Bad Moon:Book One in the "I Am Chaos" series.

Chapter 9: Elemental

Chapter 9: Elemental

Agony. Slow, searing, seeping pain.

"You need to kill her. She's an elemental, Sin. She needs to die before she becomes a real problem."

There was blood in my mouth, thin and coppery, and a strange whining in my eardrums, as if I'd just stepped out of a concert. I could barely hear Paz, whose voice was so raw it was almost unrecognizable.

"Since when do you tell me what to do, Lara?"

Sinclair Ash.

I couldn't turn my head to see him – everything hurt – but I could hear him. The question sounded mild, but even I could tell that it was a warning.

"Since you decided to take leave of your senses and adopt a stray killing machine! Since you clearly lost your mind inside her loose cu..." Paz's words choked off mid sentence, a horrible retching sound followed. Like a rake across a chalkboard.

"You'll watch how you speak to me, Lara," said Sin, voice mild. "You'll remember that you serve at my will and that, by our laws, I have every right to end you right here, right now."

The retching, scraping sound stopped and Paz erupted into a terrible fit of coughs that seemed to go on for minutes.

"You need to hear this." Paz rasped. "I know you. You think you can harness her power. You think you can use her towards the glory of the House..."

She fell into fits of coughs. "...how many others have tried to exploit an elemental. You're a great sorcerer, Sinclair. You are not a fool. Once she learns to use her power, she'll be the death of all of us. You need to kill her."

Silence throbbed louder than a heartbeat. "Are you finished?"

Paz must have nodded, because Sin continued. "Your confidence in me is encouraging, Lara." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "It heartens me that you think so highly of my abilities to conduct House affairs." His tone deepened, menacingly. "I'll remind you that you took an oath of loyalty, not only to Ash House, but to me. I don't care if you agree with my decisions, but I do care if you undermine this House and everything I am working to build. Now," Sin continued after a brief pause. "You'll breathe not a word of this to anybody. Not about what she is, or about what we are doing here. Understand?"

There was no response, but Sin said, "Good. Get out of my sight."

I heard Paz's feet, a heavy, sullen smack of sneaker on hard flooring. Then silence descended in the room and with it, the ringing in my ears grew louder. I tried to open my eyes, but they wouldn't obey. I just didn't have the energy.

I felt rather than heard Sin draw close. His arms slid beneath me and, a moment later, he was holding me to his chest, carrying me somewhere.

He handled me as if I weighed nothing. And I must have been exhausted, because the strength in his arms felt safe, not threatening, and his aftershave filled my senses: expensive, its dark vanilla and amber notes wreathing around me like incense.

After a moment he bent down, placing me, gently, on what felt like a couch.

"Did you set that up on purpose?"

For a moment, I thought Sin was speaking to me, but then Brandon Lamont's voice sounded nearby. "Of course not."

"Then why on Earth would you send Lara Paz in your stead?"