Elementals 1 by Liddy Midnight

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Elementals 1

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Elementals 1

Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1-4199-0743-3
Genre: Erotic / Fantasy
Format: Print
Includes the books Small Magick and Fire and Ice.

Small Magick

Drey comes from a long line of powerful mages. She laments that she has naught but small magick related to healing. Her life changes the day she discovers a magical circle near her cottage. For the first time, she concentrates on celebration and not her goal—and somehow manages to summon a wind spirit in a very appealing male form.

Cyrus believes Drey has bound him to pleasure her, and devotes himself to the task. The sensual experiences offered by his mortal body delight him, as does his beguiling mage. For a time, he is content to discover the mortal world and all it has to offer.

As lust leads to love, one problem remains—Drey has no idea how to reverse the spell she unknowingly wrought. Cryus is trapped in her world. To free him, she is willing to do anything, even apprentice herself to an unknown mage with an agenda of his own.

Fire and Ice

Trina, slave to a sorceress, huddles beside the hearth and sees tiny fiery beings among the flames, dancing atop the coals. Soon she finds herself in their world, a place of heat and acceptance and magick. One of the fire-folk burns brighter than the rest, touching her and making her feel in a way she's never felt before.

She encounters him later, after one of sorceress Kalidah's rituals goes horribly awry. Brand takes human form to save Trina from the resulting fire. She makes him feel things foreign to a fire spirit. Now in a mortal body, he sets out to explore the sensual promise of Trina's awakening womanhood.

Given her freedom, Trina seeks the family she knows she has. Her path lies through dangerous territory. Although Brand accompanies Trina on her journey, she knows this is not his world and he must soon return to where he belongs.

Passionate sex and magick draw them together, but something more lies at the heart of it. Mayhap that something will survive the dangers they face together.

Reviews

"Liddy Midnight has done a masterful job of creating believable characters we can care about in an incredible world of erotic imagination, where anything can happen. This world is linked to our own European Dark Ages, from whence much of our modern fantasy flows. I salute you Liddy Midnight!"
~ Thor the Barbarian

"Fire and Ice, along with the previous Elementals book Small Magick, is on my keeper list and Liddy Midnight has joined my group of auto buy authors. I am looking forward to the next Liddy Midnight/Annalise story."
~ Novel Spot

Excerpt

Small Magick

Drey began at the northern edge of the meadow, where she found a thick stone slab. Clearing away the choking weeds took but little time. She spent another few minutes rubbing moss away to reveal a star inscribed on the surface. There was a little indentation below that, and there she poured her seeds.

She envisioned the seeds sprouting, bringing forth life from the earth. With a shaking voice, she began, “I bless these seeds and stone, that they may be fit to dwell within this circle of light.” She thought the engraved star filled with light for just an instant.

At the little natural basin filled by the trickle from the mountain, she dipped both hands into the icy water. “I bless this water and basin, that they may be fit to dwell within this circle of light.” This time, she was certain the water flashed silver.

She had cast circles in her cottage, in a field she liked, and with her family, but never had she seen such an acceptance of her blessing. Excitement tempered with awe quickened her breath.

She next gathered a few sticks from under the bushes and trees, and dry grass from beneath the new shoots. Piled in the old hearth, these easily kindled when she dropped a coal among them.

The fire warmed her outstretched hands. “I bless this fire and hearth, that they may be fit to dwell within this circle of light.” A crystal-white flame blazed suddenly in the heart of the fire, then disappeared.

The eastern direction puzzled her. There was no sign there had ever been a symbol there, no evidence of a manifestation of the element. Mayhap it had gone over the edge in a rockslide in the time since this circle was last used. Finally, she found a stone with a dimple on top, filled it with a few pinches of herbs, dropped a little coal in and set it near the cliff’s edge.

She held her hands above it. “I bless this scent and air, that they may be fit to dwell within this circle of light.” As the fragrant smoke began to rise, she smiled. What would the wind do to acknowledge her blessing?

Instead of rising to the sky, a small cloud of smoke gathered just above the stone. As she watched, it grew in volume. The mass then formed a column and rose to wrap around her hands, until they were completely engulfed. The ball of smoke hovered there.

After a moment of thought, she spread her hands apart, mentally pushing the smoke out, dispersing it to the wind. Sheer joy bubbled up inside her and escaped in laughter that followed the smoke out across the valley.

As she turned back to the altar, a breeze caressed her cheek, flowing down across her shoulder and between her breasts. A shiver ran through her. She felt that the element of air was special here, and perhaps that was why there was no anchor for the east; the altar faced that way, and in a sense the whole circle was devoted to air.

Circling the slab, she laid out the items she’d brought. Satisfied that she’d placed her tools on the altar properly, she walked once more to the edge of the cliff. Holding one arm out, with her fingers pointed at the ground, she walked the perimeter of the circle, clearing her mind of everything but her gratitude for the lovely day. In each direction, she called upon the spirits to attend her.

When she reached the cliff’s edge again, the circle snapped closed with an audible click.

Never had she heard that before! Drey continued back to the altar, to call upon the Goddess and the God to join her in celebration of her newfound sanctuary. She had no purpose in this ritual, other than thanksgiving for finding this special place and joy in being alive.

Gone were her thoughts of wielding Power. Forgotten were her frustrations at bungling even the simplest of magickal tasks. There was nothing she wished to accomplish, so she resolved to send the Power she raised back whence it came, to the mountain and the sky.

And raise Power she did. She closed her eyes, feeling the energy rise within her. The sun warmed her. The earth cooled her feet as she turned beside the rock, facing each direction and bidding the spirits farewell and thanks. Her arms outstretched above her head, she released the Power she’d raised.

A gust of wind buffeted her as the circle dissipated, and a thud shook the ground.

The hair on the back of her neck rose as a decidedly male groan came from close behind her. Her eyes snapped open. She whirled to find a man sprawled by the altar stone.

He stared up at her in silence, blinking brilliant sky-blue eyes.

She stared back, taking in his pale blond hair and high cheekbones. His face was long and narrow, with sweeping curves that improved on her imagined men. Each breath he took drew her attention to the pleasing contours of his chest. Muscular, but not too much so.

Desire flared within her, and she had a fleeting thought that now she could test the softness of the grass. She shook her head, turning her attention from that glorious expanse of pale flesh. He shifted and she focused on his feet. His large, strong-looking feet led to long, rangy legs. Long, rangy legs led to—

She swallowed hard and stepped back a pace.

He was naked!

She groaned in frustration. Holy Mother of all. Never before had she shown any indication of Power. Now, somehow, she’d conjured the man she’d decided was perfect. He was none of the three she’d envisioned, but a combination of all she’d considered. A very appealing combination.

“Are you hurt?” His voice echoed the clear note of the alarm bell, not the husky rasp she’d imagined.

He still lay there, staring at her. When she drew in a breath, his gaze shifted, dropping below her chin. The light in his eyes changed as he surveyed her body. No longer showing shock, his face lit with what she could only term hunger.

Sweet Goddess, she’d forgotten she was naked, too.

Copyright © LIDDY MIDNIGHT 2004

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Fire and Ice

Blessed radiance! She spread her arms and raised them above her head, letting the heat soak into her. Her breasts swelled and her nipples blossomed in the welcome warmth. The spirits danced around her. Now that she saw them close at hand, she noticed some of the figures were slender and somehow softer than their companions, and decided that these must be the female flame-folk. She watched them closely and saw that they traced a different pattern in the dance. Gathering her courage, she began to emulate them, rather than the larger males. Before the flutters in her throat and her stomach became any worse, she dared to step out among them.

The fiery figures ebbed and flowed about her, giving her enough room to move but ignoring her, until one being, a slender and curvaceous one, reached out and touched her. She felt the searing heat, almost—but not quite—unbearable, as the fire-female trailed a white-hot finger down Trina's arm.

She was too afraid to shrink away, for she was in their territory now, in their world, and she knew nothing of what she was doing. Instinct warned her not to spurn them. When she didn't recoil despite the discomfort, others began brushing against her as they passed.

Each contact sent both heat and exquisite sensations shimmering through her, making her feel more alive than she ever had before. She threw herself into the dance. Sweat streamed down her bare skin. Her breath quickened and her heart beat faster. Her spirits lifted, and she began to move her feet more quickly, picking up the tempo of the flame-folk around her.

Their heated touches became part of the rhythm of the dance. She no longer noticed the discomfort. Heat from the fire seeped ever deeper into her, and the delight sparked by each stroke grew. She had lived with Kalidah from a very young age and had not dreamed such comfort could come from a simple touch.

The ready acceptance of the flame-folk was a heady drug. When combined with the delightful heat of the fire, it became irresistible. She welcomed each caress, arching toward the dancers as they reached out to her.

One of the larger, sturdy beings burned more brightly than the rest. He drew her attention like a lodestone. She became vividly aware of him, aware of each movement he made. Although she watched the other flame-folk, she knew just where he stood in the pattern at every moment.

The first time the dance brought them together, he deliberately reached around her arm to run his hand up the curve of her belly. As they danced, he touched her more intimately, now stroking her thigh, now caressing the swell of her breast. A different heat blossomed deep within her wherever he touched. Greedy for that sensation, she leaned closer. He reached with both hands to cup her breasts, brushing his fingers across her nipples. First one, then the other. Need flourished under his attention. Trina leaned into him as her breasts swelled against his hands. She strained against the rhythm of the dance, seeking to close the gap between them. He held her off, forcing her to maintain the distance required by the pattern.

Her legs threatened to buckle beneath her. A new wetness grew, dampening the curls between her legs. Before the pattern of the dance took him away, he tweaked both her nipples at once, sending a jolt of molten fire racing through her. She had never experienced such pleasure. She had never even suspected such pleasure existed. Afraid to cease moving, not knowing what might happen, she forced her shaky knees to do her bidding, raised her arms into the form of the dance, and moved on.

As if following his lead, the other flame-folk became bolder, patting her where he had stroked, sparking faint echoes of his touch. The heaviness of her breasts increased. The need he'd kindled gathered there and pooled between her thighs. The touches of the others did not increase her excitement, but they kept it alive. Trina barely noticed them now, so intent was she upon him.

When they met again, she felt strung taut like a bow. Each step made her more aware of him. She could not have stopped moving if her life depended upon it. The tension building in her drove her, demanded she keep moving forward. She longed to see just where this carnal dance went. Instead of continually moving around the fire pit as the other dancers did, shifting in and out, he came to dance before her, facing her, keeping pace with her.

She relished the burn, stepping closer to touch his chest. A fever of passion blossomed in her hand, surging up her arm and down her spine. She shivered with delight, and he reached again to cup her breasts. She leaned forward, arching into his heat. Her nipples ached once more, but from growing passion this time and not the cold. There was nothing cold about this being. His gentle touch licked at her breasts, and she felt her whole body pulse with need.

She drew back a little, suddenly frightened of where she was and what lay ahead. This was not her world, this was not her place, and she was afraid of dying or being trapped here. The heat pressed close around her, stifling rather than invigorating.

His face resolved into distinct features, beneath wild hair that danced and flashed with a life of its own. His dark eyes twinkled. Come. You have nothing to fear. His invitation rang in her mind as he released her and held out his hand.

May the gods help her, she believed him. She clasped his hand, and together they stepped and swirled in a new dance, moving around the coals and leaping from stick to stick, following the rhythm set by the crackle and snap of the fire. He pulled her against him several times, when she would have careened into another dancer, and each time he curled his arm around her, she felt her heart swell a little. A sizzling tingle began amid the burn of his touch, where he held her hand and where he brushed against her in the dance.

To her eyes, he glowed ever more brightly. He seemed to smile at her, while the faces of the others were featureless, almost blank. She became aware that fewer dancers surrounded them now, as the sticks burned away to nothingness.

You dance the fire well, for a mortal. He spun away and immediately back, catching her in a complete embrace. How much do you dare?

Trina would trade anything and everything for this blissful heat. It had been too long a winter, with its endless winds and the icy stone floor under her thin pallet, for her not to take whatever chance she got for warmth.

She leaned against him in surrender. He accepted her yielding with a victorious smile before he brushed her lips with his.

It was her first kiss, over all too soon. He kissed her again, this time much more than a brush of his lips, a firm contact that fairly sizzled. She sighed, and with the exhalation, he entered her mouth, thrusting his tongue into her with an ardor she could not help but match.

Copyright © LIDDY MIDNIGHT 2005

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.