by Marie Harte
She glanced up, staring each Storm Lord in the eye. Fascinated by the differences in the identical brothers, she couldn’t help seeing their auras as quite separate. Aerolus’, she noted clearly and with no small amount of satisfaction, was mixed with hers.
“Okay, let’s get this over with,” she said with a sigh and allowed herself to be overcome with latent magic. She glowed a bright white, her hair and skin shinier, more alluring, her features beyond pretty to an unearthly beauty. “I’m Alandra le Aelle, an Aellei currently out of favour with the royal court and the queen, my aunt,” she said with apology to Aerolus. He simply nodded, not surprised. How very like him, all-knowing and unflustered. Irritation washed through her. She felt nervous, why couldn’t he for a change?
“I openly disagreed with my aunt over the matter of conquering Tanselm, an act that resulted in my being here.”
“She banished you to the very place the Storm Lords had gone?” Aerolus stared thoughtfully.
“Ah, no. Actually, the queen had planned on torturing me in Aelle in a manner I really don’t want to think about, let alone describe.” She shuddered at the thought. “I overheard their conversation about you four, and that ‘Sin Garu meant to follow you here.”
“Wait, wait,” Marcus interrupted. “Explain the part about the Aellei wanting Tanselm. Until today I thought the Aellei had all but vanished.”
“We had—vanished from Tanselm that is.” Alandra sighed and leant back against the counter. “Over a thousand years ago, when the Dark Tribes split, the Aellei, the Djinn and the Dark Lords still occupied portions of Tanselm. Though Dark Lord control was steadily waning as the Light Bringers fought to regain the land, there was enough darkness in Tanselm’s soil to sustain us all. There still is,” she added quietly.
She glanced at Aerolus to see if he caught what she was subtly implying. His gaze sharpened, and he nodded for her to continue.
“You know the history. The tribes split, the Light Bringers, Storm Lords in particular, routed the Dark Lords and every other Dark or Shadowy race from Tanselm. Since then, the Djinn found refuge in Foreia, the Aellei in Aelle, and the Dark Lords in Malern and the Isle of Frigia, where they met their best buddies, the ice wraiths.”
“No, the ice wraiths were created by the Dark Lords,” Arim stated.
“No, they weren’t.” The intellectual banter lessened her worry and increased her pleasure in the discourse. “Despite what the Dark Lords would have you believe, the wraiths existed prior to Dark Lord intervention. Now, I will agree the Dark Lords have shaped the wraiths into their own powerful tool, but make no mistake, the wraiths were once something quite different from what they are today.”
“How can you know this?” Arim asked suspiciously. “I sense you are little more than a century old, if that.”
“They have a Great Hall full of altee scrolls,” Aerolus answered, pride in his voice as if the scrolls belonged to him.
Darius and Marcus stared, open-mouthed. Even Arim looked stunned. “Really?” he asked in a low voice.
She nodded. “Open for all to see in the Gray Keep. I’ve seen every battle and scrape related to the Tribe Division, and the magic that encapsulated those records is completely impartial to anything but truth. No Aellein, Dark Lord, or Light Bringer magic taints those accounts.”
“I would greatly like to see that of what you speak.” Arim was quiet, his tone no longer hostile, but still not completely friendly.
“If I can arrange it, I will. But like I said, I’m not exactly welcome in Aelle right now.”
“Tell them about ‘Sin Garu and Lidra,” Aerolus prodded.
“I’m getting there.” She frowned at him to be patient and turned back to his brothers and Arim with a huff. “I spied a Dark Lord and my aunt plotting and planning together. It’s a funny thing though. ‘Sin Garu is the Dark Lord I saw a year ago. But yesterday I had a vision of sorts, and I saw another Dark Lord. One very like ‘Sin Garu, but not him.”
“Two of them?” Darius asked.
“Three,” Arim said grimly. He muttered under his breath, and his clothing suddenly went to rights, his bruises and bloodied skin fading into the picture of perfect health. He seemed as if steadying himself for something coming. “’Sin Garu, his brother B’alen and his sister are all involved, it seems.”
“A real family affair,” Alandra said with an exasperated groan. “Great. You Light Bringers really know how to piss off everyone you meet. You’ve got Djinn, Aellei, Dark Lords and wraiths on your collective asses.”
“Tell us something we don’t know,” Darius growled. “Like how involved you are in all this.”
“Well, fire-breather, I can tell you that in addition to the Dark Lords, you’re fighting only a handful of Aellei and Djinn set on reclaiming Tanselm. The majority of Aellei are ignorant of what the queen plots. And if they knew what I do, make that when they know, there’ll be insurrection in Aelle.”
“So you say.” Marcus stared at her with a strange kind of curiosity, his gaze shifting from Aerolus’ still-protective stance to Alandra.
“So I know.” She stood with her arms across her chest, glaring at Aerolus’ irritating brothers to be quiet. Shadows, but as much as she actually admired them for their closeness, they could be an irritating lot.
She turned to Arim, the one person besides Aerolus she definitely needed to convince. “I know my people, and I know the Djinn who is helping Cadmus. I’ve been watching Aerolus—ah, you all—for a year in this plane. And in that time, a small faction of Djinn have been aiding your cause. Yes, aiding. One Djinn took ‘Sin Garu between, possibly at the cost of his own life. And Ellie Markham, the woman Cadmus can’t keep his hands off of, has been shielding and empowering him ever since Darius left.” Though Alandra had a feeling Ellie didn’t exactly know how much she was really helping Cadmus.
“Ellie Markham? Outpour Ellie?” Darius sounded dumbfounded. “But she’s so normal.”
“What, Djinn can’t be normal?” Aggravated at his bias, she glared and shook her finger at him. “You Light Bringers are so narrow-minded! Just because a being lives in Shadow or Dark, you immediately associate her with evil. Well, that’s just wrong.
“My kind live in Shadow, in both Light and Dark, and we aren’t at all evil. Ellie and the Djinn are Dark, not immoral, yet because they cannot live in the Light, you condemn them in the same breath you use to denounce the Dark Lords. Without Dark there can be no Light, did you ever think of that?”
She was breathing rapidly, anger making her want to break something, namely a few Storm Lord skulls. Without thinking about it, she stirred a thickening air in the room.
“Alandra?” Arim said quietly. “You might want to rethink your attack.”
“Attack?” She didn’t understand until she glanced behind him at the swirling mass of magazines and throw pillows decking the living room. Once again wondering how she was able to tap into Aerolus’ elemental power, she glanced at him and saw him take back control.
He subtly closed his fingers over his palm, and the air settled everything gently back to its place.
“Nice,” he murmured, making her blush. “I think you made your point.”
“How the hell?” Darius stared.
“You’re kidding me.” Marcus gaped at her, then looked to Arim who nodded. “And you complained about Tessa. At least she’s human.”
“Excuse me?” Alandra still couldn’t think past the feel of wind surging through her body.
“Not now, Marcus.” Aerolus shook his head.
Arim chuckled, startling everyone into staring at him. “You know, Aerolus, I seem to recall you saying something about not making the same mistakes as your brothers. That you were smarter, yet you still have not claimed your affai.”
Alandra glared. “Is this really the time to be bringing that up?” Did she need to hear about Mrs. Wind Mage just now, when she was still spitting mad over their obvious prejudice against her kind? It was like a huge slap in the face that she and
Aerolus never would be together. He might not mind those not of the Light, but his family didn’t share his sentiments.
Darius chuckled with his uncle. “This is priceless. After all that tripe you spouted to me, to Marcus, and you’re afraid of a little spitfire who—”
“That’s enough,” Aerolus warned, wind taking the words from Darius’ lips. “I’m warning you that now is not the time.” He glanced at Alandra and his eyes softened. “We’ve sidetracked, purie.” The apology in his voice soothed a part of her and she nodded, albeit stiffly.
At least he had a sense of propriety. She felt slightly better that maybe he didn’t like hearing about an affai either, that maybe he wanted their time to last as long as it possibly could, as she did.
“You know, I’ve watched you two flounder to get home for some time,” she directed at Darius and Marcus. “And just when Cadmus finally has a chance to return, you’d—”
“What are you saying?” Arim asked with an intensity that took her aback.
“I’m saying that Ellie is trying to help Cadmus return home to expose the Djinn threat there, but in order to get to Tanselm in one piece, he’s going to need power, a lot of power.”
“But a Djinn can’t cross the shields,” Arim said, clearly alarmed. “Surely even he knows that.”
“Yes,” she said slowly. Was she the only one able to read between the lines? Maybe if they distrusted the Djinn less, they’d be able to appreciate Ellie’s cunning. “But Cadmus isn’t Djinn. Despite the sheen of Djinn flame, he’s a Light Bringer at heart. And Ellie’s not exactly a Djinn, either.”
“You just said she was.” Darius frowned.
“Now I’m confused.” Marcus rubbed his eyes, and she wanted to grin at the headache she was causing.
“She said ‘not exactly’, which for an Aellei means pay attention,” Aerolus drawled. “My guess is that Ellie is part Djinn, and part something else.”
“At least one of you has the brains to go with the looks,” she muttered, pleased to see identical scowls on Darius’ and Marcus’ faces.
“Even so, she won’t be able to penetrate the shields,” Arim said thoughtfully.
“Sure she will. She and Cadmus are sharing energies, at least for now. And the Djinn have had someone on the inside for quite some time, tampering with Tanselm’s protective spells. How do you think ‘Sin Garu breached the shield in the first place?
“The only question is, does your Djinn traitor know where Ellie’s true allegiance lies, and if so, what do you think he’ll do about it when he finds out?”
“We have to let Cadmus know the truth.” Arim began to pace.
“He already knows.” Alandra recalled her last conversation with the frustrated Ellie. “He may be infuriating, but he’s quick to have answers. Besides, from what Ellie told me, she’s been trying to delay Cadmus’ return for some time.”
“Why?” Arim stared hard at her.
“Because she sensed something not right with her father’s contact there weeks ago. I’m thinking she already knows to be wary of your traitor. Ellie wants the Storm Lords to maintain leadership over the land, and she’s been tasked with keeping Cadmus in one piece by a rebel band of Djinn. You see, Arim, not all the Djinn want the Dark Lords in power over Tanselm. ‘Sin Garu will not only kill as many Light Bringers as he can, but all those who oppose his rule.”
“Yeah, if the asshole’s even still alive,” Darius muttered, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
“Oh, he’s alive,” Arim said with assurance. “The question is, where is he, and how do we handle this new Dark Lord threat?”
Alandra glanced at Aerolus, uneasy at the intent look he was giving her. She dimly recalled she had something important to tell him, but the intense focus of his stare shook the important worry from her mind.
“I have some thoughts about where we should go.” Everyone turned to Aerolus, who kept his gaze on Alandra. “I say we take Alandra back to Aelle and get the answers from those that know.” Before she could stammer a firm refusal, he latched onto her arm. “Meet me back here in three hours,” he told his brothers and uncle. “There’s something we need to do before then.”
He teleported with Alandra out of the kitchen before anyone could speak, Alandra included. When next she could catch her breath, she found herself in the most beautiful shadow she’d ever seen in her life.
Rich with vibrant colour and magic, the grey cloak of shade fell from a mountain of rock so full of energy she had to blink to make sure it was real. Aerolus gave her a small smile and brought her hand to the smooth surface of stone.
“Welcome to Tanselm, Alandra.”
Chapter Ten
Alandra stared at Morn Mountain in awe, and it was all Aerolus could do to stand still and not gather her in his arms. As he’d known, Tanselm had reached out and accepted the slight Aellei with open arms, the land’s rich magic delving into Alandra’s being and bonding with her as if she’d been born to the land.
His eyes misted, the sight of his affai too beautiful to behold, as she caressed the pure energy of his world with reverence.
“This is the most wondrous place I’ve ever been.” She tore her gaze from the rock to stare at Aerolus, her smile a mile wide. “It makes Aelle pale in comparison.”
Mention of her homeworld eased him into a quest for answers he desperately needed to know. “I saw a glimpse of Aelle in your dream, but I’d like to hear you describe it to me.”
She shrugged, her hand petting the rock like a lover, and his body hardened at the carnal images flashing through his mind. “Aelle is filled with the splendour of the Aellei, yet its magic is not even a quarter of what Tanselm possesses. Thank you for showing it to me,” she said soberly, her heart in her eyes. “I know it can’t be easy bringing a creature of Shadow into your world.”
“You don’t know anything,” he murmured, the need to touch her overwhelming. He stepped closer and stroked her cheek. She blazed a brilliant white in the shadow of the mountain, and he had never seen her look so lovely. “I trust you, Alandra. I know there’s more you haven’t yet said,” he paused, seeing the telling shift of her gaze. “But I know you’d never see the Light of this world extinguished. And I know you would protect me with your life, as you did when you thought Arim meant me harm.”
She blushed and looked away, towards the thick forest beyond the kingdom. “I overreacted.”
He said nothing, studying her for the best way to proceed. “I know you miss Aelle, Alandra, and that my family is the reason you are no longer there.”
“True,” she agreed. “But I don’t miss Aelle as much as I used to.” She stared at him, her violet gaze intense as if trying to see inside him. “But you, I don’t understand how being away from this place isn’t tearing you apart. I knew you were strong before,” she said quietly, frankly admiring. “But I’m in awe of your commitment to saving this world.”
He caressed her jaw, her cheek, sliding his hand to cup her face. “I give everything I am to those I love.”
Leaning forward, he kissed her softly, thoroughly, on the mouth. Like petals of silk, her lips parted on a sigh.
“You are so damned sexy,” she groaned. “And your energy is so much hungrier here.”
“Hungry, yes,” he said, holding her to him with a force that told her just how much he wanted her. “Hungry for the truth, for peace, for your l—” He interrupted his admission, worried that saying the word ‘love’ might spook her.
“For what?” she asked coyly, her hands lowering from his chest to his groin, lingering over his throbbing cock. She rubbed him through his trousers, and her eyes sparkled, pleased at the obvious control she had over him.
Dammit, why must everything be about control? His blood heated as he stared at his affai, wishing, almost, that she was a normal woman with whom he could have a genuine conversation without worrying about losing at some mysterious game they apparently played.
As she continued to caress him, she bit her l
ip, her eyes shining and her aura pulsing with…love.
His eyes widened, and he wondered if he truly was the idiot Arim had accused him of being. All this time he’d been playing word games and second guessing both himself and her, when all along the answer had been right in front of him in their tied magic.
Still joined, with Tanselm’s boost he could now see the love bonding them together. His Light and her Shadow forged into an altogether different energy, one vastly more accepting, and one that made use of everything around them, giving Aerolus nearly the power his uncle wielded.
Her grip tightened over him, and his excitement increased, both at the physical pleasure and at his important discovery. “Ah, love, you are a treasure,” he said on a sigh as he rocked into her.
“I am, aren’t I?” She laughed, her joy a part of their connection. “And I want to see you come, my little Wind Mage.” Her eyes twinkled.
“Little, eh?” he grumbled and carried them both to the ground on a pocket of wind. With a thought, he spelled their clothing gone and shoved her thighs wide.
“Aerolus?” she questioned, her voice high with excitement.
“Quiet, purie. Let me love my affai as a true Storm Lord should.”
He stared into her eyes, waiting as the carefree joy in her expression changed to one of shock and disbelief.
“Affai?” she squeaked.
“Well, maybe,” he teased, coating his cock in her moist sex. “I’m willing to make a bargain with you. But it’s on my terms, take it or leave it.”
He leant down to suck her nipple, groaning at how sweet she tasted. Such a petite frame with such generous curves, and so incredibly delicious. Licking and nipping at her breasts, he brought her to near-orgasm with his mouth and tiny hands of wind that stroked her heated skin.
“Aerolus,” she gasped. “What are you doing to me?”
“I’m loving you, affai,” he said, liking the sound of it more and more. ‘Affai’, in conjunction with Alandra, sounded magical, but more, it sounded right. He moved lower, trailing his mouth over her taut abdomen and through the silky curls covering her mound. Nosing through her hair, he licked at the ambrosia glistening between her thighs and parted her folds with his fingers.