My Storm Sprite

by E E Everly

  Cream.

  Great substitute for butter.

  I crack it open and give it to Kaelea.

  She gulps greedily. When she leans her head back and moans, Isac’s cheeks burn red.

  Yeah right he doesn’t like her romantically.

  He clears his throat. “Time to get you safe once and for all.” He turns to me. “I’m taking her to the same hospital so she can be near Thandoran. She’ll be heavily warded.”

  Kaelea smiles and gives Isac a half hug, but her eyes are dreamy. It’s probably been too long since she’s had a real bliss-out. “Of course.” She looks at me. “I’m safe with Isac.”

  I simply nod, and Isac disappears.

  Natalia and Dumitru step forward. They don’t remove the clothespins, which is probably smart. Thandoran’s blood is everywhere. I wouldn’t want them diving for a pool of blood only to have it toast them with the first lick.

  I run into Dumitru’s arms and give him a big squeeze, and then I pull Natalia into our hug. “I’m so glad you guys are all right.”

  Dumitru chuckles. “I’m glad ve veren’t successful in drinking Thandoran’s blood.”

  “Sacred Sphinxes! I know.” I push on Dumitru’s hard chest. “What was that?”

  “Blood that burns vampires,” Natalia says. “I’ve heard of it once before.”

  “Really?”

  “The blood of an emrys.”

  “Emrys? From the planet Emira?” My face pinches with confusion. I’m trying to put two and two together. “His father was an emrys?” Damn Thandoran for not telling me. We had a hidden weapon in his blood the whole time.

  And he knew it. He tried to get Ciprian to drink his blood at Deorc Mansion.

  “The children of light.” Natalia nods in thought. “They fight with fire. I haven’t seen them in action though.”

  “Half storm sprite, half emrys,” I say. Thandoran is legit half emrys. Emrys is in his DNA, just as human is in my DNA.

  Thus his toxic blood to vampires. The attributes of his blood were not taken with the amulet because it’s part of who he is.

  But how was his firestorm taken? It should have stayed with him.

  When a storm sprite mates with a human carrying supernatural powers—like vampire or demon powers—the stolen powers go into the fetus but aren’t part of the child’s DNA. The child’s DNA is human and sprite.

  Which explained why the amulet took our demon and vampire powers but left our storm abilities.

  I still don’t understand how this affected Thandoran’s firestorm.

  I shake my head. I’ll figure it out later.

  I turn to Ciprian’s corpse. “The amulet.”

  “I’ll check.” Dumitru heads over to the body. Ciprian’s clothes crumble, and his body flakes to ash at Dumitru’s touch.

  I wrinkle my nose. Ew. “I wonder if there are still demon powers inside. Ciprian said they siphoned all the demons at the estate. Way more than the vampires who were here.”

  “Do you vant demon power again?” Dumitru stands and shows me the red gemstone that looks dwarfed in his palm. “Found it.”

  “Let me see if I can go home first. I won’t need demon powers on Belyven.” Isac has yet to lift my curse, at least I don’t think he has. With the commotion, I haven’t asked.

  Dumitru frowns. “You von’t be able to teleport back and visit.”

  I laugh as he slides the amulet into my pocket. I’ll wait until I have gloves before handling it. I do think about poor Josef. His demon powers were taken, trapping him in a human body. He was unable to body jump and move to another human or the demon world before Ciprian drank from him and killed the human body. Now demon Josef is stuck on Earth as a bodiless spirit with no power.

  Can I return powers to a demon who doesn’t have a body? I want to help Josef somehow. I’ll ask Isac. Somehow Josef will get his powers back. I might despise demons and how they hijack the lives of humans, but that’s what demons do. Some do develop a symbiotic relationship, the way demon Isac and human Isac have. Some humans love the demon power. They usually don’t mind staying young either.

  And messing with the natural way of things, with this amulet, which my mother unearthed from somewhere, caused nothing but chaos. A balance has to be restored.

  I’ll fix the mess with the demons and go to Belyven and mind my own business with my son and my family.

  And Thandoran and our new baby. Gulp.

  THIRTY-SIX

  Thandoran is pale. I hate looking at him under the puke-pink hospital blanket. Bandages cover the upper part of his torso. He has a few on his face. Someone even took his nose ring out.

  He’s been asleep ever since coming out of surgery. His neck is broken, so he’s in traction, but the doctors are positive. The surgery was a success.

  I’m positive because of the healing powers of ambrosia. I just have to wait.

  My chest is heavy with emotion. Kaelea delivered two beautiful babies a few hours ago. A boy and girl. Isac is with her, so she’s safe. I’ll relax though when she’s home.

  When we’re all home.

  Thandoran’s fingers flex in his sleep. I grab his hand with both of mine. His fingers are warm. A feeling of relief sifts through me. He’s warm! I smooth my hands over a bandage-free spot on his chest. There is heat. His fire is back!

  How?

  Everything hits me. Hard.

  Tears spill from my eyes and pour down my cheeks. I almost lost him. There was so much blood.

  It’s not easy to find blood to give a nonhuman. The doctors were baffled when they did the blood typing and crossmatching. They did the surgery with blood components. I didn’t have a stockpile supply of half-fae half-emrys blood to give them.

  When Thandoran gets better, we’ll fix that. I don’t care what planet we end up living on, we’ll have backup blood in the future. The both of us.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  I check on Kaelea and then come back to Thandoran’s sterile, depressing room. Isac is hovering as promised, and Kaelea loves every minute of his attention. I wonder if she feels more for him than a daughter would. Maybe it’s some weird bond because of her years of imprisonment. Either way, she’s happy.

  And asking questions about Thandoran. I assured her he’s fine, but she wants to know the minute he’s awake.

  I slump into the chair near Thandoran. As soon as my eyes close in weariness, I’m startled awake.

  “What time…?” Thandoran clears his throat. “Is it still Christmas?”

  “Thandoran!” I bolt to the edge of my seat and grab his hand. “When did you wake?”

  “About five minutes ago. The nurse said you’d gone upstairs to see my sister. How is she?”

  I stand to look into his face better. He has a thick layer of auburn scruff that I want to touch so badly. “She’s great. I’ll tell her you’re awake, and she’ll be down immediately. She had a boy and a girl. Both great.” I try so hard not to cry, but I sniff anyway.

  “Hey.” Thandoran lifts his hand from mine. It’s a little unsteady as he brings it to my face. He wipes a tear away.

  Oh sugar nymphs. When did that fall? I brush them away from my cheeks, and Thandoran lets his hand fall to his side. I feel so dumb. I have this persistent need to bridge this gap between Thandoran and me. Kaelea says he loves me. I know I love him, but we haven’t spoken about it.

  “So…” He clears his throat. “I have a gift for you.”

  “What?” I rub my tired eyes. Did I hear him right?

  “I was going to give this to you for Christmas, like way long ago. It was always my plan.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Will you let me go on?” Thandoran fumbles for an item at his side. “I had the nurse fish this from my destroyed clothing.” He holds up the compass.

  I’m not sure what he’s getting at. “Your compass? We don’t need that anymore.”

  “Geez, Sasha, will you let me finish?” He shoves the compass into my hand. “It’s stupid now
, because Isac will lift your curse, but at the time, it had meaning.”

  “I don’t understand.” The crystal is stationary.

  Thandoran holds up his wrist cuff, the one that has three silver circles set into it. “I’ve been carrying this since the day we arrived on Earth.” He hands it to me. “Open the third emblem.”

  The third emblem? I turn the cuff in my hand. I haven’t examined it up close, but it looks as if each one-inch circle opens. I find the edges of the third one and pry the lid up. In the center is a lock of dark hair, a short C-curve. “What is this?” The hair looks familiar. “Did you…? Is this… Kili’s hair?”

  I’m confused and almost annoyed, maybe outraged. Why’s he carrying my son’s hair when hair is used for all sorts of spells and curses? “Why do you have this?”

  Thandoran tries to shift, but the traction on his neck holds his upper body steady. He gives up and grabs my wrist. “It’s not what you think. I took the hair because I knew you’d miss him. I didn’t think you’d become this close to returning to him this soon.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Will you just put the hair in the compass?”

  I do as he asks. When I close the lid, the crystal spins—the indication that a person is alive but off planet. My heart melts. “Kili,” I whisper. I don’t need any other explanation except… “You thought of this before you knew me? You took his hair with every intention of giving this to me as a Christmas gift?”

  “Yes. You might say I have a habit of collecting hair.” Thandoran looks guilty. “Never know when it comes in handy.” He runs my ponytail through his hand. He stops at the end and twists it in his fingers.

  “You have a lock of my hair too?”

  “Yeah. I keep it in the center emblem.” Thandoran touches the cuff in my hand. “So if I ever lost you, I could find you.”

  “I hesitate to ask. When did you cut my hair?”

  “The first night in the vampire castle. After you passed out.”

  “Were you afraid of losing me in the castle?” I set the cuff and the compass on the side table and watch the crystal spin for a second. I can’t wait to see Kili.

  Thandoran sighs. “Fetching faeries, this is harder than I thought. Sasha”—he pulls me onto the bed so I’m sitting beside him. He tugs at the traction collar—“This stupid thing. I can’t do this lying in bed.” He huffs.

  I turn to squarely face him. His face is red with frustration, but I don’t interrupt him.

  “Sasha. I’m trying to tell you when I became afraid of losing you. I realized…” He hisses. Growls. Huffs a breath. “As cute as you are, you’re so damn annoying—”

  I open my mouth to defend myself, but Thandoran grabs the front of my shirt. “You make me insane. You toy with me.” He pulls me toward himself so I’m leaning over his body. “But you’ve worked your way under my skin.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” I whisper.

  His voice lowers. “So bad, Sasha. So bad.” He tugs me down so my lips are inches from his. “I’m not supposed to interact with you physically. I’m your guard. I swore an oath. But you effed that up royally, princess.”

  I exhale, feeling panic tighten my chest. The sex was not my fault. I was possessed!

  Thandoran lets go of my shirt. His hands find my face. “I don’t know how to tell you—” He yanks me forward until my lips touch his.

  My mouth parts with surprise.

  My eyes are wide with shock. His freckles are large specks in my vision. His eyes are flames.

  His tongue slips into my mouth, and I groan. No, he groans. Thandoran can’t pull me closer. He’s trapped on his back, in his stupid traction, so I climb onto him and straddle his hips to untwist my awkward position.

  My hands find his hair and his skin. Anywhere that’s not bandaged. Thandoran deepens the kiss, not letting go of me. He finds the back of my neck and holds me closer, arching his lower body toward mine.

  This can’t be good for his neck.

  I pull away, breathless. Thandoran relaxes his body onto the bed, but I’m still on top of him.

  “You kiss better than that ghost.”

  My mouth drops open with horror. Oh no. I start to climb off him, but Thandoran grabs me.

  “No. Sasha. What I mean is, I can tell the difference. That vampire compelled me to remember, and I remember every moment. It was not you. That was not us.”

  I pry Thandoran’s hand off and slide off the bed. “I didn’t want that to happen.”

  Thandoran makes a grab for me, but I back away.

  “Don’t.” Thandoran pinches his face up. “Don’t move away from me. Damn it!” He scratches at his collar and kicks his feet. “Sasha. You’re being difficult, and I’m doing this all wrong, and I’m so pissed I can’t move!”

  Thandoran thrashes in the bed. His eyes are red hot. Does he realize his internal fire is back? I’m worried about his neck, so I lean over him. “Okay. Okay. I’m not going anywhere. Finish what you’re trying to say.” I smooth my palms over his face and send a chill into my touch.

  Thandoran exhales and closes his eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Your fire is back. Did you know?”

  His eyes fly open. “What?” He lifts his hand. His fingers come together to snap, but I close my hands over his.

  “No. Oxygen in the room. I don’t want you exploding things.” Instead, my hand warms as his does.

  “I can’t believe it.” He touches my cheek with his warm hand. “You sneaky merkle. You have me all hot under the collar, and I didn’t even notice.”

  “Why are you so hot under the collar?” I dance my fingers along his neckline.

  “Isn’t it obvious by now?”

  “I want to hear you say it,” I say.

  “Say what?”

  I huff. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

  “Nothing could be worse than this, princess.”

  I shake my head. “Well?”

  “I love you! There. Happy?”

  I scrunch my nose with satisfaction. “Thanks for my Christmas gift.”

  “It’s stupid, I know.”

  “I love it.” I give Thandoran a firm kiss that he welcomes with a playful tongue.

  “Well?” he asks as I come away breathless.

  “Well, what?”

  “I guess it’s too much to ask.”

  “You know how I feel.” I smile.

  “But you won’t say it.”

  “I have unfinished business.” I’m thinking about Killian. I have to talk to him before I confess my love to Thandoran.

  “What sort of unfinished business?”

  “It’s complicated. Let’s just say my boyfriend’s been haunting me.”

  Thandoran’s face turns red, and he swears. “What do you mean he’s haunting you?”

  “He checks in on me every now and then.”

  “Do you see him?” His eyebrows are dented with worry.

  “Sometimes.”

  “Does he still think you’re together?”

  “I don’t know,” I say.

  Thandoran mutters a dozen curses. Then he shuts his eyes and exhales loudly. “Why’d you make me say it, then?”

  “Because I had to be sure before I could move on.”

  “You wanted assurance?”

  I sigh. “I’ve been ready to move on for a while, but I’ve been scared.”

  “Of being alone?”

  I nod.

  “You’ve never been alone. You’ve had your vampire bodyguards, which I’ll never understand, and you’ve had Kili.”

  “You’re forgetting someone.”

  “I haven’t.” Thandoran puts his hand over my stomach. “I have not forgotten my child.”

  I gasp in relief.

  “Sasha, I loved you before this happened. Before the possession. I will love our child too. I didn’t plan for this though. I didn’t know this would happen with my emrys heritage either.”

  The whole cross-species mating clause. It does co
mplicate things. I push away. “Why didn’t you tell me about that? I’m super annoyed. Do you have any other secrets left?” I wring my hands together. “I could strangle you! From the beginning you’ve been hiding things. The fact that you’re part emrys is huge!”

  “My blood is another weapon. Did you not think that if storm sprite blood is such a commodity, what would they do with hybrid blood?”

  “Drain you and use it as a weapon,” I say. “Of course.”

  “I have no other secrets from you.”

  “None?”

  “None.” Thandoran clears his throat. “I do want to know something. Uh, so… what happens when we have sex again?”

  My eyes widen. “You want to have sex?”—I stiffen. Having sex is not what he means—“Oh no!”

  “If my firestorm has returned, I can lose it again.” Thandoran’s eyes do this back-and-forth thing. He’s trying to tell me something else.

  “Only temporarily, it would seem.” That’s not what he’s hinting at either.

  Thandoran’s eyes round with impatience. “I’d get you pregnant every time.”

  Every time. I kind of blush, thinking about Thandoran and I having sex more than once. I can’t even remember the first time. But that doesn’t matter. The consequences are not good. I will not be a baby factory.

  I snort when I recall a talk with my mother. “Let me tell you about this little thing that humans have called birth control.” The one thing my mother didn’t tell me about that would keep the cross-species mating thing from producing offspring every time. Barrier protection.

  “So we can?”

  I smack his chest. “Is that where your mind is stuck?”

  Thandoran wriggles his nose. “What? You’re hot. Can’t I think of you that way?”

  I wag my head and stretch out beside him on the bed. “One thing at a time, Daddy.” I snuggle against his chest, being careful of the bandages.

  Thandoran squeezes my shoulders. “I really do love you.”

  “I know.” I close my eyes. His warmth has me finally drifting off into much needed sleep.

  Merry Christmas.

  THIRTY-EIGHT