Aftershocks

by Marie Harte

  “Oh, shut up. Who invited you anyway?”

  They walked down a flight of stairs before a commotion drew their attention to the left.

  “Stay here,” Jonas ordered, his voice flat and commanding.

  Surprised at his tone, Ellie nodded and waited while he investigated. The noise sounded fierce, as if two or more people were fighting. Jonas disappeared around the corner and all was silent. Then a noise sounded to her right. Ellie saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then she heard the noise again.

  “Psst. Over here.”

  She glanced in the direction of the voice and slowly approached a half-open door. The minute she drew abreast of the knob, a hard hand yanked her inside before she could make a peep.

  “Shh, Ellie, it’s me.” Lexa closed the door, sealing her and Ellie inside, and waved her hand over it as she chanted under her breath. “We’re safe to talk.”

  Ellie stared at her friend in shock. “Are you nuts? Do you remember Mr. Killer of Shadow who wants your blood? Arim will have a fit if he knows you’re here.”

  “So don’t tell him.” Lexa ran a hand through her hair, visibly upset.

  “Why are you here?” Ellie stared at her friend, feeling waves of tension pouring from the slight woman. It still felt odd to look down at her, when for so long they’d both stood eye to eye. “And how tall are you, anyway?”

  Lexa laughed, a forced chuckle that at least helped alleviate some of her stain. “Not as tall as I wish I could be. Oh, Ellie, we’ve got problems.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.” As if Cadmus’ vision, of him bound and bloodied, would leave her mind’s eye anytime soon.

  “No, I mean real problems right now. I think one of the Sarqua has been compromised.”

  “What?”

  “Your father’s Djinn. I think one of them may have been turned.” Lexa’s eyes blazed, and Ellie blinked at the flare of light.

  “Sorry.” Lexa shuttered her focus. “The fact that I can’t see who has been turned tells me ‘Sin Garu is definitely involved. His spells are painstakingly complex, and this one more so. I saw Remir spying on us the other night. And I think I saw…”

  “Saw what?”

  “I’m not sure yet. But Ellie, you can’t tell anyone, especially not Arim or Cadmus. If you do, all the good work the Sarqua have done thus far will be for nothing. And your relationship to Cadmus may not survive.”

  “No, Alex, I mean Lexa. Cadmus loves me. He would know I have nothing to do with a Sarqua traitor.”

  “Are you so sure he’d believe you?” Lexa asked quietly. “I hate to say it, Ellie. But I know what I’m talking about. As much as your Light Bringer says he loves and trusts you, in the end you’re still Dark, and he’s still Light.” Lexa radiated a sadness Ellie could feel. “I once loved and thought I was loved in return, until something horrible happened. Everything I believed, everything I had ever cared for, came crashing down around me. I don’t want to see that happen to you, Ellie. You’re worlds better than I am, and you deserve to be happy.”

  “But Lexa—”

  “Let me find and take care of Remir and this threat. At least give me a chance to trace the problem. When I do, you can tell Cadmus what I suspect. Hell, maybe you’re right and he’ll listen to you. I just wanted to warn you that not everyone is what they seem.”

  Ellie nodded, wishing she could deny Lexa’s warning as necessary. As much as Cadmus claimed his love, they hadn’t known one another all that long. His father had been killed by a Djinn, by her people. Family is everything to me, she recalled him saying, and strengthened her resolve.

  “Lexa, Jonas heard something. Maybe it was Remir?”

  “Jonas? I hadn’t realised he’d arrived already. Hold on.” Lexa shimmered out of sight and returned with Jonas in tow. “Two lords battling over an unrequited love for another.”

  “Idiots,” Lexa and Jonas said together.

  Ellie grinned at the pair of them. Her humour faded when she thought about the danger Lexa had warned her about. “Jonas, Lexa told me something--”

  “I know. She told me on the way back.” He bowed his head at Lexa, and Lexa gave him a kiss on the cheek that had him blushing. “But I still think she has to be wrong. Not Remir.”

  Lexa shook her head. “Everyone’s suspect, I’m afraid. I know you can handle yourself, Jonas. But Ellie’s vulnerable. She’s a weakness to not just Ethim, but to Cadmus as well. Should anything happen to you, Ellie, Cadmus will never be what he needs to be in order to rule in Tanselm.”

  “Or to help defeat ‘Sin Garu,” Jonas added quietly.

  Concerned for Cadmus, Ellie agreed to stick to Jonas at all times. Then she wished Lexa good luck and watched her shimmered out of sight.

  Jonas blew out a breath. “No offence, Ellie, but this castle is like a maze, and I feel like the mouse getting no closer to the cheese.” His stomach grumbled, and he cursed. “The hell with this.”

  Ellie opened her mouth to ask what he thought to do, then closed it when she looked around her at the dining hall.

  “Ellie, how nice of you to join us.” Queen Ravyn didn’t miss a beat. She smiled and motioned for Ellie to join the gathering at the table with the rest of her family. Cadmus and Arim remained conspicuously absent.

  Ellie glanced at her future mother-in-law. The freaking queen. Hell. Where was Cadmus?

  “Here, sit by me.” Ravyn motioned to the empty chair between her and Samantha.

  “I’ve been demoted,” Samantha teased, grinning at Ellie. “But at least it’s by someone I like.”

  Ellie grinned, relieved she had Samantha for comfort. And next to her, Darius, who smiled as well. Across from them sat Tessa and Marcus, and farther down the table, Alandra and Aerolus. Oddly enough, Ellie she didn’t feel as out of place as she’d thought she would.

  “Cadmus said you’d probably beat him to the table. He had to see my brother about something important.” Ravyn scoffed her last words and grabbed a sweet roll from her plate. “Men.”

  “I’m with you there,” Ellie agreed, watching her cousin leave the main dining area. Glancing around, she saw several smaller tables filled with well-dressed men and women, probably royalty or important people to the queen. Everywhere the mood seemed upbeat, chatter and laughter filling the room.

  “It’s wonderful to have family and joy to balance the misery of war,” Ravyn noted, following Ellie’s gaze. She pointed to the stone archway above them. “Normally, we’d dine in the open.A spell transports the dining hall so that we float in the clouds. A lovely way to enjoy one’s repast.” Ravyn sighed. “Now it’s just too dangerous, what with the Netharat hovering everywhere.”

  And where you least expect it. Ellie gave those around them a hard glance, searching with the Darkness within her as well. But to her disappointment, and relief, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just tons of Light and harried servants. Since Lexa’s warning, Ellie felt a responsibility towards her new family to keep them safe, especially since the threat came from one of her own.

  Saddened, she tried to shake off the feeling and dwell in the here and now. A glance down at her plate showed it now covered with sweets and fruit.

  “Wow. Neat trick.”

  Samantha and Tessa laughed.

  Ravyn shook her head. “Another woman we’ll have to convince that magic exists.”

  Ellie flushed.

  “Oh, wait, that’s right. You’re not a xiantope, are you, dear?” Ravyn stared at her, hard, and Ellie felt like a bug under a magnifying glass. “Such lovely Dark you have, Ellie. I love the Djinn, always have.”

  Ellie stared. “You have?”

  “Sure. The boys don’t realise I’m a good bit older than their father was. And you’ve met Arim. He’s a sorcerer, several hundred years old, in fact. I’m his older sister.”

  Ellie blinked. “Does that mean Cadmus will live as long?”

  “The Light willing.” Ravyn laughed at Ellie’s expression. “Don’t look so shocked, Ellie. This is
n’t Seattle, anymore. This is Tanselm, where anything is possible.”

  Down the table, Tessa smacked her husband in the arm. “You never told me you’d live to be a thousand, Marcus. What the hell? I’m going to be grey while you’re poking at younger women?”

  Marcus opened his mouth to speak, but Alandra answered for him. “No, Tessa. You’re in Tanselm now. You’re tied to him. You’ll age as he does. Should anything bad happen to him, you’ll continue to exist until Tanselm releases her grip on you.”

  “Funny how you all think of Tanselm as a her,” Aerolus said, his gaze introspective.

  “Great, here we go.” Darius exhaled, loudly.

  “No, really. It’s just that I’ve always thought of Tanselm as intelligent, but without gender. Yet even Alandra refers to her and I—”

  “Arim, welcome back,” Darius boomed, sharing a look of relief with Marcus.

  Ellie wanted to laugh at the annoyance on Aerolus’ face, but Arim’s stern expression as he walked into the dining hall gave her pause. Cadmus followed him, and he looked as agitated as his uncle.

  A chair suddenly appeared beside her and the table magically lengthened as Cadmus sat next to her.

  “I’m sorry I missed you this morning,” he said with a kiss to her lips. “Did I miss anything exciting?”

  Deliberately shielding her thoughts, she shook her head. “Just Jonas being obnoxious.”

  “Jonas is here?” Tessa beamed with excitement, and Marcus groaned.

  “He dropped me in here before he left to find Cadmus.”

  “I’m back,” Jonas announced, shimmering into view with his mouth full. “Wow. You Light Bringers make the best pastries I’ve ever had. Ellie, have you tried this sweet roll?”

  “For those of you who haven’t met him, this is Jonas, my cousin.”

  Jonas waved politely and finished his food in one swallow. He nodded at Ravyn, but no bow, Ellie noted with humour, and introduced himself, formally.

  “By the order of Ethim il Ruethe, I, Jonas Chase al Surne, protect and serve at the behest of Ellie Markham and her betrothed, the Earth Lord, Cadmus Storm.”

  “Very impressive,” Arim said with no small amount of sarcasm. He muttered a few words Ellie couldn’t understand but had Jonas grinning.

  “And right back at you.” Jonas saluted before joining him at the end of the table.

  “Really, Arim, such language, and to a guest?” Ravyn looked annoyed, her brother surprised and her sons confused.

  “You speak Djinn?” Aerolus stared at his mother. “Fascinating.”

  “Great, here we go again,” Darius groaned.

  “Ellie, we need to talk.” Cadmus shot her the message laced with urgency.

  Damn, damn, damn. Did he know about Lexa? His eyes were dark, his face blank. She couldn’t read anything from him but what he’d sent, the appearance of his mental guards a warning in itself.

  She sent him the answer slowly. “Can I finish breakfast first? I’m starving.”

  His face softened, and he nodded before turning to something Samantha said. He squeezed her thigh under the table, and Ellie felt terrible for deceiving him. But it was for a good cause, she reminded herself. He needs me, and he needs to trust me.

  And lying to him should make him trust me, how? She deliberately ignored her conscience, hoping against hope she could deal with the consequences.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cadmus kept half an ear on Samantha and the other half of his attention on his affai. A lengthy interrogation with Arim had produced nothing but that Arim thought Ellie to be a possible threat, as if that were news. His stubborn uncle still refused to say what exactly he’d done to Ellie upon entering Tanselm, only that he trusted she wouldn’t willingly harm anyone herself.

  Great. So the visions and dreams meant what, exactly? That Ellie would make Jonas do her dirty work? That his affai, who chatted pleasantly with his mother, would soon clear the way so that ‘Sin Garu and his Netharat could blast Ravyn into the Next? Cadmus took a deep breath and a hard swallow of novra juice to calm himself. He felt guilty for thinking such thoughts of his lovely affai, but the doubt that had been with him since his dream refused to fade.

  He ignored Aerolus’ scrutiny the way he’d ignored Arim’s all morning and shut them both out using Lexa’s handy technique. That bit of Darkness enforced his Light, enabling him to be twice as strong when it came to defending himself. It also didn’t hurt that Tanselm lovingly embraced him at all times. He could feel her love with every breath he took.

  Eager to focus on matters not his own, he turned to his sorcerer brother. “You know, Aerolus, my link with Tanselm has only grown since I’ve been back. I have to agree that Tanselm is definitely female.”

  Darius and Marcus glowered at him.

  Aerolus beamed. “I knew it. We’ll have to do some studies, of course, maybe involve the Great Hall. Alandra, purie, what do you think?”

  Alandra winked at Cadmus and involved her husband in a discussion that focused the table in another direction.

  “I’ll get you for this,” Darius telepathically threatened Cadmus with a growl.

  “Aerolus, your brothers’ gifts are as strong as yours, so perhaps they could assist you in this study when they have the time,” Ravyn offered. “Anything that concerns Tanselm should concern us all, right, Arim?”

  Arim shrugged. “If you say so.” He turned his discerning gaze on Ellie and lingered a moment, a frown darkening his face.

  “So Arim,” Jonas said “Tell me about about Lord Sava. I heard all about your trip with Aerolus to Aelle and how you met their new king. I’ve always wondered just what he’s like.”

  “I’ll tell you what he’s like. He’s a pain in the ass.”

  Alandra glared at Arim and turned to Jonas with a Dark wave of joy. “Lord Sava? A great man. Absolutely the best.”

  Aerolus raised a brow behind her, momentarily pausing in his conversation about Tanselm. But when Alandra turned on him with a suspicious look, he merely smiled and returned to boring his brothers with academic matters.

  Ellie decided to use the diversion to her benefit.

  “Samantha, could you show me to the ladies’ room? I had a hard time finding it this morning.”

  Cadmus groaned. “I’m sorry. I totally forgot about that. There’s a central bathing chamber down the corridor I should have shown you. I’ll give you the tour as soon as you get back.”

  She nodded and left with Samantha.

  “The first time I spent the night here I had the same problem,” Samantha admitted, striding down the hallway in an outfit similar to Ellie’s but in red. “It’s a real pain in the ass using a freaking chamber pot when it’s that time of the month, let me tell you.”

  Ellie commiserated. When they reached the restroom, she sighed with contentment to see modern plumbing.

  Samantha gestured to the room. “I’ll wait out here. These people use magic on a daily basis, but they were in the dark ages before I showed them the comforts of the modern bathroom. Xiantope, my ass.”

  Ellie grinned and entered the facility. When finished, she took a few deep breaths and stared at her reflection in the mirror on the wall. Despite what Lexa had advised and the odd shielding Cadmus had affected earlier, she knew she needed to tell him the truth. He would trust her. She knew it deep inside.

  Coming to that decision, she left the room only to find the hallway empty.

  “Samantha?” Granted, they’d only walked a little ways from the dining chamber, but she didn’t feel right leaving Samantha behind.

  A few minutes later, Samantha returned. “Sorry, I heard something funny around the bend and decided to investigate. Nothing wrong there.” She waved a hand at the area around them, and Ellie felt a strange, almost numbing buzz.

  Samantha shook her into consciousness. “Ellie, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know.” Ellie clutched her aching head, trying to break free from the fog in her mind. “I feel dizzy.” />
  “You looked like you were going to pass out. Let’s get you back to Cadmus.”

  Ellie leaned on Samantha as they walked towards the dining room. Oddly enough, the room had emptied by the time they returned.

  “Okay, that’s weirdness number two.” Samantha tried to grin, but the expression came off as a grimace. Her green eyes looked murky, almost black, and Ellie had to blink to clear her own vision. A tiny suspicion shook her, which she immediately banked.

  No way someone was impersonating Samantha. She wore the same clothing, the same hairstyle and attitude. And yet…something seemed off.

  “Excuse me, good sir,” Samantha called out to a young serving boy who’d entered the hall. “Have you seen Prince Cadmus?”

  The boy nodded. “Yes, Princess. He’s in the east tower looking for his affai.” His eyes widened when they lit on Ellie, and he grinned shyly, bowing his head.

  “Thank you.”

  Samantha kept her hand on Ellie’s as they left the hall. They continued down several corridors, and Samantha walked faster, forcing Ellie to jog to keep pace.

  “Samantha, can you please slow down?”

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve got a really bad feeling about this. Something’s wrong.”

  Ellie hurried, feeling the same. But her steps seemed clumsy, her movement decidedly slow. “Go ahead of me if you need to. Let Cadmus know I’m on the way.”

  Samantha nodded and moved out of sight. But Ellie followed her footsteps, and soon entered a large stone chamber littered with fallen men. Shocked, she noticed Queen Ravyn standing across the room talking to Ellie’s mirror image.

  Ellie didn’t understand. She wanted to cross to the queen, to save her from the threat she could feel deep in her bones. And she wanted to call Cadmus, but her mind seemed far away. The best she could do was struggle out a warning.

  “Queen Ravyn, run,” she warbled before tripping into someone heavy.

  The queen’s shocked voice called, “Ellie?”

  “I have you.” The body holding her belonged to a masculine voice, and the hands touching her hurt. They were cold, like ice, and caused a burning sensation around her throat, where his fingers clenched.