Elemental Awakening Series by Nicola Claire

'Oh, this was sweet torture. To be this close to nirvana and walk away because I am coy. I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed down my fears. Theo wanted me. Like this. He craved me, in any way he could get me. Even if I wasn’t his, even if this all was torn asunder tomorrow, how could I not take the chance to feel this, to share this, with him? Even if just for a moment.' For the past year Casey Eden has nurtured a crush on handsome, confident and slightly arrogant Theo Peters... more'Oh, this was sweet torture. To be this close to nirvana and walk away because I am coy. I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed down my fears. Theo wanted me. Like this. He craved me, in any way he could get me. Even if I wasn’t his, even if this all was torn asunder tomorrow, how could I not take the chance to feel this, to share this, with him? Even if just for a moment.' For the past year Casey Eden has nurtured a crush on handsome, confident and slightly arrogant Theo Peters. For the first time in her life she's actually been able to flirt with a man. She even believed he was about to take their delicious flirtations to the next step. But then things changed. A pit full of dirt. A preternatural world she never knew existed. And a fire of passion ignited deep inside her heart. Now, they are sworn enemies, their attraction to each other a bitter-sweet temptation that will only lead to heartache in the end. But there is more for Casey to be worried about than forbidden love. Her world has been turned upside down and inside out, and now she has to find out who and what she has become. To do that, she must walk a dangerous tightrope between desire and reality. But reality for Casey includes a calling to the Earth and a longing for Fire, not to mention those who become aware of her will do anything to get what they want. And she soon begins to realise nothing will ever be the same again. less

Birdsong was the first thing I registered. The sharp caw of a parrot, but there was more than one. And somehow they overlapped to make a beautiful symphony out of what should have been an unmusical sound. I grinned; the feeling of my lips tipping up was foreign. How long had it been since I last smiled?' Casey Eden has had her life turned upside down and inside out, just when she thought it was going somewhere... moreBirdsong was the first thing I registered. The sharp caw of a parrot, but there was more than one. And somehow they overlapped to make a beautiful symphony out of what should have been an unmusical sound. I grinned; the feeling of my lips tipping up was foreign. How long had it been since I last smiled?' Casey Eden has had her life turned upside down and inside out, just when she thought it was going somewhere. Thrust into a new and dangerous world, and not knowing who to trust, Casey has to push herself to be stronger, harder, and better than she has ever been before. To top things off, she's now battling with her new Elemental powers alone, and living thousands of miles away from home. A forest wreathed in power. A dangerous world full of predatory beings. And a passion for Fire even the soothing scent of Earth can't calm. Faced with a corrupt and rotten group of powerful beings, in an environment which calls to her soul, but lashes out unexpectedly to trip her up, Casey must dig deep to traverse the hurdles before her. But to do that, she has to embrace an old lesson of belief. A lesson her dead grandfather taught her, which now carries an entirely different and ominous meaning. But she soon begins to realise anything is possible when you choose to believe. less

This couldn't be happening. This was a trick. A cruel ploy to finally break me. They knew I'd weakened. Today the first day I'd let the tears fall and screamed my frustration and despair. They knew they almost had me, so they were pushing the knife in further and twisting the blade. Just to be sure. Casey Eden knew her life had changed beyond recognition when she woke up one morning covered in dirt... moreThis couldn't be happening. This was a trick. A cruel ploy to finally break me. They knew I'd weakened. Today the first day I'd let the tears fall and screamed my frustration and despair. They knew they almost had me, so they were pushing the knife in further and twisting the blade. Just to be sure. Casey Eden knew her life had changed beyond recognition when she woke up one morning covered in dirt. Since then she's crawled her way through treacherous environments, been pitted against dangerous predatory beings, and survived formidable destructive forces. Only to find herself in the one place she'd feared above all. A mad scientist's laboratory. A harrowing world full of heartache and betrayal. And a longing for Fire even the chilling change in the Air can't cool. Broken, but not beaten, Casey must fight not only for her survival, but for everything she holds dear. A world growing darker and bleaker every day. And is Casey the answer to it all? Trying to determine just what she is becoming, while desperately clinging to her heart's desire, Casey must learn to face a future she never would have chosen for herself. But she soon begins to realise, although she's not alone in this battle, the war itself has only just begun. less

The much anticipated heartbreaking conclusion to the Elemental Awakening series... “Oh, sweet agony. How does it strike with such ease? So ruthlessly. Pain destroys. Just like me. It was what I was good at; hurting things. I hurt Theo with my rejection. I hurt the Nero with my rage. I hurt the world with my inaction. But most of all I hurt me.” The past few months have been hell of earth for Casey Eden. If it weren't for her Thisavros, Theo Peters, she’d have given up a long time ago... moreThe much anticipated heartbreaking conclusion to the Elemental Awakening series... “Oh, sweet agony. How does it strike with such ease? So ruthlessly. Pain destroys. Just like me. It was what I was good at; hurting things. I hurt Theo with my rejection. I hurt the Nero with my rage. I hurt the world with my inaction. But most of all I hurt me.” The past few months have been hell of earth for Casey Eden. If it weren't for her Thisavros, Theo Peters, she’d have given up a long time ago. But when you’ve been chosen by an Elemental god to put things back together, you don’t have the luxury of giving up. In fact, you don’t have much of a say in anything. But it’s not just Casey’s world that’s been torn asunder. A lost island. A damaged caste of people. And a connection to Fire even the tantalising taste of Water can’t break. Set adrift on a journey colder and more unforgiving than anything she’s ever faced before, Casey must find the strength to battle not only the imbalance in the Elements but her own dark demons inside. But was the shaman right? Is Casey destined to fight alone? Or can she repair the broken parts of her world…and not lose those she loves in the battle? Casey soon begins to realise, though, that being alone is, in fact, the only place she should be. less

For those fans of the Elemental Awakening series who wondered just what Theo got up to in Pyrkagia when Casey was busy growing trees. This one is for you. "I am Aether’s sword; my blade is sharp and it is precise. I am the eternal edge of Aether and no one and no thing shall be free of my justice.” The Right of Rule is a fight to the death and Theo Peters has just challenged his father for one. Alone, without his Thisavros for support, he faces the hardest battle of his life... moreFor those fans of the Elemental Awakening series who wondered just what Theo got up to in Pyrkagia when Casey was busy growing trees. This one is for you. "I am Aether’s sword; my blade is sharp and it is precise. I am the eternal edge of Aether and no one and no thing shall be free of my justice.” The Right of Rule is a fight to the death and Theo Peters has just challenged his father for one. Alone, without his Thisavros for support, he faces the hardest battle of his life. For although his father may be crazy, he is an Ancient. And Theo’s chances of success are pretty slim. But don’t count the Prince of Pyrkagia out just yet because he has a formidable group of allies. If only he could trust them. This novella is set at the closing of The Tantalising Taste of Water and is for those curious readers who have already read the series to its end. A little extra…Just because! less