Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
The Tantalising Taste Of Water
Elemental Awakening Book Four
Nicola Claire
Copyright © 2017, Nicola Claire
All Rights Reserved
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organisations is entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
© Cover Art by Cora Graphics
ISBN: 978-0-473-40946-3
Created with Vellum
Contents
About the Author
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Also by Nicola Claire
Definitions
Prologue
1. My Tantrum Felt Like A Hollow Victory
2. Oh, This Could Not Be Good
3. I Am Athanatos; I Can’t Die
4. I’d Changed
5. And I Felt Everything
6. And It Was Directed At Me
7. Great, Just What We Need
8. Dance With Me
9. No Matter What
10. Aether Puts On Quite A Show
11. And Lightning Struck
12. Aether, Let’s Dance
13. I’ve Got A Date With Gramps
14. This Is What Not Being Alone Means
15. This Wasn’t How It Ended
16. They’d Forgotten
17. As If A Tangible Thing
18. Well, This Would Be Interesting
19. Oh, Sweet, Sweet, Casey
20. And The Empty Resonance Of Utter Silence
21. They’re Here
22. Stay Still
23. Come And Get Me
24. More Riddles
25. Aether Took Us All
26. Didn’t See That Coming
27. I’m Ready
Epilogue
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About the Author
Nicola Claire lives in beautiful Taupo, New Zealand with her husband and two young boys.
She's tried her hand at being a paramedic, bank teller and medical sales representative, (not all necessarily in that order), but her love of writing keeps calling her back.
She has a passion for all things suspenseful, spiced up with a good dollop of romance, as long as they include strong characters - alpha males and capable females - and worlds which although make-believe are really quite believable in the end.
There's nothing better than getting caught up in a compelling, intriguing and romantic book.
When she's not writing or reading, she's out on her family boat at Lake Taupo, teaching her young boys to fish, showing them the beauty that surrounds them in nature and catching some delicious trout for dinner.
Creating rich worlds with dynamic characters and unexpected twists that shock and awe has been pure bliss for this author. And just as well, because there's a lot more story yet to tell...
For more information:
www.nicolaclairebooks.com
nicola@nicolaclairebooks.com
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Kindred Series
Kindred
Blood Life Seeker
Forbidden Drink
Giver of Light
Dancing Dragon
Shadow's Light
Entwined With The Dark
Kiss Of The Dragon
Dreaming Of A Blood Red Christmas (Novella)
Mixed Blessing Mystery Series
Mixed Blessing
Dark Shadow (Coming Soon)
Sweet Seduction Series
Sweet Seduction Sacrifice
Sweet Seduction Serenade
Sweet Seduction Shadow
Sweet Seduction Surrender
Sweet Seduction Shield
Sweet Seduction Sabotage
Sweet Seduction Stripped
Sweet Seduction Secrets
Sweet Seduction Sayonara
Elemental Awakening Series
The Tempting Touch Of Fire
The Soothing Scent Of Earth
The Chilling Change Of Air
The Tantalising Taste Of Water
H.E.A.T. Series
A Flare Of Heat
A Touch Of Heat
A Twist Of Heat (Novella)
A Lick Of Heat (Coming Soon)
Citizen Saga
Elite
Cardinal
Citizen
Masked (Novella)
Wiped
Scarlet Suffragette Series
Fearless
Breathless
Heartless (Coming Soon)
Blood Enchanted Series
Blood Enchanted
Blood Entwined
Blood Enthralled (Coming Soon)
44 South Series
Southern Sunset
Southern Storm
Southern Strike (Coming Soon)
Lost Time Series
Losing Time
Making Time (Coming Soon)
For:
Romantics at heart... Love can conquer all.
Definitions
Aeras - Air; one of five elements
Aether - Quintessence; one of five elements
Aetheros - Elemental God; otherwise known as the God of Upper Air & Light
Anaisthetikos - Anaesthetise; a Gi ability to channel the essence of a plant, in order to remove a person's sentience
Athanatos - Immortal; or near immortal
Basilissa - Ekmetalleftis Queen
Ekmetalleftis - Elemental; can control one of five elements
Gi - Earth; one of five elements
Hataera - Courtesan; a level higher than a Pallakae, educated in all acts of companionship
Hederin - Hallucinogen; a Gi ability to channel the essence of a plant, in order to manipulate what a person sees/experiences
Nero - Water; one of five elements
Oraia - Lovely; term of endearment
Pallakae - Concubine; a Nero sex slave
Pateras - Father
Pyrgos - Castle
Pyrkagia - Fire; one of five elements
Rigas - Ekmetalleftis King
Stoicheio - Element; five power-filled elements exi
st
Strychnos Toxifera - Paralytic; a Gi ability to channel the essence of a plant, (Curare), in order to immobilise a person
Thisavros - Treasure; someone precious, an Elemental mate
Vasilissa - Hataera Queen
Prologue
And Theo Had Been Left Behind
Lightning arced and hit me square in the chest with the force of an Elemental sledgehammer. Ozone wafted all around, filling my nose with its clean, electrified scent. The ground fell away beneath me, my arms lifting of their own accord, as though in supplication. But to what god I was supposedly praying, I did not know.
All I knew was that the Nero Rigas had lied to us.
Electricity crackled, ozone sizzled, charred and burnt Air met my nose, coated my tongue. A too tight grip on my hand tugged me one way, the pull of lightning lured me the other.
But when I tightened that fist, it was empty. The feeling of loss was crippling. A part of me missing that left only a gaping hole.
We’d been standing on top of Mount Victoria, overlooking a decimated Wellington City. Barely having survived the End of Days. Theo and I had spent the evening celebrating. The return of everyone’s Stoicheio. The halting of Genesis. A brief reprieve before we faced the next battle.
Not that Nero hadn’t failed show at all. No; Water had come down from the heavens in a flood worthy of biblical proportions. Considering we were in the middle of an Elemental battle to return an absent god to our realm, that term seemed fitting. Aetheros may not be a Christian god, but he was all mighty.
And he was missing. The Elements imbalanced. The world out of whack. Genesis having caused an apocalyptic disaster the likes only read about in books.
As Aether, it was my job to right the wrongs. But as an Aether with only three of her four Elements Awakened, I was severely lacking in the righting of wrongs department.
But the Nero Rigas had promised he could help.
Standing there on top of Mount Victoria; somewhere he should not have been. Using borrowed Aeras lightning to reach me. Walking blithely into a Pyrkagia camp overseen by a powerful Pyrkagia Prince. The Water King had balls.
But he was a liar.
Bright flashes assailed me, sharp claps of thunder hurt my ears, a strange cry that seemed incongruous with a lightning strike made me cringe. I held my breath, my teeth clenched against the sting of electricity, my mind racing to figure out where I was, where I was going, where I had been.
But I remembered the Nero King and his offer.
I tugged on the hand that still held me. I screamed even though my cries seemed lost in silence. I tightened my empty fist and shook it at nothing. That hole in the centre of my being getting bigger; darker; more frightening.
We’d faced a chilling Air Awakening. We’d lost our Stoicheio completely when Genesis had crushed an unsuspecting world. Theo’s memories had been stolen. My body violated by a mad scientist who’d revelled in vivisection and tormenting his subject with the bits and pieces of her body that he’d excised.
But nothing had compared to the loss of Theo’s and my Thisavros connection.
We’d battled it all and somehow survived. The End of Days. The world’s imbalance. My failed Nero Awakening. Theo. We’d battled and we’d won and then the Water King had arrived and offered us a lifeline.
Because without Nero Awakening, I could not become Aether.
We’d needed to trust him. I’d needed to trust him. And so we had.
And he’d lied.
“Come dance, Aether,” he’d said. “Dance with me.”
So, Theo and I had acquiesced.
We’d taken his hand. We’d accepted his offer of aid. We’d trusted he had a plan and a way to help me Awaken Water.
And lightning had struck, tearing me physically from my Thisavros’ hold and stealing me away from all that I knew and all those I truly trusted.
Aktor, Nico, Sonya, Mark and even Isadora. All of them left behind willingly on Mount Victoria.
But the loss of Theo had not been a willing concession; had not been what we’d agreed upon.
The Nero Rigas had lied.
Cool and tempting waves suddenly lapped around me, the soft stroke of seaweed down my arm, the dazzling display of vibrant fish darting before my eyes. Everything viewed as though seen through a veil of water.
The lightning stopped. The ozone vanished. Water encased my body as if welcoming a daughter home.
I fought it. Not intentionally. I did want Nero to Awaken after all. But the Water King had lied and I’d had enough of manipulating Ekmetalleftis.
And Theo had been left behind.
A shocking chill invaded my bones then, settling inside my chest like a block of ice; rattling behind my rib cage. A sense of weightlessness and pressure fought for dominance inside my mind. I was unsure which I should let win; both seemed deadly.
Something brushed against my shoulder, making me realise my skin was bare. I reached for my arm, but my hand never made contact. I felt. I sensed. I tasted. But I was not there. My body lost to me as much as my heart was.
He’d lied and Theo had been left behind.
Something bit me. A nip; a playful tug on my arm I couldn’t seem to locate, the stroke of slippery fingers down the side of my cheek, the high pitched laugh of an ancient being right beside my ear.
I saw a fin; larger than any living fish could possibly possess. Then the ripples in the water turned the fin into horses’ hooves, something that made little sense in my current state of mind.
I spun; I’m not sure how I achieved it. The sea churned; bubbles obscured my vision completely. The tug on my left hand increased, even though I hadn't felt the Nero King’s touch for what felt like hours. My right hand was still empty.
He’d lied. And Theo had been left behind.
Then a hard floor smacked me in the face, forcing the air out of my lungs and water to flood off my body, pooling on marble tiles.
I gasped for breath. Both fisted hands empty. I stared down at white marble flooring and took in my closed fists. Forcing myself to acknowledge the obvious.
The Nero Rigas had lied, brought me to Atlantis alone, and Theo had been left behind.
Chapter One
My Tantrum Felt Like A Hollow Victory
I rolled over and groaned; flopping back like a seal to warm in the sun. But there was no sun here in Atlantis; just a domed ceiling painted in the muted colours of the sea. Cool blues and soft greens and dazzling whites. I picked out a serpent and a siren on a rock in amongst the picture; a broad-chested man fighting a three-headed creature, his face and arms that of a human, his body and front legs a horse, his hind that of a fish tail.
I shivered and looked away from the image feeling as though he was alive. As though he was real. As though I’d only just faced him.
My eyes met those of the Nero King.
I scrambled to my feet, feeling bizarrely battered and bruised and not just a little dizzy. My fists clenched, my jaw just as tight, my chest rising and falling with agitation.
“Be at ease, Aether,” the Nero Rigas said smoothly.
“Where’s Theo?” I demanded, holding the Rigas’ stare with one as equally as challenging as his own. I waited for his excuse; for the reasons and promises, justifications and rationalisations.
He simply said, “There was only room enough for two.”
“You lied,” I whispered.
“I never promised he’d accompany us, Miss Eden. My invitation was to you.”
I shook my head and felt the weight of something monumental rest on my shoulders; I’d known it as soon as we’d started travelling here by lighting. I’d known it as soon as Theo’s hand had slipped from my grasp. I’d known it the moment I’d realised the Nero Rigas had lied.
I should not have felt so betrayed.
I let out a sigh and took my first good look around the room we’d appeared in. There were people wa
tching us amongst the whitewashed columns that supported the arched ceiling high above. They dressed like the ancient Greek; in white robes and flowing material, wreaths of green seaweed resting on their heads.
“What now?” I demanded, returning my attention to the King.
“Now you rest,” he said, turning to one of the silent observers and waving him over. “Arrival in Atlantis is challenging for those who are not Nero. Entry is only given to the worthy.”
He turned back and looked at me, something flickering behind his eyes. Something hungry, and then saddened. Two emotions I would not have thought lived side by side.
“Show the Aether to her quarters. Make sure she is well cared for,” the Rigas announced and started to walk away.
“That’s it?” I yelled after him, my heartbeat in my throat making it difficult to swallow, making it hard to say the words without them sounding weak.
I was sick of being seen as weak.
“You run off like a coward, leave me to your minions because you’re too scared to face my wrath?” I demanded.