So, there I puked amongst the soft pink flowering bushes. I hadn't really eaten much, so it was mostly just spit and water, but still, it was gross. It drove me crazy how anxious I’d become since entering the Storm King’s world. I'd never been that nervous as a miner. The only time I'd ever puked back then was when a mine had collapsed, killing tens of people, and we were forced to clear their rotting bodies out as we came across them.
And at that lovely thought, I puked some more.
Eventually, I righted myself and wiped my mouth.
Like last time, Rob was ready with a flask.
"Thanks."
"No problem, Jewels."
I swished and spit, took a deep breath, then put my shaking hands back into their elbows. "Let's get this over with."
“Now you sound like me,” Rob teased with a cheeky grin.
"What part do you hate the most?" Ben asked, opening the door for us. “Cal and Bria? Her dickhead parents? Dancing in front of people?”
"All of it. Plus, knowing damn well I'm going to fuck up somehow."
"It'll be all right, Sailor," Ben promised with a gentle kiss on my hand. "I give you my word that I'll make sure things go smoothly at all times."
Given that his extra power was the fact that he was magically bound to his word, that was extremely reassuring.
I leaned over and kissed his cheek, then lowered my head to his shoulder. "You didn't have to do that, Ben. I believe you would have helped me with or without your magic word."
He kissed the top of my head, a move I hadn't expected, one so sweet it sent tingles of warmth skittering through my core.
Rob glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "And I'll make sure no one fucks with you. No peasants are going to be gossiping about you or us, and no royal kings or queens are going to be making snide comments."
I smiled and turned to him, laying my head down on his shoulder next. "Thank you, guys. I appreciate it."
Rob leaned into me, nudging my head back up straight. "Get ready..."
Oh, fuck we were already at the top of the final set of stairs.
"Their Royal Highnesses," a servant shouted before us, "the Princes Robert and Benson Storm, and the future princess Miss Alexis Ravenel."
The crowd clapped as my heart lurched into my throat. So many eyes everywhere, so many chances to make a fool of myself. My ankles wobbled, but instead of collapsing, Ben pulled me closer and wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me up with careless ease.
"Got ya, Sailor."
I was about to absently mutter something along the lines of “I fucking love you” when I realized how close to home that phrase actually was. Too close. Too close to mutter jokingly, anyway.
It was the first time a thought like that had crossed my mind, but it quickly sparked a whole shit ton of others.
How quickly could people realistically fall in love? How terrible were the circumstances that might prevent such love from ever forming? Was there such a thing, a barrier for love? Or could it form in even the darkest and bleakest of places? Could specific circumstances actually speed up the falling in love process? Like, oh I don't know, being thrust into a magical world of torture and pain?
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I found Cal, Dan, and Bria already standing there waiting for us.
Cal looked meticulously put together, which meant he was probably uncomfortable. Dan looked totally at ease, his charismatic nature fitting right in with the social scene. And Bria looked pleasant as always, with her blue hair pulled up into a cascading wave of curls.
"I'm going to go pick a dance partner," Rob whispered in my ear, secretly kissing my lobe.
Dan went off to do the same. Cal was with Bria, of course, and Ben still had his wide hand wrapped around my hips.
"Guess you're stuck with me for the first dance, Sailor."
I wrapped my arms around his neck despite the fact the music hadn't started yet. "I would be honored to be stuck with you, in any way, shape, or form, Prince Benson."
He pulled me closer, smiling cheekily as he stared at my smiling lips.
"I'm so glad to hear that. Because I intend on making you ‘stuck’ a lot when we're together."
My eyebrows rose. Right. Stuck. As in bonded, tied, restrained, or whatever. My stomach did a little flip-flop, and heat washed between my legs, making my knees a little extra wobbly.
“Watch it, Prince Benson, or you’re going to end up carrying me the whole dance because I’ll be too weak to walk.”
His hold tightened on my waist. “The idea of being dominated turns you on so much, does it?”
“Possibly,” I said, intentionally glancing away from his stare. “Or maybe it’s just you that turns me on so much?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Don’t believe it. You liked me back when you thought I was a sweet, nice guy, but now that you know the other side of me, you like me like me. There’s a difference. I can tell.”
“Like you like you,” I laughed. “Nice job, Lexicon.”
He stuck his tongue out at me. “That’s your nickname.”
As we teased each other and the music began, I finally noticed the other Storms... and they did not look happy. Cal was almost livid, gripping Bria’s hips tightly while he glared daggers over at me. Dan was practically as green as his eyes with envy. And Rob looked like he was about to kick someone’s ass. He glowered at me with a knowing look in his eye. And I knew immediately what it meant: no public displays of affection.
I sighed and forced the smile off my face.
"What's wrong?" Ben asked, brows furrowing tightly.
I nodded left, and he glanced over at his brothers as they danced angrily with their respective partners.
"No public displays of affection," I reminded him.
He rolled his chocolatey eyes. "It's not like we were kissing or feeling each other up or anything."
I chuckled, then quickly made myself frown. "Still. It's flirty, and it's making the other guys jealous."
He sighed, and his smile fell too. "There. Flirtatiousness is officially gone. I don't know how I'm going to keep my word on this if I can't show you even an ounce of sweetness without my brothers being dicks."
I stared at our feet instead of his face. I knew if I looked up at him, I'd smile. "I'm sure you'll think of something."
When the dance ended, a stranger appeared before me. He was handsome, with shoulder-length, sandy brown hair tied back at the nape of his neck and a strong jawline with perfectly trimmed stubble. When he smiled, his eyes crinkled like little rays of sunshine, making him look ruggedly handsome.
"Good evening, Future-Princess Alexis," he said, bowing deeply.
I curtsied, because I had no idea what else to do. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr….?”
He filled in the blank with his name. "Chrissen, my lady, and such a beautiful lady you are. Would you do me the honor of a dance?"
I looked around for the Storms, but none of them seemed to be able to do much more than stare broodingly.
"Um...” I hesitated because I had about zero desire to piss off my guys. Not when things felt so touchy and frail.
Chrissen leaned in and grinned. "Your Highness, it's rude to deny someone a dance at a ball."
Was it? I mean, seriously, what the fuck did I know?
He grinned, giving me half a shrug as he leaned back away. "Look around. Everyone's staring."
I did as he requested, and sure enough, every Sam, Dick, and Sally with a set of eyes was ogling me with confused expressions, like they were waiting for something. Probably waiting for me to dance. Ugh.
I forced a smile and took Chrissen's outstretched hand. "Very well. One dance and not a single more. I have a feeling the princes won't like this very much."
Chrissen's grin stretched even further. "You have no idea how much they'll hate it."
"You want to piss them off?"
"Not really, no. They just especially hate me, that's all."
My eyes narrowed. I had no id
ea what this guy's motives were. "Why?"
"I'm not sure. If anyone were to hate the other, it should be me hating them."
I took a deep breath and tried to resist cussing him out. He needed to quit beating around the bush and just tell me what the fuck the real situation was.
"And why would you hate them?"
His grin darkened. "Because we share a father... but we do not share the crown."
Chapter 30
The next thing I knew, blood was gushing down Chrissen’s face as Rob’s fist connected with his nose.
“What the gods?” I shouted, pushing in between them to keep them from fighting.
The crowd fell silent, but Chrissen just waved us away with his hand and disappeared into the crowd.
Rob glared at the musicians, spurring them into action. As the next song kicked in, he swept me across the dance floor.
"Do us a solid, Jewels, and never talk to that douchebag again.”
"Why do you hate him so much?" I asked, still stunned that he’d punched the guy in the face. Not to mention the fact that they were practically brothers, but they'd never mentioned him.
Rob's jaw ticked. "He's just another of the Storm King's bastards. He wants the glory, fame, and riches that comes along with being royal, but he has no idea what the price you pay is."
"So, you hate him because he admires you?"
"It's not admiration. More like jealousy, resentment, and conniving."
"Do you hate him because your mothers get tortured and his doesn't?"
"Jewels..." he threatened, voice dipping low and growly. "We're not arguing about this. Stay away from Chrissen."
My feet stumbled a bit as we galloped across the floor, but Rob held me so tightly I didn't move an inch.
Unfortunately for him, his adamant demand to make me stay away only made me want to get closer. Not in an “Ooh, he's a Storm so I can fuck him too!” kind of way. But in a “what the hell happened that would make the Storm Princes hate him so much” sort of way. Was he an evil villain after the crown jewels, as Rob would put it? I didn't know, but I wanted to find out. And since I couldn't very well say that out loud, I decided to change the subject.
"Cal seems... conflicted."
Rob shook his head. "He agreed to commit to us. He won't break that commitment."
I swallowed hard, feeling my throat start to close off with emotion. "Are you sure? I have a feeling that if he backs out, the rest of you will back out, and then I'll just be alone and miserable for the rest of my life, stuck married to one of you who wants nothing to do with me."
His eyebrows shot up. "Gods, that escalated quickly. Listen, Jewels, we're not that fickle. If we say we want you, then we want you. Trust that it's not some decision we made on the fly; it's something we put real thought and consideration into. Otherwise, we wouldn't have said anything at all."
I bit my lip. What he'd said made me feel better, but it was still a flimsy promise. In the world we lived in, pretty words meant nothing, except maybe pain.
Rob seemed to sense my hesitation.
"There's a lot of dark magic where I come from," he said quietly. "But dark doesn't mean it's bad."
I cocked my head, intrigued to hear more.
"Most of the time people just call things 'dark' or 'evil' when they don't understand it, or they fear it. A lot of the rituals involve blood, so people are scared, but it's nothing terrible."
"I'm starting to get a little worried about where this is going."
He chuckled, spinning me around in a circle before bringing me back into his arms. "I'm talking about a commitment, stronger than words. A commitment bound by blood and by magic. One that's stronger than any marriage vow or frivolous promise. If we made a blood bond, would you believe we were serious?"
He was kidding, right? I'd never even heard of such a thing. Plus, I’d only just showed up in their lives a few weeks ago, and while I'd definitely integrated myself pretty quickly and pretty deeply, I was surprised to find they'd go to such lengths just to keep me happy. Was there a catch? Possibly. Did I want to accuse him of having ulterior motives? Hell no. He'd get all pissy and closed off as he so often did.
"You'd be willing to do that for me?"
He lowered his forehead down to mine and stopped dancing, "I don't think you understand just how long we've waited for a girl like you. I didn't even believe something like this could be possible. But now that you're here, and we all have this one shot at true happiness amongst the desolation and despair... yeah, I'm willing to do just about anything to keep it. I think my brothers are too."
"Even Cal?" As I asked the question, he and Bria breezed by, dancing away like a happy little couple. My lip curled, but my heart sank. "He looks so happy with her."
"He's not. He is, however, a master of politics. He knows how to act and what to say and all that shit in order to appease the most people. Or at least, the most important people."
Which was clearly not me.
I sighed. "Maybe I should just let Cal marry Bria, prevent war with Timberlune, and just call it a loss. The four of us could still make the commitment."
I cringed at the even number. Four was the fucking worst. But... I'd do four if it meant no longer looking at Cal with sadness and at Bria with envy.
“I already told you, Jewels, he doesn’t want Bria. But if you’re so obsessed with Cal, why don’t you just marry him and get it over with?”
I sighed and snuggled in closer to him. “Rob, I don’t have a favorite brother. I like you all because you’re different. I don’t want to marry just one of you, but the Storm King is making me. I want to keep you all, and the only reason I’m so ‘obsessed’ with Cal right now is because he’s the one who I’m most likely to lose first.”
“Make the blood bond with us, and you won’t lose us at all.”
“What does a blood bond entail?”
“Whatever you want it to. All parties agree on the terms, and once the blood is mixed and the incantation uttered, it’s sealed for life.”
My chest tightened. As much as I cared about them, the thought of a commitment so huge sort of set my teeth on edge.
“Can I think about it?” I asked him.
He half shrugged. “I suppose. But it kinda sounds like you’re the one thinking of backing out. Not us."
His face was dark and unreadable, but there was a hint of sadness or perhaps disappointment hovering just behind his eyes.
The dance ended, and with one final knowing glance, he left me standing all alone.
Fuck. I’d been so busy worrying about them committing, that I hadn’t even thought of myself. I was loyal and unwavering, no doubt in my mind about that. But it was time to start putting my coin where my mouth was. If they wanted solid proof of my dedication and devotion, then I was going to have to step up... starting with undergoing the blood bond.
Dan and Ben picked up the slack for the remainder of the evening, dancing with me a few more times so I wasn’t so pathetically alone, but all in all, the ball was pretty depressing. I couldn’t flirt; I couldn’t smile. Half the guys were mad at me, and the other half were stuck somewhere in the middle. It was a freaking mess.
Before the party even officially ended, I’d slipped from the ballroom and into the hallway. The air was cooler out there, and the lighting was white, touched by the gentle glow of the moon rather than countless candles hanging in fancy chandeliers.
I decided to retire to my room early, but on my way to the stairs, a servant suddenly appeared from a dark corner.
“Pardon me, Your Highness.” His voice was slimy, like a well-oiled lying machine, yet gritty, like he’d smoked far too many cigarettes over the years. “But I have some information for you.”
I’d never asked this man to spy for me. I had no idea who he even was. Unless the old lady or the croquet boy had spoken to him on my behalf?
“What sort of information?” I asked, rolling my eyes as I recalled the old adage that curiosity killed the cat. “And who
are you?”
His brows bounced up and down deviously. "My name is Frederick, Your Highness. And I just thought you should hear this little story about the old Queen of Norsai, Prince Calvin’s mother, Caroline."
My mouth went dry, but I kept on listening.
"When the king added her to his harem, it took her a long while to fall pregnant. Everyone thought she was as barren as his first wife, Francesca, but just before he killed her for her unfruitfulness, she miraculously turned up with child. After her, all the other wives turned up pregnant, as well—almost like clockwork. Tick, tick, tick, tick. That's why all the princes are the same age, give or take a few days."
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I don't see what that has anything to do with anything."
"It doesn't, Your Highness. It's just an interesting story."
Yeah, I didn’t believe that for a second. He was insinuating something, hoping I’d read between the lines somewhere.
"What were you suggesting about Caroline's pregnancy and the other wives’? That it was some sort of immaculate conception?"
"Elysium, no! All I'm saying is that his first wife had no children, and he never had more than a single child with the others after they each produced one. Of those special children, every single one possessed magic, even though neither of their parents did. Isn't that interesting?"
In other words... he didn't think Cal, Dan, Ben, or Rob were Zacharias's kids? He thought the Storm King was sterile? That the wives had consorted with someone else—possibly even a god—in order to avoid an untimely death? How could that possibly be?
I shielded the various thoughts flittering through my brain with a mask of coldness.
“Thank you for the bedtime story, servant. Now be on your way.”
He smirked once more and bowed. "As you wish, Your Highness."
After he disappeared into the night, I realized two things.
One, I didn't trust that guy one fucking bit. He felt like a snake. As an ex-toad, I didn't take too kindly to snakes.
And two, I needed to go through with the blood bond—tonight.
The Timberlune royals wanted an official answer by tomorrow morning. But more than that, my guys deserved an answer and a commitment from me as soon as possible.
Taken by Storm (Storms of Blackwood Book 1) Page 29
