Free elemental 02 - blaze by Larissa Ladd

away with fantasies of seducing them, of taking them to her bed and satisfying the insatiable thirst, the itch that was driving her mad. She knew it would be a difficult day—that the next day was unlikely to be much better—but she had to believe she could get through it. She had put so much hope in her plans to go out, had looked forward to it so much that it would have crushed her to back out.
    Alex sent a text while she was getting ready to go to the mall with the two brothers, a flirtatious greeting that sent a thrill through her. She knew she had only to make the smallest mention of her desires and Alex would find a way to fulfill them. The same power filling her with knowledge of her own potential, however, also filled her with doubt—suspicion. She considered the quandary; Alex was certainly more than just an elemental who was interested in her. The solution hit her suddenly as she responded to Alex—while she didn’t have her grandmother’s intuitive insights, her air alignment did give her some abilities in divination and her grandmother had taught her extensively as part of her elemental training. She opened the top drawer of her dresser, moving pairs of underwear and bras around until she found the old, worn tarot deck her grandmother had taught her with. Aira heard the wind rising, but she paid little attention. Removing the cards from the pack, she felt the comforting weight of them in her hands, soothing her apprehensions.
    Her grandmother had taught her there were always answers to be found. Aira closed her eyes as she shuffled the cards, progressing them through her hands in automatic movements as she relocated to sit in the center of her room.
    She continued to shuffle until something inside told her to stop. She began selecting cards, setting them in a spread in front of her with her eyes still closed, relying on muscle memory and divining instinct. While she could divine things from a variety of sources—tea leaves, crystal balls, runes—she was most comfortable with the cards. Aira continued pulling cards until she had a full spread. She then set the remainder down next to her. She opened her eyes and studied the cards she had selected, her gaze moving over each one in its position. The swords suit featured prominently. Aira almost rolled her eyes at such an obvious allusion to the situation at hand: swords, being the element of air, were certainly appropriate considering her alignment as well as Alex’s. She took a deeper look, knowing there was more to be seen beyond the obvious. In the position representing herself, she saw the Queen of Swords: the pinnacle of feminine air energy, representing her rise into her final state as a full elemental. It was compromised by the six of swords—a difficult transition, a rite of passage. The three of swords showed the potential for grief, for heartbreak. The outcome was the ace of swords: victory, raw power. The lover’s card represented a decision to be made.
    Alex’s alignment showed itself as the Knight of swords, paired with the Magician. Yet another influence in the spread Aira couldn’t quite understand was the World card, representing completion, which gravitated to the Chariot card. Aira shook her head; she would contemplate that influence later. The situation regarding Alex and Aira, and whether or not she should move forward with him, played out with the Tower, followed by the High Priestess in reverse—the need to listen to her instincts. Aira sighed.
    She was still contemplating the spread of cards in front of her when a knock sounded at her door. “Come in,” she said absently, trying to find out whether she was being told to avoid the situation altogether, or merely being told that she should be cautious. Dylan opened the door and entered, carrying a mug. He took a seat in a chair a few feet away, setting the mug down on Aira’s vanity.
    “I talked to your grandmother,” he said quietly, not wanting to interrupt her contemplation.