40. Arim

Chapter 40

Arim

I flew through the door with Aerolus and Marcus hard on my heels. The sight that met me stunned me into immobility. Nohjen was nowhere in sight, but Lexa lay back on the couch, panting as she clutched her belly and moaned.

"Lexa?"

"Get over here," she yelled, and the temperature in the room cooled considerably.

Marcus shook his head. "I'm still not sure why I like her, but I do. You'd better do what she says before she nails you to the wall."

"Was Nohjen here?" I demanded.

"Here and gone to hell. Now, are you going to fetch Arla or not? The babies are coming."

I paled and vanished, returning moments later with the Dark Lord healer. She took one look at Lexa and tried to send the men from the room while I struggled to remain calm. Hell, I'd dealt with ogres, crafty Aellei, and demons. But this slight Dark Lord was turning me inside out. She was having my babies. Here. Now . I wanted to sit down but didn't think I should get too close to Lexa. She looked like she wanted to maim me.

"Blue, honey, I love you. What can I —"

"I know you want to be here, but if you stay, she just might kill you," Arla said with a grin, her wizened face full of wrinkles. "First birthings are particularly painful."

"Tell me something I don't know, Arla," Lexa snapped, sweat pouring from her despite the near freezing temperature in the room.

Before anyone moved, Jonas and Cadmus flashed in with stupid grins on their faces.

Cadmus beamed. "We just had a girl. Ravyn Alexandra Storm." Cadmus glanced at Lexa and had to look twice. "Wow. Hell of a day, eh, Arim? Good luck, Lexa. All I can say is, thank the Light I'm off the hook."

Jonas bowed his head. I felt him absorb Lexa's next bout of pain, easing her a bit.

"Blessings of the Dark upon your line, Dark Mistress." He raised his head and winked, then turned a sly glance toward me. "Don't be too upset if the kids all look like me."

Marcus choked on a laugh as Jonas grabbed Cadmus and teleported them away before I could turn Jonas into stone. How hard would the Darkling laugh at that ?

Lexa cracked a smile, so I reluctantly forgave the impertinent Djinn.

"Can I take the pain, Blue?" I braved her wrath and took her hand in mine. Her grip hurt . "Or maybe you can take mine by not breaking my hand."

"Funny." She panted, and I sent her a wave of Light to ease her burden.

"Stop that." Arla frowned. "It's not seemly for a Dark Lord to have help. Let nature take its course. The more it hurts, the stronger the babes will be."

"Arla." I scowled. I refused to let Lexa go through this alone.

"It's okay, Arim. I wanted to do this without any outside influence." Because I'm an idiot. I clearly heard her thoughts, though I knew she was unaware of broadcasting them. "If you'd just —"

" Uncle ." I stilled at Darius's message. " Samantha's giving birth. Two sons! No wait, here comes another. " I relayed the information to the others as Lexa nearly broke my hand. I tried to coax her into deep, measured breathing, but she nearly bit my head off, so I refrained from commenting.

"You know," Aerolus said with a twinkle in his eye. "I had a feeling Darius would be the next overking. Since we, and Cadmus, are now out of the running," he said to Marcus. "There's just one arrogant, explosive Storm Lord left."

"Wait," I said, holding up a hand.

" One more! Three boys. We have three perfect little Storm Lords ."

I frowned. Something wasn't right.

"They're coming," Lexa cried out and gripped hard. No matter what she said, I refused to let her take the whole burden. And when I lent her my strength, she didn't protest.

"We'll, uh, wait outside." Marcus hustled Aerolus out the door despite his protests.

An hour later, I left the cottage to find all four of my nephews waiting. Though all four looked pleased, they also looked worried.

"Uncle Arim?" Aerolus ventured forward. "Are Lexa and the babies okay?"

"Not that we were trying to be nosy, but we didn't hear anything." Marcus cleared his throat, concerned.

"We didn't have the twins I was expecting." I didn't understand what any of this meant.

"I'm so sorry." Darius came forward, a somber expression darkening his face, and he grabbed me in a tight hug. He let go, and the others offered their support.

I took a deep breath, trying to muddle through the cloud of joy tangling my thoughts. "We had four girls. Four identical daughters."

They froze and looked at each other, and then my nephews burst into delighted laughter.

"What's so funny?" I still couldn't get over this happy yet nerve-wracking situation.

" You're the next overking," Cadmus said with a chuckle. "Mr. Diplomacy," he mocked. "Take one step closer and I'll fry your sorry ass," he mimicked my baritone. "Oh, we are in for a world of hurt."

"Now wait a minute," I tried, but Darius cut me off.

"Thank the Light. I was worried when Samantha kept popping them out."

"‘Popping them out?'" Marcus frowned. "Really, Darius."

Darius grinned. "They're perfect. I was excited at one, then two, but at three I was getting nervous. Light be praised, she stopped."

"You know, this actually makes sense," Aerolus mused. "There's no greater balance between us than Arim and Lexa, a Storm Lord and a Dark Lord. As we all know, Tanselm has always had a more feminine temperament."

Cadmus grimaced. "Though I hate to agree with the professor, here, he has a point. Arim, you and Lexa were clearly made for each other, and well, no one else can really handle either of you. Imagine how difficult your kids will be."

We all chuckled, though I didn't know if that was exactly something to laugh at.

Marcus nodded, a wide smile on his face. "We each deal with the headache of running a territory, and big bad Uncle Arim gets the entire kingdom. Sounds good to me."

I groaned. "I don't think Lexa's going to be very happy about this." She already had issues being so much in the public eye. I knew it would take both patience and understanding until she finally put the past behind her.

Though annihilating Nohjen was a good start. I shook my head, so pleased with my scary wife.

"Look at it this way," Cadmus said, his eyes sparkling. "Four girls with Storm Lord and Dark Lord magic won't take crap from anyone, ever. Especially with you for a father and Lexa for a mother. Hell, they'll probably have their own affai eating from the palms of their hands when the time comes."

"Just like us." Darius wiggled his eyebrows and gave me a smug smile I wanted to wipe off his face.

I shuddered at thoughts of dating and suitors for my daughters. My daughters.

By the Light. I was a father. To four beautiful, perfectly adorable baby girls. And I had the most wonderful —

Arim, Lexa mentally yelled for me.

— if not biddable, goddess of a wife.

Happiness welled inside me. I only wished Ravyn were here to share it. I turned to my nephews, awed at how they'd matured, at how their lives had been changed by the experiences shaping them, by the women with whom they'd bonded.

"I know your mother would be so very proud of you all. I'm glad to finally call you family." Once Sin Garu had been destroyed and the land somewhat put back to rights, we'd held a general announcement.

I was officially recognized as the Storm Lords' uncle. The only explanation the people had been given for the deception had to do with security, yet I knew there was a part of my life that would always remain a mystery to me now that Ravyn was gone. I didn't much mind so long as I had my family and Tanselm to protect.

My nephews beamed. I felt their love and Tanselm's like a warm blanket.

"But if any of you ever joke about my daughters dating again, I'll let Lexa loose on your sorry hides."

There were many apologies and promises to visit and bring the children together. When I rejoined my wife, I felt butterflies of love flittering over me. She lay on our large bed looking at our daughters clustered around her.

"You really are the Guardian of Storm," she murmured as I leaned down to kiss her.

I gently lay next to her, careful not to upset my girls on the other side of her. "What I am is yours. Forever."

Tears glistened in her heart-stopping gaze. "Don't you forget it."

I laughed softly, so very pleased with the treasures in my life. "That's my Blue. Stubborn to the end."

* * *

T hank you so much for reading about the Storm Lords and their quest to save their world and find love. Ravyn is happily in the Next with Faustus. Jonas and Remir are settling into life in Tanselm, and Sava is playing doting uncle to his precious nephew while battling his time with the demons.

But the challenge is really on for Arim and Lexa and their four lovely and powerful daughters. I love making the girls, a mix of Light and Dark, the real heroines of the story. Because they will keep Tanselm healthy with their love and balanced powers.