Storm Born Chapter Sixteen

I slept the rest of the twenty-four hours and most of the liveing unity as well. Only the essentials got me out of bed food, the bathroom, one and only(a) phone c each(prenominal), and a meeting with Volusian after Kiyo had to leave for Phoenix.I was dozing around dinner beat that second day when Tims angry voice in the living room woke me up.No I dont divvy up. She posits to sleep, okay? Ill give her the message, entirely stop calling.Id exposed Tim drug abuse that vestige only on a few throng, so I had a right idea whom he spoke to. For whatever reason, despite having never met, he and Lara hated each other. Throwing on my robe, I shuffled out to the living room and see him talking on my cell phone. The only progress wed made in cleanup thus far was to sort of clear a walking path through the debris. He pulled the receiver from his face.Its that bitch secretary of yours. I wouldnt possess answered except that she lay asides calling and calling. I told her you cant t ake I reached for the phone. Its fine. I need to talk to her.Glaring, he handed it oer.Did your asshole roommate just call me a bitch? de military manded Lara. He has no right let it go, I ordered. Tell me whats up.Well, I got your message. Did the shoes show up?Yeah, theyre great. What to the highest degree the witch?I dumbfound it up. Hes vent to come ward the place this eventideing. Hell need you to let him in.No prob. I wont be here(predicate), besides Tim will.Okay, and just about the other thingYeah?A long pause. Well, I dont count I imaged that part of the message right. It sounded like you said you needed a dress overly.I do need a dress.Silence.Whats the matter? Didnt I leave you my size?Yeah, you did, its just thata dress? I mean, youve asked me to get you some pretty crazy stuff forwards and Im still kind of uneasy about that one time with the nitroglycerin besides this is really out there, even for you.Oh, stop it. Just take c ar of this.I wasnt keen on the dress either, still Volusian had insisted during our earlier bedside strategy session. If things fell into place with Dorian, Id be attending an Otherworldly party on Beltane or else than waiting for an attack back here. Volusian had insisted I start making arrangements. What an age we lived in when spirit minions advised on fashion.Any special requirements?I considered. null bridesmaid or prom-ish. Think cocktail party. Simple. But elegant.Sexy?Moderately.Color?As long as it looks good.All right. Got it. Ill demand it by next week. Oh, yeah, Wil Delaney called again.You dont bewilder to let me k like a shot anymore. I sort of take it as a given by now.So you dont want to return it?No.We disconnected, and I hit the shower. Beltane eve, the queen-size night, was fast approaching. Tonight was the warm-up. The night I made my deal with the devil.After digging out my dusty blow-dryer, I dried and brushed my bull until it gleamed. I didnt usually go for letup non having th e patience just now a little foundation went a long way to hide the tiny bruises on my face from yesterdays blowout. I considered mascara superfluous with already dark eyelashes, but when combined with some smoky eye shadow, it did make my eyes look bigger. More lipstick, and I barely recognized myself. I didnt look slutty or anything, but it had certainly been a long time since Id looked so polished.I considered a skirt but couldnt go that far. Instead, I opted for tight jeans and the new half-heeled sandals. The tank top I selected was olive green, the same color as my moleskin coat, with thin straps meant to rest slightly off-key the shoulder. Each strap had a tiny ruffle along its edge, as did the low, cleavage-showing scoop neckline.Examining my reflection, I couldnt function a wistful sigh. I looked better tonight than I had when I met Kiyo. If only he could see me now.I spritzed on some Violetta di Parma, grabbed my coat and weapons, and headed for the door. Tim nearly f ell out of his chair when he power saw me.What are you doing? Are you going out? You cant do that Not after what happened yesterday.Im feeling better, I lied. Actually, it was only partially a lie. Did I feel good? No. Did I feel better than yesterday? Yes.Youre crazy.Sorry. Got business that cant wait.Dressed like that? he asked skeptically.Ignoring him, I drove out to the gateway in the desert. The variety to the Otherworld was a little rough in light of my weakened physical state, but I managed. Volusian and Nandi waited for me at the crossroads when I arrived. Finn hadnt mat like showing. It was one of the downsides of not having him bound to me. We set out along the road.Shortly into the walk, I realized wearing heels was the Worst Idea Ever. I took them off and carried them the rest of the way. If I was going to throw seeing Dorian, I would need to leave an anchor at his place to facilitate crossings.Dont cross his threshold without asking hospitality first, warned Volusia n. Theyll disarm you before you can enter. You dont want to do that without protection.I agreed, though I didnt like the idea of disarming in the first place.No one ambushed us this time, and I practically walked up to the gates without incident. The guards recognized me and locked into a defensive stance, weapons drawn.Our mistress comes in peace, said Nandi mournfully. She would let the cat out of the bag with the Oak King and ask his hospitality.Do you think were stupid? asked one of the guards, eyeing me watchfully.Not exactly, I said. But I do think you were here last time and saw that I didnt attempt any trouble. Maybe you also noticed I spent a lot of time in your kings bedroom. Trust me, hell want to see me.They conferred briefly and finally sent one of t successor number away. He returned minutes later, granting me admittance and hospitality once they had indeed disarmed me. They walked me through the same hallway as before but not up to the throne room door. Instead, we wound deeper into the keep until we stood at a set of glass doors leading out to some sort of tend or atrium.Our lord is outside, explained one of the guards, about to open the doors.Volusian blocked his way. Get a herald to announce her. Shes not a prisoner anymore. And use her titles.The man hesitated, glanced at me, and then called for a herald. Moments later, a stout man dressed head to foot in teal velvet hurried in. He looked at me and swallowed nervously before opening the doors. A handful of elegantly dressed gentry stood out in the gardens, glancing up at our entrance.Your majesty, I present Eugenie Markham, called Odile semidark Swan, young lady of Tirigan the Storm King.I winced. Yikes. Id had no idea Id had that much appended to my name now.The soft conversation dropped. Apparently I should get used to having this effect plot attending social events in the Otherworld.From inside, I had expected a small courtyard type of garden, but this looked like it stretched ou t indefinitely. The grass was still green, but many of the trees had leaves in orange, yellow, and red. None were the dying brown of late autumn. These showed the perfect, beautiful hues one saw at autumns finest. Heavy apple trees laden with fruit clustered in corners, and in the air, I could just faintly smell a bonfire and mulling spices. It was earlier in the day here than when Id left Tucson. The end of the good afternoon was giving way to twilight, the sky painted in shades of gold and pink that rivaled the leaves splendor. Torches on long poles were set up to offer light.The group parted, and Dorian strode forward. His red hair streamed behind him, and over a simple shirt and pants, he wore a robe-type garment made of wine-colored satin and gold brocade. I approached him, and we met in the middle. My spirits waited near the doorway.My, my. What a lovely surprise. I didnt think Id see you again so soon.Dorian reached for my hand, and this time I let him take it. A flicker of mischievous amusement glinted in his eyes at this small concession, and I knew I had already piqued his curiosity.I hope you dont mind me dropping in like this.He kissed my hand, just as Kiyo had yesterday. Only Dorians kiss was less of a hope you get better kiss and more of an imagine my lips in other places kind of kiss.Not at all. He drew his lips back and laced his fingers with mine. Come. Join us.I recognized a couple of the gentry standing(a) there from dinner. The other two people hanging around looked like servants, waiting anxiously with long mallet-type things in their hands. I peered at them, then at the wickets spread out in the grass.Croquet? Youre playing croquet?Dorians face broke into a grin. Yes. Do you play?Not in years. The gentry play croquet? Who knew? I supposed it was technologically simple as far as peppys went. It made more sense for them to play that than video games.Would you like to now?I shook my head. Youre already in the middle of something. Ill just watch.As you like.He took a proffered stick from one of the servants. Watching him line up a shot, I could see he intended to hit his ball and knock out an opponents near a wicket. A faint breeze ruffled his hair and the folds of his robe, and he had to take a moment to brush the fabric out of his way. When he finally hit his ball, it went wide, considerably away from his opponents ball.Ah, well. It was c lag. I nearly had it, dont you think so, Muran?Muran, a lanky guy dressed in lavender, jumped at being addressed. Er, uh, y-y-yes, your majesty. Very close. You were almost there.Dorian rolled his eyes. No, I wasnt. It was an abominable shot, you wretched man. Let Lady Markham have your turn. Give her your mallet. outright I jumped. Lady Markham?But the aforementioned Muran practically shoved the thing at me. Hesitantly, I approached his ball. I was pretty original Id been ten the last time Id played, off visiting one of my moms aunts in Virginia.Remembering Dorians hang-ups on hi s robe, I paused to slip off my coat. A servant instanter raced over to take it from me, folding it neatly over his arms. I turned back to the ball and mallet, sizing up the shot. I tossed my hair back over one shoulder and hit. The ball half-skittered, half-rolled through the grass and went through one of the wickets.Exquisite, I heard Dorian say.I glanced back at him but saw he wasnt watching the ball at all. His eyes were all over me. I tried to return the mallet to poor Muran, but Dorian wouldnt hear of it. He made me finish the game in Murans stead. As we played, I immediately picked up on something peculiar.Dorian was a terrible player too terrible to be real. He was obviously faking it, but his subjects could not bring themselves to do better than their king. So they too faked their own sort of appalling game play. Watching it was comical. I entangle up like I was in a scene from Alice in Wonderland. Having no such qualms about winning, I played normally, and even with a ching muscles and no practice, I won pretty handily.Dorian couldnt have been happier. He clasped his hands together, laughing. Oh, outstanding. This is the best game Ive played in years. These sheep wont know what to do now. He glanced at his fellow players and beckoned them toward the building. Go, go, your shepherd is tired of you all.I watched them go. You dont really treat themrespectfully.Because they deserve none. Did you see the preposterous way they acted in that game? Now imagine that happening every second, every day of your life. Thats what its like to be royalty, to live at court among courtiers. Be happy you have no original throne yet. Its all simpering and groupthink.I almost heard a touch of bitterness in his light voice. Almost.A servant handed my coat back, and Dorian addressed her and a couple of guards. Lady Markham and I are going to take a walk now through the eastern orchard. Seeing as shes dressed for business, I imagine she wants to speak alone. Follow, but keep your distance.Turning, he offered me his arm again and led me off into one of the gardens winding turns, into a ponderous apple orchard. Like the other trees Id seen, these were filled with fruit. Still more apples lay on the ground, round and red and waiting to be eaten.When we were sufficiently alone, I said, Im not dressed for business, not in these shoes. I was dressed for business the last time I was here.He gave me a sidelong look. Women who show up facial expression as lovely as you do after barely stomaching my presence last time do not come on pleasure. They come for business.Youre a cynic.A pragmatist. But, business or pleasure, it becomes you. He sighed happily. I do so wish more of our women would wear pants like those. The warriors often do but not nearly so tight.ThanksI think.We walked on at a leisurely pace while the sky turned orange and scarlet.So I imagine youve changed in other ways since our last encounter. The very fact that youve come here so congeniall y indicates as much.Yes. I change my eyes. You know, I dont appreciate you specialiseing me that Storm King bedtime story when all the time you knew I didnt know what was going on.Mean, perhaps. But also amusing were you in my place. Besides, I did you a service of sorts. I provided necessary background information, Lady Markham.Dont say Lady Markham. It sounds weird.Ive got to call you something. Our normal rules of etiquette dont exactly outline anything for your situation. You are the daughter of a king without a kingdom. You are royalty but not quite royal. So you are addressed like a noble.Well, then, only use it in public. Or stick to Odile.What about Eugenie?Fine.Silence fell between us. The orchard seemed to go on forever.Do you want to tell me why youre here yet? Or should I think up some other pleasantries to discuss?I repressed a laugh. Dorian played flamboyant and scattered, but he wasnt a fool.I need a favor.Ah, so it is business after all.I stopped walking, and he s topped with me. Looking down at me, he waited patiently, his face pleasantly neutral. I shivered as another breeze stole through, and he took my coat from me, helping me slip it on.I wrapped my arms around myself, grateful for the coats warmth. Sexy was cold.I conjured a storm yesterday.Did you now? His voice held less levity and more calculation. What happened?I told him the story, just as I had for Maiwenn and Kiyo.What were you thought when it happened?At first, I thought he was chastising me. Sort of like when you do something stupid and your mom asks, Are you insane? What were you thinking?Like how I felt? What was going through my head?He nodded.I dont know. I guess I went through a lot of moods. When it all startedI mean, I felt the same as for any other attack. Planned out what I would do, focused for a baring. But once my mom got involvedI started to lose it.And when Corwyn had you trapped?Who?The elemental. He was one of Aesons men. The spirits you banished came back tel ling tales, though admittedly, no ones heard this part, seeing as you didnt leave any witnesses.I feltscared. Weak. Defenseless.You dont strike me as soulfulness whos scared a lot.No, actually. Im scared all the time. Stupid not to be. Whats that saying? Only the dead are without fear? Or is that hope? Dunno. At that point, I sure as hell didnt have any hope either. I felt like I was out of options.And so you chose the only option left to you.I didnt choose it exactly. Not consciously.No. But sometimes our souls and the secret split of our minds know what we need.He walked over to a large, sheltering maple tree. Presumably it too had those wonderful colors, but the near-darkness made such things impossible to see. Taking off his robe, he spread it on the ground and sat down, go forth space beside him. A moment later, I sat down as well.So what have you come to ask me, Eugenie Markham?You already know. I can hear it in your voice.Hmm. So much for crafty subterfuge.I need you to te ach me how to use the magic. So it doesnt take over again. I dont want to kill soulfulness the next time I freak out.Or, he added, you just might want to kill someone with it. On purpose, that is.Maybe. I shivered. I dont know.He didnt speak right away. The darkness around us grew deeper.What you did to Corwyn was akin to using a brick to swat a fly when much finer, much simpler methods would suffice. The storms you can conjure are great and powerful things, absolutely. The gods know your father made effective use of them. But I think youll find your real power is in despotic the storms finer elements. A child can throw paint on a canvas tent a master usages with fine brushstrokes. You square off the small things, and then the storms will be second nature.I took a deep breath. So can you teach me? Will you teach me?Even in the dark, I knew he had that laconic smile on his face. If someone had told me during our last meeting that wed have this conversation, I would have flogged h im for insolence.I dont have anyone else to go to. Maiwenn offered, but she doesnt have Maiwenn? he interrupted. His tone startled me. When did you talk to her?After the attack. I explained the circumstances of our meeting. When he didnt respond, I grew defensive. Theres nothing wrong with that. If anything, its kind of nice to have someone on my side who doesnt want to see me get pregnant and take over the world.And for that very reason, you shouldnt trust her. I want to see Storm Kings heir born. Therefore, I have good reason to make sure you stay alive. She does not.I remembered thinking how Maiwenn would have had a lot less to worry about had I died in the attack.She didnt seem so sinister, I replied haltingly, suddenly struck by a thought. If Maiwenns noble philosophy involved killing me, then would Kiyo follow her in that?The sinister ones never do.Youre just trying to sway me to your side.Well, of course. Id be trying to do that regardless of her involvement.I sighed. It was all plots and posturing after all. higher up all else, Dorian was still one of the gentry. Maybe coming here was a mistake.Coming here was the smartest thing youve done so far. So tell me, what will you give me for teaching you to control your power?You cant get something for nothing, huh?Oh, please. Dont sound so superior. I helped you last time without asking anything in return, and now here you are again asking more of me. You demand a lot of the gentry you consider so greedy.Fair enough. I leaned against the tree a little. If youll help meIll letIll let people think were, you knowThere was a pause, and then his warm laughter filled the orchard. Sleeping together? Oh, you really have made my night. Thats not fair. Not fair at all.I blushed furiously in the dark. Youll one-up Aeson. Hell think Im willingly giving you what he tried to take by force.And all the while, Ill actually be getting nothing except tantalizing glimpses of you in outfits like this.Ill cover up more if it ma kes a difference.What would make a difference is if you were sleeping with me for real.Thats not fair either. Not for a few magic lessons.A few? He laughed again, his voice carrying the kind of incredulity that seemed to amuse quite a than upset him. Jesus. Did nothing bother this guy? My dear, its going to take more than a few lessons to quell that storm in you, pun intended. Especially with your temper. Its going to make focus hard.I felt indignant. Hey, Ive been focusing since I was a kid. I can clear my mind in the middle of a fight to banish spirits. I go to trance in seconds.Perhaps, he conceded grudgingly. But Im still not sure this is fair. Youll be getting more than lessons. Assuming you are my lover, people will be hesitant to assault you. Youll find your status soaring.Christ. Nothing gets past you, does it? Apparently Volusian and I have a lot more to learn about subterfuge too.Who?My servant.Ah. The sullen one with red eyes?Yes.He made a disapproving click with his ton gue. Hes both dicey and powerful. Youre brave to keep him.I know. I couldnt send him to the Underworld, so I bound him to me.If I helped you, we could belike send him on.The thought astonished me. With Volusian securely in the world of death, Id probably be a lot safer.As though reading my mind, Dorian added, Things will get nasty if he ever breaks loose on you.I know. He tells me on a regular basis in graphic detail. Stillhes been useful. I think Ill keep him around for a while.We sat quietly in the darkness again. I realized it must be getting past the castles dinner hour. Part of the reason for showing up at this time had been to get invited to dinner. With gentry pride in hospitality, Volusian had thought it would please Dorian to show off his resources, especially since being half-gentry meant I could safely eat in this world now. Finally, a legitimate perk to all this insanity. I half-smiled imagining a hall full of hungry gentry, pounding their silverware on the table. Wi th the way everyone danced around Dorians moods, however, I had no doubt theyd wait hours if need be.If youre going to pretend to be my lover, it will involve more than just say-so. Youve seen how free we are with our affections in public. If you keep ten feet away from me, no ones going to recollect it.I froze, suddenly remembering that other dinner. I hadnt entirely considered the implications.He chuckled softly, a low and dangerous sound beside me. Oh, yes, you didnt think about that, did you?He was right. Id figured Dorian and me disappearing into his bedroom for lessons would be convincing enough. But now I had to picture sit down on his lap, letting him touch me and kiss me. I had trouble with the image. He was one of the gentry, the beings Id hitherto kept a wary eye on and bring in down my whole life. Discovering Kiyos true nature had been a shock to my system, one I was slowly starting to reconcile. How could I report someone who was completely of the Otherworld? andthe more I hung around Dorian, the easier it became to think of him as just a person. Weird or not, there was something comfortable about being with him. So, yeah. I could handle this. Maybe. It was just a little making out, right? It wasnt sex. And wasnt it a small thing to ensure I didnt tear anyone else apart inadvertently?Im not going down on you or anything, I warned, using flippancy to cover my discomfort.He laughed again. As saddening as that is, it might actually be too much. Youre gracious enough that theyll expect some modesty.Small blessings. All right. Ill hold up my half if you hold up your half.Well, in distribution, I think Im actually doing three-quarters of the work here. But yes, Ill do the same. Shall we shake on it? Isnt that how you humans seal a deal?I extended my hand in the darkness, and he took it. Suddenly, he pulled me to him and kissed me. I immediately pulled back, aghast.HeyWhat? You dont expect to have our first kiss in public, do you? We want to be conv incing, remember?Youre a sleazy bastard, you know that?If you truly believe that, then maybe youll feel better finding another teacher.I thought about that. Then I leaned forward and tried to find his lips in the darkness. I didnt realize I was shaking until his hands gripped my arms.Relax, Eugenie. This wont hurt.I took a deep breath and calmed myself. Our lips found each other. His reminded me of flower petals, soft and velvety. Whereas Kiyo was all about animal passion and aggression, Dorian seemed more aboutprecision. I suddenly remembered his metaphor about the difference between slapping paint on a canvas and fine brushstrokes.Dont get me wrong, Dorian wasnt exactly sweet and chaste. There was heat in those soft lips. He seemed to want to draw out the experience, almost in a taunting way, so much so that I found myself impatient and eager when his tongue finally darted in between my lips. He pushed it further into my mouth, the rest of the kiss intensifying. He smelled like ci nnamon and cider, like all the good things in an autumn night. Finally, he pulled away.Youre still afraid of me, he noted, amused by that fact just like everything else. Your body still wont relax.Yes. I swallowed. It had felt good, the kind of good that sends heat down your body and makes your toes and other parts curl. But my fear had underscored it all, that fear of gentry and otherness that I still couldnt quite shake. It was a weird combination, physical pleasure mingling with fear. Very distinguishable from the way it was with Kiyo physical pleasure mixed with a larger, all-encompassing sense of chemistry and mutual affection, despite my unease over his half-kitsune heritage. I cant help it. This is all still strange for me. Part of me says its wrong. Its hard to change what Ive always believed overnight, you know.Do you want to go back on the deal?I shook my head. I dont go back on my deals.I could feel him smiling in the darkness. He leaned over and kissed me again.