I yawned, awaiting his answer as I stared sleepily into the fire. When had I last slept? A few weeks ago? At least not since my interference with Oxcen and Sin Garu.
Aerolus rumbled something, and I had to blink several times to put him in focus. Then I felt myself being lifted.
“No, no, purie, lie still.”
Despite my plan to remain aloof, I couldn’t help curling into the warmth beneath me, the steady pounding of his heart more soothing than anything I’d experienced since being forced from my world.
“Shh.” A callused hand grazed my cheek. “Sleep, Alandra. I’ll be here when you wake.”
Hearing the truth in his words, I tangled my fist in the magic of his being and held tight, at peace as I hadn’t been for a very long time.
Chapter 6
Arim: Guardian of Storm
“What exactly do you mean you don’t know where Aerolus is or when he’ll be back?” I stared into the brown gaze of my nephew, clearly seeing untruth in the making.
Cadmus shrugged, exacerbating my irritation. First, the academic voyeur next door. Now, my nephew. Did no one in this plane tell the truth? And how convenient my other recalcitrant relative, the normally steady Aerolus, just happened to disappear moments after my discovery of an Aellein presence.
If I hadn’t known better, I would have assumed Sin Garu’s involvement in this mess. Yet my intuition told me otherwise.
Having successfully pushed both Darius and Marcus to their respective brides, I’d thought the most difficult portion of my job done. Who knew Aerolus and Cadmus would prove to be the more difficult of the Royal Four?
Forced to remain in Tanselm to help drive the remaining Netharat back into the darkness from whence they’d come, I’d been too busy protecting the new Storm Lords brides to keep an eye on Aerolus and Cadmus.
With Sin Garu apparently sucked from this plane into Light knew where, I’d thought I had time to settle the Prince of Fire and the River Prince into their new kingdoms before venturing back to Seattle.
I was beginning to wish I’d never heard of this dreaded city.
I glared at Cadmus, not amused at the slow grin that curled my nephew’s mouth.
“I’m sorry, Uncle. Have I said something to irritate you?” he asked, all innocence.
I now realized why my fiery nephew often lost his patience with his brothers. Ignoring my need to destroy something, I took a deep breath and let it out, focusing on Cadmus. At my stare, his cocky grin wavered.
Finally seeing the crack in Cadmus’ defenses, I pierced his psyche and plunged deep.
Dark, seething energy surrounded me. Black waves of cold fire sucked at my power, threatening to break my hold on his mind. It was an incredibly potent protective spell, one too advanced for a young Earth Lord to have developed by himself or Aerolus. Though powerful, the young Wind Mage had much to learn.
As I struggled to make sense of the images that flashed before me, bright blue eyes and a sultry smile plagued my — his — thoughts. Sensations of warmth, arousal, and untainted power lanced through me until I felt the earth shake beneath us.
Stunned, I relinquished my hold on Cadmus and sat in a nearby chair, dazed.
“Ah, Arim?”
What had Cadmus gotten involved with here? I’d sent the last four Storm Lords to this plane to keep them safe, not to serve them into the hands of our enemy.
I had to work to speak. “Who is she, Cadmus?”
A subtle tension enveloped my nephew, but to his credit, the crafty Earth Lord smiled, his mouth wide with mirth. “She? Don’t you mean, who are they?” Cadmus chuckled and leaned close. Ticking off his fingers, he named several women. “First, there’s Sherry. She’s pretty but not too bright. Then there’s Maggie — intelligent but standoffish out of bed. Jean likes a lot of men, so she’s out unless I need to unwind. Beth can’t get enough of me, so I’m keeping my eye on her. And then there’s?—”
“Enough.” I glared, wishing I had Aerolus here, that the two of us might break through to Cadmus. He would feel more at ease with his brother. Though related, our association was fairly new to the princes.
And to be honest, I didn’t feel that comfortable expressing affection. I’d much rather use sorcery to fix a problem. Emotions, not so much. And as much as I’d like to, I couldn’t use magic to break my nephew.
Unfortunately, the brown-eyed member of the Royal Four had incredible mental power, not to mention stubbornness in droves. That strength made me pause and had him easing back.
By the Light, Cadmus seemed a lot more like me than any of his brothers, including Aerolus.
