Gale Season

Chapter Ten

Alandra stared at MornMountain in awe, and it was all Aerolus could do to stand still and not gather her in his arms. As he’d known, Tanselm had reached out and accepted the slight Aellei with open arms, the land’s rich magic delving into Alandra’s being and bonding with her as if she’d been born to the land.

His eyes misted, the sight of his affai too beautiful to behold, as she caressed the pure energy of his world with reverence.

“This is the most wondrous place I’ve ever been.” She tore her gaze from the rock to stare at Aerolus, her smile a mile wide. “It makes Aelle pale in comparison.”

Mention of her homeworld eased him into a quest for answers he desperately needed to know. “I saw a glimpse of Aelle in your dream, but I’d like to hear you describe it to me.”

She shrugged, her hand petting the rock like a lover, and his body hardened at the carnal images flashing through his mind. “Aelle is filled with the splendour of the Aellei, yet its magic is not even a quarter of what Tanselm possesses. Thank you for showing it to me,” she said soberly, her heart in her eyes. “I know it can’t be easy bringing a creature of Shadow into your world.”

“You don’t know anything,” he murmured, the need to touch her overwhelming. He stepped closer and stroked her cheek. She blazed a brilliant white in the shadow of the mountain, and he had never seen her look so lovely. “I trust you, Alandra. I know there’s more you haven’t yet said,” he paused, seeing the telling shift of her gaze. “But I know you’d never see the Light of this world extinguished. And I know you would protect me with your life, as you did when you thought Arim meant me harm.”

She blushed and looked away, towards the thick forest beyond the kingdom. “I overreacted.”

He said nothing, studying her for the best way to proceed. “I know you miss Aelle, Alandra, and that my family is the reason you are no longer there.”

“True,” she agreed. “But I don’t miss Aelle as much as I used to.” She stared at him, her violet gaze intense as if trying to see inside him. “But you, I don’t understand how being away from this place isn’t tearing you apart. I knew you were strong before,” she said quietly, frankly admiring. “But I’m in awe of your commitment to saving this world.”

He caressed her jaw, her cheek, sliding his hand to cup her face. “I give everything I am to those I love.”

Leaning forward, he kissed her softly, thoroughly, on the mouth. Like petals of silk, her lips parted on a sigh.

“You are so damned sexy,” she groaned. “And your energy is so much hungrier here.”

“Hungry, yes,” he said, holding her to him with a force that told her just how much he wanted her. “Hungry for the truth, for peace, for your l—” He interrupted his admission, worried that saying the word ‘love’ might spook her.

“For what?” she asked coyly, her hands lowering from his chest to his groin, lingering over his throbbing cock. She rubbed him through his trousers, and her eyes sparkled, pleased at the obvious control she had over him.

Dammit, why must everything be about control? His blood heated as he stared at his affai, wishing, almost, that she was a normal woman with whom he could have a genuine conversation without worrying about losing at some mysterious game they apparently played.

As she continued to caress him, she bit her lip, her eyes shining and her aura pulsing with…love.

His eyes widened, and he wondered if he truly was the idiot Arim had accused him of being. All this time he’d been playing word games and second guessing both himself and her, when all along the answer had been right in front of him in their tied magic.

Still joined, with Tanselm’s boost he could now see the love bonding them together. His Light and her Shadow forged into an altogether different energy, one vastly more accepting, and one that made use of everything around them, giving Aerolus nearly the power his uncle wielded.

Her grip tightened over him, and his excitement increased, both at the physical pleasure and at his important discovery. “Ah, love, you are a treasure,” he said on a sigh as he rocked into her.

“I am, aren’t I?” She laughed, her joy a part of their connection. “And I want to see you come, my little Wind Mage.” Her eyes twinkled.

“Little, eh?” he grumbled and carried them both to the ground on a pocket of wind. With a thought, he spelled their clothing gone and shoved her thighs wide.

“Aerolus?” she questioned, her voice high with excitement.

“Quiet, purie. Let me love my affai as a true Storm Lord should.”

He stared into her eyes, waiting as the carefree joy in her expression changed to one of shock and disbelief.

“Affai?” she squeaked.

“Well, maybe,” he teased, coating his cock in her moist sex. “I’m willing to make a bargain with you. But it’s on my terms, take it or leave it.”

He leant down to suck her nipple, groaning at how sweet she tasted. Such a petite frame with such generous curves, and so incredibly delicious. Licking and nipping at her breasts, he brought her to near-orgasm with his mouth and tiny hands of wind that stroked her heated skin.

“Aerolus,” she gasped. “What are you doing to me?”

“I’m loving you, affai,” he said, liking the sound of it more and more. ‘Affai’, in conjunction with Alandra, sounded magical, but more, it sounded right. He moved lower, trailing his mouth over her taut abdomen and through the silky curls covering her mound. Nosing through her hair, he licked at the ambrosia glistening between her thighs and parted her folds with his fingers.

He stared, enthralled, at her sex. “Don’t you want to know what I want out of the bargain?” he asked in a thick voice.

Her breathing heavy, she tried to draw her thighs closed. “If you’d give me a minute to think—”

“Now we can’t have that,” he said wickedly and closed his lips around her clit. “So fucking sweet.” He nipped and pulled, teasing the flesh into a ripe nub near to bursting. All the while, Alandra squirmed and begged, pleading for him to enter her.

“Tell me you want me,” he said, thrusting a finger inside her.

She arched into his touch, her body coiled like a bow about to release. “I want you,” she gasped.

“Now and forever.”

She moaned as he pumped another finger inside her, thrusting his digits harder and faster. “Now and forever.”

“And admit you’ve known for some time that you love me.”

He stopped all motion and waited as she quivered beneath him. Her eyes opened, and within their depths he noted silver striating the lavender in her gaze. He truly was a part of her, and she of him. But he had to hear her admit it.

“Aerolus.” She squirmed, her cheeks flushed. She tried to move closer to his mouth and fingers but he held her still, his winds more powerful now than they’d ever been.

“Tell me, purie, how much you long to be my wife. How the thought of another woman clenching me, taking my cock and my seed, makes you rage.”

She shuddered, Dark waves of energy emanating from the passion that dwelled within her. “Dammit, Aerolus!” She struggled but remained in his hold. “You’re mine,” she said rebelliously. “You’ve been mine for a year. My charge, my responsibility.”

“Your what?” he asked coolly, keeping his affai in check. Did she really think they could continue by ignoring the truth? By the Light, he wanted her so badly he was near to coming just from her taste. His cock ached as much as his heart, and he strained to hear her admit what she deep down knew to be the truth.

“My mate,” she said with a disgruntled sigh. “My love,” she repeated on a sultry note, soft moans trickling from her lips, and he buried his face between her thighs once more, his fingers working magic in her warmth.

He was completely out of his mind, drugged on her taste, her scent, her feel. He rubbed his swollen shaft against her leg when he really wanted to drive inside her. He quickly climbed over her, blanketing her smaller form with his own.

“You and I are in this together.” He paused at the entry to her sheath, waiting until she opened her eyes to meet his gaze. “Make no mistake, we are one.”

She nodded, a sly look on her face. “We are, once I agree to your conditions. So what are they, my prince?” she asked and shifted, taking the head of his cock inside her.

He caught his breath, fighting the urge to plunge deep. Damned if she didn’t bait him, and damned if it didn’t make him want to master her all the more.

“You will become my affai, live with me here in the kingdom over MornMountain. You’ll bring a handful of loyal Aellei you deem worthy of Tanselm to live here, a bridge to gap our worlds of Light and Shadow. All this can be yours, if you do one small thing.”

Her eyes widened. “What small thing?”

“You must never, ever lie to me again.”

Before she could answer, he thrust deep, groaning at the incredible satisfaction rumbling through him. A tightening at the base of his balls warmed, bliss spreading throughout his entire body as he pounded into her, bringing her with him body and soul into a mesh of existence too pure for words.

“Aerolus, love, more,” she cried, locking her thighs around him as he thrust deeper and harder.

Her voice, her touch sent him spiralling out of control, and the light breeze covering them turned into a massive vortex of wind and energy that swirled around them, leaving them in the centre of the storm’s heart.

“Promise me, Alandra,” he gritted as he thrust, a heartbeat away from coming.

“Yes,” she cried, clamping around him and pulling him into the cataclysm with her. “I promise.”

They remained locked, each one firmly tied to the other, heart to heart, mind to mind, as he poured his love into her.

Magic unfurled, a dance of winds and a wave of the mountain’s shadow caressing two lovers with loving acceptance.

“I am finally home,” he breathed, struck by the truth of his words. Tanselm, Aelle, Seattle, none of it mattered if Alandra was not there to share his life. His dissatisfaction with Tanselm vanished. In its place was a desire to share with his affai, to watch as she experienced every breath of Tanselm’s vast beauty and magic.

“You tricked me,” she murmured and brushed back a lock of fallen hair from his eyes. “I can’t believe an inexperienced Wind Mage, a snotty little Light Bringer, tricked me.” She sighed and stretched, tightening around him again and making him groan at the exquisite feel. She stroked his cheek and grinned into his eyes. “It must be love.”

Joy spread through his soul, radiating from their joined existence. Where the shadow of the mountain met the ground around them, dark flowers sprang, the sultry scent of new life blossoming with wonder.

“Aresla,” Alandra murmured in surprise as she stared at the sight. “They only bloom in Aelle, and only in the presence of Shadow.”

“But that was before.” He kissed her cheek tenderly, toying with her shining hair.

“Before?”

“Before your randy efforts nearly ruined everything,” a hard voice sneered, blasting Alandra from Aerolus.

Bellowing in anger, Aerolus leapt to his feet and commanded the air to aid him. Mage fury consumed him, reflecting in the whorls of raging wind and bolts of electricity filling the once-blue sky. The spells he immediately triggered bounced harmlessly off his opponent, a large male with disturbingly hazy features and a hint of Djinn dark flame. He held Alandra effortlessly, jerking her around by the arm in a punishing grip. Then the very air stilled, everything coming to a complete halt as a great blanket of darkness descended.

“Enjoy the Night, Wind Mage.” Evil laughter covered Alandra’s shrieks, and as Aerolus struggled to free himself from the malevolence suffocating him, he could only pray Alandra would not be further harmed. “Come and get her when you’ve got the rest of your family to back you up.” The intruder snickered. “We’ll be playing in the shadows.”

A pop sounded, and Aerolus recognised the sound of the Mir charm at work. Alandra was gone, captured by the enemy using Aellein magic.

Sudden worries of his affai undergoing torture by her own kind, and all because she’d helped protect him and Tanselm from the worst kind of evil, stirred the terrible rage within him to a Dark, thickening mass of power. The lingering darkness over him vanished. The air hissed its displeasure as trees and grasses were torn from their roots. Clouds gathered and a funnel of bleak wind loomed while boulders flew as if weighing nothing.

Alandra was gone. Taken from him as easily as if he’d given her away. He’d been unable to protect her in his world, a land that used to stand for peace and prosperity. Another tree cracked and protested its ripping from the ground, and Aerolus struggled to focus his rage on the ones responsible, on the Dark Lords behind this abduction. He deliberately allowed his storm to build in containment, feeding it with the retribution he owed the Dark Lords and the Djinn traitor who’d put them all at risk.

Aerolus quickly spelled himself clothed in battle dress, armed with a sword strapped to his back and a mage staff in hand, and studied the area for telling signs. The kidnapper was the walking dead, as far as he was concerned, but he further pledged should one more mark befall his beloved, he would not allow any of the enemy to live. And the Light bless those who thought to stand in his way.

“He said three hours.” Darius frowned, glaring at Marcus and Arim talking calmly on the couch.

Arim wanted to groan. He’d seen the impatience on his nephew’s face edging into anger. By the Light, it wasn’t easy for him either. It was all he could do to wait when two of his nephews were suddenly involved with the Dark side of creation—not only the Aellei, but the Djinn as well.

“Dammit, I was two seconds away from convincing Samantha to leave well enough alone with our defensive perimeter when you ripped me out of there. Do you have any idea what that woman is capable of when I’m not around?” Darius threw up his hands.

Marcus lifted an arrogant brow that had Darius curling his fingers around a fireball. “Perhaps if her mate had any semblance of understanding when it came to women, she wouldn’t feel such a need to interfere with warrior’s work to get his attention.”

Snarling, Darius let loose his fire, only to find his efforts countered by a wave of Marcus’ hand. Water suddenly doused the fireball, somehow managing to drench Darius in the process.

“Darius, Marcus, please,” Arim nearly growled. His patience had worn thin an hour ago, and the worries these two carried weren’t helping. He knew neither liked leaving his affai and kingdom while the Netharat circled Tanselm like hovering vultures. But they simply could not leave until he had all four Storm Lords together. He knew with a certainty that all four brothers must work together if there was any hope at all for Tanselm’s future.

“Ah, Arim? Your eyes are doing that weird thing again.” Darius coughed and grudgingly backed down.

“Then distract me before I turn one of you to stone,” he snapped. “What do you think of Alandra?”

He’d told them what he knew of her and her kind, of her participation in the last battle with ‘Sin Garu, and how Aerolus had nearly killed himself trying to save her, after she’d done the same trying to save him.

“I don’t know,” Marcus said thoughtfully, tapping his lower lip. His blue eyes darkened, his words both cool and surprisingly fair, not at all like the man who’d once considered himself better than the world around him. “I kind of liked her. She snapped at Darius quick enough, and looking at her is no hardship. Interesting that the most unassuming of us picked such a striking female.”

Darius growled, “Trust you to go straight to a woman’s looks.”

“I’m married, not dead. What, like you didn’t notice her appeal? Please.” Marcus snorted. “That face? Those curves? You’d have to be dead not to notice those, ah,” he paused at the hard look Arim gave him. “I was going to say eyes, those beautiful violet eyes.” His lips quirked.

“And that great rack,” Darius offered with a chuckle. No subtleties there, not that Arim would have expected any from him. “Damned nice to know Aerolus is as normal as the rest of us. Hell, the entire time we were here he lived like a monk, never even looked twice at a woman.” His eyes danced as he glanced at his brother. “Oh, wait. He saw Tessa naked as the day she was born, didn’t he? And from what I heard, he liked her well enough.”

“You’re such an asshole.” Marcus’ words were cool. “Who told you about that?”

Darius shrugged. “I know everything, little brother.”

“Not that again.”

Arim didn’t bother to hide his amusement. Surprisingly, the familiar sibling squabbling eased some of his tension. “If I didn’t know you two were brothers, I’d think you were married.”

“Ha, ha,” Marcus muttered.

“Personally, I’m not sure how I feel about Alandra.” He thought about the mischievous creature that had so captured Aerolus, and Darius and Marcus turned to him as one. “She is an Aellei, a creature of Shadow, and though she’s done much for Aerolus, I still don’t understand why she left her world in the first place.”

“She told us. She didn’t like her aunt’s play for Tanselm.” Darius shook his head.

“Yes, but why?” That still bothered him. Arim knew he was missing something, but what? “She’s an Aellei, of a race known for their devious nature. I don’t know if you noticed, but she’s pure magic.”

“Pure? I thought you said she was ‘of Shadow’?” Marcus asked.

“She is. But magic, at its core, is neither good nor evil. And I’m beginning to wonder if being aligned with Shadow isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” Though somewhat suspicious of her motives, Arim couldn’t justify reproaching Alandra for saving his nephews. Nor could he condemn all the Djinn when Jonas Chase and Ellie Markham had done much to aid Tanselm’s cause. To hear Aerolus and Tessa tell it, without Jonas’ help, ‘Sin Garu would have killed not only Tessa, but Marcus and his brothers as well.

“The Aellei are different from us. We Light Bringers are human, men and women that wield magic, a people in tune with our homeland and the elements, but human nonetheless.”

“And Alandra…?” Darius prodded, standing with his arms crossed.

“She’s not human.” Arim smiled grimly. “Oh, thousands of years ago her ancestors might have been, but in the interim the shadow dwellers, or Shadren, began to change.”

“I thought the Shadren and Aellei were two different races.” Marcus sat, puzzled.

“Actually, they’re the same,” Arim explained. “The Aellei refuse to acknowledge closer ties because of their curious penchant for being surrounded by beauty—which much of the Shadren do not possess—or so I was once told. I’m sure Alandra can explain it better, but that’s not really important right now.

“In the beginning, Tanselm was home to many of the Dark Lords, the Djinn and the Shadren. But when the Dark Tribes split, we noticed how different the tribes had become, not only from each other, but from the Light Bringers as well.

“Alandra’s roots may have started out human, but over the years her people became more and more fused with both the Light and the Dark, creating a new race of beings, a people of magic.”

“I don’t get it.” Darius frowned. “Aerolus’ affai isn’t human? She looked human enough to me.”

“Let me put it this way. I wield magic, as do your brothers. Each of you have touched a spell or two in your time, but the elemental magic you reap is a part of you. In that sense you’re like Alandra. Being a Storm Lord is not just a calling, but an existence apart from other Light Bringers.

“The Aellei, on the other hand, are magic. I call it forth in spells, she herself commands it as an extension of herself, like breathing.”

“Interesting,” Marcus murmured. “Which leads me to something I’ve been thinking about for some time, the magic of our affai. Both Samantha and Tessa are human, but powerful humans with an exceptional call to magic. Their Light calls to the elemental in Darius and myself. Even in Tanselm they stand out more for their powerful energies than their foreign birth.”

“This is so,” Darius agreed. “Samantha’s powers have grown significantly since arriving in Tanselm. And believe it or not, I’ve taught her a few useful spells. Just basic stuff we learned when young, but she casts them like a sorcerer.”

“Spells?” Arim didn’t like the sound of that, especially coming from Darius. Aerolus was the only brother of the Royal Four with the capacity to wield mage energy properly.

Darius looked uncomfortable and unintentionally projected a series of thoughts to his uncle.

Relieved, Arim nodded. “Ah, spells. As in, a speedy way to dispense clothing, increased stamina for lovemaking, the ability to do what with wax, exactly?”

“You get the picture,” Darius growled, his cheeks flushing. He glared at his uncle, then at his chuckling brother. “I don’t know what the hell you’re laughing about. Samantha talks to Tessa daily so I know you’ve taught her the same things.”

Arim raised one brow at the guilty look on Marcus’ face.

“Now hold on,” Marcus said defensively, his voice crisp. “Tessa’s a siphon. I didn’t teach her the spells.”

“No, you used them around her enough that she eventually absorbed them from you,” Arim said sarcastically, deciding to needle his nephews. When they snapped at one another or at him, they weren’t so focused on the worries at home. “It’s good to know the Storm Lords are making good use of their time waiting for ‘Sin Garu and the Netharat to reappear.”

Both brothers scowled, their energy in tune and growing as they turned their hostility from each other towards him. Pleased at how much they’d grown since meeting and loving their affai, Arim hoped Alandra would not be a disappointment to Aerolus. With her magic and her love, he could only imagine the strength Aerolus might one day wield. And that edge might be just the push the Royal Four needed to oust the Dark Lords from Tanselm once and for all.

“Relax, you two. Your affai do you both credit, and I’m pleased that you both found exactly who you needed.”

Marcus nodded, his tension visibly leaving him. “Tessa is perfection. I couldn’t agree more.”

“Yeah, she’s the only woman who can stand your attitude,” Darius murmured, shooting his brother a smirk.

“Like you can talk. It’s a wonder a woman who looks like Samantha can be such a pain in the ass.”

Darius brightened. “She is a handful, Marc.”

Marcus exhaled heavily. “Talk to her about that, would you? It’s Marcus. Not Marc. Marcus.”

“Sure thing, Marc. So back to your original question, Uncle.” Darius grinned, ignoring his brother’s threatening glare. “I like Alandra. I know what the Aellei are capable of, but in my opinion, a woman who risked her livelihood and life to save Tanselm can’t be too terrible. And from the way she looked at Aerolus, I’d say she’s got it bad.” His red eyes glowed with approval.

“Much as it distresses me, I have to agree with the fire-breather.” Marcus arched a thumb in Darius’ direction. “From what you’ve said, she saved my life and Tessa’s, no question. I have no doubt the Nocumat we encountered would have devoured me whole. And if she’s been here for an entire year watching us, she could have done us harm at any time, yet she didn’t. I can only be thankful she’s here, helping us. And to have captured Aerolus’ heart, that in itself is no mean feat.”

“True enough. And yet,” Arim paused, unable to put into words the feeling that wouldn’t go away. When he’d attacked Alandra, he’d felt her vast magic, had sensed something familiar about it. The woman was of Shadow, this he knew. But why would an Aellei fight to save Tanselm when her kind might have it at their fingertips?

He’d been to Aelle. Though beautiful and spacious and full of interesting areas where Light met Darkness, Aelle’s magic was nowhere near as powerful as Tanselm’s. Had he been in the queen’s position, he might very well have schemed for their land.

The Aellei drew much of their energy from Aelle, from its majesty as much as from its well of power. But drawing from Tanselm would be like exchanging moonlight for sunlight. Why then would Alandra willingly leave her world of beauty for a magicless plane of existence, what the Aellei would undoubtedly categorize as an unsightly world? And to babysit a dread Light Bringer, one of the Royal Four, no less?

His instincts were never wrong, almost never wrong, his conscience prodded as an image of Lexa intruded. Frowning the thought away, he focused on the here and now.

“Alandra has Aerolus’ heart and loyalty.” He weighed his decision. “Since your brother has never before failed us when we most needed him, I suppose we should support him by giving Alandra our loyalty as well.”

“Nicely said.” Marcus smiled.

“Not bad, for an old man,” Darius chimed in, grinning when Arim narrowed his eyes. Old man?

“I can’t say I’ve ever met a sorcerer who’s older,” Cadmus added from the hallway, staring without surprise at his brothers. “Well, well. Leave the door open and see what comes wandering in.”