Goddess Of Air

The Elementals: Goddess of Air Marteeka Karland All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2006 Marteeka Karland

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Air waits with bated breath and the breezes halt.

Anticipation is almost lethal and all the Elementals feel it.

The goddess awaits her fate.

Chapter 1 “No! Please, no!” Angelina was about to come for the fifth time this afternoon, and she wasn’t at all sure her sanity would withstand it. The handsome priest between her legs looked at her, but didn’t pause in his nibbling and slurping of her cunt. She knew what would make him stop, what the “safe word” was -- she just couldn’t seem to make herself say it. “My beautiful Angelina.” The deep, masculine voice next to her ear sent shivers down her body and with one extra puff of air, as if he knew exactly what effect it would have on her, he whispered, “Because I wish it -- and only because I wish it -- you will come now.” And she did. Deep, body-wracking spasms forced a gush of liquid pleasure from her cunt to the waiting mouth of the only remaining archangel left in Heaven. Gabriel had stayed to ensure her safety -- not because he wanted to. It was his job. He kept the balance in Heaven. He wouldn’t prevent anything Chaos chose to do unless it endangered her physically. The fact that he hadn’t thrown Chaos out as soon as he’d brought her here said he believed Chaos was essential to balance. But he was enjoying himself too damned much.

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Her limp body was spread out and bound on a bed of clouds, her wings tucked neatly behind her. Chaos had kept her thus in one form or another for several months now with no end in sight. He hadn’t spoken to her except to comment on Gabriel’s use of her body or to tell her to come or not to come -- and she tried her best to please him enough for him to let her come because she found she could no longer do so unless he permitted it. The periods he allowed her to rest, Chaos left her in solitude. Always, it was Gabriel he directed to torment her. Chaos rarely touched her himself. She was always bound. As her body wrung out the last of the painfully pleasurable contractions, Angelina gasped out a sob. “Please, Chaos. No more. Make him stop.” “But, my dear Angelina, you look so lovely bound at my mercy. It’s not as if you’re not having a good time. You’ve come so many times, and I have not.” His condescending tone was more strained than amused. He obviously wasn’t as unaffected as she expected him to be. He didn’t seem to be worried about any power she might have. Considering he’d kept her too mentally and physically worn out to concentrate on anything other than breathing, perhaps there was a reason he didn’t fear her. But what of this seemingly overpowering lust? Chaos never showed weakness. “Why are you doing this?” She was becoming desperate and was dangerously close to begging him. “What do you want from me?” His grin was slow, sexy, and scary as hell. “I want to torment you as you have me all these years… Eurynome.” “What?” She was too tired to be having this conversation. She’d felt his anger through an unexpected link she found to him through the Air, but she had no idea this was the cause of his anger. “Chaos, I’m not Eurynome.” “Just because you left doesn’t mean I’m letting you go now that I have you back. This time, you’re mine.” Chaos nodded to Gabriel, who shrugged and immediately latched his mouth onto her clit again. “But, I’m not Eur -- ahhhh!” Angelina screamed. Her body tensed and the painful pleasure started all over again. She never thought there could ever be such a thing as

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too much pleasure, too many orgasms, but she wasn’t sure how much more her body could take. Gabriel played her clit over and over, bringing her to the crest of climax then letting her slowly slide back down before starting all over again. All the while, Chaos stood a couple of feet away, his arms crossed with a smug grin on his face and lust in his eyes. This man meant to fuck her. But not before he was good and ready. Chaos loved seeing Angelina like this. He knew she wasn’t Eurynome. At least, part of him did. He wanted to still believe she was the love he’d lost so many eons ago. The other part of him was glad she wasn’t. After what Eurynome had done to him, she deserved this. She’d used him. Why shouldn’t he return the favor? He’d loved her more than life itself -- would have done anything for her. Eurynome deserved this, not Angelina. Eurynome had left, taking his heart with her. Never again. Not even Angelina. She wasn’t as cold as Eurynome -- a fact he loved exploring -- but she would never accept him as her mate, and that was exactly what Chaos wanted. He’d wanted it since he first met the Goddess of Air so very long ago. Instead, he’d torment her beautiful body by blurring the lines she’d always known between pleasure and pain, but he’d take her to heights of ecstasy she’d never known existed. He’d make her totally dependent on him for physical release. Then leave her. And she’d be forced to seek him out. He watched in smug fascination as the archangel really did a number on Angelina’s cunt. Gabriel’s tongue darted out several times to circle her clit before his mouth closed around her bare pussy once again. Chaos grinned. Now was the time to introduce the smallest amount of pain in this session. He liked to keep her off balance. Such was his nature. “You look so beautiful, Angelina. I love watching you writhe in pleasure, looking into your eyes as you sink slowly into a sexual madness.” “You’re a bastard, Chaos.”

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He chuckled at her breathless reply to hide the wince. “If you think that now, I can’t imagine what you’ll think when this is all over.” Glad he’d thought of it before he’d brought her here today, he pulled a pair of rubber-tipped nipple clamps from the cloud’s misty surface. “It’s time to introduce you to something new, my sweet Angelina.” Her eyes widened. “Chaos.” Her gaze flew to his with real fear in their icy blue depths. “What are you doing?” He didn’t say anything as he slowly, deliberately, moved to place a clamp on her right nipple. Stopping just before the teeth closed over her, he pulled back. “Hum,” he said, studying her nipple with great interest. “It probably needs to be hard and standing a little taller before I do this, don’t you think so, Gabriel?” The blond man raised his head and it was like everything moved in slow motion. Chaos felt like he was caught in a vacuum. He could hear nothing but the beating of his own heart. He couldn’t breathe. Gabriel turned his multi-hued eyes to both of them and they were powerless to look away. It was as if the existence of the very universe depended on his next words. “You will not damage her, Chaos. My task at hand is the harmony and balance within this place, but I oversee the greater good everywhere. I will allow you to do only what I deem necessary, and only what she does not truly object to.” In that moment, the man had the most dominating presence of anyone Chaos had ever met. Gabriel held their gazes a moment longer before dipping his head back to Angelina’s cunt. And the moment was gone. Chaos looked warily at Gabriel before glancing at Angelina. Her face was sweaty and flushed, and two veins stood out at her temple and neck, but she looked at Gabriel with a puzzled expression. Obviously, she couldn’t figure him out either. When she glanced his way, his breath caught. She was so beautiful! He’d never met a woman to match her. Even at the height of his obsession with Eurynome, he’d never thought her as beautiful as Angelina.

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Her skin was like creamy alabaster and her frame was tall and willowy. Her limbs, though lightly muscled, were delicate and classically feminine. Her snow-white curls flowed around her, curling about her shoulders and over one breast. Her pussy was currently covered by Gabriel’s mouth, but the absence of pubic hair made him hard just thinking about it. She stretched her arms over her head, her small breasts thrust out at him. The light, dusky pink of her nipples beckoned him like nothing else ever had. Pushing everything else out of his mind, he knelt beside her and sucked one nipple into his mouth. Her cry was music to his ears, especially when she thrust her chest into him as much as her bonds allowed. Pulling hard on her nipple, he let it slide slowly out of his mouth and quickly attached the clamp. Her sharp intake of air left him strangely anxious. He searched her face for signs she was in too much discomfort, but she bit her lower lip and didn’t say a thing. “You remember the safe word, yes?” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to remind her she had a way out. She simply nodded, her white teeth still worrying her lower lip. “Say it.” “Elemental.” Her gasp was almost inaudible, but her answer satisfied Chaos. The safe word was easy to remember, yet out of the realm of their sex play. Should she use it, he would stop everything instantly. Her torment would be over and so would his. All this time, he’d believed Eurynome was his mate, not Angelina. He just couldn’t figure out why he was drawn to Angelina, or why he couldn’t imagine not having her in his life. Always. Even though it had seemed they were enemies, they had talked at length almost daily until the eruption at Yellowstone. With changes in the elements happening so quickly, Angelina hadn’t had the time to spend with him she’d always had. It had taken that event to realize what Eurynome had tried to teach him; he wasn’t the enemy of the Elementals -- he was that which balanced all that neatness and order. He’d missed Angelina, and it puzzled the hell out of him. So he’d spent every moment he had searching for Eurynome. He’d searched every plane of existence

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possible and everywhere he’d gone, everyone he’d questioned had pointed him back here. To Heaven. He thought it meant Eurynome had disguised herself as the Goddess of Air. In order to keep an eye on her most favorite world, perhaps she had become the one goddess who could see everything. After all, Air flowed to every corner of the earth. His purpose had been to torment the little bitch. He wanted her to pay for every scar to his heart. Instead, he had this pale skinned woman spread so deliciously out before him. She wasn’t the master of deception he’d thought her, but he’d have to be careful or he’d lose his heart again. “Good. Very good. But you have to know, if you use that word, I’ll leave and I won’t return. Ever. All you have to do to be rid of me is say one little word.” She took in a deep breath and closed her hands into fists. “I don’t want rid of you, Chaos. I never did.” “No one wants chaos, Angelina. Everyone needs some kind of order.” “Perhaps, but the proper mix of chaos and order is the spice of life.” Again, he moved toward her upturned breasts with one of the nipple clamps. Dipping his head, he sucked one peak into his mouth making it stand out even farther when he let it go with an audible slurp. “You like spicy?” He carefully placed the clamp, letting it go and watching the very tip of her nipple darken slightly with the loss of circulation. “I can give you spicy, my dear.” She cried out, but he felt a flood of excitement wash over her the likes of which he’d never experienced with any other living being. Perhaps there was promise here after all. At least he’d have a good time before he left her. He grinned. “That’s it. I want to hear you scream, Angelina.” He grinned triumphantly as she arched into him. Looking at the effect, he studied her chest for a moment. “Hmm,” he mused. “I could get used to this.” He looked down at Gabriel who was still attached at the lips to Angelina’s clit. “Watching him go down on you is a real turn on.” It was only half the truth. It was a turn on, but it also made him furious. He wanted to rip the other

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man’s heart out for touching his woman. When he spoke next, his voice was husky but his groin filled with blood, creating the biggest hard-on he could remember having in quite some time. “I’m wondering what it would be like to watch him fuck you. What do you think about that?” “I -- whatever you want. Just please end this. I don’t think I can stand much more.” She sounded -- felt -- desperate. He’d kept her stimulated in one way or another for several days in a row with little or no rest. She must be exhausted. Chaos waved his hand over her body, like a magician, and her bonds within the clouds moved. Her legs opened and bent at the knees so that her cunt was totally exposed to his view… And Gabriel’s cock. He nodded to the archangel and Gabriel licked a path up Angelina’s body until he covered her with his own. Nibbling and licking her neck, Gabriel teased her by sliding his cock all around her pussy, but never entering her. Chaos could see her hips straining to meet Gabriel’s and her soft moans became cries of frustration in short order. “Chaos!” she sobbed. “Please make him fuck me!” “Why, my dear?” He knew his matter-of-fact tone grated on her nerves. She was wound so tight, she could barely form a coherent sentence and for him to be apparently unaffected disturbed her. “You’ve never asked for it before and you’ve had plenty of opportunities.” “I need to be filled, Chaos. I’m empty! I need something to fill my soul and my cunt. I can’t stand this hollow feeling inside.” “And do you think Gabriel will fill you?” She really started crying then, her pelvis thrusting up at Gabriel spastically. “No! No one can fill me.” “Except me?” “Damn you! I hate you, Chaos!”

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He chuckled and nodded to Gabriel once again. The archangel plunged into her on the next stroke. His cock was larger than average and Chaos could actually feel the burning pleasure inside her. He also felt the hollowness she thought could never be filled. Angelina’s beautiful face was flushed in her passion, but frustration and despair floated in her eyes. The need for physical release was almost overwhelming and completely overpowering. The fine muscles in her arms stood out in stark relief as she fought against her bonds, as did the tendons and veins in her neck. Gabriel’s strokes increased in speed and intensity until he was slamming into her so hard that her small breasts bounced with each thrust. She screamed in desperation, her words incoherent but her intent clear. Not sure why he felt the need to end her suffering, sure it was more out of pity than anything else, Chaos leaned over her body and quickly, but carefully, removed the nipple clamps. With the sensation of blood returning to the small bits of flesh, Chaos felt Angelina fall into a sexual frenzy that sent her plunging over the edge into insanity. She bucked as much as her restraints allowed, shaking her head violently from side to side. Her snow-white hair, damp with sweat, stuck to her face, giving her the illusion of a crazed witch. Her screams seemed to go on forever before finally tapering to whimpers. Gabriel’s thrusts quickened and with a ragged groan of pleasure, he grabbed his cock and pulled out of her, cupped his free hand, and came into the well of his palm. Chaos looked at him sharply. “Why did you do that?” Gabriel was still breathing hard and it was a moment before he answered. “She is not for me.” “I thought you wanted to mark her with your seed.” “Would it have made her mine?” “Never!” The exclamation surprised him. He didn’t want to keep Angelina, only make her want him to keep her. He hoped Gabriel didn’t see anything other than that in his features. Gabriel saw entirely too much as it was. If he suspected Chaos had any

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tender feelings at all for Angelina -- well, Chaos didn’t want to think about that. “It doesn’t matter. I only wanted to reward you for helping me keep her here.” “As I said before --” Gabriel’s voice was calm, emotionless, “-- she is not mine to take.” The two men stared at each other a few moments. Chaos swore the other man was sizing him up, trying to discover his real intentions. “Have you any other need of me or the goddess at the moment?” Chaos raised his chin a notch. “No. You may take her to the bathing pool, but you will not leave her unattended, nor will you let her leave this place.” Gabriel merely nodded. Waving his hand over Angelina’s body, he released the invisible restraints within the clouds and lifted her with great care and tenderness. When she was settled comfortably against his chest, her delicate arms draped around his neck, her wings hanging limply to drape his forearm, Gabriel looked at Chaos. “She does not deserve your torment.” “Why not? She’s only getting what she delivered to me.” Over the decades, Chaos had conversed, not only with Angelina, but Gabriel as well. Somehow, Chaos had managed to convince the archangel Angelina was really Eurynome in disguise. It was how he’d gotten Gabriel to help him in the first place. Gabriel’s existence was all about protecting the Goddess of Air. If this goddess was really Eurynome, then the real goddess was out there somewhere unprotected. It was Gabriel’s duty to find her. If he found out Chaos had been wrong -- or worse, lied altogether -- Chaos was sure to lose Angelina. “Is she? Are you so sure she is the one you seek?” “The conclusion is logical. Only the air could watch the entire world, even the depths of the sea, and only the Goddess of All Things would have the power to process all the information not of air hidden within the air. She is the one.” Gabriel only stared at him a moment longer before turning his back and taking the Goddess of Air to a place she could heal her bruised body.

Chapter 2 Angelina lay on her bed curled into a tight ball. For the first time in the many months she’d been Chaos’s prisoner, Gabriel had left her unbound. She wasn’t sure exactly why he had allowed Chaos to hold her prisoner, to torment her so -- he was supposed to be on her side! He was supposed to protect her when necessary. Instead, he had become her tormenter just as much as Chaos. “It is necessary, Goddess.” The archangel’s inflection didn’t hold an ounce of sympathy. She wanted to respond, she really did, but she simply couldn’t muster the energy. This round of sexual torment and pleasure had left her even more drained than usual. Chaos was slowly but surely eating away at her soul, worming his way into her heart and mind, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to fend him off much longer. Even more, she wasn’t sure she wanted to. Everything about the man screamed “bastard,” but she knew there was more to him than there seemed. True, he had helped trigger the eruption at Yellowstone, but it seemed to Angelina he had done many things to help heal the planet after the disaster. Though they had helped each other as needed, all the Elementals had yet to converge and put their true power to the test when all was at peace. Which meant that, though each one had done their part during times of crisis, they had yet to apply all they had learned on a daily basis. The planet would not truly be at harmony with itself until each Elemental worked with the others without thinking about it. The Gods of Fire and Earth were making progress, as well as the Goddess of Water. Plus, Allison, the mate of the fire god, Pyros, had an almost unbelievable ability with her runes. Angelina firmly believed Allison was the key to the unity of them all.

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But where did Chaos fit in? OK, that wasn’t a fair question. Angelina knew he was her mate; she had no doubt about that. She just wasn’t sure he was a smart choice given his nature. He couldn’t help but wreak havoc everywhere he went. That was something else that bothered her. She got the distinct feeling there was always a plan in the back of his mind -- a method to the madness. “I don’t know what to do, Gabriel,” she whispered weakly. “Nothing makes sense anymore.” “Such is the nature of Chaos. Without him, there would be no order.” “Paradoxes.” She was frustrated, confused, and exhausted. It wasn’t something she was used to as a goddess. “You must rest, Goddess. Chaos will not leave you for long.” “I need Raphael.” “He does not hold the key to your answers.” “I know that,” she snapped. “Allison is the key to all of it, but Raphael has always been my best friend. He knows me better than anyone in this world. I need his comfort.” Gabriel was as impassive as ever. “He cannot give you what you need. He is mated.” “Not every need lies in sex, Gabriel. I would have thought an archangel would have been intelligent enough to know that. Raphael did.” She hugged a snow-white pillow to her and pulled her knees even closer to her chest. “I need his comfort and advice.” “You need only Chaos. He has the only answers you need.” Gabriel was nothing if not persistent and sure of himself. “You just don’t understand, Gabriel.” “Then explain it to me.” He moved to the bed and sat at her feet. His light gray wings brushed her thigh gently.

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“I don’t think it’s something that can be explained.” She was exhausted. Sleep was all she wanted. Taking one last deep breath, Angelina surrendered herself to her dreams. Gabriel sat there for a moment, looking at the tormented woman beside him. She was the only one who could save Chaos. It was regretful she had to pay for mistakes not of her own making, but she was strong enough. He smiled. It would give her an advantage when Chaos realized his mistake. He could very well spend several centuries making it up to her. He stood, not chaining her to the bed this night. She would run, if she had the energy. Perhaps it was time.

*** Flat on her belly, her hands tied behind her back, trapping her wings, Angelina found herself screaming in the greatest pleasure she had ever known as Gabriel slid into her ass over and over. His wings brushed her arms and legs at varying intervals and the tickling sensation only added to the sexual intensity. Chaos sat next to her, stroking her hair. He said something, but she couldn’t concentrate on his words. She only knew that he’d told her she wasn’t to come until he said she could. It took all her concentration to follow that command, leaving no room for witty repartee. He stroked himself and she found it was easier for her to hold off her own orgasm if she focused on him. His hand stroked and squeezed his thick shaft, the precome oozing from the purplish tip. How she itched to taste him! She knew if she ever sampled him, she’d never want to let him go. She wasn’t entirely certain she would ever be able to leave him as it was. He held the key to her every sexual fantasy and worst sexual torment, her every dream and nightmare… Everything good, everything bad inside her was mirrored in him. She projected the good, he projected the bad, but it was all there. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing a person you never thought you’d become, only to find out it was you all along.

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Her perfect mate was the one being in the universe she could never have. He would consume her and take her power for his own. And she couldn’t allow that. Ever. Moving in front of her face, straddling her head in the V of his legs so that his groin was at her lips when she raised her head to look at him, Chaos raised her by her shoulders and slid closer to her. His cock stood up proudly just above her mouth and she really had no choice but to suck him. He supported her upper body, but the arch of her back was uncomfortable to say the least. “The quicker you get me off, the quicker I let you up, Angelina.” She looked up at him. His eyes were so filled with lust it took her breath. Determined to make it through this with her heart intact, she almost didn’t notice when Gabriel pulled out of her ass and slipped from the bed. The absence of his weight eased the discomfort to her lower back, but it also made her acutely aware of the fact that she was alone with Chaos. She couldn’t answer -- his cock was firmly encased between her lips. All she could do was suck him as best she could and hope she didn’t lose herself. The texture of him filled her mouth. Her tongue swirled over each ridge and valley. His salty essence was her elixir of life. Her jaw ached as she sucked and licked, yet she couldn’t get enough. She nibbled gently, though she didn’t know why. This was her one chance to get even with him, but she couldn’t do anything other than pleasure him the way he’d ordered her. She worked him with every ounce of energy she possessed. Nothing existed in her mind other than pleasing his cock, pleasing him. Finally, when she thought she could take no more, his balls drew tight and his cock swelled. With a mighty shout, Chaos came. Spurt after spurt of fluid shot down her throat and filled her mouth, a small amount leaking from one corner of her lips. He pushed her away from him, leaving her on her stomach on the bed. She thought he would leave then, but instead, he knelt on the bed and undid the bindings at her wrists, then left without speaking a word. Her jaw hurt, her back hurt, her wings were cramped as hell and her shoulders didn’t want to move after being pulled in the wrong direction for too long. And she had

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never been more frustrated in her life. She knew he wouldn’t be back that night, and he hadn’t given her permission to come, therefore she would be miserable until he returned for her in the morning, thanks to the conditioning he’d given her over the last few months. She just knew that was part of the plan. Tears leaked from her eyes and she brushed them away angrily. In a way, she was glad of his insensitivity. It proved to her what she’d been trying so very hard to convince herself she’d been wrong about. Chaos cared for no one but himself -- least of all her. She had to find a way to leave Heaven. When Chaos had first brought her here as his prisoner, he’d bribed and bullied her priests into leaving. With all the other angels and archangels gone, it left only Chaos and Gabriel to prevent her escape. She suspected Chaos had forgotten about her now that he’d gotten his satisfaction, and Gabriel seemed to be relaxing his guard around her, but who knew how long that would last. It was now or never. Not even taking the time to dress, Angelina tested her wings, making sure nothing was broken or too weak to carry her. After a moment or two, she jumped from the bed into the air, circled a few times, watching to see if anyone noticed her, then dove through the clouds and to the gateway to earth at Mount Everest. Not knowing what to do, or where to go, she decided on the one place where she knew she’d be safe. Atlantis was where her beloved Raphael now lived; Atlantis was where all the elements converged. It was the only logical choice, and one she knew Chaos would figure out eventually but she didn’t really have another option. The flight would be difficult at best in her present condition, but it was necessary. Using the only strength she had to spare, she sent out an urgent plea to Pyros, Jada, and Talon. It was time to make a stand against Chaos once and for all, and she couldn’t do it alone. She only hoped they had the strength to do it together.

Chapter 3 By the time Angelina reached Atlantis, she was so tired she was literally falling from the sky. Had it not been for Talon’s enormous strength, she would have hit the ground from several hundred feet up. Not fatal for a goddess, but certainly painful. “You’re hurt,” Talon rumbled as his mate, Tiana, ran a hand over her wings. “Her wings are fine,” she murmured, taking Angelina’s face in both her hands. “She looks exhausted, though.” “I need Raphael.” Angelina was so spent, she could barely force out the words. “He is on the way. What happened?” Tiana was even lovelier than Angelina remembered. Her short, cropped hair, though a grassy green, looked soft as heather and framed her delicate facial features. The subtle slant of her almond shaped eyes enhanced the exotic look of the mate to the God of Earth. “Talon, bring her to the guest’s chambers. She needs rest.” “There’s no time!” Angelina struggled in Talon’s arms, trying to get down. “Where are the others?” “Angelina.” There was no mistaking the gravelly voice of the God of Fire. Pyros approached from behind the massive Talon. His skin was dark as night and tiny flames flickered in his eyes. She looked beyond Pyros, over Talon’s shoulder, for Allison. Sure enough, Pyros’s mate wasn’t far behind. From the look of her, fire was definitely in an uproar. “Are all the elements as upset as fire?” Angelina looked back to Tiana, searching the other woman for any sign as to what was going on. When the tiny woman looked up at her mate, as if trying to decide what to say, Angelina knew the trouble was great indeed.

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“You have to tell me what’s going on.” Angelina had never shown such weakness before. She was always in control. Control of herself, control of her element, and she usually knew what was happening in this world with the other elements especially if there was trouble. Unfortunately, because of her incarceration, and because she had been forced to focus on her sexual needs rather than the needs of the elements, she was completely out of the loop. She hated not knowing! Jada, Goddess of Water, emerged from a nearby pool with Cronos at her side. It was only a few moments before Raphael descended from the sky on his great black wings. “Raphael!” Angelina almost burst into tears at the sight of her old friend and confidant. No person on this world or any other ever looked so wonderful to her at that moment. He was like a big brother, one she could go to and cry on his shoulder in private and know she wouldn’t be condemned for it. “What’s happening? Why are the elements so agitated?” Raphael gently took her from Talon’s arms and kissed her forehead. “Later, Goddess. We have time.” “Raph, please.” To her horror, she was very near to begging in public. She was completely out of control of her body, her mind. Part of herself was missing and she suspected greatly she would never find it again. Raphael looked at her with a mixture of puzzlement and suspicion. They all did. “You are not acting like yourself, Angelina. Perhaps we should be asking the same question.” She was hurt by the statement. She had been the one Elemental watching over the other three for eons and the one time she showed weakness, they suspected the worst. Pushing against Raphael, she got to her feet, if a bit shakily. “Yes,” she spat. “Chaos is my mate. But I would never sacrifice the good of the elements for myself. If all of you --” she turned to Raphael hoping, for once, her eyes would betray not only

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her anger, but her hurt, “-- especially you, Raphael, would think me so shallow, then there truly is no hope for us or our respective elements.” Allison pushed her way through the men to Angelina and took her hand. “It’s not you, Goddess. It’s the Air. Come on. You need rest more than any of us -- yourself included -- needs answers. A hot bath, then sleep. Come.” Angelina wanted to protest. She knew she needed to find out what Allison meant when she’d said, “It’s the Air,” but she was exhausted. She nodded her head, knowing it was futile to refuse. If she didn’t rest soon, she’d simply fall on her face anyway. Refusing to let anyone actually carry her, she followed Allison and Jada though her body wanted to simply shut down. They led her to a pool in the heart of Atlantis, where she sank down into its heated depths. Moments later, she was fast asleep.

*** Awakening in a strange bed was not something Angelina was used to. She was also surprised to find awakening unchained with Chaos nowhere in sight was very disorienting. It made her want to cry. She had always been independent -- had to be independent. To find herself relying so much on someone, especially someone who represented everything she’d fought against since becoming an Elemental, tore at her soul. She’d finally found her mate and he was the one person in the universe who could destroy her. “Do you feel better?” She would know Raphael’s voice anywhere, but she was disturbed by the fact she couldn’t feel him through their mutual connection with Air. “Some.” Her throat felt scratchy. “May I have some water?” He chuckled. “You’re a goddess. You don’t have to ask so politely.” She managed a smile. “I’m a goddess. It’s my right to ask politely.” He poured a glass of water from a pitcher at her bedside and handed it to her. She sighed gratefully and sipped. Immediately, she felt refreshed. There was no water quite like that produced by the Goddess of Water herself.

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“I needed that, Raph.” “I know. Now, tell me what’s happened.” Angelina sighed and rose from the bed. “I’ve been abandoned. All the angels and archangels have left. Where they went, I don’t know. The only one left is Gabriel and he aids Chaos in my torment. My connection to anyone through the Air doesn’t seem to be working.” She looked at him. “I can’t sense your thoughts like I used to. I can’t even sense your presence.” She turned away and strode to a nearby window. “The only one I can sense is Chaos.” “Can you sense him now? Do you know what he’s doing?” “No.” The water in the nearby bay was the clearest blue Angelina had ever seen. Jada had definitely come into her own as the water goddess. Angelina used to be that powerful. Since the disturbance at Yellowstone, though, her focus had been distracted more and more. Now, Chaos consumed her every thought. She did not consider it a healthy distraction. “It seems I’ve lost even that small control.” “He’s done this to you in only four months?” She turned on him sharply. “He’s been doing this to me since Yellowstone, Raph! I have been Goddess of Air for eons. Only two other women have held that title since Eurynome named the original four. It would definitely take more than four months to bring me so completely to my knees!” Raphael held up his hands in surrender. “I meant no insult. I had not realized he had been working on you so long.” Scrubbing a hand over her face, blinking back tears, Angelina turned back to the window. The view was peaceful to her frazzled nerves. “I’m sorry, Raph. If that were the worst of it, it would be bad enough. There’s more.” When Raphael didn’t interrupt her, she continued. “He’s stolen my ability to bond with the Air during mating. Instead of being able to focus my sexual energy on my element -- namely getting the hell out of Heaven --” she couldn’t help but laugh at her own pun, “-- I find I can only concentrate on not coming. Why do I find myself concentrating on that?” She shrugged. It didn’t

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take a telepath to know Raphael was asking himself that question. “Because he told me not to come, and I am compelled to obey.” “Do you feel compelled to obey him in all things?” he asked quietly. “No. Only in the bedroom. Only during sex play.” She opened and closed her fists spasmodically. She’d never felt so helpless in her life. Or so foolish. “Did you feel this from the beginning?” “It started about two weeks ago. I didn’t even realize it had happened until he left me unfulfilled and I tried for three solid hours to come on my own. Each time I got close, I’d remember what he’d said. ‘You will not come, Angelina. Not under any circumstances or I’ll leave and never touch you again.’ I sort of succumbed after that.” “And the Air?” “He never mentioned Air. But I’ll tell you I have very little control over it at the moment. I can barely sense it at all.” She looked at him, feeling more helpless than she had ever felt in all her long years. “Air is out of my control.” “And into Chaos’s, apparently.” “What do you mean?” “Air is fading away. As if the life is draining from it. It is getting harder and harder to compensate. Soon, we won’t be able to.” “Fading away?” “There is less and less Air in the elements. High altitudes have been affected most. Places where Air was already thin are becoming dangerously so. To the point where people are beginning to move. The timber line has dropped one hundred feet in the last six weeks -- and I mean the trees and plants have all died in that short time.” “Because it’s like they’ve been suddenly thrown inside a vacuum?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “That’s exactly what’s happening.” Angelina’s shock was total. “If that is truly what is causing the trees to die in the higher elevations, have people died, too?”

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“Several. Most in their sleep. It has been made known world wide and people are being evacuated to the lower elevations, but that’s only a temporary fix.” Raphael took her shoulders and gently gripped. “You have to get your element under control.” Her eyes filled with tears then. Because the words she had to speak next were the saddest she had ever spoken. “I honestly don’t know if I can.”

Chapter 4 Defying all laws of physics and meteorology, the winds roared upward into the heavens, taking with them every molecule of oxygen they could. Chaos’s mood matched that of Air. Angelina had left him. Air had steadily been moving toward Angelina while she was in his keeping, but for a totally different reason. Angelina had been cut off from Air and the element was trying desperately to reach its goddess. Now, Air raged because it had lost her. He raged for the same reason. What the people of earth hadn’t figured out yet was that water in the higher elevations, places they could not go now, was actually separating into oxygen and hydrogen. The oxygen was being swept upwards. The hydrogen was sinking to the oxygen line and creating a highly flammable blanket swaddling the entire planet. Molecules of anything Air affected were separating and rushing toward this place high above the planet between earth and space. He’d gone about this the wrong way. Chaos snorted. He should have thought this through better. Hell, he should have thought it through, period. Deep down, he’d known all along Eurynome hadn’t assumed the form of the Goddess of Air. It was simply an excuse to get closer to Angelina. She had protested her innocence from the very beginning and he’d known all along she was innocent. Besides, even Eurynome couldn’t fool the elements into thinking she was something she was not. She was the Goddess of All Things, not a lesser Elemental. Looking out a stained glass window from the central palace, Chaos watched as near hurricane force winds ripped through the once thriving city. Streets of gold, once

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spotless in their beauty, were littered with debris from all over the city and from the earth below. He was alone. Gabriel had left -- he wasn’t sure when -- and Angelina was on earth. Somewhere. He suspected Atlantis, since that was where the other Elementals had converged. It was time to go. He had to face them all sometime. Now was as good as any. Creating a portal through the air, he picked a point on the southernmost tip of Atlantis, away from everyone, and stepped into it. Appearing beside a sea inlet on the outermost ring, he looked out over the sea. He knew it would be only a short amount of time before people found this place, realized what it was, and flocked to it by the millions. Such was the way with legends suddenly come to life. It was a wonder they hadn’t already. But he supposed with everything else going on, exploring known oceanic territory was at the bottom of the list. Still, with the mythical island being so close to the Marianas Trench, someone from the Philippines or nearby islands was bound to discover it soon. Chaos hung his head. He hadn’t caused the eruption at Yellowstone, but he could have prevented it. Instead, he had been so busy trying to gain a hold on the element Fire he allowed it to happen. He tried to rationalize it with the fact that if this didn’t get the attention of the Goddess of All Things, nothing would. Earth had been her pet project, after all. She had placed hand picked gods and goddesses to govern the elements on this world where she had no other. He knew. He had been with her on numerous occasions when she had created worlds and set them spinning. But she had left him on earth, and he meant to find out why. Straightening, he was taken by surprise when he raised his head to see Pyros leaning against a tree. Neither man said anything for a few moments, sizing each other up. Then Chaos could stand the silence no longer. He was anxious to find Angelina and get out of here.

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“If you’re going to try to kill me, get it over with.” He deliberately turned his back to Pyros and muttered, “We both know I don’t deserve to live.” “And what of the balance needed with the Air? What of Angelina?” “I can’t help that,” he snapped. Pyros fueled his feeling of impotence, and it was a blow to his heart. He had never meant for any of this to happen. “I can’t help any of it. I can only exist… or not.” Pyros looked to his left just as a flicker of flame appeared to reveal Allison standing a few feet away from the pair. She blew out the tiny match she held and approached them. “Can you feel it?” she asked softly, distractedly, as if she were not aware of who was next to her. “The breezes have stopped. No air stirs around us.” “It will continue to get worse,” Chaos blurted out. He couldn’t stop himself from imparting that information. “I know,” Allison said sadly, her attention now focused on him. “Air searches for its goddess, and we have no way of communicating with it. Can you help?” “I’ve tried. But the Air sees me as an enemy and will not listen. Down here, Air tries to leave; in Angelina’s great city of Heaven, it surges and rages with all the mighty destructive power it is capable of.” “So, the question is, why has Angelina lost her connection with Air?” Allison fingered her bottom lip as she mused out loud. “There are many things to work out between the two of you, Chaos. You must find balance.” “That will be difficult.” Pyros joined the conversation. “She came here to make a last stand against you. She’s convinced we have this one last chance to stop whatever it is you have planned for the world, and she means to do whatever it takes.” “Maybe she’s right.” Chaos was wearier than he could ever remember having been in all his long existence. Sometimes, there came a point where even an immortal’s time was at an end. Perhaps this was his. “Maybe the two of you simply need to hash out your differences.” Allison’s matter-of-fact answer startled him.

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“I seriously doubt that’s possible. Besides, I have no control over the Air. She has to figure that one out on her own.” “Does she?” Again, Allison appeared to know more than she had a right to. She was only just coming into her own power. “I suspect you have more to do with her and her power than you realize. Go to her, Chaos.” Allison sounded almost pleading. “You must go to her and achieve balance with each other.” “I doubt we will ever find that.” “You still believe she is your long lost love?” There was no need for him to answer. He might be the opposite to order in the universe, but he was honest. It was time he started being honest with himself. “I think it’s time you took Angelina at her word.” “I think it might be too late for that.” “Did you hurt her when she was your prisoner?” Allison inflected no emotion into her words, but the question made him wince all the same. “I did nothing to her she didn’t enjoy.” It was a non-answer, but it was the only one he could give. He didn’t think he’d hurt her, but his emotions had been so high at the time, he could never truly be sure. He may not have harmed her physically, but, judging by the loss of her connection with Air, the damage he had done mentally might well be irreversible. “You have to find a way to help her, Chaos. You and she are part of each other’s souls. Exact opposites, but one cannot exist without the other. You are the key to her continued communion with the Air, as she is your key to happiness and contentment.” With each word Allison spoke, Chaos became more and more convinced of the hopelessness of the situation. Because of his rash actions, he wasn’t sure Angelina would ever trust him again. Pyros took a step toward Chaos, placing himself protectively between Allison and Chaos. “Angelina was right on one thing: all the Elementals must learn to merge our power at will. If the earth is to fully recover, we can no longer think of ourselves as

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separate entities. Earth, Fire, and Water must function together, but Air will bind us all. In order for the others to survive, Air must be the thread binding us.” “You both would simply let me go to her now? Won’t you be afraid I’ll simply leave with her again? Take her back to the prison I’ve kept her in for months?” Pyros’s expression grew fierce, but Allison laid a gentle hand on his forearm and moved around him. “You might.” She approached him carefully and laid a hand carefully on the side of his face. “But I think you know how badly you’ve hurt Angelina. I think, deep down, you need to make it right.” She smiled tenderly at him, a smile that knew way too damned much. “I also think you love Angelina more than you ever loved Eurynome, and I think that, more than anything, terrifies you because it was so unexpected. You’d be horribly disappointed if Angelina turned out to be anything other than her gentle self.” “Damn you, Allison. Damn you to hell.” She laughed merrily. “I am mated to the God of Fire. I’ve been damned to hell since the beginning.” She smiled lovingly at Pyros when he placed both hands on her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

*** Angelina had never felt so bereft. She could never remember a time when she could not feel the moods of the Air. Now, there was nothing. Every time she reached for it, there was simply nothing. It was as if the Air no longer existed. Perhaps it didn’t. At least not on earth. She also knew that Chaos had come to this place and had not sought her out. At least not yet. She couldn’t tell exactly what he was thinking, but he had come for her. There was no way she could survive him again. She had impressed on the other Elementals the seriousness of the threat from him -- her loss of control over the Air -- but she got the distinct impression they weren’t as worried as they should be, especially Allison. Just as Angelina knew the Air was that which bound all the elements together, Allison provided the glue to that binding. With

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her runes, she could provide a permanent bonding for all the Elementals if they worked together. Their magic would be complete. If Angelina couldn’t make Allison understand, all was lost. And still they had let him come for her. He was determined to get to her, and she knew he’d had contact with Pyros and Allison, yet they had not fought. As far as she could tell, none of the Elementals had lifted a finger to stop him. Her heart sank. “Why are they allowing this?” Her whisper was no more than a breath of sound. “They allow it because they believe I hold the key to your connection to the Air.” Angelina spun around. Chaos! “Do you honestly think you can have continued balance with Air if you cannot achieve it with your own mate?” “You are my mate,” Angelina replied, trying to keep her voice as neutral as she could, “but I will not allow you to use me to destroy all the elements. I’m not certain why I no longer have a connection with Air, but I’m certain you are the cause of it.” Unexpectedly, Chaos hung his head and sighed as he turned from her. “You’re right,” he said, and Angelina raised her eyebrows. She would have never expected him to own up to it. “But I swear to you, I didn’t intend for this to happen.” For the first time in more centuries than she could remember, Angelina lost her cool. The impervious Goddess of Air screamed at Chaos in pure, unadulterated rage. “Then how the fuck did it happen?!” She clenched her fists in the filmy dress she’d donned once arriving in Atlantis. Without realizing what she’d done until she heard the sharp rip, she tore the delicate fabric and a slit appeared down the front. One pale leg peeped out as she looked down at her ruined dress. She stared in horror. Not only had she lost control of the Air, and her sexuality, but she was losing control of her emotions as well. What was next? Chaos took a step toward her, an arm outstretched as if he wanted to touch her. She took a reflexive step backwards. “Don’t touch me!” Tears streamed down her face and she brushed angrily at them. “I hate you, Chaos,” she said when she was in a little better control of herself.

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“You may be my mate, but I’d sooner spend the rest of eternity alone than submit myself to you ever again.” “Angelina.” She could feel the hurt he tried hard to contain, but stomped out any tender feelings trying to bubble toward the surface. This man could destroy her, whether he meant to or not. “I can help. I know I can help you figure this out.” “I don’t want, or need, your help, Chaos. I just want you to leave me alone. Leave this planet alone. Go find your beloved Eurynome and leave me in peace.” “I’ll go for now, Angelina. But when you figure out what you have to do, call to me. Do not go to anyone else.” “Why would I want your help any more a week or a month from now than I do now?” “Because I believe the key to you regaining contact with Air is your sexuality, and only your mate can help you create enough energy.” He scrubbed a hand over his handsome, yet troubled, face. “Just as your mate caused you to lose your contact with Air. I know I have no right to ask, but please don’t attempt this with anyone else.” “You’re right. You don’t have the right. Besides, you didn’t seem to mind when it was Gabriel.” His jaw tensed as he ground his teeth. Again, she felt a flash of hurt from him. “I’m truly sorry about that, Angelina. I guess I’d been nursing a grudge far too long.” “Whatever.” She waved a hand, dismissing him. “Just leave. I don’t want to talk to you any more.” She turned from him and walked to the open window. The sea was uncharacteristically still. The tide still came and went, but without the power of Air driving the winds, only the moon affected the sea. No breeze stirred waves or storms. The entire planet existed in a doldrums. She clenched her fists. No matter what, she wouldn’t go to Chaos for help. She’d find someone else to release her sexual energy if necessary. She felt him move behind her, his body brushing hers in only the slightest contact. Even after all she’d been through with him, he still affected more than just her body. If it had been only a physical response, she could have dealt with it. It would

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have been difficult, but she could have been strong. Instead, her heart leapt every time he was near. She craved him, not for her body’s sake, but because he warmed something deep down inside her. She stiffened, and prepared herself for his touch. Instead, all she felt was his breath at her ear. “What I did to you was wrong. I think I realized you weren’t Eurynome not long after I took you. She never responded to me the way you did.” Just the mention of the erotic torture she’d undergone at the hands of this man sent shivers through her body, not all of them bad. “But I couldn’t bring myself to give you up.” She couldn’t help herself. She leaned back into him slightly. The contact with his body was most welcome after even the brief separation from him. It was one small concession she gave her body and heart. Besides, she wasn’t guilty of what he’d first thought, but she was guilty of withholding information from him. She didn’t want to tell him, but he deserved to know. “Before she left, Eurynome contacted me.” She felt his body stiffen, but he didn’t pull away. “She told me she knew you’d take her leaving hard, but thought it best to break off your relationship on this world where there was at least a chance for you to have happiness. Until I realized you were my mate, I wasn’t sure why she’d chosen to leave you here, or why she’d told me at all. I had nothing to do with you, her or the element Air more than fifty thousand years ago.” “You were one of the old goddesses, weren’t you?” She laughed softly. “Yes. And none of the things you’ve heard about me were true. I was shy and timid, and so not cut out to be a Goddess of Love in that early time that I was replaced. I’m convinced Eurynome had a hand in that.” “It’s just as well.” Chaos nuzzled her ear slightly. “The old gods and goddesses are gone. We are all that’s left.” “We are all that’s needed now. This world needs our four elements to support life. The universe in general strives for order, but there can be no order without chaos. Eurynome knew when she left, you would have no one to balance you. Looking back, she knew. She knew we were the perfect complement to each other.”

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“Are we, Angelina?” His whisper in her ear sent sexual awareness rushing through her body. “Can you be the order in my life?” She turned to face him and his arms folded around her as naturally as if they had been lovers their entire adult lives. “Possibly. But I don’t trust you, Chaos. You’ll take everything I have to give and leave me an empty shell of a woman. You’ve already stolen my element. Once you learn to control it, why should I believe you won’t simply dump me by the wayside and use Air as you will?” She felt the muscles in his arms tense. He wanted to pull her to him, but he seemed to know she needed time. Space. “You’re right to think that. Not because I actually would, but because I’ve not given you any reason to think otherwise.” He dropped his arms to his sides and backed away from her. “I’ll go for now, but always remember I’ll be back if you need me. Regardless of what you think, I didn’t steal your element. I can use it, but only because of the connection through you. It’s still there, you’re just blocked for some reason.” He brushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “If you want my help regaining control of your element, all you have to do is tell me. No strings attached. I’ll do what I can, then leave if that’s your wish.” “I can’t, Chaos.” There was no use lying to him, giving him false hope. “I can’t risk my heart any more than it’s already hurt. That kind of help will kill me.” He raised his chin proudly. “As you wish, Goddess.” And he vanished in a slight puff of Air. Angelina sank to the floor and cried.

Chapter 5 The Roof of the World was still. Eerily so. Usually, winds swirled and raged on top of Mount Everest -- many climbers had lost their lives because of it -- but not a breeze stirred now. When Chaos had first recognized there was a problem, a few weeks into Angelina’s incarceration, he’d come here to monitor the air. Heaven, being in a different dimension with the door at the very peak of Everest, saw a gradual yet great influx of air over the months as the element tried to make contact with its goddess. Air rushed into Heaven, coming to Everest to enter the dimensional gate. For weeks and weeks, the winds here were so strong, even those living at the very base of the mountain were forced to seek shelter in lower elevations. When Air didn’t find its goddess, everything stopped. From there, the Air simply began to bleed away in despair. The concentration of Air was greatest closer to sea level, so the most populated areas hadn’t been affected yet, but the atmospheric density was becoming critically low. As the air became thinner and thinner all the elements were becoming threatened. No life could survive on the Earth, Fire needed oxygen within the Air, and even Water was losing its molecular structure and giving up oxygen. Hydrogen, the byproduct, rose rapidly into the sky. As static electricity sparked in the atmosphere because of solar winds colliding with the electromagnetic field surrounding earth, it ignited the hydrogen, creating the illusion of the sky catching fire. Oxygen supplies at those elevations were low, but there was enough to create havoc. So far, the mass exodus of air hadn’t affected the oceans and larger bodies of water. Once it did, the temperature would rise sharply, due to the fires in the sky, and the remaining air supply would be used up as the planet was engulfed in one gigantic ball of flame. Of course, everyone would be dead long before then.

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Chaos sat at the summit of Everest and overlooked the world. Angelina wept and grieved for herself and her element. She knew as well as he did the key to her regaining a connection to Air was through the focused release of sexual energy with her mate. Yet she refused. How long would she continue to try on her own? Even now, she surrounded herself with priests of the Goddess of Water, trying to focus her energy into contacting Air, and he thought it might kill him. Angelina lay on her stomach upon a bed of dark blue silk surrounded by fluffy pillows. Two priests ministered to her with careful touches and kisses. One goldenheaded man massaged her shoulders and back while another, dark-headed man kneaded her legs and feet. Her moans and sighs of pleasure filled the chamber in obvious appreciation for the efforts. The blond continued his massage to include her arms and hands, while the other rose ever higher until he had the cheeks of her buttocks in each hand, gently squeezing, gently stimulating her. Her sighs changed from appreciation to the beginnings of arousal. When she rolled to her back, the lightly erotic stimulation continued. The blond kneaded her breasts while the dark-headed priest spread her legs and petted her pussy carefully. A rush of anticipation filled Angelina and Chaos knew she hoped these men would be able to create enough excitement within her to direct a burst of energy toward the Air. If she could get its attention, perhaps it wouldn’t abandon its place with the other elements. The priest between her legs fastened his lips around her clit and Angelina gasped. She arched her back and offered her breast to the other man, which he eagerly accepted. Sucking on one ripe nipple, he tweaked the other with his thumb and forefinger and Angelina’s fair skin blushed with her arousal. Inhaling deeply, she took in the priest’s masculine scent combined with her own musky arousal. Chaos could feel her sexual interest, but not in these two men. They were there merely to give her masturbation a human touch. She was doing everything in her power to keep her heart uninvolved, which was why she hadn’t called to Chaos.

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Deep down inside, she knew this was futile. She knew she’d never create enough sexual energy to do anything. She’d be lucky if she created enough energy to satisfy herself. The man between her legs inserted two fingers into her cunt. The sensation, though not unpleasant, felt alien. Cold. There was none of the heat there was when Chaos touched her, or even Gabriel at Chaos’s direction. It was truly masturbation. Pulling the man away from her breasts, she kissed him deeply, needing to increase her arousal, knowing it wouldn’t work. She reached for her orgasm with all her might when she felt the other’s mouth close around her clit again. Nothing. When she realized part of her was still waiting the instruction from Chaos to climax, a surge of rage mixed with despair shot through her. Chaos knew this was his one chance to prove he meant her no ill will. “Angelina,” he whispered into her mind. “Reach for me. If you truly wish release, reach out for me with everything that you are.” Her cry of surprised relief didn’t go unnoticed by Chaos. She might be unwilling in mind, but her body wanted desperately for him to take control. Since the priests were of Water, Chaos didn’t have influence over them, but was able to create the illusion for Angelina that it was he and Gabriel fingering her to climax. Two sets of hands stimulated her pussy and breasts. It wasn’t as good as if Chaos actually fucked her, but he knew the image of them with her as a willing participant would be enough. This time. Angelina grabbed onto his mental path and clung to him with both hands. Her mind tugged him to her even as she sought his permission for her release. Funny how she could be so demanding, yet so submissive at the same time. “Now, my love,” Chaos spoke gently. “Come for me. Reach for me with all your might and give your orgasm to me.”

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Angelina screamed. When she came, she followed Chaos’s instructions to the letter. She projected her orgasm to him and the power of it brought him to his knees. Unexpectedly, his own climax washed over him, just as powerful as Angelina’s. They fed off of one another as the pleasure passed between them several times, each orgasm more powerful than the last before Chaos was finally forced to break contact for fear of being lost in the pure power. Weakened beyond anything he’d ever experienced, Chaos opened the dimensional gateway and made his way back to Heaven. Perhaps Angelina would realize now. He only wanted to help her. To right what he had wronged.

*** Jada entered Angelina’s chamber two days after the most satisfying orgasm Angelina had ever experienced. By the Elements! It was the most satisfying sexual encounter she’d experienced, period. Her whole heart, soul, and body had been involved with no reservation. Unlike the numerous encounters with Chaos and Gabriel before, she had surrendered everything she was to Chaos -- her mate -- and the results had been astounding. And confusing. As a result, she had locked herself away to think. Meditate. She hadn’t succeeded in contact with Air, because her concentration had been fixed squarely on Chaos. Because he’d told her to. That still irked her. She had always been so independent. Now, she was totally out of control. Chaos called all the shots, with the sole exception of when he appeared to her. True, she hadn’t actually asked him to come to her during that explosive encounter, but she’d zealously taken the choice he’d offered. “I don’t understand him, Jada. He has hurt us all so very much, but somehow I don’t think any of it was intentional.” “Are you saying he’s a bumbling idiot?” Jada’s question was asked in jest, but there was a modicum of truth there. “How could one individual do so many things to hurt so many people by accident?”

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“Well,” she had to defend him. Perhaps if they talked about it together, she’d find the solution to her dilemma. “Let’s start from the beginning.” “Yellowstone.” “Yes.” Angelina paced the room. “From the start, he told Allison his goal was to rule the world again. He also said Pyros’s greatest weakness, the one that would prevent him from saving the world from his own element, was Pyros’s weakness for Allison.” “From what I’ve heard from Allison, it was a legitimate concern. Pyros did lose control before he was able to stop the eruption at Yellowstone. And Chaos caused that.” “No.” Angelina was quick to answer. “Actually, he didn’t. It was a natural occurrence, which was why Pyros wasn’t able to prevent it altogether. Only Chaos would have had that kind of power, had he merged his power with Allison. His reasoning was sound, he just went about it the wrong way.” Jada tapped her bottom lip with a forefinger. “And all the trouble I had with Atlantis’s Life Dome didn’t have his power signature, and he didn’t try to exacerbate any problems we had with the earthquake, or Atlantis’s rising, either. Since I’ve been Water Goddess, he’s not tried anything funny with Water at all.” Again, she appeared to think a moment. “What about Tiana? He turned her into a wood nymph.” “Only as an alternative to death. She would have died from her injuries when the dome shattered. The wood nymph was part of her natural makeup; otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to transform her. She made the choice, Chaos just offered it to her as a substitute for death.” “OK, I’ll give you that, but he kidnapped you. He tortured you sexually so much you lost contact with your element. That is definitely not the action of the misunderstood noble you’ve been trying to describe.” “He had reasons for that, too, though revenge doesn’t really serve as an excuse. But, Jada, the thing is, I don’t think it was revenge. At least not after the first day or so.” Jada narrowed her eyes and moved a step closer.

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“I sensed a change in him. At the time, I was too preoccupied to pay attention to it, but after I spoke with him the other day, I thought about everything that happened. Yes, the first couple of days were awful. He didn’t rape me or anything like that, but he tried very hard to break my spirit. He humiliated me, came close to physically hurting me during sex play, and even though I didn’t tell him ‘no,’ I didn’t enjoy what he did, exactly.” “And after that?” “He still used nipple and clit clamps, ropes and chains, floggers and paddles, but only when I either begged him for it or he knew it would heighten my sexual excitement. Also, his focus seemed to shift.” “I see.” Jada nodded her head. “What you mentioned to me earlier. He quit trying to hurt you.” “Yes.” Angelina sighed and rubbed her temples. The separation from Air was beginning to take its toll on her. “I think he wanted to make me so dependent on him for sexual gratification that I’d either stay with him permanently, or, at the very least, return to him over and over again. Either way, he hoped to guarantee I’d never leave him for long.” Jada snorted. “Well, it worked. Too well, I’d say.” “No.” Angelina shook her head to assert her negative. “I’ll ask for his help in regaining my connection to Air, but the second that connection is stable, I’ll leave him.” Jada laughed merrily. “Angelina. Do you honestly think you can control the Air with a simple connection?” The beautiful Water Goddess laid a slender, blue tinged hand on Angelina’s creamy white shoulder. “Our power comes from our combined senses -- touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, and extrasensory skills. The only activity that uses all these senses in such an acute manner is when we make love. Sure, there may be other things you can do that use all of them, but nothing uses every sense to the degree sex does. That’s what the elements respond to. Raw energy born of all our senses.” “I already know what can happen when I surrender to him. The power is nothing short of miraculous. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.”

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Jada nodded. “The two of you have been immortal far longer than any Elemental mate-set. It stands to reason power grows with age. I know I become stronger each year I live as Goddess of Water. If Air binds all the other elements together, you’ll need every ounce of power you can summon.” “Which leaves us to the only question left.” “Do you trust him enough to allow him control over you?” Angelina nodded. “Because, by controlling me, he’d have what he said he was after all along.” “Control of all the elements,” Jada whispered. Both women stared at each other for a long moment. “It’s a hard decision, Angelina. One I’m glad I don’t have to make. What does your instinct tell you?” “I think he’s telling me the truth. I think he really wants to help and nothing more. The only ulterior motive I sense is his hope that he can gain my gratitude.” “Does he love you?” Angelina’s wings twitched as she thought about that one for a while. His actions would seem to indicate not, but she had a window into his soul. Normally, an Elemental mate was either a creature of their element, or a human. Either way, their primary connection to their mate was through the element. It was different with Chaos, however. He was a force unto himself -- not human, and not of any element. The resulting connection was something totally alien to Angelina. Something not of the Air. Perhaps that was the key. Pyros had been matched with Allison -- a human. Talon mated with Tiana. True, Tiana had been a wood nymph at the time, and tied very strongly with the Earth, but she had been human when they’d met. Then there was Jada. Two mates. One of the Water, but the other of Air. She smiled. Each deity had been granted mates to complement their weaknesses. Allison gave Pyros the control he so desperately needed, Tiana gave Talon compassion, and Jada received strength of will from Raphael as well as the experience she lacked in her own element from Cronos.

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Angelina needed none of those things. What could Chaos offer her? What was it she needed to give her balance that only Chaos could provide? Even before she posed the question to herself, she knew the answer. Chaos was the only dominant male in the universe she could ever surrender control to. And she badly needed to share control. She needed someone to master her. Make her want to submit for just a little while. If the elements were to converge -- and if this world was to survive, they must -- Air would be the thread holding the others together, and the task of controlling such an intricate maze would be far greater than any one god or goddess could undertake for long. Angelina had been in control too long. Any mate she took must be as strong as she in the element of Air. Chaos might not have direct control over the Air, but he was definitely strong enough and had the ability to control the Air through her. There was no one else with that kind of strength. So, the only question was the one Jada had already posed. Does he love you? “I don’t know, Jada.” She met the Water Goddess’s eyes with her own. “I simply don’t know.”

Chapter 6 Chaos. Angelina’s call was whisper soft. Her ability to commune with the Air might have been blocked, but Chaos was certain he felt the breath of her whispered word next to his ear. A shiver engulfed his body and the fine hair on the back of his neck stood on end. I am here, Goddess. We have much to discuss. So it would seem. He sighed. The very powerful Goddess of Air was unsure of herself. She needed him more than ever. What would you ask of me? Are you using me as a means to control all the elements? Would you believe me if I said no? There was silence as she gave the question some thought. Chaos could sense her confusion and indecision and knew they were alien to her. All her life as an Elemental she’d known exactly what to do. It was why she had been chosen. She was strong beyond belief, yet face her with the possibility of losing her heart and she froze. Chaos knew her mind, knew her dilemma. He knew her greatest fear was losing herself in another so that she let go her responsibilities and made the Air second place in her life. What she hadn’t realized was she needed to do exactly that. At least to a certain extent. No one person was meant to surrender themselves to the keeping of an element for eternity. That was the balance Chaos could offer her. Should I believe you, Chaos? You’ve never given me any reason to doubt you desire control over the elements again. It would give you control of the universe. Isn’t that what you told Allison you wanted?

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Yes. But can’t one change his goals over time? It’s been more than twenty years since the eruption at Yellowstone. Chaos was weary. He was very much afraid his past mistakes would haunt him for a very long time to come. Twenty years is nothing to an immortal. Are you telling me you’ve changed so completely in that short amount of time? I’m saying, Angelina, that a lot has happened in that time. Three Elementals have mated with results that surpassed my greatest imaginings. I realized that after Pyros’s mating. Any other attempts I might have made to gain control over an element were done because I honestly thought it was the right thing to do. Like it or not, my ability to control the power of the elements is greater than any of you. A fact you pointed out to Tiana. Again, he was reminded he could have handled things differently. But that was honestly the only way he could think of to bring the God of Earth together with his stubborn mate. Because she would never have gone to Talon on her own. I offered her exactly what she wanted -- sexual gratification with no emotional entanglements. She had to realize she could never have that. She had to take a risk in order to be complete in body and soul. And what of me? Are you looking for a mate with my “special talents” also? Chaos sighed. Nothing I can say will convince you, Angelina. You’re going to have to look into my mind and see for yourself. He broke contact with her then and opened the gateway back to Heaven. It was in her hands now. She could seek him out, or not. The decision was hers and hers alone. He only hoped she made it before it was too late.

*** Angelina was torn. She was duty bound to protect and direct the Air for as long as she was Goddess of Air. The only way she could do that was to surrender herself to Chaos. If she did that, she would lose her heart. She loved him. That wasn’t in dispute. Her only choice was to face him and that would only work if he allowed her to delve deep into his mind. True, he’d have access to her thoughts as well, but she had never kept anything from him. He’d been in her

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mind before and hadn’t used anything he’d found against her. It was her own fault she didn’t explore his when she’d had the chance. Desperate, terrified, knowing she didn’t have any other choice, Angelina took to the skies. Soaring through the clouds faster than the fastest jets, she made for Everest. Once there, she opened the magical gateway and entered her home. What she found there was utter devastation. All around her, trees were uprooted, buildings were completely collapsed -- not a stone was left on top of another. The once vibrant, sparkling streets of gold were scarred with deep gashes and blasted free of shine by fine particles of stone driven by incredible force across the surfaces. “I didn’t do this, Angelina.” Chaos stood near what had once been her favorite place in all of the Heavens. The grassy hill was all that was left of the dogwood grove and fragrant, colorful flowers, and the grass was beginning to turn brown. Dying. “When Air couldn’t sense your presence, it came here. When it didn’t find you, when it instead found me, Air went into a rage. Once that rage was spent --” “Air left,” she finished for him. “Yes.” He seemed to want to move closer to her, but he didn’t. He held his ground and raised his chin a notch. Carefully, half afraid of what she’d find, Angelina tentatively touched Chaos’s mind. At first she sensed only resolve. He would solve this problem with Air no matter the cost to himself. As she stepped closer to him, she probed him deeper. Resolve, regret, despair. He didn’t expect her to give herself to him forever, but he would hold to whatever he could of her. She had been right to suspect he would take whatever she would let him have. Of her. Not of Air. His interest in Air was only how it could aid him in fixing this mess he’d created. “You already love me, Angelina. Will your heart break any less if you leave me now?” “No.” She looked away, over the ruins of what was once her home. It would be again. “I’ll reserve my judgment until later, Chaos. For now, we have to do something to get the attention of Air. You have to help me get rid of the block.”

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“Of course, Goddess.” His bow was not at all mocking; in fact she sensed the utmost respect for her. She would have to delve deeper if she was to determine his true feelings. He was powerful. It was very possible he could hide his mind from her. She stepped to him and removed the filmy garment that adorned her body. No preamble, no attempt at seduction. This mating would be about business. Nothing more.

Nothing more? Not if Chaos had anything to say about it. She wanted deeper into his mind. She wanted to be sure what she was sensing about his feelings for her was true. He’d let her. He scooped her up in his arms and took her to a cushion of grass -- the only patch of green left in this place -- and laid her down carefully. “I will be gentle, Goddess --” He leaned down and sucked one ripe nipple into his mouth, stretching and pulling at it until it popped out of his mouth. She cried out in surprise and tunneled her fingers in his hair in reflex. “-- until you tell me not to.” Chaos knew he’d just made her wary. Good. He wanted her paying attention to him and not getting lost in the pleasure he was about to bring her. His future happiness depended on it. Before doing anything else, he looked her in the eyes. “You will forever look upon this day knowing it decided your future. Will you choose loneliness or happiness?” Before she could answer, he covered her mouth with his own. He sensed her shock -- and her joy. With one final sigh, she surrendered to the passion he ignited in her with a simple kiss. Her tongue darted out to duel with his. Her hands roamed his back through the thin covering of his tunic. Shifting his body slightly, he moved over her, one knee rising to make contact with her sex. He didn’t move once he settled into position, but continued to kiss her, needing to build her passion ever higher. Concentrating on nothing but kissing her, Chaos slowly opened his mind fully to her. He showed her the erotic couplings with Gabriel from his vantage point. Let her

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feel the jealousy that raged inside him as he watched Gabriel touch her. Let her feel the pain as he ordered Gabriel to taste her, fuck her. He showed her how he punished himself for not taking care of his mate, and for conspiring to gain power for himself instead -- no matter the reason. He knew he’d caused her pain, but he hadn’t been able to let her go, and he couldn’t bring himself to be alone with her for fear she’d figure him out. That she’d find out just how much he really loved her -- had loved her for millennia -- and reject him because he was her exact opposite. He poured all the love in his heart into her mind, into his kiss. He would risk cleaving out his own heart rather than hurting her ever again. His hungry kisses became tender, gentle, filled with all the love he felt in his heart. He felt her move deeper and deeper into his mind. She probed gently, gleaning information even as her passion built. She confirmed some things she knew -- he believed he had to do whatever he could to keep the world safe. She also found answers to questions she couldn’t answer. He had once held aspirations of ruling the universe, but he had learned in a very short period of time the gods and goddesses were perfectly suited for the jobs they were given. They directed the elements. They did not necessarily control them. The result, he had come to realize, allowed for the perfect balance of chance. Of Chaos in a world of order. He knew Angelina didn’t need him, so he’d done the only thing he could to make her dependent on him, the only thing he could to have her in his life. It was selfish, but he didn’t care. He’d do whatever he had to in order to keep her. Everything he’d done, he’d done because he believed he was the best person to avert a nasty situation. Right up to where he abducted her. That act had been purely selfish. And, Goddess of All Things be merciful, she couldn’t be mad at him for that any longer. Not now that she’d seen into his mind and knew she wasn’t just another means to an end. Even now, he trembled at the thought she might reject him.

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For the first time since the catastrophe at Yellowstone, Angelina laughed that airy laugh the other gods and goddesses had come to know her for. “Ah, my Chaos.” She clasped his face in both her hands and smiled a brilliant smile she simply couldn’t contain. “I do believe you might just love me after all.” At first, Chaos did nothing, said nothing. Then he did the last thing she expected. He threw his head back and laughed. In all the years she had known him, she could never remember hearing anything as joyful as that laugh come from him. When he looked at her again, two tears slid down his cheeks. “I do, Angelina. With all my heart and soul and everything that I am. Please don’t hold the past against me.” He traced the line of her jaw and then her lips with a forefinger. “You are my salvation, the one person in the universe who can save me from myself.” “And you are the spice of life. Without you, everything would be as predictable as daylight and dark, and what a boring place that would be.” “I think you said that once before.” “I did. And I loved you then, too.” “You just weren’t sure about my motives?” She thought about it a moment before nodding. “But it wasn’t just that. I doubted myself as much as anything. I think I doubted I could let go the responsibility I’d taken all those millennia ago and share the load. I’d always thought the burden was mine alone to bear. Now, I understand that no one, no matter their station in life, should have to face eternity alone.” “Now, my beautiful goddess.” He nibbled her jaw, beginning the sensations that would help her find release. Eventually. “Let’s let Air know you’re alive and well.” He kissed her again. Slow and languid at first, then more demanding, more passionate. Angelina opened her mouth, allowing him to plunge his tongue inside. Kissing had never been so wonderful, so all encompassing. So arousing. As she had done many times over the months, she concentrated solely on Chaos and his pleasure. Arching into him, she pressed her breasts into his questing hands and was rewarded with a gentle pinch to one nipple. She ground her pelvis on his thigh, her

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wet flesh separated from his leg by the material of his pants. The hard evidence of his arousal pressed against her hip. Angelina dragged her hands from his hair to his shoulders and bunched his shirt in her fists. Pulling the material up, she urged him to help her remove part of the barrier separating them before she pulled him back to her mouth. She simply couldn’t get enough of him. Chaos had not tried to force her out of his mind -- he hadn’t closed any part of himself off from her. As a result, she felt his building arousal and it fed her own. The circle of desire and lust and love revolved between them until the sexual energy they created threatened to consume them both. Chaos gave one frustrated shout before pushing away from her and removing his pants. Gritting his teeth, he positioned Angelina on her side before laying behind her, hooking one of her long pale legs over his arm, and sinking into her slick cunt in one smooth stroke. Both cried out in ecstasy. When Chaos didn’t move, Angelina tried to move against him, to give them both the friction they so desperately needed. “Stop, my sweet.” His voice was harsh with chained lust. “Can you feel the energy we create together?” “It makes my skin crawl. How could I not feel it? I’ve never experienced anything so wild! So untamed.” Sweat broke out on Angelina’s body as she tried to hold herself back. She wanted nothing more than to fuck this extraordinary man until they were both sated and satisfied, but she knew this was her one chance to get the attention of Air and if she didn’t take it, if she instead saw to her own wants and needs, all was lost. Everything they had all tried so hard to prevent would come to pass. Was it so difficult for the others? “Why is it difficult, my love?” His breath next to her ear sent shivers from her head to her toes. Her pussy clenched around his cock and he surged into her once more -- a move of reflex more than conscious action. “We only delay the inevitable. I will

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make love to you as long as you wish. And when we’re done, we’ll rest before doing it again. There’s no need to rush things. Focus all your energy on Air now. Once you do that, once you make contact again, the connection you will gain will be unlike any other link you’ve ever shared with your element. Take a deep breath.” Angelina knew he was right. Still it was difficult to fathom a stronger relationship with the Air. She had always thought of her link as the ultimate communion. Until she lost her focus and thus her connection, there had been nothing she could not accomplish as long as she didn’t try to force the situation. Air was like water in that you guided it in the direction you wanted it to go, you didn’t try to make it blow south when it was going north naturally. She did as he asked then. She reached for the familiar path she’d held onto the vast majority of her life. Nothing. “Not yet.” Chaos moved minutely within her again, and dipped a finger around where their bodies joined before bringing it to circle her clit twice. “Reach for Air, but do not attempt to touch it. Let it come to you.” “I know that,” she groused when he stopped his sensual massage of her most sensitive bud. “Just you keep doing what you’re doing and leave this to me. I am the Goddess of Air after all.” His deep chuckle made her smile even as his questing fingers wrung gasp after gasp from her lungs as he played with her clit. He circled it and gently pinched it between his fingers before moving his cock slowly out of her only to surge back inside again. The more he played her, the stronger the energy within her built. Instead of funneling it back to Chaos, however, she held it within her while she reached for Air. Sending the most gentle of calls, Angelina waited to see if the most elusive of all the elements would respond to its deity. At first, nothing happened, but before she could form another summons, she felt the slightest of breezes on her face. She turned her face into the feathery touch and sent a soft and subtle “welcome home” to Air. As a child not daring to hope its mother had returned after a long absence, Air came timidly at first, then rushed to embrace her.

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At the exact moment Air joined them, Chaos surged into her more urgently, gripping her hip tightly. Grabbing both her breasts in his hands, he commanded her, “Now, baby. Come for me. Send a proper welcome to your wayward element.” With a glad cry and a scream of pure ecstasy, Angelina let her orgasm overtake her. The spasms tore through her body in one rush of pleasure after another as wave after wave of white-hot sexual energy poured into the Air, giving it the rush it needed to speed its way home. All across the world, surges of wind buffeted the land, not in a destructive way, but in a way that let everyone and everything know the healing of this remarkable world was at hand. As the coupling of the Air Goddess and her mate continued, the ripples of energy were felt in every corner of the globe, including the lost city of Atlantis, now floating in the South Pacific instead of resting on its home on the bottom of the ocean floor. The Air swirled about the legendary city in amused bliss. What a mess the Elementals had managed to divert. Every task placed before them had been overcome. Some had taken longer than others, and some had been met with more success than others, but all the Elementals were now mated. They were now stronger than the sum of their creation. The only thing that remained was Atlantis. Angelina lay limply in the arms of her lover, her mate. It was several minutes before she had enough strength to speak. “I can feel it,” she whispered. “Air is returning.” “And it no longer despises me,” Chaos breathed, weak but amused. “I guess I made an impression.” “The Air sees you even better than I do now. It would have before if it hadn’t been so distressed over losing me. If I had any lingering doubts, the approval of Air would have settled them. You can’t lie to the elements.” Pulling out of her, Chaos turned her to her back before covering her with his body and settling himself between her legs. “I love you, Angelina. With all my heart I

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love you.” His cock, though not as rigid as it had been, slid into her easily and he rocked his hips gently. His heart wanted to burst with all the love inside it for this beautiful, extraordinary woman. “I love you too.” Her gasp of pleasure was music to his ears, even better sounding than the rush of Air that had breezed past them moments before. “Oh, Goddess! Do that again, Chaos.” He smiled as he dipped his head again to capture a nipple in his mouth, biting down gently. He flicked the tip with his tongue before sliding it carefully between his front teeth. All the while, he kept the slow pace of his hips, his cock retreating only to plunge into her again and start the movement over. She wrapped her legs around him, urging him to move faster, harder, pulling him to her with her heels at his buttocks. When he refused to quicken the pace, she simply rolled them both over so that she sat atop him, straddling him with his cock still snugly inside her. “Vixen,” he laughed joyfully when she sat up to face him. Her hair flowed around her, enveloping her in a soft cloud. He brushed it away from her breasts so he could see all her pale beauty. Her wings rustled as they stretched to either side. “Never have I met a woman to match your beauty.” Her body flushed prettily with pleasure and she began to move atop him. Shifting from her knees to place her feet flat on the ground, she braced herself with her hands on his chest. She quickened her pace and he swelled within her, having to hold back a second release until she found her own pleasure. Angelina cried out as she neared her peak, throwing her head back, her wings rippling in excitement. Chaos surged beneath her, meeting each of her downward thrusts with an upward one of his own. They moved in synchronous harmony, he upward, she downward. Exact opposites. Perfect opposites. They complemented each other in every way. He gripped her hips with bruising intensity, forcing her to quicken her movements, which she was only too happy to do. Once again, their combined sexual

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energy surged within them searching for release. With one final surge, Angelina poured her energy through Chaos, who released it into the Air when he reached his own peak. The Air was rewarded as their combined cries of ecstasy exploded along with their sexual energy. Joy wrapped the energy like a swaddling blanket would a baby and Air embraced it, adding it to the gathering quantity of the element. Angelina collapsed atop Chaos, her breathing ragged, and Chaos brushed her hair gently with his hand. “We have but one thing to do before we rest, and we must hurry.” He very much wanted to simply wrap himself around her body and let them both rest, but that would come later. “I believe people from nearby islands have already taken an interest in the home of the Water Goddess.” “Yes.” Angelina got to her feet, shaky as her knees were, and reached a hand out to Chaos. “Let’s go help Jada back to the sea she loves.”

Chapter 7 “I’m doing what I can, Pyros, but these runes are complicated.” Allison didn’t take her eyes from the patterns she drew on paper. She sat at a desk in the center of the temple on the center island. Her brow furrowed and she turned the paper this way and that as she viewed it with a critical eye. With a scowl, she ripped the page from the tablet and tossed it aside. “I’m afraid time is something we have very little of, my sweet. If what Raphael saw is true, there are people heading this way. It is highly likely this island has been spotted.” Allison let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m aware of that, Pyros, but when I tell you I’m working as fast as I can, I mean I’m working as fast as I can.” Her mate placed both hands flat on the desk and captured her gaze with his own, his eyes flashing in irritation equal to hers. “Then what’s the problem?” “For one --” her voice was deadly calm, “-- you know it makes me nervous when you look over my shoulder.” He straightened before muttering, “Sorry,” and paced away to the window. “Pyros.” She stood and crossed the room to wrap her arms around his waist. “I’m sorry.” He covered her hands with his own larger ones. “It’s not your fault. It’s just…” He trailed off and continued to stare out over the fabled rings of Atlantis. The great city was eerily quiet. Ever since its resurrection, the Earth that made up Atlantis had been unsettled. Not blatantly so, but even Pyros, with no connection to Earth, could tell it simply wasn’t comfortable above the sea. Atlantis was meant to be beneath the Water. “You’re feeling as uncomfortable as your element.”

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“This city has a place. Many undersea volcanoes took centuries to create this land, and the dome allowed Air to be a part of the equation. Without the Life Dome, the only place Air can participate is above the surface.” “I know. And Atlantis simply doesn’t belong here.”

“So, why are you having difficulty with your runes?”

Allison sighed. “Because there isn’t enough Air to make it work.”

“But you said Air was returning.”

“Yes, but it takes a lot of that element for the dome, and concentrations are still

low. It’s a big world, Pyros.” The Fire couple turned to the door as Jada, Cronos and Raphael entered the room. “Angelina is on the way.” Raphael’s deep rumbling voice filled the room. “And Chaos is with her.” That raised their eyebrows.

Jada smiled. “I guess they made their peace.”

Pyros frowned. “I don’t trust him.”

“I don’t, either.” Raphael crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m not so sure.” Cronos scratched his chin. “Surely Angelina is aware enough

of the man she claims as a mate to know whether or not he’s sincere.” “Angelina is more powerful than any of us.” When the God of Earth entered the room, the vast chamber seemed to diminish exponentially. “She might not be quite as old as Pyros or myself, but she has the ability to direct the most difficult of the elements. Her soul was made to do exactly what she’s doing, and she’s done it alone long enough.” “Talon’s right,” Jada said. “I can’t believe he could possibly fool her into believing he wasn’t a danger to her or her element if he was. And I know she’d never work with him unless she trusted him.” Pyros sighed. “If they’re on their way here, I guess we’ll find out soon enough. If Allison’s right, when we attempt to create another Life Dome, there is a moment when we’ll have to merge our power. In that instant, we’ll all be vulnerable.” He looked at

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each of them in turn as he spoke. “Are you really willing to risk your own elements on Chaos’s credibility?” “Yes,” Tiana, silent until now, piped up. A hand on her hip, she leaned casually against a wall on the far side of the room. “I know I’m the youngest person in this room, and I know I don’t have experience in anything you guys are babbling about, but I know two things that all of you are either forgetting, or simply haven’t put together.” She smirked when Talon gave her a stern look. “Number one -- Chaos saved my life, and by doing so gave Earth a fighting chance to live. You can argue all you want about his motives, but I believe he did it not for his own good, but for my well-being and for the well-being of Earth itself. And number two --” she looked at the Elementals specifically now, “-- I trust Angelina. No matter what decision she makes, I trust her. How many times, Talon, have you told me how you don’t think you could have survived the eons you have if it hadn’t been for Angelina? Why are you all suddenly doubting her abilities, especially the ability to know her own mind? If you ask me --” “And we haven’t.” Talon rolled his eyes when she stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re all being just a tad bit selfish.” “How is trying to protect the Air and thus our own elements being selfish?” Pyros crossed his arms over his chest, his skin beginning to darken with his mood. Allison chuckled. “Because --” she crossed the room to her friend and hugged the green-haired woman, “-- we would deny Angelina her happiness because we’re afraid. What right do we have to do that?” “None.” They all turned to find Angelina smiling at them, merriment dancing in her eyes. “You have no right, but I thank you for it.” Tiana blinked several times before addressing the goddess. “You thank them for it? Did I miss something here?” “No, my dear.” Angelina’s wings rippled when Chaos touched the small of her back with his fingertips. “I simply meant I’m glad you all care enough about your elements to question me. I’m also glad I have friends like you, Tiana, willing to put overbearing gods like these two in their place from time to time.”

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Naturally, the women laughed at her remark. When all noise had died down, Angelina took Chaos’s hand. “Are you all willing to trust me? Will you let us help create the Life Dome and sink Atlantis once again?” Jada was the one who stepped forward, Cronos and Raphael at her side. “This is my home, Angelina. I’d be honored if you’d help me put her back where she belongs.” Angelina had never been so relieved and elated in her life. It was up to Chaos now. If he helped Allison provide the adhesive that held the threads of Air to the other elements, the dome would be twice as strong as it was before. This time, they would have all the elements, bound by Air, solidified by order and chaos. The perfect balance of Yin and Yang. The time was now.

Chapter 8 “This just might be possible,” Allison muttered to herself as she reworked her runes. “With Angelina here, Air is quite a bit stronger. It won’t bind the other elements alone, but with my runes, I might be able to hold it together.” “You’ll need more.” Chaos spoke quietly. “The very nature of those runes is more structured than anything I’ve ever seen. If the Life Dome is to survive and Atlantis with it, you’ll have to have something to balance it all out.” “I’m aware of that,” Allison answered with an annoyed smirk. “I trust you to know when to add your unique energy.” Chaos smiled. “I’m not a novice, Allison. Or a bumbling idiot.” Jada’s cheeks flushed prettily at his remark. “Good.” Allison stepped in front of her friend, a gesture of protection. “You should concentrate on my rune signature. Anywhere else could disrupt the adhesion.” “Let’s just get this over with,” Talon growled. “I’m tired of tiptoeing around this. Either we trust Chaos or we don’t. I seriously doubt any reservation in any of us will help this situation.” “Very well,” Pyros’s gravelly voice broke in. “What do you need us to do, Allison?” Chaos reached for Angelina’s hand. He felt out of place. Vulnerable. When he realized what he had done, he tried to pull away, but Angelina held on tightly. They looked at each other and she winked at him. Both understood the significance. He could feel not only her amusement that the mighty Chaos would cling to a woman for support, but also relief. She no longer felt like she was alone in her need of him. He needed her as much as she needed him. To Chaos, it felt right.

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Allison grinned and raised her eyebrows. “Well, my love, I need you all to get naked.” “Now, that’s the best idea anyone’s had in a while,” Tiana praised as she stood and stripped without hesitation. “Naked is good.” Talon rolled his eyes and looked at Chaos. “Did you have to make her a wood nymph? Could it not have been something a little less… aggressive?” Angelina laughed merrily as she shed the flimsy garment she’d donned before returning to Atlantis. “Don’t try to pretend you don’t like it, Talon. I don’t know of a man anywhere who wouldn’t be proud to have a woman who so obviously loves to please her man.” His expression softened, then grew hot with lust. “And she’s all mine.” The possessive looks, and the way he maneuvered himself between Tiana’s lush, nude body and the rest of the group as he rid himself of his own clothes, were testament to his protective nature toward his mate. Something Chaos was becoming all too familiar with. He turned toward Angelina. “This will be a trying experience. Are you up to it?” He could feel her exhaustion. Their earlier love play, combined with the emotional drain of their newly formed relationship and the stress of the last few days, were taking their toll on her. She straightened from where she’d knelt to lay her neatly folded clothing aside and placed both hands on his face. “I am ready. With your help, there is nothing I cannot do.” “Very well, then.” He removed his own clothing before taking her in his arms and holding her tightly until Allison announced it was time to begin. “I have created one large circle encompassing the perimeter of this room,” she explained as she continued to touch up various runes here and there in one final inspection of her work. “Each god and goddess must build their sexual energy as high as possible. I’ll start the framework when my own energy begins to build. You should each recognize where your element goes as the puzzle starts to take shape.” She ended

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her assessment at Pyros’s side. “You must not climax until the dome is completely formed, then focus the energy from your orgasms at your element as intently as you can. That should reinforce the bindings Chaos and I will create.” She turned to Chaos then. “Do you have any questions? Can you add your essence in the appropriate proportions and places?” “I can,” he said without hesitation. “Then, shall we begin?” Angelina’s wings trembled. When Chaos turned toward her, his big body blocked out the others and for a while, nothing existed but the two of them. “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of your beautiful body, Angelina.” Chaos’s murmur next to her ear sent chills down her back and her wings fluttered even more. He kissed his way down her neck to her breasts and sucked one into his mouth. Nibbling gently, Chaos started the slow simmering of her body she had come to love almost as she loved the man himself. He knew how to make her body sing, and he delighted in her responses. He handled her with reverence and for the first time, she actually felt like the goddess she was. Her wings closed around him and caressed his back ever so gently, holding him to her and encouraging him to stay where he was. When she felt his hand probe between her legs, she spread them willingly. Eagerly. In one abrupt motion, Chaos swooped Angelina up in his arms, looking around them for a place to lay her down. If they were going to do this, she was going to be comfortable. Settling on a corner with several large cushions, Chaos laid her gently in the middle of the makeshift bed. He grunted as he spread her legs and knelt between them to bury his face in her cunt. The smoothness of her skin fascinated him. He could literally spend hours there if she’d let him. He ran his tongue between her outer and inner lips, the contrast in texture definitely worth exploring in great detail.

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Angelina moaned softly and tangled her long fingers in his hair. When he gently flicked the nub of her clit, her fists tightened almost painfully, and she cried out sharply. He could feel the passion rising in her. Good. This was good. He inserted one, then two fingers in her pussy as he backed off her clit. Knowing he needed to build her slowly and allow her time to focus her energy in the necessary directions, he sucked one of her nether lips into his mouth, then the other. Plunging his fingers into her over and over again, he opened himself up to all the other elements. His power had never included manipulation of any element. Even his limited use of the Air had been through his link with Angelina. But he was able to sense all the elements, was able to know exactly what was going on within them. The others were beginning to focus their energies on separate parts of the dome, building what would be the perfect protection for the legendary island. Angelina was building her own threads, systematically tying the other elements securely in place while Allison provided one part of a glue that would seal the whole thing for eternity. Chaos added his part of the mystic bond to Allison’s and the dome began to take shape and solidify around the city. For hours, this continued until each passing minute became a struggle to find the perfect balance between pleasure and climax. Angelina had pulled Chaos up her body and flipped him to his back, straddling him and sinking onto his cock. She danced on him as she worked to thread Air through the layers of Earth, Fire and Water. That was when Chaos noticed Allison painting glowing white runes all over Angelina’s body. With each passing moment, the runes grew minutely brighter with her building energy. All the while, Chaos and Allison went behind the four gods and goddesses creating substance to the magic around them. Finally, it was done. All that remained was one final layer of combined Elemental magic around the solid portion of the dome. Rolling Angelina to her back, Chaos surged forward. Her pussy gripped him like a glove, her beautiful face flushed in her passion. “Hold back until I tell you to come.”

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“By the Goddess, not again.” Angelina would have laughed if she hadn’t been so desperate to end the pleasurable torment. “Isn’t this where we started this ride?” Chaos’s chuckle sounded a bit strained to her. “I guess it is.” He hooked one of her legs over his shoulder and gripped her thigh with almost bruising force. “Ready yourself, Goddess. You will come when I tell you to.” It was all the warning she got. He plunged himself into her faster and harder. Each thrust more forceful than the last. Sweat sprayed from his hair and body each time his flesh slapped into hers. Angelina gripped the cushions as she fought off her climax, trying to find the point where she needed to focus her final burst of energy. And there it was. Out of nowhere, her focal point appeared and she knew it was time. As if he had been waiting for the same sign -- and most likely, he had -- Chaos shouted, “Now, Angelina! Come for me!” She threw her head back and screamed until her throat was raw from the effort. In one mighty explosion, all the pent up energy inside her burst toward the dome. When it contacted the rudimentary outlines of magic, it interacted with the simultaneous energy releases from the other elements. All around her, men and women shouted and screamed in passion. Opening her eyes, she saw Allison atop Pyros not ten feet away, her back arched, her arms braced on his thighs as her own orgasm washed over her. He lifted her body upward as he gave one last thrust inside her. Angelina could see his seed trickle from their joined bodies down his balls and onto the floor beneath them. Jada was sandwiched between Cronus and Raphael. All six of the archangel’s wings stood straight out behind him, convulsing with each pulse of pleasure as he came in the water goddess’s ass. The high priest of Water gripped her bottom so tightly, Angelina wondered if there wouldn’t be bruises. And lovely Tiana had her back to a wall with her strong, muscled legs gripping Talon’s waist as he continued to plunge into her, even though he had spent himself. The sounds and smells of sex filled the chamber in one erotic orgy of love and magic.

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It wasn’t long before all of them stopped their movements, pulled their spent bodies from their mates, and found a comfortable position in which to rest. Later, they would all return to their respective homes before Jada sank the island back to the bottom of the ocean, but for now, they would rest. Rest. Angelina smiled, tired but happier than she’d ever been. “Can you feel it?” she whispered. “All the elements are at harmony with one another. We’re finally at peace.” “Mmm.” Chaos was too tired to carry on a conversation. All he wanted to do was wrap this remarkable, sexy, beautiful woman in his arms and rest for a week. She punched him when he let out a soft snore as he drifted off to sleep. “Reach out with your mind, you brute.” Her scolding was in jest, and he couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Yes, my love. I believe we pulled it off.” “And not only have the elements themselves accepted you, but I think you’ve earned the respect of the gods and goddesses as well.” He rolled his eyes. “As if I care.” He tried to make a joke of it, but he knew Angelina could see right through him. “I am Chaos. I thrive on conflict.” She clucked her tongue at him. “I think you care more than you’re willing to admit. Besides, being part of something like this makes you feel needed. Admit it, you liked working with us all.” He thought about denying it, but what was the use, she already knew how he felt and he didn’t intend for it to ever be any other way between them. “Yes. It kind of gives one a rush of power, does it not?” She punched him again. “That’s not it, and you know it.” Laughing, he pulled her to him even tighter, settling her butt against his groin and cupping her bare breasts in his hands. “OK. I like being part of something. I like working with the elements instead of against them. Satisfied?” “Absolutely.” She became serious after a few moments. “We couldn’t have done it without you, you know.”

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“You couldn’t have done it without anyone who participated, Angelina. It’s not about one person. No individual can ever hope to be as powerful as the collective. The elements simply weren’t designed that way. It takes completely different personalities to direct them on their paths.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Gabriel appeared in a flash of sparkling, golden light. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that, Chaos.” Angelina narrowed her eyes as she scrambled to her feet. What did that mean? Standing, Chaos moved slightly in front of Angelina as if to shield her. “What do you want? I’m not in the mood, Gabriel.” The handsome blond man smiled wistfully. “I know. I’m here to take my leave of this place. Now that I know you’ve found your place in the greater scheme of things, I can continue my work elsewhere.” “I don’t understand.” Chaos broke out in a sweat. He clenched and unclenched his fists and tried desperately to catch his breath. Something wasn’t right. “You were right, Chaos. If Eurynome was going to monitor everything, the best place to hide would be as the Goddess of Air. However, given the fact that she was never meant to be Goddess of Air, she’d have to settle for being close to the goddess.” “A priest, perhaps?” Angelina moved around Chaos. She needed to look Gabriel in the eyes when he told them this. “Eurynome?” He dipped his head. “At your service.” “But, why the deception? Why not reveal yourself and help us in our time of need?” Chaos could feel Angelina’s anger and embarrassment. He reached for her hand and held it tightly. She had no reason to be ashamed, and he hated it that she felt that way. “Because the four of you needed to deal with it yourselves. You needed a crisis like this, with humanity in the balance, to truly come into your power.”

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“There have been eruptions at Yellowstone before, at other super volcanoes before. The eruption at Toba almost wiped out the human race, but we still managed to overcome it. What made this so much different?” “You didn’t overcome it. That’s just the point. The elements restored themselves because the four of you, save the current Goddess of Water, couldn’t pull together. You fended for yourselves. It was the same with the eruption at Yellowstone this time. Yes, the elements managed to right themselves, but they haven’t worked together until you created a new Life Dome. You still have a long way to go, but I think the four of you have finally realized the way you were meant to work together.” “What about me?” Chaos wanted to be mad, but he couldn’t muster the energy. This woman… man… whatever… had basically made him look like a fool. Eurynome had left him, let him search for her for eons, only to reveal she’d been hiding right under his nose all along. “Why did you make me fall in love with you only to leave me?” Gabriel sighed. “I didn’t mean to lead you on, Chaos. You and I were never meant to be together. You were a pleasant distraction and I honestly thought you felt the same way. It wasn’t until I left the Elementals to themselves and went into hiding that I realized my oversight. Then it was too late. I couldn’t reveal my hiding place, nor could I bring you into hiding with me because I knew you were meant for Angelina eventually. Please believe me, I never meant to hurt you.” “It doesn’t matter now.” Angelina wrapped her arms around Chaos’s waist. “What matters is we all learned valuable lessons and will try to use what knowledge we’ve gained.” She looked up at Chaos. “And I have a mate who loves me.” Chaos smiled down at her. He wanted to make love to her again, to show her how much she meant to him. This remarkable woman made him feel things he’d never felt before. He wanted to love her, cherish her, protect her, and it didn’t matter if she did any of those things in return as long as he made her happy. For the first time in his life, he didn’t expect to gain anything from a relationship, and for the first time, he was

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gaining everything. “We’ve definitely learned our lessons. At least, the two of us have.” He finally tore his gaze away from his mate and looked at Gabriel. “Will you return?” “If I’m needed, yes. I’ll always keep an eye on you. Tell the others…” He trailed off, as if searching for the right words and not finding them. “Tell them I’ll be watching.” And with that, he vanished in another dazzling display of golden light. Chaos and Angelina just stood there a moment, not knowing exactly what to do. Chaos felt like he was a child whose mother was leaving him overnight at a friend’s for the first time. Nervous, scared, homesick, and exhilarated. A strange combination. “Come.” Angelina tugged his arm. “Let’s go home.” He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. Calling the wind, he carried them both back to Heaven where they watched as Jada slowly sank her island into the sea. Chaos had the impression the Gods of Fire and Earth were with their mates watching the same ending to an era in their lives. No more could they all live solitary lives. They each had their individual homes, but from this point forward, they would work together on a daily basis and the planet would benefit from it. Everything would be all right.

The Elementals were now One.

Fire burns hot and passionate.

Water flows steadily, washing away the pain and hurt around it.

Earth blossoms with life in abundance.

Air provides cooling breezes to soothe all in nature and binds the others together from

every corner of the world. Order and Chaos coexist in peaceful harmony with themselves and the Elementals… For all eternity. Goddess of all things be praised!

Marteeka Karland Marteeka makes her home in Kentucky with her brat husband and her darling son. (Or is that the other way around?) Family has always and always will be her passion in life. She works as an Emergency Room Technician and has for the past eight years. She has been writing for most of her life, but has only recently realized her potential when she found erotic romance. This genre opened up a whole new world of possibilities for Marteeka and she is thriving on the endless promise of what is to come. Science Fiction has been her favorite topic since she saw her first episode of Star Trek. Now she combines sci-fi with erotic romance and feels she has found her place in the writing world. You can visit her website at http://www.marteekakarland.com.