Queen of the Night (Book One of the Elementals)

XII. Geryon

Propped up against a wooden beam holding a fabric wall of the Command Post, Geryon watched the group preparing for the upcoming battle. Huddled close, Zelenia and Helian spoke in hushed voices with worry etched on her pretty face. Renuo sharpened his trident just beyond them, Kalisa walked around muttering incantations of protection, Tegen remained his usual self, silently staring over the ocean, and Aeris stood beside Heela talking.

None of them had seen battle; Geryon could tell from them being so nervous and fidgety. As a Kemiji, Tegen would've experienced fights, but the large beast-man had shown nothing close to what his race was known for. The Earth Elemental was gentle, quiet, and a lover of nature. So, it was just him. Great.

He surveyed the Command Post again—the Rovaneim had removed the wooden benches and tables of the overlook to make room. From how one viewed it, the open space could be a blessing or disastrous if the fighting is shared with them up here. Far to the left sat the cage holding the Fangril spawn; about ten men stood by it to ensure everything worked. But Geryon had been through enough battles to know things never went according to plan.

Even though Geryon forced himself to look around the Command Post, his eyes kept drifting back to the only thing he could focus on: Aeris. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't tear his attention away from her. When she started to turn because she felt someone's eyes on her, he'd look back at the others until she stopped being paranoid. But even then, he heard the soft ring of her beautiful voice, felt those penetrating eyes look over him, or caught a brief scent of her in the breeze.

Everything about her entranced him. It was embarrassing how much her presence affected him. Never had some woman had this kind of effect on him. He didn't have this trouble with the past two Air Elementals, and one had been a woman.

Geryon shifted. Being a man was his excuse. Of course, I would be attracted to a woman as beautiful as she. But this was more than just a mere attraction of the opposite sex. A magnetic pull enticed him to get closer and test his limits. Anytime they became close, the air sizzled; feeling it, both would move away, unsure about the sudden reaction. How he longed to just reach out and touch her though—just to run his fingers through that golden hair! But there was no telling what the simplest of a touch would do—

The discomfort tinting her voice pricked his senses and set him on edge.

"I don't like this, Heela. Everything about this just seems wrong."

"Then why don't we just go? Suggest it to the others. I'm sure they feel uneasy about this too. I definitely do and I'm not even a warrior," Heela said, ending with a dry chuckle that had no humor in it.

Aeris turned on him. "Leave knowing we could've helped?" She looked out over the dark sea, distant in some somber memory. "Knowing I could've helped save lives? No. I will never allow that to happen."

Heela placed a hand on her arm. "I know. Sorry."

She took a deep breath as she folded her arms. "Which is why I don't want you up here when the fighting begins."

Stunned, he stared at Aeris. "What! Why!"

She turned, beautiful features hard in firmness. "Because as you just said, you aren't a warrior; you aren't a fighter. You're armed with merely a dagger and a guitar."

"Aeris... I can help!"

"Help by doing what, Heela? Playing a lullaby to put Fangril to sleep?" She took a breath to steady herself. "I cannot protect you while protecting myself and the others. If anything happened to you..." Moisture brimmed in her silver eyes as she cupped his face.

"But what if something happens to you?" His voice carried the same thickness of emotion.

She grinned at him. "You know me. I have the lives of a cat; just eight more to go."