Tempests fury, p.12
Tempest's Fury, page 12
“Have you now?”
Sonia nodded. “Are there any books around on the conditions that the different elemental dragons thrive in?”
Adrah’s lips curved into a smile. “I am certain there are. If only our scribes, the Brothers Grimm, were here to aid us. They could impart the knowledge without the use of such texts. However, in their absence, you may visit the vaults below the tower—that is where we keep our most important texts. Among the history annals, scrolls, and various tomes, you may find something useful on dragons.” She turned to the male Fae servant standing nearby. “Amran, please escort Sonia and her friend to the vaults. Ensure that they find what they need.”
He stepped forward, executing an elegant bow. “Yes, my lady. Princess, if you will follow me.”
They followed him back toward the tower, and to a wooden door leading down a curving set of steps. With only Amran’s glow to light the way, they descended. The air grew warmer and damper the further down they went. They came to a long, winding corridor lined with doors.
The Fae servant seemed to know where they were going, so they followed without question until he opened one of the doors and ushered them inside.
“Here,” he said, sweeping out his arm to indicate the cavernous room.
Stretching up toward the high ceiling were shelves filled with books and scrolls.
“By the gods,” Samel whispered, craning her neck and turning in a slow circle to take it all in. “We’ll be here forever searching for the right one.”
“Perhaps you would like assistance?” he offered, crossing to a low-hanging chandelier.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent twenty small, glowing white orbs into the spaces where candles should have been, illuminating the room.
“I will return with others to aid you in inspecting the shelves. Best of luck in your search, Your Highness.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled distractedly, already making her way to one of the ladders leading up to the higher shelves on one side of the room. “I’ll take this side,” she said to Samel. “You take the other. We can look while we wait.”
“Those dragons had better hatch,” Samel grumbled under her breath, moving to her assigned side of the room.
Selena rested against Titus, whose arm was propped on the back of the leather couch behind her. She fixed her gaze on Rothatin, who stood in the center of the massive living room of their sprawling apartment. They’d just arrived back from Texas, where he had appeared with Phaedra, Arrian, Gretchen, and Hayden in tow, before teleporting them all back to New York. He’d just finished catching everyone up on the events of the day before.
The windows framed the rising sun, which cast its rays into the room.
Stifling a yawn, she fought drowsiness and forced herself to pay attention. None of them had been to sleep yet, and being teleported always took a lot out of a person. Rothatin looked particularly haggard. She tried to remember a time she’d seen him looking so tired, and couldn’t think of a single instance. It probably had something to do with the number of times he’d teleported and brought so many people along with him. He’d warned them before that the feat could sap his strength.
Despite his obvious fatigue, he continued on, laying out a plan of action.
Selena tried not to stare for too long at her biological sister. After an awkward introduction, she wasn’t certain how to approach Gretchen, who seemed a bit guarded. And who could blame the girl? She was going through the same experience Selena and the others had when first discovering their true identities. If she felt anything like Selena had, she probably didn’t know what to make of these strange creatures and this world she supposedly belonged to. She might be feeling a bit rebellious when it came to the birth family she didn’t even know.
Selena had definitely been a bit defensive herself when told that her Gram wasn’t really her grandmother. Of course, over time had come acceptance and balance in her mind between her biological family and adoptive one.
Maybe it would come for Gretchen someday, too. As it was, when Selena had excitedly hugged her after being introduced, her sister had given her a half-hearted pat on the back and mumbled a greeting. She hadn’t seemed excited to meet her at all.
Give her time, my love, Titus’ voice whispered inside of her mind. He gave the back of her neck a gentle squeeze, easing the tense muscles. She’ll come around.
She’s so quiet and brooding, Selena thought back. What if we don’t have anything in common at all?
You’re both wind warriors with the same parents. You’re both lost princesses from a foreign world who have had to adapt to survive. Once you find that common ground with her, you can build from there. Don’t give up on her so soon.
She turned and gave him a smile. You always know just what to say. Thank you.
Her sister’s voice interrupted their private conversation.
“Let me get this straight,” Gretchen said from her place on the love seat with her brother. “You want me to go about life as usual—school, work, all of that—and hope Eranna shows up to get me?”
“Not Eranna,” Rothatin replied. “One of her minions. Just because they failed once doesn’t mean they won’t try again.”
“If we know her,” Titus added, “she’ll try again.”
“You will not be alone,” Rothatin continued. “Phaedra, Titus, and Arrian will attend with you, posing as students. They will be on alert for any attack.”
“What’s the goal here?” Hayden interjected.
Gretchen’s brother had proven himself to be protective and bullheaded. He reminded Selena of her brother—Gretchen’s brother, too, she supposed—Thaddeus.
“The objective is to capture one of Eranna’s lackeys,” the general replied. “We need to know what she’s up to, and how she intends to go about her plans.”
“Seeing as how she hypnotized a gang of people to attack you,” Gretchen said, “I would think her plan is to create more of them.”
“I agree,” Arrian said.
He stood behind an armchair where Phaedra sat, trying to pretend he wasn’t there. Selena didn’t know what had happened between the two lovebirds, and wasn’t sure she wanted to given the tension thrumming between them.
“Black magic is fed by violence and fear,” he continued. “The more drones she can create, the more her power will grow until she has enough to take over an entire city.”
“And once the city is hers, she will spread her malice beyond to others,” Rothatin said. “We cannot allow that to happen.”
“So, let’s set this mousetrap,” Gretchen said. “I’m cool with being the cheese.”
“Going back to high school,” Phaedra muttered. “Great.”
Selena didn’t let on that she was secretly jealous. Sure high school hadn’t exactly been a picnic for her, but every now and then she missed the simpler times and the life she’d had before going to Fallada.
If you still lived in Twin Oaks, we never would have met, Titus said, reading her thoughts. I am hurt to think you might wish for that.
Ignoring everyone else in the room, she shifted on the couch and turned to face him.
Never, she declared. Those feelings only last long enough for me to remember why I’m so happy now. I have you, and our baby, and so much more.
Phaedra cleared her throat. “Um, guys?”
She glanced up, realizing every eye on the room rested on them. Her face heated in embarrassment.
“Sorry,” she murmured.
Titus only chuckled.
“I think we’ve done enough planning,” Rothatin said, running a hand over his tired face. “When do you return to school, Gretchen?”
“Today is my last day of suspension,” she replied. “I go back tomorrow.”
“Good. We’ll take the day to rest. Tomorrow, we continue on. You and your brother should remain here with us. It isn’t safe to return to your home yet.”
Hayden stood, stretching. The bottom of his shirt came up to showcase a couple of hard, chiseled abs.
Hey, keep those eyes to yourself!
She shot her mate a glare.
I didn’t poke my eyes out at the altar. It’s not my fault he’s got them like right in my face. Anyway, there’s only one guy’s body I care about.
One of his dark eyebrows arched up. Shall we retire for the night? You can show me just how interested you are.
She laughed out loud, and was ignored as everyone knew if she laughed when no one had said anything funny, they were having a mate mind-meld moment.
Sure. I’ll be there in a sec. I want to find out what’s going on with Phaedra.
Titus groaned inwardly, and the sound echoed in her mind. Don’t get involved. It isn’t our business.
Of course it is! She’s my friend and something bad obviously happened with her and Arrian. I’ll just be a minute.
Titus stood, giving her a dirty look. Which, in girl time, is like two hours. Wake me up when you’re done with the griping and man-bashing.
Chapter Eleven
Jocylene sipped gingerly at her hot tea. It wasn’t hot cocoa, but it had been sweetened with fresh honey and chased away the cold that had sunk as deep as her bones. With a fire roaring in the hearth, the small cabin felt cozy and warm. She sighed with relief and relaxed in her chair, despite the fact that the atmosphere was anything but comfortable.
“So,” she said after a while. “Are you guys … mated?”
Desdemona’s cheeks reddened. “No,” she snapped.
Malachi looked a bit guilty as his gaze flitted to Desdemona, then found the floor.
Interesting.
“My mate passed away,” he said.
She could hear the pain in his voice, and felt Eli tense at her side. She could sense his distress on Malachi’s behalf. He probably imagined what it would feel like to lose her. She’d been told that losing a mate made a person die a little bit inside. Especially if the bond had been a strong one.
Don’t worry, I don’t plan to go anywhere for a long time.
Nothing.
Damn it.
She’d projected the thought at Eli, but he didn’t seem to have heard it. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye to be sure, but he looked at Malachi. Reaching out to take his hand, she gave it a little squeeze, hoping it would be enough. He glanced at her and gave her a half-smile.
Had it been this hard for Selena and Titus? To hear her tell the story, the heavens had opened, birds started chirping, and angels began a chorus of “Hallelujah”. If it had been easy for them, why was it so hard for her and Eli? Had he been right about a certain Faerie standing between them, even from another world away?
“Desdemona nursed me back to health after I was attacked by hybrids,” Malachi continued, breaking her train of thought. “She’s remained here since, and has been a wonderful help to Leven and I in our time of grief.”
Desdemona’s expression softened and she cast a longing glance at Malachi.
“Well, I also needed a place to hide until …”
“Until what?” Wil Grimm spoke up from his place near the fire. “Until Eranna comes after you again? She knows you’re here. If she hasn’t dispatched her minions to capture you, she will—or rather, Kalodan will in her stead. It is no longer safe for you to remain here in Mollac. You need to come with us to Goldun.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Wil. “Why? So your queen can use me as a weapon, in the same way she has used the others?”
“You can’t seriously think Adrah wants to use you,” Jocylene butted in, setting her tea aside. “The Fae are keepers of destiny and fate. It is their job to guide us.”
“Guide us to do the things that fit their agenda and ensure the best outcome for them,” Desdemona said with a shrug. “I cannot say I blame them. Were I as powerful as the Fae, I would likely act in the same way. They sit cowering behind their walls while Mollac and Zenun have been ravaged by hybrids, Shifters, and the Eendi.”
“That is not true,” Eli said from Jocylene’s side, his voice taking on a bit of a growl. She felt his anger swelling. “Even now, General Longspear and a contingent of warrior Fae have traveled to the Earth realm to protect its inhabitants from Eranna. Tell me, if the Fae are only concerned with themselves, why would they even bother with Earth? I think we can all agree that mankind has brought their fate upon themselves after the havoc they wreaked in Fallada in the past.”
“One could just as easily argue that Fallada has earned the same fate,” Desdemona countered. “How long did the royals turn their back on the practices that turned Prophets into Witches and Sorcerers? How long did Adrah know what my mother was up to before she acted?”
“There are many innocents in this realm,” Jake finally said. Jocylene’s father had been silent through the entire exchange, not an unusual thing. He never spoke unless he had something worthwhile to say. “The creatures of the forest are defenseless. The Shifters who haven’t gone over to Eranna’s side are hunted down—including women and children. Will you not fight for them?”
“If not for them, then for yourself,” Jocylene added. “When Eranna spreads her rule to every corner of the realm, you will not be safe.”
“A Phoenix is ruled by no one,” she declared, squaring her shoulders haughtily.
“And what about those she loves?” Eli asked, giving her a pointed glance.
She tensed, and Jocylene knew he’d hit a nerve.
She lowered her eyes. “I can protect them, too.”
“For how long?” Jocylene asked, picking up where her mate had left off. “We all know she won’t rest until she has taken everything every one of us has ever loved. She will destroy you if given half the chance. You do not have to stand alone, Desdemona. I’m standing right here, as part of your family, asking you to stand with me.”
Desdemona’s red lips quirked into a sneer. “My family? Oh yes, I’d quite forgotten about our dysfunctional little family. Our father was a weakling, or mother is a murderous lunatic, and you were found in a basket in the woods.” She laughed. “Some family.”
Her jaw clenched, and she felt the floor tremble beneath her feet in reaction to her anger.
“You’re right. Our family sucks. I don’t want to be a part of it. I have a new family now. I found my real father, and married the man I love. I have sisters—they may not be my biological sisters, but they treat me a hell of a lot better than you do, and I’ve never had to kill one of them.”
Eli’s hand came down on her thigh in a firm grip. “Joss—”
She brushed off her mate’s hand, and stood, glaring at her sister.
“You know what, Desdemona? Screw you.”
She could hear his footsteps behind her when she turned and strode from the room, but didn’t stop until they were clear of the house. When she turned, he was practically on top of her. He wrapped his arms around her, along with the fur-lined cloak she’d left inside.
“Calm down,” he murmured, pulling the hood over her head. “Anger will solve nothing here.”
“Agh!” Jocylene huffed, blowing her long bangs out of her eyes. “She is impossible!”
“She is also needed,” he reminded her. “One of the seven in the prophecy. We cannot win this war without her.”
“Which is why I don’t understand why she’s being so stubborn. She can’t possibly think she can wait this out and remain neutral. This isn’t going away, and if Eranna can’t use her, she’ll kill her.”
“You’re right. I know it, you know it, and perhaps even Desdemona knows it. But, you have to remember that she spent her entire life hidden away in a castle, with every aspect of her life controlled by her mother. She used to be meek and maybe even a little weak. She’d never used her powers before, and didn’t even know they existed. She is going through a bit of a rebellion now that she’s free and learning her own strength.”
“I should never have killed her,” she grumbled. “It just made her stronger … and meaner. Do Phoenix’s have PMS? Because if so, I think someone needs a Midol.”
“I don’t even know what half of that meant,” he muttered, shaking his head.
“I wish you did,” she said. “My joke would have gone over way better. Anyway, I’m cool now. I just couldn’t keep beating my head against that brick wall in there.”
“Well, the brick wall is your sister for better or for worse. Let’s go back in there and try to put a crack in it, all right?”
She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest.
“Okay. Hey, have I told you lately how much I love you?”
He chuckled and his chest vibrated beneath her cheek. It was downright hot, just like the rest of him. The heat he emanated kept her more than warm.
“I know, Joss. I love you, too. And, I apologize for putting so much pressure on you. If our mate’s bond needs strengthening, it certainly won’t get better by fighting and avoidance. We have the rest of our lives to grow together.”
She tilted her head back and kissed him.
“Thank you,” she murmured against his lips. “Can you guess what I’m thinking right now?”
He growled. “Something highly inappropriate, if I know you. Your father is just inside that cabin.”
“Lucky for him, he can’t feel my emotions like you can,” she replied.
Instead of laughing as she’d expected him to, he frowned. His head jerked toward the left, as it usually did when he caught hold of some sound no one else could hear. She watched his face melt into an expression of horror.
Her fingers curled around the fabric of his sleeveless tunic, and his panic resounded through her, causing her heart to race.
“What?” she whispered, searching his face. “Eli, what is it?”
He glanced down at her, jaw clenched.
“Shifters,” he murmured. “Eight of them. Three foxes and five wolves.”
Jocylene opened her hands and reached for her connection to the earth.
“We can take them.”
“Don’t stop attacking until they’re dead. You can be sure they won’t give you a fighting chance if you do.”
