Into The Spirit

by Marie Harte

  Last night.

  In a flash, reality crashed over her. She had just had sex, no, make that incredible, mind-blowing sex, with Darius Storm, a man who only hours earlier had broken some other woman’s heart.

  The wetness between her thighs startled her further.

  She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid to have had unprotected sex with a stranger. Even with Josh she’d always insisted he use a condom.

  Confused and more than a little frightened of her intense reaction to the dark-haired sex magnet staring at her, she swallowed loudly, not sure of what to say.

  He frowned at her, studying her like a puzzle. Yet he didn’t speak. The silence soon became awkward and her nudity embarrassing. As the ugliness of reality returned, she wondered how much time had passed, if anyone had ventured down to the basement and seen them having sex.

  Oh Lord.

  “No one saw anything,” Darius said in a low voice. He continued to stare at her. “We are completely alone.”

  She chanced a look at him and saw to her amazement he had grown hard again. Distracted, she finally assuaged her curiosity and saw him fully nude for the first time.

  The image was breathtaking.

  Broad shouldered and heavily muscled, from his chest to his thighs to his calves, Darius looked like male perfection. His penis was huge, thick and long, glistening with her juices, making him all the more enticing.

  He obviously wanted her again, and to her amazement she felt her loins pool with desire, but she shook her head. She’d already made a huge mistake having sex with him while at work. Why compound the error?

  “We need to get back,” she said, wetting her dry lips with her tongue. He followed the action like a snake about to strike. All too easily she envisioned him plastering his mouth to hers, swallowing her cries of passion as he licked and stroked her mouth.

  She blinked to gather her thoughts and realised in her gross ogling that she had yet to put on any clothes.

  “I can’t believe we just did that,” she murmured as she hurried to gather and don what clothes she could find. Talk about sizzling passion. Darius had thrown her clothes everywhere, and the lack of lighting in the basement didn’t help matters.

  A flare of light above her suddenly illuminated her search and she froze, thinking they’d been discovered.

  “It’s just me,” Darius said quietly. “I see some of your clothes over there.”

  She quickly grabbed them and threw them on, then slipped into her shoes. I can’t believe I just had earth-shattering sex with Darius Storm. She risked a glance in his direction and saw him completely dressed, his gaze resting on her questioningly.

  As she straightened, she cringed to feel her underwear clinging to her. He came inside me. Panic set in as fears assaulted her. What the hell was I thinking?

  Darius’ lips turned up at the corners. “I have no sexual dysfunction.”

  “What?” she asked blankly.

  “I am not diseased. And you don’t need to worry about babies.”

  She stared at him slack jawed. Was he reading her mind? His eyes twinkled as if in humour, dark black and perfectly normal, and her confusion melted into renewed desire. Desperate to escape before she repeated her mistake, she stood to her full height and forced herself to give him a tepid glance. Best to end things on her terms before he crushed her dignity. Besides, this way she could walk away, or rather run, to gather what little control she thought she possessed.

  “It’s been fun, Darius. Incredible, really,” she added with a small, bland smile, her emotions a mess. She could only be glad she sounded convincing for he frowned. “But I’ve got work to do upstairs. Thanks for…everything.”

  She turned her back on him and struggled to unlock the wheels of the dolly. When he reached around her she tensed, but he only depressed the locked latch, freeing her to move. Releasing a pent-up breath, she pushed the mound of liquor onto the freight elevator.

  Casually turning to press the elevator release, she couldn’t help looking at him. Unspeaking, they stared at one another until the elevator engaged and she could no longer see him. Once out of his sight she slumped against the wall, her emotions making fireworks inside her heart.

  She didn’t want to return upstairs as if nothing monumental had happened, but she refused to give him the upper hand. He couldn’t know how deeply their intimacy had affected her, especially since she had yet to get a handle on her blazing feelings.

  The rest of the night passed by in a blur since she kept herself busy helping Ellie and the others. She studiously avoided Darius and his side of the club, both relieved and annoyed that he didn’t seek her out to say anything.

  When the hour reached two in the morning she decided she’d had enough. She left the club after checking in with Gerry and caught a cab back to her hotel. But once away from the noise, her thoughts strayed to Darius and refused to leave him.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning Darius stared blankly out the bay window at the faint outline of Mount Olympus in the distance. After two hours of restless tossing and turning, he’d given up any hope of sleep and left the confines of his bedroom. Unfortunately, the view of the mountains didn’t sooth him as it usually did. He still couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  Much as he’d wanted to grab Samantha and drag her from the bar last night, he’d needed time to process what exactly had transpired between them. Great sex was one thing, but what they had shared, well, he didn’t know what to make of it.

  One of his brothers passed by the window, breaking his concentration. Shit. He’d hoped for some quiet. His brothers were never up at this hour. He stared at the intruder with a frown, wanting to curse but unsure who to address.

  At times being one of four identical siblings could be more than confusing, like now when one of his brothers wore standard jeans and a white T-shirt. Only when the intruder’s head shifted and bright blue eyes darted towards him did Darius realise it was Marcus who interrupted his solitude.

  “If it isn’t my big brother the fire starter,” Marcus drawled in that superior voice that grated on Darius’ nerves. Cadmus and Aerolus were bad enough in the morning, but Marcus’ superiority complex could be downright enraging. Despite his irritation, a part of Darius silently cheered. It looked as if a fight might break the frustrated confusion plaguing him.

  He glared. “Shouldn’t you be fleecing people for their money, away from here?” Hell, did any of his brothers work anymore?

  Marcus shrugged. “I’m taking a day off. After yesterday, I need the break. Darla made a scene.”

  “Darla?”

  “You remember, the stacked blonde who loves wearing dead animals?” He made a face. “I just couldn’t take anymore. Besides, she started to grow clingy.” Marcus gave a mock shudder. “I had to get out.”

  Something Samantha had said stuck in his mind, and Darius narrowed his gaze on his brother. “You didn’t happen to break off with her in public, did you?”

  “She started it, but so what?”

  “So I got blamed for your lack of discretion,” he growled. “Next time shake free of your women in private.”

  “What are you talking about? Who’s blaming you for what?” Marcus went into the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee, then joined him on the couch. After a thorough scrutiny of Darius, he smiled.

  “What?” Darius silently encouraged his brother to be as obnoxious as possible to justify a sound thrashing.

  “Nothing.” Marcus continued to smile. “You look tired.”

  “I only finished work a few hours ago.”

  “So what are you doing awake?”

  “You’re as nosy as Aerolus,” Darius muttered, annoyed. Apparently Marcus sensed his need for a fight for he grinned apologetically and held his hands up in surrender.

  Damn.

  Since a battle wasn’t forthcoming, and to take his mind from Samantha, Darius prodded Marcus’ mind. Like Aerolus and Cadmus, Marcus remained closed. But Darius could sens
e a well of amusement laced with surprise.

  “I felt that.”

  Darius remained still. “Felt what?”

  “That touch on my mind. You need more practice.” Marcus snorted. “Like everything else you do, you’re too heavy-handed.”

  “Care to explain that?” he asked in a low voice.

  “No way. Not when you’ve got that look in your eyes.” Marcus turned his head and focused on the coffeepot. As if controlled by invisible strings, the coffeepot disengaged from the brewer and poured coffee into a cup on the counter. The cup then floated smoothly, bridging the distance from the kitchen to Marcus’ outstretched fingers.

  “Never seen you do that before.”

  “I’ve been practicing.” Marcus’ eyes narrowed. “You don’t seem surprised.”

  “Aerolus told us yesterday.”

  Marcus frowned. “Figures. It’s almost impossible to keep anything secret from him. Funny, but before I knew about our relation to Arim, I always thought Aerolus took after the sorcerer.” He took a large swallow of coffee before his eyes widened on something beyond Darius. “And speak of the devil…”

  Darius felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He turned to look behind him and saw a black void gather, drawing energy to it like a magnet. Arim stepped through the inky blackness and in a flash the doorway closed.

  Upon seeing Darius and Marcus, Arim frowned. “Where are the other two? I don’t have much time.”

  “Nice to see you, too.” Darius stared at Arim hungrily, needing the connection to Tanselm almost more than breath.

  Arim looked as he always did, smouldering, arrogant and dangerous, and wearing a blatant mantle of magic. He no longer wore his battledress, however, making Darius think the battle had calmed.

  “Not yet.” Arim held up a hand to forestall Darius’ questions. “Gather the others so I only have to explain this once, and do it quickly.”

  Darius stared at Marcus until his ’younger‘ brother rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath. Despite the mere seconds between their births, Darius never failed to remind the others who was the oldest, and thus in charge. Once Marcus vaulted over the couch and sprinted up the stairs, Darius turned to his uncle.

  “And how is Mother?”

  “Fine.” Arim replied in a short voice, his gaze roaming the room. “At least you finally found a proper living space.” His eyes shone, what passed for amusement lighting his face.

  Darius shrugged, striving to contain the fiery impatience gathering within him but unable to curtail his hostility. “The luck of magic. Cadmus thinks a lottery will ruin Tanselm. Personally, I don’t care. I just want to return home.”

  His harsh tenor had the sorcerer frowning. “I know you have little patience for this world, Darius, and little patience in general.” Arim stared intently into Darius’ eyes. “But you’ll need more than patience if you’re to return home.”

  The others joined them, nixing the opportunity to ask Arim exactly what he hadn’t said.

  “Good, you’re all here.” Arim stared at all the brothers, seeming content when they made eye contact with him. “I have good news, and bad.” He paused. “You may be coming home sooner than we thought.”

  Darius blinked. “What could be bad about that?”

  “You had to ask,” Marcus muttered.

  “Much as we need you four to strengthen the four corners of Tanselm, we need you alive and well.”

  “We’re fine,” Cadmus interjected.

  Arim silenced him with a look. “You’re fine for now. One of our most trusted men infiltrated the Djinn stronghold and informed us this world has been compromised.”

  Darius stared. “Compromised? By who, and for how long?”

  Arim scowled, the anger radiating from him like a heat wave. “The Djinn. Apparently they’ve been aware of your transport since you arrived.”

  Darius let out a bellow of anger and disbelief, conscious that his brothers joined his rage. Even Aerolus, the most even-tempered of the bunch, questioned Arim, wondering at the information.

  “How do you know this to be true?” he asked. “If the Djinn were here, we’d surely have been attacked by now. Since our arrival we’ve been on our guard but have detected no magic. How then do the Djinn survive? Especially since they cannot live under the light of day?”

  “I’m not sure yet.” Arim didn’t look happy at the admission. “But it may be the light from this world isn’t strong enough to combat their darkness, or perhaps they only venture out at night. At any rate, once I learned of this new threat, I discussed it with your mother.”

  When he didn’t say more, Darius swore. “And?”

  “And she still thinks you’re safer here than at home.”

  Unable to stop himself, Darius lashed out in a rage. His anger found the coffeepot, shattering glass over the counter. With a narrowing of his eyes, Marcus cooled the glass with a sudden mist. “But what do you think?” he asked the sorcerer.

  “For once I disagree with her. You’re in a greater danger here. Despite the lack of magic on this plane, enough exists to support the Djinn’s presence, thus enough magic exists here to hurt you.”

  “But our affai?”

  Darius rolled his eyes; Aerolus had to ask.

  “They are here. I wanted to give you more time, time to court them properly, to test their mettle before you brought them home. But I fear we no longer have that luxury.” Arim retrieved a necklace bearing a diamond-like crystal from inside his tunic.

  Aerolus caught his breath. Marcus stared in amazement. But Darius sneered. How typical of Arim to make things as difficult as possible.

  “A Knowing Crystal,” Cadmus murmured.

  “A tool that would have helped us when we first landed here a year ago.” Darius glared. “Why the hell would you have kept this from us knowing how much we’re needed at home?”

  Arim ignored him and nodded at Cadmus. “Yes, a Knowing Crystal. I’m not sure how well it will work here, but it still contains the energy and memories of all the Storm Lords before you. Simply wear it around your neck and when you have found your affai, you will know.”

  “But with only one crystal, three of us will be in the dark concerning potential mates,” Aerolus pointed out.

  Darius set nearby curtains on fire, uncaring of Arim’s displeasure. “Why didn’t you give us this before we left, you bastard?”

  Arim stilled. Then he frowned—a very bad sign. The temperature around the group grew freezing and the fire immediately faded. “Watch your tone with me, Darius. Kin or not, no one talks to a Valens like that without severe repercussions.”

  Beyond care, Darius stepped forward, only to be held back by his brothers.

  “This isn’t helping,” Marcus murmured in his ear. “He won’t kill you, but he can make your life miserable.”

  “More than it is now?” Darius growled. But he saw the danger in Arim’s stance, understood the need to curb his temper and deal with the situation they now faced. He would brood about Arim’s deception later. Nodding a forced apology to his uncle, he nevertheless felt relief when the room temperature returned to normal.

  “Aerolus,” Arim said, “in response to your worry that only one of you may use the crystal at one time, thereby putting the other three of you in jeopardy of bypassing your mates, I have an answer for you. Watch the crystal.” He dangled the crystal and all watched as it began to rotate, spinning faster and faster the longer Arim held it.

  Arim began an incantation and his eyes grew impossibly dark. Darius felt the power run from Arim to him, both thrilling and unnerving. He could feel the crystal pulling at him, seeking something within him. But he was helpless to look away from its crystalline beauty. After a timeless pause, his gaze slid to Arim, the sorcerer’s black stare leeching his will until he swayed on his feet. Only when Arim blinked did Darius’ frailty pass.

  Uncomfortable with Arim’s power, he turned to see what his brothers thought and saw all eyes on him. “What?” he a
sked, discomfited to have shown any weakness. In all the myths surrounding the Knowing Crystals, he’d never heard of anyone suffering ill effects from their presence. He turned suspiciously to Arim.

  “Darius shall wear it first.” So saying, Arim placed the necklace around Darius’ throat. Before he could protest, Darius watched as the crystal turned a blood red, then burned itself through his shirt and painlessly into his chest in the shape of a red diamond.

  “How does it come off?” Darius traced the new tattoo, a strange feeling of urgency filling him as his fingers lingered over the crystal now embedded in his skin.

  “It will remove itself after a true joining has occurred, then pass to the next in need.”

  “You mean after Darius bonds with his affai, one of us will be chosen to find our supposed mate,” Marcus said matter-of-factly, staring at his oldest brother. “Hell, we’ll die in this realm.” He groaned.

  “Very funny.” Darius looked up to see a flash of satisfaction pass over Arim’s face. Distrust rose swiftly, followed by a certain realisation. “That was more than the Knowing Crystal. What exactly did you do to me?”

  “Nothing you haven’t already done to yourself.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Anger festered. But the crystal muddied his mind, turning his anger into a burning need to find…someone. Someone to fill the aching void growing within him.

  “It means you’ve already met your mate,” Aerolus answered, worry shadowing his pale grey eyes. “Now you have to find her, join with her, and convince her to give up everything she knows to live with you—in a place she won’t believe exists—forever.”

  Silence filled the room and Arim vanished as if he’d never been there. They all stared at one another before Cadmus broke the silence.

  “We’re doomed.”

  * * * *

  Samantha mewed softly, terror shaking her sweating body in the icy hotel room. Turning her head from side to side, she tried to shake free from the nightmare gripping her. Instead, hellish images bombarded her, and with eyes wide open and unseeing, she stared into the maw of an uncertain actuality…