elemental 08 - elements of war by Larissa Ladd Read Free Book Online Page B

critically, and well,” Leigh shrugged. “Here I am.”
    “Here you are,” Dylan echoed. “Stuck in an enormous mess with your family at odds with itself.”
    “Happens all the time in earth families,” Leigh said. “We play nice at reunions, but everyone’s always comparing wealth, prestige, things like that. Everyone wants to know who has the most money, who’s marrying the best. It’s exhausting in its own way.”
    “Sometimes,” Dylan admitted as they turned towards the cash registers. “Sometimes I find myself wishing I had what Aiden has—not Aira specifically.” He glanced at Leigh to make sure he hadn’t offended her; she still smiled complacently. “But that level of passion, devotion.” 
    Leigh looked him up and down, and reached out to touch his arm. Dylan felt the quiet, steadying pulse of her energy flowing through him, cool and somehow reassuring.
    “And sometimes you just want someone who can help you rest, right? You’ve got enough passion and devotion for both of us—but if … if things work out …” Leigh glanced around them to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “I could very easily love you, Dylan. Maybe not with all the fireworks, but with plenty of steady, restful … God I’m making it sound boring.” 
    Dylan laughed. “Trust me,” he told her, reaching out to brush a lock of bright red hair away from her eyes. “Living with Aiden and Aira, I can definitely use steady and restful.” 
    Leigh’s cream-pale cheeks lit up with a pinkish blush.
    “Your brother will start worrying if we don’t hurry back,” she told him. 
    Dylan let his hand fall to her waist, and held her close as they walked towards the registers. He hoped at least that there would be enough time for them to get to know each other better.

 
     

    CHAPTER SIX
     
     
    DYLAN WATCHED AS LEIGH ASSEMBLED the components of the tracking spell she was putting together. It was entirely different magic from what he was used to—Dylan had never known any earth elementals very well, and he could tell by the murmuring of Leigh’s incantation as she poured the salt that it was based on lore; this was no simple tracking enchantment. It was something deeper, more closely aligned with the element itself. He was fascinated by the slow, graceful movements that Leigh made, the green glow that came over her as she prepared her spell. She had moved the stones into place first, arranging them in a circle with points implying a pentacle. In the center of the circle, surrounded by the jade, she began putting together the other elements—the oak branches, the lodestone, and finally the salt. 
    Dylan was interrupted by the sound of Aiden’s heavy, quick tread on the stairs. His older brother appeared at the landing, and Dylan met his gaze; it had been clear from the moment that he and Leigh had arrived back at the apartment that Aiden and Aira had been spending their time more on refueling their energies than they had been investigating—but since they had a solid lead on half of their targets, it wasn’t the kind of thing that Dylan would have reproached them for. For the duration of Leigh’s magical attempt, Aira would have to stay upstairs, in her room—the energies that Leigh’s spell would call in, untampered by Dylan’s or Aiden’s essences, could weaken her, and there was no justification for that when they knew they’d need to all be at the height of their power in a day or so. 
    “How long is this going to take?” Aiden asked, turning his gaze up the staircase for a moment. Dylan knew that above them, Aira was pacing; she was no better equipped to deal with the enforced idleness of waiting than his brother was. At least Aiden could be present and watch what Leigh was doing—get the first flush of information from her. Aira was forced to wait to find out what the earth elemental had gleaned, to turn her agile mind onto a strategy to put it to its best use. 
    “Once everything is set up, probably