Page 37 of Cleansed By Water (The Nature Hunters Academy 3)

He shook his head, or at least thought he did. “No. Skin to skin. Touch me, beautiful. Please.” Liam felt his magic running along the inside of his skin, like water running just under his flesh. It was reaching for her. He also felt his soul tugging in his chest. If a human being, without any sort of powers had asked him how on earth he could feel his soul, he wouldn’t have been able to explain it to them. He just knew that the straining in his chest was his soul, and it was determined to get to its mate.

“Liam, I can’t,” she started.

“Touch me,” he said with as much force as he could muster. “Put your hand under my clothes and over my heart,” he instructed.

Gabby’s mouth dropped open. She looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had. He didn’t care. He didn’t just want Gabby, he needed her. “Please, baby.” He pushed every ounce of sincerity he could into his voice.

“Do it,"another voice said, and Liam recognized it as Josie’s. “You have to touch him if you want him to live.”

Gabby turned to look at the woman, and when she looked back at Liam, tears ran down her cheeks. She released his arm and began lifting the layers of clothing he’d put on because of the dropping temperatures. He hadn’t known he was going to be at the top of a freaking volcano. When she finally reached his shirt, he felt the hot air hit his skin and then her hand was on him. Flesh against flesh. “Damn,” he sighed as his eyes closed. He pushed his magic through his own flesh and into hers. He could have done it while he’d been holding her hand, but he’d wanted it to be her choice. Liam had wanted her to choose him freely, but that flew out the window when he realized that unless he joined their bond, he was going to be a pile of ash on a mountain in Hawaii. It wasn’t exactly how he’d seen his day ending, and he really wasn’t ready to be soot.

His soul wasn’t going to be left out. Liam felt the invisible strand that would connect them begin to push through him and into her. He could see it in his mind's eye, and it was bright gold, strong, and power was pulsing down it. Gabby gasped, and his eyes snapped open.

His vision was no longer blurry, and his arms were working again. He reached up and cupped her face. Liam moved until his lips were an inch away from hers. Her warm breath blew over his face, and her scent swirled around him. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice just as quiet as his.

“Our souls connected, and our power merged. It’s not complete, not until we consummate our bond, but it’s enough to keep me from melting like a popsicle in August.”

“Our souls?” she asked. Her eyes were searching his, and her lips trembled.

Liam nodded. “I told you, baby, you’re my soul bonded. We’re meant for each other.” He wiped at the tears with his thumbs and wished he could take the worry and fear from her eyes.

“We can’t be,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not, I can’t, this isn’t…” She stumbled over her words, and Liam could feel her trying to pull away from him.

“Gabby.” Josie laid a hand on her arm. “If he’s been able to push his magic into you and it’s created a bond…” Josie looked at Liam for confirmation and he nodded. “Then it’s true. If he tried to push his magic into me, there would be no soul bond with it, because we aren’t meant for one another. My body would reject it. But when he pushed his magic into you, the soul bond began. He’s inside of you and you are inside of him.”

“As it should be,” Liam said.

Gabby looked at him and then to Josie. She started to shake her head, but Josie said, “No. Just stop. Whatever you’re thinking, stop. We have a damn volcano to deal with, and from what I've heard from Professor Frost, you’re a badass. That’s what we need to see right now. Just consider Liam your side boy toy.”

Liam snorted. “I think you mean sidekick.”

Josie slapped him on his back. “Nope. I said it like I meant it.” She turned back to Gabby. “You’ve got this.”

“What do I do to protect him?” she asked, her voice much steadier. Liam dropped his hands but laid one on top of the hand Gabby still had under his shirt. He’d be happy if she never moved it.

“Picture your fire covering Liam all over but not burning,” Josie explained.

“To protect?” Gabby said as she looked at Liam and ran her eyes up and down him in a critical way.

“Exactly,” Josie agreed. “You want all of him to be protected. His flesh, his internal organs, his lungs… All of it needs to be encased in your fire.”

“Just don’t get pissed off at me and forget your fire isprotectingme, yeah?” he said with a wink.

Chapter 9

Tara stared at the massive lake of ice before her, which extended as far into the horizon as she could see. Being from Kentucky, she didn’t have any intimate knowledge of the Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan, where she now found herself, but she’d imagined sandy beaches and serene shorelines, not a frozen tundra. Surrounding her were Elias, Professor Warren, the Hydro Academy instructor, and Lawson and Cara, a fire soul-bonded couple. They’d picked a secluded, wooded area to do their work, and Tara couldn’t help thinking she was in the wilds of Alaska rather than somewhere in Wisconsin.

“We’ll need to work fast,” said Professor Warren. “This lake has never frozen completely over, and it won’t do so on my watch.”

“And just exactly how are we going to thaw all this?” Tara asked.

“We won’t thaw it all. We just need to keep it from freezing entirely. The lake supplies millions of people with drinking water. It can’t be compromised. But it won’t be easy. You and Elias will dig deep into the earth’s crust, bringing up warm magma, while Cara and Lawson will focus on heating the top of the lake.”

Tara chuckled, “Psh, magma … yeah right.” The others merely stared at her stone-faced. “What?” she finally asked.

“Don’t worry, luv. I’ll do the heavy lifting,” said Elias. “Just keep close to me.”

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