“Cadmus?”
“Never mind.” Arim sounded tired. “With a little persuasion, I learned a few things from the Aellei. Apparently, they’re here in this plane on a mission. They’ve been sent to find Alandra le Aelle, heir to the Aellein throne.”
“I knew she was royalty.”
“Don’t worry,” my uncle said dryly. “She’s only sixth in line. To the Aellein throne.” He groaned and rubbed his eyes. “You boys really know how to pick them. Couldn’t you have found a nice girl from Tanselm? Or even a woman from this plane, like Darius and Marcus? No, not our Wind Mage. He has to do everything the hard way.”
I patted him on the shoulder, but he shrugged me off and let out a string of curses.
Smiling at him wouldn’t have helped, so I kept my amusement to myself. Until he mentioned my brother was missing.
“Cadmus? Missing?”
“I was hoping you’d know something. But I can see you don’t. No doubt he’s being held by the Djinn that taints his power. Djinn, Aellei, xiantopes. What is the Royal Four coming to?”
“Xiantopes?” An insulting word for those without magic. Arim was indeed annoyed. He usually liked everyone, regardless of their power. “You can’t mean Samantha and Tessa, considering the powerful magic both possess.”
“I don’t,” he muttered.
“About the Djinn, though.” Concern for Cadmus worried me. Recollections of our battle with Sin Garu, the Djinn’s sacrifice, and what little information I’d gathered from a few sources in the Between started to make sense.
Arim interrupted my train of thought. “How long have you known she was yours?” He nodded to the bed.
I glanced at Alandra, her scent and the feel of her ingrained in my memory. “I’m not really sure. The moment I first saw her, something in me came alive. On one level, I’m sure of her place in my future. On another, I have so many unanswered questions. So many reasons not to trust…”
Arim studied me with the same look he’d given Darius and Marcus before they fell prey to mates. “What do you intend to do about her?”
“Keep an eye on her.” I paced, my gaze resting on Alandra as much as I sought to look away. “I watched Darius and Marcus make so many mistakes concerning their affai. They refused to admit their brides into their hearts until it was almost too late.”
“So you won’t make that same mistake. You’ll tell her the truth of who she is to you.” Arim’s eyes glinted. With humor?
“Are you laughing at me?”
“Of course not,” he lied, amusement plain on his face. “You seem to have this all figured out. Who am I to interfere? So what, you’ll simply tell her she’s your affai, and then the two of you will return to Tanselm?”
I scowled. My uncle was a real pain in the ass, as Cadmus liked to put it. Trust Arim to make this more difficult than it had to be. “Yes, I’ll tell her she’s my bride. I haven’t worked far enough through the situation to decide when we return to Tanselm.”
Unlike my brothers, I could return to my homeworld at will. I’d never told them, knowing they would have demanded I return them the minute we were forced into this world. The long talks with Arim had convinced me that the four of us were better off here, finding mates to strengthen the Storm Lord line before returning home.
“Let me give you a spot of advice.” Arim stepped in front of me to halt my pacing. “Before you bombard your woman with her responsibilities to you and Tanselm, find out what her heart holds. I’m not telling you not to trust her,” Arim said quickly to forestall my objection. “But you have a future planned out for a woman you barely know. While your heart may recognize her, your mind does not. If you want any chance of happiness between you two, trust me. Don’t force it upon her.”
Something in my uncle’s tone told me he spoke from experience. Curiosity bloomed, but I knew now was not the time.
Alandra moaned and shifted, and I hurried to her side to stroke her hair. I remembered everything, focusing on a large ball of pale-blue energy. Aellein royalty. Wings. My affai had wings. And she could increase and decrease her size at will. It seemed every time I turned around, I learned something new about her.
“I will think about what you’ve said,” I told Arim, my voice low, thoughtful. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like some time with Alandra, alone.”
Arim nodded. “I have to reconstruct the house’s protection spell anyway, that and put out more feelers for your brother.”
“The protection spell is fine. I shielded her through it, purposefully. And Cadmus…” I paused, not wanting to tell Arim what I suspected just yet. “I think Cadmus has a few issues to resolve before he returns.” I met my uncle’s gaze with a steady one of my own. “I don’t believe the Djinn energy you sense in him is what it seems.” At least, I hope it’s not.
Arim paused, his gaze oddly piercing. Then he studied Alandra, a thoughtful look on his face. Expecting him to demand answers, I was surprised when my uncle turned and left the room.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I turned my gaze to Alandra. A slow, winding warmth lit in the vicinity of my chest.
So beautiful, so sweet, and all mine.
I lay down beside her on the bed. She stirred, and I kissed her, lulling her back to rest.
