So much for not reading my thoughts.
“Here, in Seattle, all of us but Darius could pass for your kind, though I’ve yet to see identical quadruplets.”Aerolus appeared thoughtful.
Darius groaned.“Just get on with it.”
“Yes, well,” Aerolus coughed as if to hide his amusement.“We are the sons of a mighty Storm Lord, a man born with elemental magic who ruled the western portion of Tanselm, our world.Specifically, our father commanded the winds.He died over a year ago.”
I felt their pain and, without thinking, reached for Darius.Warmth unfurled at the touch of his hand, and I gripped his palm once before trying to ease free.
Of course, being Darius, he wouldn’t let me go.Why this pleased me, I couldn’t say, but unwilling to show it and give him the upper hand, I sat quietly, waiting for Aerolus to continue.
He stared blatantly at our hands, and the corner of his lips curled.“My father was one of four identical siblings, like us, and was destined to rule one of the four kingdoms.Our uncles ruled the south, north, and east, leading their territories under the power of the Storm Lords.”
“What does that mean exactly?”I looked over them all, wondering why I believed any of this.
“Storm Lords command the elements.”Aerolus waved his hand in the air, and an honest to goodness 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.”
I gaped as Marcus made water appear in his palm out of thin air.Darius finally let me go to snap a flame to life.
I 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 my own eyes, any lingering disbelief vanished.But now I felt simultaneous awe and unease.
Aerolus seemed to sense my discomfort.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 patted my shoulder.“Sin Garu is the blond bastard you met this morning.”
He summarized my dream for the others, making no mention of our lovemaking, for which I was grateful.Hearing it all again reinforced my fear, though, and I could have done without mention of that evil guy, Sin Garu.
The tale of an alternate world, which had started as entertaining, now felt horrifyingly real.“Saying I believe all this, what does this Sin Garu want with me?”
Darius shrugged.“We’re not sure.Bottom line is that this is real, you’re in danger, and you’re not leaving until we know why he wants you.”His tone brooked no argument, apparently reading my need to flee all too readily.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, determined not to lose it in front of him or his brothers.I met his arrogance with resistance, just to show him he couldn’t push me around, that I wasn’tthatafraid.
I mean, I was, but I couldn’t let him see it.
“If I stay, it’s becauseIdecide to stay, not because you’re ordering me to.”I tried to glare at him but couldn’t maintain the fiction when I met those dark, red eyes.He didn’t look even slightly freakish.Instead, that blood-red gaze turned him into a supernatural lover from one of my sexy romance books.
Someone cleared his throat, and I realized Darius and I had been having a staring contest.I wasn’t sure who’d won because we both blinked at the same time.
“So long as you stay, I don’t care the reason,” he conceded, his voice husky.“It’s clear you’re tired and need time to adjust to all this.I’m sorry.I shouldn’t have pressed you.”
Had he sincerely apologized?
I noted his brothers’ surprise as well.
He scowled at them all but said in a gentle voice, “Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
I stood when he did, my sluggish body finally breaking down.I would have fallen to my knees had Darius not caught me.
“She’ll stay with me,” Darius said as he carried me out of the room and up the stairs.
I heard male mutterings but didn’t have the energy to question Darius anymore.As much as I wanted to walk on my own two feet, I couldn’t stop the pounding from behind my eyes, or the weakness invading my limbs.
Chapter15
