Oleander (Elemental Desires Book 1), page 1
OLEANDER
ELEMENTAL DESIRES
BOOK ONE
CHARLI MEADOWS
Copyright © 2024 by Charli Meadows
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for brief quotations in a book review.
Editing by Novel Mechanic
Cover Design by Silver Grace
Formatting by Charli Meadows
CONTENTS
Author’s Note
Playlist
Prologue
1. Oleander
2. Skyler
3. Skyler
4. Oleander
5. Skyler
6. Oleander
7. Skyler
8. Oleander
9. Skyler
10. Oleander
11. Skyler
12. Skyler
13. Oleander
14. Skyler
15. Oleander
16. Oleander
17. Skyler
18. Skyler
19. Oleander
20. Skyler
21. Oleander
22. Skyler
23. Oleander
24. Oleander
25. Skyler
26. Oleander
27. Skyler
28. Oleander
29. Skyler
30. Skyler
31. Skyler
32. Skyler
33. Skyler
34. Oleander
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Charli Meadows
SYNOPSIS
Oleander
Even though I am a Fae prince and the heir to the Aurorian throne, I’ve locked myself away for the past five years, refusing to use my magic. I’m a toxic disaster waiting to be unleashed. My power is dangerous. Lethal. The kingdom is better off without me.
But my mother is the queen, and by her royal decree, I must attend Elemental Academy alongside my twin brother, Flame. I’ll be king one day, and the clock is ticking to prove that I can control my power. My poison.
I don’t have to search very far before I find someone willing to help me practice my magic. However, as our connection deepens, I start to second guess using my new friend to learn how to control the toxins festering inside of me. I’ve been hiding in the dark for years, but Skyler’s aura is too bright to ignore, which terrifies me because one kiss could extinguish it forever.
Skyler
I’ve been an Air Fae for all of one week before I’m kidnapped, taken to another world, and forced to enroll in some kind of supernatural academy. Although, I have no one to blame but myself after I accidentally created a devastating tornado and sent it tearing through my hometown.
It turns out I’m half-human, half-Fae, and I need to learn control. So, I’m biding my time, following the rules, but I don’t belong here. I’m determined to leave, and my only way home just might be an intriguing fairy prince who shows up late and keeps to himself. He’s an outsider like me, and if the rumors are true, then rightfully so.
His kiss is poison, but I’m reckless, headstrong, and ready to tempt fate.
Oleander is book one in the Elemental Desires series. It is a standalone MM fantasy romance set in a college-aged supernatural academy for the Fae. You can expect a new world full of adventure, elemental-based magic, and supernatural creatures. This novel is intended for 18+ readers and contains explicit scenes, fantasy violence, and fighting. See the Author’s Note for a full list of Content Warnings.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you so much for joining me on this epic adventure. It really means a lot! Oleander is a story that has been rolling around in my head for a while, and I’m so happy that I finally get to tell it. I hope you enjoy Ander and Sky’s hard-fought struggle for their happily-ever-after and are excited for more books in this world.
Elemental Desires will have similar themes to The Loyal Boys but with a lot more danger, adventure, magic, and supernatural creatures. The majority of Oleander takes place in another realm, where laws and perceptions are different from the human world and, of course, where magic is possible. Keep reading for a brief list of content warnings.
Content Warnings: Language, explicit sexual scenes, fantasy violence, gore, and intense fighting.
PLAYLIST
Available on Spotify
Power Couple by Labrinth
Dangerous Hands by Austin Giorgio
Die For You by The Weeknd
Rockland by Gracie Abrams
OverHeated by Billie Eilish
Covering by Labrinth
ocean eyes by Billie Eilish
Constellations by Jade LeMac
The Feels by Labrinth
Conscious by Justine Skye
GOLDWING by Billie Eilish
Waking Up by MJ Cole and Freya Ridings
Got Me Obsessed by Jade LeMac
Toxic by 2WEI
You Put A Spell On Me by Austin Giorgio
Bruise by BETWEEN FRIENDS
Cravin’ by Stileto and Kendyle Paige
fell in love by doe holt
Formula by Labrinth
Cinderella by Limi
DEDICATION
For anyone who has ever wished they were a fairy and maybe still does. This is for us.
PROLOGUE
SKYLER
One Week Ago
The sound is deafening. A roaring cacophony of chaos swirling outside my little bubble of calm. Only it isn’t calm when my entire life force is shooting from my palms like my soul is being ripped from my body.
I would think this was a dream, or more accurately, a nightmare, if I couldn’t feel it so strongly. So vividly. The pain is immense, the energy too strong. It’s like a never-ending shock wave. Whatever is happening to me, it can’t go on much longer. I don’t think I’ll make it. Sweat drips down my temples, dampening my shaggy brown hair. My vision is darkening around the edges, narrowing in on the sight in front of me—my hands, the silvery blue energy pouring from them, and the swirling debris that was once my neighborhood.
I grit my teeth, the tendons in my neck straining and ready to burst as I continue to brace myself through this pandemonium. The electricity in the air is palpable, and a static buzz fills my ears and makes every little hair on my body stand on end. Lightning crackles around me. The energy is building, and I feel as if I’m on the verge of imploding into a million pieces. Vaporized without a trace.
“Ahhhh!” I tilt my head back, screaming at the top of my lungs until my throat is raw and my voice goes out.
I sink to my knees before one last pulse of energy blasts from the tips of my fingers, and I fall face-first to the ground.
My chest saws in and out while I struggle for breath, surrounded by the wreckage of my former home. I roll onto my back and stare up at the now blue sky full of fluffy white clouds as if nothing cataclysmic just happened. As if my entire life didn’t just explode around me.
I grasp my necklace tightly, feeling a slight bit of relief that it’s still there. Where it always is. The rough tourmaline digs into my palm, grounding me. My good luck charm. It’s the only thing I own that truly means anything to me.
Tears stream from my eyes, unbidden, and I start to shake uncontrollably. My whole being feels cold, sore, and sleepy.
If I could just close my eyes and rest for a moment—
“Over here! Onyx! He’s right here!” a deep voice calls out in what sounds like relief and possibly excitement.
I sit up in alarm, too many unknowns swirling around in my head, mixing with panic and pure exhaustion. My vision is spotty, and I couldn’t get away even if my legs worked right now.
I squeeze my eyes shut as images of being strapped to a metal exam table and experimented on flash through my head. I have no idea what just happened to me. What I just did. But it can’t be good. And I can only hope that all of my neighbors made it to their basements in time because I’m pretty sure I leveled the whole block. Maybe I deserve to be locked up.
Rough hands clutch my trembling shoulders, urging me to lie back down. I gasp, feeling as if I’m on the verge of having a major cardiac arrest at eighteen.
I’m once again lying on my back in the debris, staring at the sky.
“Relax. Take a deep breath. You’re safe now.” The voice is gruff, not at all reassuring, and I’m damn near hyperventilating. “You need to calm down,” he tries again, sounding frustrated and annoyed.
“Birch, let me talk to him.”
I can barely hear the soft, easy-going request over my heartbeat thrashing in my ears, drowning out everything except my terror.
Gentle fingers press against the artery in my neck, and I can feel my own pulse racing out of control.
“I got you. You’re okay, little Fae. We’re here now.”
“D-don’t hurt me,” I murmur through heaving breaths, nearing full-blown hysteria. Fuck. I sound as weak as I feel, but what else am I supposed to do?
“He doesn’t know what we are, Onyx. Look at him; he’s terrified,” the gravelly voice says in disbelief.
What does that mean, what we are?
My pulse spikes, and I know he can feel it.
“I see that. Not helping though, are you, Birch?” Nimble fingers grasp my wrist and move my palm to press against a hard chest. “Breath
My lungs slow, the air flowing freely as if someone else is controlling the process. I continue taking deep breaths rich in oxygen, restoring my darkened vision for a split-second before my body gives in, and I finally pass out. But it was long enough.
I won’t forget the glowing purple eyes and tall, pointed ears on the face hovering above me.
CHAPTER ONE
OLEANDER
Slamming the dusty old textbook shut, I peer out the open window, letting the bright Aurorian sun warm my skin and give me strength. The rolling green hills are imbued with vibrant splashes of color, and the ancient pines tower over the stone courtyard. A fifty-foot perimeter wall protects the castle and its inhabitants from the unpredictable, deceitful, and often violent creatures of the wild Fae forest.
I close my eyes and breathe deeply, taking in the beauty of my kingdom using another sense. Floral notes permeate the wind, as lovely as always. The soft, sweet scents of rose, orchid, and my namesake, oleander, mix together, creating a soothing balm for my fairy soul.
I live peacefully with my plants up here, at the top of the East Tower. I have the entire floor to myself, as well as the roof, and it’s a jungle, to say the least. I prefer to stay home in the safety and solitude of my own space, cultivating rare plants and developing new tonics, salves, and other medicinal remedies. I want to help my kingdom. Do something good.
My eyes flare behind closed lids, and my powerful Fae magic pulses with the need to expel energy, but I just can’t. I refuse. I won’t hurt anyone else.
“Never again,” I say aloud, telling myself the same thing I always do: you cannot use your magic. Ever.
It’s been five years since I’ve tapped into that part of myself. I was only a kid then—fourteen years old—and I had no idea what power my magic would manifest as or how horribly it would go wrong.
My twin brother, Flame, and I were once inseparable, sharing everything like our clothes, a room, and a best friend, River. Some even joked that the three of us were triplets since we were never apart.
Until the ill-fated day that Flame caught us in the treehouse behind the castle. River and I were moments away from sharing our first kiss, which is known to activate Fae powers, and Flame was there to witness it all. Thank the goddess he was, though, because no matter how much it broke his heart, my magic is poison. I’m poison. Toxic. Tainted.
My touch. My kiss. My everything.
I take a deep breath, letting the worries slip away and into the wind. Our mother had been following Flame, knowing we were all up to something and was able to save River from my magic and an excruciatingly painful death.
Vines wrap around me, offering their comfort. Although I don’t use my magic, I can’t stop the way the plants react to me. After all, I am an Earth Fae, just like my mother.
I caress the heart-shaped leaves, smiling at the array of colorful flowers blossoming. “Gorgeous,” I tell them, infusing my positive energy but not my magic.
The moment I find any semblance of peace, releasing my past burdens from my mind, the bedroom door flies open, aggressively slamming against the wall.
“Talking to the flowers again, brother?” an abrasive voice asks, abruptly breaking my solace.
Flame.
“Yes. You know I do this. Why must you ask me in such an insulting manner?” I’ve had enough of his antics lately. My troublesome, outspoken twin gives the entire kingdom a constant headache. Especially our mother.
“It was a simple question, Ander. Chill,” Flame replies obnoxiously, knowing I hate that human phrase. He storms into my room like I invited him, grabs an apple from the wooden bowl in the center of the table, and takes a giant bite. Juice drips down his chin distastefully, landing right on my tabletop, sure to leave a sticky residue.
“What do you want, Flame?” I ask in irritation.
“Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting your busy schedule of reading and staring out the window longingly while fondling your plants? Alone.” He takes another bite of the apple. “Hmm?”
I huff, folding my arms across my chest. I refuse to dignify his question with an answer.
My twin is a dick.
But he wasn’t always like this. We used to be so close.
I lean against the windowsill and wait for him to explain his unexpected arrival.
Flame finishes his apple and tosses the core into a trashcan across the room, making a loud thud. The grin of satisfaction on his face is exasperating, as is the spliff he lights up with a simple flick of his finger.
He keeps the small spark in his palm and strolls over to the window, perching next to me on the cushion. He lets the fire dance between his fingers before shaking his hand, extinguishing the flame.
He’s done that ever since we were fourteen and felt the need to rub in the fact that he has control of his powers, and I don’t.
“Pack your bags, brother. You’re going to Elemental Academy.”
“No, thank you,” I say calmly, even though my heart immediately starts to race at the thought.
I do not want to go to college and study with other Fae. I don’t want to make friends. I don’t even truly want to be king. I can learn everything I need to from books and the human Internet.
My mother strolls in before my next protest can even pass by my lips. Her long, flowery dress billows behind her like silk in the wind. She has white blonde hair, much lighter than my own, with small flowers woven through and braided back into a beautiful style fit for an Earth fairy queen. Since the Fae age very, very slowly, my mother barely looks older than Flame and me.
“It’s not a choice, Oleander. You’re going. You’ve locked yourself away long enough. You need to learn control. And you can. I promise. You can, son.” Her bright lavender eyes, just like my own, shimmer with unrestrained emotion. My mother hugs me, and as she does, I peer over her shoulder at my brother, mouthing her words back to me obnoxiously. His amber eyes are practically on fire.
You can, son.
I narrow my eyes on him. Why can’t he be a supportive twin one hundred percent of the time instead of none?
“No. Mother, please,” I whisper, but Flame hears me anyway and snickers.
She pulls away, addressing me first. “Oleander, you need to find the perfect match, someone to help balance your powers until you can learn to rein them in. Your father was that rock for me when my poison was too strong. Goddess rest his soul.”
Flame scoffs at her words, disrespecting me and our late father, who passed shortly after we were born. She turns her stern gaze on him. “Flame, would you listen to me and try being a friend to your brother for a change? I’m absolutely sick of your behavior.”
“No. He nearly killed River,” Flame growls, and my stomach sinks to the floor as painful memories assault me.
Black veins spider out from River’s kiss-swollen lips. His jaw goes slack, and his normally tan skin turns ashen. Bright blue eyes cloud over and roll into the back of his head. Tears stream down my face as I touch my lips in shock and disbelief. River starts to convulse next to me as foam bubbles out of his mouth. . .
“W-we were kids,” I sputter, caught off guard by his cruel words. “It was an accident, and you know it,” I say, defending myself like I always do.
My mother takes charge. “Yes, Flame. Stop this at once. You know how many Fae have bad experiences when puberty hits and their powers activate, or in your case, ignite. Did you not light the school gymnasium on fire with your class inside? Luckily, everyone made it out unscathed. Just like you three boys made it out of that tree house. No harm, no foul.”
She’s downplaying it. The only reason River is still alive is because she’s powerful enough to be able to pull the toxins from his body, even though it greatly depletes her and comes at a great risk.
“No harm, no foul?” Flame scoffs. “He’s the entire reason River’s parents pulled him from school and moved away from Auroria. I lost my best friend because of him! The more I think about it, the more I disagree with your plan for him to go to the academy. He’s a threat to the entire student population.”
