“I came to find you and to see what you know about the Djinn. Unfortunately, you weren’t waiting in Ellie’s apartment when I returned. Instead, I found the remnants of a nasty battle.” Arim turned to Jonas. “Nice fighting, by the way.”
“Thanks.” Jonas subtly placed himself between Arim and Amanda.
“Relax, Jonas. He won’t hurt anyone else. Will you?” I asked my uncle.
Arim shot Lexa a sharp glance then settled into Ethim’s chair as if he’d been invited.
“Perfect.” Jonas ran a hand through his hair. “If Ethim hasn’t already blown his top, this should do it. His daughter’s a Storm Lord affai, and the fucking Killer of Shadow is sitting at his dinner table.”
“Affai?” Arim glared at me. “Not yet.”
“You’re too late.” Lexa smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly expression. “They’ve bonded.”
“Oh?” His words were soft, and Lexa swallowed audibly.
Odd, but I thought her reaction to my uncle made her more approachable. More, human, almost.
“They’ve been bonded since that first night Cadmus took over for Darius at Outpour.”
I started. “What?”
My question was echoed by Ellie and Ethim, who had entered the room.
“Yes, Dark Mistress,” Arim said caustically. “Make sure to let all the pawns know exactly how you’ve been playing them before you make your final moves.” He shook my head at me. “The mistakes we make in youth.”
“Haunt us forever,” Lexa spat, anger making her eyes turn nearly white. “Oh shut up, Arim. You always were a maudlin asshole. You can blame me all you want to. But true love speaks for itself.” She smiled, awash with satisfaction. “Cadmus and Ellie were made for each other.”
Chapter 25
Ellie
I stared in astonishment, waiting to see just what the hell Alex — or should I say, Lexa — meant by that remark. I still couldn’t believe my best friend of nearly ten years, Alexandra Novak, was in fact Lexa Van Norsen, a Dark Lord.
Hell, I might as well have been told my best friend was Satan’s daughter. No doubt the Light Bringers thought of her as such.
I snuck a glance at Cadmus and saw him watching Lexa with an inscrutable look. What did he see when he looked at her? Unfamiliar jealousy reared its ugly head, and I had to remind herself that I knew Alex — Lexa.
You’re giving me a headache, I sent the woman the waspish thought, wondering if Lexa could read it.
Sorry, Ellie. But you never opened up to me about the Djinn either, so maybe we’re even? Lexa sounded hopeful, and I sighed. Of course my friend had telepathy, could freeze men in their tracks, and ate creatures like the Netharat for breakfast. For a woman reared in the ordinary, I found my life spiraling into the unknown awfully fast.
My mother was now completely in my father’s camp, so that tie to the mundane world had vanished. My fiancé was a Light Bringer, a royal prince from another world, and my best friend happened to be a Dark Lord, a supposedly evil mage trying to destroy anything in her path.
Well, at least my dad and I had smoothed over many of the bumps in our relationship. Ours would probably never be an easy one, but at least my father now understood me better. The guilt pouring off him hadn’t hurt either. Nice to know I wasn’t the only one feeling terrible for our unhappy past.
Now if Ethim would only acknowledge Cadmus’ role in my future.
What do you mean Cadmus and I were made for each other? I thought as hard as I could at Alex. Alex and I were friends. We could talk. “Lexa” confused the hell out of me.
In Seattle, the Alex I knew worked as a retail buyer, travelling coast-to-coast purchasing the latest trends for ritzy department stores. A terrific cover if one had to be out of pocket for any length of time. But that Alex I had known seemed so different, so much more open, so normal.
Alex Novak had long black hair, green eyes, and a tan I envied. Slim and as tall as I was, we’d bonded over our similar heights. A chance meeting in a coffee shop had produced a decade of friendship. Although, come to think of it, perhaps the friendship hadn’t been a coincidence.
Not at all, Lexa said in my mind. I had my reasons for meeting you, Ellie. But our friendship has been one of the only things in my life worth keeping. Believe that if you will nothing else.
Fine. I heaved a mental sigh, unable to withstand the pain in my best friend’s voice. But you’ve got so much explaining to do it’s not funny. Just try not to piss off Arim to the point where he slices you in half.
I’ll do my best, came the dry but relieved reply.
