Page 74 of Conquering the King of Storms

“How are you feeling?” Sirus asked me, his voice quiet and his magic lifting my feet off the muddy ground.

“Not great?” I shrugged a little, worried he would get upset by my honesty.

“It’s hard being back out here,” he admitted instead.

My throat swelled, and my eyes burned a little. “Yeah, it is.”

“We’re not back to where we started, though.” He squeezed my hand lightly in his. “I’ve learned to control my magic. It’ll get harder, when Dove has power of her own, but I’m confident that you won’t leave me insane for long.”

I choked on my tears, mixed with laughter. “Oh, are you?”

He made a noise of confirmation. “My magic will drive you insane with whispers of the filthy things I’d like to do to your body. Eventually, you’ll cave and kiss me.”

I laughed again, without the choking this time. “Probably accurate.”

He flashed me a grin.

We continued walking a bit longer. It was almost completely dark outside. “It feels like I’m back in the forest with just Ivy, when you and Dove were insane,” I admitted to Storm. “I know I’m not, and you guys are here, it just… feels like that.”

“Feelings are difficult creatures. I’ll make more of an effort to make you smile while we walk.” He tugged me closer, slipping his hand out of mine and wrapping it around my waist. “This time, there’s an end in sight. We’re fairly confident that you’re a wind fae, correct?”

“Correct.” I leaned my head against his chest.

“The walking will be easier on your body when you’ve changed, so you only have to survive a few days to the heart of the water land, and then two weeks or so to the heart of the earth land, and then two more weeks to the heart of the wind land.”

“That’s an entire month,” I shot back, my eyes burning again. “It’s so fucking long. And I’m sotired, Sirus.” I stopped walking, and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in for a massive hug. It didn’t magically cure anything, but it made me feel slightly less alone.

“I know.” He pressed his lips to my temple. “After we reach my people’s land and you’re transformed, we could disappear for a few days. I have a cave hidden away in the mountains in my land; we can travel there through the winds, and spend time alone together.”

“What about Dove? We can’t leave her.”

“She loves the water fae. Spending a few days back in their main city with Tariq and Ivy won’t hurt her feelings in the slightest.” He stroked my braids slowly.

I snorted. “You’re supposed to pretend not to know his real name.”

Sirus chuckled. “Why pretend when I know the truth? He’s not here; my words offend no one. If he were transporting in, we would feel his magic.”

A thought occurred to me.

A wonderful thought.

“Tariq can transport.”

“Mmhm. All of us kings can. The elements course through every inch of our land and sky, and our power is strong enough that we can tap into those elements.”

“Right, but Tariq couldn’t transport us because his fire would cook us. Quake can’t because we can’t breathe stone. Flood can’t because the water would drown us…” I peered up at him. “Why can’t you?”

His gaze was tilted up toward the sky, and I could see him thinking it through.

I’d wait all fucking night for him to think throughthat.

“I suppose there’s no reason it wouldn’t work,” he finally admitted, stroking my braids thoughtfully. “It would exhaust me for a few days, traveling with so many people while I’m already weakened, but I’d survive it. We’d have to try a short distance, first. I won’t risk hurting you.”

“Deal.” I squeezed him tightly. “Take me back to camp.”

“That’s a little too close, love,” he said with a chuckle.

My eyes closed, and I felt the wind blow around us madly.

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