Page 12 of Above Cursed Winds

Nero’s clan lands would be easy to find. Though he hadn’t been there before, his sense of direction was unparalleled, and he’d gathered the coordinates before he left.

Jeremiah could always listen to the whisper of the wind for guidance. As if sentient, the breeze seemed to call him, tugging him toward his destination. It had never failed him, though occasionally it developed a will of its own, yanking him toward places unknown. That call had been eerily quiet for a while.

Once he’d escaped the confines of the city, the Elemental commanded the air particles around him to reflect rather than be transparent, rendering him immediately invisible. It was a trait only half of the air Elementals ever mastered, and Jeremiah found it extremely handy.

Letting the air coil around his form, he became weightless, rising into the sky. Air whipped around him, sending him shooting into the sky as he allowed his element free reign. The trip to Nero’s territory would take only minutes.

What little light the cityscape below him offered fractured suddenly across a giant pair of wings.

Instinctively, his gifts sought out the creature ahead of him, sending waves of reassurance and benevolence. To his great surprise, it was unreceptive.

When he drew closer, he realized why.

Hovering high above the treetops, magnificent wingspan holding her aloft, was Zia. Iridescent ivory wings, tinged a soft violet near the tips of the feathers, were spread wide in all their glory. She held herself perfectly still in the air, her control exquisite.

He’d never seen anything as resplendent. Each perfect feather rippled against the others, one piece of a whole, blending together to shimmer like an otherworldly diamond. She was a creature of the air just as he was.

Every beat of her wings sent a current against his skin, and something in his chest tightened. There was something oddly alluring about a woman who commanded his element as freely as he did—forcing it to bend to her whim. She wasn’t simply an angel; she was a goddess.

While he gawked, her innocent features were trained on his general direction, eyes searching for where he’d halted mid-air, invisible.

“I know you’re there.” Her voice was a bare whisper, but the threat beneath them was clear. “Show yourself or I’ll take offensive action.”

Jeremiah commanded the air to become transparent. “What a welcome.”

Zia’s eyes widened a bare fraction before she erased the surprise from her face. “You’re on the edges of clan territory, unannounced. What did you expect? A gift basket?”

“Shall I bring a confetti cannon next time? Perhaps an air horn to let you know I’ve entered your airspace?” Unable to resist a chuckle, he floated toward her soundlessly and watched her expression grow wary. “You’re not accustomed to guests arriving by air, are you?”

She fronted well and gave him a schooled response. “While Flight is a common ability, few Raeths can turn invisible. We rarely see Raeths with both.”

“A flying ability named Flight? How original.” He peeked at her wings once more, but kept his awe tightly contained. “Where were you keeping those hidden while we were having our lovely chat this morning? How did you manage to sit in a chair?”

“A man of many questions.” She raised an eyebrow, then proceeded without answering them. “Thank you for coming, Jeremiah. I appreciate your … willingness to help on such short notice.”

Not that I had a choice, he thought.

“Since you took the trouble to wait here for my arrival, I can only assume you were lost without me.” He gave her a mocking smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll clean up your mess.”

“I wasn’t waiting,” she replied. “I was doing a surveillance run when I sensed your arrival.”

His eyebrows tugged together. “Too little, too late, don’t you think?”

A twitch started in her jaw. “I’ll be happy to comply with your investigation and help in any way possible. No one is as keen to see this resolved as I am. But, given the lateness of the hour, we can start tomorrow, first thing.”

His snarky grin caught her off guard. “Good. I’ll be happy to jump in and figure out exactly how you managed to lose the address list of hundreds of our homes, princess.”

“My name is Zia.” Fire lit behind her eyes.

“What kind of a name is Zia?”

“The kind that’s short for Danzia.”

His ridiculing chuckle made her bristle. “I can see why you stuck with the nickname, Z.”

Chapter Seven

Zia straightened from where she hovered midair. “We’ve things to do, Elemental. If you’d follow me.”

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