The Chilling Change Of Air (Elemental Awakening, Book 3) by Nicola Claire Read Free Book Online Page B

How many sandwiches had been there. Three? Four? I pushed it away and wrapped my chilled hands around the still warm cup, then lifted my eyes to Aktor's face.
    There was nothing to forgive really. I wanted to blame someone for what had happened. For the pain and suffering. For Theo no longer being mine. And it would have been so easy to keep on thinking it only happened because of the betrayal I'd felt from this man.
    But there'd been a reason. A valid one.
    "I spent many hours," I said softly, "thinking up ways to pay you back."
    He nodded, but remained quiet.
    "Sometimes it was all that got me through the lab sessions."
    A slow blink of his eyes.
    "While the doctor prattled on about what he was about to do to me in exacting detail I'd tune him out with images of what I would do to you instead."
    His hand shook slightly as he rested his coffee cup back on the table.
    "Occasionally the doctor and I would think alike."
    A small, clearly reluctant, smile spread his lips.
    "It's a bit hard, if I'm honest, to rearrange my thoughts. To realign my reality. To turn the focus of my rage somewhere else."
    "I understand," he said gently.
    "It was so unexpected," I added, talking about the moment he stepped forward in the Rigas' throne room, announcing his betrayal. The moment it was obvious the Pyrkagia Rigas had found us in Peru because of him.
    "I imagine it was," he whispered. "They'd had her for five days by then."
    My eyes shot up to his face to see the truth.
    "I don't think she would have survived another night."
    "Then you had no choice," I whispered back.
    "There is always a choice. Theodoros would have chosen your safety over a human's."
    "You're not Theodoros," I pointed out.
    "But you're not in love with me."
    No, I wasn't. But I had loved him. Like a father figure, someone to turn to for advice. Aktor had always looked out for me. Accepted me from the very start, never doubted I belonged in Theo's life. That's why the betrayal hurt so much.
    I couldn't do this anymore. Somewhere, somehow something had to give. Too much hatred and anger, it wasn't who I was. This was a chance to let some of it go.
    I sucked in a deep breath of air, closed my eyes and let my soul reach out to the Earth around us, the Fire in the passionate people nearby, the Air that we breathe but I'm not connected to. The Water in the rain outside, equally as distant as the Air. And having no idea what Quintessence actually was, I just sent a prayer up to Aetheros and asked for his guidance and forgiveness.
    The ground shook, the heavens opened up with thunder and lightning, the air in the café became super chilled.
    I opened my eyes and glanced around the store, but with most things Ekmetalleftis the humans assumed what they heard and felt was natural. A storm so strong it rocked the building, sent torrential rain down on the streets and lit up the sky with lightning.
    "That wasn't natural," I whispered, bringing my gaze back to Aktor.
    "No, it was not," he confirmed, eyes narrowed and flicking around the street outside.
    "Someone's here?"
    "I don't think so," he said with a shake of his head. "I think it might have been you."
    Me?
    "Ah, no?" I replied, but it was doubtful, posed as a question rather than a statement.
    "How have your Awakenings been going?" he asked, and just like that I had my Aktor back.
    I hadn't said the words of forgiveness, but my heart had opened to this old, gentle, caring man again. I'd say them, but first...
    "Just the two so far," I confirmed.
    "Maybe you're about to receive a third," he suggested.
    I watched the storm for a moment, contemplating the lightning as an Aeras power or the rain as a Nero one.
    "Hard to say which one, if I am," I murmured.
    "There have been increasing rumblings in the Earth since your captivity in Pyrgos ," Aktor remarked. "I assumed it was Earth's disgruntlement with your confinement and treatment. Cut off as you were from it."
    "Earth said it could still feel me, but I couldn't feel it," I