Chosen Gods

by G. Bailey

  Still, I can’t help but grin in spite of myself; I may get annoyed with her at times, but she really is the best mum anyone could have. I’m glad we are getting back to where we were before I found out the truth - to be honest, I wasn’t expecting the adjustment to go this smoothly, but you can be sure I’m happy about it. Maria will always be my birth mother, and I’m sure she would have been a brilliant mum, but that doesn’t take away the years that her sister brought me up. It’s occurring to me now, as our dynamic adjusts in the aftermath of the truth coming out, Mum didn’t have to treat me like her child. She could have put different expectations on me, or tell me I was adopted… but she chose not to, instead treating me like her own child so that I could grow up with a normal life. , Never once did I feel different from my brothers. Never once did she push me away when I needed her.

  “Bye, Mrs. Kismet,” Storm says. “I’m stealing Karma for the day.”

  “Bye, mum,” I call to her before letting Storm lead me out of the apartment. We make our way down the winding corridors and out into the courtyard. The weather is brilliant today, a sign of Storm’s mood, no doubt.

  I frown when Storm comes to an abrupt halt in the middle of the courtyard, turning to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. “Careful,” I tease, “we don’t want the others to see us making out in the courtyard.”

  “Who said anything about making out?” Storm asks. “Maybe I just want to steal you away from here.”

  I laugh. “You know, I can think of worse ways to spend my day.”

  “Glad to hear it.” His grip tightens around me just a little, and I’m reminded again of how much I love the feeling of him holding me - how I can just relax into his grip and forget about the world around me for a little while.

  “You might want to hold on,” Storm says. “I haven’t done this in a long time.” That’s enough to make me more than a little anxious.

  “Hugging?” I nervously enquire, tightening my grip on Storm even more, because I’m feckin’ sure that wasn’t what he meant.

  “Oh, no,” he replies. “I was talking about using tornado wind to portal.” The nonchalance in his voice catches me off guard, and I lift my head, staring up at him with wide eyes.

  Did he really just say tornado? “What are you-” I begin, but my voice trails off and I’m left to watch him in shock as his eyes start to glow with a bright violet light. The glowing purple makes all his features somewhat darker, giving him the sort of otherworldly aura that the other gods have, except it’s much more rugged, somehow - much more human. I really like it, so much that it almost distracts me from the wind that has begun to whirl around us, whipping my clothes and sending my hair flying in all directions.

  You know, if he wasn’t calling a tornado to take us to some unknown destination, this could even be romantic. We aren’t Dorothy and Toto. We could take a car or a boat like normal people… but that feels wrong, somehow. As startling as Storm’s weather magic is, the fact that he’s using it to take me on a date feels right. It feels like us.

  I look up into the sky, following Storm’s gaze to see the wind gathering together, swirling into a funnel shape. I’ve never seen a tornado up close before, and the sight of the black anvil clouds that have suddenly formed in the sky, blocking out the sun, is enough to make my heart beat faster. The funnel moves across the courtyard until it’s right above us, the shrieking of the wind nearly deafening. I cling to Storm for dear life as it slowly begins to lower down around us, shaking the trees in the courtyard and flinging dirt around.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea!” I shout at Storm, but the roaring of the tornado is nearly deafening, and I only hear his laughter as my feet begin to leave the ground. I scream, holding onto Storm as tightly as I can. It suddenly becomes hard to breathe as we shoot further into the air, and I bury my face in his chest, afraid to look down as the movement of the cyclone carries us away from the palace. The feeling of his strong arms around me is the only thing keeping me from losing it as we continue to fly, and I realise I’m screaming as I feel us picking up speed.

  I don’t know how long we fly with the tornado, but it feels like only a few minutes before my feet slam onto the ground, and I stop screaming. I open my eyes, looking up to see the tornado disappearing into the dark cloud above. The fact that neither of us is seriously injured is a miracle in itself - I guess there’s a reason most gods, not even the higher ones, don’t use “tornado travel” as a viable way of getting around. I whack my hand on Storm’s chest, staring up at him disbelievingly.

  Seeing the offended look on my face, Storm bursts out laughing, and that only exasperates me further. “You feckin’ eegit!” I cry, pulling away and crossing my arms. “I thought I was going to pee myself!” Storm just continues to cackle, and I can feel myself getting pissed off - although whether that’s a holdover from the fear and adrenaline or the fact that he has such a smug look on his face, I can’t tell. I throw my arms up in frustration and begin to walk away from him, listening as his hysterical laughter continues behind me. Boys. It doesn’t matter if they’re four years old or four hundred - they’re always immature.

  It’s only after I finally calm down that I finally register how cold it is, a far cry from the tepid warmth of the island. Shit, I think, looking around, and here I was starting to get used to it. Squinting my eyes and moving in a slow circle, I can see that we’re standing in the middle of an empty dirt road that winds into the distance. A treeline of evergreens surrounds us on all sides, and a chill wind whips their needles rhythmically back and forth. I feel Storm come up beside me and wrap his arm around my waist, giving it a good-natured squeeze that melts my agitation away in an instant. It also helps that he’s warm as hell. “Look,” he says, turning me to face the opposite way. I can make out a row of squat buildings at the end of the road we are standing on.

  “Where are we?” I ask, craning my neck to look at him.

  “I did some research,” Storm replies, looking a little sheepish - an odd expression for such a powerful man. “With the twins’ help, I was able to track down where Jade used to live in Jersey.”

  My eyes go wide at the mention of our late friend. “You… you did?”

  Storm nods, his expression serious. “If her friend is still around, this is as good a place as any to start the search,” he explains to me, meeting my eyes earnestly.

  I feel like my breath has been taken away. “You did all that for me?” I ask quietly, and in an instant I find myself forgetting the fact that he scared the living shite of me just now. Not only did he remember, but he went out of his way to help me get closure… it’s so sweet I could almost cry.

  He shrugs his shoulders like it’s nothing, although I can see the care and concern on his face. “We all knew how much Jade meant to you,” he replies softly.

  “Yeah, but…” I run a hand through my tangled red hair. “You didn’t have to… I mean, there are other things you could have been…”

  Storm smirks down at me, his grip on my waist tightening just a little. “And if you haven’t realised yet, we want to make you happy.

  We? That one word holds so many implications that a wave of butterflies rushes through my stomach.

  “I never thought I’d say this,” I tell him slowly, “but I’m damn happy I got my arse thrown in prison.” I take a long breath, meeting his exquisite eyes with my own, my heart beating out of control in my chest. “It meant I got to meet you and the twins,” I continue. Storm searches my eyes with his own, and I hesitate for a moment before I say, “Look, Storm… I know things are complicated between us all, but you feel like home. All of you. I can’t put my finger on it, but that’s just the way it is. And no guy, no one outside my family other than Mads, has felt that way for me.” I shake my head, a lump forming in my throat. “And it’s worse around you three. I feel desperate, out of control, and empty when you’re not around.” I can’t believe I’m blurting this all out, and a voice in my head is yelling at me to stop, to quit
while I’m ahead or risk losing him forever, but I can’t help it; the words are pouring out of me like a tidal wave.

  So here we feckin’ are, I think, my breathing heavy as I wait for Storm to reply. There’s no taking it back now.

  “We aren’t going anywhere again. That isn’t happening,” Storm promises, and relief floods through me. I know it’s a promise when I hear one. “I will even try to tolerate and not kill those twins for being in your life.”

  “Killian and I—” I begin, feeling the need to have it all out in the open.

  Storm holds up a hand to stop me. “I’m aware that he is… important to you,” he says slowly, sounding like he’s picking his words carefully. “And I’m aware that Seth is, too. Which is why I can’t ask you to choose between us.” My eyes go wide as I process this, a familiar feeling stirring in the pit of my stomach. I open my mouth to reply, but Storm continues to speak, and I realise that this must be as difficult a conversation for him as it is for me. “That said, though, I can’t handle seeing or hearing about you and him...yet. I’ve never had to share in all of my life, and it’s going to take some getting used to,” he admits to me. I get that, and honestly I don’t know how he does it. If it were the other way around, I’d be stabbing every girl that tried to touch Storm. Or Killian. Or Seth. Gods, I’m a selfish person.

  “I’ve never dated more than one guy in my whole life,” I reply quietly. “At least, not seriously, anyway. The only one I got close to betrayed me, broke my heart, and…” I’m trying to explain to him, going to make a point, but the second the word “betrayed” leaves my mouth, I see him stiffen and narrow his eyes before crossing his arms.

  “Who was he?” he asks, his eyes flashing. “Where can I find him?”

  I laugh at his possessive machismo. “Relax, Storm,” I tell him teasingly, “I made it clear to him exactly how I felt about that a long time ago. He was a human and a douchebag. But that was before…”

  “Before?”

  “Before I met you guys,” I reply, meeting his gaze. “The truth is, I never think about him much anymore - or anyone else, for that matter - now that I know the three of you.” I clear my throat, looking away. “Does that make me selfish? I mean, the thought of losing any of you makes my heart stop. I want you guys in my life, even if you don’t like me that way. I’m pretty sure Seth just wants to be my friend, but-”

  “Seth doesn’t want to just be your friend,” Storm cuts me off. “I see how he looks at you; he is half in love with you already.” He takes a few steps closer to me, sliding his hands into my hair. I sigh from the contact, and my eyes battle to close against my mind, which is protesting at me to watch Storm. I want to see his every expression as I tell him my feelings, revealing these desires that I’ve never had the courage to speak about until now.

  I’ve always thought telling someone how you felt made you vulnerable to them, that was a bad thing, some kind of weakness. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my birth mother, it’s that life is way too short to hide what you feel. If my mother hadn’t told me she loved me in those moments we were together when I was born, she would never have had the chance to tell me again. Now, even though the rest is a painful memory, that is a moment I will cherish forever.

  Now that the emotions are spilling out, there’s no fighting them.

  “I think I’m falling in love with you, Storm,” I whisper, reaching up to touch his chiseled cheek with my hand. “I feel like I’ve been looking for you my entire life, and I just didn’t know it until we met.” My voice is quiet, but my words punctuate the silence like gunshots. “I never want to be away from your side or hurt you. I only want to be around you, and I love being around you. Considering I think most people are arseholes, and I don’t want to be around them—”

  I’m cut off as Storm kisses me. Every kiss with Storm feels like he is taking a bit of my soul and heart, and this kiss doesn’t feel any different. I fully embrace him, sinking deeper into the kiss as he holds me close.

  “I knew I loved you the moment you were taken from the prison. I had never felt like that for anyone, and I know I never will again. You, Karma Maria Kismet, are everything and more to me,” he tells me, and I bite my lip as I grin up at him. I kiss him once more because I just need to feel his lips against mine, knowing that this is a god who loves me.

  Yes, we have a lot more to talk about.

  Yes, we are immortal, and this is risky.

  But...I love him and he loves me. Sometimes that is just enough.

  14

  “What number did you say it was again?” I ask Storm as he leads me down the winding road and towards the busy town in the distance. I’ve never been here before, but it seems quaint - the kind of small village that reminds me of where I grew up.

  Damn, I think as I look around between the cute little buildings, it’s been a long time since I’ve been home. The streets seem to snake endlessly from houses to little shops to grocers, all of them bustling with activity and passersby. It’s not a huge town by any means, but there are plenty of folks out and about today, and it’s a local enough population that people glance our way as they walk past us. I know that look well; they’re suspicious of us, and it’s obvious that we must stick out like a sore thumb. Storm’s tall stature and long hair is certainly unique, and we clearly don’t know where we’re going or how to get there.

  Several cars trundle slowly down the old stone roads, disappearing into narrow alleyways and side paths that branch away from the main street and lead to little blocks of houses that roll away into the distance. Everything is so spread out here - it feels strange and open in comparison to the island, where it feels like we’ve been trapped for years already.

  It doesn’t help that Storm’s directions are not making the tiniest bit of sense. It’s clear that, for all his many talents, the guy’s sense of direction is not his strong suit, and it feels like we’re just getting more lost with every turn we take. Still, I can’t think of anywhere I would rather be in this moment than with him, and his inability to lead us to the house is actually kind of endearing. It makes me feel a little better about my own shortcomings that not even a four-hundred year old god is better at finding things than I am.

  According to Storm’s information, the apartments where Jade used to live are above a market, but I can’t see any market around here. Aside from a couple of cute little grocery shops, I can’t spot anything even resembling one, and in spite of the people out and about, it’s too quiet for that; I’m pretty sure I would hear a market if there was one around.

  Storm rubs his chin, coming to a stop in the middle of the road. “We must have the wrong place,” he says, his brow furrowing. “There is no market here.”

  “Would you mind, um, not standing right in the middle of the road?” I ask, my voice teasing as I give his hand a gentle tug. “We’re lucky there are no feckin’ cars moving around, Storm!” He obviously doesn't understand the rules of the road, which I suppose makes sense - he was stuck in that prison since before automobiles had even been invented. I remind myself to cut him some slack as he sheepishly follows me back onto the sidewalk.

  “Gods,” comes a female voice, and I whirl around to see a woman approaching us. She stops directly in front of us, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re going the wrong way if you’re looking for the magical market,” she continues, her voice taking on an amused tone. “It’s over there,” she adds, gesturing off to the right, in the direction of a side street. I’m taken aback for a moment by her brazenness, at a loss for words, especially because, by all appearances, I would guess she is human. But there’s just something about her - an air of the otherworldly, a bit like the aura that the higher gods give off. Not to mention that she clearly knows what we are… which she shouldn’t, considering we aren’t wearing flashing signs proclaiming we are gods.

  I take a step back and sweep her up and down with my eyes. Her hair is a dark auburn, almost red like mine, but cut short at the shoulders
, and her blue eyes watching curiously - a little too intently, I might add. She’s dressed similarly to me, which only gives me further pause.

  Storm and I exchange a glance before I clear my throat, deciding that there’s no point in denying what we are. “Thanks for the advice,” I say, putting on a friendly smile. “What’s your name?”

  “Rhiannon,” she tells me as I eye her cut jeans and leather jacket. “Last name isn’t important.” She considers us for a moment before adding thoughtfully, “Maybe you both owe me a debt now.”

  “A debt?” I ask, frowning.

  She nods solemnly. “But then again, maybe I’ll come back to collect another time.” As if that cryptic message is enough to satisfy our curiosity, with that, she turns on her heel and starts to walk away. I glance over at Storm uncertainly, and he nods in her direction before we begin to trail along after her.

  “What are you?” I ask. “You look human, but you knew we were gods. How?”

  That’s enough to give her pause, and I watch as Rhiannon stops in her tracks. Slowly she turns around, her eyes still searching me with that appraising expression. “I’m not human,” she replies at last. “And I’m not a god, either.”

  “Then what are you?” I persist. Other supernaturals - supernaturals who aren’t gods, like leprechauns, nymphs, and vampires - are easily distinguishable by appearance alone. That’s why they tend to live isolated from human society. I’ve never heard of a magical being who looks exactly like a human and isn’t a god.

  Rhiannon snorts, shaking her head. “You know little about this world if you think you guys are the only monsters in it,” she says, coming to a stop in front of an empty intersection. Without any warning, a sexy black motorbike manifests on the curb, and she swings her leg over it with practice ease, revving the engine without another word. Seconds later, she is speeding off down the road and out of the town. A few people turn to watch her curiously as she goes, and it dawns on me that we might have not been the only newcomers around here.