“No, babe, not crazy at all.” Shane shifted uncomfortably and nudged his brother.
“It’s just that we can’t go with you if you pursue this plan.” Dan glanced at Damarra, “She does not know, does she?” Damarra shook her head.
“Know what?” Storm looked from Dan to Shane to Damarra and back again, challenging one of them to answer her. When they didn’t, Storm raised her pitch, “Know what?”
“We are not saying we disagree with you, Storm, honest,” Shane raised his hands in resignation, “but we literally cannot go with you.”
“What do you mean?” Storm cocked her head to the side, confusion and concern flooding her features.
“We cannot leave this realm. We are bound to this plane and this plane alone.” Shane frowned, “I’m sorry babe but if you go this route we cannot follow you, nor can any of our kin.”
Storm sat back against the desk as though the wind was knocked out of her. Lucian saw her reach back and finger the green book again, trace the spine and then withdraw. He wondered about that book, what else it was capable of, where it really came from. He remembered the wallop it packed when he and Ryder had tried to wake Storm when she held it the first time. There was something sinister in that book, whether it was meant to be or not.
“So leave the Seraphs here to protect the babes.” Lucian’s words were out before he could stop them. He’d been so focused on Storm and that book that his subconscious went on without him. Storm’s head jerked up, wide eyed and grinning.
“Brilliant, Luc. That solves the only problem I had with my plan.” Storm set her shoulders and her jaw. “Dan and Shane, would you watch the girls? Could you keep them safe in here with a contingent of your kind guarding the outer walls?”
“Yes, I suppose so, I mean, we – well, yes. We can.” Dan seemed less than pleased with the suggestion but could not find an objection. Shane on the other hand nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Back up a minute. Babysitting was your only problem with your plan?” Ryder whirled on his wife, frustration etched in every line of his face. “Storm, I beg you, do not do this.”
“We have no choice, can’t you see that? This is the perfect time. It will work or nothing will.” Storm crossed the study to his side, taking his hands in hers and kissing them lightly. Lucian looked away, avoiding the tender moment, and found his own mate’s eyes. He smiled sheepishly at her and mouthed “I love you.” She thankfully returned the gesture.
A throat cleared, Lucian could not be sure whose but it didn’t matter.
“So it is settled then, when you are all done being sappy we can get down to planning.” Jordan downed the last of his second drink. “Seriously, let’s just do this before I lose my buzz.”
Lucian chuckled. “I agree, Ryder, just give in and resign yourself to this plan so the Scots will follow suit and we can have a unanimous decision. You know you are going to give in to her in the end.”
“I haven’t agreed yet, Lucian.” Sophia piped up from across the room. “Don’t presume that by making me weak in the knees you have secured my concession in this matter. I still do not agree this is the only option. As the Scots suggested, we could simply expand our protective spells and lock Willow Wood down even further until we find a better way to ensure Storm’s victory. More allies come every day. We can build an army and –“
“You cannot defeat the Unseen with an army. In the end it can be only Storm.” Damarra’s voice rang out clear, echoing through the room. “All the armies of the Tuatha de fell against the Unseen and many perished, my kin alongside them, and we attacked in numbers beyond reckoning with powers stronger and more varied than what we could ever hope to assemble here. In the end it took only one to defeat the Unseen, only one to banish him and bind him. It is only right that her heir be the one to destroy him in the end.”
As comprehension settled on the room, all eyes turned to Damarra but she averted hers and opted to play with the embroidery on her gown instead.
Damarra
She could feel their eyes on her. The one secret she kept for all the ages of man, the one secret she had shared with only two others was now exposed. She plucked at the stray thread on her skirt, thinking about how it should be mended and avoiding the quizzical stares from everyone but her mate. She had not intended on giving herself away but it seemed unavoidable if she hoped to push Storm’s plan into action. It was the only way to convince everyone just how right her granddaughter was.
“Tell them the whole story, Damarra.” Roane leaned in to whisper in her ear, his breath warm and comforting on her neck. He did not stop stroking her hair, the slow, methodical rhythm unbroken.
“It is time you knew how the Unseen fell before, how he became as he is.” Damarra smoothed her fraying thread and forced her eyes upward, meeting those of her companions, one at a time and ending with her granddaughter. “He was not always the enemy, not always warped and twisted. Once our enemy walked among my kin, counted one of our number and a favored one at that. His name then was Nuada.”
Damarra heard somebody suck in their breath. She could not be certain who but it meant that the name was known. She sighed and continued, “Nuada was favored by our kin and the Tuatha De alike. But, something happened to Nuada that changed him and after that he could not be pacified. He wanted more power, he craved dominion over things, and he became violent. Some of our kin sought to treat with him, to make him see reason but Nuada would not hear them. He struck out against anyone who tried to change his mind until the Tuatha De descended to put an end to his madness. But Nuada would not heed their warnings and he fought them as well. Even after he lost his arm, Nuada simply fashioned a new one and attacked again. He was relentless, seeking to force all of our kin into submission, to bend the Tuatha De to his will. Nuada’s hunger for power and dominion over all races could not be sated. At last, the Tuatha De backed our kin in one massive attack. Together, we sought to defeat Nuada but he’d grown too strong and coerced too many people into his service. Nuada was always one step ahead and more than prepared for the attack. Many of our kin passed into the shadow realms and the Tuatha De were diminished. All seemed lost until somebody stumbled upon the answer and I volunteered to carry out the mission. I nearly succeeded in ending the entire battle but giving Nuada what he wanted was not enough, nothing was ever enough. I do not know what changed him, but even when I gave him what he said he wanted, Nuada still wanted more.”
“What exactly did you do, Damarra?” Her granddaughter’s mate spoke cautiously, as though he did not really want to know the answer.
Damarra had not intended to tell them the specifics; she did not want to relive that memory, but Roane urged her on. “I sought to give him his one wish – the ability to leap all realms at will. I approached him with a proposition, a gift from the Tuatha De that would allow him to travel anywhere and at any moment in time. What Nuada did not know was that a curse had been hidden in the gift. When he touched it, Nuada’s spirit was severed from his body which was then hidden away in the only place his spirit could never enter.” Damarra trailed off. Roane squeezed her shoulder gently.
“That’s what we guard.” Trin Sullivan’s ghost floated in the space beside Storm. “He cannot cross into limbo because Nuada has not died. Nuada’s body is buried in limbo.”
“But Storm didn’t die and she met me in Limbo, remember?” Sophia posed an interesting question, one that exposed a flaw in the curse that could have ruined everything.
“Storm was unconscious when she traveled to Limbo, between life and death. Nuada’s spirit cannot reach that state, his spirit knows no rest. He moves about, always aware of what he has lost, seeking what he will never find. It was the worst punishment the Tuatha De could derive for Nuada.”
“Can he be destroyed?” Ryder posed the question Damarra dreaded most. He was certainly brighter than she had first thought.
“Yes.” Damarra nodded confidently, prepared to tell the last part of her tale. “Storm will succeed where
I failed. She does not harbor the same feelings for him that I do.”
“What?” Storm faltered, as if she were about to fall, but Ryder caught her by the elbow.
Damarra moved as if to stand but Roane tugged her back down and shook his head. Roane had taught her about Immortals and their intense emotions, the overwhelming need to protect their mates at all costs. It warmed her to know Ryder cared so deeply for her Storm. In the end she would need him. In the end they would need each other to get through the fall out of Nuada’s destruction. “Nuada is my true brother. That is why I was the one who had to curse him, it is a blood curse.” She paused and sighed. “Before I could complete the curse I faltered. I saw my brother as he was when we were new and I could not destroy him. His spirit fled, cursing me as he went. That is the true reason my future disappeared, my brother stole it as punishment for my betrayal.”
“But you were given a purpose so can’t Nuada find a loophole too?” Storm had to ask even though she knew the answer – she just hoped she was wrong.
“I was given a purpose by the grace of the Tuatha De. Though Nuada had amassed a good deal of power, much of it was tied to his followers, many of whom were killed in battle or fled when he was disembodied. After that, Nuada was never as powerful as the combined strength of the Tuatha De so his curse did not carry as much weight as the one I cast on him.” Damarra shifted uncomfortably and reached into the folds of her robes. It was time. “You will need this, Granddaughter.”
Storm reached out her hand and accepted Damarra’s gift, a small ring with a line of emeralds along the middle of the band. “It’s beautiful.” Storm turned it over in her hand, scrutinizing it. Along the inside of the band was ancient script her granddaughter would not be able to read, not yet.
“It says, ‘by the blood we share so shall it pass’ in the tongue of the Tuatha De.” Damarra closed Storm’s hand around the ring, “It is the only way to defeat Nuada. The ring is bound to another just like it on Nuada’s left ring finger. Both were bound with my blood and his. Nuada sought to break the curse with your father’s blood and I suspect he was quite furious when Calibos failed. Now he requires you or your young. You and the girls not only threaten his withered existence but hold the key to defeating him permanently. I am giving you the ring your father once sought, the one thing that prevented him from resurrecting Nuada.”
Storm
“But how? How do I destroy him? You are stronger than I could ever hope to be.” Storm could not believe what she was hearing. This was even worse than she imagined. All of her taunting when he was in her mind, all of the confidence she felt then, it was all dissipating as she came to understand the gravity of what she was facing. This was not just an enemy, this was family, this was somebody even more powerful than her grandmother who had traveled realms and visited galaxies she could not hope to understand. This changed everything.
“This changes nothing, dear. I assure you. You do not have the affection for Nuada that I bore him. You have only known him as he is now, warped and twisted into a hateful shadow of his former self. He is no longer capable of understanding things like love, they do not exist for him. But make no mistake, he no longer understands mercy either. Should Nuada gain the upper hand he will not show you the mercy I showed him.” Damarra took Storm’s hands in hers and kissed them across the knuckles. “My lovely, brave granddaughter, you were born for this. I saw you centuries ago when I first knew I wanted a child. You were a long time coming but so worth the wait. I have complete faith that when the time comes you will succeed in this.”
“How can you be so certain, Damarra?” Ryder stood beside her, his hand wrapped around her waist, steadying her and giving her strength she desperately needed. Her head hurt, really hurt. This was too much information, she was completely exhausted and being at odds with Ryder was taking its toll. Watching her grandfather’s undying devotion to her grandmother reminded her of Ryder’s usual support. His fervent disagreement affected her deeply and she wondered if he would ever give in. Sure he stood at her side now, supporting her physically, but what happened when she moved forward. Would he give in to her? Would he support her then? How could she make him understand? Storm knew this was the way; she was as sure as she’d ever been about anything. She was terrified and seriously lacking confidence but she knew it was the only way.
“Because I have been to the Tuatha De and back, I have been over this more times than you can imagine and I know we are close to destroying Nuada because he made a desperate attack today.” Damarra held her chin out, defiant and confident, so unlike the woman she was used to seeing. Storm had never seen her grandmother like this, had never known this side of her.
Storm pulled Ryder back, wrapped her arm about his waist and leaned into him. “Ry, I have no choice, can’t you see that? This is how it should be; this is what has to happen.”
“No, I still do not believe this is the only way. Putting you in that kind of danger is not an option.” Ryder pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “I cannot possibly let you walk into this without more information, more assurances, more something.”
“I can offer no more assurances and I have given you all that I know. Storm must face Nuada and defeat him on her own. The ring will show her the way. The best we can do is handle his armies long enough to give her a chance.” Damarra held Ryder’s eye but finished her response with a wink at Storm.
“So how do we do this?” Lucian chimed in. “I am tired of talking. Besides, the Scots and shifters are going to be too drunk to fight if we keep on like this.”
“We have not even begun to defile ourselves!” Pollux raised one of his two glasses to Lucian, his words slurring noticeably.
“Yeah, we fight better drunk anyway, right shifter boys?” Kell nudged Pollux who nearly dropped his drink. Jordan and Frederick mumbled something incomprehensible.
Storm chuckled; leave it to Lucian to break the tension. Even Ryder relaxed beside her and without looking at him she could tell he was amused. “Alright then, somebody sober those four up and rally the troops while we figure out how to jump realms.” Lucian practically jumped out of his chair with excitement. While Storm did not quite share his delight, she felt a bit of relief that they were actually moving toward something for the first time.
Ryder
None of this was going in the direction he hoped it would. The more he heard, the more he wanted to hide his wife and daughters away until the end of time. In his heart he knew that it would never blow over, that this would follow them around until Storm ended it, if what Damarra said was true. How could he be certain?
“Damarra speaks the truth, Ryder.” The cool whisper in his ear could only be Trin Sullivan’s. “You know how I feel about her but I think she is right about this, luv. I like it as little as you do but Nuada will hunt Storm for the rest of her days and then turn on your girls. If half the legends are true then none of us want that. I will go back and see what I can find out. There are many who are older than I, somebody surely knows something. Just stall them.”
Ryder nodded his understanding as Trin’s ghost dissipated. “We should see how many allies remain and set protections around the manor to prevent further breaches. Storm and Sophia can remain here with Autumn and Ember so they can prepare the Angels in the event we are gone longer than anticipated. Lucian and I can work on sobering our four friends in the corner.”
Storm leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear, her breath warm and sweet. He regretted pushing Storm off earlier, even if it was the right thing. What if he could never have her again, never feel her naked against him, the smoothness of her skin, the firm curve of her ass in his hands. Ryder adjusted himself and slid his wife around to face him, careful not to crush their child. Her eyes flared, gold rimmed with excitement. Whether over the coming fight or his sudden affection he did not care. Ryder pulled her close, wishing they were alone but not daring to risk her leaving the study, not yet.
“I love
you, Storm. I cannot bear the thought of being parted from you.” Ryder kissed her nose lightly, pulled her as close as he could without hurting Autumn and slid her up his body so she could feel his need for her. “I am so sorry for about the earlier. I just could not hurt you that way.”
“I know. I mean, I understand and you were right.” Storm wrapped her arms about his neck, “But there are always other options.”
A throat cleared behind them, “Brother, I thought you were going to help me with the drunkards.”
Storm pecked him on the cheek. “When this is all over, I will make it up to you, I swear it.” She slid off him slowly, practically peeling away.
Ryder took up the back of the pack as Lucian ushered the two shifters and the two Scots out of the study, catching Pollux as he ran into the wall on the way out. “Your wife is amazing, Ryder. You are a lucky man.”
“Yes, yes I am.” Ryder snuck a look back at his wife as the doors to the study shut behind him.
Storm
“Do you think he’s on board, Storm?” Sophia asked just as the doors to the study closed behind the guys.
“I don’t know, Soph. Are you?” Storm hadn’t heard much from Sophia since the initial discussion and she wondered where her friend stood.
“After hearing Damarra and remembering my time on the other side, I just don’t see another way. It seems to be your destiny, Storm. If everything we have learned today is true then how could I stand between you and the possibility of fulfilling your destiny with life left to live?” Sophia shifted her weight and adjusted Ember to her other arm. “Your babes sleep so much for newborns. Do you suppose you were like this?”
“No, the way Aunt Trin tells it I was a hellion.” Storm settled beside Sophia and petted the Phoenix, staring into her fiery eyes. “And what do you say, my friend.”
“She told me you must convince Ryder to go with you.” Sophia looked far away for a few minutes and then continued. “She tells me Damarra speaks true and while your future remains cloudy it appears to be the only way.”
The Storm Sullivan Saga: The Emerald Seer Series Box Set Page 67