“Marcus, just tell him what he wants to know.” Tessa sighed and slid onto a nearby couch. “Lord, my legs are like water,” she muttered, leaning her head back on the cushions.
I took pity on my brother. “Look, Tessa and I were sitting here talking when Sin Garu appeared above us, floating near the ceiling.” I pointed to the spot. “He threatened us and said a few unpleasant things to Tessa.”
“You know how much he dislikes the people in this realm.” Aerolus stroked his chin. “He thinks they’re beneath him.”
“Like someone else we know,” Cadmus grumbled, giving me a testy look. I knew the insult for what it was, belated worry and disappointment that I hadn’t called for help to deal with the evil sorcerer.
“You’re telling me he talked to her?” Aerolus studied Tessa.
“Yes, he talked to her,” Tessa answered testily, her feet propped up on the coffee table, her head tilted back on the couch. “And she has a name.”
I didn’t like Sin Garu’s familiarity with my affai either, but my brother’s hostility didn’t belong. Something more was going on here, something I needed to understand to protect Tessa from future harm.
“I overheard you working on a spell last week and thought it would work on Sin Garu. It did.” Odd though, that I’d recalled that particular spell among the multitude Aerolus practiced. “Something about its properties led me to believe it might help me in dealing with Sin Garu.”
To my astonishment, my brother’s gaze darkened to black.
“Aerolus?” Cadmus stared.
Tessa blinked up at him, then looked to me. I shrugged. Cadmus took a step back.
Aerolus detonated. “You dared use an untried spell on the most dreaded wraith lord to ever descend upon our people? You could have wiped out half this block with an overload of power! You could have mismanaged the incantation and done more damage to yourself than our enemy!” His voice dropped, and he reminded me a lot of Arim—dangerous, murderous, and someone not to provoke. “You could have been killed.”
“Uh, Aerolus?” Cadmus ventured. “You’re freaking me out.”
“Shut. Up.” Aerolus glared.
Cadmus tried to respond but was suddenly struck mute.
“And you.” Aerolus turned to Tessa, watching her with eyes that turned a blinding white.
Good, that would save time. He tapped into her mind, watching a replay of the confrontation as she’d seen it.
“Tessa, you tried baiting Sin Garu. Are you losing what last bit of sense you have left?” Aerolus’ tone was biting. “As if sleeping with this jackass wasn’t enough of a mistake?”
Furious that he’d overstep with my affai, my blood iced. I narrowed my eyes, and with a flick of my wrist, slammed Aerolus against the wall.
I felt the spell holding Cadmus mute break.
Rubbing his throat, he swore in a mixture of several languages. “Damn it, Aerolus. You mute me again, and I’ll turn you into rock bits.” He glared at my pinned brother, and coils of energy rattled the walls.
Aerolus tried to free himself from my hold but found himself unable to. I was glad to be in control of my self-contained brother for once. I smirked, which sent the normally mild-mannered wind mage into a tailspin.
When Aerolus started muttering, I filled his mouth with water. Coughing and sputtering, he glared at me and tried unsuccessfully to free himself. I held him tightly, because if he unleashed the power he wanted to, he might hurt me or the others. And he’d hate himself for it.
“Damn, water boy. That’s hella impressive.” Cadmus’ gaze darkened. “Just don’t pull that shit on me.”
“If you’re both finished?” I asked my brothers in my haughtiest tone. Though they glared at me, I knew they would listen.
Cadmus because he felt like it. Aerolus because he had no choice. Once he’d calmed and gave me a short nod, I released my hold on him.
“I defeated Sin Garu for the moment. Leave it at that, Aerolus. I don’t normally pay attention to your sorcery, but something made me take notice of your spell. Think about that.”
It had to have been my father, whom I’d recently been dreaming about. I felt his involvement deep in my bones. So much for Father playing by the rules.
“The point of all this is to determine how Sin Garu slipped past our safeguards,” I reminded them. Something the sorcerer said bothered me. Releasing my hold on Aerolus, now calm, I glanced down at Tessa and saw to my surprise she slept, her breathing soft and even.
I stroked her hair, my attention divided. “He mentioned something I should have thought of before.”
