Marie Harte - Aftershocks

Mentioning his nephew worked, because suddenly the dark flames and light in her body faded to normal. “Now keep yourself small until I fully leave your body, okay? You don’t want me taking a piece of you with me when I go.” He felt her shudder and couldn’t help a chuckle. Leaving and reentering his body passed quickly and easily, and as he took a deep breath, he realised he’d need help removing the Dark-hide restraints. They really had sucked at his physical energy.

“Jonas?”

Jonas dragged himself to his feet. “Sure, why not?” he said in a hoarse voice as he limped to Arim. “I’m only half-dead.” He stepped around Ellie and Lexa lying on the ground. “They’ll be okay, right?”

“I think.” I hope. “Ellie just needs a minute to recover. She’s an extremely strong woman.” But I’m not sure about Lexa. Not at all.

“A woman worthy of a Storm Lord.” Jonas held his hands over the ropes, waiting patiently for Arim’s reply.

Arim sighed. “Yes, yes. Now get these things off me, already. I’m losing the feeling in my arms.”

“Try losing it in your brain.” Jonas cringed. “I hate the Shadren. I really, really hate them.”

The second Jonas loosened the ropes, Arim seared them into dust with a blast from his eyes.

“Impressive. Never seen you do that.” Jonas leant down to Ellie and lifted her in his arms. His strength seemed to be returning quickly.

“You should see me at parties,” Arim deadpanned, and the two of them hauled the unconscious women inside the castle. Around them, spellcasters and warriors scattered, settling in to defend the keep.

Arim led Jonas to a spell-protected door. Muttering an incantation, he moved through the opening doorway and found Cadmus on the king-sized bed. “There’s enough room for all three. I’d like you to stay with them in case the safety spell weakens.”

“What? I look like shit and you’re too afraid to tell me?”

Jonas had walked ably enough, but he looked terrible. “Just stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

“Whatever. Just promise me they’ll all wake up healthy and happy.”

Arim studied the three on the bed, his heart warm at the sight of Ellie and Cadmus curling towards one another in sleep. Then he rested his eyes on Lexa and frowned. “I can promise health and happiness for two of them, but your Dark Mistress is going to be a problem.”

Jonas shared his grimace. “She saved your life.”

“I know.”

“And you saved hers. You could have killed ‘Sin Garu, wiped out the threat once and for all. But you didn’t.”

“I know.” Arim scowled, and Jonas shrugged in surrender.

“Hey, I’m just stating the truth. I just think it’s interesting both of you saved each other when you could have eliminated the enemy. You violated Sarqua code, placing the welfare of one over the welfare of all.”

“Is there a point to this?” Arim asked quietly, unmistakable menace in his tone.

The damned Djinn just grinned, his face ashen and his body bruised and bleeding from various Nocumat wounds. “Nope. Just an observation.”

Arim left swearing under his breath and engaged with the enemy once more.

A month later, Cadmus stood with Ellie over his mother’s bed and stared at the queen’s sleeping form. She had yet to regain consciousness, despite Arim and half the land’s best attempts at healing.

“She’ll recover, Cadmus.” Ellie gripped his hand tight. “Her Light still burns too brightly.”

“I’m not ready to let her go yet,” he admitted. “I finally came to peace with my father’s passing. I know he’d like nothing better to see Mother again, but…” His voice broke.

“It’s okay. She’s still with us. If anyone can help her, your uncle can.”

In the time since the grand battle he’d pretty much slept through—and man, did that suck, since his brothers continually ragged him about it—Ellie and Arim had bonded. Granted, they met often to discuss Lexa’s sad turn, but Cadmus could see how the two now spoke with affection and familiarity. Apparently, that possession spell had worked both ways.

Jonas thought it funny Arim now catered to Ellie’s smallest whim. It did Cadmus’ heart good that his uncle wanted to please and get to know Cadmus’ Dark affai . He loved her so damned much. Despite his grief over his mother, Cadmus couldn’t help remembering how he and his Darkling had shared their love just a few hours ago.

She’d loved him with her mouth until he nearly came, then held him taut with her energy before she took him deep inside her body. And after, when she’d bent down, on hands and knees, urging him to take her in the ass as she begged him with those pouting, cherry-red lips and sky-blue eyes…

A loud cough brought him back. “Cadmus, not here.” Ellie whispered in his mind.

He glanced down where her eyes had fixed, on his tented trousers. “ It’s not like she can see. Besides, it’s all your fault. Your Darkness is so arousing, baby. I love that mouth, you know that?”

“Then maybe I should use it to say when you can and can’t have it.” A tantalising image from Ellie, of him bound in their room, like Arim had been bound by Lexa, hit him hard.

“Damn it, woman, my mother is right here! You’re such a pervert.”

She laughed at him, and he felt his heart ease at her joy. His mother would recover, she had to. With so much love around her, she had to feel the pull of it bringing her back.

“For Light’s sake, Cadmus. Not in here.” Darius growled as he strolled into the room with Samantha in tow. “Oh, hey, Ellie.”

Ever since the truth behind Ellie’s altercation with Samantha’s evil twin had come to light, everyone had been on their ultra-best, apologetic behaviour. Cadmus, most of all. He’d explained that the shock, as well as ‘Sin Garu’s treachery, had added to his doubt. She’d forgiven him, but she’d made him work damned hard for her forgiveness.

His lagging erection returned.

“ Now what are you thinking? Honestly, Cadmus. Does that thing ever go down?” She poked him in the ribs, and he laughed, great gales of laughter that soon had Darius and Samantha joining in.

“ I love you, Ellie. So very, very much.” And as humour replaced his arousal, he studied his mother, wishing she could share the moment. A spark of magic suddenly filled the room, Light mingling with Dark and something else, a powerful spark that shook Ravyn’s body.

Cadmus let the tears fall when her hand feebly sought his. Her green eyes opened, and he smiled. “Welcome back, Mother. We missed you.”

Arim stared down at Lexa, wishing he knew what the hell to do for her. None of his healing worked, nor did Jonas’ attempts at Dark healing. The good-humoured Djinn had folded into Tanselm’s keeping well enough. Apparently, he’d moved right into the northern castle and had taken to screwing with Cadmus’ Light Bringer warriors in an effort to better train them against their fight with true Darkness, or so he said.

Arim’s mirth faded as he lingered on Lexa’s pale figure lying so still in his bed. He hadn’t been able to entrust her to anyone else’s keeping, not sure how far the Church of Illumination’s fanatical fingers reached through the kingdom. So far, they’d mostly spouted rhetoric about the evil of Dark invasion, focusing on the Aellei in the east. But now that more Djinn were moving into the north, they’d begun inching from their cluster in the west, spreading like a disease. Politics, he thought with disgust.

They had enough trouble to deal with. Church elections neared. The Netharat had been soundly defeated, but were those vast numbers the extent of ‘Sin Garu’s force? And how badly had they wounded the Dark Lord? He shouldn’t have lasted as long as he had, especially not under Arim and Lexa’s joint attack, not to mention the aid of Ellie’s Dark magic. But ‘Sin Garu’s foray into blood drinking explained his enormous strength.