Heart's Storm (Falling Underhill Book 4) Read online

  “There is a distinct lack of underwear in Underhill.”

  “We control the mist and matter, we also have sex a lot, so underclothing just slows things down. The normal layer is just enticement.”

  “I look like a column of fabric. How enticing can that be?”

  He chuckled. “When you take a step, the fabric outlines your breasts and hips with every shift and sway.”

  She made a face at him, and he kissed her forehead.

  “Audra, I enjoy everything about you. With or without clothing.” He grinned as she swatted his arm.

  She chuckled. “Fine, where are these trees I am to seduce.”

  He squeezed her. “Very funny. We will speak to them respectfully, and you will at no time offer yourself to them. They might take you up on it, and unless we were pursuing children, we were not fussy about the gender of our lovers. The ladies are just as likely to want you as the men.”

  He finally let her go and took her hand, leading her toward the forest. They had arrived twenty feet from the trees and now made their way into the forest. He led her deep into the woods, and then, he spoke, “So, ask them what you will.”

  She nodded and stepped forward and away from Raiden. She stepped over a few roots and stood for a moment with faces emerging into view on the trunks of the trees. She curtsied for the first time in her life. “Good folk and excellent trees. I have been brought here to speak with you, and I have a question to ask you.”

  She waited until the faces looked interested. “If you are content with your life here, as it is, please ignore me. If you are curious about the mortal realm, give me a seed, and I will take it to the mortal realm with me. I will plant it, nurture it, and when it grows into a tree, you can emerge, and arrangements will be made to introduce you into the human world to live in the wild and bright lights of humanity. It will be a step down for many of you, but it is still a step.”

  She looked at the confused faces on the trees. “I am offering to plant you in the mortal realm, but you must remain here to give the seed enough energy to grow. You would be in two places at once and able to fade back to Underhill if you wish it. I am about to begin a tree farm with the storm king, and your seedlings would be well-tended. Please, give it consideration.”

  Raiden stepped toward her. “We will return at regular intervals and collect any seeds. The intervals will be about fifty years apart.”

  There was a thud in front of Audra, and she looked down. An acorn the size of her palm was sitting on the ground. She picked it up, and the face that formed to look at her winked. It was female, and it was eager.

  “Lady Habina.” Raiden nodded to the face.

  There was another thud and then another. Audra looked at them and then Raiden. “Can you make a basket?”

  He grinned, and the first twenty volunteers were acquired. She looked at them and smiled. “Thank you for your adventurous spirit. I shall endeavour to bring you to strong and vigorous health.”

  She looked around. “As for the rest of you, we will bring you news of how the planting is going. Please retain any seeds that you would consider until the new growth tells you how they are doing. From what I have been given to understand about the connections between realms, they will be able to speak to you. You just have to listen to them.”

  She curtsied again and took Raiden’s arm. He led her out of the forest as a few branches snagged on her gown. When they were clear of the forest, he wrapped his arms around her, and in a rumble and flash, they were next to his bed.

  Audra looked up at him. “Really?”

  He grinned. “It will be only seconds in the mortal realm. We can take our time.”

  She blinked, glanced at the bed, and then back at him. She walked to him and ran her hand up his chest to his neck. She muttered, “Two days here, cover the acorns; I don’t want them watching.”

  He flicked a sheet over the wide-eyed acorns and lifted her up so that their heads were on the same level. She looped her arms around his neck, and she nipped at his lips. He chuckled, and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

  He was larger than he had been but still within reason. He supported her with one arm and bent her back to unsnap the closures of her dress with his teeth. He nuzzled at her breasts, taunted her with his tongue, and sucked until she twisted against him.

  His clothing came off eventually, but it was only when she was wrung out, and her skin was tingling from the delicate application of tiny lightning that he moved over her. Her skin was glowing with sweat, and his body slid over hers as he pressed into her.

  Audra arched into him, and she groaned as he entered her. She gasped and stroked his ribs, digging her nails into his back and sliding her fingers down to grab his ass as he thrust into her.

  Gasps, moans, and groans filled the room.

  He whispered, “Look at me.”

  She opened her eyes and found herself looking into the heart of the storm. His gaze locked with hers as he thrust into her, and she saw the moment that pleasure overtook him. It was a moment before lightning struck her soul as well.

  She felt the light caress of his lips on her eyelids before he kissed her cheeks and her mouth. She opened her eyes. “You are a little bigger in this shape.”

  He grinned. “I would apologize, but you have taken me with only a little trouble.”

  She chuckled. “If you weren’t in control of the humidity around you, you never would have fit.”

  “I only had to intervene a little. You took me like you were made for me.” He nuzzled her cheek.

  Audra sighed and ran her hands up and down his back. “You seem content where you are.”

  “Oh, I am. There is nowhere I would rather be except...” He put his hands under her, twisted to his back, sat up, and lifted her, turning her around and sliding back inside her. She faced a mirror that swam out of nowhere.

  He met her gaze in the mirror, her breasts covered in his hands, and his lips at her neck. “You look lovely.”

  He kneaded her breasts and sucked at her neck. She shivered and closed her eyes.

  He bit her shoulder gently. “Watch.”

  She gasped when he bent forward and caught them on one arm. She braced her hands on the floor, and he thrust into her. She looked up and caught his gaze in the mirror. He kept his gaze locked with hers as he gripped her hips and rocked inside her with deep plunges and slow retreats.

  Raiden leaned forward and took his weight on one arm, pressing the other to her belly as he sought and found her clit. He slowly circled it, and she felt the slippery touch on her delicate skin. He brought his own lube.

  She gasped and bucked against him as the pressure and contact worked with the friction of his cock inside her to set her on fire. She shrieked, there was no other word for it, and no one in the vicinity to hear her.

  His hands slammed down next to her, and he shoved himself in deep. Shaking and straining as he sought to become part of her.

  She grunted and held herself steady against him, bracing her arms while he slowly collapsed onto her. He was heavier than she could manage, and he flattened her against the floor.

  When she could breathe again, she started laughing. Next to her ear, he muttered hotly, “Why are you laughing?”

  “I always imagined elves as delicate and graceful things.”

  He licked her ear, and she shuddered, clasping him inside her. “Are you saying I am not graceful?”

  She squirmed to get away from his teasing tongue. “Fine, you are graceful but not delicate.”

  He sucked at the upper curve of her ear, and she trembled. “Take it back.”

  She squirmed away from him. “I am not calling you delicate.”

  He laughed and flipped her back to the bed. “You will. Before we leave here, you will call me delicate, dainty, or anything else I wished to be addressed as.”

  Audra looked up at him. “I thought storms were supposed to be surly.”

  He grinned an
d lifted her leg, pressing kisses on her inner thigh. “No, they revel in bringing rain, clearing damage, and creating new pathways for water. Sure, they lose control now and again, but who can blame them?”

  She laughed again, and the laughter turned to moans as he showed her how delicate he could be.

  In the end, she called him anything he asked her to.

  Chapter Eight

  Audra blinked at the interior of the teashop while held in Raiden’s arms.

  Darius looked at them and poured another pot of tea, bringing it over. “You were gone for quite a few minutes. What did you all get up to?”

  She looked up at Raiden, and he looked down at her, smiling, “Hello, Princess.”

  The missing time slammed into her brain, and her knees gave way. Raiden scooped her up, took a seat, and put the acorn basket on the table.

  She was shaking in the aftermath of that memory storm. The crotch of her jeans had also gotten exceedingly damp.

  Darius looked at her, and his eyes widened. “Her eyes are entirely pupil. What the hell, Raiden?”

  Her breathing was fast and shallow. She turned her face to Raiden’s chest while she calmed down from reliving two days of debauchery that were now vividly clear in her mind.

  He ran his hand through her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “She had a rough few days.”

  She punched him.

  Darius chuckled. “Ah. The time compression.”

  “And the thunder and the lightning.” Raiden was horribly smug.

  “How do you use thunder during sex?”

  The other elf was actually curious, so Raiden went through a detailed description of the sonic effects of close-quarters thunder and the lightest application of lightning over a large surface area.

  She kept her face averted until her body was under her control. When Raiden tried to demonstrate on her arm, she extended her knuckles and punched him in the ribs. He winced and grunted. “My dearest lady protested, so I shall leave the demonstration.”

  Audra took the soothing caress of his hand down her back to be an agreement to keeping his mouth shut and his hands to himself.

  She finally exhaled and lifted her head. “Right. Tea?”

  Darius smiled and inclined his head. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Sexual matters are often openly discussed. How else are we to improve?”

  He poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her. With a great deal of focus, she kept the cup from rattling in the saucer and sipped at the tea.

  “So, what’s in the basket?” Darius grinned.

  She set the cup down. “Seeds from the faded. Twenty of them to plant in the mortal realm to strengthen the link between the planes.”

  Darius’s mouth opened in shock. “You explained it to her?”

  Raiden snorted. “Of course. She would learn of it sooner or later. I thought it best to get things out of the way immediately.”

  Darius nodded. “I will make a note of that. Has Petal responded to you?”

  Audra lifted her phone from the table. She smiled. “Yes. She has. When would you like her to start?”

  He looked at her, and there was a nervous expression in his eyes. “Monday?”

  She grinned. “Monday it is. She will get minimum wage plus five dollars an hour. She has the management skills to deal with things that will arise if I am no longer here. She also is excellent at making things sprout, though I am guessing you are aware of that already.”

  He laughed. “Yes, I have noticed that effect. It kills me that she will not know me when she first sees me.” He sobered swiftly.

  Audra chuckled. “Don’t worry. She will remember in a rush. Though, she will feel exactly as she did the last time you two were together. For Raiden and I, that was an extremely intimate parting. I am guessing it was less so for you.”

  Darius sighed. “It was not a great final impression. I hope to make up for it with additional grovelling and a pledge to honour her wishes at all times.”

  “Remain honest. It will be helpful, and I will keep her working until you two can make contact and we can arrange a smooth transfer of duties. She can take over, and I can figure out what I am doing next.”

  Darius chuckled. “I finally found something that Raiden has not told you. His land purchase was a Christmas tree farm. There are still several lots up there to harvest, and this greenhouse is now in partnership with his farm. There is already a crop growing, so you need only decide what the next shall be.”

  She chuckled. “So, soil correction is on the agenda, by additive or repairing plant crop. That is annoying.”

  Raiden leaned down and whispered, “I will have to take you on a tour. What are you doing today?”

  She blinked. “Continuing the inventory and making sure we have all the trays we need to start things. I was going to order a pallet or two of soil to get started.”

  Darius smiled. “Leave me the numbers, and I will place orders for whatever you need. You and Raiden can take those seeds up to the farm and scope out an area for the grove.”

  “In other words, get them out of the teashop.”

  Darius was looking at them, and he flipped the covering over them. “I swear that two were flirting with me.”

  She grinned. “That is likely. They kept uncovering themselves at Raiden’s place. I think they were peeping.”

  Raiden chuckled. “Probably. Mortals used to have less stamina than we did. Once we got into practice, you kept up just fine.”

  She really wanted to elbow him, but her arms were occupied with the tea set. She finished the tea, set the cup and saucer down, and then she said, “Well, that is that, I suppose.”

  She looked at Raiden. “Are we just going to poof and appear there?”

  He grinned. “I thought we would take the truck. I have been enjoying using modern conveyances.”

  Audra laughed. “Fine. Let me get my coat and bag.”

  She got out of his lap with a little bit of effort and headed across the lot back to the greenhouse. She set everything up, got the numbers, and wrote down the order. She put on her coat and headed back to the teashop. A five-minute briefing with Darius and she was ready to leave. She picked up the basket with the huge acorns and smiled at Raiden. “Ready when you are.”

  He rose to his feet, and she chuckled. “You may want to shrink down to human size.”

  He blinked and resumed his human glamour. “Thank you for reminding me.”

  Darius chuckled. “You would have remembered when exiting the shop.”

  Raiden offered his arm, and she chuckled, sliding her hand to the inside of his elbow. It was a short distance to be so formally escorted, but she enjoyed it. He opened the passenger side of the pickup truck and kissed her as he settled her in with the basket.

  He closed the door and circled quickly to get into the driver’s side. The vehicle sprang to life with a muted roar; he buckled up and put it in gear.

  “How far away is it?”

  “If you drive from your home, about an hour and a half. From here, just over an hour. If I were to create a portal from your home to the property, it would be instant for you.”

  She chuckled and watched the city fade to countryside. “I don’t know how much longer my house will be mine. My parents mentioned getting a condo today, and to do that, they need to sell the property that our homes sit on. With today’s social climate, a dower house is highly desirable on some land. The zoning for the extra house is a nightmare nowadays.”

  He glanced at her. “You will have to find another place to live?”

  She looked over at him and the feigned innocence in his expression. “Don’t look so smug.”

  He sighed. “It was not important at the time, but when your parents mentioned selling during the negotiations, it became an idea in my mind. I don’t have a house, though, so I set about finding a property that was suitable to build on. The fact that it had a Christmas tree farm on it was secondar
y.”

  “Conifers are brutal to the soil. They make everything slightly acidic. Compost can compensate, but it is arduous.”

  “I believe that labour can also be arranged. The local immigrants from Underhill are eager to keep the ties between them and us. They will help when we need it.”

  “You have a lot of faith in that.”

  He laughed. “Our influence has been felt in this realm for thousands of years. Now that there is an exodus from Underhill to the mortal plane, they still crave the blessings and magic of home. The six of us are still strong enough to provide the blessings they seek.”

  “What does a blessing entail?”

  Raiden chuckled. “Usually a fertility blessing. While we do not possess the skills frequently, we can bestow them on others.”

  Wanted kings in the mortal realm suddenly made sense. “So, they are trying to breed into the human population.”

  “Yes. The lives are shorter, but they are brighter.”

  “So, what will the kings do when their mates fade away?”

  He smiled. “We have discussed it at length, and we decided to treat Underhill as a retirement scheme. The children will be born and raised, and then, the bride and her king will retreat to Underhill, living hundreds of lifetimes together and returning to the human world for weddings, babies, and sadly, funerals. We will live on together until we grow tired and either return to the mortal realm or become trees in Underhill.”

  “Wait. Why is it always we? You are going to outlive me by a considerable amount.”

  He grinned. “And now I will introduce the concept of the handfasting.”

  “The what?”

  “The handfasting. You and I stand together in nature, declare ourselves to each other, and a ribbon is wound around our hands and wrists to symbolize the connection. In our case, the ribbons will be worn around our wrists and visible only to other fey.”

  She frowned. “What do they do?”

  “They bind two lives and energies together. If you die, I die, and I can only do that if I have passed my powers along to an heir.”

  “An heir?”