Read The Soothing Scent Of Earth (Elemental Awakening, Book 2) for Free Online Page A

I was there. The Basilissa , according to the Earth, also knew I was here running for my freedom, for my life. But none of them could actually see me. I was coated in, surrounded by, Kapok cotton balls of fluff.
    The fence loomed before me and I ordered a vine to rise from the soil at my feet and pierce my wrist. Blood dripped down my fingers, splashing in the dirt and being absorbed by the Earth.
    Make a gap, please , I asked it, my breath coming in ragged pants as the delay in escape made my blood pressure rise.
    A massive branch from the Kapok slammed down over my head, crushing the chain-link and creating a path over its fallen limb. I clambered across tattered leaves and scraped bark until I made it through the opening and only the dense forest met my eyes.
    I turned back slowly and took in the wall of cotton fluff that hung suspended unnaturally in the air between where I stood and the bunker I'd been imprisoned in for three months.
    Hurry , the Earth urged. She comes, it added. We cannot hold her off like the Guard, it whispered ominously in my mind. She is too strong.
    I nodded, wished the doctor was still with me, and then ran.
    The forest opened up before me, a beckoning treasure trove of scents. Branches parted, providing a makeshift path, leading me further and further away from the chaotic shouts and commands of the Gi. I ran until my lungs were fit to burst. Until my legs ached and a trembling had started up in my frame. Until I had to stop and vomit surged up my mouth.
    It had been hours since I'd eaten my meagre meal of bread and cheese, but within seconds my stomach was emptied. Sweat coated my brow and I wiped it frantically, feeling the stinging bite of salty water in my eyes. I blinked, sucked in heavy, hot air, and tried to catch my breath.
    The dizziness was back. The trees moving in a warped fashion that had nothing to do with my Stoicheio and everything to do with the fact I was about to pass out. I staggered, laid a supporting hand against the rough bark of a nearby tree and felt my fingers dig into the trunk seeking relief, seeking a solution to my compromised and extremely dangerous situation.
    Help me, please , I pleaded with the Earth, knowing that any moment now it wouldn't - couldn't - follow my commands. Once the Basilissa was close enough she'd take control and my weakened Stoicheio would be no match.
    Take me deep, I pleaded, thinking a cell within the Earth was surely better than a cell surrounded by concrete.
    No , the Earth replied, confirming my worst fears. Someone approaches, it added.
    Those final words rang out inside my mind, stealing all my recently returned confidence, sealing my fate. I sunk to my knees in amongst fallen leaves, feeling the coolness of the rotting vegetation seep into my clothes, as the scents tried to ground me.
    I sucked in a shattered breath of air. Three months imprisoned. What felt like only three minutes free and in touch with my Stoicheio . And now I would have to return.
    A frustrated, defeated sound escaped my lips as my fingers dug into soil. Grounded. Surrounded. For this brief moment in time, safe.
    The branches of the thick foliage before me quivered, shook and made a tinkling sound similar to those I'd made the Rimu Trees at home bordering my drive achieve... and then they parted.
    I closed my eyes, prolonging the moment of capture, for what it was worth, and heard the footfalls of my captor approach.
    One last blast of Stoicheio . One last reminder that I am like them.
    I opened my eyes as the command formed in my thoughts, and watched as a root emerged through the leaves and soil three feet in front of my face and sprang directly at the doctor's neck.
    Aktor had told me to always aim to kill. "Aim for the neck, Cassandra. Sever the head before they sever yours. Do you understand?"
    I screamed at the horror of my mistake, as the doctor yelped, and then raised both hands to protect his vulnerable throat.
    Too little , I thought.
    But then his eyes,