Storm Born Chapter Fifteen

I dont c ar how old you beat or how knobbed you are. Nothing, nonhing at all, house ever replace your mother fetching care of you when youre sick.The feel of a cool, wet cloth touched my head, and the blend of familiar humming just barely penetrated my weary brain. I loose my eyeball and saw the same funny-shaped pieces of sunlight cast through my blinds onto the sleeping accommodation ceiling. Only this time, their positions had changed, their colors dimmer and darker orange.The humming abruptly stopped.Eugenie?Mom, I croaked. My pharynx felt torn and raw.She moved into my field of vision, eccentric drawn with worry. I couldnt conceptualise it. She looked almost entirely normal. Her tomentum cerebri had a bit of a wind-swept look, and I could detect a a couple of(prenominal) bruises. Other than that, she seemed fine, non wish well shed just endured a paranormal attack and subsequent conjurationally generate maelstrom. For just a mommaent, I questioned my own memor ies. Had I imagined what happened? Had it been a sendup or a vision? No. I felt interchange fitting shit. No delusion could puzzle caused this pain.Youre okay? I asked doubtfully.She nodded. Fine. What slightlywhat you?I tentatively attempted to make contact with the muscles in my body. They told me to leave them the enjoy alone.I hurt.She adjusted the cloth on my head, m identicalg it fractionally more than perfect. As she leaned over, a lock of her hair slipped forwarfared, and I made out miry fingerprints on her get a foresightfulsighted. No. Definitely not my imagination.I called Roland. He was up in Flagstaff with Bill. Hes on his way back now should be here in a couple of hours.Momhowd you recover?What do you mean?You were really messed up from those spirits. Dont you remember?I got a teensy shaken up merely nothing worse. Nothing akin you. She frowned, prominent a secondary sigh. God, how I wish you were a lawyer instead. Or maybe a pharmacist.What do you rem ember happening?Not much, she admitted. I remember going aft(prenominal) one of thosecreatures. After that, its a blur. I must(prenominal) have panicked. Your living room is, uh, going to regard nearly help.I closed my eyes, feeling tired. My living room would probably need to be bulldozed and rebuilt from scratch. No give notice (of)ing how the rest of the house had fared. It could probably fall apart at any moment. My room actually looked smorgasbord of normal. A few things were knocked over, probably casualties of stray gusts of wind.Youve got people here who destiny to see you.I opened my eyes. Who?No one I know. A cosmos and a woman.Is the man a fox?She stared at me, confused. A fox? Hes real advancesome, yes, however, sweetiemaybe I should send them away. You dont sound like youre collapse yet.No, no, let me talk to them. I had a feeling the missing pieces of what had happened during and after the storm lay with Kiyo. And I need to talk to themalone.My mother loo ked hurt.Its not in the flesh(predicate). Its business.She started to argue, then(prenominal) shook her head and stood up. Ill go get them.While she was gone, I dared a hasty assessment of my appearance. I was unflurried in my underwear and camisole. The top in particular was ripped and dirty. I pulled the covers up almost to my neck and ran a slide by over my hair and face. I could feel more dirt on my hide plus a scab on my cheek, distantly reminding me of a shard of something flying out and cutting me. My hair stuck out everywhere. I attempted to smooth it down, moreover then my mom returned with Kiyo and a strange woman.Ill be in the kitchen if you need me, Mom verbalise protectively. She pulled the door closed behind her, all but a crack.Kiyos face told me all I needed to know about the way I looked.You should see the other guy, I said.A small smile broke over his face. I did. Hes in pieces in the other room.Oh.He beckoned to the woman. Eugenie, this is Maiwenn, poof o f the willow Land.I started in surprise. She didnt look like a Willow Queen. Of course, Im not accredited what exactly I expected maybe something akin to Glinda the Good Witch. except this woman looked like Surfer Girl Barbie. Her skin glowed with a deep bronze tan. Platinum blond hair cast in supermodel waves to her waist. Her eyes were the color of the sea in the sun, blue-green with long lashes. She wore a simple blue dress, a bit old-fashioned but nothing that screamed, Im a fairy queen. It was looser than the form-fitting gowns other nobility women seemed to favor but was be quiet quite pretty. My feelings of inadequacy about my appearance increased tenfold. courteous to meet you, I said. I could hear the tentativeness in my voice. Kiyo exponent force out to her character, but I still carried a lot of apprehension almost the gentry, monarch or no.And you, she said. Her voice was rich and sweet, her face serene. Im defective I could not heal you too.Too? Ohwas it you? D id you heal my mother? She doesnt remember anything.She nodded. I didnt have the male monarch to heal you both. She was more severely injured, and with your age and stamina and your blood well, I cerebration youd have an easier time recovering.I thought about the aches and pains shooting through my body. Easier? That faculty be a subjective term.You made the sound choice. Thanks. Ill be fine.Kiyo stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned over against the wall. Eugenie doesnt like to admit weakness. Its one of her more charming traits.I shot him a glare, and Maiwenn offered a small, polite smile. Nothing wrong with that. She approached me and extended a hand toward my face. I think I have enough strength for a small healing. May I?I nodded, not entirely sure what I was agreeing to.Her fingertips grazed my cheek, icy cold but gentle. A kick ran through me, and she drew back, suddenly looking pale and tired. Kiyo started to help her when she stumbled, but she waved him off. There. No scarring this way. My fingers examined the place she had touched. No more scab.Thank you. Silence fell, and I looked from face to face. With me in bed and them hanging roughly so casually, I didnt really feel like I was having a meeting with a bona fide queen. It was all so informal. What happened?They exchanged uncertain glances. Were not really sure, he said. You and your mother were both unconscious. The ele mental was dead, and your living roomit looks kind of bad. preciselythat was it?His eyebrows rose. What more could there be?There was no storm when you showed up?They exchanged conspiratorial looks again, and something about their solidarity rankled me.Tell us what you remember, Maiwenn said.I did, showtime with the spirit attack and ending with the vicious storm.Neither spoke when I finished. Kiyo sighed.What? I demanded. What happened? You obviously know.Its complicated.Everythings complicated lately. Let me guess. It was the magic, wasnt it? Storm Kings inherit ed causation?He didnt answer. She did.Yes. It seems it has been passed down after all.Can I stop it? delay it locked up so it doesnt come out again?Not probable. You might be able to bury it so it isnt consciously used, butif its there, its likely to burst out again when your emotions let loose. Youll get the same kind of disastrous results if you dont learn to manage it.I dont want it. I shuddered, recalling that tremendous non-whiteness and deadly lightning. Uneasily, I remembered what Volusian had told me, that embracing my magic could protect me and those I loved. I looked at Maiwenn nervously, hating what I was about to ask. But I dont want to hurt anyone either. Can you teach me to use it? Or at least(prenominal) control it?Kiyos eyes widened. Eugenie, no What do you expect me to do? I demanded. The expression on his face mirrored what I felt inside. Its not like I want to do this. But you saw what happened. I destroyed my house, and worse, I nearly killed my mother. An d myself.He sighed but didnt argue. Maiwenn regarded him calmly.Shes right.I know. But I dont have to like it.I dont know if I go off teach you or not, she murmured, turning back to me. Your magic storm magic is a very physical, outward sort of power. Healing is more internal. slight aggressive. Some of the basics will be the same, but well probably have to find you a teacher with similar powers.Like someone who ignore call up pieces of the earth and rip castles apart, I thought. I didnt pass by voice to that. Kiyo and I might be friends, but I instantly knew he wouldnt like me getting close to Dorian.Kiyo says youre against the invasion thing, that you werent a friend of Storm King.Yes. That was part of the reason I wanted to meet you. Im blissful you survived today, Eugenie Markham, butthis possibility of the prophecy coming true alarms me. Ive spent geezerhood believing Storm King had no children. Your existence causes all sorts of complications.It occurred to me then t hat Maiwenn might have slept easier if Id been killed today.So is it true? she asked. You have no target of fulfilling the prophecy?Of course not.Turning ones back on such power cant be easy. Even now, youre considering his magic.Thats a necessity. I dont want it. Besides, none of this is about power. Its about keeping my world safe. You forget that until a few weeks ago, I had no clue about any of this. In most ways me whipping up a storm aside I still consider myself human. Im not going to let some army subordinate or destroy my race.You see? Kiyo said to her. I told you.I could still see the doubt on her face.Im serious. I dont want to usher in some terrible era of gentry domination. I sure as hell dont want to be a plaything for every gentry guy. And even if the worst happens I shuddered, remembering the elementals proximity well, there are ways of making sure I dont actually get or stay pregnant. I didnt feel like getting into logistics with her. Hopefully, I can just ke ep up the avoidance, though. Im not jumping into anyones bed soon. reason replaced Maiwenns doubt. Yes. Im truly sorry for what youve endured. It sickens me. I honestly cant imagine it. Youve surpassed your fearless reputation. I couldnt have coped so bravely.I thought again about the disquietude that had filled me when the elemental had me trapped. The tears. The desperation. I didnt know how brave Id really been.Kiyos eyes met mine then, and while Maiwenn looked distracted with thought, I think he might have glimpsed a little of my emotion. Affection for me burned on his face, and I fell into it. The moment shattered when a loud voice sounded extracurricular my room.What the fuck happened in here? No way am I cleaning this upKiyo straightened up, alarmed, but I waved away his concern. Dont worry. Its just my housemate. positive(predicate) enough, Tim burst in, outrage written all over him. He wore buckskin shorts and a matching vest over his bare chest. Feathers decorated his b lack hair. Beads ringed his neck. His face fell as soon as he saw me.Oh God, Eug. argon you all right?I started to spring him the other guy line, then opted for simplicity. Fine.He jerked his thumb behind him. That rooms in pieces.I know. Dont worry. Ill clean it up.What happened?Youre better off not knowing. Tim, this is Kiyo and Maiwenn.Remembering himself, Tim increase his right hand in a sort of How, white man kind of way. I am Timothy Red Horse. May the keen Spirit smile down upon you. This latter part seemed to be for Maiwenn in particular. She smiled formally. Kiyo appeared to oscillate between hilarity and disgust.Greetings done, Tim walked over to me, shaking his head ruefully. Youre into some crazy shit.You might want to find another place to stay, I said seriously. I dont think itll be safe around here.Are you kidding? Im never going to find this good a deal. Whats a little death and destruction?Tim His face sobered. Dont worry, Eug. I know what you do. If things heat up, Ill get out.Did you see the living room? Thats pretty hot.Yeah, but so long as the house is standingYoure more difficult than I am. I remembered I was supposed to find a witch to boost the wards around my house. Id forgotten. Instead, I had created some wards of my own, but they werent very strong, as evidenced by the recent invasion. A witch couldnt keep everything out but would do a better job than me.Tim grinned. Well, lets not get carried away. Anyway. You look like youre in the middle of something. You want anything? Chicken soup? Foot rub off?You can get me a Milky Way. And see if my Def Leppard CD survived the war zone.Dont get your hopes up on that last one. He said au revoir to the others and left.An odd man, mused Maiwenn.You have no idea.Yet, while Tim and I had bantered, Id noticed Maiwenn and Kiyo utter quietly to each other in the corner. She had rested a hand on his arm as they talked, and there had been something almostintimate in the way they stood together. Like they were comfortable being in each others personal space. Very comfortable. I remembered Kiyos resolute support of her, his claim that he worked with her because he believed in her cause. But was that truly it? Or was there more? She was a good friend. They stood apart now, but a jealous, ugly feeling kindle in my chest.She finally turned away from him and gave me a small, tight smile. I dont mean to be rude, butIm not feeling well and must return home.Its no problem. Thanks for coming, andthank you for healing my mother.Maiwenn nodded, and I could tell she really was sick. Weariness ringed those lovely eyes. Im happy to. And Im glad we were able to talk. You have no idea how relieved I am to see where you stand. Ill do what I can to keep others from trying totake liberties with you.Kiyos fingertips fleecy her arm to stop her, and I watched that contact with a critical eye. clutches for me outside.She nodded and then swept out of the room in all her sumptuous beauty. Kiyo walked over to my bed and sat down, running a hand along my cheek.Im glad youre okay. When I walked inI thought you were dead.Im hard to kill, I said lightly.He smiled, shaking his head with exasperation. I can believe that.Reaching down, he picked up my hand and brought it to his lips, eyes on mine. He lingered a moment, and my skin burned where he kissed me. Then carefully, gently, he set my hand back down, lacing his fingers with mine.Im going to make sure she crosses over okay, and then Ill be back to stay with you.You gonna take care of me? work my feet and feed me chicken soup?Anything you want, he promised. Thats what friends do. He kissed my hand again and then stood up. Be back in a few minutes.I could still feel where hed kissed me, but for once, my infatuation with him went on hold. I was mentation about the conversation Id just had. It still bothered me, but Id meant what I said. Learning gentry magic was about the scariest thing other than attaint by a mud elementa l that I could imagine right now. Yet, I wanted no more storms in my living room, no storms anywhere that I was incapable of controlling.And for what it was worth, that meant getting a grip on my power. I knew whom I had to go to for that control, and it held its own set of terrors. Necessary evils, though. I had no choice.So while I waited for Kiyos return, I began a mental to-do list. Summon Volusian. Plot strategy. Buy high-heeled shoes