Marie Harte - Aftershocks

“And ignorance and fear.” Ellie surprised him by chiming in. Cadmus said nothing, squeezing her arm in support. “I know I’m fairly new to all this Light and Dark stuff, but I’ve heard Jonas’ stories my whole life. Sounds to me like a lot of untruths have been flying about both sides.”

She turned to Jonas. “You always told me that the Light Bringers thrived on killing anything not Light. That they thought themselves better than the rest of existence. But I know Cadmus doesn’t feel that way. His brothers have married women from my world—my former world. And Alandra, a princess from Aelle—a Shadow realm—would sacrifice anything for her husband, a Storm Lord and Light Bringer. I know this because she and I have been friends for a year.”

“I knew it,” Jonas muttered.

Ethim stared in shock. “You refused to acknowledge the Djinn, yet you befriended a conniving Aellei?” His voice rose in anger. “I don’t fucking believe this!”

“Watch your tone,” Cadmus warned in a cool voice, though Jonas could feel amusement below his calm surface.

“ Watch my tone? Look, you little lekharn , I only allowed you here to appease our Dark Mistress, an act I regret more than you can know. I’ll speak to my daughter any way I fucking feel like!” Black rays of energy shot from Ethim’s eyes into Cadmus, and for a moment, Jonas feared the worst.

To his amazement, Cadmus merely shrugged the blast away. “Thanks, Ellie.” He kissed her and sent Jonas a wink before turning back to Ethim. “Get this. Through your daughter, I can now withstand direct Darkness. How cool is that, Ethim? Or should I call you Dad?”

Ethim choked on his rage, and suddenly, Amanda appeared behind them.

“Oh, good. You’re all here together. Thank you for the invite.” She nodded at Lexa. “I’ve been so looking forward to this.” Completely ignoring her blustering husband, she approached Ellie and Cadmus and enveloped them both in a warm embrace. “My little girl finally found her heart. Oh, Ellie, I’m so happy for you. I just knew he was the one. I could sense it the moment I looked into his eyes.” She turned to Ethim. “Now we can relax, Ethim. Our daughter has a big, strong warrior to protect her, so you should be happy.”

“Happy?” he growled. “You don’t understand. Cadmus Storm is a—”

“Very nice man who is going to take good care of our daughter. And if you want to see our grandbabies one day, you’d better play nice.” Amanda’s gaze grew hard. “I think we’ve all shared enough prejudices and misunderstandings to last a lifetime.” She glanced at Ellie with apology, her eyes damp. “I hope we can all start over again, a clean slate, maybe?”

Jonas exhaled loudly and ignored the aggravated grumbles around him. “Hell. This is worse than those damned daytime soaps. Why don’t we all agree that Ethim’s got work to do in the father-in-law department and grab something to eat? I’m hungry, and I’m sure you two could use some food.” He glared at Cadmus and Ellie. “While you’ve been becoming ‘better acquainted,’ some of us have been waiting out here, starving.”

Amanda chuckled and walked back to Ethim, yanking him to her side when he took a threatening step towards Jonas.

“Well said, Jonas.” Lexa smiled. “Now, why don’t we all sit down in Ethim’s home and sup together while we wait for what comes next.”

In the blink of an eye, they sat in Ethim’s home before a large table covered with food. Jonas’ mouth watered as he eyed fresh fowl and spiced meat, ripe, juicy fruits and honeyed cakes hopefully spiked with sorba .

Between bites, Jonas asked what was foremost on his mind. “Okay, Mistress, I’ll bite. What do we do next?”

She shrugged. “That’s what I’d like to know. Well, Cadmus? You see the future. What are we waiting for?”

Cadmus met Lexa’s stare with a shrug, wishing he knew. “I have no idea what comes next. If it’s up to me, I’m suggesting we eat.”

“I second that,” Jonas said around a mouthful of food.

“You would.” Lexa frowned. “Cadmus, beyond your abilities as an Earth Lord, you’ve been gifted with the ability to foretell endless possibilities. You’re the one who must give us the next step. I’ve done all I can.” She stared at Ellie, a small smile curving her lips. “Perhaps it’s time you took your affai home.”

“Since when has it been decided she’s his affai ?” Ethim’s fork clattered to the table, and he turned accusing eyes on Lexa. “You promised me she’d be happy.”

“And she will be,” Cadmus answered, squeezing Ellie’s hand. “You’re making a mistake to assume I would treat Ellie poorly simply because she’s part Djinn. She’s my affai , and I’ll protect her with my life if need be. With her help, Tanselm can be so much more than it is.”

“Than she is,” Lexa corrected.

Cadmus frowned. “So Tanselm really is female? I always thought it was just something I made up.”

“A consciousness lives in the waters, the land and Tanselm’s very air. If you listen hard enough, you can hear what I did the moment I stepped on her grassy plains. That Tanselm’s sentience is nurturing, loving and female.”

“Then what’s Foreia?” Ellie asked. “Because from everything I’ve felt since being here, I’d say the land is decidedly male.”

“Why would you say that?” Jonas asked.

Ellie blushed, and Cadmus nudged her. “Yes, why, Ellie?”

“Because I’ve been getting a lot of hints and not so subtle shoves in your direction.” “ For the sex, numbskull. Do I have to spell it out for you? Foreia craves sex the way you seem to, in a kind of domineering, erotic and masculine way.”

He stifled a chuckle. “Oh, right.” “ Damn, but I agree with Foreia. Let’s ditch these people and find that gazebo again.”

Ethim glared at Cadmus, but when his gaze settled on Ellie, his features softened, and he studied her with a pained gaze. “Ellie, I would speak with you privately.” He rose from the table, waiting.

Cadmus stared from father to daughter, aware of the pain vibrating in Ellie’s heart. She wanted so much to love her father, to feel his complete acceptance. But lies and misunderstandings had clouded their relationship for a very long time. He studied Ethim, wondering how the man had kept his distance from Ellie all these years. It was clear how much he cared for her, even if he did have a warped way of showing it.

“I don’t think—”

“Go,” Cadmus interrupted her. “Speak with your father now, while you can. Once we return to Tanselm, I have a feeling all hell’s going to break loose.” “ You’ll never be happy until you bridge this gap with your father, Ellie. Take this time to talk to him. You don’t know what the future may hold. And a father’s love is something to be treasured.” At that moment, he swore he could feel his father’s presence near, a bittersweet balm to heal the wound of his passing.

Ellie gripped his hand and blinked away tears before they could fall. She quietly stood and followed her father into the next room. Silence enveloped the table, the only sounds to be heard Jonas’ steady munching.

“Thank you,” Amanda said. “I know Ethim sounds like he doesn’t like you much—”

“Because he doesn’t,” Jonas interrupted, licking his fingers. He grinned at Cadmus with sheer enjoyment. “But then, from my experience with you, everyone you meet wants to kill you sooner or later.”

Amanda glared Jonas into silence before turning back to Cadmus. “Ethim’s pretty ancient. Oh, you can’t tell to look at him, until you stare into his eyes. But he’s lived through some pretty hard years. I’m sure, like you, he has reasons not to trust people he once considered his enemy. But if you really love my Ellie, you’ll find a way to make peace with the Djinn. Because, despite my interference, Ellie has blossomed into a true Sarqua. I can even see the Darkness around her, and I’m just a plain woman from Seattle.”