Bad enough I was here, in this Dark place full of people who weren’t human. We’d landed in the world of the Djinn, a race of men and women to which I supposedly belonged.
As if my thoughts had conjured my father, Ethim suddenly appeared out of thin air. Dressed in clothing similar to Jonas, with dark, leather trousers and a vest baring an eternally strong frame, Ethim looked every inch a leader of warriors. But when his eyes set on my mother, his gaze softened, and he smiled with welcome.
“Ah, Amanda. I’ve missed you.” He opened his arms.
Fully expecting my mother to make a scene before succumbing to my father’s charms, I was taken aback by the hug they shared.
“I’ve missed you, too,” my mother mumbled.
Jonas grinned and turned to Cadmus. “Why don’t you and Ellie come with me? I’ll show you around. You haven’t seen this area of Foreia before, I don’t think.”
As we walked away, I noted Cadmus’ tension and heard a hum in his mind. He walked taller, shifting his gaze all around. His hand were open and ready, and he braced as if preparing for attack.
The Djinn killed his father.
The memory horrified me, and I hoped he’d meant what he’d said earlier, that he didn’t hate all Djinn. Because I had a feeling being here was like ripping at a healing wound. It made my own worries about Foreia pale in comparison.
The Djinn respected my father and would welcome me. But Cadmus was considered an enemy, a creature of Light among beings of Darkness.
“Why didn’t you bring me here before, Jonas?” Cadmus asked.
“You weren’t ready before.”
“And I am now?” He snorted. “I swear, you Djinn live for subterfuge. You can’t say yes or no. Everything with you people is a hanging maybe.” He included me with a knowing look.
I bristled. “What does that mean?”
He spoke clearly in my mind. Why did you take off for your mother’s this morning? And after what we shared?
“Yes, Cadmus, just what does that mean?” Jonas darted his gaze between us. “I’m not an idiot, you know.”
“Could have fooled me,” Cadmus muttered, making me want to laugh despite my unease.
“I know there’s something between you two. The way you pause between words, the way you look at each other in understanding. It’s almost as if…”
My interest perked. “As if what?” Was mind-sharing not a common Djinn trait? I wished I had someone to ask. But sharing my love life with my mother was a definite no-no. Jonas obviously wouldn’t approve, and neither would my father — as if I could talk comfortably about something as personal as sex with him.
I could almost hear the wheels in Jonas’ mind spinning. He murmured, “No. It couldn’t be.”
“Couldn’t be what?” Cadmus crossed his arms over his chest. “Maybe Ellie and I have found true love, and I’ve come to claim my affai and steal my way back into Tanselm.”
For one breathless moment, I thought he might be serious. But when I met the laughter in his eyes, a faint echo of disappointment settled in my belly. That I could feel depressed at all made my angry. Where was that distance I desperately needed?
With all that was unfolding around us, I knew I needed to be strong to survive. More heartache from Cadmus Storm was not on the menu.
Jonas missed the joke too and flashed in truth, his glare and his fiery nature impossible to miss.
“Damn, Jonas.” Cadmus chuckled. “I was just kidding.”
I smiled, forcing myself to laugh along with him. Jonas’ flame grew darker, and I glanced at Cadmus to see what he made of my cousin’s reaction. But he was staring at me, a predatory gleam of hunger in his dark brown eyes that he suddenly masked with light-hearted laughter.
But I had seen, and I didn’t know what that look meant. I pressed subtly at his mental walls and found them locked tight, his gaze disapproving when he realized I was trying to peek. Flushing, I withdrew, but I couldn’t help sneaking another look at his aura.
Taking a second, deeper look, I couldn’t understand how Cadmus, a Storm Lord warrior and Light Bringer, could be so full of seething shadows. Tinged with a dim, rosy light, the Darkness growing within him spread in waves reaching out to me.
Intrigued by the intensity of his energy, I closed the distance between us. The itchy need spreading through me continued to grow until he grabbed me by the hand.
Warmth surged between us, a shocking meeting of more than body, but of soul-deep connection. I gasped, watching helplessly as Cadmus leaned down to kiss me, his desire plainly visible despite the growing white glare of his flaming gaze…
