Ryder on the Storm (6 page)

“Alright, alright, I am up and moving!” To illustrate her point, Storm sat up and threw off her cover in one fluid motion. “Ten minutes.”

True to her word, ten minutes later Storm stood outside the cherry-wood six-paneled doors that led to the family study. Pushing the doors inward, Storm noticed immediately that the study was completely unchanged, and still completely unlike any study she’d ever seen. As a child, she’d spent hours reading on the patched up, antique sofa. Every book that filled the floor to ceiling, handcrafted cherry wood shelves an original print. The massive shelves spanned three full walls, the fourth a wall of glass with doors that opened to a patio overlooking the orchard. Storm spun around for a moment, taking in the thousands of glorious books in every genre imaginable. She had read them all by her seventeenth birthday, even the family histories that appeared to be locked in the same glass paneled cabinet that had housed them during her childhood. A fire danced in the cobbles-stoned hearth and the heavy cherry wood mantle still held all of the familiar pictures of Storm at various stages of life. She walked over and ran her fingertips along the mantle, stopping at a picture of that had been taken in the orchard just before she’d left. The last picture Aunt Trin had taken of her. She remembered the day. A throat cleared behind her, pausing the walk down memory lane. Storm turned to face the inevitable.

Dan sat at the enormous cherry wood desk. Her ancestors clearly had a thing for cherry wood. Sheesh. At least Aunt Trin and her mother had added some personality by way of various stained glass lamps including a small butterfly one on the desk. Shane lounged in her father’s camel-colored wingback chair. It too had seen better days but he looked comfortable enough. The closeness of the space suddenly felt suffocating. She crossed to the wall of windows and began pulling back the heavy, burgundy velvet draperies.

“Storm, don’t open them yet.” Dan’s voice broke the silence. It wasn’t an order but left no room for her to deny him. Storm felt their eyes were on her even before she looked at them, their gorgeous faces more serious than she’d ever seen them. This would not be something she wanted to know.

“Babe, will you please sit down? We really need to show you something, it would be best with the drapes closed.” Now Shane chimed in. They were ganging up on her. Cheaters.

Storm moved woodenly to the sofa. She sat and found a stray thread to pick at, better than to meet their eyes. Easier. Less uncomfortable.

“Storm.” Shane knelt in front of her. “Babe, it is just us. We have answers for you. A lot of them, but you need to face us.”

Sighing, Storm slowly lifted her eyes and found Shane’s. They were different. He looked different. Dan knelt beside his brother. They each took one of her hands and smiled, their teeth glowed, was that the right word, sudden word-finding issues were a sign of stroke, right? Where did that thought come from? The room seemed brighter too. A silvery light seemed to radiate from the guys. And then, there they were, the wings flapping softly. Dan and Shane. Shane and Dan. Dammit. How could she not have seen it before. Some Seer she turned out to be. Aunt Trin would be ashamed. Aunt Trin. Double Damn. She had
known
. Aunt Trin knew. That’s why they were allowed to sleep over. That’s why she pushed their relationship. Protection. They were her protection. And they knew about her all along. Storm connected the dots quickly, that meant, no. Nope. Uh-uh. No way. She didn’t even believe in it.

“Yes. Storm. Yes. You know it in your heart. It is time to accept who you are.” A voice echoed around her, velvety smooth and soothing like a cool breeze and then it was gone, a figment of her imagination. Storm shook her head, her mouth silently opening and closing for a minute until she found words again, “No. I will not. I am not.”

“If you keep running they will only grow more painful until they blind you. Babe, you don’t want that. You knew when you came back. That’s why you came back.”

The wings were gone. Just Dan and Shane kneeling before her smiling their silly boyish smiles. Storm looked at them, shock rolling through her. She finally felt something toward them, withdrawing her hands from their grasps, Storm slapped them simultaneously across their gorgeous faces.

Ryder

Ryder’s dreams had been vivid, more than unusual for him. All of them were of Trin Sullivan, or her niece; their faces interchanged several times over the restless night. Flame red hair spread across his black satin sheets, creamy skin flushed from their activities. Ryder’s arousal verged on painful and he wished that Rosalee or Angeline were around. No, he actually did not. It seemed unlikely that any female would be capable of fulfilling the gaping hole left by Trin – until he glimpsed her niece.

He sensed her before the familiar red hair caught his eye. Something about her felt different, she had a good deal of magic in her and that meant she probably had the Sight. Dammit. He needed to check her out, his sources had been wrong. How could she have evaded them? Trin had lied to him. Why? How? And worst of all, Storm had the book. Ryder knew she moved into the estate already. Had she discovered the room yet?

Too many questions. This girl. One girl. The last of her line. What if she could save him? For a fleeting moment Ryder wondered at the possibility of having children of his own, aging, having an actual endgame. Excitement fluttered in the pit of his stomach, the possibility of another Sullivan Seer filled him with new hope. This would have to be handled carefully, even more so with Roane in town. He really had no choice, he needed Lucian’s help and he needed the book. Ryder sat up and ran his hands through his hair. This would get complicated. First things first though - a cold shower.

The shower did wonders, but the dreams nagged at Ryder’s conscience, how did he know the girl’s face? He shrugged it off, probably just imagined it in from the photographs at Willow Wood, some trick of his subconscious. Hell, Ryder did not even remember her name, something odd, Spring or Autumn, Rain maybe? He would find out soon enough. Ryder threw on a long-sleeved, black thermal shirt and his favorite Express jeans minus the belt. He would need all of his, er, assets today.

Rosalee and Lucian were laughing in the kitchen when he walked in. The scent of coffee hung in the air, overpowering even Rosalee’s gardenia perfume, not an easy task. Lucian’s face lit up when Ryder entered though the effects of the prior evening remained evident in the dark circles beneath his eyes.

“I see you borrowed some clothes. By all means, help yourself.”

“Well, brother, you were clearly too indisposed to be bothered with such a mundane question. I peeked in your room and you were snoring like a hibernating bear.” Lucian raised an eyebrow, “are we going somewhere this early?”

“If you would accompany me, I would be most appreciative. Your particular skills could be useful where I am going. Get dressed and I will explain on the way.” Ryder nodded toward Rosalee, “Sorry to deprive you of Lucian’s company Rose, I think he will be around for a while though. Could you have some extra clothes set up in the guest suite for him?”

“Of course, Boss. Thanks for the chat, Lucian, I look forward to another very soon.” She winked and flipped her hair seductively before sashaying out of the kitchen. Lucian had the decency to wait until she was well out of earshot before letting out a long, low whistle.

“That woman is smokin’, brother. Have you partaken of her fruits at all?” When Ryder shook his head disbelief colored Lucian’s face, “How is that possible? If you would have waited ten more minutes you’d have found her bent over the counter and well in the throes of passion with yours truly. She’s got something.”

“Yes, she does, she has eight somethings in fact. You are not the paternal type, Lucian. I would strongly suggest you avoid bending that one over my counter – for more reasons than one. Now stop stalling and get ready. We have an errand to run before we meet the others and it will be questioned if we are not timely.”

“Has anybody told you that you are awfully cranky in the morning? Maybe you just need to get laid, brother. How long has it been?”

Ryder cast Lucian a warning look and pointed in the direction of his room, “Dress now, talk later.”

Lucian grabbed an apple from the bowl on the butcher’s block island and sauntered out the door. Ryder ignored the grumbling that disappeared with his friend. He helped himself to a mug of Columbian and stared out the wall of windows to the woods at the side of his property. The sun’s rays broke through random thin spots in the trees. The leaves seemed to dance in the light breeze. He longed to run the length of the wood, feeling the branches cutting his arms and cheeks, the smell of dampness and sap surrounding him. Trin had run with him once, her laughter carried through the trees and enveloped him. She’d found it exhilarating. They stopped in a clearing and mated like true creatures of the forest. Trin told him that night. Confessed her truth reluctantly. Ryder had replayed the conversation a hundred times, relived the crushing sensation of her words. He might have saved her if she’d been the one. If she had the power she would be alive to run the forest with him, her flaming hair trailing behind as he gave chase.

“Brother, where are you? I thought we had a job to do but you seem more than a little dazed. Coffee is supposed to jump start your day, not send you into a stupor.” Lucian stood a few feet away, suspicion and curiosity warring on his face. “I think it is time you filled me in. Something is obviously up and if you want my help I need the whole story.”

“Lucian, I need to see about a girl.”

“Now you are speaking my language. Let’s go pick up a couple of ladies and have a day with them.”

“No, I have to go see about a specific girl. Trin Sullivan’s niece was in the club last night. I felt something in her. I think there is another Sullivan Seer. And she has the book we need.”

Lucian leaned against the counter and grabbed another apple. He bit into it and wiped the excess juice from his face before speaking. “Brother, you better figure this out fast. If Roane gets wind of it he will not wait to hear your theories, he will take her out.”

Ryder frowned. He’d thought of that too. Still, Ryder had studied the Sullivans for years and it seemed highly doubtful that Roane even knew about the book. “He will not know. She left before they arrived - two seraphs took her out as we entered.” Ryder looked Lucian in the eye and suddenly understood why the others never realized the girl had the Sight. He backpedaled and nearly dropped the coffee cup. “Of course, the seraphs. Trin said that her niece had two close friends, males who would lay down their lives for her. The seraphs not only protected her physically, they shielded her spirit. We will have no idea what power she has unless we separate her from the seraphs which I suspect will be challenging.”

“Seraphs? Hell, Ry, what have you gotten mixed up in here? This girl has to be special if she has two seraphs as protectors. This is going to be fun. I haven’t taken on a seraph in ages!” Lucian’s eyes flared with excitement and Ryder caught a glance of the flame within his friend.

“Lucian, we cannot harm the seraphs, if they protect the girl and she is what I believe her to be, then she needs them. You cannot let the flame out today.” Ryder felt like a parent scolding a naught child. Lucian mocked him with a faux pout before grudgingly agreeing to keep his affinity in check. “Besides, I am merely slipping in to read her spirit and find out where she put the book, if she even knows about it. I need the proof if she truly is the Emerald.”

“Who would have guessed? After all this time you may have stumbled on the Emerald Seer. Funny that you extinguished her whole line first.” Lucian took the last bite of his apple. Ryder opened the oak cabinet door that hid his garbage can and Lucian chucked the core in with a graceful fade-away. He mimicked the sound of a crowd cheering and bowed comically. Ryder chuckled, he missed Lucian and it felt good to share his burden.

“Alright, if you will behave yourself, you can drive. Pick a car, any car.”

Lucian looked like a kid in a candy store, a wide, mischievous grin upon his face. After a few moments of indecision he settled on a vintage Corvette, cherry red with a black leather interior and several customizations. Lucian drove fast, very fast. They arrived at the gates of Willow Wood much sooner than Ryder was prepared to. Their plan remained simple, Lucian just need to distract the seraphs long enough for Ryder to get a read on the girl and then it would pretty much be a ‘run like hell’ situation. There would not be enough time for a true fight if they wanted to be on time for lunch. Ryder clarified with Lucian more than once and ascertained his inner flame remained in check.

They parked the car up the road and scaled the wall taking two different angles to the main house. Lucian knocked first, rang the doorbell, waited, then knocked again. Ryder felt them before he saw them. The door opened and a voice like tinkling bells in his ears greeted Lucian with indifference.

“Greetings, Immortal. To what do we owe this pleasure?” The voice’s owner stepped out onto the drive, his face only half obstructed by the potted shrub beside the entry – definitely one of the seraphs from the previous evening. The other one had not emerged but Ryder could sense him just inside the door. Ryder stretched his sense for the girl, must be in the study. Memories of Trin sprawled on the enormous desk, her creamy skin a stark contrast to the rich wood grain – no, not a good time to go there.