Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ab appear two days passed before I had exuberant of a dish on consciousness to get step up of bed. I had dim recollections of a commotion outside Aesons stronghold afterward re freeing to my body that night stock-still little more. Shaya had cradled me in her arms. Dorian had yelled for a healer. But best of both, beside me Id shapen Kiyo stir.Now I woke up in unrivaled of Dorians many guest rooms. It was small than his provided as opulently decorated as everything else around there. Id rise to a few seasons before this but simply this instant ensn ar the strength to stay up. Nia, who had hoered by my side the entire time, remained less convinced.You shouldntyou involve to sleep more.I was st commitping off the great chemise theyd regurgitate me in, trading up for my recently laundered clothes. If I sleep any more, Ill be dead, and Ive already scrape too contiguous to that. Wheres Dorian? I need to intercourse to him.Im sure hed come to you, your majesty.I wince d at the title. No. Just take me to him.Despite her protests, her sense of duty couldnt disobey the order. She led me through the maze of corridors where I earned a number of curious looks from the various occupants. Since my initial arrival, Id become sort of a common fixture around here, accepted and ignored. Now masses regarded me with the same frightened curiosity Id first received.Outdoors, we found Dorian in one of the gardens, standing over a small, fluffy track. Muran hovered nearby, and between them, they tried unsuccessfully to coax the dog to lie down and roll over. It merely sat looking at them, tail thumping.Dorian noticed me first, his face breaking into a wide smile. The healers had been at work on him too no trace of the burns remained. Queen Eugenie, lovely to see you out and round.Muran nearly fell all over himself to bow. Y-your majesty.We need to talk, I told Dorian firmly. Alone.I never tire of being alone with you. Nia, take this unreasonable beast a sort wi th you. And take the dog too. He waved them off.Once alone with him, I demanded, What the hell were you thinking?There are so many incidents to which you could be referring, I dont nevertheless turn in where to start.Yes, you do. You do me queen of Aesons kingdom.Your kingdom now, my dear.I paced around in the grass irritably. It was the middle of the day, crisp and sunny. I didnt wishing it. You had no right to do it.Its done. Besides, if I hadnt, whateverbody else major magnate have snatched it up. Would you have similard to see your charming little sister on the throne?That stopped me. Extensive searching had found no trace of Jasmine. She seemed to have gotten away cleanly during the yeshin match.Give it to someone else. There has to be a better choice than Jasmine or me.Give it away? He laughed his wondrous melodic laugh, the one that declared all the world was a joke. The demean recognized you. You dissolvet go back on that. Its yours foreverwell, at least(prenomin al) until you die. Or pass it on to an heir.Great. Here we go again. I might have known youd start pushing that.I did no such thing, butsince you brought it upI stopped pacing and glared at him. Quit it. I dont want to talk closely it. I dont even want to think about it.Some of his humor faded. Maybe you should. Jasmine certainly will be. If she has a son first, all your good intentions wont matter. You say you dont want it, but you knowit could all turn out differently if you beat her to it.It was so alarmingly close to what Storm King had told me in the Underworld that I didnt even know what to say at first. Was this a coincidence? I felt pretty sure that all Id seen there had been an illusion, meant to test my resolve and charter me face my fears.Whats wrong? Dorian asked, seeing my face. There was nothing sly or knowing in his expression, only worry.Nothing. Look, forget about the prophecy for a minute. Go back to the Alder domain thing. If you were so worried about it falli ng into the wrong reach outs, wherefore didnt you precisely seize it for yourself?Why, Eugenie, do you think me so power hungry?Yes. I do. Ive perceive and seen as much. When these kingdoms were formed, you valued more. And you had your chance when Aeson died. He didnt answer, and I pushed on, knowing I was right. But that would have upset a lot of people, wouldnt it? Maiwenn and the opposites might have saturnine against you. But by making me Alder Queenyou got a placeholder. No one can say anything because I defeated Aeson f get offly in battle, and now you have easy access to the same power. You plan to use me and this fucking title to extend your inhibit.You have a very low opinion of me. No wonder youre so upset.Come on. Why else would you have done it?He stared in astonishment. Why, because I love you. He said it as though it was the more or less reasonable thing in the whole world. Like I should have known this already.You barely even know me.Weve known each other a lmost as long as youve known the kitsune, and I daresay you think youre in love with him. Your little foray that night demonstrated as much. By the gods, that was one of the most foolish things Ive ever witnessed. You stopped breathing. I vista you were dead.I heard the catch in his voice, and it really struck me that he just might love me after all. It gave me a strange feeling, one I didnt know how to cope with. Dorian loving a person was almost incomprehensible. I thought of him as loving only his own amusements and ambitions.I do love Kiyo, I said in a low voice. And if we can work it outIm passage to He shrugged, carefree and lax again. It doesnt matter. I dont mind sharing you.You told Aeson you dont share.As a general rule, no and certainly not with the likes of him but I dont think youll give me exclusivity, so I must compromise.There isnt going to be any exclusivity or compromise.So you say. You also said youd never come to my bed in the first place. Or that youd ever use magic. You probably said a dozen other things too. We all saw how those turned out. break short it. Im serious about this.And so am I. Youre a queen now. You control part of this world. Ally with me, and well be the greatest power since your father.I dont want the power or the Alder Land.Its the pricker Land now.I what?The land conformed itself to you. The Alder Land was Aesons domain. Yours is the Thorn Land. Youre the Thorn Queen.The smokethorn, I recalled. If someone tried to force a crown of thorns on me, that was going to be seriously fucked up.Very fitting actually. A tree covered in beauty yet possessing a sagaciously and deadly core.I shook my head. I dont care about metaphors. I dont want to rule this kingdom.He moved into my space, something passionate kindling in those gold-green eyes. So what? You think you can just ignore it? Pretend itll go away? The land conformed itself to your will You cant turn away from that. Its survival depends on you particularly since, for reasons only the gods know, you turned it into a wasteland.I faltered. WellIll get one of those peopleyou know, someone who rules in your placeA regent? Thatll only work for so long. You cant avoid the land. You have to come back and visit it, or it will die. Youre connected now.I didnt want this, Dorian. I felt tired. Maybe getting up hadnt been such a good idea after all. You shouldnt have done it.Well have to agree to disagree on that, but Ill do what I can to make amends. Take Shaya. Shed make an excellent regent. And Ill give you Rurik and Nia and any other servants you seem to like reasonably well.I dont really like Rurik.No, but hell be as loyal as that dog I just had. More so, actually, considering what an unreasonable little bastard it was. Rurik will sift through whats left of Aesons oppose and keep only those wholl support you.You mean who support Storm King.Its the best I can do, he said with a shrug. You may take it or not. And youll still have to fill other posit ions yourself. Nia will do nicely for a lady-in-waiting, but shes not quite up to being a seneschal. Youll need one of those. And a herald too.He spoke like he was reciting things I needed to pick up at the grocery store. Oh, God. Im trapped in the fucking Chronicles of Narnia.Im sure that would be an amusing reference, if I understood it. For now, I can do no more. Im giving up some of my favorites for you. The rest is in your hands. There was a smile on his face, but his eyes were serious. No matter what you think of me and my motivations, I swear to you I wouldnt have had you seize Aesons land if I didnt think you were worthy. Theres power burning inside of you, Eugenie. I meant it when I said youd surpass us all.I shook my head and turned away, unavailing to hear this. Im leaving now. I really dont want to see you again. Nothing personal. Well, yeah, actually it is. I started walking toward the door.What about your magic lessons?I froze. What about them?Dont you want to continu e them?I slowly turned around. I have some control now. Not great control, but enough to keep me from doing something stupid.And thats good enough for you? He took a few steps toward me. You killed one of this worlds greatest magic users with a novices control of water. Imagine when you master it and the other elements.No. Im not going to. I dont need to.I thought you liked the way it made you feel.The ghostly memory of power flared up in my mind, and I swallowed, willing it to go away. I shook my head at him. Goodbye, Dorian.I started to turn again, but he caught my shoulder and pulled me into a caress. He deserved to be slapped, but the kiss was exquisite, just like all his kisses. And feeling him against me reminded me of our night together, how hed brought me to a wildness I didnt think myself capable of.Thats the last time youre going to kiss me, I warned when it ended.He smiled knowingly, and in his eyes, I could see his own memories of that night. So you say.I left him and returned to my own world.Kiyo found me a few days later, as Id know he would. Id been out running errands and came home to see him sitting on my doorstep, in human form. He wore a white cotton shirt, tucked neatly into khakis. The black hair was brushed away from his face, and his dark eyes were as smoky and sensual as ever. He looked good and healthy. Like Dorian, hed enjoyed the benefits of gentry heal magic. In fact, Kiyo had received the very best Maiwenn had tended him during his recovery.Come on in, I said, unlocking the door.He entered wordlessly, following and waiting as I put away my keys and purse. I offered him iced tea and then sat down with him on the couch, wanting to say so much and not knowing where to start.You look better than the last time I saw you, I finally said. His teeth flashed in a lovely smile. Wouldnt take much.I looked away. Maiwenn did a good job.I felt his hand reach out and turn my face toward him. Those fingers held the same warmth I remembered, t he same electric tingle.The way I hear it, it was more you than her.I didnt do so much.He tsked me. Honesty, Eugenie.All right, it was bad. Really bad. But Id do it again.Youre a crazy, wonderful woman. I cant repay what you did.I started. Theres nothing to repay. Why on universe would you think that?Because I didnt deserve it. Not after the way No. Forget it. II shouldnt have freaked out over it. Not over something that happened before you even met me. What I didnt add was that I could suddenly empathize with how dangerous certain bits of information could be to a relationship. Like, say, revealing how a gentry king had initiated you into sexual bondage.I still should have told you.Yeah, I conceded, you should have. But its done. I can live with it.His arm had snaked around me in that subtle way he had. What are you saying?You know what Im saying. Theres too much between usIm not ready to give that up yet.The arm pulled me closer, and there was a slight tremble in his voice when he spoke. Oh, God, Eugenie. Ive missed you so much. Youre like a part of me.I know.We held each other for a muteness moment, and then I heard him say in carefully measured tones, I hear youre a queen now.Thats what they say.How do you feel about that? lend oneself your imagination.Dorian had no right to do that. There was a growl in Kiyos voice.Youre preaching to the choir here. I already had that argument with him. He doesnt see it as wrong. He thinks I should keep progressing in magic too.The hand stroking my face stopped moving. He pulled away slightly so he could look me in the eyes. Thats an even worse idea. You arent going to, are you? I mean, you got what you needed from him, right?Right.He visibly relaxed, again touching my cheek with a sensual languor. Well get you through the queen thing. I wont let anything happen to you.There you go again with the macho protectiveness thing. Who brought who back from the dead?Fair point.I gave voice to something Id wondered about for a while now. Howhow did you know when I was at Aesons anyway? Did you really stake out his place and wait for me?His eyes ruffled with seductive mischief. Moving his hands to my back, he let his fingers trace the still-healing scars from where hed scratched me. Theres no place you can go that I cant recover you.I groaned. Id forgotten about that. Those damned things are going to heal one of these days.Ill make more.We leaned into a kiss, and like that, things were solved between us. We didnt need many words to get across how we felt. Maybe thats how it is with someone you really love, someone youre connected to. That wasnt to say we didnt have reams of communication to hash through in the future, not if we were going to attempt some sort of relationship. But for now, the kiss conveyed enough. It was an exchange of heat, an exchange of love, and it felt like coming home.Ive still got to make amends, he told me, his lips only a fraction of an column inch from mine, no matter how mag nanimous youre feeling. You know, the usual. Chocolate. Flowers.Whatever. I dont need the covert signs to know you want to have sex with me. There are plenty of more self-explanatory ones.Like what?Like your hand on my breast.No. This is still subtle. He pulled my body to his, melding us together. Now, when my mouth is there, then youll know Youre such a freak. sexual urge got us into this mess. I dont know that its healthy to rely on it to fix everything.Only one way to find out.Queenly authority or no, I didnt do a very good job of protesting. And when he pushed me down on the couch, I didnt do a very good job of protesting that we should go to the sleeping accommodation. Fortunately, Tim never came home, so I didnt shock his sensibilities again.Whatever words hed withheld in our conversation came out as Kiyo made love to me, telling me he wanted me, would love me forever, and would do anything in the world for me. They were the sort of promises all people make when theyre fall ing in love, but that didnt make them any less powerful. I floated on them long after he left that evening, awash in emotion and contentment and residual lust.I was getting dressed in my bedroom when a voice behind me said Hes a mistake, you know. So is the Oak King. Youre better off without either of them.I jumped and spun around angrily on Volusian. Dont stalker up on me like that Christ. Were you watching me out there? What is it with you Otherworldly types and your fetishes? Exhibitionists and bondage and voyeurism. Good grief.His red eyes regarded me levelly as I finished draw on my shirt. I was not joking, mistress.About Dorian and Kiyo? Whats the matter with them? Well, Dorians kind of obvious, but Kiyos all right.He shook his head. Hardly. He is a fox, and part of him thinks like one. He regards you as his mate, and that is a dangerous thing. He and Dorian are both zealots in their way. They sit at different ends of the spectrum, perhaps, but both are fixed in their belief s. Each will have his own agenda for you even the kitsune, whose views you tend to agree with. They will each try to dominate you and make you think it was your idea.For one uneasy moment, I thought about how sex had been with each man. Aggressive. Controlling. Id had small pieces of control, but in the end, I had always been pushed to introduction, a submission I welcomed. There was only the one night with Kiyo the night Id woken up in the afterglow of remembered power that I had truly been the dominant one.You would do better to find someone milder and more malleable. Someone less ambitious.I considered his words. Maybe he was right. Maybe. Men without ambition are boring.And that attitude, mistress, is why the females of your kind continue to struggle for equality. And why they continue to fail.I sat on the bed and clasped my hands in front of me. I didnt accuse you. Was that all you came to tell me, Dr. Love?No. I came to tell you that you need to visit your kingdom sooner rather than later. The people are nervous and restless. You are their queen, and that means something, no matter how much you detest it. Your people need to see a strong monarch right away.I was hoping to put that off. My people, huh?I wouldnt recommend it. Not unless you want a casualty on your hands.So should I appoint you as one of my advisers now?You may do anything you like. As for me, I tend to share Finns view. If I cannot rip you apart yet and must be enslaved to someone, I would rather it be to someone more important than a human shaman.Id been teasing him, but my feelings sobered at the thought of Finn and poor Nandi. Youre the last man standing, Volusian. Who would have seen that coming?I did, mistress. The incredulous look on his face resembled Dorians when hed told me he loved me. There was never any question. They were inferior.I laughed. I never thought Id say this, but after everything thats happened, youre the only normal thing I can rely on.He didnt reply.Go back to the Otherworld and stay with Shaya. Tell her Ill be there soon. Only cross over if theres a message I need to hear.As the Thorn Queen wishes.Oh, be quiet.I spoke the banishing words and sent him on. After that, I stretched out on my bed and tried to assess my life so far. I was still a shaman, one of the most powerful around if the stories were true. I possessed human means of working and controlling magic, using it to fight and banish anything nasty that slipped into this plane. But I was also gentry, the daughter of one of the Otherworlds biggest tyrants, and I could supposedly be the one to bring about a flagitious prophecy provided my woman-child sister didnt do it first. I was dating a guy who could turn into a fox and who might very well turn on me if I ever got pregnant. I had the love of a king who could tie damned good knots and wanted my help to take over his world and my own. someway Id developed the power to call storms and blow up people. Id been to the land of death and returned. And finally, I was a queen the Thorn Queen, which didnt merely sound flattering. Why couldnt I have been the Violet Queen or something? Why trees and not flowers? There was no accounting for Otherworldly tastes.I needed tequila and Def Leppard right away.I walked out to the kitchen, hoping to uncover one or the other but found neither. Instead, I settled for water from a large glass pitcher we kept chilled in the refrigerator. I poured a cup for myself and then set to refilling the pitcher while my mind spun.Why had everything turned so confusing lately? I didnt want any of this. I just wanted Kiyo and the occasional exorcism. Love and a way to pay the mortgage. That was it. I didnt need all this Otherworldly web or the gentry and their games. They offered me nothing. I didnt want anything from any of them.Angrily, I slammed the faucet off and turned toward the refrigerator. I didnt realize how wet my fingers were until the glass pitcher slipped from my hands. E verything after that happened in the space of a heartbeat. The pitcher fell. It hit. It shattered. Without thinking, my senses reached out and seized the water, ordering it to stay where it was. There was nothing to be done for the glass Yet, it didnt move. The shards hung frozen in midair, just like the water, suspended in the pattern created from the impact. I stared, dumbstruck, until a faint breeze brushed my skin and I realized the fragments trembled slightly. Cautiously, I reached out to that air with my mind and felt its answering resonance. Stretching further, I could sense the currents of power running from me to the space around the glass. The air shifted there as its molecules fought to keep the pieces from falling. Somehow, without even knowing how, Id made the air obey me, just as I had the water.Only this was a lot more difficult. I gradually became aware of exactly how I affected the air molecules, and the longer I did it, the harder it was. The pieces of glass felt l ike bricks, their weight heavy on my senses as I kept memory them up. With a casual thought, I sent the water away to my sink. Forcing all of my attention to the glass gave me a little more strength, but I knew my control would give out soon. Still, I held on. I suddenly wanted to dominate the air, understand how it worked and what I needed to do to command it.Imagine when you master it and the other elements.As I connected to the air, I felt that burning, glorious feeling start to run through me. It still had yet to ever come close to the levels in the dream-memory, but the surge I felt now was stronger and sweeter than anything else Id felt from controlling water alone.Tim walked in just then, freezing midstep when he saw me. Eugenie? die beat at my muscles, and sweat broke out along my brow. The glass would fall any moment now, and when it did, the magical high would disappear. I fought as long as I could, but when the glass started to shake violently, I hastily ordered the air to carry the pieces to a nearby garbage can. My control was ill-chosen only some of the glass made it.I thought you liked the way it made it made you feel.Gasping, I sat down in a chair, staring at the glass on the floor. Tim was staring at me.Eugwhat just happened?The euphoria of power flickered briefly as I desperately tried to summon the air again. No luck. That achingly wonderful glory drained out of me, like embers fading from orange to gray. Some part of my soul screamed for it as it disappeared, begging it to come back, swearing that I would do anything at all for it to return. I closed my eyes and swallowed.Eugenie, Tim tried again, what was that?I opened my eyes and followed his gaze to the glass that still lay on the floor. It took me a moment to find my voice, and when I did, it came out soft and husky.I dont know. But I think I want it.