I didn’t believe my trap had worked.
She held up a hand. “But not because of the sex.”
Of course she hadn’t acquiesced because of my cock. Still, a prince could hope. I remained hard, enticed by her nudity, her scent, her gorgeous lavender gaze.
“But because it’s time you knew what you were up against.”
“I’d much rather be up against you.” I smiled at her exasperated sigh.
“You’re making this hard. No! Don’t tell me you’re hard. That’s a terrible pun.”
“Terrible.” I wanted to cup her breasts in my hands, then kiss her nipples until she sank down over me. Gripping me with her sexy body.
“Aerolus, you’re the one vibrating with lust.” She stared, and I knew she was looking at my aura. “Just let me explain as quickly as possible. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m so hot for you right now I feel like I’m going to combust.” Though she sounded disgruntled, her gaze caressed me like winds of Light.
“Talk fast, purie.” I groaned and deliberately pulled my hand from my cock before I spilled. “I’m so close to coming. It won’t take long before I’m filling you up.”
She swallowed and daintily put the towel back over my lap, then forced her gaze to my face. “Sadly, we’ll have to get back to that. Now, listen well. This goes back a year, when I overheard Lidra and her Der captain in a private conversation…”
Chapter 17
Arim: Guardian of Storm
I stared at the outside of the Outpour, the club that employed my nephews, like an enemy I had no choice but to vanquish.
Despite Aerolus’ words, I had a feeling dealing with Cadmus might be out of my depth. The Dark magic seething within my nephew worried me too much to sit back and wait for the princely schemer to reappear at my whim.
A sudden elbow to my side caught my attention, and I glared at the hulking bruiser intent on shoving his way through the crowded line.
“I’m on the list,” the man slurred, his breath like a vat of soured ale.
With a disdainful frown, I relegated the xiantope to a non-threat and turned my attention back to the throng of overeager people dying to get into Outpour.
For once, the club’s namesake didn’t forecast the weather. The chill in the spring air felt refreshing despite my longing for the warmth of Tanselm. For all its quirks, this mundane plane amused me more than any other world I’d visited in years.
Passing my gaze over the crowd, I didn’t expect to see Cadmus — or Lexa.
Thoughts of the woman who’d betrayed me made my heart race and my palms sweat. I knew a bitter amusement, that just the thought of the traitorous female could reduce me to a nervous lad.
Steeling my reaction, I took a deep breath and headed away from the crowd to the alley behind the nightclub. Once I ensured I was alone, I used an omniscience spell to rapidly scan the inside of the club. Spying an unoccupied corner draped in shadows, I teleported inside.
Now in, I gathered my bearings and looked around. The omniscience spell had come in handy, but it took too much energy in this world, so I couldn’t hold it for long.
I stepped out of the shadows and weaved in and out of the crowd, my height giving me a clear advantage to scope the gathering. Had Cadmus not mentioned Lexa’s possible presence, I would have used a locator spell. But I wanted to be discreet.
Of course, my physical presence would be noticed. But by toning down my aura, I should seem more a human look-alike than the great Arim — Sorcerer of Tanselm.
If Lexa arrived, I planned on taking her by surprise, and not the other way around.
I spotted a familiar woman serving drinks at one of the bars. Men surrounded her, vying for her attention.
Ellie. The woman who’d captured Cadmus’ attention. She didn’t appear to be Djinn, as she didn’t possess the Djinn’s spark, that outer flame of darkness that crackled when it met the Light. But she was certainly the loveliest woman I’d seen in the club.
A man would be hard-pressed not to immediately desire her, and knowing my nephew, I realized she was just his type: tall, slender, with an athletic frame that carried full, rounded breasts. She had skin a shade darker than Alandra but lighter than Samantha. Ellie seemed like a woman who liked the sun, which was another detail that made her less a Djinn and more human-like.
She’d pulled back her long, blond hair into a ponytail, framing sculpted cheeks and a strong chin that hinted at stubbornness. Her full lips parted in a smile as she looked at her co-worker. Strobing lights flashed over her face, and I noted her eyes to be a bright blue.
My nephew was obsessed with the woman, no doubt. But was she the Djinn Cadmus had encountered? Had she masked her evil under such a pleasant guise?
