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Jacob cleared his throat. “There may soon come a time when I call upon you for a favor, Isaiah.”
“And what is this favor you would ask of me?”
A sad smile lined Jacob’s features as the years of wisdom settled in his eyes. “That’s a conversation for when I ask it of you, son. Not today.”
Even as irritation kindled in the back of his mind, Isaiah accepted the diversion. “Caiaphas seemed introspective today. Any clue as to why?”
Isaiah’s words were cut off by the sound of a brisk knock at the door, and Jacob’s friendly call to enter. Lips quirking into a warm smile, the ravishing beauty who stepped into the living quarters beamed at Isaiah. Her dark brown skin gleamed with supernatural health, the dark umber of her eyes shining radiantly.
“Thought I felt a familiar presence.”
Her feminine voice was a study in eloquence but whispered of temptation. Over the years, Isaiah had enjoyed Sia’s company more times than not, but neither party coveted anything of a more permanent nature.
“Sia.” Isaiah stood to greet her. “As keen as ever, I see.”
Linking her arms around his neck, Sia’s lips met his with a welcoming peck before she drew back and gave him a coy smile. “One wonders how you’re still single, love.”
“Seducing my second, Isaiah?”
“I think it’s rather the opposite, Jacob.” Breaking away from Sia’s gaze, Isaiah eyed the other sovereign with brevity. “But I’m afraid I’m needed back home, in any case. I’ll take my leave, unless you have further need of me?”
“Before the tea is finished?” Jacob admonished, but it was with a smile. Waving a dismissive hand, Jacob settled back into his chair and picked up a well-worn book. “Be gone with you, youngling.”
Disappointment jaded Sia’s gaze for half a moment before it was wiped away with a genuine smile. “Fine. Be that way. As Jacob said, be gone with you.”
Kissing her cheek, Isaiah saluted them both and teleported to the silence of his own home. His wandering thoughts centered around one woman, and it wasn’t Sia.
Rukia would be aghast to learn of his preoccupation with her, he was certain. The tempestuous beauty who’d captured his attention had been nothing but rude and derisive with him since they’d met at the peace summit a year ago, but it’d only served to heighten his enthrallment.
While he’d certainly been fascinated by her, it went without saying that nothing would ever come of his preoccupation. Isaiah, for all he was, had no intentions of mating, nor partaking in a stable relationship. Disaster would be inevitable.
But somehow, he couldn’t quite rid himself of the fascination.
Chapter Three
Rukiaemergedfromthetemperate waters that lapped playfully at her legs and streamed back toward the lake under her near-absent command, rendering her form dry once more.
Brianna came to stand beside her seconds later, still struggling with the same ability. Grumbling, the young Elemental looked to Rukia for assistance as she commonly did, tucking her dripping brunette hair behind her ears.
“It’s not about telling the water what to do, Bri.” Rukia absently knotted her hair at the back of her neck. “It’s about directing it back toward the lake as if itwereyou. There’s a fluidity in our element that you have to find. To accept. Whether it’s the calmness of a mountain stream or the raging floods of a breached levee, we’re always fluid.”
Eyebrows pinching together, the younger woman inhaled and concentrated beside her. Rukia didn’t stick around to expand upon the comment, knowing Brianna preferred to sort through the practice without an audience.
Gliding up the shoreline, she closed her eyes and let the sun warm her olive-toned skin. A self-professed sun child, she’d never have settled in Iowa had it been her decision. She much preferred the shorelines of the East and West Coast, or the serene beauty of the Great Lakes.
The closest natural body of water was the Mississippi—and Rukia nearly gagged thinking of it. When they’d settled here in the fertile farmlands of Iowa many moons ago, she’d explored the Mississippi with a ravenous appetite.
But now, polluted with sand and sediment amid the tires and junk humans deemed dumpable, Rukia had designated the Mississippi off limits to even Paracel’s most experienced water Elementals.
Not that they complained.
Brianna bounded to her side moments later, beaming in triumph. “I did it. All dry.”
A proud smile split Rukia’s lips. “I never doubted.”
To their left, Gideon emerged from the forest. Undoubtedly, his herd of merry mentees would trail in his wake, leaving Brianna distracted and glancing toward the tree line. Rukia simply cracked her knuckles as her monarch fell in step beside them.
“Good practice, Brianna?”
