The Storm Sullivan Saga: The Emerald Seer Series Box Set

by Violet Patterson

  Angeline chuckled and slipped over to the stack of pizza boxes. “Chicken, garlic and sundried tomatoes, right?” She withdrew the middle two boxes and balanced them in one hand while grabbing a handful of napkins.

  Storm settled back on the couch beside Ryder and accepted her pizza from Angeline. “Thank you! Sorry to eat in front of you Aunt Trin, but I am ravenous.”

  “I am quite used to it, luv. Why don’t I collect the rest of our party so we can get started before I fade away?” Aunt Trin passed through the far wall toward the game room.

  “Does she really have to do that?” Angeline frowned as she curled up in her favorite wingback chair with her own pizza box open on the table beside her.

  “Does who have to do what?” Storm looked up, mid bite, to see Frederick limping in with Shane’s aid. He offered a weak smile. “Don’t look at me like that, alright? I will be fine after some food and a good night of sleep.” Frederick hobbled to the couch with Shane supporting some of his weight. He practically collapsed onto the cushion but managed to steal a slice of Angeline’s pizza before she could react. “See, better already.”

  “Watch it, shifter. You don’t want to mess with me today.” Angeline worked to mask her amusement with a stern glare but failed miserably and broke into a grin instead. “Good to see you, Fred.”

  “Just happy to be here, Ang.” Frederick took a huge bite of pizza and barely chewed before swallowing. His face turned serious as he met Storm’s eye. “Thank you, Storm. Shane told me what you did for me. I really owe you.”

  “We all worked together, Frederick. I am just happy you survived it.” Storm offered a warm smile hoping to ease the shifter’s obvious discomfort. “It will get easier, the more you are around us. You do intend to stay with us, don’t you?”

  The shifter’s eyes flared slightly and he stole a sidelong glance at Angeline who gave a slight nod. “Yes, that would be, I mean –“ A loud pounding at the front door interrupted what certainly would have been an awkward stammer of gratitude.

  Angeline pushed her pizza box toward Frederick and leapt out of the chair, surprisingly spry all of a sudden. “I’ll get it.” She stopped before reaching the door and turned back to Frederick, “Eat all of my pizza before I get back and you are dead where you sit.”

  Sophia, Dan and Lucian walked in from the game room as Angeline slipped out to answer the door. The men were still arguing but Sophia seemed amused. “Enough. Next time I am laying out the rules before you start.” She winked, slipped the Phoenix off her back and slid onto the couch beside Storm. “Feeling better now?”

  Storm inclined her head. Something new entered the house followed by a loud squealing of sorts. The library fell silent as everyone tensed. Storm handed her pizza box to Ryder and allowed the golden glow to fill her hands.

  “Oh, relax. All of you. Everything is fine, just give them a moment. It is a reunion of sorts, a long time coming in fact.” Aunt Trin floated around the space by the desk.

  Taking her pizza back from Ryder, Storm started another piece and offered some to Sophia who smiled and took a slice. Lucian seemed to trust Aunt Trin as well and dug out the bottom box before sprawling in a wingback chair that gave him a good view of Sophia. Dan and Shane conferred quietly in the corner, glancing at Frederick on occasion. Eventually the excitement from the foyer bubbled down the hall and Angeline re-entered the library.

  “I guess I am telling my story first. Well, part of it anyway.” She stepped aside to reveal a young woman, almost her doppelganger but for Angeline’s fae qualities. “This is my sister, Olivia.” The girl could not have been more than eighteen. Her eyes roved around the room, taking in each person with growing curiosity as Angeline introduced them. Olivia nodded respectfully but remained just behind her sister. A throat cleared from behind the sisters. Angeline looked panicked for a moment but quickly recovered and smiled just a bit wider. “And this is Dorian, my friend and Olivia’s protector.” The Phoenix hissed as Dorian stepped forward but Sophia petted her into silence. Dan and Shane made their way over to shake hands with Dorian and exchange awkward embraces with Olivia.

  Ryder leaned in to whisper in Storm’s ear, “Dorian is a vampire, a very old one. He must be special if your angels are friendly with him.”

  Storm responded through gritted teeth, “Seraphs. They are seraphs and you promised to be nice.”

  “Indeed I did.” Ryder pecked her on the cheek and stood to greet their company. “It is a pleasure to meet you Olivia, please, come in and have some pizza.” He inclined his head to Dorian and led Angeline’s sister to the stack of pizza boxes.

  “Alright, enough with the pleasantries, we need to get this moving before I evaporate.” Aunt Trin’s impatience forced everyone to find seats except Angeline who stood awkwardly shifting her weight from side to side. “Please, tell your part, Angeline, luv.”

  Angeline

  Where to begin? Exhaling, she met Trin’s gaze first, then Storm’s, then Dorian’s for a boost of confidence. Avoiding Olivia and Dan, Angeline started at the beginning, well sort of. “This is going to be difficult to explain and I hope you will all listen to everything before you react.” Angeline felt sweat beads gathering on her brow. Trin floated over and stood beside her, the chill a reassuring sensation. “I was born part fae with no specific destiny to speak of. But then Olivia came along and my mother’s readings changed. Every reading changed. I had a choice that would decide not only my fate but Olivia’s as well. If I agreed to take on Olivia’s fae gifts in addition to my own then she would be able to live longer but as a normal girl. If I did not then she would face an early death. To me it was no choice, even when told I would have to sever contact with her. I was told that Olivia could have no knowledge of the supernatural world and my obvious physical changes would be difficult to explain.” Angeline forced back tears and continued to avoid Olivia though her sister’s stare could have bored a hole through her core. “Of course, this deal meant she would live longer but not a full life. I simply bought time until I could find a way to change her destiny. That is how I came to Trin. Of course, she saw me coming and took me in, thankfully.”

  “I needed you as much as you needed me, luv.” Trin interrupted, “I think I will tell the next part since you acted on my instructions.” Trin looked pointedly at Storm and Ryder while Angeline focused on Dorian instead, his face a mask of indifference. “I was looking for somebody to aid me in a series of tasks that would shape a great many things. While in possession of Storm’s powers my own sight was heightened and of course, I had many visitors from the other realms. Angeline helped me orchestrate most things, including Storm binding me to the Soul Mirror, Sophia’s reincarnation, and most importantly, the ruse of my relationship with Ryder.”

  Storm nearly choked on the slice of pizza she was chewing causing Angeline to cringe. Shame flooded her as all eyes returned to her face. She tried to force down the flush but knew the tips of her ears were red. “I swear that everything I did was to help keep Storm and Olivia safe. Storm is the only hope for our world and Liv is my sister, my blood.” Angeline frowned, the emotion too apparent in her voice. “Olivia was never supposed to know about our world but now she does and I do not know what that means for her or us. The threat against Storm has grown so Dan and Shane were pulled from her protection so they called on Dorian to protect her but now that he is known to be involved I fear Olivia is still not safe. I tried to get more information from the monks; that’s why I was there, but they had been obliterated and the library incinerated long before I arrived. There must be some unbelievably strong factions working against us and they are one step ahead at every turn.”

  “That’s because we were betrayed a long time ago.” Frederick chimed in, his skin still pale and the circles under his eyes darker than when he arrived. “It was Rosalee. That’s what I was trying to tell you. She put tracking spells on most of us. I do not know who she is reporting to but the witch has turned. I do not know how strong her spell is or if they k
now we are all here, not that it matters because I cannot believe anybody would take us all on at once, but that was the point of taking Roane, to split us up and pick us off one by one. Whoever Rosalee is working with seems to be making more of those were-hybrid things.”

  “How do you know it was Rosalee?” Everybody turned to face Lucian who simply shrugged. “What somebody had to ask the obvious question.”

  “I have been following her for a few weeks. Tonight I tracked her to a public storage facility and heard her talking to somebody. I couldn’t see who but the voice was male and they were discussing the Scots, Damarra, and Angeline. The witch seemed angry and swore that the tracking spells were working but she couldn’t force anybody to leave Willow Wood and her magic cannot stretch across realms so I am guessing that Damarra gave her the slip that way. Then the were-things attacked me and I barely made it out of there.” Frederick shrugged and went back to eating.

  “They let you go.” The words were out of Angeline’s mouth before she realized what she was saying, but it fit. Again, all eyes were trained on her. No anger, no malice. That had to be a good sign. “Well? It makes sense. The best Fred can do is extend his nails into claws and utilize a little superhuman strength. That against were-hybrids, a witch, and whomever she was reporting to?”

  “Gee, thanks, Ang.” Frederick grumbled.

  “I’m sorry, really, I am not being mean; but none of us would have stood much of a chance alone given those odds.” Angeline frowned, “You were poisoned, right? By something that would not kill you, just keep you out of it for a bit?” She felt an idea forming along the corners of her mind.

  “They do not know of the Phoenix’s presence.” Dorian’s crisp, formal response echoed the thoughts rolling through Angeline’s mind. “Our enemy counted on you wanting to save Frederick consequently being occupied with his care.”

  “But why?” Storm leaned forward and peered at Dorian. “The poison would only have kept him down another day or two –“

  A sick feeling flooded Angeline’s stomach. Bile built in the back of her throat but she choked it down. “Olivia. They figured on taking out the Scots and I which would send Dan and Shane back here to protect you and leave Liv unprotected. Rosalee would not have known about Dorian’s involvement.” Her voice caught. “Dorian, you have to call Gregoire!”

  “What is done is done, fairy girl. If they have taken him in my stead then so be it. We made our peace and bound ourselves to the cause.” Dorian smiled wryly. “Perhaps we finally have stepped ahead of our enemy.”

  “I’m sorry, I am missing something.” Storm looked from Angeline to Dorian.

  “Gregoire is my twin brother. We were turned some time ago yet few are able to tell us apart on physicality alone. We essentially switched places to keep my interests secure.” Dorian frowned. “Gregoire is not fond of Angeline or my role in this conflict but I am in possession of something he desperately wants.”

  Angeline knew better than to allow further questioning so she interjected. “Dorian has been researching the Unseen and working on a way to essentially unmake the hybrids. A lot of our research is housed at his loft.”

  “So you have known about all of this for a while, haven’t you?” Storm studied her with an unreadable expression, her words slow and deliberate.

  “Yes. I am sorry Storm, I should have told you sooner, but –“ Angeline’s words failed. Her head swam with all of the new revelations.

  Trin took over, “But she was acting on my wishes. Things had to happen in order, Storm. Do not be angry with Angeline. She did as she was bid, luv. Now, it seems my time is all but spent but I leave you with these three things. First, you have all the pieces of the puzzle save two. Second, the Scots live though where they are now, I cannot say. Lastly, everyone in this room has a part to play and you are all on the same side, I can assure you of that. Do not lose time in trivialities.”

  Angeline felt a cool chill down her spine as Trin’s ghost whispered in her ear “You did brilliantly, luv,” and disappeared. Fighting the urge to grab her sister and run, Angeline gave in and met Storm’s eye, waiting for the dreaded response that never came. Storm smiled at her, the broad, warm grin of approval.

  “It would seem you have had more than your share of troubles to bear, Angeline.” Ryder interjected, offering his wife’s hand a light squeeze.

  Angeline exhaled when she realized Storm was not glowing with anger. Her eyes flicked to Olivia for a brief moment, “I did what was necessary, nothing more. We all have a part to play.”

  “Stop being so modest, Ang! You have kept all of this moving without any of us realizing it!” Storm pushed off the couch, using Ryder’s knee for support.

  “I thought you all would be angry.” Angeline sought a place to look, a way to avoid the curious faces around her.

  Storm strode across the room and embraced her. “Why would we be angry? You brought us all together.”

  Sophia appeared from behind Storm and joined the embrace. “You helped bring me back, Angeline. I am forever in your debt.”

  Angeline withdrew from the warmth of their arms. She could not wrap her mind around their reactions. Eyeing the women skeptically, Angeline peeked around at Ryder who simply shrugged and smiled. Something was wrong.

  “I am furious.” Lucian’s voice echoed across the room, breaking the serenity of the moment. Angeline’s heart sank. “Furious that Storm’s infernal aunt left us with more riddles. Was she like that in life because I do not understand how any of you could tolerate her?”

  Storm touched Angeline’s arm lightly and nodded, almost imperceptibly before winking. “Indeed, she was worse, Lucian.”

  Ryder

  The new revelations put some of his lagging questions to rest. Until now, he could not figure out how Trin Sullivan could concoct the elaborate spells necessary to fool him for so long. All of it a sham. He should be angry that they tampered with his mind but somehow, it mattered little in light of the outcome. Even the anger and resentment he harbored against Trin seemed to dissipate with the new understanding that his life with Storm was merely another piece of a destiny he could not alter. Trin Sullivan and Angeline were merely vehicles for the fates. Somehow it all fit but Ryder still felt tense, the weight of the coming war hitting him harder than the others – or perhaps just sooner. He eyed Storm warily, the swell of her abdomen, flush of her cheeks and glimmer of excitement in her green eyes. Would she survive this? Could he keep her safe? Had Trin seen the outcome? Did she know what else their destinies held? For the first time, Ryder questioned the safety of Willow Wood. Storm settled beside him on the couch and clasped his hand. She leaned into him so the crown of her head fit just beneath his chin. Her warmth eased his mind and sent familiar ripples through his limbs. Even now he ached to be in their room, hidden from the wretched world beneath the silky blankets of their bed. Ryder forced the thoughts away. Storm nudged him lightly and pointed at her pizza box. He shifted her weight a bit and maneuvered the box into her lap. She smiled softly, her eyes glowing with excitement and an inner peace that seemed to become clearer with each passing day. Perhaps they would make it out alive after all.

  Looking about the room, eyeing up the strange collection of supernaturals, Ryder wondered if any of them had a choice in this at all. Was Angeline really given a choice? Was he? Storm? Even Dorian had not elected to become a vampire yet here he sat, engaged in a battle of wills with Angeline. Ryder watched Angeline, well aware of her stubborn streak and all the tells that it was rearing its ugly head. Dorian seemed entirely unphased and Ryder realized what Storm really wanted the pizza for; his wife was working hard to suppress her amusement.

  “I still think you need to check on Gregoire.” Angeline glared at Dorian who continued to stare emotionlessly at her.

  “Very well, fairy girl. If it will ease your pretty head.” Dorian withdrew a cell phone from his breast pocket so quickly that Ryder nearly missed the motion. Olivia’s mouth dropped but she did not utter a word. Ryder too
k the opportunity to study the girl. He could not read much from her beyond the panic rippling furiously beneath her calm exterior. Ryder marveled at Olivia’s ability to disguise her true emotion so thoroughly. Angeline could not have taken on all of the girl’s magical blood or such skill would be impossible at such a young age. Ryder frowned and looked to Lucian who appeared to echo the thought. They both turned to Dan and Shane who remained apart from the rest of the group, standing near the wall of windows looking unusually grim.

  Tension rolled through the room until Dorian’s cool voice broke the awkward moment. “Gregoire is well. Watson has called a special contingency to protect the borders of the property following an attack earlier this evening. It appears my involvement is no longer a secret though they still believe Gregoire to be me. He found the disagreement exhilarating and hopes for more. Perhaps he will come to our side willingly after all.” The vampire inclined his head toward Angeline.

  “Have they made the connection to Olivia? Do they think she is there?” Panic nearly choked off Angeline’s queries but Dorian raised a hand to calm her.

  “Indeed they do not. This contingency was merely seeking my work. I am not certain they have connected the depth of our arrangement. Only hybrids attacked the loft and none escaped to tell the tale.” Dorian looked upon Olivia, his expression odd but not unsettling. Ryder wondered how much the vampire could sense.

  “Thank you, Dorian. We need all the time we can buy.” Angeline leaned on the arm of Dorian’s chair, her fingers playing with the ends of her hair as she too studied Olivia. “Liv? Are you alright?”

  “This is all real? It’s not a joke?” Olivia’s voice cracked slightly as she shifted her gaze around the room, her eyes flaring slightly. “I mean you are all like supernatural beings with powers and callings and stuff like that?”