipped out of the room,
Caitlin stroked the amber winking at her from the leather cuff,
drawing strength from the ancient resin’s warmth. She’d find a way
to save Mara.

She had to.

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