Sand of Passion: A Paranormal Fantasy Romance: The Elementals Magic, #4

By Nikki Riker

Betrayal. Loss. A deadly war.

 

Dylan is caught between the woman who sets his blood on fire and the need to protect his brother and new sister-in-law, Alma, leader of the air elementals.

 

Leigh is all he could ever want in a woman—alluring, sexy and as hot for him as he is for her. She's never lied to him, even confessed that she's a spy. He trusts her with his life, but can he convince Alma to do the same and risk the future of the elementals on an allegiance forged in his desire for Leigh?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Majestic Owl Publishing LLC
• Release date: Jan 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215783337

Book preview

one

Dylan leaned against the wall, rubbing at his temples to try and rid himself of the headache that was brewing. It had been three days since the wedding, three days since the reception that had ended in pain and tragedy for the air elementals who had come to celebrate their ruler’s marriage. Thanks to the attack on the hotel that had housed the air-aligned elementals, Finn and Alma hadn’t left for their honeymoon yet, and the strain was starting to show. Dylan closed his eyes. Alma had been closeted with the elders and the other elemental rulers for hours already, and he knew that the meeting would continue to drag on.

He wanted nothing more than to get on the road, to chase down the people involved in the attack on the hotel. Leigh had mysteriously disappeared, along with the fire and earth elementals who were definitely involved; Dylan was still holding out hope that she was only swept up in the attack, that she wasn’t part of it at all. Her words had haunted him ever since he’d gotten the call from his brother. No one is going to attack them at their wedding … when this is all over and everything gets back to normal, call me.

But he, Finn, and Alma couldn’t get on the road to apprehend the people involved in the attack on Alma’s kith and kin until the elders and the elemental monarchs came to a decision about how they would be treated. It was an act of war, Alma had noted—and Dylan was inclined to agree. He had known for a while that there were many elementals who didn’t agree with the elders; Alma herself had considered going rogue when they started jerking her chain during the trials to select a ruler of the air element. Certainly, the elders were inclined to err on the side of protecting the community as a whole by weeding out unstable elementals—something that those targeted, like Alex and Dolores, Finn and Alma, to name a few, understandably resented.

That Alma had done a great deal to protect unstable elementals in her position as the ruler of her element had apparently been lost on those members of the fire and earth communities who resented her power. Dylan knew that his sister-in-law was the most understanding of all the rulers, at least in regards to instability. She advocated for those who were brought in on the charge to be given a chance to stabilize, rather than to be dismissed immediately as a danger. Dylan could see both sides, and he knew that when Alma did vote for an elemental to be put to death, she was certain that they were irredeemable.

A few feet away from him, Finn was pacing. Dylan wondered idly now much sleep his brother had gotten since the news had come in about the attack. Not enough, to judge by the older man’s hair, which was in disarray and looked finger-combed, the bags under his eyes, the drawn look to his face. The fact that Alma was definitely a target—that this attack was certainly meant to be a message to her, and that she was no safer now that she was married than she had been before—had to be wearing on the fire elemental. Finn’s nature made him protective—sometimes overprotective—and while Alma was strong, her abilities were volatile, and she was not immune to the kinds of magic that the earth-aligned could bring to a fight; in fact, she was so strongly aligned to her element that she was more vulnerable than she readily admitted.

Thinking about his brother’s need to protect Alma, Dylan’s thoughts went back to Leigh. He could picture her easily in his mind: the beautiful red hair, green eyes, the strikingly feminine shape of her body as she stood next to him. That Leigh might make it onto the list of assailants—and be branded a traitor to the elemental race as a whole—had plagued Dylan for days. She had been so candid, so upfront with him about the fact that she was spying on the wedding proceedings; how could someone like that go and kill and injure people? It didn’t seem to make any sense. But then, Dylan thought to himself tiredly, Dolores and Alex had seemed benign at first too. Dylan scolded himself, not for the first time, that he hadn’t been more penetrating, that he hadn’t tried harder to read the woman as she sat with him, as they danced. If she’d had any idea about the attack that was going to happen, he should have been able to pull it out of her mind.

The door opened and Dylan stood up straight. As one of Alma’s de facto bodyguards, the last image he wanted to present was fatigue. He saw in the corner of his eye that Finn had snapped to attention as well; his brother’s blue eyes—though bloodshot—avidly focused on the door. We need to find out what these people want, the elemental ruler for earth was saying, her voice carrying through the door easily. I just don’t think we should consider this an act of war.

If it had been your people killed in a tornado, you’d assume it was an act of war, Alma countered quickly, her voice strident. Dylan smiled to himself.

But if they were truly interested in deposing you, wouldn’t they have attacked your hotel?

They attacked air elementals. I agree that we should question them once they’re apprehended, to find out just how large this thing is, but it couldn’t have been clearer who they were sending a message to.

It’s certainly like the earth elementals to go that route, the ruler of the fire community was saying. But you know, Alma, that my element doesn’t go for subterfuge.

They do when they align with earth elementals—or had you forgotten about Alex? Dylan tried not to laugh. It was a good reminder, he thought; not only that Alma had been poisoned by an alliance of earth and fire elementals while on her way to becoming the ruler of her own element, but also—on an unspoken level—of the fact that she had disposed of the threat without any problem.

The three rulers filed out of the room, followed by a few of the elders. We’ve decided, the spokesperson for the elders said. Alma will travel with Finn and Dylan to apprehend as many of the group as they possibly can. Between the three of them, they should be able to get the job done.

Thank you, sir, Alma said, inclining her head slightly to the elemental elder. She was, nominally at least, higher in rank than the elders were. Dylan had yet to truly appreciate the separation of powers between the different ranking groups.

Once we have them in custody, the final decision as to what to do with them will be made. Alma nodded, and Dylan fought back the smile he felt twitching at the corners of his lips for the triumphant little glance she flicked at his brother. She was looking almost as tired as Finn was; there were signs of strain on her face, and in spite of her authoritative tone of voice, Dylan could hear the fatigue crackling through it.

Alma, keep in touch. We need regular reports.

The other two elemental rulers went off, looking discontented. Dylan and Finn both moved at the same moment to flank Alma, making their presences more obvious.

Finn, Dylan, you two should take the initiative in apprehension—don’t get offended, Alma. The elder said.

Dylan saw his sister-in-law hold back a retort. You know as well as we do that you are vulnerable to elemental attacks. Dylan and Finn quite simply aren’t as vulnerable as you are and can withstand earth-aligned attacks better than you can. You need to remember that you are no longer simply an elemental. If you’re deposed or disabled, there will be very great consequences to the balance of power.

I’m aware of that, Alma said. Dylan noticed that she was taking a deep breath to restrain her impulse to argue. I have no intention of taking too many risks. Dylan suppressed the snort that started in him. Alma would stop taking risks on the day she died. I understand the need for protection. I’ll be safe.

The elder nodded and turned back into the meeting room to continue the debate with his colleagues. Dylan watched, suppressing his feelings of envy as Finn wrapped his arms around Alma, pulling her close. The two kissed and Dylan could feel the crackling air around them as they exchanged energy, buoying each other’s flagging essences. When was the last time either of you slept? he said, trying to keep the flush of resentment out of his voice. He hadn’t been sleeping much either—but he suspected that part of the insomnia that Finn and Alma were suffering through had to do with their insatiable sex drives, given only a partial outlet with the need to be alert to new information. They couldn’t go on their honeymoon soon enough, he thought.

I got a few hours last night, Alma said, pulling away from Finn. In spite of her obvious fatigue, Dylan could tell that she was feeling better. He pushed down the thought that he was hungry to experience that for himself—the way that two people, so tightly bonded, their energies mingling constantly, could bring each other up beyond normal endurance. His mother had told him that he would find his mate soon enough; he would have to be satisfied with his purpose-filled life until then.

As they walked out of the building the elders had commandeered for their own uses, Finn glanced at Dylan with his eyes full of worry. There was something about the Alma’s that was clearly worrying the fire elemental—or something that they hadn’t mentioned, some problem that they were keeping to themselves. Dylan returned his brother’s glance; as soon as they could talk privately, he knew Finn’s concerns would come tumbling out. I don’t think Finn’s slept at all, Alma added, giving Dylan a little rueful smile. Every time I wake up he’s already awake, watching out for me. She turned to look at Finn. You know, I can—at least in my limited capacity as an air elemental—protect myself a little bit.

I’m aware of that, Finn said, and Dylan sighed as his brother bristled at the slightly caustic tone in his wife’s voice. We’ll talk about it later. The walls here have dozens of ears.

Dylan sat in the back seat of the car, closing his eyes and trying to cast his mind out over the distances. The main problem, he knew, was that he didn’t have the slightest clue where Leigh might be. If he could locate her, he might be able to discover whether or not she really was part of the group that targeted Alma’s guests. If she wasn’t, her disappearance might be because she was in danger. But even with the contact he’d had with her, he hadn’t managed to get a good enough impression of her mind to be able to locate her. If he knew where she was, at least a cardinal direction, he could possibly at least get an impression of how she was doing.

It bothered Dylan that after such a short acquaintance with the woman, he was already so worried about her. That was the weakness that had gotten Finn and Alma in such trouble while Alma was coming into her powers and later when she was fighting to become the ruler of her element; but there was something about Leigh that tugged at Dylan, even though he wasn’t sure precisely what it was. There was a stillness to her, a calm that was at once both unearthly and very deeply grounded.

He hadn’t told Finn and Alma about the stirring feelings he’d experienced courtesy of the earth elemental spy. When they had discussed the attack in the hotel room, in the direct aftermath, Dylan had mentioned that Leigh had come to him and represented herself as a spy for her earth-aligned family. I don’t think she was involved, he said, But if we can find her, she might know something. She seemed to have a pretty good background in what’s going on in that quarter.

Finn had questioned him in detail. She actually said she was a spy? What did she say about why she was there? Dylan had almost regretted mentioning the woman at all; Alma and Finn both were more than a little suspicious when it came to someone who had been sent to their wedding specifically to spy on them—even if she was direct about it. Dylan could understand it, considering what the outcome had been. But he couldn’t quite credit Leigh with having been involved—and thought that she might actually be a decent ally to cultivate, if they could find her.

When they arrived at Alma’s apartment, Dylan went directly to the kitchen and brewed a pot of coffee. None of us are going to sleep until tonight anyway, he said. We might as well be alert. He looked through the cabinets and pantry while the coffee brewed—he had been slowly stocking the ingredients that he would need to regularly make potions, based on the most common components in the books that Lorene had left behind.

Good idea, Alma said, sitting down heavily at the bar. She put her head in her hands and Dylan felt a flash of sympathy for her; of the three of them, she had the most difficult aspect of the task at hand. She not only had a role to play in chasing down the attackers—but she would have to try and put aside her feelings of anger and grief and contribute to deciding their fate. They don’t want to think it’s an act of war, she said, her voice rumbling slightly with aggravation. Of course, Connor is still worried about Oriel’s fate. She’s been in lockup since my trial, and no decision made. Dylan remembered that Oriel Peters had been behind the poison that Alex had given to Alma; she had wanted someone else to take the elemental rule of Air to keep her grandfather’s power base stable. So he has a vested interest in this not being seen as more than just a petty squabble. Maralah, of course, wants to downplay it for her own reasons.

What we need to do, Finn said, is to hunt down the people in charge of the attack—the ones who planned it. Whether they executed it or not, they’re the ones we need to round up. Dylan nodded, beginning to assemble the ingredients he needed for a potion. He knew that they all needed rest—probably Alma most of all—but for the moment, they would have to delay it a little while longer. A potion that would strengthen their elemental energies would improve on the stimulation the