Perfect Storms (Storms of Blackwood Book 4)

by Elle Middaugh

  He glanced knowingly around the table, locking gazes with each of us. "Now all we can do is wait for the end game to start."

  We were just finishing up that delightful little conversation when Peter and Malik wandered in.

  "Ah, there you are," Peter said pleasantly, and I wasn’t really sure which one of us he was talking to.

  Rob smiled and folded his hands across his washboard abs. Breakfast hadn’t even bloated him; he still looked ripped as ever. "What’s up, guys?"

  "I was wondering if I could invite you all to dinner tonight?" Peter asked. "My wife has been begging me to set something up."

  Rob glanced at me. Apparently, it was my call.

  I turned to Peter and smiled. "We’d love to. I’m sure your wife is lovely."

  "It’s not the wife I’m worried about," Peter mumbled. "It’s the kids. Little hellions, they are."

  I laughed airily, sounding like an actual princess for once. "I’m sure we can handle them."

  "Do they like snowball fights?" Ash asked, making Dan and Criss chuckle.

  "They like all kinds of fights," Peter assured him.

  Ash nodded. "Perfect."

  Peter bowed his head. "All right, excellent. Malik and I have boring town business to attend to, so we need to be going, but we look forward to seeing you tonight. Say, eight o’clock?"

  Rob nodded. "Sounds great, man."

  As they left, a messenger burst into the inn. He was winded and carrying a scroll in one of his gloved hands.

  "Your Highness," he said, bowing so low his long nose nearly touched the floor. "We have company."

  Immediately, we all stood and prepared to rush into motion.

  "Who is it?" Rob asked quickly. "King Thane? The Storm King? The gods?"

  The servant shook his head quickly. "No, Highness. It’s… Princess Bria."

  Bria? What the ever-loving fuck?

  I gripped the table so hard my knuckles turned white.

  "What could she possibly be doing here?" I asked, lifting my chin a bit higher.

  Last time we’d seen one another, she was wishing death on me, warning my men away, and praying she never saw my face again. I wasn’t exactly skipping at the thought of seeing her face again either.

  The messenger stuttered, making me think he really wasn’t cut out for the particular job he had. "I don’t know, Your Highness," he said to me. "She just requested to speak with you all. She’s right outside the barricade."

  "Well, at least we know that worked," Ash muttered.

  Rob crossed his arms. "Who’s with her?"

  "Only a handful of guards, Highness. It looks like she came alone."

  Rob turned to us and raised his brows. "What are the odds that Ash opened up the door to the Lunaley, the fae got their magic back, and she’s returning to give us her sincerest apologies?"

  I scoffed. "Doubtful."

  Rob sighed. "All right, what are the odds she’s here on an errand for her parents? Giving us some sinister message or ultimatum?"

  "That’s probably more like it," Dan decided. "Only one way to find out though."

  Rob glanced at the messenger once more. "Escort the princess to the town hall and put some of our guards on her. Tell her we’ll be there soon."

  The messenger bowed and rushed out the door to do as his prince commanded.

  "Dear gods, can’t we just catch one fucking break?" Rob muttered, rubbing his temples. "I would have much preferred to find Dion was back—even though we haven’t gotten the Eye yet."

  That was definitely a problem. Put in plain words like that, it made our quest to retrieve it sound even more dire. We were running out of time. Dion could show up at any moment—possibly even with Zeus or Hades in tow—and we’d have nothing to show for ourselves. I was sure they’d be biting at the bit to help us then.

  "Relax, guys," Criss said with a sexy grin. "We don’t know what she wants yet. And no matter what it is, we got this. We’re Storms."

  "Storms forever," Cal added with a mischievous smile.

  "Oh! Speaking of," I said, perking up. "We’re going to be getting our team tattoo soon. Ash, Criss, and I commissioned a local tattoo artist to design one for us."

  "Medina?" Rob asked. "The one with snakes for hair?"

  I nodded excitedly. "What tattoo did she give you?"

  He lifted his shirt and turned around, tapping a patch of skin that had a skull with snakes slithering between the holes and a lightning bolt in the background.

  "That’s totally badass," I said, admiring the ink.

  "She’s a pretty skilled artist. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for us."

  "Me either!" I hopped around excitedly, clapping my hands together.

  I knew it probably made me look like a childish little girl, but I couldn’t help it. When I got excited about something, I wanted to celebrate it. There was so little to celebrate most days. We needed to acknowledge our small victories.

  "All right, guys," Rob said, waving a hand over his head. "Let’s get this over with."

  He led us out into the blindingly bright town, and we formed an unbreakable line as we crunched through the snow. On the outside, I’m sure it was important for us to look like a unified front, a force to be reckoned with. But really? I think we just did it because we loved and respected each other. It felt comfortable and natural to treat each other as equals.

  Rob opened the barn doors of the hall, and I saw Bria inside, sitting at one of the wooden tables. In fact, I was fairly certain she was sitting right where Ben had been when I slipped beneath the table and sucked him off at the Winter Ball.

  My naughty thoughts caused a flame of lust to stir between my thighs. I might’ve had reckless lust-sex with Cal in the woods yesterday, and crazy hot bathtub sex with Rob that morning, but clearly it hadn’t been enough.

  "Bria Thalumina," Rob addressed her in a commanding voice, stretching his arms out wide. "To what do we owe the extreme displeasure of your visit?"

  She smiled and cocked her head, sending a lock of her blue hair drifting onto the table before her. "Ouch. I suppose I deserve that."

  I rolled my eyes so hard I wasn’t sure they’d come back from behind my skull.

  "I’m here on my own accord," she said next. "I would like to formally apologize, not on behalf of Timberlune or my parents the king and queen, but on behalf of myself. My rude words and calloused actions were uncalled for."

  Rob never took his hard gaze off her. He seemed to be intentionally trying to intimidate her, but I wasn’t sure if it was working.

  "I was wrong, okay?" Bria admitted. "You were right. You saved us. You brought our magic back, just like you said you would. I’m sorry for being such a bitch the last time we spoke. I’d like to help you in some way, if you’ll accept my apology, as a small peace offering."

  This time, Rob was the one to cock his head. "So, let me get this straight. You’re here—on behalf of yourself, not your kingdom, not your parents—to apologize. So, in other words, Timberlune, Hydratica, and Eristan are still on their way to attack us?"

  Her eyes lowered to the table, and she nodded. "Yes, that is correct. My parents are far too prideful to admit when they’re wrong. As soon as they declared war, there was no turning back."

  "And what exactly do you think you have to offer?" I asked smugly, putting a hand on my hip.

  She sighed and shot me a small smile. "I especially owe you an apology, Alexis. You were one of my only friends, and I turned on you like a cannibalistic hamster. I am honestly so sorry."

  I snorted out a laugh at the ridiculous visual filling my head.

  "I accept your apology," I said haughtily. "However, I would still very much like to hear how you plan on helping us."

  Her smile widened, and her blue eyes twinkled with child-like enthusiasm. "Thank you. I honestly didn’t think you’d forgive me at all."

  I frowned. "I’m not some petty grudge monster."

  She giggled, her faerie voice tinkling like crystal
. "Oh, Alexis, I’ve missed you. Anyway, I’m assuming you guys are still trying to retrieve the Eye of the Sea?"

  "Don’t tell me you have it?" I asked breathlessly, taking a long stride toward her. Her guards tensed at her side, palming their swords.

  For fuck’s sake, as if I’d attack her while she’s offering to help us.

  Bria shook her head at them, and they slowly released their sword hilts.

  Unfortunately, she also shook her head at us. "I’m sorry, my friends, I don’t have it. But I’d like to help you get it."

  "How?" Rob asked, arms crossed, one brow raised, looking sexy as sin.

  Her grin turned devilish. "Glamour."

  Chapter 11

  DION

  It wasn’t the mansion on one of the floating isles that I arrived at when I snapped my fingers; it was the palace at Mount Olympus itself, Zeus's favorite royal haunt. He only stopped by the mansion once a month or so now, just to make sure we weren’t trashing the place. Which, to be honest, we were, but it was a… snap… to clean it all up again.

  Clearly, I had jokes.

  The palace walls were all whitewashed and sparkling. There wasn’t a streak of dirt or speck of dust anywhere to be found. The floors were marbled, a base of ivory crystal with glittering gold veins that bled into the tiles surrounding them. There wasn’t a footprint in sight, and the floors had been polished so meticulously they almost looked like the surface of a lake.

  Handing my jacket to a servant, I jogged up the massive spiral staircase two steps at a time, my short curls bouncing as I went. I might’ve been able to snap myself back and forth in the other realms, but in Olympus, Zeus preferred us to do things the hard way. Said it helped build character or some shit. I wasn’t so sure about that.

  By the time I got to the top… well, I'd say I was winded, but that would have been a lie. Gods didn't suffer human shortcomings. Mostly, I was just bored out of my skull. Zeus was king of the gods, and as such, he liked to be higher than... well, anything. Mount Olympus was the tallest peak in the immortal realm, and the Palace of Zeus rested directly on it with the top floor being his main level of business.

  What I was trying to say was, the staircase was long. It lasted for-fucking-ever when you had to take it by foot.

  There were gods and goddesses lying around on chaise lounges, drinking from diamond flutes and glasses, strolling through the halls like they were on serious missions, and others that were standing in line waiting to get to the throne room.

  I'd be pissed if I had to wait, but I was Dionysus, God of Partying and Wine, and I just so happened to be on the godly council. Hestia had given up her seat for me, and while I didn't particularly want the job, I knew I'd be doing her a solid to take it off her hands. She hated having to attend the meetings. I couldn't say I blamed her. Most of the time they were boring as shit, and they never usually accomplished anything either. At least, nothing that mattered.

  I cut to the front of the line and cocked my chin at the dude I’d just skipped. He looked like he wanted to bitch for a second there, until he looked up and saw who I was.

  "Dionysus, how nice to see you. Are you here to speak with King Zeus?"

  I rolled my eyes. "Nah, I just felt like climbing an endless flight of stairs and chatting with you outside the throne room doors."

  The man’s eyes narrowed. I couldn’t even remember the dude's name. He was a demi though. Might even be another of Zeus's kids. It was hard to tell; the man could never keep it in his pants for long.

  "By all means, please feel free to take my place in line."

  I grinned. "Why, thank you. Don't mind if I do."

  "Next," Zeus's secretary called in a bored, flat tone. She never even glanced up from the paperwork on her desk. "Name and purpose for your visit?"

  I spread my hands out wide on the polished wood tabletop and smirked. "Hey, Gia."

  She finally glanced up, and her smile spread like I wished her legs would. Maybe later when I had more time. "Dion, you look good. How long are you in town for?"

  I chewed on my bottom lip, thinking for a moment, but also trying to drive her crazy. Gia was hot for me. And—I scanned my eyes down the curvy length of her lithe little body—I was pretty hot for her too. We kept things casual though. Gods and goddesses lived a very long time. It was hard to commit when you literally had an eternity of messing around to do.

  "No idea," I admitted after another second of teasing. "I gotta talk to Zeus about the planet of Giterra."

  Gia smirked, puckering those bright red lips of hers. "You know he doesn't care what Giterra does anymore. He gave up on that little endeavor eons ago."

  I nodded. She wasn't wrong. I just had to convince him otherwise. What the Storm demies had told me, was almost unbelievable. I mean, I knew Ares could be a real piece of work, but this was taking it a little far, even for him. Something needed to be done.

  "Still," I insisted casually. "I need to see him about it."

  She shrugged, her vivid green eyes floating back down to her paperwork. "Well, he's ready for you. Call me sometime, yeah?"

  I moved around her desk with a smile on my face, grabbing the handle to the throne room’s double doors. "Yeah, I'll give you a call."

  It'd been so long since I tapped that, I was kinda hoping Zeus would give me a reason to stick around for a bit.

  I entered the massive room to the sound of harps and flutes and flowing water. There were literal cherubs flying near the mosaic ceiling providing the heavenly tunes, and naked water nymphs splashing around in an enormous fountain at the back.

  Zeus sat on a massive throne that somehow made him look even bigger. I didn’t know if it was magic or what, but it was a pretty impressive trick regardless.

  "Dion," he said, stretching his fatherly arms out wide. "It's been too long, my son."

  I grinned, dropping to one knee to show my respect. I didn’t like bowing or averting my gaze to the floor, but kneeling seemed just as effective. "It has, Father."

  "What have you been up to?"

  "Oh, you know," I said, standing back up, "partying at the mansion. Wasting my eternity on alcohol and women."

  Zeus chuckled, adjusting his stick-straight posture in the smooth stone chair. "I'd hardly consider that wasting, son. But as far as the manor is concerned, you'd better not be destroying the place."

  "Wouldn't dream of it, Pops." My grin was cocky and sure. I didn’t know if he believed me, but he didn't question it.

  "What do you need, Dionysus?"

  I sighed, running a hand through my springy curls and ruffling them. "Your other son's been acting up again."

  The king of the gods scoffed. "Which one?"

  At least he knew he was a man-whore.

  "Ares."

  He rolled his eyes. "Isn't he always? What's he doing now?"

  "Fucking up the Giterra planet."

  Zeus's shoulders loosened, and he leaned back in his chair, more relaxed now. "Oh, that's not a big deal. You had me worried there for a second."

  "Yeah, but that planet has some shit goin’ on. They found a pearl, and they're threatening to open a portal to the Underworld with it."

  Zeus’s eyes narrowed, and his lips thinned, his knuckles white as he gripped the stone armrests. "That would be unwise of them."

  "Right," I agreed. "That's why I'm trying to help the good guys stop that from happening. Ares, on the other hand, is helping the bad guys."

  Zeus's face remained hard and unmoving as stone. "Specify who the 'good guys' and 'bad guys' are."

  "The good guys are the younger generation princes. One of them is technically your son."

  "Go on."

  I licked my bottom lip. "Calvin Storm, his brothers, and their wife, Alexis. They're the good guys."

  "And the bad?"

  "Zacharias Storm, King of Blackwood. Also, King Thane of Hydratica, King Solomon of Eristan, and King Titus and Queen Bravia of Timberlune."

  Zeus's lips puckered like he'd just sucked on a pois
onous lemon. "That sounds like a number of elite players. Perhaps we should simply wipe out the planet entirely?"

  My smile was hesitant and a little forced. "I thought about that. But I honestly think that if we removed Ares's influence and then of course removed the pearl, they'd be able to find peace all on their own. The younger ones could overthrow the older ones, and positive change could manifest."

  The king of the gods drummed his fingertips on his stone throne, contemplating everything I'd just said. "I need time to think about this, my son. I should also discuss the matter with my brothers and sisters and the rest of the council."

  Shit. That wouldn't be good. I had a feeling that if it came down to a vote, the gods would choose the easy way out and simply obliterate the whole planet.

  "Father, if I could just—"

  "No, Dion, you cannot just." He eyed me sternly. "I said I need time to deliberate. End of story. I'll send for you when I've reached a decision."

  I heaved a heavy sigh and nodded. There was no arguing with him.

  All I could do now was wait.

  Chapter 12

  ALEXIS

  "How do I look?" I asked the guys, spinning around in a slow circle.

  My dark bronze gown fanned out around me in lacy ruffles. The perfect shade to hide a bloodstain—gods forbid. Why did a woman’s life have to be so fucking difficult? I mean seriously. Shit was hard enough without having to bleed a quarter of the damn time.

  "Gorgeous as always, Sexy Lexi," Dan said, coming up behind me to kiss my cheek.

  "It’s not too much?" I asked, studying my image in the mirror. "I’ve never been to a dinner with a noble family—only peasants and royals, and those are polar opposites."

  Cal nodded, a gentlemanly smile touching his lips. "Right. So, anything in between is technically acceptable. I think this is perfect."

  I smiled at him. "Thanks."

  Rob sighed and shook his head. He looked strapping as hell in his black pants and ivory button-up dress shirt rolled to the elbows. His tattooed muscles were on full display, and I wanted to trace his ink all the way down to the tiny jewel on his inner hip…