The Tantalising Taste Of Water (Elemental Awakening, Book 4) Read online

  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

  Free Download

  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

  Review Request

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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

  [email protected]

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  Starter Library

  Also by Nicola Claire

  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.

  My Nero Awakening. The last of my Elements having failed miserably to do so.

  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.