Page 9 of Elemental Love
“Um, no?”
“No.”
“Wait. Do my parents know about this? Am I the only one who’s been kept in ignorance?”
Gregory took Evrain’s mug and replaced it with a glass of sloe gin, which he chugged back in one go. The liquid burned all the way to his gut.
“Lyssa and James understand that you have certain…gifts. That knowledge has influenced their decisions about your childhood. They don’t need to know anything further—indeed, for their own safety it’s better they don’t.” Gregory rolled his shoulders. “Agatha is, of course, a witch. In your family line there have been many witches over the centuries. You, however, are something of an anomaly. Agatha has a wonderful birthday meal prepared for you. You can ask all the questions you wish about your family history while we eat. Once the sun has gone down, I’ll teach you a method for dispersing your power.”
Evrain looked around for more gin. “I shouldn’t believe a word of this. It’s totally barmy.”
Coryn filled his glass and left the decanter on a side table within Evrain’s reach.
“But you do, don’t you?” Gregory stated. “You know it’s true.”
“Yes. I do.” Evrain sighed. “I am so fucked.”
“Language, Evrain!” Agatha cuffed his head.
“Sorry, Grandma. Will you turn me into a frog for swearing?”
Agatha cuffed him again. “Cheeky boy. It does nobody any good to perpetuate silly myths like that. I don’t own a pointy hat or a wand, nor do I have a familiar. Try to avoid regressing into a plotline fromHarry Potter.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Evrain rubbed his head.
Gregory sniggered.
“Why don’t we eat?” Coryn said.
“Ever the peacemaker, darling. But that’s a fine idea. Don’t worry, Evrain, there’s no eye of bat or leg of toad on the menu.” Gregory chuckled.
“Shouldn’t that be… Oh, never mind, I can’t believe I’m even thinking about getting into a debate on the subject of potion ingredients.”
“Why don’t we let Coryn and Agatha get everything ready while we go outside and deal with your little problem? I don’t think we can wait until darkness. You might burst and that would be messy.”
“Oh my God, I won’t, will I?” Evrain prodded his flat stomach. There was no sign of inflation.
“You know, if you say gullible really slowly, it sounds like chicken,” Gregory said.
“That’s just mean. Feeling vulnerable here!”
Everybody laughed. Evrain knocked back another sloe gin before he risked getting to his feet and even then he wobbled. Gregory put an arm around his shoulders and led him outside.
The rain still pounded down, beating the earth to mud. Evrain turned his face to the stormy sky and let the drops batter his skin. Some of his tension eased.
“You and I are elemental warlocks, Evrain,” Gregory declared. “That means we have an affinity with air, earth, fire and water.My power is linked most strongly to water, which is one of the reasons I settled in Florida. Plenty of the stuff there and it’s not constantly falling out of the sky like it is here. In time, you’ll discover which element attracts you most. The power is always in you, but it can build, particularly when your emotions are heightened. So every now and again, we need to release the pressure valve. It’s termed ‘venting’. Don’t ask me where that comes from because I’ve no idea, but it fits.”
“Show me, Gregory. I feel like a firework about to go off.” Evrain rolled up his shirtsleeves, craving more cool rain on his overheated skin.
“It’s not difficult. You’re primed and ready, but the first time can take a while. It seems dramatic but holding out your arms helps.” Gregory stood in the open, his arms spread. He turned his hands so that the palms were up, then touched the second and fourth fingers of each hand together at the tip.
“Clear your thoughts, then get an image of release in your mind. I use Old Faithful, but anything will do.” He closed his eyes and seconds later light shot from his fingers into the sky. He gave a happy sigh. “Your turn.”
Evrain mirrored his stance and closed his eyes. He fixed an image in his mind. Heat penetrated the soles of his feet as if he stood on molten lava. The burn spread through his body, fire in his veins. As it reached his fingertips, his head jerked back and he screamed. All the pressure in his body left in a rush, the sensation dropping him to his knees. He opened his eyes, checking his hands for scorch marks, but there were none.
“Did it work, Gregory? I feel much better. Lighter.” He got to his feet.
Gregory was staring off into the distance.
