Storm Unleashed: Phantom Islanders Part III

by Ednah Walters

  “Yes, Prince Orath.”

  “Storm. My father was Prince Orath. Tell Nerissa about the tunnels. We’ll need them.”

  Nereus’s expression said Storm had handed him the moon. As he hurried out of the room, Banan grabbed my bag of arrows and the bow.

  “You don’t want to leave these behind, lass,” he said, shoving them in my hands. He shuffled backward and bowed to Storm one more time before taking off.

  “Bows and arrows?” Storm asked.

  “I kept busy when not helping Gwyn with your mother.”

  “You’ll have to show me.” He led the way out of his mother’s cell. Instead of going downstairs, he headed up to the battlement.

  “There’s no exit from up there.”

  “We’re flying.”

  CHAPTER 14

  The rain had stopped, and the smell of smoke hung heavily in the air. Lightning still zipped across the sky, but I already knew about the caged emotions churning inside Storm. They’d lessened with our link, but I still felt them pressing against his psyche, threatening to push aside the flow of love from me and take him over.

  I wanted this to be over so I could hug him and show him I’d never hurt him like his family had done. For now, all I could do was show him through our bond that I had his back. Rubbing his arm, I turned to study the city. My jaw dropped at the scenes below.

  The Royal Guards’ buildings near the palace walls were ablaze, the guards struggling to put out the fire. Idiotic ones attempted to run toward the gate only to be met with more flames from Levi and swords from his team. The ships at the docks were on fire, but the homes of the people were untouched. From the torches and sounds, the people were in the streets. I was surprised the guards hadn’t used the horn to force them back into their homes.

  “How many people did you come with?” I asked.

  “Just enough to cause damage. We are rendezvousing at an old friend’s home.”

  Storm handed his mother to Gwyn, then shrugged off his frock coat and draped it around my shoulders. “You need an extra layer of clothing.”

  I slipped it on and sighed blissfully. I was surrounded by his warmth and scent. Then my heart damn near stopped when he unstrapped a familiar wrapped blade from his upper arm.

  The silver dagger.

  Gah, I hated it and what it signified.

  “I want you to take it for safekeeping,” Storm said.

  He knelt at my feet, lifted the hem of my dress and strapped the dagger around my left thigh. He adjusted the belt for a better fit, but instead of getting up, his gaze connected with mine.

  “You have my heart and soul, Lexi Greendale, but now you also have my life, my future, the future of our island, and our people in your hands.”

  My eyes welled at the trust, the honor, and the responsibility he was giving me.

  “If we ever need to use the dagger, I know you’ll do the right thing.”

  Like hell. Yeah, I’d do the right thing alright. Melt the damn thing then fight the gods or the island until they gave him back to me. I’d never take his life. How could I when I was so crazy about him? I loved this man. Kelpie. Prince. Hero to his people. I loved his big heart and selflessness. Loved his intensity and fierceness. I even loved the savagery of his way of life.

  “I hope that day never comes,” I whispered, reaching down to touch the blade. It felt heavy against my thigh.

  “Me, too.” He stood and stroked my cheek, then stepped back and started to strip.

  Gwyn looked away, her eyes wide with shock. I grinned. She was going to have to get used to Storm’s islanders and their total lack of modesty.

  I didn’t look away, checking his torso for wounds from Captain Ren’s people. Or so I told myself. I just couldn’t look away. He had more scars, but they didn’t distract from his beautiful body. When he stood with nothing but his bridle on, he glanced over his shoulders and winked at me.

  My pirate was slowly coming back to me. Or maybe he’d felt the slow burn of desire which had crept through me as I’d watched him strip.

  He shifted effortlessly, neck up first, then shoulders and chest, his wings sprouting from his shoulder blades. They grew until they were too heavy for him. He dropped to his knees, his bones shifting, elongating, and snapping into place. I winced with each sound and imagined going through the same transformation. I wasn’t sure whether I was ready.

  In seconds, thoughts of pain disappeared as he stood on fours and walked toward us, wings lifted. He was truly a magnificent Kelpie. The wings appeared attached to his powerful front legs at the shoulder blades, so they moved with each step he took.

  “I’m going to fly the three of you to a nearby safe house.” His glanced swept over Gwyn and his mother before coming back to me. “Trust me. I will not let you fall.”

  It was the first time I’d heard his Kelpie talk. His voice was deeper and sexier than usual. I could listen to him talk forever. I reached out and stroked his cheek, and undulated need pulsed through me. I knew it wasn’t just mine.

  “Of course, I trust you,” I said, and he smiled and nuzzled my palm.

  A tinge of fear licked my psyche, and I glanced at Gwyn. The fear came from her. It was like the first time Storm and I had linked. My senses shifted to a hyped state, and I became privy to emotions around me.

  I reached for Gwyn’s hand and squeezed. Her hand clung to mine.

  “We’ll be fine,” I reassured her.

  “Lexi, you climb on first and cross the bridle in front of you, then loop it over your head. Cross it and loop it over her. Gwyn, do the same, and loop it back to Lexi. Hold on to Lexi, and sandwich her between the two of you. Lexi will hold on to my mane. We’ve ridden before.”

  He tucked his legs under him and dropped on the ground, and we did as he’d instructed. The bridle was stretchy and long enough for a double loop, until we were packed like sardines. Gwyn carried the bag with my bow and arrows. When Storm stood, her grip tightened on my waist. Once again, I patted her hands reassuringly.

  “We will be there in a few minutes,” Storm said before his powerful wings lifted and dropped. They picked up tempo, whipping the air, as he took off.

  Below us, the fires raged. Sounds reached me from afar. Islanders on the streets yelling at the top of their voices. Generals giving orders. The clang of metal. Then there were emotions. So many of them at once. Excitement. Curiosity. Anger. Panic. How the hell could Storm handle these emotions all the time?

  Above, occasional flashes of lightning lit the dark clouds, a few bolts heading to the ground. Storm flew straight into the dense clouds until we couldn’t see the city below us. The pulses of the sounds and feelings lessened as our linked senses shifted focus.

  Lightning coiled around us as though responding to his presence. Or maybe he was channeling it. Whatever the cause, the connection between us grew until I became an extension of him, the pulse of energy that came from controlling lightning coursing through me. It was quite powerful. I’d love to ride through a thunderstorm with him back at home. Heck, I’d love to make love to him during one of his thunderstorm moments.

  His mother’s head slipped a few times, and I had to reach back to reposition it. Gwyn’s hands twitched uncontrollably, her fears souring her scent.

  “Almost there,” Storm reassured us.

  How could he see through the clouds? When he dived down, the clouds and lights stayed with us. I had no idea where we were, but he seemed to know because he lifted his wings higher and beat them faster as he carefully landed.

  His wings closed protectively around us as he walked forward. I peered through the thick fog. Even with the coiling lights, I couldn’t see much except the cobbled ground.

  A door opened somewhere, and light appeared in the foggy night. It moved closer to us until I could see an old man with a candle lantern. He lifted the light to see us better, and I recognized the craggy, heavy features and the white hair and beard.

  “Is that you, Storm?” Athol asked.

  �
�Aye, my friend,” Storm said, dropping down to his knees. “I’ve brought you guests.”

  “My home is always open to anyone who calls you a friend.” Athol saw me and chuckled. “We meet again, lass.”

  I grinned. “I think it was meant to be. Remember? You wanted to meet my patient.”

  The healer stopped smiling and placed the lantern down to help us remove the bridle. He lifted the queen mother and started for his house.

  “Come inside,” Athol said. “You are the first to arrive.”

  He hurried into his house while I helped Gwyn down. Her legs could barely carry her. She staggered a few feet away, dropping my bow and arrows, and fell to her knees. Knowing what was to follow, I wasn’t far behind. I held her hair back just before the sounds of her puking her guts out filled the night air.

  Where were we? The fog seemed to thicken, so it was still impossible to see anything. All the streets in the city were cobbled, so we could be anywhere.

  “Remind me never to do that again,” Gwyn whispered, straightening.

  I chuckled. I loved roller coasters, so I hadn’t minded.

  “Why don’t you go inside and wait for us, Gwyn. By the way, that was the healer you sent me to this morning.”

  “Thank goodness. In my excitement to leave, I forgot my lady’s elixir.” She looked around and sighed. “I can’t see anything.”

  As though on cue, the fog shifted and grew thin until a door was visible. There were no windows on the building, just that single red door. The unidirectional way the fog had moved told me Storm was controlling it.

  Instead of following Athol, Gwyn glanced at Storm, who was back on his legs, his wings hugging his body, his gaze on us. From his expression, he appeared calm, but his emotions were chaotic. I let my love flow to him and the silver-gray eyes lightened.

  “Thank you for coming for us,” Gwyn said.

  “I didn’t know she was a prisoner,” Storm said, his voice filled with regret.

  “Very few knew. She’ll be happier with you. I don’t know if you remember me, but your mother sent me to check on you when you were a wee lad. It was after the fire. He’d told her you’d died in that fire.”

  “He has a lot to answer for.”

  “They both do,” Gwyn said, anger lacing her words.

  “I’m happy she’s had you all these years, Gwyn.”

  “No, I’m lucky to have had her. She’s kind and caring despite all the suffering she’s gone through.” She paused and squared her shoulders as though bracing herself. “Forgive her, lad. She made mistakes. The hugest one was leaving you behind. She regretted that the most. By the time she realized it, it was too late. She had to stay away to protect you.” When Storm didn’t respond, Gwyn glanced at me and smiled. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  She disappeared inside. I picked up my bag of arrows, the bow, and the lantern and walked to where Storm stood.

  I stroked his muzzle. He lowered his head and rested it on my shoulder. His breath was warm on my nape. I soothed the beast, my touch light.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “I will be. We all will be. We just need to finish this and go home.” He turned his head and studied me in the flickering light. Then he licked my face.

  “Eew, that is gross.” I pushed his head away, and he chuckled.

  He nipped my nape.

  “I’ve missed your scent, lass. And your voice. And the way your eyes light up before you laugh. I’d like to fly you back to the Mac Lir and not leave our cabin for days.”

  Not leave our cabin? I liked the sound of that. Then the other things he’d said registered. “The Mac Lir wasn’t destroyed?”

  “No. We saved most of the ships and homes. Come on. Climb up.”

  “You want me to go with you?”

  “I made a vow to never leave you behind. How good are you with those arrows?”

  “I’m a work-in-progress.” I secured the bow and arrows on my back, gripped his mane, and climbed onto his back. I looped the bridle around me even though I knew I didn’t need it. “But I can still hit the broad side of a Kelpie when pissed.”

  A sexy chuckle escaped him. “I’ve missed that mouth of yours, lass.”

  I reached down and hugged his neck as he turned.

  “I’ve missed you, too.” His scent. I inhaled. His warmth. I pressed my cheek against his silky mane and ran my hand over the underside of his neck. A deep groan rumbled through his throat.

  His wings lifted.

  I stroked his neck and moved to the base of his wings. The hair there was soft, the transition to feathers subtle. I would explore the feathers later. I went back to hugging his neck as his wings beat the air.

  “Don’t we need to tell Athol we are leaving?”

  “No.” Storm took off. “He knows we’ll be back. Besides, he’s attending to her.”

  Not once had he referred to his mother as “Mother.” He kept using “she” and “her.” He needed to understand what she’d gone through and maybe forgive her as Gwyn had suggested. They both had suffered enough.

  “Your mother tried to escape with Tully many times, Storm, and come for you, but each time the oracle stopped her,” I said as we took off. The cloud and the flashes of swirling light continued to hide us. “She started medicating your mother so she wouldn’t leave. She confessed to me that she needed your mother to stay so the king would have a reason to keep her around. Both Tully and the king believed your mother was crazy.”

  “That doesn’t rule out their role in her imprisonment or the lies,” he growled. “Where do I find this oracle?”

  “The last time I saw her was at the palace. She’s a survivor, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she dressed like a maid and escaped.”

  I told him what I’d learned about his mother, how Tully was raised by the oracle and their grandfather.

  “If your mother had raised him, he would not be the monster he’s become.”

  Storm didn’t respond, so I couldn’t tell what he was feeling. Tully and their grandfather hated him for reasons I still didn’t understand, but I didn’t want him to spend the rest of his life hating them back. We were going to have an amazing life.

  The flight back seemed shorter. The towers appeared suddenly from above the clouds, and I realized how widespread the fog was.

  “Did you cover the entire island with the clouds or fog, Storm?” I asked.

  “No, lass. I can only control so much. This is the work of the gods. We asked for their help before we left the ship. Let’s hope they continue to help us.”

  Someone should hook me up with their gods.

  We landed on the roof. And once again, I watched Storm shift. While he pulled on his clothes, I noted something weird. An occasional lightning splitting into smaller bolts and hitting the grounds around the palace and by the docks but nowhere else.

  “But you’re doing that?” I asked.

  “Doing what, she’lahn?” he asked, walking toward me, bridle in hand.

  “Strategically shooting bolts at people down there.”

  He chuckled. “Not at people. At the ground around them. I’m giving Zale and Kheelan’s crews needed backup. The army outnumbers us, and I can tell when an islander needs help.”

  “What if you hit one of ours?”

  Instead of answering me, he looped the bridle around my neck and didn’t bother to control the flow of his desires. They flooded my senses until my bones melted.

  “Since the connection to my people is stronger on the island, I’ve been known to make mistakes and zap a few of ours when we pillage. They insult my ancestry and my manhood, and move on.”

  He gripped the coiled pieces, tugged me closer, and captured my mouth in a slow but sensual kiss. I purred, and the bridle shifted restlessly as though responding to the feelings pouring through me.

  “Let’s finish this. Then I’ll answer all the questions you may have,” he said in a husky voice when he lifted his head.

  We left the battlement and headed
downstairs.

  ~*~

  “I can’t feel my fingers. Hey, take your filthy hands off my mother’s things.”

  Tully’s voice reached us before we got to the front hall. He was barely coherent, his speech slurred.

  “Cut out his tongue,” Nerissa said. “He’s becoming more and more annoying.”

  “Filthy wench,” Tully shot back. “I can smell your stench from here.”

  “The stench comes from you, your royal sliminess. Lexi must tell me what she used so I can use it next time we meet.”

  “The Tuh’ren will get what’s coming to her. My hand is dying because of her. I will hunt her down, beat her up and mess her up so badly she’ll never recover. And my pirate of a brother will never want to touch her again.”

  Storm growled. “He never knows when to shut up. Even when we were kids. He’d whine all the time. I think I’ll take his tongue, too.”

  “You should pity him,” I said, being generous when I knew I shouldn’t.

  “I can’t. He stole you and tried to mate with you, lass. If anyone else tried that, I’d chop their heads off. He only gets to lose a hand and a tongue. Then there’s Mother.” Storm’s face spasmed. “I’m not sure where to start.”

  “We’ll make her happy and make sure Tully knows about it,” I said. “That should be punishment enough.”

  “No, that’s not enough. He’ll never learn if I don’t punish him.”

  We entered the hall to find Tully secured to one of the front hall chairs with a silk curtain cord. His hand, blue and swollen, seemed to be dying. Someone must have pushed the dagger farther through his wrist because I could see the bloody tip.

  Lord Conyngham, also tied up and his arms pinned to his body like a mummy with a pirate sash, stood a few feet away under the watchful eye of two shieldmaidens, who were blatantly checking him out. Oblivious to their attention, his focus was on the pirates hauling their loot outside.

  No, he wasn’t studying the pirates. He was studying Nerissa. The look on his face was a mixture of fascination and bewilderment.