Stormy Nights (Storms of Blackwood Book 2)

by Elle Middaugh

  I held him out at arm’s length. "Can someone kill Speedy? I don’t have the heart to do it."

  I might’ve killed him in jaguar form, but in sloth form? He’d been my pet for so many years. It pained me to think of hurting him, even though I knew it was actually Asher, not Speedy.

  "I damn near killed him at Dryroot Canyons," Rob muttered halfheartedly. "I can’t do it this time."

  "I snapped his neck once already," Cal added.

  Which left Dan and Ben.

  Ben cocked his head at Dan. "He’s my best friend, bro. Don’t make me do it."

  Dan heaved an annoyed sigh and pulled out his sword. He lined his blade up with Speedy’s neck, and in one swift slice, the golden magic was swirling through the air once more.

  When Ash had returned to human form, his eyes were wide and alight with clarity and excitement.

  "Everybody use your magic," he commanded quickly. "It clears your head, lifts the fog. I can remember everything perfectly now. Try it."

  Rob, Ben, and Dan used theirs right away, manipulating the astral plane, the nearby trees, and the flowing stream. But Cal hesitated and glanced at me. "Just a little bit of magic, Peach."

  I glared at him, suddenly feeling fiery. "You need to stop telling me what to do, especially where my magic is concerned, Calvin Storm."

  His blue-eyed gaze narrowed into a dark stare. "I’m only trying to be responsible. An orgy in the middle of the Lunaley is probably not the wisest idea."

  "I can handle it," I insisted for arguments sake. "Rob deals with pain and extreme cold, and Ben loses all five of his senses. I’m pretty sure I can deal with a bit of horniness by myself."

  His lips thinned into a tight line. "Fine."

  "Fine," I shot back in irritation. "Fire."

  As I spoke the word, peach-colored flames curled out across my arms. They swayed happily, dancing to their own silent tune as they burned. I saw my blaze reflected in Cal’s eyes, giving a hint of madness to his angry stare. And like the mature adult I was, I stuck out my tongue in response.

  He shook his head and called on the sky, sending a gust of wind blowing through the trees, battering our hair and clothing. When his wind eventually stopped, I followed suit, squeezing my fists and cutting off my flames.

  Ash had been right. Upon using my magic, clarity immediately overcame me, my memory becoming crystal clear. We were on a mission to save the chimeras on behalf of Eristan and to reinstate the Treaty O’ Ley in order to save the fae. We needed to find and steal a chimera egg on behalf of the Storm King, and we needed to do all of this in less than two weeks.

  Perfect. I almost wished I hadn’t remembered.

  Just beneath the clarity, lust stirred hot as a branding iron. I glared at Cal, half hating the fact that he’d been right, half wanting to rip the clothes off his body.

  Ash glanced upward, drawing all our gazes, as a chimera lit in the tall branch of a nearby tree. It didn’t appear to be watching us; it simply paused to lick its paws, wiping them along its lion-like face, before yawning and pushing back up into the air.

  When I glanced back at Ash, he already had a puff of gold swirling around him. "I’m going to change into a chimera. I want to know what it’s like."

  Then he was gone, replaced by a chimera that was taller than I was, with a dark mane and a golden circle of fur at its chest. Its wings stretched out wide, as if testing the reach and flexibility, and its feathers ruffled. At the rear, its dragon claws dug into the ground and its jagged tail swished anxiously.

  He sniffed the air, and his pupils narrowed into thin slits, his head turning in the direction of a gnarled tree with purple and pink striped bark. He rubbed his head against the trunk, then his wings, and his tail, spinning in a circle around the tree’s base, trying to get as much bodily contact as he could.

  The whole thing was strangely fascinating, but I still couldn’t stop stealing furtive glances at Cal. He was side-eyeing me in return, proving my magic had most likely affected us both.

  Ignoring the lust yanking at my heartstrings and lady bits, I looked up, noticing the leaves of the tree in question were dark blue and crescent shaped. They tinkled in the breeze, a soft metallic sound like wind chimes. Instead of stretching tall, the branches spread out wide, curving and clawing into a bowl of sorts, so that the entire plant stood only about twenty feet high but equally as broad. It was the only one of its kind in these parts, and I had to wonder if there were more somewhere, perhaps further in?

  I swallowed hard, choking down the burn of desire, and stole another glance at Cal. He’d moved a little closer. I could practically reach out and touch him. My body ached for me to do just that.

  "You can’t handle it, can you?" Cal asked, his voice raspy.

  I took a heavy breath and glared at him. "Of course I can."

  Cal smirked, stepping even closer, running his broad hands up the outsides of my arms and cupping my neck in his warm palms. His thumbs brushed my jaw, causing my lips to part. "That’s only a half truth."

  "Ah, fuck," Rob muttered. "Jewels used her magic."

  Dan and Ben grunted sounds of agreement and understanding, and the three of them wandered a little further ahead, giving Cal and me some space.

  At least there’d be no awkward proposals, considering we were already married.

  He stared deep into my eyes, trying to figure out the part that was a lie. "You can handle it, but...?"

  I let out a heavy breath and stared at his lips. "But... I don’t know if I want to handle it. To hold it back, control it, or contain it."

  He took another step, bringing his hard body right up to the curve of my chest and hips. "I don’t know if I want you to, either."

  Then his lips were on mine, hot and demanding, soothing that lustful ache that had drilled its way through my very skull. He stepped forward, pushing me back until my shoulders and ass crashed into the bark of a nearby tree. With nowhere to go, he pressed his body into mine like molten steel, molding perfectly against me.

  "Why are we always having fast and furious sex?" he muttered, tearing my dress over my head. He bit my bottom lip as he unhooked my bra; then he worked my undies down my legs. Next thing I knew, I was in his arms and my legs were wrapped around his waist. He still had his pants on, which was a serious problem for me and my raging hormones.

  "Probably because your bossiness makes me furious," I replied, fumbling with the buttons of his pants before removing his cock and stroking him.

  He lifted a brow in challenge. "And the fast part?"

  I smirked as I pulled off his shirt and threw it. "Fast to make me come undone?"

  "Good answer."

  I ran his dick through my soaking wet folds and positioned him right where I wanted him. A few firm thrusts were all it took for him to claim me completely.

  "We’re always fucking against shit too," I moaned as he pumped into me, trapped between him and the rough bark of the tree. "The first time was a pillar."

  He chuckled and whipped me around, lowering us onto the forest floor, so that I was the one on top. The mist enveloped us so completely, it was difficult to see beyond each other’s faces.

  "There. Now, we’re not always fucking against things. Sometimes we fuck on the ground."

  I rolled my hips, loving the control he’d given me. I moved the way I wanted to, hitting all the spots I liked. And when I started getting close, I put my fingers down to my clit and took my own pleasure from his body. It was so fucking empowering.

  He lay beneath me, mesmerized with my every move—my free hand as it tangled in my hair, the rhythmic rolling of my hips against his, the curve of my spine as my back arched and my moans became desperate pants.

  "Yes," Cal groaned, reaching up to roll my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. "Come for me, Peach."

  I don’t know if it was his sexy command, the nipple tweaking that sent sensations straight to my clit, or the touch of my own fingers, but a second later I was crying out my release. I rode him un
til my first orgasm blended into a second, even stronger one, and I moaned even louder.

  I could hear the guys groaning up ahead, and I could just imagine their cocks swelling at the thought of me being so horny and vulnerable. It was probably torturous. I wanted to call them back and have them join us, but we didn’t really have time for that. Technically, we didn’t even have time for this, but my magic made it impossible to deny.

  "How do you want me?" I asked, circling my hips. Now that I’d gotten off, I wanted to help him do the same.

  His blue eyes were dark, and his facial features strained. "Right where you are, don’t stop."

  I leaned down and pushed my hands against his massive chest, riding him hard until he lost all control. As he ground out a string of cuss words, he grabbed my hips and pumped me up and down, slowly milking every last drop from his body.

  When we were both blissfully spent, I climbed off him and quickly realized gravity was not on our side. My inner thighs had cum dripping all over.

  Cal chuckled and reached for his shirt on the ground, handing it over to me for cleanup. "I should start calling you Peaches and Cream."

  I stuck my tongue out at him. "It’s your cream."

  "My favorite kind to dip you in." His lips curved seductively, turning me on once more with no encouragement from any magic.

  I grinned and crawled over to him. "Want to go for round two?"

  He bit his bottom lip, and despite the fact that he’d just come, his cock jumped at the thought.

  Just then, Speedy screeched, a cry that didn’t sound scared or threatened but that still seemed significant. He was alerting us to something. He jerked his lion-like head up, and his gaze darted forward, seemingly searching the forest for noise or an image that none of us had heard or seen. He leapt from the branch and took to the air, soaring high above the trees and moving deeper into the forest. His body tipped side to side as his wings caught the sky’s current, and he disappeared from view.

  "Come on," Cal said, lifting me up and handing me my dress. "We don’t want to lose him."

  He balled his dirty shirt up and stuffed it into a pack, retrieving a clean one from the top. After my gown was back in place and I had a clean pair of panties on, we were once again on the move.

  The five of us rushed after Ash, sprinting through the undergrowth as fast as humanly possible without tripping over roots or hanging ourselves on vines. After a few minutes, I saw a puff of smoke rising above the trees, a slightly darker shade than that of the dreary clouds. Between the trunks, I saw a camp of sorts. The trees in the area had been chopped down, their ends whittled into spikes that guarded the perimeter. Soldiers—Eristani from the looks of their baggy pants and shirtless upper bodies—were huddled around fires eating soup, strolling between tents, and napping on pillows on the ground.

  Speedy lit in the top branch of a tall tree, scattering leaves onto a few of the soldiers’ heads. They glanced up, then looked right back down, immediately paying him no mind, getting back to spooning in mouthfuls of soup. Apparently, the appearance of a chimera in these parts was not all that rare or surprising.

  "This must be the camp that guard was telling us about," Dan muttered, as we all crouched behind a bush and spied on them.

  "I wonder if there are any chimera nests nearby?" I said, scanning the forest for more of those strange trees. I’d hoped to find one holding some oversized eggs, but I saw none.

  "Why are we hiding, anyway?" Cal asked. He straightened his posture, tugged the wrinkles out of his shirt, then smoothed back his golden hair. He strolled right up to the camp’s gate, smiling amicably at the guard who pointed a spear at him in return.

  "Who goes there?" the guard asked in a deep, rich voice.

  "Prince Calvin Storm of Blackwood, my wife: Princess Alexis, and my brothers, the Princes of Blackwood: Daniel, Benson, and Robert."

  The guard’s dark eyes narrowed. "There is no reason for Blackwood royalty to be traipsing through the Ley. Turn around. Leave while you still can."

  "While you still can?" Rob mocked with a smirk. "Is that some sort of threat?"

  The guard planted his spear in the ground and stepped closer, lowering his voice. "There are demons in this forest, boy. Demons that will rip your spine from your body and use it as a toothpick after they’ve devoured you whole."

  Rob shook his head. "Demons always get such a bad rap."

  I glanced at him. "Do you have demons living in your quadrant?"

  He nodded, still grinning at the guard’s serious expression. "Take us to the demons, soldier, and I’ll reason with them."

  The guard scoffed. "You can’t reason with demons. It doesn’t work that way."

  "I assure you, it does. Let us through the gates, take us to the demons, and we’ll be out of here by nightfall."

  But the guard simply shook his head. "One, we’re not going anywhere near the demons. And two, it’s never nightfall here, nor is it morning. It’s always... the same."

  Ben and I shared a glance, his mind whirring a mile a minute behind the brown depths of his eyes. I could tell he was trying to figure this place out. Me? I had no clue where to even start.

  "Whatever," Rob said, shaking his head. "Just tell us the direction the demons are located, and we’ll be on our way."

  The guard rolled his eyes and pointed to the opposite end of the camp. "It’s your funeral."

  Rob smirked. "You say that like it’s a bad thing. Like it’s the end."

  "Death is the end."

  Rob chuckled. "Death is only a bridge, a pathway between this world and the next."

  The guard picked up his spear and went back to his post. "Have fun crossing that bridge, then."

  Since we hadn’t been invited into the camp, we skirted around the spiked perimeter until we reached the other side. Ahead, the forest seemed to grow even darker and mistier than before, so I had a bad feeling we were headed in the right direction.

  "Are you sure we have to do this?" I asked, hating the fear in my voice. I couldn’t help it, though. This place totally freaked me out.

  "Of course we have to." Rob glanced around the group, as if realizing for the first time that not everyone might’ve agreed with him. "They’re probably lost in here with no way out. You’d want someone to save you, wouldn’t you?"

  Dan nodded right away, as if the answer was obvious. Then Ben, who’d no doubt taken time to thoroughly think it through first. Then me, a little reluctantly. And finally, Cal nodded too—very reluctantly.

  "We still need to find a chimera nest," Ben stated, mostly to me and Cal. "May as well kill two birds with one stone. Save the demons and steal an egg."

  Rob grinned and started walking.

  "That’s the spirit. Now, let’s go find us some demons."

  Chapter 15

  Speedy followed us from tree to tree, waiting until we were well out of sight from the camp before tucking his wings and diving to the ground, landing with a thud. He opened his lion-like jowls to roar, but an earsplitting screech screamed out instead, much like an eagle—an eagle with oversized vocal cords.

  I backed away slightly, intimidated by the thing whether it was Ash or not.

  "Do you think he wants us to kill him again?" Dan asked. "Because I refuse to do it this time. Someone else can murder the bird from hades."

  Rob stepped forward, his bravery shining through as he unsheathed his sword. "I’ll take care of it. Everyone else just stand back."

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. I scurried backward and clutched onto Dan’s arm, inadvertently using his body as a shield.

  Speedy lowered his head so that he and Rob were face-to-face, and even though he appeared to be yielding, it still looked terrifying as fuck.

  Rob put his free hand out, barely touching the creature’s neck, then jabbed his sword forward, puncturing its chest and twisting the blade for maximum damage.

  The chimera screeched maddeningly, flopping to the ground and flailing about as if it no longer had control o
ver its body. Blood gushed from its chest in waves, slowly but surely draining the life from its eyes. As its head went limp, it let out one feeble squawk, then died at Rob’s feet.

  The golden magic swirled to life then, transforming the creature back into an angry, glaring Asher.

  "You are never allowed to kill me again," he decided, jabbing a finger at Rob.

  Rob flung his arms out in defense. "It was a clean kill!"

  "It was neither clean, nor quick," Ash argued. "It was slow and painful."

  Rob rolled his gray eyes, trying to hide a grin. "Don’t be a pansy, Ash."

  But Asher had already moved on, turning to Ben. "I’m going to fly ahead. See if I can spot any demons lurking in the woods. I’ll also be on the lookout for nests and eggs." He paused as another thought seemed to come to him. "Did you see how I acted back there at that one tree?"

  Ben nodded, perking up at the chance to puzzle something out. "Yeah, the one with the moon-shaped leaves? Does it have a special sort of magic flowing through it? Something that drew you in?"

  Ash grimaced and shook his head. "I don’t know. I don’t think chimeras even like magic."

  "What do you mean?" Ben’s brows furrowed in intrigue.

  "I mean, my chimera form wanted to avoid you guys at all costs. It took every ounce of control I had to get that close to Rob without accidentally clawing him through the chest."

  Ben’s lips pursed. "How do you know it was because of magic and not just the fact that we’re humans and you were an animal?"

  Ash shot him a flat look. "I’m in animal form a lot. I think I ought to know what it feels like. Besides, I didn’t feel any aggression toward the Eristani soldiers back at the camp. And while you guys were following the glowing river, my chimera form wanted to fly as far away from the magical water as possible."

  "So, they don’t like magic, but they live in the Lunaley?" Rob asked doubtfully.

  Ash shrugged. "It is what it is, bro."

  Ben shook his head. "Let’s get back on track, shall we? What attracted you to that strange tree?"

  Ash’s cheeks flushed a gentle pink. "Its ability to hold a big nest."