by Marie Harte
“Let her go,” Queen Ravyn ordered, her voice imperious and not in the slightest frightened.
Ellie focused. Her twin had vanished. Ravyn cast Ellie a brief, reassuring glance before narrowing her gaze on the man holding Ellie upright.
Lightning arched and power surged through the room, only to come up short as the man held Ellie in front him like a shield. Ellie tried like hell to move, to take herself out of the picture. But it was no use.
“Please.” Tears tracked down her cheeks. “Leave me. Find Cadmus, Queen Ravyn. Get to safety.”
Ravyn gritted her teeth, her focus on the man behind Ellie. “You bastard. You’ve taken away my heart, but you won’t take away my son’s.”
Ellie suddenly nose-dived into the stone below her, ripped from her tormenter by a vicious force.
When her head stopped spinning, she noted the power struggle between her saviour and her attacker—a man with white-blond hair and icy power bent on destroying the queen. Ravyn looked anything but meek. Her black hair streamed and her eyes glowed a bright green. Lightning crackled, and Light sparked throughout the queen’s body as she raised her hands at her opponent.
“Not this time, ‘Sin Garu,” she warned.
They launched vollies back and forth, but neither opponent seemed to be winning the upper hand.
Then ‘Sin Garu glanced down at Ellie and winked.
She watched, horrified, as the Dark Lord used Ellie’s Dark power to shield himself while blasting the queen with a burst of blue fire from his fingertips. The blow pierced her right through the chest.
Ravyn gasped and fell, clutching the whole where her heart should be.
‘Sin Garu blew Ellie a kiss before transforming into that same serving boy she’d seen earlier. “Until we meet again, lovely.” He ran screaming from the hall, shouting accusations and cries of murder.
Ellie staggered to the queen, drained of her energy thanks to whatever ‘Sin Garu had done to her. She dropped to her knees on the hard stone and frantically searched for a pulse, for some way to stem the flow of blood pouring from the queen. But upon closer inspection, nothing oozed from Ravyn’s burning wound. Small bits of blue flame danced around the queen’s chest. Seared flesh and raw muscle gaped at Ellie like twin becons of death.
Footsteps preceded the gasps and shouts behind her. She was shoved away. Then Samantha and Tessa leaned over Ravyn, while their husbands hovered. They glanced from Ravyn to Elli and back again, shock, anger and confusion lining their faces.
Strong arms lifted her, and she tried to struggle but hadn’t the energy. Then Jonas whispered in her ear, “It’s alright, Ellie. I’ve got you now. You’ll be fine.”
“Is it really you?” she asked, her voice hoarse and sore from ‘Sin Garu’s chokehold.
“It’s me.” He waved a hand over her face and the fog that had been trapping her suddenly faded.
She sagged, weary beyond measure. Tears fell as she saw the barely-breathing queen struggling to hold on to life. “Oh no. This is all my fault.”
Jonas shushed and rocked her, supporting her since she had no strength to stand on her own.
Arim and Cadmus suddenly entered.
“Aerolus is caught in the east by a sudden attack, and Alandra’s readying the Aellei…” Arim trailed off when he caught sight of Ravyn. With a curse, he joined her side and began chanting, while Cadmus stood, staring numbly around him.
“Not true, not possibly real,” he muttered, as if trying to awaken from a bad dream. Then his eyes caught Ellie’s, and she wanted to cry.
He looked so miserable, so sad and angry and disheartened as he stared at her. The accusation was there in his glance if not in his voice.
“I didn’t do it,” she whispered.
He watched her a moment longer before turning to his mother.
“Leave him,” Jonas said when she tried to join him. “Give him time, Ellie. He’s had a shock.”
I have too, she wanted to shout. I know his mother’s been hurt, but doesn’t he care at all that I was almost killed?
Darius glared at her. “That one was here when it happened. Norse said he saw her attack Mother. That the new princess tried to kill the queen.”
Arim looked up from Ravyn, his brows close. To her surprise, he said nothing and turned back to the queen. Marcus threw up a hand, and Ellie felt a sharp thrust of energy before Jonas shielded her.
“Not now, River Prince.” Jonas shook his head. “You don’t know the circumstances or the truth around this treachery. See to your kin and your wounded, and leave Ellie be.”
“Yes,” Arim agreed. But Ellie’s heart broke as Cadmus stared at her, his face blank, and said nothing. “I’ve done what I can for your mother, but the Netharat are here. Marcus and Tessa, to the south, now.” He pointed a finger at them and they disappeared. “Darius, take Samantha and guard the west wall. The attack is focused there.” Darius grabbed Samantha and they too vanished under Arim’s stare.
“I’ll stay with Mother,” Cadmus said in a hollow voice.
“Yes, do.” Arim turned to Ellie and Jonas. “You two, come with me.”
Pressure eased through Ellie before she found herself in an unfamiliar room.
“You’re in the northern territory, that of the Earth Lord. You’ll be safe here until I can figure out what went wrong. Jonas, stay with her.”
Jonas nodded, and before Ellie could say anything, the sorcerer disappeared.
Jonas carried Ellie to the large bed in an otherwise empty room and laid her down. Too tired to argue, she let him wipe her tears and tuck her under covers.
“Rest, Ellie. Let the spell wear off. Then you can tell me what happened.” Jonas kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, fingering the bruise on her cheek. “I believe in you, honey.”
She cried harder before blessed tiredness overwhelmed her, and she slept.
* * * *
Cadmus stared at his mother, unable to separate his nightmare from reality. Ellie crying, looking guilty. Ellie laughing, remorseless in her duplicity. What was the truth? And why did he feel so dirty, so tainted for believing the worst about a Djinn? They had, after all, killed his father. But Ellie wasn’t just a Djinn. Her radiance, her love of life and laughter, her ability to stand up to him, to see him as a man, as more than his brothers’ shadow, proclaimed her his affai. Bewildered and heartsick, he closed his eyes and focused on the land, the source of his power.
The hum of life, of the trees and the swell of earth trickled through to him, growing into a steady swell, until he felt at one with the rich land. A great love seemed to fill him, the love for his family, his life, and there, through an ill-placed tangle of evil and confusion, his affai, Elliara. Sudden clarity grew where before was only doubt, and as he searched deep within himself, he realised what ‘Sin Garu had done.
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered as he regained awareness. “I’ll fucking kill him when I get the chance.”
“That’s much better,” Arim said from behind him, narrowly deflecting an arch of energy that flew from Cadmus’ hands. “I feared you’d lost what little mind you have left.”
“She didn’t do it. It was ‘Sin Garu. He did something to her, I know it.”
“Yes, I felt his presence here the moment I stepped into the room. It was all over your affai.”
Cadmus tensed. “Is she—”
“Distraught that the man she loves didn’t believe in her? Yes. And she’s got some bruising around her throat and face, but otherwise she’s fine. I left her with Jonas for protection. She needs sleep more than anything to combat the spell ‘Sin Garu placed over her.”
Cadmus clenched his fist and stood, staring from Arim to his mother. “I’ve got to go to her, now. Can you place a guard over Mother?”
Arim nodded. “I’ve already summoned our most trustworthy guard, as well as a half dozen spellcasters to watch over them. But you have other needs to attend to than your affai. Come, Cadmus. We need you more than Ellie does now. Tanselm is on t
he verge of corruption, and we must support the kingdom. Darius and Samantha have the west wall, but the Netharat has doubled their size and are now attacking the southern tower. Hurry.”
Not wanting to, but trusting his uncle had the right of it, Cadmus felt the familiar tingling of pressure before the southern tower came into view. Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the hellish battle ensuing. Shocks of power and waves of life-giving black soil struck his enemies time and time again, Tanselm lent her aid as he fought with the other warriors present against the vile stain of evil spreading over the kingdom. But though he fought, not once did he spy ‘Sin Garu, and his feeling of unease grew.
* * * *
Beyond exhausted, Cadmus and the Light Bringers defending the tower finally reigned victorious over the enemy. But many lives had been lost. As a group of healers swarmed over the masses, Cadmus staggered into the open air out of the tower onto a rampart, needing some space. A few warriors had the same idea, but Cadmus found isolation in the shadows.
Though the open air soothed his many hurts, he couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d treated Ellie. He felt sick at what she most likely thought. He hadn’t intentionally accused her of anything. It was just the shock of seeing his vision made flesh. And even then, he hadn’t been able to truly believe what he saw.
He covered his eyes with a dirtied fist and rubbed tiredly. Much as he wanted to wash and recover, he had to see Ellie first. He had to see for himself she was okay, and to explain his misunderstanding.
He looked for Arim and found him with a few of the warriors overlooking the western wall. “Arim, a word?”
Arim stepped away from the men and took Cadmus by the shoulder. He led him back to the private area in the shadows away from moonlight. “Yes, Cadmus? What is it?”
Cadmus frowned. His uncle didn’t sound like himself. “I need to see Ellie.”
“Oh?” Arim’s smile widened with satisfaction. “You want me to transport you, hmm?”
“Well I don’t need you for your stellar personality.” His uncle knew what he wanted. Cadmus was fast losing his patience. He didn’t have time for games. He needed his affai.
“Yes, of course. Just place your hand in mine, Earth Lord.”
Cadmus stopped himself at the last minute and stepped back. Arim looked fine, but he wasn’t himself. Cadmus paid closer attention to his uncle and noticed the presence of Darkness that clung to him like a second skin. Without another thought, Cadmus shot a band of pure Light into Arim. “You’re not my uncle.”
The man pretending to be Arim hissed and clutched his stomach. Then he slowly assumed ‘Sin Garu’s form and chuckled. “And you’re not as dumb as you look. I’m impressed, Darkling.”
His temper seething, Cadmus solidified the shield around his mind and lashed out at ‘Sin Garu again, wishing he hadn’t used most of his reserves while fighting the Netharat. He couldn’t possibly beat the Dark Lord in this state, but he could buy himself some time. Mentally reaching out to Arim and hoping the message reached his uncle, he struck at the Dark Lord again and again, his elemental energy hurting the Dark Lord more than he’d thought possible.
‘Sin Garu slipped and fell back over the torso of a crumpled wraith, and Cadmus thought he’d won this round. Then the Dark Lord grinned and his eyes blazed with power.
“Not yet, Darkling. Let’s play some more.” In a blur, he shoved Cadmus to his back and sank his teeth into the hand flying towards his face.
The bite stung, and Cadmus fought to shake free of the Dark Lord, but to no avail. Blackness began to creep over him, not from blood loss, but from the evil taint of Dark Lord magic edging into him.
‘Sin Garu finally let him go. With a look of dark satisfaction, the Dark Lord licked his teeth and wiped the trail of blood from his mouth with a finger. Then he sucked his finger clean.
Shit. “Fucking…blood drinker,” Cadmus rasped before passing out.
“Such prejudices.” ‘Sin Garu shook his head, waved his hands to call forth magic, then called for Remir. One of the Light Bringer warriors nearest him shimmered into Remir’s form. The others near him could only watch, frozen in place by a Dark Lord spell.
“Yes, my lord?”
“Take this one into the between, to Orfel. We have some work to do before we can fully claim the throne.”
Remir nodded, his eyes glazed while he struggled to break free of the Dark Lord’s mental hold. The torment in the Djinn’s soul pleased ‘Sin Garu to no end. Remir now knew who he’d fucked the other day. Not Lexa, but her brother in another form. The horror on Remir’s face had made ‘Sin Garu laugh so hard he’d cried.
“Remember, Remir, I reward those handsomely who serve me well,” ‘Sin Garu teased using Lexa’s sultry voice.
The Djinn shuddered but did as commanded. He hoisted Cadmus over his shoulder and vanished.
‘Sin Garu stared around him, waiting for the perfect moment to depart. Arim suddenly appeared in the tower’s archway, his eyes wide as he studied the frozen warriors on the nearly deserted rampart. ‘Sin Garu waited until their gazes met, then he smiled, waved and teleported into the between.
Satisfaction danced through his Dark soul with the pulse of newborn life.
Chapter Sixteen
The next day, Arim grimaced as he waited in Shathra for Lexa to appear. No doubt about it, the Storm Lords were in trouble. Never before had evil come so close to destroying what they’d built, not in a thousand years. He paced between the cold, stone walls bathed in Shadow. When he’d previously met here with Ethim, he’d been lucky the place had been deserted. But now a few Shadren and Others—creatures neither Dark nor Light but belonging to a different spectrum altogether—clung to the periphery of the small dimensional safe house.
Where is Lexa? That he had to stoop to calling on a Dark Lord for help grated, but with all he had to worry about at home, he needed the insight into ‘Sin Garu that only Lexa could give him, if she would.
A sudden shimmering in the surrounding energy made him tense, and he watched as ice blue eyes suddenly materialised, followed a split second later by the rest of Lexa’s alluring presence. He waved a hand and muttered a protective spell, keeping them both from the sight and hearing of those around them.
“I take it things have progressed from bad to worse if you’re calling me this soon.” She waited calmly, her hands on her hips, while he fought to hold onto his patience.
The woman riled him by simply breathing, and he’d long given up trying to understand how she broke through his control. As he counted to ten, he gathered his thoughts and outlined his problems.
“Cadmus is captured, Ravyn near death, and Ellie set to take the fall for the whole of it.”
Lexa said nothing, but her expression hardened. Good. Arim knew Lexa cared for Ellie in some way. But as a pawn or something more, he hadn’t the time to discern. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
He told her and weighed her reactions.
“Damn. This isn’t good.”
“So this wasn’t a part of your plan to weaken the Light Bringers?”
She frowned. “Sorry to break it to you, but you’re not the centre of my universe. I was busy dealing with other matters needing my attention. I had no idea ‘Sin Garu could enter Tanselm without you knowing it.”
“I had no idea either.” He sighed. “‘Sin Garu plans to kill Cadmus.”
“Obviously. The question is, why involve Ellie in the mess?”
“I don’t know. To further stir trouble? For spite? Whatever the reason, we can only assume Cadmus’ vision is unfolding before us.”
She nodded, her brows drawn in the familiar manner that signaled deep introspection. She chewed her lip, and Arim fought the bewildering urge to smooth the pink flesh with his thumb. Remember, she slaughtered three people she’d counted on as family. The Light only knows what she’s done in the years since.
Arim waited impatiently for her to say something.
“In Cadmus’ vision, we were all ato
p one of the walls in the northern kingdom, correct?”
He nodded. “You had me in restraints when your brother arrived with Cadmus half-dead and surrounded by those hybrid abominations he’s created. But that’s absurd. There’s no way I’ll fall prey to you, Dark Mistress.” He couldn’t keep the sneer from his tone.
She scowled. “‘Sin Garu has Cadmus, that we know. But it seems he’s after more than just ridding himself of the Storm Lords. If that were all he really wanted, he’d have killed Cadmus already.”
She said the words coolly, as if his nephew’s death were as inconsequential as the cold stone underfoot. Anger surged, and he fought to keep it down.
“Relax, Arim, I’m only stating a fact. I know how ‘Sin Garu’s mind works,” she said bitterly, making him wonder just what had come between the two. “He never does anything without a reason. I assume taking Cadmus is a strike at you, personally. He never much cared for you.”
“Something he and you have in common.”
She clenched her jaw, showing him a bit of humanity in her temper. “Yes, and the more you talk, the more I’m reminded why I so disliked you in the first place.” She drew a deep breath before continuing. “From what I can gather, ‘Sin Garu has been assuming many likenesses. In Foreia, he assumed my form and seduced a loyal Sarqua into his keeping. That Sarqua, I believe, may be in the kingdom as we speak.”
His stared at her through narrowed eyes. “How long have you known about this?”
She paused. The white of her skin had never looked so pale, or so smooth. “I managed to warn Ellie. From what you described of Ellie’s and Ravyn’s attacks, I’d say ‘Sin Garu struck again. The timing of the Netharat advance and the attack on the queen is too coincidental.”
“I agree.”
Her brows flew up. “A first for you, eh? Agreeing with what’s right, even though it comes out of the mouth of a Darkling?”