“Then why the telescope?” he asked wryly, still not believing my story.
“Because she started acting strange.” I gave a dry cough, not feigning my nerves. “I know it sounds crazy, but she seemed to shimmer. Like a ghost, fading in and out. Obviously a trick of the light, I know. But then, I thought I saw her inside your room the other day and again just now.”
I didn’t explain why my telescope was fixed on his room or why I’d been watching. Hopefully, he’d be too concerned with an invading Aellei to focus on my voyeurism.
He rubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw. “Woman has no patience.” He stared into my eyes, his so bright and gray and pretty.
I had to work not to sigh out loud.
“I appreciate your thoroughness.” He scowled. “I’ll keep an eye out for that strange woman and any other trespassers invading my privacy.”
I blinked, deliberately looking guilty. Irritated, was he? About time. Maybe now he’d move his tight, sexy, sorry ass between planes for that overdue visit he owed me.
“Er, sorry for any misunderstandings. But if you don’t mind, I have some work to do.”
He left with a grumbled thanks, leaving me in a quandary. Should I stay in Seattle and continue to observe, though inconspicuously this time? Or should I phase between planes and linger in the Shadows?
I could tell I’d irritated Aerolus with mention of “the woman in white,” but had I lit a big enough fire to head him in my direction?
Bored with being Trudy, I ventured back into the shadows in the house when a knock came at the door. Likely Aerolus with more questions. And just when I thought I’d convinced him to seek the real me out.
I opened the door with a polite smile and froze.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I have a few questions of my own about my nephew’s visitor.” Arim, Tanselm’s legendary sorcerer and Killer of Shadow, stood on my doorstep with black, burning eyes that saw too much, looking every inch the dangerous Light Bringer I’d been warned to avoid since the day I could walk.
Chapter 2
Aerolus
I re-entered my house with a dozen screaming warnings in my head but shoved those concerns aside when I noted Cadmus coming out of my bedroom. My brother’s face was pinched, his eyes wounded and dark with anger as he stared blankly ahead.
“Cadmus?”
He arched a shock of energy in my direction, a blast of earth and the power of life and growing things hurled my way.
I mentally called forth a flat wind to shield me and felt the jarring crash of elemental power a split second before it vanished.
Cadmus paled, his eyes like black sinkholes in his face. “I’m so sorry, Aerolus. Damn it.” He thrust a shaky hand through his hair and bent over, taking deep breaths to calm himself. After a moment, he glanced up with a half grin. “Hey, don’t tell our watchdog about this, okay? Arim’s driving me nuts as it is. The last thing I need is him hounding my ass about my lack of control.”
I studied my brother. “I won’t say anything.” I wouldn’t have to. “You look terrible.”
Over the past week, subtle changes had begun to affect my brother, the least of which was his preference for sleeping until late afternoon.
In tune with the earth, Cadmus normally relished the predawn hours, getting his sleep later in the day before leaving to bartend in the evening. When the sun rose, my brother could often be found outside walking around Green Lake, breathing in the rich scents of earth and pine dotting the nearby exercise trail, and communing with plant life all around.
The Earth Lord, our great mage of rock, root, and earth.
Lately, though, he’d been living like, well, like a Djinn.
I paused, recalling the moment a few weeks ago when my brother had burst into Djinn flame, or as the Djinn referred to it, burst in truth—an unholy white blaze engulfed by a black, powerful aura.
Storm Lords didn’t burn true, not even my brother, Darius, who controlled fire. We four identical brothers, the Royal Four, depended upon one another. Yet lately, Cadmus had been shutting everyone out.
Like you’ve been shutting out your family at the behest of a pesky, erotic Aellei? my conscience prodded, though I felt too out of sorts to be appropriately guilty over my secrets.
The minute I recalled her face, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I still couldn’t believe she’d had the nerve to appear in my house last week, disguised as a pixie, no less. Had Arim seen her, he’d have demanded an explanation that would bring doom to the sensual woman with wings.
By the Light, I’d had no idea Aellei could do what she did. What exactly was she? A malevolence manipulating me to turn on my brothers? An insidious part of Sin Garu’s dark plot? Or an incredibly sensual woman with absolutely no patience?
