Storm Born
Richelle Mead
 Eugenie Markham is investigating her latest paranormal case, a shoe which her customer claims is possessed. Armed with a Glock, two athames and a wand, she fights with the creature inhabiting the shoe, a keres. During battle, the keres propositions Eugenie, also referring to her by her real name, rather than her alias Odile which she uses when dealing with paranormal creatures to protect her private life. Irritated by this, Eugenie is prompted to send the keres to the Underworld instead of her normal banishment to the Otherworld. Back in her car, her secretary Lara notifies her over the phone of Will Delaney who claims that his sister Jasmine was abducted by faeries (although Eugenie refers to them as "gentry") a year and a half ago. Eugenie agrees to take up the case, despite the dangers of a human crossing to the Otherworld. Returning to her flat, Eugenie relaxes in her private sauna and then settles down for the night with a favourite pastime; a jigsaw puzzle. She meets with Wil Delaney to discuss the abduction of his sister Jasmine, a frightened young adult with several irrational phobias. Believing that Jasmine may have been abducted by gentry because of the high fertility rate in human women, she travels to the park Wil believes Jasmine to have been kidnapped from. Eugenie senses a magical presence and Wil tells her that a sprite told him that his sister was being held by a king named Aeson. He also tells her that the sprite referred to her by her real name again, which irritates her further. Fearing a trap, Eugenie leaves undecided about whether to pursue the case. Eugenie visits her mother and her step-father Roland, who confirms the existence of Aeson but warns her not to travel to the Otherworld despite the safety of a young girl, which he justifies by stating that gentry kidnap human women all the time and "that's the way it is." Eugenie argues that she wishes to travel to the Otherworld to save Jasmine. She returns home, where her flatmate Tim is entertaining women, alleging his Native American heritage before leaving to a concert with them. After another puzzle, Eugenie decides to go to a bar in attempts to forget her decision over Jasmine and the Otherworld. Inside the bar, Eugenie begins flirting with a stranger named Kiyo(taka). He casually admits his attraction and desire towards her and that he is a veterinarian with five cats (four named after the riders of the apocalypse - the fifth named Mr. Whiskers) and two dogs. The two dance erotically and then head back to Kiyo's apartment. They sleep together twice, during which Kiyo scratches her on the back. They are woken in the middle of the night by a strange presence. Eugenie identifies it as an ice elemental from the Otherworld, but before she can attack, Kiyo does so instead. The ice elemental calls her by her real name and propositions her. Eugenie is able to reach her wand and banishes the ice elemental back to the Otherworld, leaving her and Kiyo to demand explanations from each other. He displays knowledge of the Otherworld and jumps off of the balcony when Eugenie threatens to banish him. Feeling betrayed by Kiyo, Eugenie orders room service under his name for vengeance and then returns home. She eventually decides to travel to the Otherworld to find Jasmine and investigate the strange actions of the creatures appearing in the human world, much to her mother's displeasure. Roland reassures her over the sexual soliciting of the creatures. Eugenie goes home and summons Volusian, her spirit servant who tells her that Aeson is king of the Alder Land and is too powerful for her to fight alone. He suggests that Eugenie ask help from Dorian, king of the Oak Land, but she rejects this idea because of her mistrust for all gentry. Instead, she summons two other spirits named Nandi and Finn, but they also believe an alliance with Dorian is the most practical. She refuses once more and decides to storm Aeson's castle to rescue Jasmine. Wil Delaney insists on accompanying her, Eugenie agrees believing it is his own fault if he is killed, taking Nandi, Finn and Volusian as well. They travel to a crossroad within the human world and travel to the Otherworld, finding themselves in the Rowan Land. After a confusing journey where Eugenie believes to have seen a fox watching her, they are attacked by horse-ridden guards, although the group fight they are outnumbered and captured. One of the guards, Rurik, identifies her as Eugenie Markham and he reveals himself as the ice elemental who attempted to rape her. She tells another guard, Shaya, that she demands to speak with King Dorian, and they reluctantly take the group to the castle. Eugenie and her group meet with King Dorian, who is unfazed by her demands and takes an immediate interest in her. He offers her hospitality and protection, inviting her to dinner but she refuses to eat. Eugenie notices how exhibitionist the gentry are, the dinner guests nervously challenge her and object to her casualness and lack of respect towards Dorian. However, the guests are intrigued when Eugenie brings up the topic of modern medicine, particularly fertility treatments and IVF. Dorian then escorts Eugenie to his bedroom to talk privately. Although she tries to inform him about Jasmine and Aeson, he tells her the story about the Storm King, a powerful warlord who ruled a vast area of the Otherworld. Dorian tells her that Storm King was killed by Roland Markham - Eugenie's step-father, and then agrees to send a spy to help her to infiltrate Aeson's castle. Curiously, Eugenie shows him the scratches given to her by Kiyo, and Dorian states that it is a means of tracking her. He then offers to fight by her side against Aeson if Eugenie agrees to sleep with him, but stating that she will eventually agree despite her current answer. Dorian introduces her to Gawyn, who travels with Eugenie and friends to Aeson's castle, but the guards are aware of her presence and capture her. Wil Delaney confesses to betraying Eugenie, giving her to Aeson in exchange for Jasmine. Aeson reveals his wish to "beget the heir" with Eugenie, and is surprised by her confusion to the reference. Aeson tells Eugenie that Storm King is her real father, and before he can take her away, a fox attacks him and transforms into Kiyo, although shocked Eugenie attempts to rescue Jasmine, but the girl attacks her and runs to help Aeson, who refers to Eugenie as "Storm Daughter" and suggests that she asks Roland who her real father is. Eugenie and her friends are forced to flee back to the human world. They awake in the human world, Eugenie tries to attack Wil, but instead dismisses him. She asks Finn what Kiyo is, and he replies that Kiyo is a half-kitsune. Volusian confirms Aeson's claim that Eugenie is the daughter of Storm King, who abducted her mother and impregnated her. In order to protect her, Roland killed Storm King when he attempted to take Eugenie away to the Otherworld. Volusian also tells Eugenie of a prophecy dictating that her first son will reconquer the human world, as was Storm King's vision, thus the reason for the propositions made by many of the Otherworld creatures. A few days later, Eugenie confronts Roland and her mother over the claims, they confirm it, telling her that Storm King lured her out to a crossroad to take her to the Otherworld, but she fought back. Roland then hypnotised her and repressed her memories. She goes to her car and sees Kiyo watching her in his fox form, angry at everybody's deceit, Eugenie leaves. In her private sauna, she recalls one of the suppressed memories about Storm King, waking up to a strange presence in her home. She is attacked by a Gray Man who attempts to rape her, but she escapes and defeats them, shortly after Kiyo storms into her home. She is angry at him for lying and believes that he slept with her to fulfill the prophecy, but retorts that they used contraception. He tells her that Maiwenn, the Willow Queen asked him to find her and mark her to make sure that the prophecy did not come true, as she is openly opposed to Storm King, unlike Dorian who openly supported him. Kiyo tells her that he will protect her from paranormal attacks, wishing to be friends if they cannot be lovers. After Kiyo leaves, she summons Volusian and he tells her to claim her heritage as the daughter of Storm King to intimidate those trying to attack her, and that King Dorian is helping to protect her, however they both suspect he has ulterior motives. Eugenie keeps contact with Kiyo, who watches over her as a fox. Her mother apologises to her and she forgives her, Eugenie asks her if she was ever happy with Storm King, but her mother tells her that she hated every second of her imprisonment, and that Eugenie inherited his violet eyes. Suddenly, the house is attacked by spirits who knock her mother unconscious and capture Eugenie. A mud elemental appears, threatening to kill her mother if she doesn't submit to him. Unexpectedly, the mud elemental and the spirits are killed by lightning which she unconsciously summons. Eugenie collapses, awakening to her mother, Kiyo and Queen Maiwenn - who is relieved that Eugenie has no desire to fulfill the prophecy. Wishing to control her magic, Eugenie travels to the Otherworld to ask Dorian to teach her. He tells her not to trust Maiwenn as she has no reason to keep her alive, whereas he wishes Storm King's heir to be born, and will protect her. He offers to teach her if she sleeps with him, she refuses and they agree to pretend to be lovers, Dorian kisses her and notes how she is tense around him. In the human world, Kiyo confronts Eugenie about the rumours and she explains the situation, he reveals that he and Maiwenn used to be a couple. They both travel to an astronomy group on a hill, afterwards they almost have sex in their parked car, but are attacked by a hybrid creature. Kiyo transforms into a giant fox rather than a smaller counterpart. Eugenie realises that the creature wishes to kill her instead, she defeats it but is injured and becomes annoyed when Kiyo doesn't immediately transform out of his fox form. She wakes up at home and Kiyo explains that being a "superfox" is harder to transform out of. Dorian travels to the human world to teach her magic. She fails to locate a bowl of water while blindfolded and bound with cords, causing it to rain instead. Dorian invites Eugenie to his Beltane ball, the day before she and Kiyo have sex in the shower, while sleeping Eugenie has a dream about Storm King, waking up flustered she proceeds to have sex with Kiyo without contraception. Eugenie attends the Beltane ball but is pestered by potential suitors, including Aeson who offers to swap her for Jasmine. He reveals to Eugenie that Maiwenn is pregnant with Kiyo's child, she breaks up with him out of anger. Meeting Dorian, she agrees to sleep with him to help rescue Jasmine, Dorian initially refuses out of belief that she is doing it to get revenge on Kiyo, but eventually agrees. However, he decides not to after realising that Eugenie doesn't want him and doesn't relax around him. Instead, they practice magical control and she is able to locate the water objects. The next day in the human world, they practice again but are attacked by water spirits who attempt to kill her, but Dorian is able to use his magic to defeat them. Suspicious, Eugenie travels to Maiwenn's castle to confront her, she warns her about threat's from Dorian's enemies. She visits Dorian and advances her magic abilities, they try to sleep together but Eugenie is still too uneasy. Late at night, she asks him to tie her up and they then sleep together, afterwards Dorian agrees to assist her in seizing Aeson's castle. Eugenie and Dorian's groups advance towards Aeson's castle, but they are suddenly ambushed. Aeson attacks her but Dorian steps in and is caught by Aeson's fire abilities. Cornering the attack group, Aeson is able to send Nandi to the Underworld, forcing Eugenie to call a surrender. Aeson continues to torture Dorian through burning, but Eugenie summons the water out of Aeson's body; blowing him up. Burnt and injured, Dorian tricks Eugenie into claiming the Alder Land as her own kingdom, transforming it into a replica of the Tucson desert. Jasmine appears and accuses Eugenie of stealing the land which was promised to her, and that she and Eugenie are half-sisters through the Storm King. Finn reveals that he allied with Jasmine, spread Eugenie's real name around and told Aeson of the coming attack. Furious, Eugenie banishes Finn to the Underworld. Jasmine summons water spirits and Eugenie works out that Jasmine sent the creatures to kill her instead of Maiwenn. Rurik, Shaya and the other guards fight against the spirits. Jasmine runs away as her group loses, but Kiyo is killed. Distraught, Eugenie travels to the Underworld to bring his spirit back to his body. Transfigured into a black swan, she flies through the Underworld, but she is attacked by the creatures she previously banished. Transformed back into her human form, she meets with her father, Storm King who tells her that Jasmine will willingly give birth to the heir even if Eugenie refuses. Aeson appears and tries to assault her, she submits and wakes up in a vision in which she is wearing Storm King's crown, overlooking an Otherworld army and holding a baby. Dorian appears at her side as her equal. The vision ends and she finds Kiyo, but is obstructed by the goddess Persephone. The goddess promises to give Kiyo's soul back if Eugenie will give up her love for him. Eugenie agrees, Kiyo's soul sent back to the Otherworld, at the last moment Persephone breaks the contract and sends her back as well. Back in the Otherworld, Eugenie confronts Dorian over forcing her to become queen of Aeson's kingdom. He tries to convince her to have an heir before Jasmine, and then tells Eugenie that he loves her as she loves Kiyo. She plans to ignore the land, he angrily tells her it is impossible and that the land is now the Thorn Land, and she the Thorn Queen. She returns home and patches up her relationship with Kiyo. Volusian appears and warns her about Dorian and Kiyo. The book ends when Eugenie drops a glass pitcher of water and is able to control both water and air, telling Tim that she wants to learn more.