16. Ellie

I felt frantic with worry when my father refused to go help Cadmus.

"He'll be fine, Elliara. She wants a word with him, that's all."

Who the hell was this woman to whom everyone seemed to defer? Unfortunately, my father refused to answer me. In a snap, he teleported my mother and I next to him and grabbed our hands.

"Now, to my home." Ethim teleported us into what looked like a massive, indoor tree house. Through a few windows, I saw nothing but leafy canopies.

Gnarled logs walled the main room and carried into the dining area. The ceiling seemed to consist of wooden crossed beams, smoother than the walls, which framed a series of massive skylights. In contrast to the natural simplicity of the place, my father's home hummed with magic from the sparkling marble floors to the endless transparent ceiling. A Djinn servant nodded with a smile before disappearing again.

My father motioned us to an expansive marble dining table set for three. Glasses filled with what looked like wine complemented the fancy dining sets. Apparently, Ethim had told his people to expect us.

We sat for a moment in silence.

"Relax, honey." My mother stroked my hair, its color about the only similarity we shared. "If your father says Cadmus will be okay, he will be. I liked him. And I don't like all that many of your father's kind."

Ethim choked on the wine he'd been drinking. "My kind? Please, Amanda. Cadmus Storm is a Light Bringer, one of those dreaded pests who think they're superior to everyone and everything."

I frowned. "He's not like that."

The serving woman returned with a large tray of fruits. "She's right, Sarqua. The Storm Lord was most unlike what I expected a Light Bringer to be. I found him pleasant, even humorous in our discourse."

"Who asked you, Mera?" he grumbled.

Despite Ethim's title as leader of the Sarqua clan, his people didn't bow or lower themselves to him, according to Jonas. They showed their respect and obeyed his orders but nothing more. Their contradictions fascinated me.

I found it hard to believe a king would have servants who spoke their minds so openly, without fear of retribution.

Then Mera's words penetrated, and I took a good, hard look at the serving woman. Mera had long black hair, amber eyes, and the curves of a centerfold. What the hell kind of discourse had she and Cadmus shared, exactly?

"I agree with Mera." Mom took a sip from her glass goblet. "Cadmus feltright."

Ethim glared. "Why the hell were you feeling him at all?" Jealousy, from my father?

"Now, Ethim. You know you're the only man for me. I just wish you'd be home more often."

I stared in shock at my mother's smile of sincerity. Who the hell is this woman impersonating my mother?

"We've had this discussion, Mandy. Considering this is the last year I agreed to, I'd say you're finally right where you belong." Ethim looked smug, and I studied my parents.

Using the senses that seemed to be growing stronger the longer I stayed in Foreia, I noted the joining bonds of Dark energy from my father holding tightly to my mother. And my mother's odd, purple signature bands of energy invited and latched onto Ethim eagerly.

"You two are confusing," I muttered, trying not to stare at the power of desire unfurling between them. "I thought you had this love-hate thing going on, but it looks more like lust-hate. And frankly, that's way more than I wanted to know."

"Oh." My mom blushed. "Ethim, I think it's time we explained a few things."

He scowled. "We? Oh no. All this animosity and misunderstanding occurred because of a promise you forced me to make. You fix it." Without looking at me, he snapped and pointed at Mera, who remained hovering in the background. "And not one word from you."

With a sniff, Mera set the fruit tray by my side and left the room.

I ate a strawberry, surprised to find myself famished. "As much as I want to know what you two are talking about, I'd like to see Cadmus safe and sound first."

Jonas entered the dining area, putting to rest my other worry.

"Jonas." I left my seat and rushed to him. After a careful inspection, I gave him a huge hug. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"Yeah, well, it'll take more than a jealous Storm Lord to bring me low. Don't worry, Remir's bringing him in. Apparently, he's concluded his meeting."

Who the hell is Remir? Jonas' next words to me stopped me cold.

"You disappeared with Cadmus for quite a while, Ellie. What were you two doing all that time? And don't think we're not going to talk about it."

Did we have to discuss this in front of my parents?

Jonas snorted. "Ethim should know —"

"— when to butt out of his daughter's love life," my mother interrupted. "Now, Jonas, you're right in the middle of our messy family history that I'm supposed to explain." Her face lit up. "Unless you'd rather?"

Jonas looked like he'd swallowed a lemon. "Hell, no. But don't let me stop you from telling your daughter what an idiot you've been." At her glare, he shrugged. "Okay, a beautiful idiot with a big heart, but an idiot nonetheless."

I could only stare in amazement at evidence of some huge falling-out I'd never known existed. Oh, sure, my parents had an odd relationship, but I'd always attributed their problems to their different lifestyles, mostly due to my father's issues.

There was more?

"Much more," my mother admitted.

I blinked. "Did you just… Did you read my mind?"

"Yes, dear. It runs in the family. Sorry, but you're thinking loudly."

I hurried to shield my thoughts but nodded to encourage her to continue.

"It all began after I married your father several years ago."

"Try sixty-seven," Ethim corrected.

"Sixty-seven?" I stared at her in shock. "I know Ethim's older than dirt, but you're human. Like me."

"Ah, actually no. I mean, yes, I'm human. But I'm also a little bit more. My psychic ability enabled me to bond with Foreia for some time. We age much more slowly here than at home, and your father put a spell or two on me. I might have lied about my age."

"And about what else?" Jonas prodded.

Mom glared. "Shut up, Jonas. If you hadn't interfered all those years ago, this would never have happened in the first place."

"Me?"

"Oh, come on, Mandy," Ethim interrupted. "Shara was Jonas' pledge sister. It wasn't his fault she grew enamored."

"Everyone, just stop." I glared them all into silence. "Ever since I can remember, you two" — I nodded to my parents — "have spent as little time as possible together. Ethim would visit for brief periods of time, run roughshod over Mom, bribe her with presents and, heaven help me, sex, then disappear."

I turned to my mother. "You told me to ignore his absences and focus on the special times he and I spent together. Well, I hated it." Fury burst forth, anger I hadn't realized I'd carried for so long that refused to be contained. I read the shock on my parents' faces, the odd satisfaction on Jonas', but couldn't stop.

"I hated how easily Mom fell in line with whatever you wanted, time and time again. I hated when you visited, Dad. Because, for a short time, we were a real family. But all your magic tricks and presents couldn't disguise the fact you had another life, one more important than that of your wife and daughter."

Ethim drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Now, wait a minute."

"And you, Mom." I was on a roll. "You let him walk all over you. What about me? What about what I needed? You never asked him to come to my soccer games, my band concerts, my school nights. You covered up for him and refused to answer my questions. You think I didn't sense your bitterness whenever the word ‘Djinn' came up? Who do you think taught me to hate the Djinn so much? We're human, they're not."

"Thanks a lot," Jonas muttered, wincing at the anger I turned on him.

"And don't think you're out of this. I might have been somewhat normal if you hadn't always shown up teaching me things Mom told me not to pay any attention to. It's not normal for a kid to play with shadows. Real shadows, Mom. Jonas used to make them separate from the wall to play while teaching me about Foreia and Aelle."

"Jonas." Amanda looked shell-shocked.

Jonas squirmed. "Well, hell, Mandy. The girl's got so much Djinn magic in her it's a wonder she didn't send herself to Foreia by accident at least once in her childhood."

I kept quiet, not wanting to disturb the mood now that I'd shaken them all. No need to mention I'd accidentally transported myself there several times as a youth. Though at the time, I'd convinced myself I'd been dreaming. But after today's visit, I knew I'd been much more than awake.

"And Ethim," Jonas continued, "you should have explained things to her, like I told you to, instead of leaving everything in Mandy's lap. Mandy was in no frame of mind to talk to her baby girl, not after what she thought she saw. It's no wonder she was pissed, catching you and Shara, ah…" He glanced at me then sighed. "Mandy, tell her all of it."

My mother bit her lip, and tears pooled in her eyes. "Don't hate me, Ellie. It was such a long time ago. You can't know what it's like to be so in love with someone, to be so vulnerable and scared of the future. Imagine how much harder it would be to find yourself in love with a king from another world, and you're just a lowly nobody."

"Mandy," my father said softly, reaching over to hold me mother's hand. "You know you're worth more than ten of me, any day of the week."

I was coming to understand more than my mom thought I would.

She smiled at him through tears. "I was young and foolish. All sad stories start that way, don't they? The plain fact of the matter is that I didn't trust myself and therefore couldn't trust you." She turned to me. "I found him kissing some stupid Djinn woman years ago and refused to listen to his explanation. It didn't help that she insisted she'd seduced him, even told me all about his prowess in bed and, ah, a ton of other details that made it hard to believe in his innocence."

"Mandy! You never told me that!" Ethim looked shocked.

"I didn't want to go into it again. I'd felt so stupid to fall in love with you, a man with so much talent and ability far beyond me."

"Mom." I couldn't help reaching out. "There's nothing that's beyond you. I mean, you can read minds."

"You stole my heart." Ethim placed a kiss on her hand, clutching her fist in his.

My mom sniffled, smiling tremulously. "I'm sorry, Ellie. I wanted us to be a real family, but I was so hurt by your father, by what I thought he'd done. I left Foreia and vowed never to take you there until you were old enough to make your own decisions."

I raised a brow. "Mom, I'm twenty-eight. Exactly how old was I supposed to be before you told me all this?"

She blushed. "I know, I know. It's just that you seemed so happy in Seattle. You had a promising future, almost a Master's degree. And you were so popular. So pretty and smart and safe."

"I think I understand, Mom. But that still doesn't explain why he couldn't have shown up more than once or twice a year." I couldn't help the resentment still lingering deep inside.

She paused, drew in a deep breath, then let it out, her eyes weary. "I made your father promise to stay away, so that you wouldn't be tempted to join him in Foreia. I wanted you to have a normal life away from magic and danger. I wanted you to grow up strong, not like me."

My world titled on its axis. All the blame I'd placed on my father suddenly meaningless.

"Mom, you're saying you made him stay away?"