“Here we see the Djinn for what he was, an individual wanting to help me even the score against the Storm Lords. Yet all Djinn are not evil,” he ended quietly.
The front door banged open so suddenly Tessa shrieked in surprise. Expecting Marcus, she stared wide-eyed as Jonas charged through.
His eyes alight with fear and what looked like anger, he stared at her and ‘Sin Garu together before closing the door behind him.
“Tessa, come here to me,” he said calmly, not questioning the stranger behind her, or her presence in Davis’ home.
“You see,” ‘Sin Garu said softly as he moved to stand at her back. “Some Djinn are simply good men who care.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jonas took in the guarded look Tessa sent him, her comfortable posture with the evil one at her back, and knew ‘Sin Garu had done something to her mind.
Shit. He thought he’d been right to come here, but now he wondered if he hadn’t done wrong in not confiding in Marcus much sooner. If he had, maybe Tessa wouldn’t be here now. Maybe she and Marcus would have mated and moved back to Tanselm, where they both belonged. And maybe he would be one step closer to righting a terrible wrong instead of adding to that wrong.
“Jonas?” Tessa rasped. “A Djinn? No. Not you. Not you, Jonas.”
He shook his head and stepped forward, only to see the sorcerer smiling widely behind her.
“Yes, Jonas. Tell her the truth. Tell her all Djinn are not evil, that you aren’t here to harm her.”
“I’m not. Tessa,” he started, seeing her disbelief turn to outraged hurt. “I’m your friend, truly.” Anger consumed him as he glanced at ‘Sin Garu. “But he’s not. He’s going to kill you, devouring every bit of your power, body and soul before he’s through with the Storm Lords.”
“Oh, Jonas.” ‘Sin Garu shook his head and placed his hands on Tessa’s shoulders, holding her directly in front of him in a seemingly protective manner. “Not you too. Davis was fine in the beginning, but towards the end a madness consumed him, and I admit tainted me as well. But you seemed so strong… I can’t allow Tessa to be hurt again. I won’t.”
Tessa leant back into the sorcerer’s grasp, yet her eyes crinkled in confusion. Yes, yes, Jonas thought, focusing on her. Look through the lies, see what your heart knows. Picking up the threads of Davis’ power still lingering in the room, he wove dark energy through her, knowing it would leave her temporarily blinded and aching, but he was unable to fight ‘Sin Garu without her out of the way.
And where the hell were the Storm Lords? After looking for Tessa with Marcus at Tomanna, he’d transported himself to Davis’ and deliberately projected Tessa’s whereabouts to their seer before blowing open the door. At least one of Storm Lords, Cadmus, he thought, had to know Tessa was here.
As if thinking about them had summoned them, Marcus and his brothers suddenly appeared. Without a moment’s hesitation, they seemed to sum up the situation and the room lit with elemental power.
“Tessa?” Marcus asked quietly, his blue eyes blazing with fear and murderous rage, an emotion only a man in love would feel so strongly seeing his bride limp in the arms of his enemy.
Marcus’ eyes narrowed and Jonas watched, impressed, as the River Prince struggled to free his mate from ‘Sin Garu, a silent, psychic battle of wills. But the sorcerer had no intention of releasing her alive. Pressing one elongated fingernail against her neck that grew until it drew blood, he warned Marcus back.
“Unless you’re willing to hear me out, you’ll get your precious affai back in pieces. Which would you like, Marcus? The head or the body?”
Marcus froze, his glare glacier blue. Jonas didn’t need to be an empath to sense the frustration radiating from the man. He could only wait and hope the Storm Lord wouldn’t do anything rash.
Sighing, he almost wished he and his cousin had traded assignments. The Prince of Fire had been a handful, and the Earth Lord was a definite challenge. But in Jonas’ mind, neither prince compared to Marcus. Icy calm, collected and difficult to read, the River Prince had given him a headache from day one. Watching over Tessa Sheridan for six months hadn’t helped matters either. He’d formed an attachment, a surprising friendship for the trea, one he knew would be the death of him.
Groaning, he looked at Marcus only to see the River Prince glowering his way. Hell. As if ‘Sin Garu weren’t enough to worry about, Marcus still didn’t understand Jonas’ place in all this. Apparently, the Earth Lord had yet to share it. A glimpse at Cadmus showed him nothing. Either Cadmus didn’t believe him, didn’t want to trust him, or hadn’t understood what else Jonas had sent him before they’d arrived.
Further study of the Wind Mage, Aerolus, summed a communal nothing. The Storm brothers had collectively shut their minds to anyone but themselves, dammit. Jonas really could have used at least Aerolus’ help on this, but hell, at this point, he had no choice but to take on ‘Sin Garu.
The love Marcus felt for Tessa would stay her well. Both the Storm Lord and his affai were evenly matched, and if by chance they produced the next Tetrarch, life in Tanselm would prosper. The chance for a new Djinn way of life would still exist.
Jonas turned his full gaze back to ‘Sin Garu to find the sorcerer looking smug. If that one, however, assumed the overking’s throne, the Djinn would forever be ensorcelled, trapped beneath the weight of ‘Sin Garu’s long-reaching hands.
Gritting his teeth, Jonas gathered his power and the latent darkness around him, releasing Tessa from his thrall as he prepared himself for the pain sure to come. He couldn’t afford to let ‘Sin Garu have Tessa, and more than that, knew he didn’t want to see the love between her and Marcus destroyed.
“Hell,” he muttered, drawing everyone’s attention. “A little time spent among them and I’m turning soft.” And wrenching away his hold on this mortal form, he began to shimmer.
Marcus stared with shock as Jonas Chase, Tessa’s low-key boss, transformed into a glowing, dark-aura’d Djinn. The minute he did so, Aerolus teleported to Tessa and stole her out from ‘Sin Garu’s hold, too fast for the mortal eye to follow.
Aerolus deposited her behind a wall of elemental magic, a combination of his, Cadmus’ and Marcus’ protection, and behind a couch shielding her from the sight of the battle to come. Despite Marcus ordering him to leave with her, Aerolus refused to go.
“I’m needed more here, as is she.”
Marcus swore but faced his enemy steadily, knowing Aerolus would never do anything to intentionally harm Tessa.
More than angry at the Storm Lords’ interference, ‘Sin Garu hissed, raging profanity and curses upon Storm kin. He raised his hands, only to blink in surprise when a web of black enveloped them.
Everyone turned to Jonas, and Marcus couldn’t believe what he saw next. He’d seen Djinn in their true appearance, in-truth as they called it, only once before, during a legendary battle for the river region south of the eastern kingdom. That had been an extraordinary occurrence, and one witnessed from a league away. Now, however, Marcus had a front row seat.
Jonas kept a man’s form, yet where there was once flesh now burned a glittering, golden light surrounded by black flame.
The sight of a Djinn in-truth was eye-opening, no matter one’s experience with their kind. But what truly transfixed Marcus was not Jonas’ transformation, but his attack on ‘Sin Garu.
The Djinn pointed his hands at the sorcerer, his fingers outstretched, and a visible stream of dark matter surrounded and pushed through the sorcerer. ‘Sin Garu bellowed, looking stunned, and Marcus couldn’t believe the battle would end so easily.