Of Storms and Triumphs (Thunderbird Academy Book 3)

by Valia Lind

  "It doesn't matter." He recoils as if I've slapped him. But maybe that's for the best. He still has a duty and I'm still not the one he's promised too. It's why I've had to keep my distance. Even though even that tastes like a lie now.

  "If you think it doesn't, do you want to hear what I have to say anyway?"

  It seems that Aiden is done keeping things inside. There's determination in his gaze, now mixed with that same desire I glimpsed earlier.

  "I don't want you to say anything that you will regret," I manage, my voice soft because it's taking everything in me not to cry. Aiden pauses briefly, as if shocked by my words, before he scoots closer. Our faces are inches apart now, and he reaches over to cradle the side of my face with his hand. The contact is feather soft, and it sends my heart into overdrive.

  "I could never regret saying that I love you," he whispers.

  My eyes fly up, tears running down my cheeks instantly. He may not have shouted the words from rooftops, but it still feels like it's echoing all around me. I want to say it back, but suddenly I can't make my mouth work. But he's not done anyway.

  "You told me I make your see yourself in a better light. You do the same to me. You push me to be the best version of myself and you are always there to have my back. Every battle we've fought, every one we are yet to fight, I will always be there. I ran because I didn't want to push you into anything you weren't feeling. But I'll regret it for the rest of my days if I don't say this now.

  I fell in love with you quietly, as the first drops of a summer rain on a long hot night. And now, you are my thunderstorm and there is nothing I want more than to stand in the storm with you. You've never needed me to save you. But I will always be here to back you up. You're it, duchess. There is no hiding from that."

  We're both breathing heavily, as if we've just fought off a hundred Ancients, and I can't look away from him even if I tried. His words are everything I've wanted to hear and everything I thought I never would. I want him to understand just how much he means to me, but I still can't find the words. Swallowing my tears, I try anyway.

  "I don't have pretty words or speeches, Aiden," I begin, pushing all of my love into my eyes. "But I know that I love you. And that..." he doesn't wait for me to finish, but closes the distance between us, his lips on mine. He tastes like sunshine and magic, even better than the last time. There's no hesitation this time, because we're two entities coming together, like we always should've been. I can spend a lifetime kissing him, and it wouldn't be enough. It doesn't matter that I'm young, or that we may die tomorrow, this is the surest I've ever been of anything. Him and I. We're meant to be.

  23

  When we finally pull away, I realize how foolish it is for us to be so lost in each other in the middle of a battle. We could've been surrounded and we wouldn't have even known. But I think it was time to say what needed to be said, because there is no guarantee we're coming out of this intact. I don't want to be a Debby Downer, but it's the simple truth of the matter.

  "Aiden—“

  "I know," he gives me a quick kiss on the forehead, before placing his own against it. "We find your dad, get the school back to our realm, and then we'll talk about it."

  There's really nothing I can do but grin. He gets me. Plain and simple.

  With that said, we both peek over the rocks we've been hiding behind, giving the place another quick study. The trolls are still making their circles around the grounds, and I wonder if there's someone else near by, watching from above.

  "Does it look like they've breached the palace grounds?" I ask, trying to see a hole or something to indicate the Ancients have been able to get in.

  "I don't think so," Aiden's sight is much better than mine. "At least not from this side. What do you want to do?"

  "Do you remember when you came and got me? I think we can get in the same way."

  Aiden nods, still looking down at the trolls patrolling.

  "Are we in the right place?" I realize that I actually don't know. Aiden got me out last time. I didn't pay much attention.

  "I think we're a little bit north. Come on," he reaches for my hand, taking it in his, as he pulls me after him. I smile at the gesture, pleased with how easily my hand fits in his. But then again, we've always fit perfectly together. However, true mates or not, I'm still not sure what all of this means for us. I guess that's part of the conversation we're going to have later.

  After about five or seven minute walk, we arrive at the wall bordering the garden. There are only two trolls patrolling here, but I have to say, they're not looking that great. There's something off about them.

  "Aiden, do you see how they move?" I point, as we find a place between the trees, so we can observe them. "Should they be doing that?"

  The shifter watches the trolls for a few seconds, before shaking his head.

  "There is something off about them, but I'm not sure what. It's like they're in a trance. Maybe?"

  "Could they be?" I realize that while the trolls have attacked us in the past, I never expected them to be on the Ancients side. They're usually just a little more barbaric than other creatures. Not purely evil.

  "It's possible. We don't actually know what powers the Ancients have. They've surprised us more than once."

  This is true. Since none of us have any actual information on who or what the Ancients are, we're learning as we go. I think a part of me is always expecting them to be some mythological creature, but in truth, they're just like us. The Oracle looks like any other fae. Beautiful and deadly. Yet, she's been around since magic began. Could I have predicted that? I don't think I could've. Not even with all the information we know now.

  "Maddie," Aiden pulls my attention back to him. "They're moving to the other side. Let's go now."

  Without hesitation, I follow his lead as we race toward the wall. Just as we're about to reach it, I call on my magic, giving the area a quick sweep to make sure we're not running into anything unusual. The only thing I feel the the same barrier magic that Liam has around his house.

  "Can you get through?"

  Thankfully, I think I can. Sometimes spells are impossible to do quickly. Sometimes quickly is the only way to go. The whole way here I was thinking of the way to get through without ripping a hole in the entire thing. I've only come up with one solution.

  "A witch and a shifter,

  Jumped over the wall.

  Leaving no surprises,

  Keeping safe, them all."

  Aiden gives me a questioning look, but I only shrug. It isn't my best work, but it should do the job. I feel the story spell casting magic rising up in me.

  "It's the best I got," I say, before I'm swept into his arms on the run. Suppressing a yelp, I hold on tightly, and then we're flying. The barrier opens up in front of us, and then we're through. Aiden lands softly to his feet, keeping me pressed against him. I glance up to watch the barrier shut back up, a smile on my lips.

  "That wasn't so bad," I comment, pulling back as Aiden places me on my feet. However, the moment I'm on solid ground a wave of dizziness overcomes me and I stumble against him.

  "Duchess?"

  "I'm okay," I say, placing a hand against my head. Every time I think I've gotten a better handle on this magic, I get hit again. Liam won't be happy with me, and Aiden doesn't seem to be either.

  "I'm okay," I repeat, this time adding a note of determination to my voice. Aiden doesn't look convinced, but he also doesn't argue. We don't have time for that. The queen knows I'm here, of that I have no doubt. Taking another cleansing breath, I focus my mind on my father. I don't have a location spell in place, but I do have my magic and I call on it to find my dad. The trust my friends seem to have in me, I finally have in my magic.

  "Let's get a move on," this time I'm the one taking Aiden's hand and pulling him toward the door to the palace. However, halfway there, I freeze.

  "What is it?"

  "There's something—“ I trail off, giving our surroundings a quick study. Ther
e seems to be a hum all around me, and I glance at Aiden to see if he hears it.

  "What?"

  "You don't hear that?"

  "No."

  If a shifter doesn't hear it, then it's meant only for me. Without hesitation, I focus my complete attention on the noise. Spinning in a slow circle I'm looking for the source, for some indication this isn't just in my head. A part of me wonders if it's the residual affect of the story spell casting, but then I see it. Tugging on Aiden's hand, I move towards a small opening between the vines in what seems to be a large gazebo. The noise intensifies the closer I get.

  "You really don't hear it?"

  "I don't," but he doesn't stop me from moving towards the opening. Once we're there, the noise is louder than before, like a lightbulb that's about to burst and it seems to be coming from this area. Tentatively, I reach my hand out through the opening. But when I do, it seems to disappear on the other side.

  "Maddie, let me," he steps before me, but when he touches the space in the doorway, it zaps him back.

  "I think this one is only for me," I reply, not exactly sure how I know it, but it sounds true the moment I say it.

  "Are you sure about this?"

  "I don't think we have a choice."

  I give his hand one quick squeeze before I turn toward the opening.

  "Keep an eye out," I say, right before I step through the door.

  There's a pop in my ears, as if I've just come up from being underwater, and then I'm through. Instantly, I know exactly where I am. It's a forest that's I've seen too many times out of my window. And then, there it is. The window itself and a small door right in the corner of it. Without hesitation, I walk towards it and pull it open with no resistance. Stepping inside, I stare at the secret library I've spent countless hours in. A place that's only remembered by Aiden and me.

  It looks exactly the same, but different somehow. As if the colors in my library are a little muted. A carbon copy of place that rises in front of me. The sound of a book closing snaps me out of my awe and I step farther into the room, glancing to the side.

  "Dad!" I yell, and the man sitting at the table jumps at my voice, twisting around. He looks exactly the same, and the grin that splits his face brings tears to my eyes. Then I'm running towards him and he catches me just as I start full on ugly crying.

  He holds me tighter than ever before, as I cry myself out like I'm five years old again and I've just scraped my knee on the sidewalk.

  "My smart, brave, beautiful girl. I knew you'd find me." He keeps mumbling into my hair, running his hand up and down my back. Pulling back, I study his face, just as worn and tired as I feel. But there's no signs of torture, or malnourishment. He seems exactly like I remember him.

  "Daddy, what happened to you? Why are you in this place? What is this place?" I can't stop looking at him, afraid that he'll disappear if I do. He leads me to a chair, holding my hand tightly in one of his, as he uses the other to wipe away my tears.

  "First of all, are you okay?"

  "I am now. I have so many questions."

  "I'm sure you do. You were always eager to learn."

  "Is this really you?" I blurt out, because I know better than to trust fae and their trick. Even more so now than before.

  "It's really me." He runs his hand over my hair, in a way he always does, and I try to reel in the tears. "What is one way you can see through an illusion?"

  Grinning, I sit up straighter. This is how dad has always been. Instead of just giving me the answers, he makes me think of them on my own. He's always said that a mind actually retains a lot more information than we think. So a lot of questions, we already have the answers to.

  "You can't ask an illusion a question that only you know the answer to. It gets confused."

  My dad smiles, giving me an encouraging nod. I think back to my childhood, to the many experiences we've shared and one memory pops into place.

  "What is the name of my favorite tree...to climb?"

  Dad chuckles at the quick add, but doesn't hesitate with his answer.

  "Cherry blossom tree. A tree you should not be climbing."

  "But why do I love it so much?"

  "Because you feel like you're in another world among the blossoms."

  The tears escape again, as I reach over to hug him. I was only five when I climbed a cherry tree and dad explained to me how dangerous it was for the tree, because they are more fragile than others. But I wanted to be a princess of flowers and though I was amazing to be surrounded by them.

  "What happened to you?" I ask, pulling back once more. Dad wipes at my tears, before diving into an explanation.

  "You know I've been looking for a way to defeat the Ancients and I started getting close to a particular spell. They found out about it, because they don't just have magical minions all over the world. There are people hungry for power who will sell us out for a good price."

  My mind briefly shifts to what Aiden said months ago. We're so quick to blame the Ancients for all the evil in the world, but there are others who are just as bad.

  "Queen Amaryllis came to my aide."

  "You mean she tricked you into a bargain."

  "I knew what I was doing, Maddie," Dad replies, shaking his head. "I wish I had more time to craft a more careful set of parameters, but it was either Queen Amaryllis, or the Ancients. I made my choice between the lesser of two evils."

  I knew that decision all too well. I feel like this is exactly where I've been tethering this whole time.

  "So you've been here this whole time? And where is here exactly? Are we even still in Faery?"

  "We are. And were not. The library is a birthright of our bloodline. This is the spell I found, the doorway to this place."

  "But dad, I've been in this library before."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, this library has an entrance under Thunderbird Academy. Look," I stand, moving to one of the stacks of books on the table. "These human history books go here," I point to a wall on the other side of the room, before turning to the other. "And here, there's a table with a scuff mark all across the top." I move some books out of the way, and there it is.

  Dad stands, walking over to stand beside me.

  "No one knows of it, except for me. And Aiden. But I kind of think that's because we're true mates, but I'm not sure what that means exactly. Anyway, it only shows up for me. And no one else can know about it."

  "Hold on a minute, Maddie. True mates? Aiden?"

  "Ah, yeah. I guess you've missed a lot."

  "I'll say."

  "Well, let me give you a quick rundown."

  24

  After I finish speaking, dad sits quietly for a full minute, mulling over everything. I don't interrupt, giving him the time he needs to process. I did kind of just dumped my last six months of adventures on him. Truly, I didn't even realize how much has happened until I needed to share all of it with him.

  "I can't believe this, Maddie," he finally speaks up, looking up at me. "I never imagined anyone in our family would have story spell casting. It's so rare."

  "Dad, I don't...I don't want it," I say honestly, speaking what I've been keeping inside all this time. "All I keep doing is messing up. And it drains me. Liam said it could destroy me. Is it wrong that I don't want it?"

  "No, honey," my dad replies, squeezing my hand reassuringly. "Your emotions are what they are. But I can tell you that story spell casting isn't something that's just passed down. It's a type of magic that choses you, when it believes you are powerful enough to wield it."

  "I don't understand."

  "Everything you've been through, honey, it's been the building blocks of who you are meant to become. That's life summarized in the simplest of terms."

  Dad leans forward, as if making sure I'm paying attention. But I'm already holding onto every word.

  "You are a daughter of a witch and a Watcher. Not only that, you are a Hawthorne, one of the most powerful lineages in magic. But neither one of
those matter, unless the magic chooses you. You think that you've messed up,"

  I nod and my dad smiles.

  "Which is perfectly normal. Don't you think I've messed up a thousand times in my lifetime? I'll make another thousand mistakes before it's over. But that just makes us human. We are both of this world and of magic. And magic, it plays by its own set of rules."

  "So it chose me, but what do I do with it? I can't seem to write a spell that fixes it all."

  "It's not only about a spell, honey," he smiles, leaning back in his chair, "It's about your heart. Who healed your friends from sickness?"

  "I don't know," I reply, still confused about that whole situation. I thought maybe the Oracle did, now that we know she's been the puppet master behind the whole thing.

  "But you do."

  "Me? You think I did?"

  "I don't have to think. I know."

  "But how?"

  "What you did in the water, letting go and letting Aiden in, it opened up your heart to its full potential. And the magic saw that and rewarded you for it."

  "You don't mean..."

  "I do. I don't know this boy, but he is your perfect half. In our circle, we call them soulmates."

  My mind instantly goes to my sisters and the men they found in their lives. The change it made to their magic and people they've become because of their relationships. The story I found in the library was an answer, I just didn't think I deserved it.

  "You don't think I'm too younger for that kind of a connection?"

  "Honey, there is no such thing as an age limit for meeting your other half. I'm not saying you're to marry this boy right now. But you can allow your relationship to blossom. Trust yourself and trust him to know what it means for both of you."

  I let that sink in, the hope and excitement blossoming in my heart. Maybe I have been hesitant to trust myself when it comes to Aiden. Even after telling him I loved him, there are so many other obstacles we are to overcome. But if I am to trust myself and him, I think it's possible.