Marie Harte - Aftershocks

“Jonas?” she squeaked, mortified he might know what she’d been doing.

“Relax. It’s my ass, not yours, that bothers him.”

“What?”

“Inside joke.” He handed her her clothing.

They dressed in amicable silence. Ellie couldn’t believe how much she actually looked forward to the future. With Cadmus by her side, life looked much more pleasing than it ever had. She believed in him, in his power and what he stood for. He had more right than most to hold onto prejudice against the Djinn, yet he looked beyond his pain at the truth. And he had pushed her to accept her heritage, when he could easily have steered her the other way.

“Ellie,” he said softly as he guided her towards the pavillion’s entrance. “Believe me when I say I want you exactly the way you are. You’re my little Djinn, no matter how tall you are, and you always will be.” He smacked her on the butt. “Now get a move on. And if you liked that smack, just wait until I get you alone again.” He wiggled his eyebrows and had her laughing as they left the gazebo. “I love you, affai .”

Unfortunately, Jonas was not the only Djinn awaiting their exit. Her father, her cousin, and what looked like at least fifty Djinn warriors stood behind him, grimly clutching weapons.

Jonas stared from Cadmus and Ellie to Ethim. Shit. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried to warn the Earth Lord. But no, Cadmus had been so busy. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore what Cadmus had been doing with Ellie. Suffice it to say the Storm Lord and his affai had no idea their bliss had become public knowledge.

“How do you explain all this?” Ethim growled, waving his arms around the forest surrounding the pavillion. The Djinn behind him grumbled as well, but honestly, Jonas felt Foreia’s joy with the situation.

Where once before thinning trees and just-blooming vegetation had been, now existed full-flowered bushes and shrubs, thick blue grass and trees that seemed to have grown several feet in the span of little more than an hour. Jonas couldn’t help being impressed. Cadmus was, of course, an Earth Lord. But Jonas had never before appreciated what the annoying Storm Lord could really do. Foreia thrilled under his touch, or rather, thrilled under Cadmus loving Ellie—a Darkling.

Foreia, like Tanselm, was a rare land, a place of magic and sentience. The land spoke to those who would listen, and right now, Jonas and his brethren were hearing an earful about the wonderful pairing of a Light Bringer and Djinn daughter.

“Sarqua,” Jonas said softly, “I think perhaps you should listen to the world around us.”

“You stay out of this.” Ethim glowered, his eyes like blue flame, uncomfortably reminding Jonas that Lexa would need to know about this right away, that is, if she didn’t know already.

“But Sarqua—”

“I’ve tolerated a lot to save our world and Tanselm from the Dark Lords. But to give my daughter to a Light Bringer forever?” Ethim spat, Darkness seething around and through him. “That goes too far.”

“Your prejudices are showing,” Lexa murmured, her light blue eyes appearing before the rest of her filled in. A soft hush settled over the Djinn behind her, and they backed away respectfully. “Come now, Ethim. We talked about this. Ellie is better now than she’s ever been.”

“Hell. As if the Djinn weren’t bad enough.” Cadmus’ dry words sounded more amused than worried, and Jonas narrowed his study on the couple holding hands outside the pavillion. Great. Not only was Ethim in a major rage, but Cadmus appeared to enjoy it and made no effort to hide his amusement.

“Who is that?” Ellie murmured to Cadmus, who sighed.

“That is a Dark Lord.”

Instead of cringing, Ellie stared at Lexa with curiosity. “There’s something about her that looks familiar.”

“Elliara, I’m pleased you seem so interested in Foreia’s riches,” Ethim interrupted, his jaw clenched. “But tying yourself to a Light Bringer is not necessary. I never meant to let you go to one of them.”

Ellie’s features tightened, and her bright blue eyes sparkled with defiance. “You’ve got a lot of nerve telling me what to do considering—”

“Ellie, Sarqua, perhaps this is not the time or place for such a discussion.” Jonas tried to stop before they got really started. The Djinn behind Lexa watched the drama unfolding with unapologetic curiosity. Jonas knew they had only Ethim’s best interests at heart, not to mention quite a few of them must have harboured fantasies of mating with The Sarqua’s daughter. Though Ellie hadn’t visited Foreia until now, Ethim had often sent his warriors to the mundane plane to protect her in secret. Word about her beauty and vivacity had spread like wildfire.

“Jonas is right.” Lexa smirked at the lovers’ joined hands. With a wave, the crowd of Djinn behind her suddenly disappeared. “Relax, Ethim. I just sent them back to the training fields. This conversation is one that should be held between family.” She nodded at Ellie and bowed her head, shocking Jonas. “Welcome, Elliara Storm, to the beginning of the rest of your life.”

Ellie frowned and took a step towards Lexa. “I know you, don’t I?”

Lexa’s smile faded. “No, Ellie. You don’t know me.”

Jonas’ gut clenched, and he felt a Dark awareness pass between the women. Ethim, surprisingly, remained oblivious to the odd communication, as did Cadmus, who had too much Light still in him to see what happened.

Ellie’s eyes widened but she said nothing.

“Ellie?” Cadmus pulled her back into his arms and glared at Lexa, a move Jonas had to respect. The Storm Lord knew Lexa could bend him like a pretzel, yet he still fought to protect his own.

“Never mind,” Ellie said in a distracted voice, shaking her head. “I was mistaken.”

Cadmus nodded but remained tense, guarding his affai . As Jonas watched the two stand as one against Lexa and Ellie’s father, he had to admit they looked right together. Ellie was fair where Cadmus was dark, yet her Darkness fit his Light like a key into a lock. Through Ellie, Cadmus was stronger and Darker, better able to meet and defend himself against ‘Sin Garu and the Netharat scourge readying for war. The love he and Ellie shared empowered them both, and had Ethim not been so prejudiced against the Light Bringers, he might have felt a measure of peace seeing his daughter so well-protected and well-loved.

Instead, he growled at Lexa. “This is bullshit, Mistress. My daughter brought the Earth Lord to heel. Giving her to him was not part of the plan.”

Ellie laughed at her father. “To heel? Are you serious? You obviously don’t know Cadmus very well, Father.”

He blinked at the familial title and softened a fraction. “You’re right, Daughter, I don’t. But I do know his kind and ours don’t mix.”

“Don’t mix well ,” Lexa corrected. “And that’s a mistake that has cost many lives and much pain through the years. Because of that chasm, Tanselm is in dire straits. But with Cadmus and Ellie mending the breach, along with Alandra and Aerolus, things are looking up.”

Ethim glared at Lexa. “How can you say that? Are we all just pawns in your quest for revenge against Tanselm’s sorcerer? Yes, Mistress. We all know how much you long to strip the Light from Arim’s very being. What I don’t know is what you plan on doing with my daughter. Do you think to sacrifice her for Tanselm?”

The clear ice in Lexa’s eyes didn’t bode well for The Sarqua’s future. Jonas quickly stepped between her and Ethim when a blue spark fired in her hand. “Mistress, you know his response is based on nothing more than love for his daughter.”