“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,” I muttered, annoyed.
Marcus must have sensed my need for a fight.Because like the contrary ass he was, he held his hands up in surrender and grinned.“Don’t blame me for whatever stuck that bug up your ass.”
Since a battle wasn’t forthcoming, and to take my mind from Samantha, I prodded Marcus’s mind.Like Aerolus and Cadmus, he remained closed.But I could sense a well of amusement laced with surprise.
“I felt that.”
I didn’t move.“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?”Oh good.Maybe now he would give me that fight I wanted.
“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’s outstretched fingers.
“Never seen you do that before.”
“I’ve been practicing.”His eyes narrowed.“You don’t seem surprised.”
“Aerolus told us yesterday.”
“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.”Marcus took a large swallow of coffee before his eyes widened on something beyond me.“And speak of the devil…”
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end.I turned to look behind me 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 me and Marcus, the sorcerer frowned.“Where are the other two?I don’t have much time.”
“Nice to see you, too.”I stared at Arim almost hungrily, needing the connection to Tanselm almost more than breath.
Arim looked as he always did, smoldering, arrogant, and dangerous, and wearing a blatant mantle of magic.He no longer wore his battledress though, so I assumed the battle had calmed.
“Not yet.”Arim held up a hand to forestall my questions.I didn’t like knowing he’d read my mind.“Gather the others so I only have to explain this once, and do it quickly.”
I watched Marcus until my technically-seconds-younger brother rolled his eyes and cursed under his breath.Despite the short time between our births, I 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, I turned to my uncle.“And how is Mother?”
“Fine.”Arim looked around the room.“At least you finally found a proper living space.”His eyes shone, what passed for amusement lighting his face.
He wanted to chat about our living space?I strove to contain my fiery impatience but couldn’t curtail my hostility.“The luck of magic.Cadmus thinks a lottery will ruin Tanselm.Personally, I don’t care.I just want to return home.”
My harsh tenor had the sorcerer frowning.“I know you have little patience for this world, Darius, and little patience in general.”Arim stared into my eyes, and I found it difficult to maintain the eye contact.“But you’ll need more than patience if you’re to return home.”
The others joined us, nixing the opportunity to ask Arim exactly what hehadn’tsaid.
“Good, you’re all here.”Arim stared at us, seeming content when we stared back.“I have good news and bad.”He paused, no doubt for dramatic effect.“You may be coming home sooner than we thought.”
I grinned, excited beyond measure.“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.”
