“Althea is a fire elemental, a Kobold,” I explain, ignoring the pang. “Her people live in the depths. They're passionate, strong, too direct for my taste. Sometimes volatile.”
“And Sabina? Is she really a siren with a fishtail and everything? Does she have...? You know...” she asks, pointing with her index finger between her legs.
Again, that interest in Sabina, and I feel the same thing again.
“Yes, Sabina is a siren, a water elemental. In her human form she does have what you're asking about. In the water I have no idea, you can ask her if you want,” I respond a bit curtly.
“And me? What am I supposed to be? Really, I mean.”
“Air,” I say. Almost without thinking, I extend my hand to place it over hers and I surprise myself with my lack of self-control. “You're free, unpredictable, impossible to contain. Like the wind. You can be sweet as a breeze or lethal as a hurricane.”
The contact sends an electric current through my body, and from her look, I know Nell has felt it too. For aninstant, the noise of the coffee shop disappears and I begin to fear my suspicions about why she was chosen are true.
“Who's your friend?” a male voice asks beside us, breaking the magic abruptly.
“Sylara,” I introduce myself before Nell can say something foolish. “I'm the tutor for the course she's taking.”
“A course?”
“I signed up yesterday, I hadn't told you, since you spend so much time now with your new girlfriend. This is Colt, by the way. My adoptive brother or something like that,” Nell intervenes, seeing that the guy had gotten completely lost.
“Curious accent,” he comments, pulling up a chair to sit with us. “Where did you say you were from?”
“I didn't say.”
“Sylara is from Eastern Europe,” the wind whisperer intervenes, though this Colt still looks at me with suspicion.
“From Estonia,” I confirm, maintaining an impassive expression. “From a small town you probably wouldn't know.”
Colt doesn't seem convinced, he frowns not knowing what to think.
“Okay, damn, you caught me. We're dating,” Nell suddenly says, taking my hand to kiss my knuckles.
“I thought so,” the guy scoffs with a wide smile. “Is that why you didn't come home to sleep two nights ago?Damn, what a babe, little sister. I'll leave you two alone,” he adds, punching her shoulder affectionately.
As soon as Colt walks away, Nell lets out a breath and the paper napkin flies away, transformed into a small butterfly that I catch before anyone notices.
“Did you see that?” she murmurs, surprised.
“Your power is growing,” I observe.
“Yeah, super useful again. I can turn paper napkins into butterflies. Wow, what a weapon!”
“I'll help you,” I promise, squeezing her hand.
Nell looks at our joined hands and then looks up to pin me with her gaze.
“Why?” she asks in a low voice. “You don't know me. You don't owe me anything. Why do you care about me?”
It's a question I don't have an answer for. At least not yet. Not something I'm willing to share with her right now. I can't explain to her that, without being able to help it, I'm falling in love. I can't tell her I suspect Kaelisar assumes this could happen, because the bond of a true Quad is as powerful as it is intimate. And certainly, I can't admit that I'm attracted to her in a way I haven't experienced in centuries.
So I opt for a half-truth.
“Because we share a common enemy,” I respond. “And because, whether you like it or not, you're now part ofour world. And in our world, those who don't learn to control their powers usually have very short lives.”
A brief flash of fear crosses her face when she hears my words.
“Teach me then,” she whispers. “Everything I need to know to survive this.”
