Elemental Flame Read Online Free PDF

splash around in the running water. She swam up to me and slid her colored scales against my cheek. I smiled at her and realized the water on my face wasn't from any of the sink stream's spray.
    I sensed eyes on me and turned to see all of my Elementals crowded in the kitchen with me. My Gnome stood by the door and gave me a sad face. As did the Sylph as he glided through the air, and the Salamander as he moved to float in front of me.
    I felt their concern, our empathic communication a comfort. They missed Crwys too. There had been something about him, something about his magic that called to them. Fed them. And it fed me and the Arcane that rested inside of me. Two days ago, I wanted to give into that need to be close to him. And he'd promised me he'd tell me what he was.
    Drachen was the term he'd used when we met. But because that wasn't the word my dex gave me, I thought he was lying. I'd always assumed as much.
    "Drachen." I rolled the word around on my tongue.
    To my surprise, all of the Elementals nodded their heads. Were they agreeing that's what he was?
    "Crwys is a Drachen?"
    Again, they all nodded.
    I knew what the word sounded like, but it just wasn't possible, was it? "No…that can't be right. There's no such thing. I mean yeah, you guys are also like myths but you're real. And so are Faeries and Vampires…and I just had a Boggart in the shop." I stood in the kitchen by the stove, and wrapped my head around the possibility that Crwys was something a lot bigger than I thought possible. And I didn't mean in size—though size could definitely be an issue.
    I thought back over some of the comments Levi made since the three of us met. I knew he didn't approve of Crwys and I, but I'd always thought that was a cop and Witch sort of thing. Especially since they busted grifters in New Orleans all the time.
    But could it be something else? And if what I was thinking was true, if the image in my head was even remotely possible, it could be Levi's caution wasn't for Crwys, but for me?
    My Salamander moved in front of my face and made a tiny flair as he shot fire from his mouth. I'd never seen him do that before. But then he fanned his face and darted at the running stream of water, licking it as if to cool down his throat. I saw tiny wisps of steam rise from his nostrils. "Is that it? Is it possible that Crwys Holliard doesn't register on my dex because he's a…"
    "Sam!" Ivan shouted from behind the door to my apartment just as the kettle whistled.
    I turned the eye off and poured the boiling water into the bowl with the noodles. "What?" I shouted back.
    "You okay?"
    "What do you want?!"
    "Oh, ah, you've got a visitor down in the shop."
    A visitor? It wasn't Crwys because Ivan would tell me. I set the kettle back on the stove and covered the bowl with a towel. "It's not Prescott is it?" I did not want any more visits from Levi's police captain. "Or the Clerics?"
    "No. You have to come down here."
    "Is it bad?"
    "Just…come down, okay?"
    I didn't answer and listened for his footfalls heading back down the stairs. My Salamander lounged on the side of the sink. The others had vanished when Ivan intruded. I looked at the little guy. "That's what he is, isn't it?"
    The Salamander nodded.
    Lady Darksome…
    Casting a glance at the towel covered bowl, I realized the noodles would be paste by the time I got back upstairs to eat them and just left them on the counter. The waste didn't bother me like it usually did. "Grey, can you go see who it is?" I opened the apartment door and watched as she scooted down the stairs.
    Then, Sam—
    Is it bad? This visitor?
    You'll have to push through this.
    Oh shit.
    I walked through the door into the retail area. The shop was empty except for Kyle, Ivan and me…
    And Robin.
    Robin Tremere.
    He had his niece Kathy in tow. She stood beside him, her hand in his, and she was looking around the shop in awe. I was pretty sure she could see a whole lot more than Robin.
    He and I had dated not long