Magic of the Wood House (The Elemental Phases Book 6) by Cassandra Gannon Read Free Book Online Page B

attractive as
Sullivan would listen to his Match.  Granted, Sullivan might have picked
up on the fact that Teja was feeling… conflicted.  She had jumped out of
his living room the only time they’d kissed and she hadn’t spoken to him
since.  But still, Sullivan should want her to accept him.  He should care about this Match.  Instead, he was just walking away.
    That
was kind of insulting.
    Teja
stomped after him.  “I said, wait .  You have no clue where you’re even
going.”
    Sullivan
flashed her a scowl over his shoulder as he marched up the steps.  “I’m going away from here.”  He reached the top of the stone steps and pushed open the
massive Gothic door.  “Perfect.  More Harry Potter crap.”  He made a sound
halfway between a laugh and groan.  “God, I’ve had it with your Cult. 
Sword fights and beheadings.  Women following me around.  Mohawked lunatics
attacking me.  You guys locking me in your sci-fi clubhouse on Christmas Eve is
just the last straw.  I don’t care what Melanie says.  You’re all getting kicked out of my town.”
    “Christmas
Eve?”  Pele looked over at Alder.  “Again?  Satour told me that was in March.” 
She sighed in annoyance.  “Damn it, Hope’s going to make us celebrate for the
millionth time, isn’t she?”
    Teja
ignored them.  The reminder that so many attractive, warm-blooded, Elemental
females were in Mayport Beach hoping to Phaze with Sullivan set her teeth on
edge.  No wonder he was so eager to get back home and leave her high and dry. 
Sullivan was used to being the belle of the Elemental Ball.
    “Oh
yeah, it must be hell having to wade through crowds of women, while they throw
themselves at you.”  She sneered.  “Poor human.”
    Sullivan’s
eyes narrowed at her.  “I really hate it when you people call me that.”  He
shoved his way out of the dungeon up into the main part of the castle.
    “How
about ‘jackass,’ then?”  Teja called.  She made an aggravated sound and looked
back at her family.  “Do you believe this?”
    “Tej,
maybe you should try being a little nicer to the guy.”  Alder suggested.  “If I’d just abducted a Match for myself, I’d be happy.  I’d want to
get along with him.”  He paused.  “Well, my Match will be a ‘her,’ but you know
what I mean.  Go court that guy.  Pick him flowers or torture him with
acid until he submits.  We have lots of acid in the pantry.”
    Fire
Phases had unique ideas on romance.
    Teja
barely heard him.  She was too busy following Sullivan, because she hated it
when he was out of her sight, even more than she hated him being with her.  The
Fire Palace was safe…ish.  Sure, there were flames here and there, but they
wouldn’t hurt Sullivan unless he jumped into an inferno or something.  Even
then, Teja could control the blaze before it did any damage to her Match. 
Still, the idea of Sullivan innocently wandering around the fortress without
her filled Teja with a surge of alarm.
    And
considering she’d given up on feeling anything… that was a very bad sign.

Chapter Three
    They did
all that men could do to subdue the disorderly element;
    but it was
beyond their power to do so effectually.
    Outrages
and rapine were hourly on the increase.
     
    Rev. E.
J. Goodspeed- “History of the Great Fires in Chicago and the West”
     
    Christmas
Eve Night: Two Hours into the Investigation
    “I’m
telling you, that fucking cow is setting us up, again!”  Satour, of the Fire
House slammed a fist against tabletop of the interrogation room.  “It’s gotta
be her.”
    “You’re
really blaming a cow?”  Job, of the Earth House pinched the bridge of his
nose.  “Like a regular cow? ”
    “No,
not a regular cow.”  Djinn and Pele’s middle son rolled his eyes like
that was crazy talk.  “ The cow.  The regular ones are okay.  But this one is a goddamn punk, who --like-- totally has a vendetta against us.”  He
nodded.  “Sure, she