Free Genesis by Christie Rich Page B

awarded with more warmth. I
smiled at Taylor who watched me intently.
    “ Very good.” He circled me,
each step calculated. “Now, expand the heat into the rest of the
house.”
    “ How do I do
that?”
    “ You’re a smart
girl.”
    I chuckled. “Well you’re not very
helpful.”
    “ It is better this way. You
will not always have someone to direct you. Besides, everybody is
different, including the way we interact with the elements. What
works for me may not for you.”
    That was fantastic. “What’s the use in
training if you can’t really help me? I could muddle through on my
own.”
    “ I’m here to make sure you
don’t blow up the planet.”
    “ Oh, that’s real funny,
Taylor. Haha like I didn’t already have enough pressure on
me.”
    He shook his head. “Until you have
spent an endless day at court, do not lecture me on
pressure.”
    I had a feeling I would be facing that
soon enough.
     
    The next week consisted of Taylor
inflicting all manner of impossible situations on me. I had learned
quite a bit about how to manipulate air which had me pretty amped
despite my frustration toward him. Without much effort, I could
generate a gale-force wind one second and the most tranquil of
breezes the next. Unfortunately, Taylor had taken it upon himself
to rid me of my fear of drowning.
    I had no idea what he had in mind
today, as usual. He wasn’t exactly forthcoming with plans and such.
So here I sat, waiting, three feet away from the enormous pond in
his back yard. When I asked him how deep it was, he gave me a shrug
then told me I’d find out soon enough on my own.
    He seemed to take extreme pleasure in
making me anticipate his next move. I was starting to believe that
he had a bit of a sadist in him. As it was, he was late.
    I whirled around the instant I heard
his light approach. “Don’t think you’re going to drag me out to the
middle of this pond just to pull me to the bottom.” My mind had
been busy imagining all sorts of dark, twisted
scenarios.
    A smirk curled his sensual mouth.
“Unlike you, I wouldn’t dream of such a thing. I am still amazed by
what you can conjure.”
    For some reason, I didn’t take that as
a compliment.
    He huffed. “That’s because it wasn’t
meant to be. Stop torturing yourself with those ridiculous images
and get over here.”
    I backed up. “No way, buddy. Not before
you explain what we’ll be doing today.” Up until now I had been the
model student, but he was delusional if he thought I was going to
let him torment me.
    He lifted his face toward the water
above us, shaking his head. “Very well, I will come to
you.”
    Oh, no he didn’t.
    For every step he took, I backed
away.
    He gave me an impeccable frown. “You
know, sometimes I think I actually lost when I was chosen to take
you first.”
    That induced a scowl from me worthy of
Mr. Darcy. “I didn’t exactly want to come here. You can send me on
my way anytime you’d like.”
    His chest expanded sharply. “When are
you going to learn to trust me?”
    I shoved a finger at him. “When you
stop torturing me!” Okay, so maybe I was exaggerating, but really,
who wouldn’t consider having to stop a tornado before it demolished
a small town without knowing how to do it, torture? Or better yet,
being responsible for infusing enough oxygen into the air for a
major city?
    “ You learned quickly,”
Taylor commented, his voice soft.
    “ I had to!”
    “ That is my point. You seem
to be forgetting we only have a limited number of days together. I
want to make sure you are ready before I send you out into the
realms. Some might not be so lenient with you.”
    “ Ha! Is that what you call
what you have done with me?”
    He managed to get between me and the
water before he began circling me. “I have been more patient with
you than any other Elemental I have ever trained.”
    This was a new side of Taylor. He was
now a predator. With his smooth exterior always showing, I hadn’t
thought him capable.