Warden (Elemental Paladins Book 1) by Montana Ash Page A

carefree he looked when his eyes lit up with enthusiasm like that. She had the feeling that he was too often the serious one.
    “What about me?” Cali asked, her head tilted to the side so that her straight golden hair fell like a waterfall off to the side. Sighing, Max focused her eyes. The woman’s strands were a mixture of cool tones – hues of baby blues darkening through to navy. Her shadow-self seemed to float and move as if under water, light and buoyant. The woman also had a swimmer’s physique with long, lean toned limbs and her skin was tanned to an even summer glow.
    “Water.”
    “Two for two.” Cali smiled. ‘Your domain is definitely life. Your connection is to people.”
    Lark jumped up and raised his hand, “Do me, do me!”
    “That’s what he said.” Max was startled when she and Cali spoke at the exact same time. They grinned at each other and Max couldn’t help but feel that sense of familiarity again. Odd. Very odd.
    “What about me? Huh, Max?” Lark was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, the man seemed to have a boundless supply of energy. And he was always happy. It sort of creeped her out because she thought perpetual happiness was just unnatural but he was too charming and nice to be creepy. Max peered into his green eyes for a moment and swore she could almost feel the floor undulate beneath her feet. He was all greens, browns and tans and his ghostly visage pulsed like a heartbeat. Like the heartbeat of the earth perhaps? He certainly came across as easy going and down to earth … and he smelled good, like fresh green grass.
    “Earth.”
    Lark clapped, “Now do Beyden.”
    “My pleasure.” She purred at the broad shouldered man with the tawny eyes. He blushed and Max wanted to put him in her back pocket and keep him. His threads reached far and wide and were thinner than the others. They were yellow and orange and pink and made her think of a tequila sunrise. The impression she got from him was more noise than smell or sense. It was like she could see a constant hum of sound surrounding his double and it flickered quickly in and out like humming bird wings. His domain must be a busy one, she thought, lots of creatures big and small. He was associated with the beasts.
    “Dr Dolittle.” He laughed and Max was glad she hadn’t offended the gentle giant.
    Axel was ranged in the armchair across from her, seemingly bored with the game but he did raise his eyebrows in silent challenge. His grin was wicked and he blew her a kiss. Oh, he was so naughty, this one was. Max opened her senses once more and was immediately struck by a wall of heat. It wasn’t scalding but was a little too warm to be comfortable for long. As expected he was red and orange and even black here and there. His form shifted and danced like a flame caught in a draught. No wonder he was so hot blooded, Max thought, he was fire.
    She decided to blow a kiss back, “You’re hot stuff!” Axel saluted her in appreciation. Now for the proverbial elephant in the room. Was Max supposed to ask Ryker if she could read him too or were they all just supposed to pretend he wasn’t there? She was very surprised when he broke the awkward silence by saying gruffly;
    “Go ahead.”
    She would have been lying if she said she wasn’t curious so she opened herself up one last time … and was glad she was sitting down. He was absolutely beautiful. He was all light and bright – lilacs, purples and whites. The colours radiated out from him luminously in total disregard of any semblance to order. It was like they just couldn’t be contained, like they were too joyous to be confined and they would do as they pleased. His doppelganger stood just as tall and just as straight as the man but where the flesh and blood version was stoic and cold, the translucent version felt festive and warm and it’s energy practically leaped toward her in delight. You could have knocked her over with a feather. Not in a million years