Aftershocks

by Marie Harte

  A Total-E-Bound Publication

  www.total-e-bound.com

  Aftershocks

  ISBN #978-0-85715-331-9

  ©Copyright Marie Harte 2010

  Cover Art by April Martinez ©Copyright November 2010

  Edited by Jess Bimberg

  Total-E-Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom

  .

  Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.

  Storm Lords

  AFTERSHOCKS

  Marie Harte

  Prologue

  Foreia, One week ago

  The muted glow of everdark hovered over the deep blue grasses of Foreia’s rich fields. The black bark and flaming red leaves of giant firn trees framed the surrounding area, the scent of sweet scythia flowing through the warm air like a blessing of welcome. Jonas Chase, leader of the rebel Djinn army, grinned with pleasure. Lavender clouds covered the pink-red sky, a sight that never failed to impress him, and made him want to bask in his homecoming.

  A muffled curse and angry words, unfortunately, drew his attention. Jonas stared at his responsibility, Prince Cadmus Storm, the Earth Lord, and uttered a loud, drawn-out sigh. Surrounded by a dozen Djinn warriors and the Dark Lord who’d promised them freedom, Cadmus nevertheless made an impressive sight as he commanded Foreia’s terrain to aid him against his imagined enemy.

  Why couldn’t the damned Light Bringer do anything the easy way?

  Golden soil erupted, crushing navy grass into muddied chaos. Quakes of rock shifted, and the air reverberated with the threat of Storm Lord vengeance.

  “Fine, be a dick.” Cadmus snarled over his shoulder, catching Jonas in a glare he found impressive for its sheer ferocity. “Kill me if you want. But I’m taking as many of you to the Next with me as I possibly can.”

  Of the remaining Storm Lords, the Royal Four—more commonly referred to as The Tetrarch—promised a life Jonas’ people had been dreaming about for centuries. The princes didn’t know it yet, but once one of the Royal Four became overking of Tanselm, life in their rich, magical world would change, and for the better.

  Tanselm, a realm of infinite power and splendour. In addition to the fruitful fields, pastures of green and forests of rich trees and earth, Tanselm housed a sentient majesty, an overwhelming centre of magic that called to Light and Dark beings with equal intensity. The few times Jonas had been privileged enough to ‘visit’, i.e. spy, he’d felt vastly more powerful standing in that magical plane of existence, even more so than in his homeworld of Foreia.

  Surprised at Tanselm’s acceptance of him, a Darkling, he’d begun to recognise his Dark Mistress’ words as truth—that Tanselm existed to accommodate more than just Light Bringers. Which wasn’t to say the future Tetrarch wasn’t needed to destroy the evil ‘Sin Garu and his hated minions, the Netharat. Those vile wraiths, ice demons and monsters would happily feast on creatures of Dark and Light, if only to perpetuate the chaos that salved their undying hunger. The Dark only knew how many overlapping worlds in existence would fall should ‘Sin Garu take Tanselm. Such pure magic in evil hands would destroy Foreia, Aelle, Earth, and so many other worlds not able to withstand such power.

  No, despite the differences between the Djinn and the Storm Lords, Jonas knew they shared a common purpose—to live and prosper without Dark Lord oppression.

  Studying Cadmus, Jonas shook his head. Four identical princes with the power to command the elements. Light Bringers and Storm Lords all, yet each brother was decidedly different. Darius, the Prince of Fire, had a temper and little patience. Marcus, the River Prince, possessed an annoying tendency towards arrogance, but thankfully his affai, his new bride, was wearing him down. Aerolus, the Wind Mage, controlled the winds as easily as he ruled magic, a young sorcerer with the potential of his legendary uncle, Arim, Tanselm’s notorious Killer of Shadow.

  And Cadmus. Jonas still wondered at the one called the Earth Lord, a brown-eyed royal who could charm the scales off a dragon. Keeping an eye on Marcus had been tedious but easy in comparison. Cadmus, on the other hand, protested the measures to keep him safe at every turn. While Jonas could feel for the independent royal, he found Cadmus’ quirky sense of humour and annoyingly clever escape attempts vexing, not to mention exhausting.

  He watched Cadmus take on more than he knew he could handle and had to hand it to the Storm Lords. They had been born to royalty, but their parents had not raised whiny and weak monarchs. These men, especially Cadmus, possessed strength and stubbornness in spades. From what Jonas’ cousin had affirmed, Cadmus’ reputation as a charmer and ladies’ man had been well-earned. Light-hearted but kind, he had seemed to be the easiest of the four brothers to turn.

  Staring at him now as he tried to bury half a dozen Djinn under Foreia’s life-giving earth, Jonas found it hard to reconcile the easy-going Cadmus with the Light Bringer warrior before him.

  “Enough,” Jonas’ Dark Mistress said in a soft voice. The Dark Lord took several steps closer to Cadmus but shook her head when Jonas attempted to intervene. “Earth Lord, the vision you saw was a message from me.”

  “Bullshit. I saw you die, you and your bastard brother, B’alen.”

  Her ice-blue eyes narrowed. Her smile, when it came, was as effective a weapon as her dark flame. “B’alen is indeed dead. And you Storm Lords owe me a debt of gratitude for it.”

  “Gratitude?” Cadmus snorted and threw several approaching Djinn from him with bursts of energy that visibly swelled from the ground. “If not for you Dark Lords, Tanselm would be in one piece.” Cadmus blasted another group of Djinn, his power growing with his rage. “My father, my uncles and aunts and cousins would all still be alive.”

  A large tree groaned as it shuddered under a massive force, its roots reaching through the ground for the Dark Mistress’ legs.

  She glided as if on air, stopping a few feet from Cadmus. Jonas could feel the tension filling the space between them with chaotic power. Tendrils of negative energy snarled at him, and he flashed into the natural form of the Djinn, in truth, unable to help himself. He didn’t even try to fight it, knowing he was much more powerful in his energetic state. His physical form blurred, keeping a man’s outline while consisting not of flesh, but of white, blazing energy surrounded by a black aura that danced like flame.

  He was Djinn. He was powerful. And he had been born to return his people to their homeworld--to Tanselm, where they rightfully belonged.

  “Hear me, Earth Lord,” the Dark Mistress uttered in a low voice filled with bleak promise. “You know nothing of true pain, of torture and worse at the hands of those you love. So carry the regret of your loved ones’ passing close to your heart, and be content that you will once again join them in the Next.”

  The Earth Lord stared at her, quiet b
ut wary, his eyes fixed on hers. Jonas expected her to thrall him, at the very least, to punish him for his disrespect. But she surprised him.

  “You look so much like Arim.”

  Cadmus blinked, puzzled but cautious. “What do you know of my uncle?”

  “I know everything about Tanselm’s greatest sorcerer,” she said with disdain. “A pity he still breathes when a fine man like your father is dead, hmm?”

  Cadmus stilled, but Jonas could see the fury pooling in his gaze as he stepped closer to her. “I owe you my thanks, you said? Then allow me to thank you for my father’s passing.” He looked around him, his glare hot enough to burn. “You and all your Djinn friends. Without their poison, my father would still be alive.” He glared at the Dark Mistress, his gaze as black as night, and raised his arms, his fingers reaching for her. “Accept my gratitude, on behalf of the Storm Lords.”

  “Cadmus, no,” Jonas yelled, alarmed at the inviting expression on his Dark Mistress’ face. Cadmus had no idea of the power she wielded, and Jonas had come too far to lose the Storm Lord because of his rash temper. Unfortunately, he couldn’t aid Cadmus because she wouldn’t allow it. She held him still with a thought, welcoming Cadmus’ touch.

  The minute Cadmus’ finger touched her shoulder, the very second his power hit hers, he froze. The Dark Mistress, Lexa Van Nostren, ‘Sin Garu’s sister and traitor to his cause, froze as well. Together, they stood like statues, locked in a war of wills, a soft blue nimbus of light blanketing them. Then Lexa took a deep breath and pulled away, leaving Cadmus in a frozen haze.

  “Very good work, Jonas.” She turned to him, her grin sincere and dangerously alluring. “He’s filled with a Darkness that complements his Light. I believe this Storm Lord will solve all your problems.”

  Jonas brightened, his aura black with joy. “Truly, Lexa? This one would see the Djinn welcomed back to Tanselm?”

  “The Sarqua Djinn, yes,” she corrected softly, and he nodded. “Those who fight alongside ‘Sin Garu are too tainted to appreciate Tanselm’s grace.”

  Jonas bowed his head in deference. “Unfortunate, but true.” He looked up, willing her to read the sincerity in his soul. “But we won’t make those same mistakes. We may live in the Darkness of existence, but our hearts are pure.”

  She nodded. “Light and Dark are sides of the same coin. It has ever been about balance. In time, all will see what you and I know.”

  “And Cadmus?”

  Her grin would have looked quite menacing had Jonas not understood and supported its cause. “He’s one of us already. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

  Chapter One

  Two months ago on Earth

  Living in Seattle for the past twenty-eight years had definitely not prepared Ellie Markham for what her father had asked her to do. Not having seen the man for over a year—no phone calls, no letters and not even a parting good-bye—should have warned her he was up to no good. But when he suddenly appeared out of the blue a few months ago, she’d been all bright-eyed optimism, sure she could still turn him around.

  “I am such an idiot,” she murmured as she prepared another round of Screaming Orgasms for the male college students ogling her over the bar.

  Hell on Earth couldn’t have come at a worse time. Just as she’d been six credits from earning her Masters degree and an amazing teaching position at the university, good old Ethim had reappeared. An armful of flowers for Mom, a nice dinner out on the town at Ellie’s favourite restaurant, charm and concern, an emotional epiphany of love and regret that he’d been away for so long…

  And here she stood on a Saturday night, poured into tight jeans and a bright blue tank top to combat the heat in this godforsaken bar. She wanted to kick herself for falling into Ethim’s plans so easily. Any other guy she’d be kicking in the teeth, but for good old Dad, she’d practically become a doormat. She wished she had a stronger backbone. But dammit, she still ached to make her father happy, to make him proud. And for that, she had to watch pretty-man Darius—

  “Ellie?”

  —Storm. She blinked up into dark, murky eyes and a face that would stop any woman in her tracks. Okay, so he had a face made for pleasure and a body made for sin. For some odd reason, he just didn’t do it for her. She wondered again where the hell her libido had gone.

  “Darius, what can I do for you?”

  He frowned and looked around. “You haven’t seen Gerry’s new hire, have you?”

  “New hire?” She nodded to one of the waitresses to pick up a tray of drinks and wiped down the bar in front of her.

  “You know, that assessor, Samantha something or other?”

  She stared at him, aware of his casual interest that was all too telling. For the past four months, she’d studied and reported back to her father every last detail of Prince Darius Storm’s comings and goings from the bar. He’d been interested in a few women from time to time, but he’d never acted so obviously disinterested. Hmm.

  “Oh yeah, Samantha Brooks. Dirty-blonde hair, green eyes, lot of attitude?”

  He grinned, and she wondered again why she felt nothing for a man so obviously her type.

  Shrugging, she shook her head. “I haven’t seen her yet tonight, but I can let her know you’re looking for her if—”

  “No, no, don’t bother.” He glanced over his shoulder at Mike yelling for him. “The women over there are practically climbing over the damned bar.” He looked at her section and grinned. “I see you have a similar problem.” Several nearby men glared at Darius while trying to catch her attention.

  She sighed. “Want to trade?”

  He noted a close-by greasy male sporting too much chest hair and shook his head. “Hell no. I’ll talk to you later.”

  She watched him return to his crew and made a mental note.

  Hours later, after a pleasant discussion with Darius’ Samantha, she watched Samantha leave the bar, at Ellie’s request, to venture into the basement for some much-needed house ale. Not a minute later, Darius darted to follow the woman, deliberately remaining a few steps behind. Almost half an hour passed before both parties emerged—Samantha with a dazed and almost hunted look on her face, and Darius with a deeply introspective expression.

  Smiling, Ellie decided she’d played as far into this game as she wanted. This was exactly the information her father had been seeking when he’d assigned her this task. And now that she’d witnessed the results he was so eager to hear, she had no intention of carrying her charade any further.

  * * * *

  Seattle, Present Day

  Three months after she began working at Outpour, Ellie gave Gerry her final notice, less than pleased she’d been forced to continue working at the bar through the spring. It would take forever to get back into the academic groove. Her own fault, really. She was honest enough with herself to admit ‘forced’ meant ‘trying to gain Ethim’s approval’. Much as she distanced herself from that otherworldly part of her makeup, she knew how important the Storm brothers were to her father. Hell, the way he acted, life as she knew it would fall to pieces if she didn’t report every move Cadmus made.

  A small hand on her arm shook her thoughts, and she smiled down at her soon-to-be ex-boss.

  Gerry looked like he was on the verge of tears as he stood to say his good-byes. My father could take lessons from this man. “We’ll miss you here, Ellie. You were more than just an employee.”

  She smiled and hugged him, letting out a startled breath at the tight squeeze he gave her. Nodding warmly, she pocketed her last paycheque and exited the back office into the alley behind the bar.

  Since it was still daylight, she had no worries about being molested in the sour unloading zone, though the hand that yanked her back into the shadows startled a small gasp out of her all the same.

  “What exactly happened between you and the Earth Lord?”

  She let out a breath and tugged her arm from the large hand grabbing her. “Jonas, you scared the piss out of me.”

  �
�Oh, did I?” her cousin asked pleasantly. “Well, ever since Darius married his affai and took off for Tanselm, you’ve been acting peculiar around his brother.”

  She hoped the shadows of the alley hid the sudden pallor of her face. Cadmus, one of Darius’ brothers, one of his identical quadruplet brothers, was the one sticking point in her life she couldn’t, for the life of her, wrap her mind around. She had enough trouble dealing with his haunting memories. She sure as hell didn’t need Jonas interfering where he had no business.

  “That’s a moot point now, isn’t it, Jonas? Considering Cadmus is in Foreia and far away from me.”

  “Not necessarily,” he hedged.

  Alarmed, she quickly scanned their immediate surroundings, only to find them empty. “I told you I was finished. I wanted out a long time ago, and now that Ethim has the information he needs, there’s no longer any reason for me to be involved.”

  Jonas studied her for a moment, making her wish she had more control over her emotions. “You sound awfully panicked, Ellie.”

  She took a deep breath and smiled through her teeth. “I’m not panicked. I simply want nothing more to do with the Djinn and your stupid alliances with Storm Lords and Light Bringers.” She noted the chagrin on his face. “Present company excluded, of course.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Of course. Come on, Ellie, be practical. You can’t ignore who you are.”

  “And who am I?” she asked in a hard voice. “I’ve lived my entire life here with my mother. My father has made such rare appearances over the years it’s a wonder I recognise him when he jaunts into town.”

  Jonas stared knowingly at her face.

  “Okay, so we look alike. I have Mom’s blonde hair, you know,” she said peevishly.