Aftershocks

Chapter Thirteen

“What the hell did you do?” Cadmus glared at his uncle, furious at the thought Arim might have enspelled his affai. They’d landed in Tanselm, and Ellie still hadn’t woken. He cradled her closer to his chest.

“I had to transport us to Tanselm, Cadmus. How exactly did you think I intended to do so?”

Eyeing the satisfaction in his uncle’s gaze, Cadmus knew the wily sorcerer had done more than transport them home. Then Ellie moaned and blinked up at him.

“Finally. You okay?” He kissed her sweet lips, relieved.

“I, ah, I guess.” She wavered on unsteady feet and stared in confusion at her new surroundings.

The small clearing in which they stood sat just outside the western kingdom’s north wall. They must have arrived during mid-eve, for the sun was disappearing over MornMountain to the east, the steady, warmer temperature a welcome relief from Seattle’s frigid version of spring. Birds chirped and bees hummed, and the sweet scent of leraffes coming into bloom made Cadmus’ head spin with joy. He wanted to revel in his homecoming, awash in the familiar and much-missed sensations of home, but worry for Ellie tainted his pleasure.

“What did you do to her?” he asked his uncle again, mentally promising retribution if Ellie had been harmed in any way.

“What I needed to do,” Arim challenged, but Cadmus refused to back down.

“Look, uncle or not, if you’re fucking with my affai because you can’t handle the Dark, think again.” Ripples of power surged through Cadmus, Tanselm’s welcome more than effusive. Though it had been over a year since Cadmus’ last visit, he knew for a fact he’d never felt such strength. He tested his power and watched with grim approval as nearby roots shot with incredibly speed through the green grass to wrap around Arim, imprisoning the startled sorcerer. Cadmus held him fast with the psychic energy humming within the land itself. By the Light, the rush was extraordinary.

“Interesting.” Arim made no move to free himself, just watched Cadmus with curiosity. “What now, Earth Lord? Going to beat the answers out of me?”

Cadmus gathered Ellie to him and hugged her protectively. “I’d like nothing better. Now tell me what you did to her or I’m going to—”

“Cadmus!”

Protecting Ellie within his arms, Cadmus waited cautiously for his brothers’ approach. Darius and Marcus strode from a secret entrance in the north wall. They stopped in surprise upon seeing Arim covered from neck to toe in tree root, his body several feet off the ground and still.

“Oh, this looks like fun.” Darius chuckled.

Marcus grinned evilly at his uncle but said to Cadmus, “Nice to see you back home, where you belong.”

“Well, I figured things were most likely going to hell here without me, so I had to come back.” Cadmus’ pleasure at being with his brothers again tamped some of his rage at his interfering uncle. “It’s good to see you two.”

Ellie cleared her throat, and all eyes turned to her.

With pride, Cadmus introduced her. “I’d like you to meet my affai, Ellie Storm.”

Darius raised a brow. “Who’d have guessed?”

“Nice to see you too, Darius. How’s Samantha?” Ellie earned a grin from Darius at mention of his affai.

“She’s fine, I’m sure,” Arim interrupted in measured tones. “Now unleash this ancient trunk before I’m forced to kill some of Tanselm’s living forest.”

Cadmus unclenched his will and the roots released Arim, streaking back into the ground, the grasses covering what holes had been formed, making it appear as if nothing had happened.

Marcus whistled. “Nice work, Cadmus. It seems we aren’t the only ones with increased power.” He gave Ellie a subtle once-over. “It appears your affai is indeed much more than just a pretty face.”

Darius grunted. “Yeah, she’s a knockout, and she’s Djinn. First Aerolus with Alandra, now Cadmus with Ellie. Too bad we don’t have another brother. Then we might welcome a Dark Lord into the family.”

Cadmus saw the humour in the situation. Even Ellie smiled. But Arim watched the group silently, his gaze disapproving.

Marcus broke the sudden tension. “Okay then. Time to see Mother. She’s been out of her mind with worry since the last Netharat attack.”

“When was that?” Cadmus and Ellie joined the others, and the group entered the entrance into the kingdom. The door closed behind them, magically protected and sealed with an invisibility spell. A dark passageway opened before them, one that tunneled under the kingdom, branching into several strategic exits as well as leading directly into the main keep. Darius held a small ball of flame in his hand to lead the way. Cadmus and Ellie walked by his side. Arim and Marcus brought up the rear.

Darius spoke. “The Netharat hit again just a few days ago. A weak attempt to divert our attention from the west. They struck at your territory, Cadmus. The north,” he clarified for Ellie. “Of course, that attack was nothing on the one they struck when Aerolus nearly bit it.”

“What?”

Darius filled him in as they walked through the narrow stone passage that would take them right into the heart of the castle.

Cadmus squeezed Ellie’s hand, pleased when she squeezed back. As happy as he felt to finally be home, he worried about Ellie’s impression of Tanselm. Seattle had been her world her entire life. In just a short span of time, she’d been hit hard with the Djinn culture, then was jerked out of it only to be shoved into Light Bringer central. Hell, he’d had a hard enough time adjusting to Foreia, and he was used to magic. He could only hope Ellie had an easier time here.

“You okay?” he asked her.

“Fine. Tanselm seems very welcoming. And being down here in the cool dark feels really, really good. It’s like a big cocoon of magic.”

“Too warm for you outside?”

He could feel her shrug. ”I’ll adapt. I always do.”

“You know, you could have just teleported us into the castle instead of making us walk the long way,” Marcus muttered to Arim.

“But then where would the fun, brotherly camaraderie be? So Ellie, what do you think of Tanselm so far?”

“It’s ripe with magic.”

“That it is.”

“It’s a lot like Foreia, actually.” She sounded surprised, and Cadmus watched the academic within her come to life. “That feeling of power brims in the very soil beneath your feet. You probably don’t notice it so much since you’re used to it. But trust me, it’s very different from Seattle.”

Cadmus glanced over his shoulder and saw Arim’s speculative gaze rested Ellie. Cadmus wished he knew what his uncle had really done to his affai, but he knew he’d get no answers from the sorcerer. Maybe Aerolus could take a look later and shed some light. A subtle probe brushed his mind, and he immediately withdrew into himself, using the techniques Lexa had taught him to shield himself.

Odd that he would automatically turn to the teachings of a Dark Lord in his homeworld. Odder still he didn’t instinctively turn to Arim for help. Concern for his affai overwhelmed him, the sudden thought that he had brought her into danger untenable.

Acute pain lanced through his skull, and he stumbled as visions overtook him.

His mother’s welcoming face, her green eyes blazing with love and affection. Then she lay still, unmoving on the cold stone floor, her dress scorched above her heart, the burn of blue flame still smoking while her attacker fled the scene. Shouts and incriminations, tears. Samantha and Tessa leaning over Ravyn as Darius and Marcus shouted the alarm. And there, behind them, Ellie backing away, guilt stealing over her face as she continued to apologise over and over. She glanced up at Jonas with tears in her eyes and murmured something Cadmus couldn’t quite make out.

“Cadmus.” Ellie breathed a sigh of relief when he blinked up at her.

Up at her? “What am I doing on the ground?”

“You tripped over your own two feet, you clod,” Darius growled. “What the hell happened?”

“A vision?” Marcus asked.

Aware everyone waited for him to speak, he couldn’t keep from studying Ellie, wondering what in the hell that vision had meant. His mother hurt? Ellie involved? Had she been guilty of not reacting quickly enough, or of perpetrating the attack?

“Cadmus, are you all right?” Arim asked quietly.

Cadmus glanced at his uncle, knowing the searching look in his eyes saw too much and yet, not enough. Should he share this vision with them, they’d surely turn on Ellie. Though Darius and Marcus didn’t seem to mind she was Djinn, and Aerolus would welcome her regardless, Arim was another matter.

Deciding to keep what he’d seen to himself, Cadmus said, “I’m good. Sorry, I had a weird vision of Mother crying and welcoming me home, and it threw me.”

“Well, be glad she’s just crying. She nearly knocked me on my ass to welcome Samantha when we walked through the door,” Darius muttered.

Marcus chuckled. “Hell, Darius, we all wanted to congratulate Samantha. I still can’t believe you found a woman who can tolerate you.”

“Me? You’re one to talk, you pompous water-walker.”

“Here they go,” Cadmus said to Ellie as his brothers started in on one another. The argument grew in volume as they travelled towards the castle.

“So tedious.” Arim sighed, but a smile curved his lips all the same.

Ellie smothered a laugh when Darius suddenly turned to her. “Tell him, Ellie. Tell him what an outstanding bartender I really was.”

“Ah, yeah. He did a good job.”

“A good job?” Darius glared, his eyes flaming red and glowing in the dark. “I took home huge tips.”

“That’s because the women were dying to get into your pants,” Marcus said dryly. “Had nothing to do with your uncanny ability to serve drinks.”

Darius turned to her again, but Ellie shook her head. “Sorry, Darius, but he’s right. Now I really was a great bartender.”

Darius scoffed and drew Ellie into a heated debate about clients, tips and the art of pouring a decent drink.

Cadmus wondered. Had he really missed his idiot brothers?

“So, dirt-for-brains, what the hell have you been doing with yourself since we’ve been gone?” Marcus asked him.

“Oh, I’ve been busy. Making deals with the Djinn, seducing The Sarqua’s daughter, dancing with wraiths.” He glanced over his shoulder to see Arim’s eyes narrow dangerously.

Marcus’ eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately, he is.” Arim swore, clapped his hands, and they suddenly appeared in Queen Ravyn’s chambers, where the queen sat talking with Samantha and Tessa, her daughters by marriage. “You four are giving me a headache. Cadmus, go greet your mother. Introduce her to your affai, properly.”

Surprised Arim actually wanted him to admit his ties to Ellie, Cadmus did as instructed. Pushing his disturbing vision to the back of his mind, he took Ellie and approached his stunned mother. He bowed gracefully, but before he could speak, his mother had him in her arms, crushing him to her breast.

“Mother, you’re choking me.” He coughed, trying to breathe, and heard laughter behind him.

“Where have you been, Cadmus? I’ve been worried sick!” His mother pushed him back and stared at him, from the top of his head to his leather Djinn boots. “And who is this lovely young woman, hmm?” Her impish grin told him she already knew, but the delight in her eyes made it hard not to go along with her.

“Mother, I have the great pleasure of introducing to you my affai, Elliara Storm.”

“Elliara?” Darius murmured, and Samantha elbowed him in the stomach to be quiet.

Ellie blushed but stepped closer to Ravyn. “Just Ellie, actually. It’s a pleasure, ma’am, ah, Your Highness.”

Alandra and Aerolus suddenly appeared. “Might as well start calling her Mom,” Alandra teased.

“Man, I hate when they do that,” Tessa said as she joined hands with Marcus. “Freaks me out.”

“I have all my children together, and such beautiful brides. Ellie,” Ravyn said, a tear in her eye. “Welcome to the family.” She embraced Ellie with a sincerity that made Cadmus’ eyes burn, and he had to blink rapidly to keep from looking like a lovesick idiot. Fortunately, all eyes were on his mother and Ellie. The sheer pleasure on Ellie’s face at being accepted made his homecoming more than special, and he couldn’t thank his mother enough for her warmth and love. By the Light’s breath, he’d missed her.

“It’s so good to be home again,” he said thickly, kissing Ravyn on the cheek.

“Yes, it is.” She linked one arm through Ellie’s and the other through Cadmus’. “This calls for a celebration.”

Marcus groaned. “I knew you were going to say that.”

“Hey, at least you don’t have to procure several barrels of rare cinarum,” Aerolus complained. “That ale is expensive and damn hard to fabricate.”

Alandra chuckled. “Not really. He just likes to grumble to feel duly appreciated.”

Aerolus gave his affai a look, one that had her batting her eyes in innocence.

“You see, Arim? I told you everything would work out.” Ravyn beamed, looking around at her children. “So much joy in our house again. How I’ve missed it.”

Arim’s gaze settled on Ellie, and he pursed his lips. “Everything is working out. I just wished I knew for whom.”

Though everyone had been more than pleasant, and Cadmus’ mother a genuinely caring woman, Ellie felt tired and overwhelmed. Tanselm had so much more magic than Foreia. Her jump from Seattle to Foreia had felt strange, but Foreia’s Darkness and muted power had eventually felt as natural as breathing. In Tanselm, she felt as if she were continually being tested. Probing mind touches, feathers of Light mixed with welcoming Darkness, and the pressure of keeping a pleasant front so as not to interfere with Cadmus’ welcome home had taken its toll.

And then there was Arim—a hulking mass of testosterone who kept a constant eye on her, as if waiting for her to do something evil. The first hour she’d tried to be understanding, but now, half the night had passed, and the powerful mage still watched her.

While the others continued to talk and dine, she whispered into Cadmus’ ear, “I’m really tired. Would you mind if I went somewhere to rest? You don’t have to leave, though. I know how much you’ve missed your family.”

He glanced down at her, his brown eyes sparkling, and a wave of lust replaced her tiredness. As if he sensed her feelings, he grinned, a sensual smile that made her stomach flutter.

“It’s no problem, baby.” Oh, no, not the I’m-going-to-make-love-to-you-for-hours baby. “I’ve been getting a bit tired myself.”

He put a hand to her shoulder and rubbed softly, the heat of his palm spreading Dark want through her system.

Cadmus turned to his mother. “Mother, I’m sorry, but Ellie and I are pretty tired. It’s been a long day.”

“Of course it has. How thoughtless of me.” Queen Ravyn leaned close to accept a kiss from her charming son and shooed them away. “I’m sorry to have kept you, but I’ve missed you so much. Ellie, it’s been a true pleasure. I look forward to getting to know you like the daughter I’ve been missing.”

Cadmus raised a brow. “You’ve got three daughters sitting right down the table.” He motioned to Samantha, Tessa and Alandra joking and eating with their husbands.

“Yes, I know. And I’ll never take any of them for granted. But now, my last, irascible son has finally found a bride, and I couldn’t be happier she’s so lovely.”

Ellie smiled but wondered, uneasily, if Ravyn had been told who and ‘what’ Ellie really was. Would the queen find her so acceptable if she knew of her heritage?

“Relax, Ellie. Light or Dark, it doesn’t matter to me,” Cadmus sent with warmth.

Maybe not to him, but Cadmus didn’t feel the need to prove himself to his family. Whereas she had a hell of a lot to prove.

“Oh, really?” came the dry response. “We really need to talk, Ellie. But not now, later. After we get some much-needed…sleep.” He stood with Ellie and asked, “Is my room still mine, Mother? Or have you turned it into a scrying centre like you’ve always threatened to do?”

Ravyn shook her head. “I should have. But I never trusted that you hadn’t booby-trapped the area. Especially after Marcus managed to turn completely blue after one such trek into your room.”

Cadmus chuckled with his mother.

Marcus scowled. “You know, Mother, I don’t appreciate you taking his side.”

Tessa jabbed him in the ribs and took another sip of wine. “Relax, Cool Blue. You probably deserved it.” She grinned. “I bet that was something to see.”

“It was,” Aerolus agreed, his grey eyes twinkling.

“Right, well.” Cadmus tugged Ellie’s hand. “We’ll see you all in the morning, if you’re still here?”

Darius nodded. “We’ll meet for breakfast. Then the party’ll break up. Arim wants us back in our respective territories.”

“But not you two, not yet,” Arim spoke, staring hard at Ellie, then Cadmus. “Enjoy your respite, and I’ll see you both in the morning.”

“In the morning, right.” Cadmus tugged Ellie after him, but Ellie couldn’t so easily dismiss the vague sense of warning she felt in Arim’s words.

“Stop dragging your feet, Ellie.”After leaving the dining hall and nearly racing through several dim corridors, Cadmus stopped so suddenly Ellie fell into him. Without giving her a chance to catch her breath, he swallowed her protest with a kiss that set her pulse skyrocketing. His mouth caressed and teased, promising so much more. Then he thrust his tongue between her lips, making her moan with desire.

“Cadmus,” she rasped, trying to think. “Not here.” They stood in a darkened hallway through which anyone could enter.

“Hmm, I don’t know. I’ve never had sex with an audience before. Might be fun.” He chuckled when she punched him, and despite the heat in her cheeks, she laughed as well.

“You’re such a perv.”

He captured the fist aimed for his arm again and kissed her knuckles. “Yeah, but I’m your perv. So stop stalling.”

Nimbly racing past several startled pairs of lords and ladies, the pair of them streaked through a maze of hallways and up two sets of stairs. After what felt like forever, they entered a darkened room enclosed by a heavy oak door. Blinking, Ellie readjusted to the darkness and, to her surprise, found she could see with the faint bit of moonlight reflected off an illuminating mirror.

A loud thunk made her turn back to Cadmus, who stood with his back against his now barred door, lazily studying her with bedroom eyes.

“You know, you really are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. Around you, I’m a walking hard-on.” He straightened and moulded his prominent arousal, cupping it like an offering to her.

“Tell me what you want, Cadmus,” she said breathlessly, caught by the hunger in his eyes. Those beautiful, chocolate brown orbs made her melt, and she wanted more than anything to see his gaze turn black with lust and love. For her. “Let me give you what you need.”

He lifted his shirt in a smooth motion and unbuttoned the closure to his trousers. Immediately, his erection sprang free, thick and hard, and she noticed the moisture pooling at his tip.

“Suck me, baby.” He held his cock to her. “But I want you naked first. Come on, let me see your nipples all puckered and tight for me. And that pussy.” His voice deepened as she deftly removed her shirt and bra, then discarded the rest of her clothing. “I love the feel of that pussy around my cock when I’m fucking you.”

His crudity turned her on, the harsh words so at odds with the smooth playboy she normally saw. She bit her lip and saw his eyes darken, heard his breathing hitch and saw his cock twitch, the veiny shaft glistening as he rubbed precum over the head and around his length.

“I love eating you, lapping up your sweet cream.” His fingers moved faster, and she dropped to her knees before him. He reached out and buried his hand in her hair, massaging her scalp as he brought her mouth towards his straining erection. “But I absolutely love your mouth. Take me, baby. Suck me long and hard. Make me come down your throat.”

He stared down at her through half-closed eyes, and when her lips curled around his crown, he shut his eyes on a rusty groan. “That’s it, Ellie. Light, yes.”

She ignored the hard stone under her knees, the cool air that circulated through the room, and feasted on his arousal. She loved the salty-sweet taste of his flesh, the smooth feel of his semen as it pulsed down her throat. Bringing her lover to his knees and arousing him beyond measure brought her unbearable pleasure. By the sounds he made and the grip that tightened in her hair, she knew he felt it as well.

Sucking softly on his cockhead before moving down over his shaft, she played with him, teasing him unmercifully. Her teeth lightly scored his length, and with a hard press of her tongue, she massaged the underside of his shaft, just below the head—his most sensitive and erotic zone.

He tensed and moaned, and she smiled around him, taking him deeper into her throat. Waves of Dark, sensual energy filled her, stemming not only from her own desires, but Cadmus’ as well. Lexa’s words flashed, reminding her that her lover could be as Dark and sensual as a Djinn, and she revelled in the notion that only she could bring him such pleasure.

“Ellie,” he whispered and inched deeper into her mouth. “Fuck. I have to come, baby.”

She stroked him with her tongue, sucked him hard and added a hand to rub the hard sac between his thighs. Ellie wanted his release, needed it as much as he did. She grazed his buttocks, teasing the crease between.

Cadmus jerked against her, his thrusts increasing in frequency. Ellie sent out several tendrils of energy to hold him in place, stimulating his sensitivity until he was nearly mindless with the need to come. She could hear him crying out in her mind, could feel him seeking bliss as animalistic desire began to consume him.

Then she shocked him by shoving her finger into his anus while at the same time sucking him harder, and he yelled her name as he exploded in her mouth.

Streams of seed shot down her throat, a salty and tantalising cream that made her squirm with the desire for her own relief. She pressed her finger deeper into his ass and massaged his balls, and he cried out as he pumped down her throat.

“Ellie, oh Ellie.” Cadmus clutched her head with his hands, his grasp gentle but firm. “Baby, that was so fucking incredible.” He breathed hard, and as she removed her finger, she swallowed the last of him and let him fall from her mouth.

“You are so mine.” He stared at her, his eyes a fathomless black, and she absently noted the earthy smell growing in the room. An almost lavender-like scent filled her head. Her nipples tightened and her clit throbbed.

“Cadmus?”

He grinned and rubbed her blonde hair between his fingers, nudging her to stand before him. “Don’t worry, love. That’s just my orgasm causing every plant in this damned room to blossom. That smell? It’s iria, a powerful aphrodisiac that grows in Tanselm’s valleys. And it’s at its most potent when in full bloom.”

He inhaled and chuckled, staring deep into her eyes. “I barely have the energy to move, you little witch.” Hugging her tightly, he stumbled with her to his bed and fell with her into plush, thick blankets. He pushed her onto her back next to him, and they lay side by side, his breathing still heavy. “You’ll just have to lie back and let me relax a minute.”

Ellie simply nodded. The iria was making it hard to think about anything but sex, especially since she still had his taste on her tongue, could still feel him pulsing inside her mouth. She closed her eyes and covered her face with one arm.

When she suddenly felt breath over the curls between her thighs, she gasped in surprise. “Cadmus? I thought you were too tired?”

“I am.” He sighed. “So I’ll probably only be able to do this once tonight.”

Before she could ask what exactly he meant, he spread her folds wide and clamped his lips over her clitoris. Stars flashed behind her lids as she arched into his mouth. Shocks of delight burst through her body, and she moaned, dimly aware of Cadmus’ hoarse chuckle.

His lips and teeth stimulated her clit, sucking her flesh with rapturous ardour before drawing down towards the glistening and empty channel of her vagina. With his tongue, Cadmus pierced the void, lapping the growing wetness gathering there. His fingers joined his tongue. First one, then two. Then he added a third to toy with her ass.

She wanted to come, and when an electric touch massaged her breasts, she nearly did. Elemental energy swirled around her nipples, her belly, pulling at the ring around her navel and running along her breasts until she wanted to scream.

“Please, Cadmus. Let me come,” she moaned, aware he kept bringing her close before pulling back, stroking her higher and higher.

His teeth nipped at her clit and he shoved his forefinger up her ass, making her see stars, before he suddenly lunged up her body. In the blink of an eye, his cock replaced his tongue and he pummeled her with hard strokes, his thick shaft hitting the erogenous peak deep inside her body. Working her hard, he leaned close as he thrust, his chest hair brushing her nipples and causing her to cry out from the sheer pleasure making her mindless to everything but him.

“You’re so good, so tight,” he rasped, thrusting his tongue into her ear as he rode her hard, unrelenting as he drove her to places she’d never before been. “Now come around me, affai. Suck me into your womb, milk me of my seed until it takes root within you.”

He bit her earlobe and shifted, the new friction against her clit shoving her into a mind-blowing climax. She screamed and tensed, trying to will herself into his very being. The pleasure overwhelmed, the rapture of the moment so totally Dark, yet pulsing with streams of Light.

Ellie felt herself burn in truth, and impossibly, the pleasure intensified. She heard Cadmus groan and felt him shudder, spilling inside her. On and on the ecstasy lasted, until sheer exhaustion pulled at her mind and body, and unwillingly, she began shutting down.

Cadmus pulled her closer into his arms, still embedded deeply within her. “Shh, that’s it, Ellie. Go to sleep. We’ve had a long day, and I’m sure tomorrow will be even longer.” He kissed her forehead, and she sighed. “And if I haven’t already said it, welcome to Tanselm.”