Eight

  About a month into their training, Nathaniel was finding the nights exceedingly long and the days spent by Brianna’s side way too short. As he made his way to the clearing, he reminisced the day they practiced way after dark. At dawn, he asked her to start a fire pit for practice purposes, but in truth he just didn’t want to leave. In return, she asked him to kill the fire with water from the river and though the water started to move, it was not enough to perform the task. The woman held one of his hands and he felt a surge of power coursing through him, allowing him to call for the water and lower the flames. The memory almost put a smile to his face, but he frowned, shook his head and kept his morning path towards her.

When he reached the clearing, Brianna was not there. He checked her cottage, but still no sign of her. He began to pace aimlessly, wondering where she could be. What if she was done with him? Or she was in danger? What if someone found out about her? Maybe the Council. He had not thought about the Council for a while and the idea they might have gotten to her made his heart race. He ran back to the woods and without giving it much thought, reached for a tree and asked where she was. He had never asked for anything other than the element’s needs, so he was surprised when the earth answered. Perhaps she was indeed the easiest of the elements. Either way, he was grateful and darted upriver trying to reach the water source.

The water sprung richly from the soil, creating a natural pool. The rocks that made the river bottom were visible even in the deepest spots, and the morning sun shed a beautiful light on the dancing surface. The first thing he noticed were her clothes, carefully folded by the riverside. Then, he saw her red hair immersed in the crystalline waters of the spring. She emerged with her eyes closed and a satisfied smile on her face. The water reached her waist and he couldn’t help by follow a drop that escaped her collarbone and fell to her breasts, slowing down when it reached her nipple, where it stopped for a split second before rejoining the water below.

Brianna savored the moment after answering the water’s call to free the water source. The flow was restored, and she was relishing in her achievement, feeling the comfortable delight that came after answering to a calling. She opened her eyes to admire her work once again but was greeted instead with a familiar pair of hazel eyes with a not so familiar expression. She was terribly aware of his wandering gaze and felt the need to cross her arms. Brianna was not unaware of her allure and noticed how the man was affected by it.

She had no intention to extend his suffering, so she swiftly exited the water and walked away from him, towards her stack of clothes. Unwilling to wet them but also aware of her bareness, Bree called for the wind to dry her out faster. Her hair flowed around, and she combed it with her fingers, enjoying the soft breeze. Unexpectedly, a strong pair of hands turned her around by the waist and darted up to cup her face, leading her to meet eyes that pierced through her with painful desire. He was calling for her.

“What do you want, Nathaniel?” She asked softly.

“I want to kiss you” She nodded slowly and closed the distance between them only just touching his lips with hers.

Nathaniel acknowledged her permission and immediately dropped his hands to her hips to pull her closer. When she threw her arms around his neck, and he felt the need to explore her further. He deepened their kiss and his fingers dug into her skin, holding her passionately while her fingers entangled his hair. He was excruciatingly aware of her naked body pressed against him, her skin was silky like a marble statue and warm like a bed recently left. He trailed the path from her hips to the curve of her waist. It was as if she were molded to accommodate his fingers, and he couldn’t help but slide towards her back to embrace her tenderly. He felt her pulling back from his lips and saw it as an opportunity to place kisses down neck, but she placed a hand on his chest and leaned away.

“Nathaniel” She warned, with a voice so soft, so gentle, he almost didn’t notice it was a warning. He cleared out of his daze and took a reluctant step back.

“What happened, Brianna?”

“You asked for a kiss and I gave it to you.”

“What if I had asked for something more?”

“You didn’t. Now we should go back to the clearing to start our training”

The moment had passed, and Nathaniel knew he was granted something that would not come again easily. It was a gift and now it was gone, leaving him with the burning feeling of a one-time only memory. They headed back to the clearing, but he was not in the right state of mind to practice. They barely spoke that day and the practice ended earlier then ever.