by Marie Harte
He stared blatantly at their hands and the corner of his lips curled. “My father was one of four identical siblings, like us, and so was destined to rule one of the four kingdoms. Our uncles ruled the south, north and east, leading their kingdoms under the power of the Storm Lords.”
“What does that mean exactly?” She eyed them all, wondering how she could possibly believe any of this.
“Storm Lords command the elements.” Aerolus waved his hand in the air and a breeze stole through the still room. “As you can see, I command the winds. Each one of us, of the Royal Four, is born with a certain ability to leash and control a specific element of nature. Marcus controls water, Cadmus the earth, and Darius harnesses the power of fire.”
She stared in astonishment as Marcus made water appear in his palm out of thin air and Darius snapped a flame to life. She turned to Cadmus, who shrugged.
“If I make the house shake again I’ve been threatened with a week’s worth of dishes. Earthquakes aren’t too popular around here.”
Having seen their power with her own eyes, Samantha’s disbelief began to fade, replaced by awe and uncertainty.
Aerolus seemed to sense her unease for he continued in a gentle voice. “Despite the power of the Storm Lords, they, we, are but mortal. Father was killed by dark magic, and soon after our uncles and their families were killed too, all by an evil sorcerer known as ’Sin Garu and his minions the Netharat.”
Darius squeezed her hand. “’Sin Garu is the blond you met this morning.” He briefly explained her dream, making no mention of their lovemaking, for which she was grateful. Hearing it all again, however, reinforced her fear.
Her mouth grew dry. The tale of an alternate world, which had started as entertaining, now felt all too horrifyingly real. “Saying I believe all this, what does this ’Sin Garu want with me?”
Aerolus opened his mouth but Darius interrupted. “We’re not sure. Bottom line is that this is real, you are in danger, and you’re not leaving until we know why he wants you.” His voice grew harsh, his eyes like lasers that pinpointed her desire to flee all too readily.
She swallowed around the lump in her throat, determined not to lose it in front of him or his brothers. Focusing on her strengths, she met his arrogance with resistance, just to show him he couldn’t push her around, that she wasn’t that afraid.
“If I stay it’s because I decide to stay, not because you’re ordering me to.” She tried to glare at him but couldn’t maintain the fiction when she met those dark red eyes. He didn’t look even slightly freakish, rather like a supernatural lover who could melt her with one glance.
Someone cleared his throat and she realised she’d been staring at Darius, and he at her.
“So long as you stay, I don’t care the reason,” he conceded, his voice husky. “It’s clear you’re tired and you need time to, ah, adjust to all this. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressed you.” She noted his brothers’ surprise. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
She stood when he did, her sluggish body finally breaking down. She would have fallen to her knees had Darius not caught her.
“She’ll stay with me,” Darius murmured as he carried her out of the room and up the stairs.
She heard male mutterings but hadn’t the heart to question Darius anymore. As much as she wanted to walk strong on her own two feet, she couldn’t stop the pounding from behind her eyes, or the weakness invading her limbs.
Darius carried her with ease, her desire to be strong of no consequence. He felt her pain, could sense her near the end of her tenuous hold on control. Cursing his stupidity for not allowing for her comfort first, he placed her gently on his bed.
When she made no move to get up, he knew she’d reached the end of her endurance. Staring down at her, a spiral of tenderness blossomed, surprising him with the amount of feeling he suddenly experienced for the lovely Samantha Brooks.
Though just having her near made his cock ache and his heart jump, he made no move to seduce her, knowing she wouldn’t say no but unable to take advantage. With any other woman it would have been easy to get his way, to use every means available to press his suit for protection.
Samantha, however, made him conscious of a sudden softening in his attitude. Her eyes fluttered closed and she breathed softly in his bed, under his watch. Thoughts of Tanselm paled in comparison with the need to keep this woman safe and by his side.
Thoughts of Tanselm paled… As his awareness of the moment penetrated, the crystal around his throat came to life. Blazing with heat, the Knowing Crystal seared through his flesh, rising to rest on his chest in flashing lights of blue and silver.
He fell to his knees on the bed and toppled on the covers next to Samantha, anger at the pain in his throat fading under a sudden alarm. The crystal’s power shook him, as for the first time in his life he found himself unable to control the fire burning him from the inside out.
* * * *
“Do you think Darius has been drinking?” Cadmus grinned, his eyes on the doorway through which his brother had recently left.
“If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t believe it.” Marcus shook his head. “Darius actually apologised to a woman for being too high-handed? He did do that, didn’t he? I’m not dreaming?”
Aerolus barely managed to stifle a chuckle. He’d been hoping something like this might happen. Finally. Darius had found someone to penetrate the shield encasing his heart. Affection, maybe even love, was there in the way Darius looked at Samantha, in the way he said her name.
“What do you think, Aerolus?” Both Cadmus and Marcus stared at him, waiting for an answer.
“I think Darius has finally met his match.”
“Hot damn.” Cadmus shot to his feet and threw his fists in the air. “I can almost feel the black earth of Tanselm running through my fingers. I can almost smell the sweet aroma of leraffes in bloom as the onset of spring beckons me home.”
Marcus rolled his eyes as Cadmus continued to wax poetic, but Aerolus could see the excitement the word ‘Tanselm’ instilled in his shining blue gaze.
“You might not want to get too happy just yet,” Aerolus cautioned, not wanting to douse hope but a realist nonetheless. “Whether Darius succeeds with this woman or not is no sure path back home.”
“He’s right.” Arim’s quiet voice surprised them. He stepped from the far wall of the room as if separating from the very paint and plaster, a misty haze of man that coalesced into flesh and blood. “There’s been a disturbance between the planes, a darkness pocketing the realms where there should only be waiting space.”
His black eyes glimmered into blue, then purple, turning a rainbow of colours, all blazing with a rage Aerolus had only seen once in all the time he’d known Arim. “I need to see Darius right now.”
Sudden fear for Darius scored Aerolus’ heart.
“But he just went upstairs with Samantha.” Marcus frowned, not liking Arim’s tone either.
“Where?” Arim snarled the word, worry evident in his eyes, and startled, Marcus directed him to Darius’ bedroom.
In a flash Arim disappeared. Shaken, Aerolus teleported into Darius’ room. He stared in horror as his brother and Samantha lay in an unholy blaze, black and blue flames singing their bodies and souls as they lay helpless under the Wraith’s Kiss.
His eyes fixed on the flaming bed, he hadn’t yet noticed Arim until chanting sounded from the other side of the room. The sorcerer shoved his hand through the blaze just as Marcus and Cadmus burst through the door.
“By the Light’s holy fire.” Cadmus paled as they helplessly watched Arim battle the Wraith’s Kiss, a cursed spell originated in the darkest realm. They’d all seen it before used all too readily and with great success by the Netharat.
Grimacing, Arim closed his fist around the Knowing Crystal. Gradually, the blaze transferred from Samantha and Darius into him. Arim’s skin turned a mottled blue-black, the smell of charred flesh filling the air. Then suddenly, th
e unnatural fire ceased.
Arim stood, chalk-white but otherwise unharmed. After a few calming breaths, his colour slowly returned, and he bent low to place one hand on Darius’ unmoving chest.
Aerolus heard a small whoosh and exhaled a sigh of relief when Darius took a deep breath. His brother’s eyes opened, blood red with fury.
“What the hell was that?” he asked in a croak, shaking as he sat up with Arim’s help. He quickly looked to Samantha, relaxing a fraction when he saw her even breathing.
“You have found your affai. There can be no question now.” Arim nodded towards Samantha, who lay still under their regard.
“No question?” Darius stood on unsteady feet. “I almost died in that bed.”
“Not a pretty sight.” Cadmus cringed. “Not at all.”
“I thought the Knowing Crystal was supposed to show you your affai, not burn her to a crisp,” Marcus drawled, as if he hadn’t just witnessed his brother’s flamedance with death.
Arim said nothing, simply stared until Marcus looked away after a mumbled apology.
“What are you doing here anyway, Arim?” Darius glared at the sorcerer. “Seems the only time you bother to show up anymore is to tell us to wait and be patient.” He snorted. “Not that I’m complaining about your timing, but I’m sure you’re not here to bring us home.”
Arim took a hard look at the four men waiting impatiently for him to explain. Aerolus thought he looked tired, a slight darkening under his eyes barely perceptible.
Taking a soft breath before speaking, Arim remained locked in place, his face devoid of any expression. But his eyes, his eyes blazed hotter than any fire Darius could conjure or control.
“’Sin Garu has infiltrated the Royal House. Until the breach is found and eliminated, everything is held in the balance. You must remain vigilant in your guard, and you must remain here.”
Marcus, Cadmus and Darius spoke at the same time, their voices perfect echoes of frustration, anger and disbelief.
“The Royal House?”
“Mother! Is she safe? Does she know?”
“What are you waiting for? Send us back before everything is destroyed!”
Arim crossed his arms and shook his head, but Aerolus could feel the strain burdening him.
“We can help you,” Aerolus added in the sudden quiet.
Arim’s ink black gaze swept the room, lingering on Aerolus with a disturbing intensity before finding Marcus. “You need to hone your skills, and soon. Parlour tricks— moving glasses, pulling out a chair, and fetching a newspaper with your mind are one thing, fighting wraiths is another.” He turned to Cadmus. “You should be using your visions to counter future troubles, not questioning everything you believe you see. Open your mind and use your visions, Cadmus, before they begin to use you.
“And Darius,” he stopped to take a deep breath. “The most stubborn of the Royal Four. How appropriate then that you have found the first of the royal affai. You did not want to wed, yet here she is.” Arim strode to Samantha’s side of the bed and grazed her cheek with his hand. “A tender flower that can withstand any storm. Do not underestimate her power.” He narrowed his eyes. “And watch your temper around her. I’ve no wish to put out any more flames.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Darius stared down at Samantha with disbelief. “Are you telling me she did this? She cast a spell on me? A Netharat spell?”
“No. The Knowing Crystal had been tampered with. Someone had enspelled it with the Wraith’s Kiss. It worked on your magic, and because Samantha is your affai, it worked on her as well.”
“Because she and Darius share his magic,” Aerolus said softly, understanding.
Arim nodded. “The woman is of this world, yet she’s capable of withstanding elemental magic. Theoretically, she could learn to use fire, even to control the Wraith’s Kiss with proper training.” Arim turned to Aerolus. “You’re quite perceptive, aren’t you, Wind Mage?” he said softly, pausing as if in debate with himself. His eyes blazed. “Come with me.”
Aerolus vanished with Arim, back to Tanselm or wherever Arim spent his time. Darius didn’t know what to say or do, and his brothers looked similarly stunned. The room smelled of burnt wool, and the air remained uncomfortably warm, even to Darius. He was about to ask Marcus and Cadmus what exactly they had seen when Samantha blinked her eyes open.
Instead of the mysterious green gaze he expected, her eyes burned a bright, curious crimson.
Chapter Seven
Samantha stared from Darius to his brothers and back again. Nothing looked out of place in his bedroom, yet she smelled something burning, and had a definite impression she’d slept through something important. She sat up feeling rested and wondered how much time had passed.
“What did I miss?”
Darius had yet to blink, his gaze fixed on hers in what looked like shock, and she began to feel the first fluttering of fear.
“Darius? Tell me what has you looking so spooked.”
He shook his head and leaned closer to her, staring into her eyes. “I don’t believe this.” He snapped his fingers and orange flame appeared. Without giving her time to protest, he took her palm in his and placed the ball of flame in it.
She squealed to break free, instinctively wanting to distance herself from the fire, but couldn’t move under Darius’ grip.
To her astonishment, the fire didn’t burn. It felt warm, yes, but comfortable, a welcoming heat that made her insides flare with desire, with the urge to draw closer to Darius.
After a minute of staring from Samantha to the flame and back again, Darius cursed and released her hand. As he backed away, she saw her desire mirrored in his gaze, in his dark red eyes—a reminder that she was definitely living out her own episode of the Twilight Zone.
She swallowed the knot of nerves in her throat and stood up, needing all the presence she could muster in a room filled with gorgeous giants who stared at her as if she had three heads.
Unfortunately, standing put her that much closer to Darius, sparking her already overheated libido. She flushed and cleared her throat. “So, ah, someone care to tell me what’s going on? How long have I been sleeping?”
The men ignored her and began speaking amongst themselves. She caught vague snippets about Aerolus being missing and her eyes having gone haywire, though that made no sense considering she could see just fine.
“Excuse me,” she tried. When they continued to ignore her, she kicked Darius in the back of the knee, making him stumble. He turned to face her with a scowl mean enough to fell a tree. Odd that his anger only made him more attractive, his impatience infinitely more challenging than the bland businessmen she dealt with on a daily basis.
Shaking her head, she focused and tried again. “Let me say it a little louder. What the hell is going on around here?”
Cadmus had the nerve to grin. “She sounds just like you, Darius. How weird is that?” he asked Marcus. “Sexy as hell, but as surly as him?”
Seeing her eyes narrow, Darius glared in response but answered her question. “Easy, Samantha. As far as I know you just closed your eyes a few minutes ago.”
“Huh?” She felt way too refreshed to believe she’d only just fallen asleep.
“Yeah, you two weren’t gone more than a few minutes before Arim appeared with bad news.” Cadmus stared from her to Darius with a stupid grin, and she could easily see why Darius was so impatient all the time. His brothers were enough to drive her to drink.
“Would one of you explain this before I go postal?” Her voice rose with each word until she was shouting.
“Whatever that means.” Marcus shrugged. “You and flameboy left the living room.” With a wave of his hand, a shield of water demolished the fireball thrown his way. He continued as if nothing had happened, no doubt to further Darius’ annoyance. “Two seconds later Arim, our resident sorcerer, appeared with bad news about evil in between realms or something.”
“Actually,” Cadmus interrupted, “he sa
id, ’There’s been a disturbance between the planes, a darkness pocketing the realms where there should only be waiting space’.”
Irritation swimming in his ocean-blue eyes, Marcus grumbled, “I hate it when you do that.” He shifted so that his back was to Cadmus. “As I was saying, Arim then freaked out and demanded to see you, Darius. Personally I thought he was going to fry you, Storm Lords and destiny be damned. But when I broke through your door, I found him freeing you from the Wraith’s Kiss.”
“It’s a magical spell created by ’Sin Garu as ammunition for his evil followers, the Netharat,” Darius said before she could ask. “You saw one of the Netharat in your dream, that ghoulish monstrosity with rows of sharp black teeth? We call them wraiths.”
She nodded slowly, uneasy that she was beginning to understand and even follow their incredible story.
“Anyway, Arim yanked off the Knowing Crystal, which now that I think about it,” Marcus paused, his eyes narrowing, “wasn’t a Knowing Crystal at all.”
“Treachery in the Royal House,” Cadmus said thoughtfully.
“Okay, I think I understand some of this.” Samantha should have had a headache fuelled by tension and confusion at this point, but her head felt fine. In fact, the only time she’d felt any better had been right after sex with Darius. She glanced at him only to see the tension leave his frame. His eyes widened before tilting at the corners suggestively.
Crap. That mind reading thing.
Schooling her expression, she turned from his sensual gaze and asked Marcus, the arrogant one, as she’d come to think of him, “So why are you all looking at me like an alien, or worse, the enemy?” She hadn’t missed their suspicion earlier.
“Because Arim mentioned you’ve the capability of a lot of power, not to mention your encounter with ’Sin Garu—the greatest threat Tanselm has faced in a thousand years.” Marcus stared at her, as if gauging her innocence.