“Fian, is it?” I lowered my head but kept my gaze on the ogre. “I am Arim, a Light Bringer from Tanselm. I have no discord with you, friend ogre, but with the ones there who think so little of manners and honesty.” I glared at Zartic and his cohorts. “’Landra never had the elixir, Fian. I have it, and they want it for themselves.”
Fian stared hard at me. I wondered if this Landra person really did have an elixir the ogre wanted. From what I knew of their breed, ogres would do almost anything for fine, aged cinarum.
“As a matter of fact,” I bluffed, subtly rubbing at the pain in my sternum. “I’ll give you a barrel of the stuff right now if you dispose of those rogues for me.” I waved my hand, and a barrel of royal cinarum appeared, the finest elixir in all of Tanselm.
Ravyn would have my head if she found out, but her celebrations could make do without one more barrel of the stuff.
Zartic glared at me, swore, and thrust his staff in my direction to fire a spell. Which, unfortunately for the Aellei, also hit the ogre. The Aellein warriors took their cue and turned their weapons on me as well, making it look as if they had turned traitor to their ogre.
Fian took the insult and the threat to heart. “Not like tricksters. Want payment. Want apology,” it said in a clear, angry voice.
“Shit. Just kill it and the sorcerer,” Zartic ordered.
But the ogre didn’t fall under their steady blasts of energy. Then it was upon them, its meaty fists clobbering the first warrior it reached.
“Dammit, Zartic. Control it!” The warrior under attack sounded strangled, his throat crushed in the ogre’s fist.
“Fian, stop! You’re mine, I own you!”
I shook my head and worked on healing the Shadow toxins pervading my body. “For shame, Zartic. For a leader, you know precious little about those you command. Ogres are a proud race. And you Aellei know all about pride, don’t you?” I added the killing blow. “If not for your sorry conceit, you might still be in Tanselm, hmm?”
Zartic cursed me, but fortunately my spell repulsed his magic. Fian continued to make a mess out of the remaining Aellei. And as Zartic bypassed him to pierce me with his staff that had turned sharp at one end, I waited for him to make contact.
The moment the staff touched me, I grabbed it and skewed its polarity.
Zartic screamed in dismay and watched helplessly as the staff burned into a pile of ash in his hands.
“Come now, before me.” I enslaved Zartic with a mind spell. So easy and simple once he’d been distracted by the loss of his staff.
If only I could do that to the Royal Four. And Cadmus especially.
I said to the ogre, “The cinarum is yours, Fian. And good health to you.”
Fian grunted that he’d heard and continued to smash his fists into the barely moving Aellei.
I turned on Zartic, who kneeled on the floor and rocked, staring up at me with blank eyes. “Now, unless you want to join in your brethren’s fate, you’ll explain why you’re here. Tell me all about this traitor and, unlike Fian, I might let you leave with all your limbs intact.”
Zartic gasped as one of his men screamed, the sucking sound of flesh parting from bone enticement to talk.
He spoke quickly, and what I learned made my already bad mood even worse.
Chapter 11
Alandra
I stared down at Aerolus’ face, which even in slumber, appeared sharp, ready for battle. I stroked his cheek, feeling safe to show such affection since he couldn’t see. I’d absorbed a massive amount of his energy while we made love and had been drifting, riding high on odd dreams.
I guess I’d worked my Wind Mage so hard he’d passed out. I had to laugh, the thought of wearing out my new lover amusing.
My grin faded as I stared at him. Only hours after we’d reveled in each other, I wanted him again. I trailed a hand over his stubbled cheek and marveled at his beauty. What a sensual creature. I couldn’t help a sigh as I stared at the rest of his muscular, firm body.
All mine.
I chuckled and clapped my hand over my mouth, still muzzy with pleasure. Having sex in his room hadn’t been the smartest move for an Aellei determined to avoid other Light Bringers. Especially the dangerous Arim. But Aerolus had dragged me here, and I did need to watch over him.
Closely.
I petted my Storm Lord, fiercely attracted to his banked power and sensuality. He moaned in sleep and curled toward me, stirring an unusual affection, one that felt much deeper than anything playful I typically shared with bed partners.
