Taken by Storm (Storms of Blackwood Book 1)

by Elle Middaugh

  Cal sat up in his chair, folded his hands on the table, and looked around the room. “Now that we’ve discussed everyone’s extra powers, let’s get down to business. Where’s this tension coming from? What’s everybody thinking?”

  “Why don’t you start with yourself?” Rob suggested snidely.

  But Cal simply took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, fine. I guess I’m thinking that there’s a lot of jealousy going around. A lot of competition and a lot of dissatisfaction.”

  Ben and Dan nodded their agreement, while Rob rolled his eyes.

  “I feel a little jealous,” Ben admitted. “It’s stupid because I barely even know you, Lex, but every time I see you with one of my brothers instead of me, I feel so... defeated.”

  I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Don’t give up so quickly. If there’s something that you want, you should fight for it.”

  “Are you seriously suggesting that we fight over you?” Rob asked sarcastically. “Real mature, Jewels.”

  I huffed in frustration. Of course, he’d twist my words. “No, that’s not what I meant. I was just...”

  Oh hell, I didn’t know how to explain it properly. “Don’t give up” when it came to being with me really did mean competing against his brothers, which was not what I wanted for them. Any of them.

  Ben grinned. “I think what Lexicon is trying to say is that none of us are out of the game at this point. It’s not over until she officially chooses a suitor, and until then, we each have an equal opportunity to spend time with her.”

  “Yes,” I said with a sigh. “That’s exactly what I wanted to say.”

  “I don’t even want to spend time with her,” Rob said, avoiding eye contact with me. “You guys can fight amongst yourselves; I’m content to sit on the bench.”

  Cal’s eyes narrowed. “Lie.”

  Rob’s eyes narrowed even further than Cal’s. “I am going to fuck you up.”

  Cal’s lips twitched at the corners. “Also a lie.” Then he turned to Dan. “What about you? What are you thinking?”

  The Sea Prince swallowed hard and scrubbed a hand across his face. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just... utterly fucking terrified that this will turn into another Sofia situation. I can’t go through that again.”

  “It won’t, and you won’t,” Cal insisted gently. “Sofia was ordinary; Alexis has powers. She’s in the same boat as us now.”

  Dan glanced up, questioning Cal with a look I didn’t quite understand. But the Sky Prince apparently did. He nodded in return, and Dan’s eyes fell closed.

  “Who’s Sofia?” I asked, knowing full well it was a dangerously touchy subject. “And what happened to her?”

  Everyone looked to Dan, silently asking for permission.

  He pulled his lips in and shook his head. “I can’t. I’m not ready for this. Sorry.”

  My heart sank. Whatever had happened with her had damn near ruined him. I suddenly wanted to pick his pieces up and meticulously put him back together. I wanted to take his pain away and help him move on... even if it wasn’t with me.

  Cal smiled in my direction. “He’ll tell you when he’s ready. Until then, is there anything else that needs said? Now’s the time.”

  Rob cocked his dark-haired head. “How about you, Jewels? Got anything on your mind? Anything you care to admit to the group?”

  Admit? What was I, a criminal?

  I sighed, figuring I ought to at least say something. “I wanted to hate you all, but... I actually kinda like you guys. All four of you. Every one of you has redeeming qualities, some element of attraction that I can’t deny. And it kind of drives me crazy.”

  “Who do you like more?” Dan asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

  It made me smile. He was at least pretending to act normal, which was a hell of a lot better than watching him drown in the Sofia-sea-of-despair, whatever that meant.

  “Honestly?” I shook my head. “I have no idea. I kind of wish I didn’t have to choose.”

  “Who says you do?” Rob asked, his tone darkening.

  I chuckled humorlessly. “Um, your father, remember? I have less than one month to decide, and frankly, I’m not at all ready for marriage.”

  The other brothers agreed with me on the marriage front, but Rob merely stared intently, as if he were trying to read my thoughts and emotions beneath the surface of my skin.

  For some reason, I had a feeling he’d been referring to something else entirely. Something so deliciously perfect I couldn’t even allow myself to hope. No way would I ever get to keep all four princes. The king would never agree, and I was sure the brothers would never want to share.

  It was a stupid thing to hope for anyway. I was apparently just a greedy bitch who wanted all the dick.

  “How about you, Rob?” Cal asked. “You’re the only one who hasn’t really said anything yet.”

  He sighed and leaned his head back, staring up at the shadowy ceiling. “I’m pissed off.”

  “About what?” Cal asked.

  Rob put both hands behind his head and threaded his fingers. “Well, I’m pissed at our father, like always. I’m pissed at that fucking fae for glamouring one of us. I’m pissed that Jewels is stuck in this game of cat and mouse too. And most of all—” He ran a frustrated hand down his stubbled face. “—I’m pissed that we kissed. It never should have happened.”

  I pulled my lips in and turned away. I didn’t know why even their smallest rejections hurt so bad, but they did.

  Cal’s eyes narrowed. “That’s only a half-truth.”

  Rob growled, pulling my gaze back to his frustrated face. “Fine. I can’t stop thinking about that kiss, and I fucking hate it. Is that better?”

  Cal nodded silently.

  “How did you stop my and Dan’s kiss earlier?” I asked, needing to ask the question before he closed himself off again. “What’s your power?”

  He stared at me for a long moment, features unyielding. I had no idea if he was going to just ignore my question or what. Then he said, “I’m the Spirit Prince. A descendant of Hades. I can manipulate the dead and undead.”

  Which would definitely explain why Taron and Tamara were telling him it’s okay and we trust you back in the training room. They were going to let him take over their bodies. Talk about freaky.

  “So... what?” I asked, trying to figure out the answer to my question on my own. “Your spirit magic is cold?”

  “No, Jewels, spirits are cold. The dead are cold. The undead are cold. I moved a spirit over you. You couldn’t see it because ghosts are pretty much invisible to everyone but me, but you could feel it, couldn’t you?”

  Gross. He put a dead thing on top of us to stop our foreplay. Also, super creepy.

  “So, there’s the Sky Prince,” I said pointing at Cal. “The Sea Prince.” I pointed at Dan. “The Sand Prince.” I pointed at Ben. “And the Spirit Prince,” I said, finally landing at Rob.

  They all nodded, and Ben added, “Asher was the Shifter Prince.”

  I cocked my head. All S’s. Convenient. I wondered what S name I’d be? The freaking Sex Princess, probably. My cheeks warmed at the thought.

  “Can we eat now?” Rob asked in an impatient tone. “I’m starving.”

  “Me too,” Dan agreed.

  My stomach rumbled. I bent forward, trying to muffle the stupid sound, but it didn’t work.

  Ben chuckled. “I think we’re all hungry.”

  “All right,” Cal conceded. “But I have a feeling there’ll be more of these chats in the near future, so don’t get too excited.”

  The boys groaned, and I smiled. I kind of liked the heart-to-hearts, to be honest. It was freeing to speak my mind without the fear of retaliation or reprimanding. And after hearing the things they had to say, I was glad to know the truth. I had a feeling it would help us navigate this crazy sea our shared boat was floating in.

  Whatever the hell that meant.

  Chapter 16

  Preparing Nightsh
ade Castle, on the off chance the Timberlune royals agreed to come and patch up the treaty, was exhausting and all-consuming.

  Cal had servants to do the brunt of the work, but even still, they needed leadership and management, and there were multiple rooms that required ungodly amounts of work. Not only had Cal’s castle not been remodeled since its construction, but it also looked like it hadn’t been cleaned or decorated in just as long either.

  At the end of the week, I wiped the sweat off my brow and plopped onto a newly crafted chaise lounge chair that I had helped commission. I thought Cal gave me the decorating job because I was a woman, but honestly, I had no idea what was fancy enough for royalty. I'd just told the servants to travel to the nearby villages and ask the carpenters and craftsmen to send in their very best items to be displayed at Nightshade Castle. Not only would there be pride and prestige in the job, but I’d also offered a few of Cal's coins as a reward. I knew I needed to help the villagers out somehow. This was just one small way I could start instituting change.

  A knock sounded at the wide-open archway of the sitting room, making me look up.

  "Hey, Peach, something just...” Cal's face appeared around the corner and he stopped, mouth gaping. “Oh, my gods, this looks amazing."

  I rubbed the soft blue material of the lounge, then glanced over at the semi-translucent curtains wafting in the breeze and then down at the intricately woven indigo and white circle rug. “Yeah, I’m pretty much in love with the blue theme I have going on in here.”

  He spun in a slow circle in the middle of the room, taking in every minute detail. “I’m glad I put you on décor duty. You’re doing a great job.”

  "Thank you." I lifted my chin a bit higher and grinned. "Who knew I had any talent in design whatsoever?"

  "Not I," he teased, ducking out of the way of the pillow I threw at his head.

  He chuckled and held up a small package. "This came for you a moment ago."

  "For me?" I sat up straight. "Who's it from?"

  Cal shrugged. "No address. No seal. I thought maybe someone from back home sent you something? Since they no doubt heard you were staying nearby."

  That would've been a reasonable guess, I supposed, if anyone back home had wanted anything to do with me, which they totally didn't. No one cared except Mom, Gemma, and...

  My heart suddenly soared into my throat. It couldn't be from... Adam... could it? He'd been gone so long I'd given up on hoping. But now that everyone was apparently talking about me, maybe he'd somehow found his way back?

  Fucking hell, that would complicate things with the princes.

  I forced a smile and took the package. "Thank you. I'm going to retire to my room for a bit, but I'll meet you all for supper."

  "Don't forget, the carriages from Blackwood should be arriving tomorrow. We'll finally have some extra clothes, and you can continue your magic, etiquette, and history lessons."

  I quirked a brow. "Oh? You packed more than gowns in my luggage? You also stowed away my tutors?"

  He grinned, and his blue eyes practically sparkled. "I did. I also packed a certain wayward sloth, if I remember correctly."

  "Speedy! Oh, my gods, thank you!"

  Without a second thought, I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed tightly. It was the first time I'd been so close to him, even without the influence of my crazy sex magic, and I was suddenly extremely aware of that fact. His warm muscles tensed beneath my touch for just a moment before he slid his hands to the small of my back and hugged me in return, resting his cheek on top of my head. This was not at all what I had expected, but damn, it felt good to be tucked into the strong arms of a handsome man.

  A fake cough sounded from out in the hallway, and Cal and I quickly split apart.

  "Well, well," Dan muttered, strolling closer with a mischievous glint in his pale green eyes. "So, this is why you're so hell-bent on keeping me away from her. You want her for yourself."

  Cal put both hands up and shook his head. "This is not what it looks like."

  Dan smirked. "You know, I don’t mind a little friendly competition, but this... this is cheating."

  "No, he's right," I added quickly. "I was just thanking him for..." Gods, it was nerve-wracking being in the spotlight of Dan's stare. "...for packing my pet sloth and for..." I held up the box and shook it a bit, but it didn’t make a sound. "…for dropping off this package."

  "Oh, Sexy Lexi,” Dan said, slipping his hands around my waist, “if you wanted someone to drop off a package, I have just the thing you need."

  He pulled my hips closer, and my stomach was suddenly flush against the package in question. Dear gods, it was thick. I wondered what it'd feel like, pressing deep inside of me...

  "Dan, that's enough," Cal demanded, standing off to the side, looking both pissed and conflicted. "She was just about to retire to her room."

  "Hopefully not with you in tow," he said, sizing up his brother with a scrutinizing eye.

  "Of course not!" Cal sighed, exasperated, and bit his bottom lip as he shook his head. He looked like he was contemplating something. I looked like I wanted to crawl in a hole and hide—or at least, that’s how I felt.

  "You know what?” Cal decided. “I think we've all been working too hard. It's made us a little... edgy. How about we take a night off, have some drinks, and just relax?"

  "I'm down," Dan said, reluctantly releasing me from his hold. "I know Rob will be too."

  I wanted to reach for Dan and for Cal, for both of them, because I wasn't done soaking up the heat of their rock-hard bodies. But I forced my hands to remain at my sides, clutching the package a little tighter than necessary. Hopefully it wasn’t breakable.

  "And Ben's usually game for whatever," Dan continued. "Maybe we could invite some of the lesser nobles nearby? Make a thing of it."

  My eyes lit up. "You mean like a party?"

  Cal glanced over at me. "You like the sounds of that?"

  I nodded earnestly. "I was never invited to any parties back home. The servants’ party at Blackwood was the first I ever attended, and I wasn't really invited to that one either."

  "Well, you'd definitely be invited to this one," Dan assured me with a panty-melting wink.

  "Why weren't you invited back home?" Cal asked curiously.

  I shrugged. "I guess I was never really good enough. Not rich enough. Not popular enough."

  "I see," he said without a nod or anything. Then he turned back to Dan. "How quickly can we have this party arranged?"

  Dan cocked his head. "An hour or two, if we send messengers out right away."

  "All right. Do it. I'll have the servants prepare drinks and some hors d’oeuvres."

  "Sweet. Why don't you have Ben gather up some musicians too? It's not a party if we can't dance."

  Dan winked at me once more, and I all but puddled on the floor.

  "Are you using your charm on me?" I asked a little breathlessly, earning a playful chuckle out of him.

  "The extra powers don't work like that, Lexi," Dan explained. "I can't actually turn them on or off; they're just always... there."

  "Interesting," I mused, wondering yet again what the hell my extra powers might be. I turned to Cal. “So, you always know when someone’s lying, whether you want to or not?”

  He nodded. “Though, I don’t see why I wouldn’t want to know the truth.”

  I shot him a lopsided grin. "You ever heard the phrase ignorance is bliss?"

  "I have, and I respectfully disagree with whomever coined it."

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Whatever. I'm gonna go get ready for this party. I'll see you guys in a bit."

  After I excused myself and meandered upstairs to my room, I shut and locked the door behind me. Time to see what was in this unmarked box.

  I slipped a finger into the crease and pulled, tearing the cardboard away at the top. Inside was a folded-up note and a lock of hair. My fingers trembled as I lifted the hair and studied it. Brown, wavy hair, much like mine. Fear gri
pped me, and I dropped it, but there was blood left behind on my fingers.

  Oh no, oh gods no.

  I quickly unfolded the letter, nearly hyperventilating as I did so. My hands shook so badly I had to lay the letter on my mattress in order to read the damn thing.

  Alexis,

  I'm disappointed that there have been no letters from you this week. Your mother was so looking forward to them. My friends assure me they haven't even seen you about, which is a real shame.

  Here's a little reminder of what failure looks like. Take your time, though. We're enjoying ourselves.

  Sincerely,

  Zacharias

  I crunched the letter in my fist and instantly started crying.

  I knew this would happen, he'd literally warned me that it would, but for some reason I just...

  I sobbed even harder, salty tears quickly soaking the comforter on my bed.

  I just thought I'd have more time. I got so busy with preparing the castle, I didn't even...

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

  I sucked in a gasp and swallowed the burning pain in my throat, trying my best to sound normal.

  "Yes?"

  "Hey, it's Ben," he said from the other side of the door. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

  "We're talking right now," I teased, but the joke fell noticeably flat.

  "Right... um, listen, my brothers tasked me with gathering up some musicians for a party tonight. So, I figured I'd take a stroll into Blackhaven and have a look around. I was wondering if you'd like to join me?"

  A silent sob wrecked my body, and I stuffed my face back into the mattress. I didn't want to go anywhere. I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry until I died of dehydration. But I didn't have the luxury. Immortals apparently couldn't die. Mom could, but she didn't have that luxury either. The Storm King would rather torture her incessantly.

  "Alexis?"

  I sat back up and wiped at my eyes but couldn’t quite find my voice.

  "Listen, it's okay if you don't want to go. I'll just catch you later at the party."

  "No, Ben, wait!" I shouted, scrambling to the door. I pushed my palms into the cold wood and took a deep, steadying breath. "Can we call it a date?"