South of Surrender (Hearts of the Anemoi)

  He mentally body-checked his anxiety, and threw himself into kissing her so deeply, so completely, so thoroughly, that he forgot all the rest of the shit going on in his head. Just forgot the hell out of it.

  And, was it just him, or did the sounds of her pleasure increase the more aggressive he got?

  The question blazed through his blood and had his cock punching at his jeans. So little separated him from her intense heat. And he was so fucking tempted to will the clothing away and slide home.

  An awareness of energy slid through his mind. Just as Chrys’s brain came back online, a voice called out from the back porch. “Hey, when you two lovebirds are done out there, we’ll be waiting for you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Omigod!” Heat flooded her cheeks. What the hell was she thinking, jumping Chrys with his whole family just inside? And they were all gods, too. Like humiliating yourself in front of other humans wasn’t bad enough.

  “Go to hell, Z.” Chrys stroked the side of her face. “Ignore him. He’s an asshole.”

  “I heard that.”

  She choked on a laugh, the good humor in Chrys’s voice easing her discomfort.

  “You have any brothers?”

  “No,” she managed.

  “Lucky,” he groused.

  “Chrysander.”

  “We’ll come in when we’re good and ready, you dig?” For a long moment, his lips hovered just shy of hers. And then he kissed her. Soft and slow. “You’ve honored me, Laney Summerlyn,” he said in a low voice, just for her. As if his earlier actions hadn’t done enough to warm her heart, his words touched her further. A sudden burst of wind swirled around them. He groaned, his forehead falling atop hers. “I’m sorry. He’s not going to leave us alone.”

  Disappointment had no more begun warring with embarrassment when they were suddenly on their feet again. “Holy crap! Give a girl some warning, would ya?”

  He kissed her cheek. “I’ll try. It’s kinda second nature to me. Come on.”

  “Wait.” His heat and light paused in front of her. “Do I look okay?” She smoothed her hands over her hair.

  “By the gods, you could never look just okay. You are a beautiful woman. And they will love you.”

  She blew out a breath, nerves tossing her stomach. “Okay. You’ll have to guide me, though. I don’t have my cane, and everything here will be unfamiliar.”

  “So, how do I—”

  “Just hold your arm straight down and walk normal. I’ll hold on and follow. Let me know if we come to any steps or doors or obstacles I need to step over.” She moved to his side and took hold of his bicep just above the elbow.

  “A lot of flat grass and then three steps at the porch.”

  “Okay,” she said, walking a half step behind him. Scanning her gaze over their path, Laney attempted to paint a picture of where they were for herself. She pushed away the disappointment that she couldn’t see the way she had moments ago. “Who lives here?”

  “My nephew Owen and his wife Megan. And their son, Teddy.”

  “Owen’s the snow god?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And is Megan a god, too? Er, a goddess?”

  “Nope.”

  “Oh.” So, a god could be with a human? Could have children with a human? Cart before horse much, Laney? “And, uh, who else will be here?”

  “Just my brothers, Boreas and Zephyros.”

  “Right.”

  “Okay. Three steps up. There’s a handrail.”

  Laney found the metal rail, forgetting until she attempted the first step about her stitches. She gasped and paused. “Stitches,” she managed.

  Next thing she knew, she’d blinked in and out of the elements again, the momentary explosion of color revealing what he’d done.

  “Problem solved,” he said.

  She couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “Z,” Chrys said.

  “Chrys. Laney.”

  “Hi,” she said, her gaze finding Zeph’s blue aura next to Chrys’s golden one.

  “Been here long?” Chrys asked.

  “No. Just got here when I harassed you.”

  Chrys muttered something in that language she didn’t understand and the wind gusted out of nowhere.

  Zephyros laughed. “Come on in. We have business to attend to and we don’t have all night.”

  In the distance, thunder rumbled. Laney lifted her gaze to the sky. Great. Just what she needed. A storm when she was someplace she didn’t know.

  “You okay?” Chrys whispered as he guided her forward. She nodded, nerves returning. “Okay, the door opens to the right. There’s a small step up…now.”

  Laney cleared the doorway. The screen door and inner door closed behind her.

  “Small mud room, then kitchen, then living room after that.”

  “Thank you,” she squeezed his arm and worked to assemble a picture for herself. The dim room they entered opened into a brighter, larger space. The change in the lighting momentarily stole the rest of her sight. Ahead, Zeph exchanged pleasantries with a woman.

  “Where’s Ella?” the female voice asked.

  “Be here any minute.”

  “Good. Chrys,” the woman’s voice exclaimed. “I’ve missed you being here all the time, eating my food.”

  “Well, there’s no time like the present.” He chuckled. For a moment, he seemed to lean away, but not so much that Laney had to drop his arm. “Good to see you. That baby ready to come out and meet his uncle yet?”

  Laney scanned her gaze over the woman. Blond hair. Big smile. No glowing aura.

  “Bite your tongue, Chrysander Notos. I might be big as a house, but this kid can stay put for another month or two.”

  There was a pause just long enough to feel awkward. Thunder cracked in the distance, but closer than before. “Megan, this is Laney Summerlyn. Laney, Megan.”

  Laney extended her hand. “Hi, Megan.”

  A cool hand slipped into hers. “Welcome, Laney. It’s nice to meet you. Why don’t you all head into the living room. Owen and Boreas are in there.” Something about the tone of her voice changed. She sounded…excited?

  “This way,” Chrys said to her.

  Zeph’s heavy footsteps went ahead of them, then suddenly stopped. Next to her, Chrys drew a sharp breath.

  “Good gods!” Zeph’s footsteps continued into the room. Stopped again. “Boreas?” A weighted pause filled the room. “Welcome back, brother,” Zeph said, his tone different—more serious, almost relief-filled.

  “Thank you, Zephyros,” a deep voice said. More formal than the others. His aura was a bright white. Next to him, another god, with a softer white light, stood.

  “Dude,” Chrys said, still next to her. “You got a makeover.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Laney tried to follow the conversation, attempted to visually piece together who was who, but because of the number of glowing auras in the room and her general unfamiliarity, she was uncomfortably ungrounded.

  “I’ll be right back,” Chrys said. She forced a smile and nodded. “Da-yum, B. You are totally rocking the twenty-first century.” Laughter and teasing followed.

  Someone slipped in next to her. “My father-in-law completely changed his appearance,” Megan whispered. “They’re just seeing it for the first time.”

  Laney smiled, genuinely this time, Megan’s kindness easing the awkwardness. “How drastic of a change?”

  “From long hair and beard and, uh, outdated clothes, to short hair, shaved face, and new clothes.”

  “They sound happy.”

  “Yeah.” From Megan’s tone, Laney knew she was smiling. A crying sounded out from somewhere in the house. Upstairs? “Oh, darn. I’m sorry. That’s Teddy. I better go get him.”

  The men all offered apologies for the rowdiness of their reunion as Megan crossed the room and made her way up a set of steps on the far side, from the sounds of it. Rain pattered against the windows and, outside, the winds gusted.

&nb
sp; A moment later, another god—a woman, by the voice—entered the room, a new round of greetings and exclamations erupting over the surprise Boreas had presented.

  Unsure of the layout of the room, Laney was momentarily trapped by her disability. Thunder rolled across the sky like a growl, until it sounded from right above them. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt this out of place, this out of control. She hugged herself and wondered if it was a mistake to have come.

  …

  Chrysander turned from the group to find Laney standing where he’d left her. But…she appeared different, like she’d shrunk into herself. He bit out an ancient curse and crossed the room. “I’m sorry, Laney. Come meet everyone.”

  “Maybe you should just take me home. I don’t—”

  “I would really like you here. With me.” Way to go, Notos. Thoughtless, much? He cupped his hand around her neck, massaged the tense muscles he felt there. The strangely intriguing desire to strip her down and treat her whole body similarly surged through him. The image was immediately appealing and so damn sexy.

  “So you can protect me.”

  Responses competed for air time, but Chrys dismissed all the rationalizations for the truth. “Because I want you to be here.”

  Finally, she nodded.

  “Here. Take my arm.” Relief flooded through him when she did. “Everyone,” he said in a raised voice. “I’d like to introduce you to Laney Summerlyn.”

  One by one, Chrys said their names. Laney seemed to let her gaze rest on each person, almost like she was studying them. With this many people, would she be able to keep them all straight? If the gods all appeared to have auras to her, maybe that would help.

  Chrys frowned, hating the idea that she would feel even a little uncomfortable. “Hold on a second. I have an idea.” He took her hands. “You trust me?”

  She gave a small, uncertain laugh. “Sure.” He pulled her into the elements. The room appeared around them, along with its four inhabitants. Make that six—Megan descended the stairs with Ted in her arms.

  This might make it a little easier. Sorry I didn’t think of it sooner.

  You did this so I could see them.

  Yeah. He glanced to the men, all of whom were aware of what he was doing. The approval was palpable in the room.

  Chrys ignored their attention and introduced her to them again.

  He tried to see them as she might.

  Zephyros, with his flaring blue eyes and short brown hair, stood close to Ella, a pretty woman with brown hair and eyes. The pair couldn’t stop touching one another, and it was easy to see the affection between them. Not surprising after everything they had gone through to be together. An unfamiliar pang of envy rolled through his being.

  In the center of the semi-circle stood his oldest brother, now ruggedly handsome with gray eyes that flashed to silver and short, spiky hair. Given the youthfulness of his face, Chrys wondered if the pure white of his hair surprised her. It was certainly incongruous, and the transformation was definitely something he never thought would happen. Seeing Boreas like this again was a moment Chrys would never forget. And he could tell from the emotion that had overcome Zeph when his brothers had exchanged greetings that it was the very same for him.

  Next, he reintroduced Owen, with his dark eyes that were actually two different colors, a fact that his long hair sometimes hid. And completing the group was the very pregnant Megan, whose blond waves Teddy gripped in his fist. With an arm around her shoulders, Owen pulled the pair into his side and kissed them, the baby first, then Megan. And Chrys’s unfamiliar envy got that much more familiar.

  Thank you so much, she said to him. I can’t tell you how much this helps. It was very thoughtful.

  I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. It won’t happen again. At least, I’ll try my damnedest.

  “I don’t mean to rush you,” Zeph said, “but we should begin.”

  Boreas nodded. “Yes. Before the storm rages out of control.”

  Chrys returned them to corporeality. It was time to say what needed to be said. Long past time, actually. He guided Laney over to an armchair, and she sat. He remained by her side as everyone found a seat wherever they could. Overhead, thunder cracked and rumbled. Another reason to get on with it.

  In the Realm of the Gods it was a different story, but here on Earth, the longer multiple Cardinal Anemoi congregated in one place, the more the elements from their respective realms would clash and collide. Should they stay together long enough, what seemed a typical summer storm would escalate into a devastating maelstrom that would spare nothing and no one.

  They had twenty, thirty minutes. Tops.

  Which meant he needed to face the shitstorm he knew would erupt when he revealed why he’d been incapable of subduing Eurus all summer.

  As if to underscore the point, thunder crashed so explosively the windows rattled and the house shook.

  “All right, Chrys. Let’s hear it. What in the name of Hades has been going on between you and Eurus?”

  The question hung in the air for a long moment. Chrys debated whether to start at the beginning or just come right on out with the doozy of a revelation he’d been sitting on most of the summer.

  Fuck it. Shit, meet fan.

  Feeling Laney’s warmth near him, he met Owen’s eyes, then each of his brothers’. “Eurus has Father’s firestone ring.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Zephyros jumped to his feet. “What did you say?” Save Megan, everyone else joined him. Five pair of eyes cast their critical judgment upon him. The air in the room took on an electrical quality.

  “You heard me. Eurus has the firestone ring.” Every muscle in Chrys’s body went rigid, bracing for whatever they threw at him. He’d deserve every bit of it.

  “What in the seventh circle of hell are you talking about?” Zeph growled.

  “Wait. That gaudy thing with the wings?”

  All eyes whipped to Ella. “How do you know that?” Boreas asked.

  She paled. “That night. On the bridge. He wore it then.” She didn’t need to explain further. Everyone understood implicitly that she referred to the night Eurus had killed her human form by throwing her off the tallest tower of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Chrys hated that he’d made her relive even a moment of that night.

  Zeph materialized right in front of him. “By Zeus and all the gods,” he hissed. “Why have you withheld this from us? That was the end of March!” For a long moment, lightning illuminated the world outside the windows as if it were day.

  Behind Zeph, Ella gasped. “I didn’t know it was significant. I’m sorry.”

  He returned to her side and took her face in her hands. “You have no cause to apologize, love. You had no reason to know. Unlike him.” Fierce blue light slashed from Z’s eyes. Thunder clapped and rolled, the loud rumble going on so long it seemed it might never stop.

  “He’s right,” Chrys said. Their disapproval sat like a jagged block of ice in his gut.

  Teddy whined and fussed in Megan’s arms. “I think I’ll take him upstairs,” Megan said in a small voice. Owen helped her up and kissed her cheek, his intense, strange eyes following her like he was torn between joining her and remaining. Dark light flared from his gaze when it cut back to Chrys. “Go on,” he said.

  Chrys blew out a breath. “I didn’t know right away. That night, I went after Eurus. For a long stretch of days, I could not find him.” Chyrs had assumed he’d holed up at his ancient citadel in the eastern extreme of the Realm of the Gods—it was a place the brothers had always avoided because Eurus’s ability to bestow misfortune and unluckiness was strongest there. “In the meantime, things were touch and go with Ella. So I hung at your place and decided that, if all else failed, I’d resolve it once and for all when I came into my season upon the summer solstice.”

  “I’m still waiting to hear something that justifies sitting on this revelation, little brother,” Zeph said.

  “At first I went after him with both barrel
s blazing. Unsuccessfully. I figured his besting me stemmed from desperation, that he knew he was fighting for his godhood. And then I switched tactics and tried to reason with him.” Zeph bit out a curse in the ancient language. Undeterred, Chrys pushed on. “The first time we conversed, I saw the ring.”

  “That was still nearly three months ago. Damn it all to Hades!” Wind pounded against the side of the house, a preternatural freight train of sound.

  “Look, now it’s crystal fucking clear I made the wrong decision. But at the time, I thought I could handle it. It was my season. I was by far the strongest of any of us. If not me, then who? One of the Olympians? I feared going to them might’ve put Father’s head on the chopping block, too, for not confessing the loss of the ring.” He’d tried to protect everyone’s interests, and ended up failing right down the line.

  “Zephyros, the bandages Father wore that night at the Acheron. You asked him what happened and he brushed it off,” Boreas said.

  “Good gods, you’re right. How in the hell could Eurus have bested Aeolus? When would he have ever had the chance?”

  “Eurus was hurt, too,” Ella said, as if thinking out loud. Zephyros turned to her. She drew a line down her face with her finger. “That night, he had some sort of a mark or cut. Even in the dark, I could make it out.”

  Chrys had become well familiar with Eurus’s disfigurement, but, for the longest time, not with how he’d come by it. Not until the night he’d crashed through Laney’s roof, that is. “Yes. She’s right. And I think I have a good idea how it happened.” Debating only a moment, he pulled off his shirt.

  Gasps sounded out around the room. Fuck, did he really look that bad?

  He gave himself a quick onceover. Enormous, uneven twisting scars above his right pec, a slashing whip mark on his left arm, a minefield of bruises and assorted smaller scars. His back wasn’t much better. Okay, so he wasn’t doing any underwear modeling or winning any beauty pageants, that was for damn sure. What would Laney make of his scars?

  Chrys traced the deep scar on his forearm. “This is what appears on Eurus’s face.”

  “You were whipped,” Zeph said, voice full of outrage. The lights flickered once, twice, but held. “And…stabbed? Is this from the night you crashed through Laney’s barn roof?” Chrys nodded. “Fucking hell, you are lucky to have survived.” After a moment, Z pointed at Chrys’s arm. “I wear those marks on my back, as you well know. How would Eurus have gotten whipped in the face? Father has his faults, but he would never have done that.”