elemental 01 - whirlwind Read Online Free PDF

of her children or grandchildren to be rude—but Aira also knew if she stayed and tried to argue, she would only become angry to a point of losing control of her abilities. She let the door slam behind her and walked towards the woods.
    The wind rose, howling shrilly through the trees, shaking branches and sending dead leaves flying through the air. Aira looked up at the sky, her anger building as she thought how unfair it was she was being forced to live with two strangers set on her by her grandmother. She would have to accommodate them in her life, all because her grandmother didn’t trust her to handle herself. She closed her eyes, listened to the wind, and willed herself upward. Gradually, as she focused on the task, Aira began to rise from the ground, rocked by the wind that continued to howl through the trees. She pulled herself up through the air slowly, opened her eyes and found the tree she had loved to climb as a child. She moved in that direction, focusing her entire will on moving through the air. When she reached her favorite branch, she let herself come to a stop with her feet just above it. The venerable old tree had been her favorite haunt for years and when she learned to fly, it had only become more attractive to her. Aira wrapped her arms around and held onto the trunk of the tree tightly, not willing to exert the effort to bring the wind speed down. The tree swayed, and Aira let the movement gradually calm her down.
    She knew she was acting immaturely and her grandmother had her best interests in mind by providing her with body guards, but she had become frustrated with the fact that, in the elemental community in general as well as among her family, she was still seen as a child simply because she hadn’t come into complete possession of her abilities. She’d managed to finish college and make a life for herself using the gifts she had been blessed with. She was financially secure. Just because she wasn’t a “mature elemental” her family elders, and everyone she met in the elemental community, still treated her as if she was a teenager who needed to be protected and bossed around.
    Aira was feeling thoroughly sorry for herself when she spotted Dylan. He was walking towards her tree, looking around, and she knew he was looking for her. As he came closer, the concern in his face grew clear. He battled the wind she had unconsciously directed at him and, for a moment, she felt her anger flag slightly. She knew she shouldn’t be taking out her frustrations on him; he had merely done her grandmother a favor. He wasn’t personally trying to mess up her life. Aira brought the wind speed down to a mere gust, but she stayed on the high branch, hoping Dylan would pass her by.
    Instead, he stopped at the base of the tree and looked straight up. “You don’t have to come down.” He said, projecting his soft voice up to reach her. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry my brother and I are getting in the middle of your life. Your grandmother’s friends with our Nana, and when she asked us to do her a favor, we couldn’t say no.”
    Aira abruptly felt ashamed of herself for her temper, hearing her grandmother’s voice in her mind. “Nobody will ever take you seriously if you’re always throwing tantrums.” She sighed and looked down at Dylan, who was watching her for some kind of reaction. With a deep breath, Aira launched herself off the branch, and floated down between the tree’s limbs until she landed a few feet from Dylan. He grinned. “That’s not a bad trick,” he said.
    Aira chuckled. “It’s saved me from injury more than once,” she replied. She licked her lips subconsciously and appraised the man standing in front of her. There was something kind about his demeanor, something comforting and conciliatory. She extended her hand to him. “I apologize for acting like a brat,” she said.
    Dylan took her hand, shaking it quickly and firmly with a smile. “Trust me, I understand. My