Storm Born Page 0,127

in his wide eyes. It occurred to me then I'd nearly forgotten about my captivity while working the magic. The experience had actually been remarkably like when Dorian kept me tied up. Maybe there'd been more to that method than his own kinky tendencies.

None of Aeson's guards - the few who were left - moved from where they stood. I wondered if it was like in those films where killing the head zombie stops all the rest. Kiyo trotted up to me. Blood and dirt spattered his fur, but his eyes shone with eagerness and anticipation, like he could have fought all night. Volusian stood nearby, watching all with an unreadable expression on his face.

Looking around myself, I received the full impact of what I'd just done. Whatever else wasn't water in the body lay scattered out in a wide radius from where Aeson had stood. I recognized blood and bits of bone, but most of the debris consisted of slimy, nondescript blobs. Bile rose up in the back of my throat, and I worked to swallow it down. God, what a mess. No wonder the guards looked at me like some kind of monster. I had craved the strength Storm King's inherited power could give me, but this...well, I didn't know if I could handle this on a regular basis.

"Sire!"

Shaya came tearing through the trees, breaking into the clearing. She looked remarkably fresh compared to the rest of us, but then, she'd probably spent most of our battle time running back to us, once she'd set the trees in motion. She knelt beside Dorian, cradling his head. I'd almost forgotten him in the aftermath.

Running over, I dropped beside her. To my surprise, he looked more dirty than burnt. His skin appeared to have the nastiest sunburn of his life, and his clothes had singed and melted in some places. He looked exhausted, like he could keel over at any minute, but he still had the strength to push Shaya away when he saw me.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He struggled to sit up. "Eugenie - "

"How the hell did you survive that?" I exclaimed.

"Earth shield. It's not important. Listen to me, you have to - "

"Your majesty, we have to get you to a healer. We can't stay here."

I nodded my agreement. "She's right - "

"Damn it! You're both welcome to fuss over my body as much as you like later. Right now, you have to act." Reaching out, he grasped my arm, fingers digging in painfully to make his point. "You have to act now if you want to put Aeson to rest."

I glanced around at the gore. "He's pretty rested. And I don't feel his shade. He's gone."

Dorian shook his head. "Listen to me. Find his blood, er, what sort of passes for it." He scanned and caught sight of a small puddle of water that looked to have some dark blobs in it in the poor lighting. "There. Touch it, and then stick your hand in the ground."

Shaya made a small sound of surprise.

"Why...?" Bad enough I'd caused this mess. Now I had to touch it?

"Just do it, Eugenie!" His voice was ragged but forceful, and he reminded me of the time he'd fought the nixies, hard and fierce.

"He's right," came Volusian's more subdued tones. "You must finish what you started."

Still not understanding, I did as they asked. The liquid was still warm, and I felt my stomach turn again as I dipped my hand in it. I sensed a tension in Aeson's guards as they watched, but none of them intervened.

"Now put your hand in the earth," said Dorian.

Frowning, I tried. "I can't really go in. The ground's too hard."

And then it wasn't. My fingers sank in. It was easy. The previously hardened dirt turned soft, like quicksand, pulling my hand in until I was wrist-deep. I wondered if Dorian had done something magical.

He shifted over to me. "Tell me what you feel."

"It...it's soft. And, well, it's dirt."

"Nothing else?" His voice surprised me. Anxious. Desperate.

"No, it's just - wait. It feels...warmer. Hot almost. Like it's moving...or alive." I looked up at him, frightened. "What's happening?"

"Listen to me, Eugenie. I need you to think about...life. Vitality. Picture it in your mind. Whatever setting makes you feel alive when you're outdoors, makes you feel connected to the rest of the world. Cold. Rain. Flowers. Whatever it is, visualize it as sharply as you can. For me, that life is autumn on my father's estate when the oaks are