Heir of Thunder (Stormbourne Chronicles Book 1) (25 page)

Gideon and I waved goodbye from the ground as Timony steered
his ship into the clouds. I watched until I could see them no more and, even
after they had disappeared, I couldn’t muster the will to move forward.

“We have to go,” Gideon said.

My shoulders slumped. “I know.”

“It’s not as bad as all that. Lord Daeg is stern, but his
household will treat you kindly. The prodigal daughter is returning to them,
after all.”

“How do you know they’ll see it that way?”

He shrugged. “I have a feeling.

Gideon, Wallah, and I walked in silence through the morning,
conserving our breath for the strain of maneuvering through the rolling
foothills draining out of the Omeg Mountains. There was no road from here, only
a few meager game trails cutting through bracken and brush. We stopped for a short
break in the early afternoon, and I opened our goody sack to share the contents
with Gideon.

“You know my story,” he said after swallowing a bite of one
of Puri’s rolls. He had perched on a boulder jutting into the edge of our
pathway, and he picked at a spot of dried mud on the shin of his tall boot. “But
what happened to you after you were arrested by the politzen? That was the last
that anyone knew of you until I pulled you from Thibodaux’s house.”

I crawled up and sat beside him. “It’s not something I care
to reminisce about.”

“You dreamed about it. Talked about it in your sleep. It
didn’t make much sense, but was it as horrible as it sounded in your dreams?”

“It was quickly becoming that way. If you hadn’t come along
when you had, I—” The words stuck in my throat, and I coughed, trying to
dislodge them. After coughing again, I found it wasn’t words, but a ball of
panic. I only realized I was hyperventilating when Gideon pulled me into his
arms and stroked my hair.

“I’m sorry, Evie, I won’t make you speak of it.” He smelled
like I remembered—sweat, horses, and leather. I wouldn’t have believed, before,
that he could show tenderness to anything without four legs, but this adventure
had changed us both a great deal.

After taking several deep breaths, I chased away my panic. “No.”
I shook my head. “I’m being ridiculous. I’ll tell you about it. Maybe it’ll
sound less crazy on my tongue than it does in my thoughts.”

And, so, I told him. I began slowly at first, but then my
words came faster and faster until the story spewed from my mouth like vomit.

“Do you think it was possible?” Gideon shuddered and
tightened his arms around me. “Do you think they knew what they were talking
about?”

“I hope it’s not possible, but they seemed so sure. You were
right about not trusting Jackie. I’m sorry I was so careless.”

“I suspected he was after your throne, but I never suspected
he had planned something so...
depraved
.” He held me close, and we stood
in silent contemplation while he digested what I had told him.

I couldn’t have named the exact moment when his concern
turned into something else, but I felt it, a humming in his chest, electricity
in his skin. Jackie’s desire for me was a hunger to consume me, to use me, but
Gideon’s felt like a kindred soul offering comfort. I couldn’t stop myself from
accepting it any easier than I could have stopped a speeding steam locomotive
in its tracks. His fingers cupped my jaw. The heat of his approach radiated
over me, and the softness of his lips settled on mine.

A strange and unexpected voice cut through the pulse
pounding in my ears. “Ooh, wir haben schlechte zeitwahl, nein Loren?”
Ooh, we
have bad timing, don’t we Loren?

“Ja. Du hast recht, Aodan.”
Yes. You are right, Aodan.

Gideon groaned and broke our connection—and good thing he
did. Even if the whole world had shown up at that moment, I couldn’t have
pulled away. At least one of us possessed some self-control.

A pair of young men had emerged from the forest, both on
horseback. The one who had spoken first wore his black hair cut in jagged
cowlicks, as if he had done it himself without a mirror. An expensive riding
suit hung on his gaunt frame, and his upper lip showed the shadow of a future
mustache. I couldn’t see the color of his eyes, but the shadows around them
made them appear dark and deep set.

Gideon sighed, released me from his embrace, and slid down
from our perch on the boulder. “Inselgrish, Aodan, if you please. Be a good
little host.”

“Iche spreche Dreutch,” I said.
I speak Dreutchish
. It
was the one foreign language Father had insisted I learn. Coincidence? At one
time I might have thought so. Not anymore.

“Have you brought us a welcoming party?” Gideon slipped into
Dreutchish with the ease of a native-born speaker. The mystery of my companion deepened,
and that only made me more nervous.

He turned to the other boy, a young man with more muscle on
his frame than his companion. He wore his shock of blond hair tied back in a
thick tail much like Gideon’s. “Hello, Loren. Long time no see.”

“Yes,” said the one called Aodan. “We saw a Fantazike
dirigible while we were out hunting and came to investigate what had become of
it.”

“It’s gone now,” Gidoen said. “It gave us a ride.”

“Didn’t know the Fantazikes were so cordial.”

“I guess there are exceptions.”

While Gideon greeted the two young men, I tried to regain my
composure, taking several deep, calming breaths and tucking loose strands of
hair into place. When I shifted to Gideon’s side, Aodan and Loren showed
interest in me again, and Gideon made introductions.

“Evie, meet Aodan Daeg and his cousin Loren. They’re
inseparable and have been hitched at the hip almost since birth. It looks as
though little has changed during my absence.” He swept a hand in my direction. “Fellows,
this is Evelyn Stormbourne, Lady of Thunder, and heir to the throne of
Inselgrau.”

“Which we hear has been toppled quite thoroughly,” Aodan
said and I took an instant disliking to him. “Vater has been receiving regular
updates. We’ve been expecting to see you here, Gid. What took you so long?”

If I were a dog, my ears would have perked, and my hackles
would have risen. A low growl rumbled in my throat, but I bit it back.

Gideon must have sensed the tension in me though. “Easy, Aodan.
It’s been a rough trip. She’s your guest. It wouldn’t hurt you to treat her as
such.”

Aodan narrowed his eyes and sneered. “I’m sure Vater will
have a
treat
in store for her when you bring her to the castle.”

Distant thunder rumbled and everyone turned in its
direction. The sky above us matched the blue of Loren’s eyes, so the warning of
a storm sounded out of place. The hostility between our group thickened, and Aodan’s
eyes flashed. “We’ll be having none of your tricks around here, Stormbourne.
You’re going to learn your place.”

The thunder clapped, and everyone jumped except for me. “What’s
that supposed to mean?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“Everyone take it easy,” Gideon said. “Aodan, we only want
to get to the castle and pay proper respects to your father without any
trouble.”

“Tell that to your little thunder cloud,” Aodan said, but
with less ferocity. He exhaled and shrugged. “Let’s go. We’ll be back at the
castle in a few hours.”

“We’ve only got the one horse,” Gideon said.

Aodan cursed. “Loren, ride ahead. Tell Father Gideon has
returned. I’ll escort them, and we’ll be there by dark.”

“Yes, cousin.” Loren nodded and rode back into the trees
from which he and his odious cousin first appeared.

“Give the girl your horse,” Aodan suggested after a mile-or-so
of moving at the slower pace Wallah required under the burden of two riders. “She
can keep up with me, and I’ll tell them to send a carriage back for you.”

Gideon snorted. “I was about to make the same suggestion to
you.”

I wanted to take him aside and ask him what I should expect.
What had Aodan meant about me “learning my place” and Lord Daeg having a “treat”
in store for me? I wanted to know more about Gideon’s past here, and about his
own family, but he had put on his familiar aloof countenance, the one that
discouraged personal questions.

We reached the outlying homes and businesses of Steinerland
as the blues and purples of twilight deepened. Rough and tumble city boys rushed
by us to light the streetlights before darkness descended. Gideon and I
dismounted to give Wallah a break, and Aodan left his saddle as well, though he
made it seem like a great inconvenience.

“Where is the castle?” I asked Gideon in a soft voice, trying
to discourage Aodan from overhearing our conversation.

“It’s on the other side of the city and a few miles out. It’s
a big estate and ancient. The city built out from the village that used to
support it.”

Aodan overheard us despite our whispers and stepped closer. “Aye,
it’s the largest and oldest estate on the whole continent that’s still held by
its original family. Vater’s only made it richer since he inherited it, and it
sticks like a thorn in the side of Parliament. Vater’s not the king, but people
still treat him like one.”

Aodan’s naked regard for his father reminded me of my own.
Was his father as flawed as mine was turning out to be? Probably. Not that Aodan
would ever admit it. “I don’t know how I never heard about him,” I said, trying
to pop his arrogant bubble.

“Your father kept you in ignorance.” He shrugged. “Bet he
didn’t tell you how much Dreutch hates the Stormbournes, either, did he? The
Stormbournes stole what was rightfully ours. Vater’s going to see that we get
it back.”

I stopped dead in the middle of the busy Steinerland street.
The carriage horses behind us stepped hastily to dodge me. “What’s he talking
about, Gideon?”

Aodan crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head. “Yeah,
Gid, why don’t you explain it to her?”

Gideon’s face flushed and his fists clenched at his sides. I
wondered if Aodan noticed.

“Gideon,” I said. “You’ve been hinting at this since the day
we fled Fallstaff. It’s time I got some answers.”

“Right now?” He rolled his eyes. “Let’s get to Daeg Castle
before it gets any later. We can talk then.”

“You’ve been holding out on her,” Aodan said. “I wondered
how you got her here without putting her in chains.”

Gideon stepped forward. His nostrils flared and he bared his
teeth. “
Shut up
, Aodan.”

A couple passing on the walkway near us recoiled at his gruff
tone. They picked up their pace, hurrying to put distance between us before
they ended up as fodder in a street brawl. Aodan laughed and started off
without waiting to see if we followed.

“Gideon—” I began.

“The chains are starting to sound like a good idea, Evie.
Please, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, but not here in the middle of
the road.”

“Promise me. No more hints, no more evasive answers. You
tell me everything, or I’ll run for it now.”

He blew a noisy breath between his teeth. “I have a horse
and you don’t.”

“I’m a lot smaller than a horse. And I can hide.”

He glowered at me. “Quit being childish. You have to trust
me, Evie.”

“You told me not to trust anyone, remember? I trusted
Jackie, like an idiot, and look what it got me.”

Gideon’s eyes hardened and a muscle flexed in his jaw. He
stepped forward, imposing his superior height over me. “Don’t you
ever
compare me to that vile
Magician
.”

He was so close I could feel the loathing in his words. His
breath burned on my cheek and I tensed, expecting him to strike. He flinched at
my reaction. His shoulders drooped and he backed away. “Run if you want to,
Evie, but I’ll track you to the ends of this world. And, unlike Faercourt, I
won’t give up.”

I closed my eyes and stumbled as a wave of nausea washed
over me. “How—how do you know he’s given up?”

Gideon voided his anger with one whooshing breath. He pulled
me to him and pressed his lips to the crown of my head. “I
don’t
know,
but he’ll not ever have you—not so long as I live.”

Though I had only recently begun to know him, I believed he
never made meaningless vows. He waited silently for me to make the next
decision.

I wondered what other choice I had? Go along and trust him
to keep me safe, or spend my life looking over my shoulder? How long would I
last? “Okay, I’ll come with you. I hope to the gods I won’t regret it.”

Gideon relaxed and let me go. He stepped back, and cool
night air seeped between us. “It’s only about five more miles. Do you want to
ride Wallah for a while?”

“No,” I said. “You set the pace. I’ll keep up.”

Gideon and I hurried through Steinerland and caught up to Aodan
as the cramped buildings of the city spread out again. A dark forest enshrouded
the majority of the castle, which sat high on a distant rise. Warm lights
burned in its windows, appearing like tiny fireflies from this distance.

“Did you talk some sense into her?” Aodan asked without
looking back at us.

“I wasn’t sure before,” I said, “but now I’m absolutely
certain I don’t like you.”

Gideon coughed and smothered a laugh, but Aodan gave me a
black look. “Feeling’s mutual.”

“Gideon, what are you to Daeg?” I asked, ignoring Aodan’s
insolence. “Are you related?”

Aodan snorted. Gideon cut his eyes to him, frowning as he
said, “My mother’s sister was Daeg’s second wife. He was briefly my uncle.”

“Was?”

“My father is notoriously hard on his women,” Aodan said. “Gid’s
aunt lasted the longest of them all, so far. Vater’s on his third wife, now.”

Gideon’s hands grasped the leather of Wallah’s reins and his
knucklebones pressed white against his skin. If I were Aodan, I wouldn’t have
had the courage to turn my back on Gideon, but he continued to chatter in
ignorance. “Gid here is bereft of motherly influence in his life. His mum died
giving birth to his sister, and his aunt raised him until Vater finished her
off. How old were you then, Gid?”

Wearing a rancid smile, he waited for Gideon’s response. I
had known Gideon long enough to understand the depth of his rage at that
moment. Why hadn’t he already punched this idiot in his horrible mouth?

“You were about nine or ten, then,” Aodan continued. “I was
six, I think. I remember you, standing there at her funeral, brave as a little
man, refusing to shed a tear.” He paused and narrowed his eyes at me. “I
idolized Gideon, like a big brother. Father has always treated him like a son,
and that is just as well since Gid’s own father is a drunken sot who can raise
a glass, but not a son...
or
my father’s horses anymore. What do you
think it was that did him in, Gid, your mum’s death, or the fact that she left
him with a soft-headed daughter in her place?”

Gideon never had a chance to respond. Before I could think
about it, I had reared back and thrown a solid fist into the brat’s rotten
mouth. At the same moment, the heavens exploded over us and sent down a
pounding flurry of rain and wind. Aodan, never expecting a girl to behave in
such a way, had failed to duck. I hit him hard enough to send him stumbling,
hunched over and clutching his face.

He recovered and came back, angling for a fight. “How dare
you, you little—” A massive paw clamped around his neck and lifted him from his
feet as Gideon slammed him to the ground and leaned into Aodan’s chest with a
heavy knee.

He spoke with eerie calm. “Insult me all you like, but you
won’t lay a hand on her.”

“I won’t have to,” Aodan choked. “Vater is going to do more
than lay a finger on her if she doesn’t do exactly what he says.” A bolt of
lightning streaked through the sky and illuminated the scene. Rain churned the
dirt road into mud and splattered Aodan’s pale face in brackish plops.

“Now, now,
children
.” We all turned to see a cloaked
and hooded figure, seated upon a tall black horse, emerging from the darkness. “This
is not the sort of homecoming I envisioned for our guest.”

A familiar, blond youth flanked the speaker’s left side, and
another cloaked figure, slimmer and shorter, flanked his right.

“They attacked me,” Aodan croaked as Gideon released him.

“You should be able to defend yourself,” the dark figure
said. “No doubt your quick mouth and slow wit got the best of you again.”

Aodan hung his head as he got slowly back to his feet.

The stranger twisted in his saddle and turned his face to
me. “It was a clear evening when we set off from the castle a short while ago.
I’m guessing by the severity and suddenness of the storm that my son has done
something to upset you.”

“Your son?” I said. “Then you are—”

“Lord Aeolus Daeg, and you are Evelyn Stormbourne. Come my
dear, we’ve been expecting you.”

Lord Daeg, his nephew Loren, Aodan, and an older gentleman,
introduced to me only as Steig, escorted Gideon and me for the final mile of
our journey, most of it leading through a dark forest. The gate at the entrance
to Daeg’s estate stood wide open, and lights blazed in welcome. Much of the
ride passed in a haze as my thoughts spun over recent revelations, particularly
Aodan’s words about Gideon’s family: an alcoholic father and a sister who was “soft
headed”? What was that supposed to mean, I wondered? Lord Daeg said he had been
expecting me. Was it because Loren had announced our arrival, or for another
reason—a reason having to do with Gideon’s plans to bring me here from the
beginning?

I had so many questions for Gideon, but Lord Daeg shuffled
us through the imposing entrance of his grand home and into a dining room where
the staff had begun to serve dinner. Daeg swept his cloak aside and handed it
to a waiting servant. The lord of the house wasn’t much taller than me, but he
had the build of a bull: thick neck, tough hide, and a wide, flat nose. He had
Loren’s bright blond hair, but he wore it long and loose. His cloak had kept
him exceptionally dry, as my Thunder Cloak had done for me, and I wondered
about its make and origin.

Aodan, Loren, and Steig took a seat at a large table at the
front of the room near a cavernous fireplace. Several quiet ladies watched us
enter the room with wary gazes and murmured greetings to the men.

Daeg motioned to two empty seats at the opposite end of the
table. “Fill your belly, Evelyn, and then we shall see you tucked into bed. We
have much to discuss tomorrow, and you’ll need rest.”

Gideon pulled out my seat before slipping into his own at my
side.

“I don’t like this,” I whispered when he handed me a basket
of dark brown rolls. I selected one and placed it on my plate without taking my
eyes from his hazel ones.

Gideon leveled his gaze at Daeg, but spoke so only I could
hear. “Try to get along with him. He is no one to trifle with.”

“But what does he want with me?”

Before he could respond, Daeg clanked his fork on his glass,
bringing everyone’s attention around to him. “I’d like to welcome a new member
to our household. Let’s raise our glasses and be thankful that a lost sheep has
returned to her fold, even if it is hundreds of years late. To Evelyn
Stormbourne.” He raised his glass. “May your roots grow deep and your branches
spread wide in this, your new home.”

“Hear hear!” A woman to Daeg’s right raised her glass above
her head and everyone followed her example.

I gave him a stunned nod, and he winked. I hoped he didn’t
expect me to say anything because I had nothing prepared. Every moment since
touching down on the soil of Dreutch—since leaving Fallstaff—had been a
surprise. Particularly his announcement that this was supposed to be my home.

“Loren tells me a Fantazike airship delivered you to
Dreutch,” Daeg said as everyone tucked into his or her dinners. “What an
adventure that must have been, Evelyn. Won’t you tell me about it?”

Because I couldn’t think of any reason not to, I recited my
story from meeting the first Fantazike in the dining room of the Bull and Ram
until the Tippanys set us down on the north side of the Omeg Mountains. I left
out many parts, though, especially those dealing with Le Poing Fermé and their
intentions for my union with Jackie.

“To have a Fantazike as an ally is a wondrous accomplishment.”
Daeg sounded truly impressed. “I have always wondered what it would be like to
fly in one of their ships.”

“For the right price you could probably talk any of them
into giving you a ride,” I said.

“For the right price!” Daeg hooted. “That is their clan
motto, I bet. Ours is
Fortune Assists the Daring
, and the Stormbournes
always said,
Royal is my Race
. I think I like the Fantazikes’ the best:
For
the Right Price
.” He laughed again.

“Excuse me,” I said, interrupting his fit of mirth. “But,
how do you know so much about me, while I only found out about you in the last
few days?”

Daeg’s good humor fled. I started to kick myself for
bringing up such a sensitive topic so indelicately, but Gideon beat me to it,
swinging his boot sharply against my shin.

“Your father never spoke of me, did he? Why am I not
surprised?” Daeg studied me for a moment while he drank from his cup, a spiced
red wine I didn’t care for. “I expect you’ll have plenty of opportunities to
make up for all the knowledge you lack, during your time here in my castle.”

“And how long will that be? My tenure at your castle?”

Daeg stared at me for another prolonged moment before he
answered. “I said this was your home, now. How long you will make it yours is
up to you.”

“So I could leave tomorrow if I like?” Gideon kicked me
again, but I ignored him.

Daeg’s stare turned icy. “But where would you go?”

“I have friends,” I said feebly. Malita, Antonio and
Anatella, the Tippanys... someone would help me, right?

“But child, this is your
family
.” Daeg sounded almost
serpentine as the words slid from his tongue.

I opened my mouth to deny it, but Gideon
grabbed my knee and squeezed, digging his fingers into my flesh. I swallowed my
retort and turned my attention to the remainder of my meal.

After dinner, Lord Daeg stood and took his
leave. The woman beside him exited as well, taking her retainers with her. I
could only assume she was Daeg’s wife. He had never bothered introducing her or
any of the other women. Maybe he didn’t bother introducing women when, like
Gideon’s aunt, he considered them disposable.

Gideon and I remained at the table with Aodan
and the other two men. A girl materialized from the shadows in the corner to
clear the discarded plates, and Gideon stiffened beside me. “Marlis?” he said,
rising from his seat.

“Oh, how heartwarming,” Aodan said through a
mouthful of roast hen.

Gideon glared until Aodan turned his attention
to another helping of potatoes.

Curiosity replaced my appetite, and I pushed
my plate aside and followed Gideon. When he reached the girl, he embraced her.
Their familiarity took me by surprise, sending a spark of a strange emotion
sizzling through my blood. Before I could explore the feeling further, he turned
to me with a bright smile. “Evie, meet my sister, Marlis.”

Sister. My tense muscles relaxed, and I
crossed the few steps between us and smiled at her. The family resemblance was
obvious, and I felt stupid for not noticing sooner. She had hair like her
brother’s, light brown with pale streaks running through it, though hers was
straighter and glided down her back in a glossy sheet. She also shared Gideon’s
granite colored eyes. She studied me as well, and for a moment, seemed afraid.

“Marlis,” Gideon said. “This is Evie. She’s my
friend. I hope she’ll be yours as well.”

Marlis gave her brother a questioning look,
but seemed to accept his words. I didn’t know what to expect when she flung her
arms wide, but then she pulled me into an exuberant hug. Her happi
ness
was infectious, and I couldn’t help hugging her back.

Gideon has a sister. Who knew
? He
seemed such a singular being. I could hardly believe another person shared his
bloodline.

“What are you doing in the castle?” he asked. “Why
aren’t you with Father?”

Her glee drained away, and tears brimmed in
her big, somber eyes.

“Is he at home?” Gideon asked. Marlis shook
her head and stared down at her feet. A tear glistened at the corner of her
eye. He caught it with his thumb before it tracked down her cheek. “What’s this
for?”

“Oh, did I forget to tell you?” Aodan called
from across the room. He leaned back in his seat and smiled like a weasel would
smile, if it could. “Your sister’s come to work in the castle. Your father fell
ill over the winter, and she couldn’t care for him anymore.”

“So where is he now?” Gideon asked.

“Vater tried to offer him a place in the
castle, and whatever treatment the healer from town could give him, but your
father refused. I haven’t seen him since.”

It obviously pleased Aodan to give Gideon the
bad news, and my disgust and loathing for the odious boy rooted deeper in my
heart.

Gideon turned his troubled face back to his
sister. “Is this true?” Another tear rolled down her cheek, and she nodded
until her chin settled on her chest. “Do you know where he is, now?”

She shook her head, and my heart wrenched for
our shared pain of lost fathers.

Gideon rubbed his eyes and sighed. “I’ve got
to find him,” he said. “Marlis, can you take care of Evie, find her a place to
sleep?”

Marlis perked up and nodded again. She had
said nothing throughout our encounter, but she communicated well without words.
What was this tendency of mine, making acquaintances of people with whom I
couldn’t speak? At least it had made me proficient in the dialect of mood and
gesture. Nothing about Marlis’s interactions with us indicated she had any
problems with her head—only her tongue. I would have asked about her condition,
but it was hardly the proper time to bring up such a delicate subject.

“Good,” Gideon said and hugged Marlis before
turning to me. “Evie, you can trust my sister, even if you have no confidence
in me. There isn’t a purer spirit in the world, and she’ll keep you safe.”