Marie Harte - Aftershocks

“I’ve always thought so.” His Dark Mistress preened and tossed back her hair, making Remir wonder how long she would taunt him before giving him what he craved again. Every second without her was too much too bear. “But our Jonas would rather hurt our Ellie for a brief time than cross his Dark Mistress. I’m not as forgiving as the little Djinn half-breed.”

Remir chuckled, then sighed when she ran her fingers through his hair.

“Have you missed me, Darkling?”

Her lips ran over his neck, nuzzling his pounding pulse point and filling him with raw desire.

“Yes,” he hissed as she raked her hands over his chest, shredding his clothes. In seconds, she had his trousers open, her greedy hands fitting to his cock, pumping him as she whispered naughty things in his ear.

“You want so badly to be inside me when you come, but you’re not yet ready, are you, Remir?”

“No,” he rasped, straining in her hold. Her lips covered his bared nipple, and her teeth bit hard, the pain increasing his pleasure even as she lapped up the tiny droplets of blood from her bite.

“Mmm. Delicious.” She licked his chest, her hands burrowing closer and closer into his groin, painfully tightening over his shaft as she worked her fingers under his balls.

Unable to stop himself, Remir thrust up and came, nearly sobbing as ecstasy coiled within him. He came again and again, her Dark powers surging within his Djinn body, stirring the erotic act anew. She whispered something in his ear he readily agreed to. Anything to have her in his arms again.

It took a few moments before Remir understood he now sat alone. Lexa had vanished during his sensual haze. But she’d left him with a sticky reminder of her presence, along with a command he not only relished, but looked forward to completing.

Gathering his wits, he vanished, shimmering after Jonas’ trail.

In his haste to do as his mistress bid, he missed the furious stare from a witness on the ground. A loud boom rent the air, then all was silent.

“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.