Peering to his side, she watched as Arim stepped through the black hole in the wall, followed closely by two more Storm brothers. They looked hearty and healthy, and intimidating as all get-out. But Arim, she swallowed nervously, Arim looked like he’d fought the hounds of the Next and barely survived the victor.
Tanselm’s legendary sorcerer had blue marks of the Dark upon his cheeks, burn holes in his tattered clothing, and blood streaking his forehead. His hair was mussed, clumps of black strands stuck to the dried blood on his face. But his eyes, Shadow’s bend, his eyes were swirling with colour the way they’d been when he attacked her.
Unconsciously, she clung like a burr to Aerolus’ back. She knew Arim wouldn’t harm his nephew, but her last interaction with the Light Bringer had been decidedly deadly. A new worry hit her hard. What if he’d somehow learned what she hadn’t yet had a chance to tell Aerolus?
“I take it your brother hasn’t returned?” Arim said quietly, his voice reverberating throughout the room.
She felt Aerolus tense, but his shield remained strong. “No.” She peeked around him, annoyed at not being able to see anything.
Arim stared, Darius and Marcus behind him exchanging long, thoughtful looks. Then Arim took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “You can release your shield, Aerolus. I’m not going to hurt her.”
“Not until you calm down.” Aerolus spoke soothingly, his wind stirring warmth through the room. Pressed against him and sharing his aura, she could feel his magic touching the cold on Arim’s face and healing the ravages of Dark violence.
“Good, you heal him. He wouldn’t let us help him,” Darius growled, his red eyes burning like flame. “So how’s it going, Aerolus? I see you have a woman with you.”
Marcus grinned. “It’s a miracle, truly.”
Darius nodded. “Gotta watch the quiet ones.”
“Enough, you two,” Arim snapped. “I’m calm, damn it. Now lower the shield.” He still sounded aggravated, but his eyes slowly returned to a shiny black.
Aerolus waved his hand, and the air in the room settled. “What happened, Uncle?”
“Uncle?” Alandra stepped around Aerolus and stared in shock from him and his brothers to Arim, seeing for the first time what had always been there. “It’s not just an affectation. He really is your uncle. Wow. It’s obvious, now that I see you all together, standing so close. I can’t believe I was observing you for so long and never picked up that juicy tidbit.”
“’Juicy tidbit?’” Aerolus raised a brow, acting very much like Marcus just then.
She shrugged. “While you were sleeping, I peeked at the Soap Channel early this morning. I was surprised it didn’t wake you.”
Darius elbowed Marcus, who promptly told him to grow up.
Arim rubbed his neck tiredly and sighed. “I appear to be the only one concerned about Cadmus. Will you three shut up and listen?”
“Don’t you mean four?” Alandra added, trying to be helpful.
The brothers chuckled, and Aerolus placed an arm around her shoulders, hugging her tight. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Arim stared with speculation, and she wondered if he planned to share with Aerolus one of those ‘don’t buy the bee if you can get the honey for free’ references Sava tended to make when eager Aellein males bugged him about marrying her.
As if I would try to trap a Storm Lord in marriage.
As soon as the thought surfaced, the intrigue and trickery required to make such a thing happen grabbed hold of her mind and refused to let go.
“I keep telling him that if Cadmus were hurt we’d know.” Darius glared at his uncle.
“But can you sense his thoughts?” Arim asked.
“No, and I never could.” Darius’ eyes blazed, and the coffee cups she and Aerolus had left on the counter suddenly steamed. “Aerolus, you tell him.”
“I tried. The Djinn presence in Cadmus’ aura is protective, not to mention female. It’s odd, but not in the least harmful. She’s actually increased his strength, and if Cadmus weren’t so busy feeling sorry for himself, he might sense it.”
Alandra nodded absently, scheming at a dizzying rate to trap a royal Storm Lord in matrimony. It would be the coup of a lifetime. Not to mention unspeakably romantic to marry for love, her heart clamoured.
“Alandra?” Aerolus asked softly.
She felt nervous enough, only to note three other pairs of eyes on her as well. Alandra forced a smile and tried to put them all at ease. “Ellie would no more hurt him than she would herself.”
The sudden stillness in the room told her she’d said something wrong.
“I never said her name.” Arim’s eyes were intent as he focused his will on her mental walls.
“You didn’t have to,” she snorted, thinking rapidly to cover her blunder. “I’ve watched your Tetrarch ever since they stepped foot in this plane, remember?”
“What’s she talking about?” Darius frowned.
“What do you mean?” Marcus’ smile faded, and his glare grew cold.
“Alandra.” Aerolus pulled her to face him, staring her squarely in the eye with that charged silver gaze that made her heart flutter. “Tell us the truth, please.”
She swallowed loudly, wondering if she should have mentioned this to him earlier. But he hadn’t seemed too anxious about his brother’s disappearance, and frankly she’d been too concerned with other things to talk about her newest friend, Ellie.
“Okay,” she said slowly, gauging the distance to the nearest exit. The window wasn’t open, but the front door would do. If she had her damned Mir charm she could have already been gone.
Aerolus saw her finger her throat, and his expression darkened. He grabbed her firmly by the arm and waited.
“Relax, he’s fine if he’s with her.” She tried to edge away from his hold, but at a glance at his relatives, figured she was safer where she stood. Aerolus, thankfully, released her when he realised she had no intention to escape.
“Please explain.”
“Yeah, explain why you know about a Djinn in this world, and why you’re starting to glow,” Darius growled.
“Not one step closer,” Aerolus said quietly to his brother. A sudden impenetrable shield surrounded her.
“What the hell?” Marcus narrowed his eyes.
“Your telekinesis won’t work, Marcus, nor will your attempts at stealing into her thoughts, Arim. If you give her a minute, Alandra will tell us what we wish to know.”
She simply stared at him, her heart pounding as she watched him protect her from his family, men he loved, men he would die for. She stared at the flow of magic between them, consumed by tenderness for him, and had to blink at the strange moisture welling in her eyes.
“Alandra?”
“Sorry, something in my eye.” She looked down to compose herself and cleared her throat, knowing now was as good a time as any to unburden herself. Maybe if she played it right, she’d get the help she needed to save not only the Storm Lords and Tanselm, but Aelle as well.
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?