shrugging. “We don’t really sleep very well anywhere but in our own homes. We’re not much for traveling, most of us.” Leigh stretched, and Dylan found his gaze traveling to her full bust, her broad hips. She was the epitome of an earth goddess, he thought—that hourglass figure, almost an exaggerated version of Aira’s body type, her ample curves suggestive of fertility. Dylan shook his head slightly to clear it. He wasn’t here to ogle Leigh’s body.
“I just had my first real power surge,” he told her quietly. Leigh’s bright green eyes widened.
“Really? I thought I heard rain, but…” she glanced outside. Dylan smiled slightly.
“That was me,” he said, trying to keep his voice from sounding too prideful. Leigh looked at him closely for a long moment and smiled slowly.
“That’s impressive,” she said. She licked her lips. “You’re going to be a pretty powerful example of your element when you come into your full abilities. Well, in fairness you already are.” Dylan shrugged.
“I am not even remotely going to be strong enough to be in contention for the rule of the element. I’m no Lorene.” Leigh chuckled, shrugging.
“You don’t really seem like the type that would be suited to ruling the element anyway,” she said. “You seem much more content with a less flashy role.”
“I never really thought about it,” Dylan admitted. “I knew from a young age that it wasn’t in my future. There’s bound to be another elemental from my alignment strong enough to take the throne; but Lorene would be a tough act for anyone to follow.”
“My family had a great deal of respect and admiration for Lorene,” Leigh said, shifting on the couch. “We were aware of the depths of her power and the struggle that she had in containing it, in bending it to her will.”
“Are you all earth elementals in your family?” Dylan asked. He realized that in spite of his fascination towards Leigh, he really knew very little about her.
“We have one or two water elementals in there, back along the lines,” Leigh said. “There may have been an arranged marriage or two with the air elementals, for the purposes of securing an unstable person, but not much.” Dylan chewed his bottom lip.
“What was it like when you came into your full inheritance?” he asked her. The question had weighed on his mind from the time he had decided to share the news of his burgeoning power with the semi-captive.
“I understand from the lore that it’s different for us, versus the more volatile elements like air and fire,” Leigh said thoughtfully. “Earth elementals are sort of… grounded, by nature, you know. But it was uncomfortable. I got power surges that caused a few localized earthquakes; not enough to disturb anyone outside of my house, but enough to know that it was happening.” Dylan nodded. “I got night chills, too. The energy would rise up inside of me and every muscle in my body would tense, and I felt as if I was turning into stone.” Dylan thought that it would be terrifying to go through that—more daunting even than the torrent that had threatened to nearly drown him in sensation.
“It’s only going to get worse from here, won’t it?” Leigh hesitated a moment before nodding.
“You should probably tell your brother and sister-in-law about it as soon as they’re up in the morning. It might change your plans.” Dylan knew that Leigh was right. He would have to tell Aiden and Aira. It wouldn’t substantially change their plans; they still had to round up the rest of the group responsible for the attack on the hotel. But it might change their approach.
“They’re going to have to interrogate you,” Dylan said after a moment’s silence. He took a deep breath. “I don’t think you were involved, but…” Leigh smiled, shrugging.
“I was a spy at their wedding. One of the people involved was my cousin. They need to know what I know.” Dylan nodded slowly.
“What do you
“I just had my first real power surge,” he told her quietly. Leigh’s bright green eyes widened.
“Really? I thought I heard rain, but…” she glanced outside. Dylan smiled slightly.
“That was me,” he said, trying to keep his voice from sounding too prideful. Leigh looked at him closely for a long moment and smiled slowly.
“That’s impressive,” she said. She licked her lips. “You’re going to be a pretty powerful example of your element when you come into your full abilities. Well, in fairness you already are.” Dylan shrugged.
“I am not even remotely going to be strong enough to be in contention for the rule of the element. I’m no Lorene.” Leigh chuckled, shrugging.
“You don’t really seem like the type that would be suited to ruling the element anyway,” she said. “You seem much more content with a less flashy role.”
“I never really thought about it,” Dylan admitted. “I knew from a young age that it wasn’t in my future. There’s bound to be another elemental from my alignment strong enough to take the throne; but Lorene would be a tough act for anyone to follow.”
“My family had a great deal of respect and admiration for Lorene,” Leigh said, shifting on the couch. “We were aware of the depths of her power and the struggle that she had in containing it, in bending it to her will.”
“Are you all earth elementals in your family?” Dylan asked. He realized that in spite of his fascination towards Leigh, he really knew very little about her.
“We have one or two water elementals in there, back along the lines,” Leigh said. “There may have been an arranged marriage or two with the air elementals, for the purposes of securing an unstable person, but not much.” Dylan chewed his bottom lip.
“What was it like when you came into your full inheritance?” he asked her. The question had weighed on his mind from the time he had decided to share the news of his burgeoning power with the semi-captive.
“I understand from the lore that it’s different for us, versus the more volatile elements like air and fire,” Leigh said thoughtfully. “Earth elementals are sort of… grounded, by nature, you know. But it was uncomfortable. I got power surges that caused a few localized earthquakes; not enough to disturb anyone outside of my house, but enough to know that it was happening.” Dylan nodded. “I got night chills, too. The energy would rise up inside of me and every muscle in my body would tense, and I felt as if I was turning into stone.” Dylan thought that it would be terrifying to go through that—more daunting even than the torrent that had threatened to nearly drown him in sensation.
“It’s only going to get worse from here, won’t it?” Leigh hesitated a moment before nodding.
“You should probably tell your brother and sister-in-law about it as soon as they’re up in the morning. It might change your plans.” Dylan knew that Leigh was right. He would have to tell Aiden and Aira. It wouldn’t substantially change their plans; they still had to round up the rest of the group responsible for the attack on the hotel. But it might change their approach.
“They’re going to have to interrogate you,” Dylan said after a moment’s silence. He took a deep breath. “I don’t think you were involved, but…” Leigh smiled, shrugging.
“I was a spy at their wedding. One of the people involved was my cousin. They need to know what I know.” Dylan nodded slowly.
“What do you
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