The Tempting Touch Of Fire (Elemental Awakening, Book 1) by Nicola Claire Read Free Book Online

stifled a sob, the sensation of wellbeing too much to comprehend.
    "What are you?" I whispered.
    Yours , the tree answered on the wind and in my mind.
    Fuck this was freaky. But I didn't miss that the tree had heard my spoken words.
    "Can you help me?" I asked, feeling a little stupid talking to a tree. Even if the Prince of Wales talks to his plants, I've never done it before now.
    What do you need? The tree whisper-thought.
    "I need to know if it comes to fighting him, can I count on you to help me win?"
    Easy , the tree breathed. We are yours to command .
    OK. Good to know. Still freaky.
    I flexed my fingers and willed my heartbeat to slow. It might have been comforting touching the tree's bark, but my heart refused to calm. I took another deep breath, in an effort to chill, and so many scents assailed my nose. Oh dear God, it was so invigorating. And soothing. And simply divine. Who would have thought Auckland City at night could smell so damn good?
    My sense of smell had altered. Along with me. Plant whisperer and freaky-deaky hound dog as well.
    I licked my lips and blinked to clear my turbulent thoughts. "Where is he?" I asked and felt the tree respond, but not directly to me.
    A surge of something strangely ancient washed over me as whispers in a language that made no sense filled my mind. Answers echoed from far away, bounced off one tree, then ricocheted off another, until my tree shook its branches out and sighed.
    Mountain Road. We will guide you. The trees on his property await, Athanatos.
    I had no idea what Athanatos meant, but I liked the sound of the rest of it. Mountain Road was in Epsom. Too far away to walk, but taxi's trawled Parnell Road all the time. I headed off at a trot, after patting the tree to give thanks, and waved the first taxi I could see down. Within minutes I was being dropped off at the corner of Mountain and Owens Roads. The moment the taxi took off, I stepped onto the grass verge and rested my hand against the bark of a small flowering Cherry Tree.
    Number 119 , the Cherry Tree whispered. I muttered a "thanks" and took off quickly, keeping myself close to the trees, so they could warn of anyone's approach.
    I knew which house it would be before I reached it. Many times I'd driven past and wondered, who lived behind those wrought iron gates? Who lived up that winding gravel drive? Who required such tall trees for privacy, cameras topping each side of the plinths that held the automatic gates? I had my answer now. Theo Peters. And to think, he'd crossed town to buy lunch at my deli. I should have felt privileged.
    I didn't.
    I stopped just down the street, across the road in the shadow of a group of Cabbage Trees. And watched my destination for a few silent moments. Getting in undetected would be damn near impossible.
    Not impossible , the Cabbage Tree closest to me whispered. Far north corner, away from the gate.
    Freaky no longer covered it.
    I walked down the street until I was just past the far north corner, well out of sight of the security cameras at the gate. Not having any idea of what would happen when I got there, I decided to just keep going and not stop to think. Thinking was not going to aid me in any of this. If I started thinking, freaky would seem tame.
    As soon as I came to rest beneath a Norfolk Pine at the corner of the property, I got my first sight of what really lay within. I sucked in a shocked breath of air. Theo had every type of plant and tree imaginable on his property. Jealousy didn't even cover what I felt, but even that emotion was smothered quickly by rage. Why would he destroy my plants when he obviously enjoyed having nature around himself as well?
    I shook my head, dumbfounded, and then tried to figure out how to climb over the fence. It looked impenetrable. With nasty spikes dotted along the top of each wrought iron post. No pain, no gain. I grasped one of the iron railings, brushing my fingers against some of the leaves of the Norfolk Pine. It shivered, as