“What is it then?”I asked, tired of the secrets.“This isn’t the time for cryptic riddles,Uncle.” Arim’s expression grew darker, but I blundered on, uncaring.“Tell us what to seek and we shall find it.”
“Power,” my mother answered succinctly, her lips pursed.“Had you four listened to me years ago, you might already have averted this near-catastrophe.”
“Or suffered the same fate as the slain in the other kingdoms.”Arim turned and muttered under his breath as he scattered dark ash on the floor.
“Perhaps,” she agreed, sounding tired.“But all the same, we are running out of time.You four must find youraffai, and quickly.”
“Ouraffai?” Marcus blinked, his shock mirroring my own.“You want us to seekbrides?Now?”
At least I wasn’t the only one having a hard time believing any of this.The kingdom was in danger of falling, our people perilously close to annihilation, and Arim and my mother wanted us to find our brides?
“With the four corners of Tanselm empty, each of you will need to fill the void left behind by your uncles and father.”Arim crossed his muscular arms over his chest, his stance unmoving.He seemed ageless, his eyes bright and his skin translucent amidst the magical lights flickering in the room.“Your father and your mother were blessed with four identical sons, mirror images of the power and grace of the Storm Lords.
“Now each of you must find a bride, a woman of courage and faith, a woman able to face the challenges Tanselm presents.One of you will father four identical sons to continue the future of our people.Unless you find your affai, life in Tanselm as we know it will end.”
I swore, alarmed at their weak plan.“We can’t find heart mates in another plane, Arim.What promise do we have that this other realm possesses the magic we need?No, we need to stay and find a bride from one of our own, to ensure the continued line of strength for the Storm Lords.”
My brothers nodded, all but Aerolus, who stood still, watching everyone carefully.
Mother’s eyes burned, both with tears and anger.“Then you should have found a bride here years ago, when The Season was ripe.But no.All four of you avoided betrothal like the plague.”She laughed bitterly.“And now a plague infests our world.The time has come.I know the possibilities that await you in this foreign world.”
Her eyes glowed, a not so subtle reminder that Queen Ravyn had power in her own right.“Your affai await you.But there is more to your search than finding the one to birth the Royal Four.Each of you needs the strength and power that only your affai can give you.Only with their aid can we rebuild a land strong enough to withstand the evil that constantly threatens.”
“Then give us a Knowing Crystal,” Aerolus said, surprising me that he would agree to leave Tanselm in such crisis.Though the quietest of us all, he could be ferocious in a fight.
“They have all been destroyed.”Arim looked grim.“You will have to rely on your judgement, on your hearts.Love abounds everywhere and is in the least likely places.”His expression took on a strange cast, one I found curiously regretful.“I have faith you will find those you need to aid us in this cause.And there you will also find that the blood of your mother runs strong in you.”
He stared at all four of us, lingering on me last.“You must not fail us.”He began chanting, and the ash on the floor spread into a dark void staining the area beneath our feet.
“Wait!”Events were unfolding far too quickly to suit me.I needed time to absorb what I’d been told, time to understand.My temper soared when I realized Arim continued to cast the spell, ignoring me.“Damn it, sorcerer!I can’t leave with the Netharat breathing down our necks.At least give us time to throw them back through the gateway.”
“I agree,” Marcus said.
“Me too,” Cadmus added.
Aerolus said nothing, merely stared at Arim.
In the midst of our rebellion, Mother smiled, a mysterious grin that made her look years younger.She lifted her hands and bolts of lightning crackled from her fingertips, a sight I’d never before seen from the gentle Queen of the West.“I will miss you all.Remember to look deep within yourselves to find your inner powers, beyond that which you think you know.And bring back our salvation.”
She smiled through tears and pressed her hands to her heart.“My love is with you.Don’t let us down.Find your affai.”
“No.”I turned to leave, shooting a firebolt at the oak door barring our exit.Rage suffused me, that I would be denied the opportunity to avenge Father and our family.I literally saw red.“I’m not going?—”
The world faded to black.
When I next opened my eyes, I found myself staring at a strange sky overlooking a world not my own.
The sky was still blue, the trees still green, yet everything felt flat, lacking the spark of magic that made Tanselm so rich.My senses felt dampened.The colors weren’t as bright, the smell of life muted, as if filtered by the heavy air around us.
A low growl broke my study and I scowled at the dangerous beasts approaching.Canine, I thought as I rolled to my feet and reached for the dagger I always kept at my side.Somewhat smaller than those at home, yet just as deadly in a pack, these beasts eyes us like prey.
With any luck, we hadn’t stumbled upon shifters or lycans, because I was out of silver.
But as one creature in particular leaned closer to bare its teeth, I wondered if we would have been safer in Tanselm fighting the Netharat.
Chapter2
Samantha
