Aftershocks

Chapter Eight

Ellie felt frantic with worry when her father refused to go to Cadmus’ aid.

“He’ll be fine, Elliara. She wants a word with him, that’s all.”

Who the hell was this woman to whom everyone seemed to defer? Her questions fell on deaf ears, and in a snap, her father spelled her to within a few feet of him and her mother, who grabbed her hand and held on. A nice way to eliminate Ellie’s attempt to rescue Cadmus herself. Damn it.

“Now, to my home.” Ethim teleported them all into a wooden construct much like a large, indoor tree house. Gnarled logs walled the main room and carried into the dining area. The ceiling seemed to consist of wooden crossed beams, smoother than the walls, which framed a series of massive skylights. In contrast to the natural simplicity of the place, her fathers’ home hummed with magic from the sparkling marble floors to the endless transparent ceiling. A Djinn servant nodded with a smile before disappearing again.

Her father motioned them to an expansive marble dining table set for three. Glasses filled with what looked like wine complemented the fancy diningware. Apparently, her father had told his people to expect them. They sat for a moment in silence.

“Relax, honey.” Her mother stroked her hair, its colour about the only similarity mother and daughter shared. “If your father says Cadmus will be okay, he will be. I liked him. And I don’t like all that many of your father’s kind.”

Ethim practically spit out the wine he’d been drinking. “My kind? Please, Amanda. Cadmus Storm is a Light Bringer, one of those dreaded holy pests who think they’re superior to everyone and everything.”

Ellie frowned. “He’s not like that.”

The serving woman returned with a large tray of fruits. “She’s right, Sarqua. The Storm Lord was most unlike what I expected a Light Bringer to be. I found him pleasant, even humourous in our discourse.”

“Who asked you, Mera?” he grumbled.

Despite Ethim’s title as leader of the Sarqua clan, his people didn’t bow or lower themselves to him, or so Jonas had told her. They showed their respect and obeyed his orders, but nothing more. Truthfully, Ellie thought their contradictions fascinating.

She found it hard to believe a king could have servants who spoke their minds openly, without fear of retribution.

Then Mera’s words penetrated and Ellie took a good, hard look at the serving woman. Mera had long black hair, amber eyes and the curves of a centrefold. What the hell kind of discourse had she and Cadmus shared, exactly?

“I agree with Mera,” Amanda said and took a sip from her glass goblet. “Cadmus felt right.”

Ethim glared. “Why the hell were you feeling him at all?” Jealousy, from her father?

“Now, Ethim. You know you’re the only man for me. I just wish you’d be home more often.”

Ellie stared in shock at her mother’s smile of sincerity. Who the hell is this woman impersonating my mother?

“We’ve had this discussion. Considering this is the last year I agreed to, I’d say you’re right where you belong, Mandy.” Her father looked smug with satisfaction, and Ellie took a harder look at her parents. Using the senses that seemed to be growing stronger the longer she stayed in Foreia, she noted the joining bonds of Dark energy from her father holding tight to her mother. And her mother’s odd, purple signature bands of energy invited and latched onto her father eagerly.

“You two are confusing as hell,” she murmured, fixated on the power of desire blossoming before her. “I thought you had this love-hate thing going, but it looks more like lust-hate, and frankly, that’s way more than I wanted to know.”

“Oh.” Her mother blushed. “Ethim, I think it’s time we explained a few things.”

He scowled. “We? No. All of this animosity and misunderstanding occurred because of a promise you forced me to make. You fix it.” Without looking at her, he snapped at Mera, who remained hovering in the background. “And not one word from you.”

With a snif, Mera set the fruit tray by Ellie’s side and left the room.

Ellie ate a strawberry, surprised to find herself suddenly famished. “As much as I want to know what you two are talking about, I’d like to see Cadmus safe and sound first.”

Jonas entered the dining area, putting to rest Ellie’s other worry.

“Jonas.” She rushed to him and inspected him carefully before giving him a huge hug. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”

“Yeah, well, it’ll take more than a jealous Storm Lord to bring me low. Don’t worry, Remir’s bringing him in. Apparently, she’s concluded her meeting.”

Who the hell is she? Ellie was dying to know, but Jonas’ next words to her stopped her cold.

“You disappeared with Cadmus for quite a while, Ellie. What were you two doing all that time?” At her flush, he frowned. “Don’t think we’re not going to talk about it.” Did they have to discuss this in front of her parents? “Ethim should know—”

“—when to butt out of his daughter’s love life.” Amanda interrupted. “Now, Jonas, you’re right in the middle of our messy family history that I’m supposed to explain.” Her face lit up. “Unless you’d rather?”

Jonas looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. “Hell, no. But don’t let me stop you from telling your daughter what an idiot you’ve been.” At Amanda’s glare, he shrugged. “Okay, a beautiful idiot with a big heart, but an idiot nonetheless.”

Ellie could only stare in amazement at evidence of some huge falling-out she’d never known existed. Oh, sure, her mother and father had an odd relationship, but she’d always attributed their problems to their different lifestyles. There was more?

“Much more,” he mother admitted.

Ellie stared. “Did you just… Did you read my mind?”

“Yes, dear. It runs in the family. Sorry, but you’re thinking loudly.”

Ellie nodded and encouraged her mother to continue.

“It all began after I married your father several years ago.”

“Try sixty-seven,” her father corrected.

“Sixty-seven?” Ellie stared at her mother in shock. “I know Ethim’s older than dirt, but you’re human. Like me.”

“Ah, actually no. I mean, yes, I’m human. But I’m also a little bit more. My psychic ability enabled me to bond with Foreia for some time. We age much more slowly here than at home, and your father put a spell or two on me. I might have lied about my age.”

“And about what else?” Jonas prodded.

Her mother glared. “Shut up, Jonas. If you hadn’t interfered all those years ago, this would never have happened in the first place.”

“Me?”

“Oh, come on, Mandy,” her father interrupted. “Shara was Jonas’ pledge sister. It wasn’t his fault she grew enamored.”

“Everyone, just stop.” Ellie glared her family into silence. “Ever since I can remember, my parents have spent as little time as possible together.” She stared at her father. “Ethim would visit for brief periods of time, run roughshod over Mom, bribe her with presents and, heaven help me, sex, then disappear.”

She turned to her mother. “You told me to ignore his absences and focus on the special times he and I spent together. Well, I hated it.” Fury burst forth, anger she hadn’t realised she’d carried for so long that refused to be contained. She read the shock on her parents’ faces, the odd satisfaction on Jonas’, but couldn’t stop.

“I hated how easily Mom fell in line with whatever Ethim wanted, time and time again. I hated when you visited, Ethim. Because, for a short time, we were a real family. But all your magic tricks and presents couldn’t disguise the fact you had another life, one more important than that of your wife and daughter.”

Ethim drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Now, wait a minute.”

“And you, Mom.” Ellie was on a roll. “You let him walk all over you. What about me? What about what I needed? You never asked him to come to my soccer games, my band concerts or school nights. You covered up for him and refused to answer my questions. You think I didn’t sense your bitterness whenever the word ‘Djinn’ came up? Who do you think taught me to hate the Djinn so much? We’re human, they’re not.”

“Thanks a lot,” Jonas muttered, wincing at the anger she turned on him.

“And don’t think you’re out of this. I might have been somewhat normal if you hadn’t always shown up teaching me things Mom told me not to pay any attention to. It’s not normal for a kid to play with shadows, real shadows, Mom. Jonas used to make them separate from the wall to play while teaching me about Foreia and Aelle.”

“Jonas.” Amanda looked shell-shocked.

Jonas squirmed. “Well, hell, Mandy. The girl’s got so much Djinn magic in her it’s a wonder she didn’t send herself to Foreia by accident at least once in her childhood.”

Ellie kept quiet, not wanting to disturb the mood now that she’d shaken them all. No need to mention she’d accidentally transported herself there several times as a youth, though at the time, she’d convinced herself she’d been dreaming. But after her visit today, she knew she’d been much more than awake.

“And Ethim,” Jonas continued, “you should have explained things to her, like I told you to, instead of leaving everything in Mandy’s lap. Mandy was in no frame of mind to talk to her baby girl, not after what she thought she saw. It’s no wonder she was pissed, catching you and Shara, ah…” He glanced at Ellie, then sighed. “Mandy, tell her all of it.”

Her mother bit her lip, and tears pooled in her eyes. “Don’t hate me, Ellie. It was such a long time ago. You can’t know what it’s like to be so in love with someone, to be so vulnerable and scared of the future. Imagine how much harder it would be to find yourself in love with a king from another world, and you just a lowly nobody.”

“Mandy,” her father said softly, reaching over to hold her mother’s hand. “You know you’re worth more than ten of me, any day of the week.”

Ellie watched it all, understanding more than her mother thought.

Amanda smiled at him through tears. “I was young and foolish. All sad stories start that way, don’t they? The plain fact of the matter is that I didn’t trust myself, and therefore couldn’t trust in your father. I found him kissing some stupid Djinn woman years ago and refused to listen to his explanation. It didn’t help that she insisted she’d seduced him, even told me all about his prowess in bed and, ah, a ton of other details that made it hard to believe in his innocence.”

“Mandy! You never told me that!” Ethim looked shocked.

“I didn’t want to go into it again. I’d felt so stupid to fall in love with you, a man with so much talent and ability far beyond me.”

“Mom.” Ellie couldn’t help reaching out. “There’s nothing mere about you. You can read minds, for cripes sake.”

“You stole my heart.” Ethim placed a kiss on Mandy’s hand, clutching her fist in his.

Mandy sniffled, smiling tremulously. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I wanted us to be a real family, but I was so hurt by your father, by what I thought he’d done. I left Foreia and vowed never to take you there until you were old enough to make your own decisions.”

Ellie raised a brow. “Mom, I’m twenty-eight. Exactly how old was I supposed to be before you told me all this?”

Mandy blushed. “I know, I know. It’s just that you seemed so happy in Seattle. You had a promising future, almost a Masters degree, Mandy. And you were so popular. So pretty and smart, and so safe.”

“I think I understand, Mom. But that still doesn’t explain why he couldn’t have shown up more than once or twice a year.” She couldn’t help the resentment still lingering deep inside.

“I made your father promise to stay away, so that you wouldn’t be tempted to join him in Foreia. I wanted you to have a normal life away from magic and danger. I wanted you to grow up strong, not like me.”

“Mom, you’re saying you made him stay away?” All the years of blaming her father for abandonment, not wanting to see him because he couldn’t care enough to even visit on her birthday, and it was her mother’s fault?

“Don’t blame Mandy, honey,” her father said quietly. “I didn’t like it, but I saw the wisdom in keeping my distance. The Djinn are Dark, you know that. As The Sarqua, my life is filled with danger.” He scowled at Jonas, who squirmed in his seat. “In fact, if anyone had conferred with me before your visit here now, I’d have denied you access.”

“We didn’t have a choice,” Jonas defended.

“No, we didn’t,” Mandy agreed. “I could sense, from looking at Cadmus, that we needed to leave our world at once. One of us would have died had we stayed.”

Ethim cleared his throat. “Be that as it may, the point is that life is fraught with danger. Though my life has more than its share, my magic gives me an edge. But Ellie, until you accept your Darkness, you’ll forever be vulnerable to attack.”

Ellie remained silent. She had too much to process. Guilt, worry, anger. She’d treated her father wrongly, allowed her mother’s worries to colour her attitude and suffered in her relationships because of it. Cadmus was the one she needed now, the one man, the one relationship she hadn’t failed.

She stood, determined to talk with him, if nothing else. He was an objective viewpoint, something she needed very much right now.

“Ellie,” Mandy said.

“Let her go.” Ethim stopped his wife from rising. “Give her some space.” He nodded to Jonas.

Ellie ignored them and left the building behind as she walked towards two guards she’d seen earlier. “I’d like to see Cadmus Storm.”

They looked at one another, then over her shoulder in question.

She glanced back to see Jonas shadowing her steps. Irritation flickered. “What are you, my guard dog?”

He ignored her. “Bring Cadmus.”

“But Jonas,” one of the guards paused.

He nodded to the other. “Take her to the pavillion. Ellie, I’ll be with you shortly, with Cadmus.”

He left to talk to the other guard, a frown growing on his face. Then he disappeared, shimmering to God-knew-where.

Ellie walked despondently behind the large Djinn leading her into the forest along a trail.

How the hell could her mother have lied to her for so many years? It wasn’t so much that she lied. Ellie well understood the pain of heart’s betrayal. Just one lashing from Cadmus and she’d wanted to hide in the dark forever. It’s what made facing the continued love she felt for him so frightening.

No, what bothered Ellie the most were the terrible thoughts and feelings she’d attributed to a father who had, by all appearances, not wanted to be with her. Who knew better than she did that appearances could be deceiving? Ethim had held fast to her mother’s pledge to make Ellie’s life a better, safer one, and so had kept his distance. Great, now I feel guilt for an absentee father on top of lust for a man I can’t have. And I’m pissed at my mother, a woman who couldn’t hurt a fly. I’m just batting a thousand today. She tripped over a tree root and fell into her guide.

He glanced back. “You okay?”

“Fine.” How had her sane life suddenly turned into this?

As if this emotional roller coaster weren’t bad enough, a burning sensation kept distracting her. Foreia kept calling to Ellie. She knew she should answer, yet she couldn’t. She didn’t plan on being here that long. In just a few days, she’d return to Seattle. If she heeded Foreia’s call, she could probably kiss normalcy good-bye. Hell, a few days with Cadmus and she’d been feeling the burn of sunlight at home. One kiss from the Dark magic here and she’d probably start burning in truth.

They reached an area suddenly lit by moonlight, and Ellie couldn’t help gasping at the amazing beauty before her. Surrounding the pavillion—a small rose-coloured wooden gazebo—lay clumps of the sweetest smelling flowers she’d ever had the pleasure of inhaling.

“Scythia.” The Djinn before her grunted. “Grows like wildfire out here.”

He posted himself by the edge of the small clearing and nodded at her to continue inside.

She couldn’t stop staring. Intricate craftsmanship had created the pavillion. Carvings of wild animals mingled with flowers in the mauve wood that smelled faintly of roses. The scythia made it hard to distinguish smells, and the sweetness in the air made her almost lightheaded with joy. Despite the pain of her parents’ divulged secrets, Ellie felt strangely at peace in the quiet serenity of the gazebo.

She walked through the dark entrance and blinked as light hit her eyes. Stunned, she glanced from the dancing flame hanging suspended in mid-air, wondering how she’d missed the light outside. Stepping back outside, she saw nothing but darkness. Must be magic. The thought made her wonder, and as she entered the gazebo again, she glanced around, more than curious.

Benches lined the waist-high octagonal walls of the place, which supported the structure but for two doorways. Through the windows she could see clusters of scythia far and wide, and just beyond the far exit of the pavillion, she noted a large pool reflecting the moonlight.

In the centre of the pavillion sat a high table filled with trays laden with food and drink. Apparently, Jonas was trying to make up for her shock by feeding her to death. A small smile turned her mouth. Jonas cared as much about her as her parents did. And why shouldn’t he, considering he’d been by her side from day one. Though her father had rarely visited, Jonas always had. Presents, tricks, and special lessons in magic her mother had known nothing about.

Grabbing a ceramic goblet from the table, she stared into the cup and noted what looked like water. The beverage smelled sweet, and the taste was a cross between raspberry soda and lemonade.

Sitting, she drank and pondered what her life might have been like had her father been someone normal, someone human. Then she sighed, realising had that been the case, she never would have met the insufferable Storm Lord even now inconveniencing her. She sent out a brief “Hello,” but frowned when she couldn’t sense him anywhere.

“Where are you, Cadmus?”

Cadmus groaned when Remir threw him to the ground in the small, dismal cell. “Was it necessary to use so much force on a lightweight like myself?” He didn’t say much more, feeling around his cracked jaw.

Through swollen eyes, he saw Remir frown. “For someone who battled nearly my entire family just a few months ago, you didn’t put up much of a fight tonight. Disappointing in a Storm Lord.”

Cadmus had enough spirit left to prod the Djinn’s temper. “Not really,” he rasped. “I just thought it would be more sporting if the next time I tangled with you lekharns that I’m half-dead. That way you’d have better odds of actually winning. We both know one on one you’d never win.”

Remir simply stared at him, then chuckled and shook his head. “You really are an asshole. Funny, but an asshole. Jonas was right.”

“About what?” Jonas asked, appearing out of nowhere. He glanced at Cadmus and swore. “Shit, Remir. What the hell did you do to him?”

Remir shook his head. “Hey, don’t look at me. If he’d learn to shut up once in a while, he wouldn’t look so ugly. The insults to Ankard’s sister didn’t help. She did most of that to him.”

“Hell, that really was a woman?” Cadmus gasped.

“You see?” Remir muttered under his breath and left at Jonas’ command.

“You’re such a prince.” Jonas helped Cadmus sit up on a nearby bed with gentle hands.

Cadmus bit back a curse as the excruciating pain in his side increased.

“Yeah, looks like Diane broke a few of your ribs. Didn’t the long hair and breasts clue you in?”

“Breasts? I thought that was battle armor.” Cadmus chuckled and groaned. “I’ll have to make amends later. But honestly, I thought all you Djinn were pretty.”

“Pretty? Thanks a lot. But Diane isn’t all Djinn. Her mother was—”

“Don’t tell me, an ogre.”

“You know your Shadren. So tell me why you took such a beating when we both know you could have prevented it.”

Cadmus closed his eyes. He didn’t like apologising, especially to a smart-ass like Jonas, but he knew he owed it to the man who’d saved his life on more than one occasion.

“I’m sorry about what happened earlier.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Jonas leaned closer, and Cadmus gritted his teeth. The damned Djinn could hear like a bat. He knew what Cadmus had just said.

“I said I’m sorry about almost blazing the Dark out of you,” he growled.

“How gracious. So I take it you now have full control over your Dark abilities?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“You just apologised for trying to kill me. I’m to assume then that your attack was intentional.”

“Hell no. I have no idea how I keep bursting in truth. I’m a Light Bringer, Jonas, with the emphasis on ‘Light’. It’s damned awkward, and not a little disconcerting, to keep bursting into Dark flame.”

Jonas stared. “This has happened before?”

Letting out a breath, Cadmus aired his troubles. “A few months back when we were battling ‘Sin Garu. Then again at Ellie’s place.”

“At Ellie’s? Why? What happened there prior to you phasing in truth?”

Cadmus flushed, hoping the lighting in this dingy place was poor enough to conceal his embarrassment. “At the time I was thinking about you and her, about how you keep calling yourself her cousin, but I know damned well you aren’t. You’re way too proprietary around her, to the detriment of your own health,” he added the sly threat.

Jonas stared, amazed, and then began laughing. “Cadmus, you’re something else. You’re lying here like death warmed over, and you have the gall to threaten me, a full-blooded Djinn, over a woman you think I want as my own? Incredible.” He chuckled. “Cadmus, Ellie really is my cousin. Several generations removed, but Ethim and I share the same grandfather. But as to your bursting in truth…

“You and Ellie share a connection all too rare in life. I’ve tried to deny it. Hell, I’ve tried to talk to her about it, but the damned woman is as stubborn as her father. She won’t discuss you, and in fact wants to see you right now. You’re both in love, you stupid Light Bringer. Only a tie that strong could pull Ellie’s power into you, stimulating your own inert Darkness while allowing her to withstand your Light. I hate myself for asking this, but have you two, ah, been intimate?”

Cadmus grinned.

“Son of a bitch,” Jonas muttered. “I knew it.” He took a deep breath. “Djinn sexuality is a tie that binds, Cadmus. Obviously, you love her or you would never be displaying such Darkness, much of which, I’m delighted to say, is your own. Dark energy works by like tapping like, increasing and feeding on itself. The sexual connection a Djinn shares increases his or her power, and binds his or her partner with emotional ties that are normally darker in nature. Sex is a Dark force, one you Light Bringers will never be able to fully tap as long as you refuse to search for the balance within yourselves. To a Djinn, no pleasure is too forbidden so long as both parties desire it.”

Cadmus couldn’t help remembering how he’d last taken Ellie, and knew he’d just scratched the surface of their pleasures together.

“That look on your face— Stop it. Whatever’s going through that head of yours, stop it right now. That girl is like my own sister.”

A hoarse laugh shook Cadmus. “I thought you said the Djinn respect sex?”

“We do. But visions of your sorry ass are giving me fits.” Jonas huffed in disgust, rousing more pained laughter from Cadmus. “On another note, Ellie’s had a bad time of—”

“What happened?” Cadmus tried to shoot to his feet but had to grip Jonas to keep from falling on his face. “Is she okay?”

“Easy, Cadmus. She’s fine, physically. But she had a confrontation with her parents that shook her.” He briefly relayed what had been said, squeezing Cadmus’ shoulder when he tried to stand again. “She wants to see you.”

“Not like this. Can you call Lexa in here and have her heal me?”

Jonas blinked. “How do you know what she can do?”

“After nearly killing me earlier, she healed me.”

“Have you noticed that everyone, within five minutes of meeting you, wants to kill you?”

“Only you Djinn and a few Dark Lords. And maybe a Storm Lord or two on a bad day.”

Jonas shook his head. “Wait here.” He vanished.

Like I’m going to go where? And he calls me stupid.

Jonas returned moments later with a pleased Lexa in tow. The woman was positively beaming, and Cadmus couldn’t help flinching back when she neared. She could heal, but he recalled her painful touch all too clearly.

“Relax, Cadmus. I want you to console your affai. And you can’t do that if you look like this.”

“Affai?” Jonas looked shocked.

“Well, what the hell else do you think Ellie is?” Cadmus uttered in a voice thick with pain. “You’re the one who told me how much I must love her. What do you think an affai is but the embodiment of a Storm Lord’s true passion?”

Lexa shot Jonas an amused look, and he sighed. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

She placed her hand on Cadmus’ jaw, then on his chest. His body immediately tensed as his bones and muscles knit, but the pain didn’t bother him anymore.

“That’s amazing.” He couldn’t help thinking what a mistake Arim must have made so many years ago. Lexa had so many facets. Sure, she was Dark and no doubt lethal, but there’d been an odd shine of Light that speared her when’d he looked into her past. The visions he’d seen earlier were brutal and confusing but contained a foreign taint he’d yet to encounter. Cadmus knew for a fact Lexa had not committed the terrible murders he’d seen, and he had a feeling Lexa and Arim’s major falling-out stemmed from the horrible killings.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, withdrawing her hand. “You’re the first Light Bringer to ever believe in my innocence.”

He stared in surprise before belatedly raising his mental shields.

“Now, go to your affai and gift her with your love. She’ll need you now more than ever. Soon, Cadmus, the time will come when tests and trust meet truth. Cement your bond with Elliara before evil has a chance to rip it asunder.”

She stepped back, studying Jonas and Cadmus with eerie intensity. “We don’t have a lot of time. ‘Sin Garu and the Netharat are coming. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it this time. Not by myself.”