“Use the back trail to find Sava and your Light Bringer allies. I’d go with you, but Lidra will get suspicious if I’m not back right away. I left for a brief call of nature, and she’s exceedingly difficult to please of late.”
Alandra nodded, too grateful at her chance to escape to question him further. Aerolus was here, for her, and he was walking into a trap. She had to warn him.
Concern for her love blocking all else from her mind, she fled the dungeon and immediately shimmered into a pixie, flying along the path to freedom.
“That was almost too easy,” Zartic said to the woman gliding out of the dark corner of Alandra’s cell.
“Desperation will do that.” As will love, Lexa thought bitterly. “So Lidra’s waiting for her, as we planned?”
He nodded. “And your brothers are gearing up for a major face-off in the clearing. I dropped a few hints to the most intelligent of the wraiths I could find.” He grimaced.
Lexa laughed. “I know that was hard. But you gave them enough evidence to point both ‘Sin Garu and B’alen at each other, hmm?”
“Yes, mistress.” He bowed his head respectfully and started when she cupped his chin in her hand.
“Take your reward, then, Der captain,” she said huskily, looking deeply into his face. With a breath she took away his pain, his scars and bruising, leaving him untouched, at least physically, from her brothers. “You’d best disappear, along with the rest of the Shadren, until the Dark Lords finish killing one another.”
She smiled, aware Zartic stared at her as if entranced.
“What of Sava and the Light Bringers?” he murmured, staring at her mouth.
Arim’s haughty face lingered in her memory, and her eyes lit with anticipation. “Leave them to me.”
Chapter Thirteen
Sava didn’t take surprises well, Aerolus noted.
“You’re lucky I didn’t do more than steal a bit of energy,” he growled at Arim from a face and body completely different from the Aellei Aerolus had been expecting.
Alandra had mentioned Lord Sava as a friend of her parents, and he knew she thought of him like a father. But this man looked as if he would have been more at home as her lover. The thought irritated him as much as it disturbed him. The constant worry for her gnawed at him, and he knew the irrational jealousy was another result of the negative energy amassing in Aelle.
The minute they’d stepped into this plane he’d felt it. Having Alandra’s magic meshed with his was both a blessing and a curse. He felt the Dark more deeply, able to accurately sense Aellei and Dark Lords alike, but was also more susceptible to the Dark’s pull.
“Damn me, Sava,” Arim said with surprise. “Last I’d heard you were a weakened, scarred old man. What happened to the wise old Aellei determined to end his people’s vain fixation on surface pleasures?”
Sava sat back on a plush, oversized couch with a loud exhalation. “Anything worthwhile eventually grows old.” He smiled at his pun. “Do you like the real me? I decided to go back to my roots. All that aged wisdom was getting on my nerves. The Aellei took me more seriously, but then I started taking myself too seriously.”
“Maybe that was a good thing,” Aerolus said quietly, his gut churning. “Remember Alandra? I’m sure she could use your help about now.”
Sava stared with pale grey eyes. “This is the pup my niece has chosen?” He stared at Aerolus with dismay. “He’s barely a man, and a Light Bringer at that.”
Aerolus seethed. They sat in Sava’s tower exchanging pleasantries and insults while Alandra was out there in a fucking dungeon, alone. “Look, you arrogant prick, I want my affai. And if you don’t tell me where she is in two seconds, I’m going to feed your eyes to you on winds of Light.”
The air seethed and sparks crackled in the air as Sava regarded Aerolus steadily.
“One, two—”
Arim stepped between them. “He’s testing you, Aerolus.”
“Not bad. A little overly dramatic, but I like the ‘arrogant prick’ comment.” Sava grinned and grabbed a sword that suddenly appeared on a nearby stone table. “Alandra’s safe in the dungeon. I had one of my men impersonate ‘Sin Garu. As we speak, events are unfolding.”
Aerolus shifted nervously. His skin prickled as if someone had recently enspelled him. Calling forth the latent energy of his affai, he stared around him using Alandra’s senses and saw Darkness creeping through Sava’s windows.
“Arim, we’re under attack.” He withdrew his staff and allowed a beam of Light to pierce the shadowy interior of Sava’s tower.
“What are you doing?” Sava asked, shocked. “You would come into my home bearing arms against your host?”
Arim shook his head. “No, Aerolus is right. There’s something wrong in here.”
Sava opened his mouth to argue, then closed it as his eyes widened. “Lexa,” he murmured and shook his head. “I think it’s time I took my leave. Aerolus, come with me, and we’ll go to my niece. Arim needs some space to greet an old friend.”
Aerolus stared from his uncle’s clenched jaw to Sava. Arim’s gaze suddenly focused on the far wall, and as Aerolus watched, the shadows in the tower grew and coalesced into a woman’s shape.
“Go, Aerolus.” Arim’s eyes gleamed. “Tanselm needs you and Alandra. I can handle this.”
“Yeah,” Sava said sarcastically. “Just like you handled her at the Great Hall.” He shook his head. “Come on, pup. We’ve got better things to do.”
Aerolus wanted to argue, but one look at the mysterious Lexa told him the history between these two was far from over. Something about her reminded him of Alandra, yet the icy fury in her gaze ended the subtle resemblance.
“Uncle—”
“Get moving.”
“Why not let him remain to play,” Lexa murmured, her sensuality a weapon in itself. Her words lashed around Aerolus like a leash pulling him close.
“Not your type, Lexa,” Sava said and yanked Aerolus to his side. In a blink they flashed to the dungeon. “Your uncle and that woman have a history they need to discuss. You and I aren’t welcome to interfere.”
“How do you know?”
“I was there when it all happened.”
“When what happened?” Aerolus asked in a low voice as they entered the stone building.
“It’s a long story, and one Arim needs to tell.” Sava pulled out a long stick, thinner than Aerolus’ staff but just as powerful, if the grey mist of energy around it was any indicator. “What, by Shadow’s fall?”
They stared at an empty cell.
“Zartic was supposed to keep her here until I arrived. Damn it. He’s playing with things better left alone.” Sava’s eyes glowed, but Aerolus had no patience left.
His elemental magic thrummed to be released. Using his anger to strengthen his power, he slammed Sava against the nearest wall. “If you don’t produce Alandra le Aelle, right now, I’m going to kill you.” He felt calm, too calm. “It’s not a threat, but a promise.”
Sava glared. “She’s not here, Light Bringer. Zartic is working for another.” He closed his eyes and frowned. “You’ve got one of two choices. I feel a distinct disturbance in the council field, and another to the south of the dungeon. Take your pick.”
Aerolus focused and felt a flutter of what he recognised as Alandra. “I’ll take the south.”
“I’ll take the field.” Sava cleared his throat. “As soon as you release me,” he added icily.
Aerolus did so and left without apology as worry overcame good sense. He didn’t bother to hide his presence from the inhabitants of Aelle, and though he travelled along a rather isolated trail, he quickly noted the many eyes in the woods that followed him.