Perfect Storms (Storms of Blackwood Book 4)

by Elle Middaugh

  When I finally stopped hurling, I realized Ben was rubbing my back while Cal and Ash smiled sympathetically.

  "Anyway," Ben said, getting us back on track, "what's the good news?"

  "And is it actually good news?" Cal asked. "You said the unconscious part wasn’t bad, but it was. I’m beginning to doubt your judgement."

  Ash grinned and rolled his eyes. "You’re right. I may have understated the news, but same goes for the second part—it’s not just good; it’s really good."

  "Orion's alive?" Ben whispered, pure shock written all over his face.

  Asher nodded in amazement. "Yes."

  Holy shit… Orion was alive!

  I covered my mouth in utter shock.

  "What about our mothers?" Cal asked, glancing cautiously at Ben. "Delilah, Bibi, and Rosemary?"

  "They’ll be next I’m sure," Ash told us. "Rob and Criss only had energy for one."

  Thank the gods my hand was already over my mouth; otherwise my sharp gasp would have startled the hell out of us. "One resurrection rendered them comatose?"

  "I prefer unconscious," Ash replied defensively.

  "Oh my gods!" I shouted again. My throat had already swollen up in preparation for tears. I lurched from the chair where I sat and stumbled across the room, trying to pace but failing rather miserably. "Where are the guys now?"

  Ash jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "We put them in bed at the inn."

  "And what about Orion?" Cal asked.

  Ash’s smile widened, filling with genuine joy. "He's right outside with Bria. You guys want to come see what an awesome job Rob and Criss did?"

  "Yeah, of course we do," Cal said, beaming back. All the rage from earlier had completely dissipated. Only a tiny line of tension between his brows gave away the fact that he was anything other than happy and proud.

  He was worried. I could feel it. It mirrored my own fears, which laid heavy in the pit of my stomach emitting noxious vapors that clouded my mind until I couldn't think.

  All I could focus on, round and round on repeat, was…

  What if they never wake up?

  Chapter 22

  Three days.

  I hadn’t left Rob and Chrissen's side in three days.

  Not to eat, drink, sleep, puke, or anything.

  I simply sat there, numb, staring at their handsome faces as their chests slowly rose and fell.

  The rest of the guys were worried—about me, about them, about the war, about the gods… but they expressed their anxiety in different ways. Ben immersed himself in facts and figures, reading and strategizing. Dan spent most of his time alone. I think he felt guilty about all of this for some reason, but rather than bringing up his fears, he avoided them altogether. Cal busied himself with politics, joining Peter and Malik in as much government business as possible. Ash had taken to his dragon form, sailing across the sky in sorrowful swoops all night and day.

  For the first day or two, the guys had tried to keep me company or tried getting me to do something—anything—to keep my mind off this catastrophic mistake.

  But I hadn't responded. It wasn't that I wanted to ignore them; it's just that I felt physically unable to speak. My sadness had quickly shifted into overwhelming pain and heartache. In a way, it was like I was grieving. Because, in a way, I felt like they'd already died.

  Plump tears welled in my eyes and dripped down my cheeks, but my body never moved. I didn't blink. I didn't twitch. I barely even breathed—it hurt too much. It hurt everywhere…

  Then snap!

  They both gasped, eyes wide, and sat up straight in bed in tandem.

  I screamed like a little girl, fear and surprise quickly morphing into unimaginable joy, my silent cries slipping into ugly sobs of relief. Tears bubbled from my eyes like geysers and poured down my cheeks like waterfalls. I was like that girl in a book I’d once read, about to flood the whole damn room in a salty sea of tears.

  Rob's and Criss's gazes darted around the room, clearly trying to piece together how they’d gone from point A to point B with no recollection of what had happened in between.

  "Jewels?" Rob muttered in question, rubbing a hand down his face. "Where's Orion?"

  "Is he alive?" Criss asked groggily. "Did we do it?"

  "Oh my gods," I cried as I threw myself at them. "You’re okay!"

  I landed somewhere in the middle, clinging to each of their necks as if they were life preservers and we were lost at sea.

  "Hey, Firefly," Criss murmured, gently stroking the hair on the back of my head with a big, warm palm. "Don't cry. What's wrong? Did we fail? Is he still dead?"

  I sniffled for a few seconds until I found my voice. "No, he's alive."

  "No shit?" Rob sounded astounded, even in his bleary state. "Holy fuck."

  "We did it…" Chrissen marveled in a whisper. But then his thoughts made a sharp turn and veered back. "So, why are you crying then? Did something else happen?"

  "Is someone hurt?" Rob asked, thrusting himself out of bed on unstable legs. He wavered for just a moment before going down like a sack of jewels.

  I leapt from the bed and crouched by his side, clutching his arm in support. "Oh my gods, are you okay?"

  He groaned. "I'm fine. Just really fucking tired." He sat up and took my shoulders in his big hands. "Is anyone hurt, Jewels?"

  I shook my head. "No."

  "Good." His chest sagged in relief, but he still looked so exhausted.

  "What the hell happened anyway?" Criss asked, brows furrowed as he rubbed at his temples.

  I tried to speak, but more stupid tears sprang into my vision and emotion clogged up my throat. I was sobbing again in an instant, clinging to Rob on the floor like he might disappear or pass back out at any second.

  "You're awake!" a deep voice cried.

  Through my tears, I could just barely make out Ben's sweet face.

  He ran both hands through his mussed-up brown hair—hair that was normally well kept, which meant he must've been messing with it and tugging on it a lot during these past few days.

  "So it would seem," Criss said, chuckling. "But Miss Firefly, here, can't seem to tell us what happened without crying. Care to give it a go?"

  Ben chuckled and dropped down into a chair as if all the energy had just vanished from his body. If he was anything like me, he'd probably been living on his anxiety as a fuel source, and now that it was gone, he was exhausted.

  "You succeeded," he told them. "You brought Orion back. No weird mistakes or mishaps. He still looks the same, thinks the same, sounds the same, acts the same. So the reanimation was a huge success."

  Rob sat up and adjusted me in his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist. "And what about us? What happened once Orion was healed?"

  Ben shook his head. "You both just... collapsed. At the exact same time. In unison. Boom. Down. Done. You were unconscious for about three days."

  "Three days…" Criss mused with a smile. "That's not bad at all, is it?"

  Rob shook his head. "Sure isn't."

  I wiped my tears and stared at him. "You're not seriously thinking about doing it again, are you?"

  "Of course we are," Rob replied easily.

  "The cost isn't nearly as bad as everyone feared," Criss added, glancing at Ben. "Three days is practically nothing. In less than two weeks, we could have the queens back."

  "You're going to start right now?" I asked. "So soon after you just woke up?"

  "I'm going to tell the rest of the guys that you're awake," Ben said, rushing off to let us have this hopeful-yet-painful conversation in private.

  Rob squinted and patted my butt, gesturing for us both to stand up. I reached down and helped him because he still looked a little wobbly.

  "Not right now," he said, answering my question. "I think we need to take a day or two to recover our bearings. But as soon as we're back to normal, we need to try again. The sooner we revive our mothers, the sooner we can move north to overthrow the king."

  Oh my gods...
/>   "I can't believe I sat here and waited, bawling my eyes out for three days, just to have you two wake up and try to put me through it again."

  Rob kissed my cheek, and Criss leaned over and kissed the other.

  "We're sorry, Jewels, but... this is our mothers we're talking about. If it were yours, you'd want us to save her, wouldn't you?"

  I sighed, tried not to think about it, thought about it anyway, and then eventually, reluctantly nodded.

  "I'm honored that you basically grieved over me though," Criss admitted with a sheepish grin. "I knew you cared, but I didn't know you cared that much."

  I let out a half scoff, half chuckle. "Chrissen, after what you just put me through, I feel inclined to tell you… I love you."

  He stared at me for a moment as if my words hadn't completely sunk in. "What?"

  I stepped away from Rob and took Criss's face in my hands. "I love you, Chrissen Storm. I care a lot. I don't ever want to feel like I've lost you again."

  He swallowed hard, his eyes never moving away from mine. "But now that you know we're not actually lost, you're okay with us trying again?"

  I smiled faintly and nodded once more.

  Hesitantly, his hands found my hips, his broad palms rubbing gently along the velvety blue material of my gown. Then they moved higher, skimming my sides before wrapping around me for an intimate embrace.

  "I love you too," he whispered in my ear as he squeezed me tighter. "So damn much."

  We held on to each other for a few moments more before one of the other brothers arrived. Ash's footsteps could be heard tromping up the stairs long before his joyful face appeared in the doorway.

  "Guys!" He ran over and hugged Rob, then stole Criss from my grasp and hugged him too. "Holy fuck, don't ever scare me like that again."

  Rob chuckled. "Now you know how I felt when you jumped from the canyon."

  "Dude, that was your idea!"

  "I know," Rob grumbled, "but still, we're even."

  Ash rolled his eyes, but the happiness and humor never left his face. "How'd it feel? Using so much magic? Did it hurt?"

  Criss blinked slowly and shook his head. "Honestly? I can't remember."

  "Me either," Rob admitted with a shrug. "Maybe part of it involves memory loss? As part of the price?"

  Criss's brows scrunched up as he thought. "Maybe. Or maybe it was really painful and our minds just kind of blocked it out? Kind of like how women do with childbirth?"

  Rob just stared at him like he had three heads.

  "What?" Criss asked. "You honestly think they'd go through it more than once if they distinctly remembered the godsawful agony? Ask any mother, they forget the pain after a while."

  Rob shook his head.

  Ash chuckled a bit doubtfully. "Whatever, I'm just glad you guys are okay. I've been flying around in dragon form just kind of wasting time. Cal and Ben have locked themselves away dealing with politics and statistics. Dan's been super quiet and hanging out at the Temple of Hades a lot. And Alexis has been a constant and silent shadow at your sides. Basically, I had nothing else to do with myself."

  I reached out and took his hand, rubbing my thumb across his skin. "I'm sorry, Ash. I... I didn't handle this well at all. I shouldn't have shut down and closed off. Next time, I'll try to be more open."

  Ash smiled, but his features looked sad, almost pained. "You weren't the only one who was hurting, Sweets. Sometimes you need to remember that other people need you too."

  I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his neck, snuggling my face into his warm chest. I took a deep breath and held it. He smelled of pine and air and delicious spice. "I love you, Ash. I'll be there for you guys next time; I swear."

  "Good." He kissed the top of my head and held me tight.

  That's when Cal and Dan entered the room, smiling wide.

  "How about we step out and give them some room?" Ash asked.

  I nodded, and we slipped through the door, walking hand in hand downstairs to the tavern. We passed the bar and pushed through the double doors into the frigid southern air, and I immediately regretted not having a scarf or a set of mittens. At least it wasn't windy.

  The sky was dusky. Darkness slowly drifted down, coating the peaceful undead town in a layer of gentle shadows. Ahead, the soft warm glow of candlelight caught my eye, tiny flames lining the ground at the edge of town and leading out into the night.

  "What's that?" I asked, but Ash pulled me to a stop and turned me to face him.

  "I have a little surprise for you, Sweets."

  My spirits rose as excitement filled me. "Really?"

  He nodded, dimples tucking into the sandy stubble that had grown in across his jaw. "Just follow the candles, okay? And after that, follow the notes."

  "You're not coming with me?" I asked curiously.

  "Not exactly, no. But I'll see you again at the end."

  I grinned, smiling as the sky grew darker and the candles glowed brighter.

  He kissed my hand and left me standing alone in the middle of the road, while he quickly strolled away and disappeared down a side street.

  Strange...

  I shook my head and started following the light. He was lucky there was no wind, or this plan would have epically backfired. Fortunately, though, the little glimmers of dancing flames led me exactly where he wanted me to go—to a big, gnarled tree in the middle of nowhere. More candles sat in the bare branches, and strands of pink and red beads with tiny hearts at the bottoms dangled down reflecting the light, giving the scene a romantic vibe. At the trunk's base, a velvety maroon pillow sat holding a letter.

  I bent down and scooped it up, reading the note to myself.

  Sweets,

  Remember the very first time we met? Back when I was a scared prince on the run, and you were a beautiful jewel miner just trying to keep to yourself? I'll never forget the moment I laid eyes on you. I'd just stumbled into Blackleaf after fleeing for my life. I was tired, hungry, and scared, but I was putting on a good show. You had just stepped out of the bakery, looking sad but gorgeous as ever. You barely had enough food for you and your mother to eat. But you shared your loaf with me anyway. That kindness, it blew me away. I think I started falling that very first day.

  Why don't you go to the Blackdell bakery? I have a surprise for you there.

  - Ash.

  I was warm all over as I lowered the note and closed my eyes. It'd been so long since I revisited any of those memories, but I still remembered them plain as day. The love I felt for him filled me like an overflowing well of warmth, and I couldn't stop smiling.

  Yes, Asher, I think I started falling for you that first day too.

  I tucked the note into my robe and crunched through the snow until I reached the street once more. The bakery was just a few blocks down, but not the direction Ash had disappeared in earlier. He was clearly being sneaky.

  I practically skipped all the way there. It was fully dark by then, and most of the shops were closed, but for some strange reason, the bakery was open and lit with a few soft candles. I entered the shop to find a little table full of sweets and goodies.

  The baker smiled and gestured to the table. "A gift from Prince Asher, Your Majesty."

  Now that we'd officially announced our claim to the throne, all of our supporters had begun calling us Majesties rather than Highnesses. I wasn't used to it yet really, but I was too enthralled with Ash's surprise to pay too much attention to my formal address.

  "Prince Asher isn't joining me?" I asked, surprised.

  But the baker shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. But he did mention something about a note."

  Ah. Another note.

  "Thank you," I told the baker.

  He bowed and left the room, leaving me alone with my treats.

  I sat down and munched on some chocolates as I searched for another envelope. I eventually found it tucked between a plate of crepes and a three-tiered layer of muffins. Licking the chocolate off my fingers, I opened the letter and
read it to myself.

  Sweets,

  Do you remember how surprised I was when you told me you'd never tried cake? Or the look on your face when I brought you your first strawberries and cream crepe? I swear, your dessert face is almost as good as your o-face.

  And speaking of o-faces... Do you remember the first time we made love? Hidden away in an old barn while the rain poured down all around us? I think of that day all the time… even now.

  Want to go to the Blackdell barn for another surprise?

  - Ash.

  Gods this man was... incredible.

  I grabbed a cream cheese roll and rushed from the bakery with a mile-wide grin on my face. This was so much fun and utterly, utterly romantic. No one had ever done anything like this for me before.

  I wasn't sure if he'd meant the stables or the barn-turned-hall, so I went to the stables first. Sure enough, another note was propped on a roughhewn gate, just waiting for me to open it.

  Sweets,

  Seriously? You thought I meant a real stable? It's too smelly. How about you try the hall—it's a barn too, you know.

  - Ash.

  I laughed out loud. Clearly, he figured I'd go there first.

  I shook my head and wandered through the streets until I reached the big barn that had become the town hall and makeshift ballroom. The front door was cracked open, and a soft yellow light was emanating from inside.

  I jogged up the steps and paused at the door, finding a note tacked to the outside.

  Sweets,

  Don't forget to shut and lock the door behind you.

  - Ash.

  I took a deep breath. Would he be in here? Was there a romantic dinner for two awaiting me on the other side of this door? I bit my bottom lip. I could hardly wait to see.

  Pushing the door open wider, I marveled at the scene before me. A potted tree had been carried in and set up near the back. A ring of candles surrounded it at the base, and countless faerie lights floated through the air all around.

  Before I could get too carried away, I did as his note requested—I shut and locked the barn door behind me—then slowly moved further inside. It was like a dream world—warm and soft and magical.