Storm Mistress

by Rivers, Brandy L

  “Isa,” Toryn murmured, “we’re here.”

  “Your house?” She smiled.

  “Figured it would be easier to get in and out without running into any of your neighbors.”

  “True.” She nodded to the porch. “Your mother is here.”

  Toryn sighed. “Figures. I’m about to catch shit for what happened on the beach.”

  “I won’t promise you won’t catch more hell from me at some point. I’m still processing,” Isa flung back.

  Toryn grinned. “You, I can handle. I know exactly how to switch topics and put a smile on your face.”

  “Mmm, this is true, but if you overuse that talent I will find a way to punish you,” she purred.

  He laughed. “Bring it on, Princess.” He looked up to the porch.

  Morrigan stood there with dark hair and make-up, arms crossed over her chest.

  Shaking his head, Toryn groaned. “Now, we better go up there, before she really does find a way to punish me.”

  Mischief danced across her eyes. “You should be afraid. She wasn’t pleased you weren’t with me this morning.”

  “She’ll have to accept it.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

  He smirked. “I believe it too. What you did on the beach, Isa, that was insane, even for me.”

  “Sorry. He pissed me off, and if he ever tries something like that again, he won’t live to make another mistake. That I can guarantee.”

  She climbed out of the car and started for his porch.

  * * * *

  Toryn followed reluctantly. He felt like he was about to be put in time out. The thought made him laugh. Maybe he’d been on Earth too long.

  “Morrigan, everything is all right.”

  Her eyes drifted to his torn shirt, his clothes soaked in blood. “Now you are. What caused the mess?”

  “It was Alenathos’ test.”

  “I’m going to kill that fucking dragon,” Morrigan snarled.

  “I think Isa has first dibs. You should have seen what she did.”

  “Oh, I’m sure. I can feel her magic boiling below the surface.”

  Sammy looked over Toryn, and then Isa. He shook his head. “You should both clean up.”

  Isa looked down and her eyes widened. “Shit,” she whispered, blowing past him to the door.

  Morrigan caught her wrist. “You can fix that by transmuting your clothes, Isa.”

  “I’m covered in his blood. I need to wash it off.”

  She nodded. “Fine. But you won’t need to change what you plan to wear. Personally, I think you might give Henroyld a stroke. I like it.”

  A laugh bubbled from her lips. Toryn put his arm around Isa. “You two staying?” he asked Sammy and Morrigan.

  “Now that I know you are both whole, I will leave you to it. I’ll be available if you need me.”

  “Go on. I need to help Isa clean up.”

  “You should reconsider that. You need more cleaning than I do.”

  “Shower, now,” he ordered her, unlocking the door.

  “Have fun,” Sammy called as he walked away.

  Morrigan laughed softly, but didn’t comment.

  Toryn stepped inside, and pulled Isa into the house before shutting the door. He shoved her sweater down her arms, letting it fall on the floor.

  Her eyes widened as she looked up at him.

  Reaching around her back, he unzipped the corset, letting her breasts spill out. “Mmm, I love to have my hands on you,” he whispered, opening her pants to shove them down her body.

  Isa blinked and shook her head as she toed off her boots so he could rid her of the rest of her clothes.

  With a sigh, she grabbed the gaping hole in his shirt and ripped it the rest of the way, returning the favor as he shrugged out of the fabric.

  His pants were around his knees before he had a chance to react. But he made up for it by molding his hands over her ass. She jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist and locking her arms behind his neck as her mouth closed over his.

  Stepping out of his pants, he carried her to the bathroom, managing not to knock her into anything and stepping into the shower where he slid the door shut and turned on the water.

  “Can’t lose you. Don’t ever put yourself in that kind of danger again,” she breathed.

  “If I can avoid it, I will,” he promised.

  She reached between them to shift his length where she needed, then moved to take him in. He pinned her against the wall, thrusting into her with force, knowing she wanted to feel him as much as he craved her.

  “Mmm, yes,” she cried. Her teeth catching his ear before she sucked his lobe while he slammed into her. “Yes!”

  He grunted his agreement, lost to words while her emotion and sensation slammed into him. His fingers dug into her ass as she moved with him.

  No one ever left him feeling so full, so at home, so loved as the woman who held his heart. Their bond was only getting stronger.

  “Let go,” she demanded.

  He did, and she followed.

  Her lips met his in a tender kiss. “I can’t lose you. I love you too much, Toryn.”

  “Ditto, Princess.”

  * * * *

  Isa gently pushed at Toryn’s chest once the water ran cold. She shivered against him. “Need to get dressed. We’re running out of time.”

  “You’re right.” He set her down and shut off the shower before taking a step back. She snuck past him as he picked up a towel and started to dry her off.

  She flipped around with a raised brow. “I should be making sure you’re all right.”

  “What? I didn’t prove it when I nailed your pretty little ass to the wall until you were coming around me so hard your whole body vibrated with pleasure?”

  The man had a point. Her hands trailed down his ribbed abs, her gaze following as she frowned at the perfect skin. “I really fixed it all? I didn’t mess anything up?”

  “Isa, I would tell you if something was wrong. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I just did to you if there were any internal problems. Stop worrying.”

  Her smile brightened as her gaze locked on his. “I trust you. You can’t blame me for caring though.”

  “I know. Now, was Morrigan right? Can you transmute?”

  She nodded. “I can. Want me to fix your shirt?”

  “If you can. I love that shirt.”

  “I gave it to you.”

  “I know.”

  After quickly drying off, she dropped the towel and sashayed to the living room. Toryn followed. “You’re edible.”

  “Stop, or we won’t be ready before the emissary gets here,” she warned, bending over to grab his shirt.

  “You’re a damned tease,” he groaned.

  She winked back at him. “You’ve been teasing me for years, Toryn. You can stand a little payback.”

  “No more than you’ve been taunting me every day since you walked into my life.”

  She stood, turning toward him as she focused on the torn and bloody garment. Closing her eyes, she envisioned it like-new again.

  “Nice work,” Toryn praised, taking the shirt from her hands before turning to finish getting dressed. She didn’t miss his hard length standing at attention.

  Shaking her head, she grabbed her own clothes and did the same to rid them of the blood before dressing. She pulled her boots up and felt Toryn’s hands on her hips from behind.

  “You ready,” he whispered against her ear.

  “For?” she asked breathlessly, wishing he was talking about sex, and not the fact she could hear a vehicle pulling up.

  “To officially meet your mother, in front of the king.”

  “It’s not going to be a happy family reunion, is it?”

  “No, afraid not. It’s going to get ugly, but we’ll get through it, and be together in the end.”

  She stopped, and took a step back. “That sounds pretty damned ominous.”

  The doorbell rang. “Time to go.�
��

  Her stomach fell. “What’s going to happen, Toryn?”

  “We need to go,” he repeated, not looking at her.

  She stormed past him and threw the door open.

  He was tall, slender, and striking. His pale green eyes reflected the light, his hair a dusty blond. He bowed low. “Princess Isadora, you are more beautiful than your mother told me.”

  Toryn clasped her shoulders. “Isadora, this is Jeremiah, your mother’s trusted emissary.”

  “I apologize for the interruption, but we really should be going. You will have privacy in the car.”

  Isa huffed, “Don’t be sorry. You’re doing your job, Jeremiah. Let’s go.”

  Jeremiah walked to the limo, a stretch-fucking-limo, and opened the door.

  “This is ridiculous.”

  Jeremiah gave her a knowing look. “The king insisted.”

  “Of course,” Isa muttered, but slid into the seat. Toryn joined her before the door shut.

  Chapter 44

  Aeremaius paced beside Henroyld in tense silence. His sister, Aeryana, had distanced herself from everyone, standing alone as if she suspected something.

  Didn’t really matter. He had irrefutable proof that Isadora wasn’t Henroyld’s. Ideally, he’d spark enough animosity that Henroyld would attack Aeryana, and he could help make sure neither lived, leaving him most likely to take the crown.

  If Isadora became a problem, he had information to share that would rock her faith in Toryn and make her question his loyalty. Toryn may even choose to leave her to clean up his own mess.

  And if those two plans didn’t come together the way he hoped, he had a plethora of tricks up his sleeves.

  Henroyld turned to his wife with a pleasant smile. “When will our daughter be here?”

  She stared out the window without any visible concern. “Soon. You scheduled the limo yourself. Be patient. They will arrive at the appointed time.”

  Remus looked to Henroyld whose’ lips quirked into a smirk. Whatever the king was planning, he was confident he could work it to his advantage.

  Turning to his sister, Remus asked, “Aeryana, are you nervous?”

  “I’ve been waiting for this day a very long time,” she non-answered, a slight smile on her lips.

  * * * *

  Toryn held his hand out for Isa. She took it without looking at him, which meant she was still annoyed he hadn’t given her a straight answer. How could he? Knowing what he knew wasn’t going to help her. It wouldn’t change anything, except maybe cause her to stress over what couldn’t be changed.

  “Are you ready?” he asked softly, pulling her into the shelter of his arms, against the cold wind.

  “Hardly, but what other options do we have?” The look in her eyes tore at his heart. He wanted to promise everything would be okay, but they had to crawl through the fire first.

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead before leading her toward the door. The house looked rundown. That wasn’t always the case, but with Henroyld present, there was a good chance the walls and floor would be overgrown with wildlife.

  Her eyes cut up to him, and he saw the anger banked there. “Alenathos better come prepared.”

  The dragon’s delivery was the one thing he wasn’t worried about. Her reaction to the evidence? Another story.

  After a deep breath, she threw open the door and stepped inside. Isa hesitated a moment as her eyes scanned the room. “Shit, that’s just…shit.”

  Gnarled vines wove across the floor in tangled patterns. Barbed ivy covered the walls with colorful flowers that were very likely poisonous.

  “That’s Henroyld’s doing.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she shook her head slowly. “I feel like I’m tripping on the faerie wine again.”

  “You are sensing the vortex. This place borders Earth and Faery, bleeding together. There are places where you can be pulled into Faerie from here, and vice versa.”

  * * * *

  Isadora blinked a few more times. The colors seemed to settle and she finally walked down the hall and through the open doorway.

  She found her mother standing at a window overlooking the river. Aeryana turned a loving smile to her. Again, Isa was struck by her ethereal beauty.

  Her voice sounded like the wind, “I am so glad to finally be able to meet you, Isadora.”

  Playing along, Isa answered, “As I am you, Mother.”

  Henroyld cleared his throat. Isa finally looked away and found Henroyld staring back at her with distaste. His hair was long, and thick black curls framed his deep bronze skin over hard muscle. He looked like a young Arnold Schwarzenagger’s role model.

  A warm smile greeted her but left her feeling as if a million insects were crawling over her. His voice was rough and jagged. “My darling Isadora, you are a sight to behold.”

  “Isn’t she?” Remus all but purred from only a foot away.

  Her reaction was to erect an invisible shield that would knock him into the wall should he take a step closer. His brow arched as she met his gaze.

  Henroyld smiled coldly. “We can begin the wedding preparations as soon as you are brought to your rightful home.”

  “I can hardly wait,” Remus responded, his voice dripping with greed.

  Her eyes flashed to her uncle. “You’ll be waiting until eternity ends. I won’t be going back,” Isa announced bravely. She knew things would turn quickly if she showed even an ounce of doubt.

  “Oh, but that is not your choice, princess,” Remus replied.

  Hearing that word from his lips turned her stomach. It was Toryn’s endearment, always had been, and knowing it was the truth only made the term sweeter. He always made it sound special. Remus made it sound like a threat.

  “I’m afraid the contract has been signed by all important parties,” Henroyld feigned sympathy.

  Except, she knew for a fact it wasn’t signed by her mother, nor was it signed by any blood relation besides her uncle, and he had no claim. That was comforting, but alarming because she realized that Henroyld and Aeremaius were both plotting something, very likely separately.

  “There are ways around that,” Isadora replied.

  Henroyld’s head tipped slightly, amusement and curiosity filling his gaze. “We were very sorry to hear about your recent attack from a misguided nymph. Aeremaius was disappointed he wasn’t the one to bring you into your powers.”

  One breath in, slowly out, another in. Calmly, she stared straight into the king’s eyes. “I’m not. I’m relieved the man who brought my awakening about is the one man I trust, after being attacked twice by my uncle’s friend. We have proof Aeremaius was the one who hired Evanastie the Seducer. There is also evidence it was done on your direction.”

  Henroyld’s mouth fell open, but no words left.

  Remus took a step forward, putting both hands up like he was about to strangle her, but he hit the barrier and was sent flying back.

  Alenathos stepped inside with a chilling grin. “Now, now, Aeremaius. You’ve never been known for your grand scheming, you always overlook key facts,” the dragon hissed.

  Aeryana moved to the center of the room. Golden light radiated from her in a throbbing pattern. She gestured toward the doors. Six men in form-fitting, dull black material and ominous hoods marched into the room with staves. They formed a half circle around Henroyld and Aeremaius.

  Toryn had explained the men were the Elder Guard. The Elder Guardians send them in their place, but what the guard sees, the guardians also view through a symbiotic link. The guardians oversaw the fae royalty and stepped in during trials, such as this.

  “I’ve already seen a good portion of the evidence. What do you two have to say for yourself?”

  Henroyld shrugged. “You are unfit to rule, Aeryana. Always have been. Too soft, too weak, always taking the side of the lowest classes.”

  Aeryana shook her head, her dark hair flitting around her. “You were always short-sighted. I don’t favor any of our people. Unlike you, I want th
em all to thrive, to be happy. Otherwise, our realms will fall, like the Water and Fire Kingdoms have.”

  “Ruling with a stronger hand will have a better result.”

  Toryn took Isa’s arm and pulled her toward the wall as Aeremaius started chanting. Alenathos jerked his hands up, creating a wall of ice separating Toryn and Isa from everyone, and then splitting to section off Aeremaius and Henroyld in their own ice shell.

  The hair on the back of Isa’s neck stood on end as time seemed to ripple around her and Toryn.

  The ice began to melt. Alenathos shouted, “Wait! I created a canvas to paint the crimes of the accused.”

  The Elder Guard lifted their staves and slammed them down causing an echoing thud. The ice thickened, growing.

  They spoke as one in ominous tones that shook the walls, “Display the evidence.”

  Isa regarded Toryn who gave her a grim look as he wound his arm around her, drawing her tight against him. On the wall of ice that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, transparent images started to appear.

  Women bound, gagged in all stages of abuse. The ones closest to Isa were of Tiffany.

  “Breathe, Isa, breathe,” Toryn soothed, his hand caressing up and down her side. “It’s in the past. They will pay.”

  Then the pictures started moving. All involved Aeremaius, but several included Henroyld.

  She had to look away. Toryn pulled her into his embrace, shielding her eyes from the acts being played out like a dozen projectors.

  “Those are all human women, outside our laws,” Remus protested.

  Alenathos laughed coldly. “We can go back further.”

  Isadora made the mistake of looking over to see the times change to what looked like an older, medieval era. Then she realized this was in Faerie when she saw Lisanna, and countless other women.

  “They were prisoners of war,” Remus explained with a note of desperation.

  Henroyld muttered a curse under his breath.

  The Elder Guard spoke again. “Guilty for abuse of power. Are there any other charges?”