Just Breathe (18 page)

She laid hands on her hips. “That’s it?” No
I want to get back together?

He matched her hard stare with one of his own and nodded.

Unbelievable. Unable to reel in her hurt, she thrust a pointed finger at him. “You broke up with me—had sex with me in your car and never even said goodbye afterward—and now you show up, wondering if I’m okay. Are you
trying
to torture me?”

Dark eyes flashed, along with the metal loop through his bottom lip. His hands shot to her arms. He pushed her against the small wooden shed behind them and leaned in. Her pulse raced at his closeness, the illicit fear it induced, the rage mixed with desire in his twisted face.

“If anyone’s being tortured, it’s me.” His low voice rasped through clenched teeth, stoking her desire. He pressed his erection into the cradle of her hips.

God, his breath, his eyes, his mouth… Strong hands clutched her sides, and her core experienced a total system failure. Meltdown in the reactor. She smacked the back of her head against the building, hoping the pain would help her refocus.

“You staked your claim on me the moment I rescued you in the Dreaming. My heart—my Water—belongs here with yours.” He slid his palm to the center of her chest where the traitorous organ thudded loud enough to hear.

Emotions in a flurry, she closed her eyes and gave in to them.
Just feel him. Just breathe him.

But her Air couldn’t forget everything. He was here now, throwing around fancy words that set off God-damn-it-I-love-you explosions deep in her gut, but she still had a lot of healing to do before she could let him back in. She opened her eyes.

“I feel the same way, but…when you ditched me after we…” She wriggled free of his grip, sidestepped him, and returned to the middle of the dock. Couldn’t think straight with him so close.

He set his jaw.

“I know the thing with Scarlet was an accident, and I don’t blame you. But it still hurts. Everything hurts.” She shouldn’t have said that, but the words poured out before she could plug a mental stopper into her mouth.

He dulled the spikes of his black hair with a few swipes of his palm and furiously paced the dock.

Zoe stared at him through the darkness for a long moment. Why wouldn’t he say anything? She was spilling her guts here, and he had no reply?

Fine. She could keep the conversation on business. Whatever. “What are you going to do about the Wyldlings?”

“Hope Whetu wakes up before the equinox. Hope we can stop the Fyres.” He roughed his hair again. “Hope when it’s over, you’ll forgive me one day.”

He stopped his frantic paces in front of her and grabbed her upper arms. His urgent, genuine expression nearly drowned her. “I can’t have you, yet I’m lost without you, Zed. Being apart is driving me fucking mad. I
need
you.”

Oh God. Why’d he have to say that? Out of nowhere, a big fat tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away, but another followed. Then another. She flattened her lips together. Damn it.

She opened her arms to him.

Brow wrinkled, he hesitated, then shuffled forward. She hugged him with all her might as he dropped his cheek to her shoulder.

“You can mark number three off your ‘hope’ list. I do forgive you.” She raked her fingers through his hair, traced the suddenly tense furrows of muscle in his back. Heat poured off him as his heavy arms squeezed her to the point of pain.

“It’s okay,” she whispered.

“It’s not.” His voice cracked. He shook his head against her neck.

“It will be.”

They held each other as rain fell, rippling the liquid emotions flowing between them. A gift from the Wæters waiting out there in the ocean? She smiled. Maybe.

None of their problems were resolved. Hell, things might have become more complicated now that they’d talked. But, a spark of optimism danced inside Zoe for the first time in weeks. Gavin was still hers. He had never left her.

Now, if they could just find a way to strengthen their combined Water enough to put out Scarlet and the other Fyres for good.

* * * *

Zoe didn’t say much on the boat ride to the Wæters’ meeting, but she held Gavin’s hand the entire way. God, he’d forgotten how much he loved the feel of her skin, the smell of her lavender perfume, the way her smile lit up his insides like a supernova.

Scarlet’s Fire awoke in his chest and wove its searing tendrils through his limbs. A quick snapshot of him banging her in his bed in Sydney warmed his blood. Her face, not Zoe’s.

Cinnamon permeated the air.

He shifted in his swivel chair. Fucking hell, not again. He shook off Zoe’s hand, afraid she might have seen or smelled Scarlet, too.

She glanced at him from the driver’s seat and arched a brow. “Something wrong?”

He grinned through clenched teeth. “No. The wind’s just a bit cold,” he lied. He crossed his arms and stuffed fists under his armpits.

Heat sizzled a slow path through his blood vessels. These surging and retreating Fire shocks had increased with each passing day. They started off as minor annoyances the morning after he swore the Fire Oath, but the intensity had reached levels of full-blown discomfort. Scarlet’s Fire kept him awake at night, rattling his cage like a cruel zookeeper. Gave him constant sweats, and had even attracted attention of Fyres in the Dreaming.

Panic gnawed on the rapidly fraying ends of his control. Scarlet was keeping tabs on him through their Elemental connection. He had to assume she was privy to everything he saw and did. And what he felt for Zoe.

He struggled hourly to keep the Fire from consuming him. Odds of Whetu waking up were dwindling, and Wyldlings continued to suffer.

He’d have to make good on the Fire Oath sooner rather than later.

He glanced at Zoe’s profile. If he’d hurt her by
accidentally
sleeping with Scarlet, intentionally doing it would kill her. Not to mention him.

So, why the fuck had he come here? Just being in Zoe’s vicinity put her at risk.

You came because you
need
her. She’s the lifeline you’re gonna have to let go of. Assuming you and Scarlet don’t cut it first.

He shuddered
.

Zoe was the heart he couldn’t live without.

How much longer could he put Scarlet off? How high would the death count rise before she forced his hand?

Stupid, selfish prick. Do it now before anyone else gets hurt.

But he couldn’t let go of his hopes of finding the Dreamweaver or Whetu waking up. If either of them came through, he might be able to salvage his relationship with Zoe.

One week until the equinox. And lots more death to be had by the Fyres,
the annoying voice of reason warned.

“Show time.” Zoe turned off the boat’s engine and stood.

Splashes and voices reached Gavin’s ears, but he didn’t look for the source. Scarlet’s Fire was anxious to see who had come to the meeting, and he had no intention of giving her any clues. “I’m gonna push the boat out of range to give you some privacy.”

“I thought you’d want to stick around.” Zoe tugged off her clothes. The dark wetsuit underneath contrasted sharply with her light hair.

He kept his gaze on her. Swallowing hard, he shook his head. “No, I think it’s best I stay out of your way.”

Disappointment rooted in her brow. “Okay. I hope it won’t take long.”

More splashes echoed off the water, and a whale song rose from the depths. Scarlet’s Fire growled inside him. Yep, time to go. He took the driver’s seat.

Diving mask propped on top of her head, Zoe turned to him. Their eyes met. Undiluted determination lit up her aura. His warrior muse.

If anyone could save the Dreaming, the Wyldlings, and the Wæters, it was Zoe Morgan.

A surge of pride overcame him, and despite the warnings not to, Gavin tumbled head over heels in love with her again.

No doubt, the fall would eventually kill him.

She skimmed his cheek with the side of her palm and softly touched her lips to his. “See you soon.”

Out of nowhere, his Water swelled like a wave. Scarlet’s Fire screeched when it crashed.

He nodded. “Be careful.”

The moment Zoe dove off the boat, the umbilical cord from hell tugged on his Fire, demanding his attention.

The burning returned, twice as strong as before. Gavin grasped the steering wheel with one hand and clutched his stomach with the other. Barely able to think, he blanked thoughts of the Wæters from his mind and got the hell out of there.

* * * *

Zoe swam to the glowing blue ring lighting up the ocean. Eerie as hell, but splashing with life. There had to be at least twenty or thirty whales and fifty or more humans in the Elemental soup. Weirdest party she’d ever been to.

Zoe is here,
Lily said.

The whales stilled, and Zoe squinted across the bubbling neon blue. Spotting Lily, she waved and smiled.

Some of the human Elementals faced her. “Who are you?” one said.

“Your interpreter. Zoe Morgan.”

The crowd parted. A beautiful blond woman swam over and treaded water in front of her. Maybe treading water wasn’t the right term. More like the ocean buoyed her on a throne of blue. “I’m Lana.” She looked around. “Where’s Gavin?”

“He left. It’s just me.”

Lana narrowed impossibly bright purple eyes on her and scraped her gaze down Zoe’s face and shoulders. Ouch.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” She dove away without waiting for an answer.

Okay. Jealous much?

The Elementals formed a huge circle around Lana and Lily. Zoe hung on the fringes.

I asked you to come because I wish to withdraw from Archelemental candidacy
, Lily said.

Whales grumbled their displeasure.

Zoe translated.

Humans applauded, and Lana raised her chin. “Many would argue”—she gestured to the humpbacks—“that you are the better candidate for the job. State your reasons so there are no questions.”

Zoe turned Lana’s words into song for the whales.

Lily lifted her pectoral fin, and Araluen popped up for a breath.
I have a son who needs special care. I will not deny him for the sake of the Wæters. I have already lost one calf. This one
will
survive.

Araluen turned his blind eye in Lana’s direction. He said nothing.

“The devotion to your child is admirable, but there’s nothing stopping you from doing both jobs. You don’t wish to be a ‘working mum?’” Lana’s tone was a trifle condescending. Zoe tried to minimize its impact in her translation.

As I said, Araluen has special needs. He requires my full attention.

At that, the whales remained silent.

“The Wæters and the Wyldlings have needs as well. Cowering from a greater responsibility is self-serving,” a deep, heavily accented male voice boomed from behind.

Zoe cringed. Three guesses who that was. She turned around. Yep, one of the Tongans.

After Zoe shared his words, the sea cradling Lily bubbled, and rain fell in earnest.

Humans shook their heads and backed away.

I’ve made my decision. Unless someone else comes forward, Lana will be the Archelemental. There is nothing more to discuss.

When no one volunteered for the job, Lily said,
I wish you well, Lana, and I thank you for your service to the Wæters.
She lifted her flukes and dove away, Araluen right beside her.

Claps and laughter rose from Lana’s camp, while the whales and a few of the human Elementals watched after Lily, disappointment lodged deep under their features.

“We have seven days until the spring equinox when Aqua will demand her Water tithe,” Lana shouted over the growing storm.

Lightning sparked. Thunder rumbled.

“Regardless of whom you supported, I will be the new Archelemental, responsible for delivering Water to our goddess on time. The Fyres have threatened us, beaten us down. They conjure Fire in the sleeping Wyldlings and steal too much. We have a hard battle ahead, but Water shadows Fire. If you see Fyres, do what you must to bring us back to power. Though the Sentinels aren’t represented here tonight, I’m sure they would agree our country has been out of Balance for too long. I suggest you start collecting now.”

Lana’s speech earned another round of applause, but Zoe couldn’t help thinking this pep talk was too little, too late.

Chapter Twenty

Grateful for the rising storm in the face of the raging Fire sinking its teeth into his gut, Gavin followed Zoe to her house just before midnight. She parked the Land Rover, dodged a few puddles, and ducked into his car. Raindrops coursed down her face like tears, and her skin glistened where the streetlight hit it.

“Thanks for letting me use Mike’s boat. It would have taken forever to get out there and back in the Zodiac.”

“No worries.”

She looked to the house. “I’d better go. If anyone wakes up, they might wonder where I went.”

Scarlet’s Fire seemed to smile at that.

Fuck you.

“You gonna work tomorrow?” He gestured to the heavy drops blurring the window. Just like the night they’d had sex in this car.

“Doesn’t look like it.” She turned her attention to the hands wringing in her lap.

“You could come to my house tonight.” He half-shrugged.
Please.

Zoe covered a smile with the backs of her fingers. “Yeah. I could.”

He gnawed on the metal loop in his bottom lip. “I’ve got a frozen pizza.”

Her laughter cut the tension between them. God, he missed that sound.

“Does your fancy phone have access to the maritime weather report? If the seas are over a meter, the research team won’t go out,” she said.

Gavin opened the web browser, did a little searching, and leaned over to show her the results. Their shoulders touched, and he caught a trace of her flowery scent.

Scarlet hissed.

Zoe nodded. Her pale, faded blue aura betrayed the regret hiding beneath a soft smile. “I’d really love to stay with you tonight, but it’s not practical. We can’t even sleep beside each other…”