‘Sin Garu smiled, knowing he had the young warrior’s attention. In this guise as his sister, ‘Sin Garu had found more than he could have hoped to aid him against the Storm Lords. Especially now that Cadmus had fallen to a Djinn’s enticements.
“Yes, Remir, what have you to tell me?” He couldn’t help talking slowly, captivated by the sounds of his sister’s husky voice. By Dark’s deceit, he liked being a female. While most shapeshifters, to include the Djinn, merely presented the illusion of transformation, Dark Lords actually transposed their genetic material to match their target. In truth, at this moment, ‘Sin Garu was a female, and a carbon copy of Lexa at that.
“Why do we meet here and not in Tanselm, as you had initially requested?” Remir studied ‘Sin Garu—Lexa—with puzzlement.
Shit. He’d forgotten what he’d earlier told the Djinn. But how could he step foot in Tanselm without the fucking Light Bringers knowing the instant he entered their plane? He might have been able to mask his presence for a brief time earlier, but not now that he’d consumed blood. “Do you question your Dark Mistress?” he asked silkily. “Do you not remember how well I reward those in my care?”
Remir’s eyes darkened and he licked his lips, his gaze centred on Lexa’s breasts. Pleased he’d recaptured the Djinn’s attention, ‘Sin Garu listened attentively to what Remir had to report.
Then he removed his clothing, urging Remir to do the same. In moments, he had Remir’s undivided attention, and the secret to the Earth Lord’s downfall.
When Ellie woke up, it was to an empty bed and a brief note from Cadmus.
“Meet me in the dining hall for breakfast. Your clothes are on the table. C.”
“What? No ‘Thanks for a great night’? No ‘Love, Cadmus’? No ‘To my dearest affai’? Jerk.” She smiled as she grumbled, her body and mind too replete from her adventures with Cadmus the previous night to be truly annoyed. After stretching, she searched for a bathroom and blinked at the majesty of his room during the day.
She might have stood in a greenhouse. Plants of every colour and size bordered a ledge near the ceiling and covered one entire wall of his room. Several lavender and white flowers, the iria he’d mentioned, seemed to be smiling at her, their blossoms impossibly rich and abundant. The floor was stone, but around the massive four-poster marble bed laid a rug of intricate design, that of a gnarled and ancient tree, in an incredibly soft material, in shades of brown and green. Several portraits of Cadmus and his brothers adorned the wall, as well as a picture of his mother and father—a man with a large smile and a twinkle in his dark grey eyes that definitely called to mind her lover. Several mirrors reflected light from some source outside the castle, but to her surprise, she couldn’t find any holes in the walls or ceiling.
Despite the grandness of the furnishings, the room reminded her of what she would have thought a castle room would look like. Stone floors, a heavy oak door, no windows. And no bathroom. Frowning, she searched, but the other door in the room remained locked. To her dismay, only a small cupboard showed any sign of relief in the guise of a chamber pot. She made use of it and the washstand in the corner, wishing heartily for a toothbrush or some deodorant.
So much for magic being the end-all. A chamber pot. Ech. But, making do, she completed her necessities and quickly donned the feminine clothing left over a table. A silky brown blouse and matching loose-fitting pants with leather slippers. After brushing her hair, she left the room. Not having the faintest clue to where the dining hall might be, she figured to ask the nearest person she passed. To her surprised delight, she ran into Jonas a few steps from the bedroom.
“Jonas.”
Dressed in the same simple trousers and tunic from the other day with a large sword strapped to his back between his shoulder blades, Jonas grinned and bowed. “I’m so pleased to be at your service, my lady.” He studied her outfit and whistled. “Nice clothes. Pure shevi silk. I’m impressed.”
“Expensive?”
“Very.” He approved. “And the brown is most befitting the Earth Lord’s affai.”
She blushed, pleased Cadmus had given her something that clearly tied her to him. “Whatever. I know you weren’t happy to have to join me here, but I’m glad to see you.”
“Who said I wasn’t happy? Though it would have been nice to have been asked.”
They walked through several hallways, Jonas leading, chatting about Ethim and Amanda’s sudden merging of hearts.
“It’s about damned time, in my opinion. You should have seen them together last night, Ellie. Necking like fools and grinning like idiots.”
“You’ve obviously never been in love.” She wished she could have seen her parents so affectionate.
He grunted. “Love? Love is for,” he paused, catching the hard glare she sent him. “For people who deserve it,” he recovered nicely. “Not for hardened warriors like myself.”
“Sure, Jonas. Just remember your attitude when some woman kicks you in the ass.”
“Kicks me?” He smirked. “I’ve turned down more offers from women than you can count, ‘little Djinn,’” he mocked. “How the mighty have fallen. I distinctly remember you telling me how much you disliked Cadmus Storm and anything to do with magic. Seems like you were sandbagging, hmm?”
“Oh, shut up. Who invited you anyway?”
They walked down a flight of stairs before a commotion drew their attention to the left.
“Stay here,” Jonas ordered, his voice flat and commanding.
Surprised at his tone, Ellie nodded and waited while he investigated. The noise sounded fierce, as if two or more people were fighting. Jonas disappeared around the corner and all was silent. Then a noise sounded to her right. Ellie saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then she heard the noise again.
“Psst. Over here.”
She glanced in the direction of the voice and slowly approached a half-open door. The minute she drew abreast of the knob, a hard hand yanked her inside before she could make a peep.
“Shh, Ellie, it’s me.” Lexa closed the door, sealing her and Ellie inside, and waved her hand over it as she chanted under her breath. “We’re safe to talk.”
Ellie stared at her friend in shock. “Are you nuts? Do you remember Mr. Killer of Shadow who wants your blood? Arim will have a fit if he knows you’re here.”
“So don’t tell him.” Lexa ran a hand through her hair, visibly upset.
“Why are you here?” Ellie stared at her friend, feeling waves of tension pouring from the slight woman. It still felt odd to look down at her, when for so long they’d both stood eye to eye. “And how tall are you, anyway?”
Lexa laughed, a forced chuckle that at least helped alleviate some of her stain. “Not as tall as I wish I could be. Oh, Ellie, we’ve got problems.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.” As if Cadmus’ vision, of him bound and bloodied, would leave her mind’s eye anytime soon.
“No, I mean real problems right now. I think one of the Sarqua has been compromised.”
“What?”
“Your father’s Djinn. I think one of them may have been turned.” Lexa’s eyes blazed, and Ellie blinked at the flare of light.
“Sorry.” Lexa shuttered her focus. “The fact that I can’t see who has been turned tells me ‘Sin Garu is definitely involved. His spells are painstakingly complex, and this one more so. I saw Remir spying on us the other night. And I think I saw…”
“Saw what?”
“I’m not sure yet. But Ellie, you can’t tell anyone, especially not Arim or Cadmus. If you do, all the good work the Sarqua have done thus far will be for nothing. And your relationship to Cadmus may not survive.”