Like a Torrent by Olivette Devaux & Mason Winters

Author:Olivette Devaux & Mason Winters
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: elements magic powers contemporary urban fantasy, gay romance frieds to lovers LGBT, architect student gift control mentor, water earth elementalist love HEA fated love, mm gay romance Pittsburgh river pollution
Publisher: Mugen Press
Published: 2017-07-11T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

Cooper wore his ground-stone on the way back to Lawrenceville. Their dire circumstances changed his opinion of the ground-stone and its effect. Whereas he used to resent the loss of his earth-sensing skills the way an amputee resented missing a limb, the dulling presence of the artifact was now a comfort that promised security.

It kept him safe – and it kept his friends safe, too.

No more earthquakes.

Yet, despite the fact that Cooper could no longer visualize the layout of the underground structures in his vicinity, he could feel the hum of the node from three miles away. Once they passed the 40th Street Bridge, the hum became a throb he couldn’t ignore.

That energy underground, the roiling and turbulent center where two flows of power met, tasted of fire and broken rock. It was just as well that Hank was driving the other vehicle. Had he been in Ash’s van, Cooper might’ve yielded to temptation and asked Hank to help him get grounded.

Which would, most likely, knock Hank out for the count.

And they needed Hank for later. That was the plan, and since Jared was the only one in their group who could see the power flows and their balance as though with plain sight, Jared’s plan seemed to be the best.

The van rumbled over a pothole. The jostle it gave Cooper was a welcome distraction from what awaited them.

“What’s wrong?” Ash asked in a low voice, as though not to over-share with Jared, who was sitting behind Cooper.

“I can feel it.” The words cost him.

“It’s calling to him,” Jared said. “I can see tendrils of power spinning out. It’s feeling out his shields.” Jared spoke of the node as though it was sentient.

“Let me ground and center some more,” Cooper said. He didn’t see the familiar landmarks they passed as Ash brought them closer and closer. Instead, he focused his attention inward. The whirling sphere at his center needed to spin, nice and slow, and the ground-stone needed to suck in any extra power he managed to leak.

“Are your shields up?” Ash’s smooth baritone was low and unobtrusive, just loud enough for Cooper to hear over the road noise.

“Trying.” And he was. He was visualizing all he was worth. Structures of light and darkness formed an overlay that distorted the tangible world around him, and keeping all those moving, ephemeral parts in place took a lot more effort than just swinging a sword. Or even swimming.

“Good,” Ash said. “Me too. Jared, are your shields up?”

A guilty silence resonated from the back seat.

“Jared.” An admonition.

“I can’t see through my own shields.” Jared ground out in a strained whisper.

Ash pulled into a parking space in front of the first row house. “Shield up now, just to get a break,” he ordered. “You can drop them later, as needed.”

“Okay.”

They all walked like in a daze. Had Cooper been able to make flippant observations, he’d have said they were all like a bunch of zombies, but as it was, he moved with the same stiff walk of Jared and Ash.

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