elemental 05 - inferno Read Online Free PDF Page B

to do that,” he said nervously.
    “Yeah, well, there’s a reason I’m in contention to rule the element,” Aira said tersely. She took a deep breath as secretly as possible and realized that it was going to only get harder—and more painful—for her to use her abilities in the room. She looked at Dylan. “Who wants to go first?” she asked, glancing from one brother to the other. “And do we want to stay here or take Alex somewhere more private?” 
    Aiden’s bright eyes lit up with malice, and Aira found herself anticipating his interrogation with glee.
    “We should stay here unless we start to need your abilities,” Dylan suggested. 
    Aira nodded as subtly as she could, not wanting to jostle her aching head. 
    “I’d love to go first,” Aiden said, looking at Aira and then turning his gaze onto Alex. “And hey, maybe we won’t even need Dylan.” Aira could sense Aiden’s dislike of Alex, on more than one level. She felt a brief moment of uncertainty about Aiden’s ability to hold himself back from seriously injuring Alex. A few burns, evidence of a scuffle, and they’d be fine—after all, Alex was slated to die, and there was not as high a premium on avoiding roughness in interrogations among the elementals. But if Aiden really, seriously injured Alex, he would be in trouble as a result. 
    “Just don’t kill him or permanently injure him,” Aira said firmly. “We don’t need all of us going down with him.” Alex looked nervous—and he should—as Aiden approached him.
    “Who gave you the poison?” Aiden asked him right away, holding his hand out and slowly forming fire in it to remind Alex just what it was he was up against. Aira felt the aching in her skull intensify, the weakness in her body and bones growing more and more difficult to resist. She had to maintain the pretext that she was fine. She couldn’t let Alex know she was so weak. 
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alex said. Aiden brought the fire closer to him, barely a foot away from the other elemental’s body. 
    “You know exactly what I’m talking about, and if you don’t give me the information I’m looking for, we’ll see if those pajamas you’re wearing are flame-resistant-.” Alex glanced at Aira and Dylan as if waiting to see if they were going to let Aiden follow through on his threat. “Don’t look at them; you’re talking to me. Tell me who gave you that poison.” Aira almost smiled at the genuine fear in Alex’s eyes as Aiden brought the fire in his hand closer to him.
    “It was a fire elemental, okay?” Alex said hurriedly. “He said a friend of his made it up, it was to go to Aira if I could get her to take it somehow.” 
    Aiden nodded slowly. “Now what the hell were you thinking of, poisoning her? It’s not like it was going to help your case.” 
    Alex stepped back, his knees pressing against the side of his bed as Aiden moved closer to him.
    “If Aira were out of contention, then another elemental would become ruler of air, and I might have a chance. The guy that gave me the poison said he had a candidate in mind for the position.” Aiden growled lowly and Aira saw him extinguish the fire in his hand, pull it back, and punch Alex square in the face. Alex made a sound between a grunt and a whimper, falling onto the bed. 
    “Your turn,” Aiden said, smiling faintly at his brother. “Though when you’re done, I have a few more questions.” Dylan rolled his eyes but assumed a more serious look almost immediately. He crossed the room and pulled Alex up from the bed.
    “Tell me about the potion,” he said, settling Alex on his feet. “Don’t think for a second that I won’t be as bad as Aiden; I could waterboard you right now without feeling a trace of remorse.” Aira saw Alex shaking, heard the rattling of the chains. 
    “I don’t know,” Alex said, his voice shaking. “I don’t know anything about it—other than what I already told Aira. It was made by