Page 10 of Elemental Love
“Gregory?”
Gregory pointed. Evrain followed the direction of Gregory’s finger and gaped.
“Oh.”
“Hmm. That’s one way of putting it. I think you may need to make sure you’re pointing at the sky in future.” Three huge conifers had been reduced to smoking stumps. “What the hell were you thinking of?”
“I couldn’t decide between Mt. St. Helens going up or Vesuvius decimating Pompeii, so I kind of lined them up next to each other in my head and added Krakatoa for luck.”
“Good Lord, boy, you don’t mess about.” Gregory sniggered.
“It felt like my entire body was on fire, but I had no idea…” Evrain stared at the damage he’d done. “What the hell am I?”
Gregory put his arm around Evrain’s shoulders. “Probably the most powerful warlock in a thousand years. Let’s eat.” Gregory guided him toward the house.
Evrain laughed. It was that or cry. “Happy birthday to me. I’d say this day is going to be one of the more memorable in my life so far.”
“Definitely one for the family album,” Gregory said. “I’m sure there will be plenty more to come.”
Evrain looked back over his shoulder at the destruction he’d caused. “Just so long as they don’t include jail time or a stint in the local asylum.”
Chapter three
“Evrain, if you don’t sit still and concentrate, I swear on our lady moon, I will make sure you regret it.” Agatha stamped her foot, her frustration all too evident. “You have to apply yourself. Practice makes perfect.”
Evrain, sitting at Agatha’s well-scrubbed kitchen table, scowled. “You think I don’t know that?”
“I swear, Evrain, if you weren’t my grandson…” Agatha narrowed her eyes and treated him to a glare capable of withering thistles at the root.
Evrain swallowed nervously. His grandmother never made empty threats and he’d been on the receiving end of her harsh discipline too many times in the last few months to risk further punishment. She might look like a sweet old lady but Agatha was frighteningly creative when it came to making his life difficult. She was the one person he respected enough to back down when his impatience and frustration threatened to get the best of him. Compliance wasn’t in his nature, something all too apparent inthe sometimes fiery relationship he maintained with his father. Agatha was ten times scarier than his dad, even on his worst day. Evrain pushed back a smile. He and his dad might fight but the love between them was just as fierce. He missed him. Not that he would admit that in a million years.
“Sorry, Grandmother.” Evrain’s tone was sweet enough to be decorated with candy flowers and hearts. That got him another hard stare.
“Sarcasm is unbecoming in one so young and untried. Perhaps in fifty years or so, when you have finally managed to absorb what I’m trying to teach you, then I might grant you a little latitude. But not now. Do I have to call your godfather Gregory again?”
“No! No, Grandma. I’ll behave.” Evrain batted his lashes shamelessly. He resisted the urge to point out that in fifty years’ time Agatha would be breaking world records in the age department. She might be a tough old bird but she was still his grandma and therefore susceptible to his dark, spaniel eyes. The last thing Evrain needed was to be tag-teamed by Agatha and his godfather. Separately they were formidable. Together. Evrain shuddered at the thought.
He shifted his chair back a little, twisted his fingers into the required shape and pushed his thoughts at the fat, white candle in front of him. The tingle that shot down his spine could have preceded an orgasm.If only!There was a whoosh of heat as the flame shot toward the ceiling and the candle became no more than a spattered puddle of melted wax spreading across the table. Evrain yelped and blew on his singed fingers in an attempt to cool the scorch marks. He scowled again.
“Take that look off your face, young man.” Agatha was pitiless. She scraped at the cooling wax with a brightly painted nail. “Once this has cooled, you can lift it all off the wood. With a toothpick. That will give you some time to meditate.”
Evrain groaned. “Grandma, this is hopeless. I’m not getting any better, just more and more destructive. If I keep going like this, you’ll need to have the fire service on standby for when the cabin goes up in flames.”
“Nonsense. You’re like all young people these days—you want everything easy. The craft takes time, patience and perseverance. You would do well to remember that,” Agatha scolded.
“Mind you… A bunch of firemen hanging around does have some appeal.”
Agatha rolled her eyes. “You are a very bad boy. Less daydreaming about men and more application to your studies, please.” She sighed. “That’s enough for today. Put the kettle on and make your old grandma a cup of primrose tea. Then you have a table to clean.”
Agatha watched Evrain as he moved with effortless grace around her kitchen. His aura flickered and sparked. The colors had mellowed as he’d matured, changing from aluminum foil silver and gold leaf to warm copper and platinum swirls. The energy around him burned hot. Agatha worried constantly about his need to channel some of his power. Evrain was restless, unfocused. His abilities manifested in intense creativity and extreme emotion. Even though he vented almost every day, he still needed a calming influence in his life, and soon.
Evrain set a burnished copper kettle on the range. He flicked his fingers and steam immediately issued from the spout. The kettle rocked and shook as its contents boiled with unusual violence. Evrain gave Agatha a sheepish glance. “Sorry?”
“Why are you turning an apology into a question, young man? You shouldn’t have done that and you know it… Especially after what happened last time.”
Evrain peered up at the ceiling. “There’s hardly a mark.”
Agatha shook her head. Kitchen paraphernalia exploding into the air was a minor annoyance in the scheme of things. She shifted in her chair, settling into a more comfortable position. “Do you realize it’s been six months to the day since you turned twenty-one?”
