Chapter 29 - Above Cursed Winds

A soft smile of appreciation made Jeremiah’s classically handsome face devastating. Under his air shield, neither of them had gotten wet from the ever-increasing pelting of rain that signaled the impending hurricane.

Nero had already removed the downed trees using remote teleportation and cleaned up the landscape. Regardless of the damage that’d certainly make landfall, her sovereign took pride in their home. So did Zia.

Chancing a glance at the Elemental beside her, she was satisfied to see Jeremiah grinning, staring at the lighthouse as they neared.

“It’s been here since 1850.” Weaving her fingers through his, she paused when those summer blues found hers. “One of the first on the island. Fortunately, Nero’s rather persuasive, and kept the indigenous humans from being too curious about our lands all these centuries.”

Jeremiah hummed, then asked, “Where is Myko now? With his father?”

“Yes.” All joy wiped from her face. “Sehrin’s playing video games while Myko watches. It’s his idea of taking an interest in his son’s passions.”

Despite her best efforts, her son’s childhood had been hard. He was so hungry for love and attachment, and she didn’t want to spoil his time with his father. Worse would be unintentionally influencing him against Sehrin, but Myko was mature enough that he would catch on soon. It would be a difficult conversation to have, and she had readied herself for it.

Reaching the lighthouse, Zia waved a hand to unlock the door, then proceeded up the stairs. Jeremiah chuckled. “You were right. The view is spectacular.”

She savored the look of mischievous seduction on his features. The Elemental was a flirt, no doubt, but the way he gazed at her wasn’t superficial. She could see in his eyes that he was falling for her, hook, line, and sinker—just as she was for him.

She continued up the spiral staircase until they’d arrived at the top. While the light was currently off, there was no shortage of brightness. Rain splattered against the 360-degree windows, a cacophony of sound that pinged against glass.

Pivoting, she gestured to the floor. “Take a seat, my lord.”

Jeremiah donned a lopsided grin, a twinkle in his eye. “My lord, huh? Shall I call you Lady Z?”

“Only if you feel so inclined.”

She opened the basket and began divvying out what she’d brought. That was when Jeremiah became pensive. He watched her as she slathered peanut butter and jelly on bread, poured some chips onto his plate, and then asked him what drink he wanted. She’d brought five, just in case. Zia hadn’t wanted to be without options.

About five minutes into his silence, she could no longer stand it. “Why have you stopped talking?”

Swallowing a mouthful of sandwich, Jeremiah asked, “Is this a ‘thank you, goodbye’ lunch? Now that Sehrin’s here, you don’t need me anymore?”

“No! No—no it’s not.” Taking a breath to settle her nerves, she shifted restlessly beside him. “It’s a ‘thank you, you’re stuck with me’ lunch.”

“You want to keep seeing me?”

He was inscrutable. On a whim, she opened her senses, probing his emotions, but she was met only with a churning chaos.

“Yes. Jeremiah, you spark something within me that I’ve never experienced before. And I—you’re—” She shook her head, trying to sort through her words. “I like you.”

Mentally, she added, And you’re safe from my curse.

Zia recognized the moment when everything in Jeremiah softened. “Lady Z, count me among the fallen.”

“The fallen?”

“An ode to the hordes of men who’ve been slayed by your beauty.” He winked. “I count myself among them.”

Zia rolled her eyes. Distracting herself from the heated way he watched her, she took another bite of her sandwich. As the seconds stretched into minutes, Jeremiah sobered. A myriad of emotions charged the air around them as he apparently thought through what he’d say next.

“Zia, can I ask a question that you might hate me for?”

Something twisted painfully in her chest. “Of course.”

“Do you think Sehrin had anything to do with the stolen list?”

The question stunned her. Straightening where she sat, Zia searched his gaze for any signs he might be joking. She found none. “What makes you ask that?”

“He has access to clan lands and wouldn’t trigger Nero’s psychic alarms,” came Jeremiah’s reasoning. “From what I’ve heard, he’s clanless, and we already know of one clanless Raeth aligned with the Citizens.”

Zia thought about the allegation, taking great care not to be defensive. What the Elemental had said wasn’t impossible. “That still doesn’t account for the fact that Sehrin would’ve needed my fingerprint and password to activate the computer.”

“From the little I saw, Sehrin doesn’t seem to care about personal boundaries—and he certainly had no issue giving out orders.”

What he left unsaid made the bottom of Zia’s stomach drop. “Are you accusing me of betraying my clan?”

“No, Zia,” he replied sincerely. “Everything I’ve seen from you has shown that you’re entirely loyal and dedicated to your clan, but people who have been blackmailed or threatened would do any number of uncharacteristic things.”

“You think Sehrin threatened me into giving up that information?”

“Did he?”

“No,” she breathed. “No, Sehrin didn’t blackmail or threaten me into giving him the documentation or my login credentials. And before you ask, no, I don’t think he’s aligned with the Citizens. He’s too selfish to support anything other than himself.”

“Would you stake the security of your clan on that?”

She’d never been more sure. “I would.”

“Then that’s all I needed to hear.”

As he grinned happily and took a huge bite of his sandwich, the tension she’d felt from him suddenly slipped away. Zia didn’t have to read his emotions to know that he believed her. His complete faith in her assessment was shocking. Few people, Nero included, would’ve taken her answer at face value.

The conversation left her off-kilter. He’d accused Sehrin, and her by extension, of the security breach. Though his logic made sense, being at the center of his investigation was disconcerting. It had seemed, momentarily, as though they were on opposite sides of a fence. She realized then that she never wanted to feel that way again.

Jeremiah was doing his due diligence—the job he’d been sent here for. No matter how close they’d gotten, he’d resisted sweeping it under the rug, and his underlying concern had been for her and Myko’s welfare. It made her feel safe.

Zia made a conscious effort to let go of the animosity she’d felt with the accusation. It hadn’t been personal, as much as it felt that way, and he’d taken her word as law. That had to count for something.

“Thank you for asking, Jeremiah.”

The unexpected comment made his eyebrows raise.

“But,” she amended, “we believe that the Citizens Raeth is a Sheild. During the meeting we had after Kane’s House was attacked, we settled on the possibility that he’d have to have that talent to follow and photograph us without our noticing. I didn’t realize no one had told you.”

“Ah. That’d make sense.” He snapped his fingers. “I should’ve thought of that.”

“Sehrin isn’t a Sheild, in case you were wondering.”

His grin turned debonair. “I wasn’t, but thank you for heading off any more spiraling thoughts, Lady Z.”

Zia was still struggling to hide her grin when Nero’s telepathic knock sounded in her mind. Yes, sovereign?

Are you with Jeremiah?

Her eyes rose to meet the Elemental’s as she confirmed. He’d gone quiet, sensing the telepathic conversation taking place, then eagerly grabbed another handful of chips. Somehow, the man was attractive even when he ate. Distracted by his good looks, she only caught the tail end of Nero’s message.

—and I’d like to assure them of Jeremiah’s continued existence; that we haven’t dumped him in a storm drain or roasted him like a kalua Pua'a. Will you bring him to my office in a half hour?

Grimacing, Zia didn’t ask him to repeat. Of course, sovereign.

This would be awkward. “Someone wants to know you’re not dead. We’ve been summoned to Nero’s office in thirty. I’m guessing it’s the Accords delegation.”

“They just assume I’ve offed myself, then?”

“Probably.” Zia shrugged. “You did punch Nero the first day you were here. It does hint at a slightly warped sense of self-preservation.”

Jeremiah made a face, something between regret and playful wickedness. “I did, didn’t I?”

Eyes twinkling with mischief, the Elemental grabbed a few chips from Zia’s plate and ate them while she stuck out her tongue.

“You’re naughty, Jeremiah. Perhaps someone should punish you.”

“Only if that someone is you.”

Before she’d even know he was moving, Jeremiah had lunged forward and captured her mouth. Passionate, he yanked her closer to him, intent on stealing her away.

Returning his passion with her own, she took the lead, urging him to respond in kind. Arching into him, Zia turned molten inside, the need so intense it burned like a ravaging flame.

Without thought, she yanked at his shirt, needing the feel of his skin beneath her fingers. Swiftly, he removed it before she dragged him down to meet her mouth, demanding he give her everything.

His hand slid up to cradle the back of Zia’s head, the other cinching around her waist so their bodies were flush.

Her fingers explored every inch of his exposed torso, enjoying the hard muscles and the soft immortal skin. Down they went, into the fires together, their desire a searing heat between them.

Thirty-two minutes later, after she’d gleefully explored every inch of that spectacular chest, Jeremiah let her tug him down the lighthouse stairs. His shirt, sporting a few wrinkles that hadn’t been there before, was sadly once more in place. Zia caught herself eyeing him when he wasn’t looking. He was irresistible.

Jeremiah positioned the air shield above them to hold back the rain, and they sprinted toward the dome in a fit of laughter.

That laughter died on Jeremiah’s lips as soon as they entered the dome. There, standing in the middle of Nero’s territory, was the Elemental monarch and his wife.