Air: Elementalist Book 1 by Rebecca Wolf (christmas read aloud .TXT) 📗

“Zephyr, Aiden, what a lovely couple you make.” Sherry Anemos stood several steps away, flanked by two identical girls wearing skintight dresses and haughty expressions on their bony frames. Sherry smiled like a shark circling for blood.

“Why thank you Sherry,” Aiden said pulling me more closely into his side. “I am afraid all the beauty in our relationship is contributed by my better half.”

“Oh. Aren’t you sweet!” Sherry said condescendingly. "These two ladies are your cousins Zephyr, meet Agatha, and Bettina. I thought it would be nice for you to meet some of your family members.”

One twin turned to the other “It IS quite obvious though that she had some help.”

“Yes, we’d love the name of your plastic surgeon,” said the other.

“Oh! This is all natural,” I said, motioning to myself, “but I understand the confusion. I was also quite shocked to see that my good looks could have come from the same genetics as yours.” The two devil sisters stared at me agape. They must have been expecting a willing victim. “Well ladies, it’s been a real pleasure meeting more of the rotten fruit from the maternal family tree, but Aiden and I don’t want any of our other guests to feel neglected.” I placed my arm around Aiden’s waist and the two of us turned and walked away.

My mother’s family. Here? I tried to hide my feelings, but I was absolutely livid. I could feel Aiden’s supernatural heat eating away at the magic I couldn’t control.

Why was my mother’s family invited to this?? The look I pierced Aiden with was murderous.

“Let’s head somewhere more private, shall we?” Aiden suggested.  An older couple stood nearby listening in and the man gave us a knowing wink. “Try the coat closet,” he advised Aiden with a pat on the shoulder. “Oh, young love,” sighed the woman, misty eyed, “so passionate. So romantic!”

Aiden bustled me into the coat room, and closed the door. He turned and I slapped him across the face, my air magic flaring past his control. “My mother’s family??” I hissed, “you invited THEM??”

“They are elementalists,” Aiden said, as if that explained everything.

The wind picked up, starting a whirlwind around me. Coats flew like kites on their hangers.

“I don’t care if they are dancing bears in tutus! I don’t know what games you play in business, but you leave my family out of our personal life.”

“You probably should have put that in the contract.”

“Well I didn’t think I needed to spell it out for you!”

“Zephyr, things like this are complicated on this side of the tracks. Elementalist families have started all-out wars over less slights.” I took a deep breath in and tried to gain control. The wind stopped swirling, the coats settled back in their places. For the most part. I was still peeved.

“They better be seated far away from me,” I said in a warning tone.

“They are,” he said reassuringly.

“Next time we are seating them by the bathrooms. And we're leaving the door wide open.”

“what if you have to use the facilities?”

“I’ll cross my legs.” I said.

He threw his head back and laughed. I gave him a grudging half smile in return. I still wanted to smack his stupid face. He had no right to look so attractive while being so infuriating.

The door burst open and there stood his mother with a knowing grin on her face. She looked at us and then did a double take. “Oh,” she said in disappointment,“you’re still wearing all your clothing…what a shame.” She tsked, “I expected things to be further along.”

“Sorry to disappoint Mother,” Aiden said dryly.

“Well, there will be plenty of time to make grandchildren after the wedding I suppose. You two lovebirds are needed in the reception hall.”

“She thinks we’re making GRANDCHILDREN??” I whispered, “Now??”

“Ignore her,” Aiden whispered back.

We followed his mother out back to the reception area and took our seats. We were seated together with Aiden’s mother, Penny, Brian, a stuffy priest named Father Michael, who apparently was set to officiate our wedding, and Fabio, Father Michael’s toy poodle. Fabio was apparently part of the packaged deal, and required his own place setting. Penny sat next to me and gave me a pointed look, “really? I thought he was the enemy.”

“He is the enemy.”

Brian leaned over Penny from where he was sitting on her other side. “You always were a very forgiving child.”

“Oh, for the love of GOD, we have NOT slept together!” I said, then covered my mouth as I realized I had said it out loud.

Father Michael nodded solemnly. “It’s so rare to find pious individuals, who are willing to sacrifice their bodily pleasures for the long-term reward of waiting until the marriage night. I am truly honored to be your officiant.” I put my head in my hands.

“She’s obviously overcome with emotion” Aiden explained to Father Michael, “she really has a very sensitive soul,”

I kicked Aiden under the table. I found his ensuing grunt to be very satisfying.

During the meal, Aiden kept finding ways to touch me. He played with my hair, and grazed his fingers up my neck. He lightly kissed the apex of my shoulder after making a point in the discussion at the table. His touches were appropriate for public displays but felt intimately possessive, and it bothered me. To add insult to injury, my body still responded to him. It was torturous.

They brought the dessert course out. Or, more like lowered it from the ceiling. It was a five-tiered upside-down chandelier cake. It had  clear and red gemstones made of crystalized sugar strung and hung around the cake in a complicated pattern. Somehow the bakers had engineered it to light up like a real chandelier. There was polite applause at the decorative masterpiece. Apparently, the crystals represented our elements intertwining.

They had just begun handing out slices of cake, when Aiden’s mother clinked her spoon against her champagne flute to get everyone’s attention.

“I would