My Storm Sprite Page 17

  “Sasha?”

  My eyes fly open. I’m floating at the foot of the hospital bed. The most handsome man, with dark smoldering eyes and thick brown hair, hovers in front of me. His coat collar is upturned, and his hair is disheveled as if he walked through a windy snowstorm.

  It’s very sexy.

  My body is tucked against Thandoran. “Uh…”

  Killian grins. “It’s okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “I shouldn’t have been haunting you for this long. It’s not fair to you.”

  I want to cry. I logically understand the emotion of sorrow, but without my body, I can’t cry. But I am miserable. “I didn’t want you to see me this way.” I gesture to my body.

  “Sasha, I’ll always love you, but you deserve to have someone who you can feel, who you can be with.”

  “I still love you.”

  “I know,” he says. “It’s okay to love more than one person.”

  “I hate myself for falling for someone else.”

  Killian shimmers closer and raises his hand to touch my cheek. His hand stops before it can pass through me. “I’ll make myself absent in your life. And you be happy with Thandoran. Like really happy. ’Cause if you aren’t, I’ll have to come back and haunt you.”

  “What about Kili?”

  “He’ll know I’m watching over him.”

  I nod.

  “Sasha, swear to me. Don’t feel sad. We had our time together.”

  “I swear, but I hate you for making me happy.”

  Killian chuckles. “I should have done this sooner.”

  “No. Now is good. I needed you before.”

  Killian’s astral projection flickers. “The love is always there.”

  “Ditto.”

  Killian disappears, and I’m drawn into my body. I jerk awake and fly upright. Tears pour from my eyes. My nose congests. I sniff and sob uncontrollably. All the emotion I couldn’t express while I was a projection overwhelms me.

  Thandoran gasps and jolts awake. “Sasha! What happened?” He rubs my back, and his heat moves through me. I have a sense he’s consoling me even though he’s stuck flat on his back.

  I can’t stop my gut-wrenching sobs. Thandoran fumbles for the tissue box on the side table that’s barely in arm’s reach. I grab handfuls and mop my face.

  “What happened?” he asks. “Is someone dead?”

  “Gone.” I hiccough. “Gone. He’s gone.”

  “Oh.” His hand lifts from my back.

  I turn in the bed to face him. “No. You don’t understand.” I angle away to blow my nose.

  “It’s okay. You can tell me.” Thandoran rests his hand on my thigh. “Whatever it is, I will do whatever you need.”

  I take a deep breath and wipe my eyes a final time. I grab the glass of water someone left on the end table and gulp it down. What I need is ambrosia, but it’s probably better that I’m not blissed out before I say what I need to.

  I square my shoulders and bite my lip as I gaze at Thandoran. My nose is most likely red, and I look ridiculous. Thandoran looks like hell too, so I blurt my words.

  “I love you.”

  Thandoran grins and pulls me against his chest. “Right back at you, babe.” He tightens his embrace. “Will you get up here so I can kiss you?”

  “I’ve been crying.”

  “I don’t flippin’ care.”

  So I kiss him. Guilt free. I try not to sniffle, but I need to, so I pull away and chew my lip.

  Thandoran laughs. “Somehow you’re even sexy when your nose is red and snotty.”

  I whack him on the chest, but Thandoran puckers his lips, makes a kissing noise, and blows the kiss to me.

  A warm kiss, with hints of citrus.

  I laugh and snuggle against him.

  THIRTY-NINE

  By the end of the week, Thandoran has his traction collar off and moves around as if he was never broken. His cuts have healed. The doctors call it a miracle, but we enlisted the help of Natalia’s and Dumitru’s compulsion to keep their awe under wraps.

  Thandoran surprised me that morning by yanking the collar off and rolling out of bed.

  I almost had a heart attack. What if his neck wasn’t fully healed? After the docs did a few tests, they gave him the all clear.

  Thandoran’s putting on clothes in the washroom and I’m packing up his stuff when Kaelea and Isac walk in. They each hold a bundle of baby-stuffed blankets.

  I drop everything and rush to grab Isac’s bundle. He slips the baby into my arms.

  “Who do I have here?” I coo to the baby. Blue. He’s in blue, so this is Kaelen. I play with his featherlight curls.

  “Big day. We have a lot of stuff to do,” Isac says.

  “Like get us home,” I say in a baby voice to Kaelen.

  Kaelea smiles. “And take these demon powers from them. I’ve been pumping and giving them bottles.”

  I round my mouth. “Holy hellhounds! You should have said something earlier.” I pass Kaelen to Isac and grab a glove from the box on the wall. Once I’m gloved up, I slide the amulet from my pocket. “Two demon-free babies coming up. I mean, demon-powerless, aww, you know what I mean.”

  Thandoran comes out of the washroom, wearing a gray T-shirt that skims his pecs and jeans that hug his hips. His nose ring is back in, and his hair’s spiked on end. He narrows his eyes as he grins at me. The whole package is yummy. I inwardly groan, and my face blushes hot.

  I fan my cheeks. It’s been only a week, but hormones. Already. Storm sprites are not typical humans when it comes to pregnancy, even if I am half a storm sprite. With my last pregnancy, I found out I could hold off nausea if I pretty much sipped a milkshake around the clock.

  Thandoran had Natalia bring me two so far. She’s been in and out the past few days, carefully not breathing. Thandoran’s tolerant of her. Leery, but tolerant.

  He hands me a shake, and I sip greedily, blissed out just enough to know that he hugs me close and kisses my forehead. This pregnancy will be spent with my head in the clouds at the rate of my ambrosia consumption. At least until the nausea passes.

  I fully plan on taking advantage of my euphoria. Thandoran doesn’t know it yet. I haven’t had him alone, but I can’t wait. I didn’t have anyone to help me release my heightened bliss during my last pregnancy.

  I smile mischievously at Thandoran before getting back to business. “Okay, now where were we?”

  Kaelea eyes me. “Siphoning these powers before we go to Belyven.”

  Isac unbundles Kaelen and lifts his shirt so his chest is exposed.

  “Here you go, little guy.” I touch the amulet to him. He does that unnerving twitching while the amulet glows. Then the glow stops, and Kaelen relaxes.

  “All right. One down.” I lift my chin toward Miranda. It’s a play on Thandoran, crossed with Mandarin. I went with it because Kaelea wanted to honor her brother for saving her and Isac.

  I do the same thing for Miranda. Her blue eyes open after the powers leave her, and she sticks her tongue out.

  Well okay, then.

  “What’s next?” I ask.

  “How about we lift your curse?” Isac asks. “I’d say you’ve been patient enough.”

  I set down my milkshake and rub my hands together. “What do you need from me?” This is it. I’ll finally be able to go home and be with Kili, safe, away from vampires and demons.

  “Just a drop of your blood. I brought the rest of the components pulverized and ready to go.”

  Thandoran eyes me uneasily. He doesn’t like me bleeding. At least my vampire bodyguards aren’t around. I rest my hand on Thandoran’s forearm. “Relax. I trust Isac.”

  He pulls out a straight pin and a vial of amber liquid. I won’t ask what he used to mix it up, mostly because I have a feeling I’ll have to drink it. Isac passes me the pin and uncorks the vial. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  I don’t hesitate. I jab the pin in the pad of my index finger and squeeze until a drop forms. Isac ho
lds out the vial, and I drip my blood inside. He recorks the vial and shakes it. We stare expectantly. Isac closes his eyes and speaks soft words, but they’re thick and guttural. A chill races up my spine. Demon language. Magic vastly different from the little wards I’m able to cast.

  Thandoran tenses. Even though his sister talked with him about her emerging romantic feelings for Isac, Thandoran will never trust the darker supernaturals.

  Finally, Isac stops and holds the vial out to me. “Drink.” The liquid has gone from amber to rusty brown.

  I clutch the vial and nod. “Here’s to going home.” I guzzle the contents in two swallows and then promptly gag. I’m determined to keep the contents down, so I clench my stomach and give everyone a thumbs up.

  Thandoran passes me the milkshake. I’m going to like his attentiveness over the next few months.

  I hope he doesn’t become sick of me.

  “How do you feel?” Kaelea asks.

  “The same. Should I feel different?” I ask.

  “You won’t know until we go to Belyven,” Isac says. “You ready?”

  “We have one thing to do before we go,” I say.

  I’ve been to my flat, and I’ve packed everything I want. Most of the earthly possessions are either useless or not necessary on my home planet, except for a few keepsakes. I just have two bags. Thandoran has one. Kaelea has nothing but a diaper bag the hospital gave her.

  This side trip doesn’t have anything to do with the stuff I’m hauling around either.

  I tell Isac about Josef and the other demons the vampires massacred. “There has to be something I can do for them. I can’t have them wandering around stuck on Earth when I swore I’d return their powers.”

  Isac purses his lips. “There may be something I can do. I’ve never heard of a way to restore demon powers when they don’t have a body, but we’ve never had this amulet, so it’s worth a try.”

  “Great.” I exhale. “Take Kaelea and Thandoran to Belyven, and then we can go to the estate.”

  Thandoran shakes his head. “I don’t think so. I am not letting you out of my sight.”

  “I’m not taking you to demon central where vampires could still be lurking.”

  “Same. You’re staying away from vampires.”

  “You will let Isac take you,” I say.

  “You can’t tell me what to do. You can’t compel me to do it either.”

  I cross my arms and narrow my eyes. “I’ve been dealing with vampires far longer than you have. And Isac will have my back.”

  Thandoran growls.

  Kaelea bounces Miranda in her arms. “You won’t win this one, Thandoran. Let her do it. It’s something she has to do. Besides, I need you. Come with me. Take Kaelen from Isac so he can go with Sasha.”

  Thandoran plays with my ponytail. “I hate this.”

  “It’s almost over. I swear.”

  “You swear. You do that a lot.”

  “And I am a sprite of my honor,” I say.

  In the end, Thandoran kisses me deeply, stirring up an embarrassing heat inside me, and takes Kaelen. Isac teleports Kaelea and Miranda and then the guys, along with our belongings.

  I wait alone in the hospital room. “It won’t be long, Kili.” I am so close to coming home.

  Isac zaps back. “Ready. Thandoran and Kaelea will wait outside the city. The day is nice, and they have a lot to catch up on, so they’re picnicking until we return. Kaelea didn’t want me to enter the fae city without all of us there to vouch for my trustworthiness.”

  “My mother will understand that you bear the fae no malice,” I say. “You will be safe.”

  Isac nods. This continues to be one of his concerns, but Kaelea wants him to stay with her. As long as Isac doesn’t develop a sudden craving for storm sprite blood, he should be fine. Demons generally don’t crave our blood as the vampires do, even though it’s a supernatural elixir for the demons as well.

  Isac takes my hand, and we wink out of the hospital. We appear on the lawn in front of the estate. The place is dark.

  “So no one’s home?” I squint into the night. “Do you think Josef the demon is still around?” I have no idea what his demon name is, and I probably wouldn’t be able to pronounce it anyway.

  “There are demon spirits here. Hopefully, Josef is among them.”

  “Can you see them?” My voice is laced with curiosity.

  “Demons can see the true form of other demons whether they’re in their human host or not.”

  “Whoa. What do you look like?” Demons have dark, thick leatherlike wings, but that’s all I’ve seen of their true form.

  We head toward the front doors.

  “Much as you’d expect. We are tall, dark, and—”

  “Horned?”

  “Yes.” Isac opens a door. The interior smells musty and…

  I tighten my stomach. The bodies. No one has disposed of the bodies.

  Damn vampires.

  I’ll need ambrosia, or I’ll puke up my counter curse. How long does that need to stay in my stomach for it to take full effect?

  Isac gestures to the staircase. “Are you going to be all right?”

  I nod and return to distracting myself as we ascend. “So… are you sinewy?”

  Isac doesn’t balk. “Yes.”

  “Deep-set eyes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Protruding brows?” I ask.

  “Sure.”

  “You like inhabiting humans?” I whisper. “Don’t you feel inferior inside their fragile forms?” The whole place is so eerily quiet, and with the deaths, the place deserves my reverence. Why haven’t any demons returned? Some were off residence when the vampires attacked.

  “Their form is attractive.”

  And the only one they can possess. “So, you find Kaelea attractive?”

  Isac pauses outside a bedroom door. “I do.”

  I smile. “See any demons?”

  “We’ve passed dozens of them.”

  “What?” I look over my shoulder. Now I really want a real look at one. I shiver. What if a demon’s right behind me?

  “I’m looking for Josef. This should be his room.” Isac creaks the door open.

  The smell’s so strong tears come to my eyes. Mostly for the sadness rather than the smell. “Josef,” I whisper.

  “Josef.” Isac nods toward the empty center of the room. “Tell your people to meet downstairs. This is too much for Sasha, but she’s here to uphold her promise.”

  Isac holds my hand, and we descend to the first floor, to the familiar parlor that Thandoran and I were ushered into.

  “How’s this going to work?” I weave and unweave my hands together with anxiety. I’m not sure why I have it. Maybe the atmosphere? Josef was nothing but cordial, if not a little flirtatious, when I was here last.

  “Demons need a human spirit to link to, so to speak. Without their powers, they can’t form the link, but I should be able to link with a demon long enough for you to return his powers.”

  “Will that be dangerous for you? Or your host at least?”

  “Maybe,” Isac says. “Josef’s here.”

  “Where?”

  Isac points beside me.

  I stare into the space, too timid to reach out. “Josef, I made you a promise, and I can’t leave you like this, so we’ll try to give your powers back.”

  Isac stretches his hand toward the spot next to me. The next thing I know, he gasps and collapses onto his knees and pitches forward. I fall beside him and support his body. With a deep, raspy inhale, he rears upright and looks me in the eyes. “Sasha.” Isac grins oddly. Not like the Isac I know. “Sasha.” He chuckles. “I’m elated to see your lovely face.”

  “Josef?”

  “For a short while. You better do what you have planned.” Josef gasps. “Isac can’t hold this state for long.”

  “I’m going to return all the powers in this amulet. Then destroy it. You can stick around to make sure.”

  “I trust you, li
ttle bird.” Josef touches my chin.

  “And I trust you.”

  “You have no need to worry. Your people will be safe from us, and I will make those vampires pay.”

  “We’ve already slaughtered a good number of them,” I say, “but I’m not sure how many have escaped with demon powers.”

  “Then we’ll hunt the vampires until we return all the powers.”

  “We’ll have to wait to destroy the amulet.”

  “Sasha, my dear, I am not worried,” Josef says. “You can hold it in safe keeping until we need you to transfer powers.”

  “You ready, then?”

  “What must I do?”

  “Touch the amulet.” I fish it out of my pocket with a gloved hand and hold it out. Josef reaches for the jewel, and his hand closes over mine. His body goes rigid.

  Please work. Please work. What if I’m overjuicing Isac with power?

  Josef lets go with a grunt.

  “How do you feel? Try something.”

  “Oh, it’s back, baby.” Josef leans forward and kisses me on the cheek. “I don’t think Isac can take much more. I shall make some calls after I grab a new body. If other demons can help restore those without power, then it will take the load off Isac. Sasha, go home. I’ll summon you when needed.”

  “You’re sure?” Seems like I’ll be coming to Earth more often than I expected. Thandoran will not like this.

  “If you trust me to teleport to Belyven just to bring you here as needed, just to make more power transfers.”

  “If you think that’s best.” I’m conflicted. But I won’t renege on my word to help him.

  “I must go.” With that, Josef contracts in on himself and then releases with a force that pushes Isac onto his back.

  “Isac!” I press my hand to his forehead. “You still with me?”

  He peeks out of one eye. “Yeah.” He groans as he sits up. “Josef is right. That’s hard on a body.” I help Isac to his feet. He moves with a speed that is slower than his thirty-something years. “I’ll shake it off in a bit. What do you say we go home?”

  “Please.”

  In an eye wink, I’m flying through space and time to my home.

  FORTY

  I throw myself into Thandoran’s arms as soon as I see him. After my long day, he’s more delicious than a storm sprite can imagine.