A glance at the mage showed him nodding at me before slipping away into the masses, who’d returned to shopping, none the wiser.
In case the mage had missed the many recording devices in the area, I sent a magical surge through to wipe the last half hour of footage from everything in the shopping plaza.
“Well, that was less than pleasant.” Jonas looked annoyed.
Before he could say anything more, I latched onto his arm and sent us through the Between toward Tanselm. That the Netharat had broken the covenant protecting the mundane worlds from open, magical intrusion meant something had seriously gone wrong. A powerful law had been broken. Which laid other worlds at risk.
By the Dark’s own hell. What else could we expect? And how close was Sin Garu to mounting yet another invasion into Tanselm? For weeks, we’d experienced only minor skirmishes, nothing like the Dark Lord’s previous massive assaults.
It seemed I would not be venturing after Lexa just yet.
I ignored the uncomfortable urge to go after her despite the danger to Tanselm. Lexa was my prey. My Dark Lord to exact revenge upon if needed. Besides, she needed someone powerful enough to contain her and keep an eye on her.
Memories of her bewitching eyes and sly grin made my heart race. I could never let her know how much she still mattered to me. As what, I didn’t know. And I couldn’t afford to care just now.
The sexy Dark Lord would have to wait until I’d informed the Storm Lords and my sister about this latest development. My nephews needed to be aware and Tanselm’s allies warned before they suffered similar attacks. Lexa would keep. I ignored the irrational worry for her that constantly chafed.
She and I have unresolved business between us, and neither Light nor Dark will stop our coming confrontation.
We arrived in the hallway outside the Royal Four’s current meeting.
And I gathered one final resolve.
One way or the other, Lexa will answer to me.
Chapter 2
Lexa
I sighed with relief once Arim and Jonas disappeared. Peeking out from one of the dressing rooms in the lingerie shop, I’d witnessed the entire scene as if watching a movie. The infamous Arim Valens had annihilated the small contingent of wraiths no doubt searching for me.
Apparently, Sin Garu had yet to forgive me for nearly killing him. Just another in a litany of crimes against the hated blood-drinker. And I’d been so close to ending our tie, so near to forging a new life for myself…
Hell. Why bother with regrets and what could have been? If that’s the case, I should be pining after that hardheaded Light Bringer sorcerer.
I closed the curtain of the dressing room, staring at the silken bra and panty sets I planned on buying. More expensive than a cinnamon bun, but they were much easier on my figure unless I fixed my troubling waistline using illusion magic.
I dressed again and checked myself out in the mirror. Long, black hair. Ice-blue eyes. An oval face with a pale complexion. A petite frame with a full bust. I admitted to a blessedly enthralling package that normally glowed with power.
Not so anymore. Typically disguised in this realm as a tall, attractive young human, since the demon attack, I could not hold the transformation for long periods of time and now looked like my true self. A dangerous position to be in with the forces of Light and Dark after me.
I felt a disturbance in the air moments before powerful arms encircled my waist. Gathering my faltering energy, I prepared to visit death upon the fool bold enough to attack me flesh to flesh, no matter the cost to my health.
“You know, Lexa, you can’t hide forever.”
Instantly relieved to hear my friend Sava’s voice, I relaxed in his embrace, amused despite the precariousness of my position. “You can’t be in here, you idiot. This is a woman’s dressing room.”
He let me go, and I turned to face him with a smile. Lord Sava, king of the Aellei — a more mischievous and troublesome race than my own — was one of my few friends. He stood with a pinch of annoyance on his striking face.
Sava wore his long, white-blond hair shoulder length now. He had sensual features and a striking frame, both muscular and lean. And his paleness matched my own. A Shadow Dweller, Sava aligned closer to the Dark than the Light, but he was more welcomed in Tanselm by the Light Bringers than I would ever be.
His niece had married one of the Royal Four, the Wind Mage. That pair had magic brewing between them as if blessed by the archaic gods. Tanselm cooed like a giddy new mother whenever Aerolus and Alandra drew spells together, teasing me with images of a future I would never have.
“I can go wherever I want, my dear.” Sava jerked the curtain to the dressing room wide and prodded me to leave, grabbing my lingerie as we walked out. He touched my shoulder, and I felt a surge of power run through me.
“What did you just do?”
“A little something to help, that’s all.”
