“Of course.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Good versus evil, magic powers, royal princes. This just keeps getting better.” Despite the absurdity of his story, I believed him. I’d seen evil up close, had witnessed Marcus use his powers.
And my gift for telekinesis not withstanding —
“Ow! Damn it. Where did that come from?” Cadmus scowled at the coffee cup that smacked him on the side of the head. “Watch it, Marcus.”
Marcus grinned. “That wasn’t me.”
Three pairs of eyes swung to me.
I blushed, embarrassed. “It’s not my fault. It’s his.” At Marcus’ shrug, I explained, “I have the weird ability to siphon power. Since as far back as I can remember, people with strong extrasensory gifts affect me. Without knowing how I do it, I, well, I kind of absorb their abilities.
“Friday night I scared myself silly by moving a bottle of water with my mind. I didn’t think about it. I was thirsty, and the bottle flew to my hand. I knew someone I’d come into contact with had to be gifted with telekinesis. I just never thought it would be Marcus Storm.”
“Why not?” Aerolus asked, interest glittering in his eyes.
“Because he’s so, I don’t know, Lord of the Manner-ish. He seems too proper to do anything out of the ordinary.”
Cadmus snickered. Aerolus bit back a smile, and Marcus just looked at me, as if bored.
I tried to explain. “I mean, at work everybody loves him. The men think he’s in line to become the next head executive. The women all want to have his babies,” I drawled, aware I now had to add myself to that category, though I’d die before admitting it to him. Well, not babies, exactly. But more sex? Definitely.
Marcus dragged his fingers through his hair. “She’s not exaggerating. They love me.”
Cadmus rolled his eyes.
“He just seems incapable of doing anything wrong.” I stared at Marcus, amusement lacing my frustration when he looked down his nose at me. “See? Even when he’s annoyed he goes about it elegantly.”
Cadmus laughed. “Yeah, Marcus, I told you about that stick up your ass. Even Tessa noticed it.”
Chapter 14
Tessa
I cut in hurriedly when Marcus’ eyes took on a dangerous glint. “Anyway, imagine my surprise to find that Marcus was the source of my newfound power. I did control it a little against those creatures we fought.”
“Yes, you did,” Marcus said, his voice crisp. Irritated, no doubt. “I was reluctantly impressed that you had the gall to fight the Netharat, considering how strange and frightening they must have seemed.” I opened my mouth to refute him, but he held up a hand to ward me off. “Frightening is not an insult, Tessa. Grown spellcasters fear the wraiths.”
“He’s right,” Cadmus agreed. “That you two survived a surprise attack is a blessing. How many were there?”
Marcus described the attack, and I relived it along with him. Once he finished, several pending questions I’d had swam to mind.
“Explain to me how you drowned them. You’re a Storm Lord?” The more I heard about him, the more I needed to know. Fascinating didn’t begin to describe Marcus.
The hot sex had been incredible, but finding someone with an odder past than my own was worth its weight in gold.
“Storm Lords possess elemental magic, an ability to command the elements. I control water.” Marcus cupped his hand and held it out to me. I dipped my finger in and felt a tingle where water lapped against me. “Water responds to my call. I command it whenever the need arises. And sometimes, rarely though, I can affect its temperature.”
“I control the earth,” Cadmus added, his mood quiet, clearly indicating his respect for the discussion. He held out a hand and I felt a ripple of, well, something, nearing me. “Normally I cause shocks in the earth, in rock, anything to do with the land. And I connect with green and growing things. But lately I’ve been experimenting with the gravitational forces intrinsic to the earth. Did you know how much potential energy is just waiting to be tapped? If I curl my mind around it just so, I can?—”
“Cadmus, we get the picture,” Marcus said. “We don’t need a science lesson.” He ignored the dark look his brother shot him and continued, “Darius, our absent brother, controls fire. And as you might have already noticed, Aerolus summons the winds.”
I watched in awe as Aerolus channeled air, waving it past me and around me in a controlled breeze as he flexed his hand.
“Amazing.” While mine hadn’t been an easy life, I’d never taken my talents for granted or failed to appreciate my extraordinary abilities. I could truly value what the Storm Lords could do.
To Marcus, I asked, “So how does controlling elements tie into your telekinesis?”
“Actually, that’s something else entirely. A gift from my mother’s people.”
