“I’m so glad you all find this amusing.” I recalled the last time I’d been with these three brothers together. They’d been searching for Cadmus before scattering to protect their affai and Tanselm.
Once again, history repeated itself. Re-spelling the room, I nodded at my nephews to sit and said, “Though the last few battles seem to have disbanded the main Netharat threat over the kingdom, the northlands still sit vulnerable without a Storm Lord in residence. Cadmus must be found, and soon.”
“Can’t you just locate him with a spell?” Darius asked.
Before I could answer, Aerolus shook his head. “If he could have, Cadmus would already be here. No, Cadmus is under Djinn enchantment. Their Dark energy plays havoc with Light Bringer magic.”
“Well said.” I turned to the others. “Jonas Chase guards your brother.”
Marcus sat up straight. “Jonas is alive?”
“The Djinn that helped save Marcus and Tessa against Sin Garu?” Darius asked.
I nodded. “I’m surprised Aerolus never mentioned it.”
Both Darius and Marcus glared at their brother.
“What? I wasn’t keeping it a secret, exactly,” Aerolus hedged.
I frowned. “You and Cadmus keep too many secrets. And you’re supposed to be the smart one.” I shook my head. “Jonas and a group of rebel Djinn have been plotting against the Dark Lord invasion for some time. I left Cadmus with Jonas days ago.” By our time in Tanselm, but it could be weeks or months in the mundane world.
I’d been distracted lately by the Netharat attacks, and knowing Cadmus was protected, I hadn’t been overly concerned about keeping in touch with the Djinn. “I’ve heard from Jonas once since then.”
“Only once?” Darius sounded incredulous. “I can’t believe you trust the Djinn after everything we’ve been through.”
“Do you not remember Benold?” Marcus snapped.
I gritted my teeth. I didn’t need the attitude from my sister and my nephews. “Yes, I remember the Djinn traitor in our own keep. And yes, I know he more than likely still has friends here we have yet to discover. But Jonas Chase is trustworthy, that I know.”
The handshake I’d shared with Jonas before entrusting Cadmus to the Djinn had told me such. What I didn’t share with my nephews was that although I trusted Jonas, I wasn’t so sure about his comrades. Something about his rebel friends’ resistance smacked of too much dark magic, even for the Djinn.
It had taken far more work than I’d anticipated to learn anything about Ellie Markham, Cadmus’ apparent love interest. A Djinn. The daughter of Ethim il Ruethe, a Djinn clan leader and the equivalent of a Storm Lord king.
I sighed, feeling the inevitable weight of future change. Not a purist by any means, I had lived too long to believe peace could be had by intermingling Light with Shadow and Dark. My history with Lexa had taught me more than anything that love did not conquer all.
“Arim?” Aerolus asked in a low voice.
I glanced up to find all eyes on me. “What?”
“What would you have us do?”
I needed to move, to do something. Sitting in Tanselm waiting for the other shoe to drop smacked of idiocy. So I came to a decision.
“Darius, you and Samantha continue to protect your mother and the western kingdom. The threat here seems to have passed, but the possibility of replacing your mother with an Aellein look-alike, or worse, a Djinn clone, exists. We must be careful.
“Marcus, keep your eyes open for treachery among the people. I find it hard to believe the Dark Lords would confine this battle to the royal house and nowhere else. The rumors I’ve heard tell me unrest trembles in the south — your responsibility. Pay close attention to the new sorcerer I sent you. Aark’s a soothsayer. See if Tessa can’t siphon his talent and begin evaluating all your people. That should make finding the traitors easier, especially if they don’t know exactly what Aark can do.”
“Good idea.” Marcus’ eyes sparkled. “Between Aark and Tessa, we should be able to clean up the south fairly soon. Then we’ll send them your way,” he said to Darius, who nodded.
“Aerolus.” I sought my nephew’s keen gaze. “As much as I hate to suggest it, see if Alandra’s Aellein allies are receiving any feedback from Morn Mountain. Tanselm feels the intrusion of Dark before her Light Bringers do. So if somehow the Dark Lords have infiltrated from another path we have yet to find…”
“Then our people will find it.” Aerolus nodded.
I grimaced, not wanting to enter a lengthy discussion about the sense in trusting the Aellei. Granted, Alandra had clearly shown her mettle in the fight against the Dark Lords. But her people were another matter. Even my old friend, Sava. I wanted to believe in him, but there was just so much I couldn’t control.
So much I didn’t know, didn’t trust…
“Her people, your people, I don’t give a Light’s damn.” My patience had come to an end. “Just get it done. If you need me, cast a beckoning spell. I’ll be circling in the Between.”
