Storm’s Request

MADDIE

I turned over, my eyes opening sleepily.

Hael and Loch perched on their elbows above, gazing down at me.

“Someone’s here to see you,” Loch said brightly.

“Ugh!”

Couldn’t I catch a break?

I finally had my mates back, and I wanted to take full advantage of them.

And who would come bothering me in the morning?

I turned to the clock on the side table. It was 7:30…

~In the evening!~

I hadn’t exactly been on a normal sleep schedule lately.

“Get up, little rat,” Hael urged.

“Ugh!” I tumbled from bed and walked into the master bedroom walk-in closet.

I rarely took from the selection he added for me, but I figured now was as good a time as any for a lazy outfit.

I took a simple grey suede dress from a hanger and pulled it over my head.

I stumbled to the front door and pulled it open.

Silver’s long hair glittered beautifully before me. She wore a polite smile.

“I tried linking you, but it seems you’re out of range,” she remarked.

I held up my wrist, gesturing to the mint bracelet.

“One of the stipulations of our relationship,” I explained, though Silver didn’t seem to be interested nor understanding.

“Storm has requested a meeting with you.”

“Again?” I asked. I stopped myself before I rolled my eyes.

Didn’t that old lizard have better things to do than talk to me?

Silver didn’t reply.

“One sec, I’ll get my shoes.”

As I retreated back into the penthouse, I left the door open for Silver. But she remained politely outside.

Back in the master bedroom, I laced up my combat boots, which I’d discarded on the floor.

Hael and Loch were leaning against the headboard, staring at me.

“I have to go see Storm,” I complained.

“We know,” they said in unison.

Loch held out his hand, inviting me to come over.

I kissed his cheek, but he grabbed my chin.

“Aren’t you an important little mouse?” he asked. I couldn’t decipher his tone, exactly, so I just began to make my exit.

“Not so fast!” Loch ordered, and he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the bed between them.

I didn’t even pretend to be upset.

I smiled up at my mates, their expressions soft from sleep, their hair tousled.

Hael leaned down and kissed my cheek so gently it made me shiver.

Meanwhile, Loch licked my neck and bit me beneath my ear.

“Go, little mouse,” Hael ordered.

“And then come right back,” Loch added.

I tumbled out of bed and scurried from the room once more, feeling their eyes on me the whole time.

When I exited the apartment, I realized I hadn’t even looked in the mirror before I left.

~Fuck it.~

“Alright, Silver,” I said. “Let’s go.”

***

Would I ever get used to flying on a dragon’s back?

Even though I’d traveled this very route before, it still dazzled me.

From up here, Requiem City looked beautiful.

This was certainly its best angle.

The blazing reds of the sunset reflected off the windows of Requiem’s tallest and grandest buildings.

And then, slowly...everything faded to shades of grey.

~The Shadow Realm.~

As we flew over the distorted version of the city I knew so well, I reflected on the last time I was here…

It wasn’t so long ago, but it felt like a small eternity had transpired.

Last time, Storm told me I had a powerful friend who could see the future, and I could see the past.

How strange that since that day, I started having the visions.

And Zayda...

If only Storm knew everything she’d seen…

Well, he might. It seemed like that old dragon knew just about everything.

We descended into the steel mess of the city, touching down on a sidewalk that I recognized from ~my~ version of Requiem City.

It was in the Skeleton Quarter.

Here, the Quarter wasn’t quite as depressing as the one in color.

It looked like any old street.

But as I disembarked from Silver’s back, I felt a unique feeling.

I was surrounded by dragons, and ~all of them~ were staring at me.

I straightened my suede dress, pretending that I didn’t notice them.

Silver misted at my side and appeared as her graceful, beautiful human form.

“What now?” I asked, anxious to get the show on the road.

“Storm’s on his way.” She smiled. I could only guess how long those two had been together, but she still lit up when she said his name.

If I wasn’t so anxious, I might have thought it was sweet.

Well, probably not.

I exhaled, draining my lungs through my nose.

What could Storm possibly have to say to me?

I knew he was powerful. Anything he told me, I would have to do.

I gulped, more nervous by the second.

Suddenly, Storm joined us in the alleyway, lowering himself from the heavens with huge, ragged wings. His tremendous flank was dotted with crater-like blemishes. Centuries’ worth of battle scars, I imagined.

He misted, becoming the elegant silver fox with straight white hair cascading over his shoulders. The scar glowed on his cheek.

“Madeline,” he greeted me warmly. “Welcome back.”

“Maddie,” I replied before I could stop myself.

Storm raised his eyebrows at me, as if surprised by my audacity.

“I invited you here for a little chat,” he finally said in a cool voice.

He snapped his fingers, and a beautifully carved wooden table appeared in the middle of the alley. It came with two fine velvet chairs, though one was decidedly finer than the other. Storm sat in that one. He snapped again, and two cold glasses of water appeared.

“You have been quite the productive girl since our last meeting,” Storm remarked, eyeing me with interest.

I didn’t appreciate his condescending tone.

“Loch is back, so I hear,” Storm said mysteriously, “and I would like to congratulate you on a job well done.”

“Hael helped, too,” I pointed out.

“Humble, too. How divine,” he said, sipping from his glass. “I hope you’ll excuse my straightforwardness, Madeline.”

I cringed at my full name, though Storm didn’t seem to care.

He went on, “It’s just that I believe you could be a ~very~ significant player in this huge game of chess.”

“Chess?” I asked.

“Perhaps an ill-fitting metaphor. I simply mean that, more than a game, a ~war~ is coming.”

He delivered this news lightly, like the weather forecast.

“The dragons of Requiem need a hero,” he elaborated, “and it could be you.”

“Look, sir—”

“Call me Storm.” The dragon beamed.

“Storm. I’m not sure I’m ready to be ~anyone’s~ hero. And what’s this about a war?!” I added.

“But indeed, you are a hero already,” the dragon said, ignoring my question. “Killing Lochness was no easy feat. And ~you~ killed him—without killing Loch.”

He smiled at me over his folded hands.

My head was swimming. It was the same way I had felt ~last~ time I saw Storm. I didn’t even know what question to ask first.

And odds were, he wouldn’t answer any of them.

“You are quite impressive, indeed,” he praised, taking another sip from his glass. “I thought for sure that rage just might get the best of Loch.”

“I guess he’s stronger than you think,” I said through gritted teeth.

Storm laughed out loud.

“Oh, perhaps! Really, ~you~ are stronger than I thought. Or perhaps I am losing my touch.”

His eyes narrowed evilly.

“Excuse me?” I whispered.

“I placed a rage charm on Loch,” he said, waving his hand. “Or should I say, Lochness.”

~What?!~

Speaking of rage, it clouded my consciousness. Before I knew it, I was standing. I jumped onto the table, running straight for Storm.

I was going to make him taste my fucking combat boot.

But as I kicked, my foot halted midair.

“No, no, street rat,” Storm called. His hand was extended before him, creating some sort of forcefield around him.

And then he twitched his finger, and I went flying.

I face planted and rolled onto the street. I tasted blood, and my knee had scraped against the gravel.

When I looked down, I was cut. But it was a deep grey, not red.

“Shall we try again?” Storm asked pleasantly.

Did I have a choice?

I stood and returned to my seat once more. I gritted my teeth.

Kicking the shit out of Storm clearly wasn’t a viable plan of attack. I’d just have to grin and bear this.

“Of course, your friend the Blood Raven may also be the hero we need,” Storm went on as if he hadn’t just sent me hurtling into the asphalt. “So, we will just have to see how all of this develops.”

~Zayda?~

“But don’t worry yourself too much. You’ve already learned Freesia’s Song, after all.”

Why was Storm acting like I ~wanted~ to be his fucking hero?

“Who’s song?” I asked.

“Freesia,” Storm said, as if it was obvious. “The woman who cursed us all.”

I gulped, and my anger turned to fascination.

The song that came to me in a vision was ~hers?~

It was immediately obvious—Freesia was the woman in my dreams.

~She was the woman trapped between two men. Stuck in a hellish maze.~

She was mated to twin leading breeds...just like I was.

That’s why I understood her pain…

~She was the mother who wouldn’t look at her child.~

Because she already knew its bloody destiny.

I gulped. Tears stung behind my eyes.

~Why~ was I reacting this way?

Storm examined me from the head of the table. I felt like a bug under a microscope.

“If you can access Freesia, it is possible ~you~ could be the one to break the curse.” Storm smiled devilishly. “Which is quite interesting indeed.”

I glared at him.

“I’m not sure I find it ~interesting.~ This is my life!” I cried.

“Oh, indeed,” Storm said, putting on that grating fatherly tone again. “The road before you is long, little rat. But I will always be here to help you.”

I glared at him.

He snapped his fingers and immediately turned into a decrepit old man with rotten teeth, snarled hair…

I gasped.

He was the man from the Skeleton Quarter!

And then, with one more snap, he was the composed and elegant patriarch again.

“I know you better than you might think, Madeline,” he grinned.

“Maybe. But if you think you can control me for your ~war,~ you’re wrong!” I shouted.

Storm threw back his head and laughed.

“Don’t worry yet, rat. Before we know if you will be of any use, you need to learn more about your past.”

“I don’t give a shit about my past,” I spat. It was true. My mother was dead, and I wished my father was too.

That was all I needed to know.

“Oh, you just might find that you ~do,~ little rat,” Storm purred. “For your past is very interesting, indeed.”

I had just about had enough of Storm telling me what I wanted and needed.

Because it was clear that it was all about what ~he~ needed.

As if reading my mind, his voice cut through my thoughts once more.

“All dragons of Requiem need to know if you’re the second coming of Freesia.”

In the grey light, Storm’s white teeth glittered madly. “We need to see if you’re the one who can break her curse.”

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