7. Arim

Chapter 7

Arim

I stared at my dead brother-by-marriage with shock.

Granted, as a sorcerer, I'd seen many strange and unusual occurrences with my magic. But I had yet to converse with the dead, let alone watch my sister share an embrace with one.

Faustus grinned, his smile so like my nephews' that I felt a stupidly wide grin split my own mouth. By the Light, I'd missed the fun-loving Wind Mage, Tanselm's once great overking. The great love Faustus had, not only for his family, but for his people, still clung to his pale aura like a second skin.

The joyful warmth that had been missing in Ravyn's eyes returned. The nimbus of pale light settling over us both only proved again how much my sister and Faustus loved each other. And how much Ravyn would miss him once he returned to the Next.

Which begged the question… "By the Mother's Holy Light, what are you doing here?"

Faustus chuckled. "Didn't expect to see me?"

"Of course not." I took in my sister's delight. "Obviously, I'm the only one surprised. I take it you two meet often?"

Ravyn answered, "Not as often as I'd like. Faustus is constrained by a lot lately. The higher powers don't mind using him to do their bidding, but the Light forbid he visit his bereaved wife."

Faustus sobered. "Now, now, love. My time is limited, and I'd rather make the most of it with you instead of being yanked back by those with no idea that I'm back where I'm not supposed to be." He glanced over his shoulder as if seeing something we couldn't.

Ravyn stepped closer into her husband's embrace.

I could only stare, trying to absorb it all. "You're substantial?"

"Where are my manners?" Faustus gently released Ravyn and grabbed me in an enormous bear hug. "I've missed you, brother. I see you've been weakening since I left." Faustus sighed. "You always were a hard-head. Can't or won't hear what Tanselm's been telling you, hmm?" He stepped away and took Ravyn in his arms again.

"Won't," Ravyn said, easing her head back onto her husband's firm shoulders.

Had I not known better, I'd swear Faustus stood before me, alive and well, his gray eyes sparkling with vitality. The slight tint of yellow that clung to him said otherwise.

"Why are you here?" I knew Faustus hadn't returned simply to visit my sister, not since Ravyn had ordered me to accompany her back to her room.

"Your concern for Ravyn is admirable, but you shouldn't be prying into her mind. I'm the one who told Ravyn about the next overking. She's right to worry about the future. Your sister has been thoroughly drained by Sin Garu, who even now eludes death. I don't know how he's been alive as long as he has, but what little humanity he had to begin with is long gone. The longer he lives, the more powerful he grows. It's not the Darkness within him that should worry you. It's the demons that now fill his soul."

I too easily remembered the unholy green blaze of demon fire Sin Garu had thrown. The blaze that had burned Lexa the last time we'd battled the Dark sorcerer.

A blaze that had been meant for me.

"You need to bring Lexa back or Tanselm is lost." Faustus stared hard at me, his eyes full of power and wisdom, a supernatural energy visibly pulsing through his body. I could feel tendrils of Light, brighter and sharper than any I'd ever felt, creeping over my skin. Pinpricks of pain and a strange euphoria grew as I found myself unable to break eye contact.

"Release him, Faustus," Ravyn cautioned, a hand on his arm. She turned back to me. "The sensation will pass, brother. It takes some getting used to."

My entire body felt like jelly, and a compulsion to follow Faustus's orders clung to me. "What did you do to me? A spell of some kind?" I'd never felt anything like it.

"Sorry. Sometimes I forget I'm more than I was. Life after death changes you. But that's another subject entirely, and one I don't have time for right now. Arim, I know what's in store for you if you fail. I don't want to see my family —" Faustus frowned. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. I'm just here to visit my wife, still waiting for her before I finally accept my passing."

I didn't understand what I was hearing. "You mean you haven't passed into the Next yet? Where the hell have you been since you died?"

"A very good question. I've been to the Next and back, and more. I wish I could explain it to you, but we've got company."

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Open it, Arim. Our visitor needs you. And Ravyn, love, I need a moment more of your time." Faustus smiled down at her then glanced back at me. "Good luck, brother. And the Light bless you on your journey."

"And you." I moved to the door. Opening it, I was surprised a second time. The guards who should have been protecting the queen stood frozen on either side of her door, locked in place by a hint of Shadow over their bodies. Lord Sava, King of the Aellei, stood there looking both annoyed and worried .

Sava, worried? His eyes widened as he stared over my shoulder, and I hurriedly pulled him inside before closing the door behind us.

"By Shadow's vision." Sava took two steps toward Ravyn and Faustus then stopped. "Faustus Storm. It's been a long time."

"And it'll be longer still until I see you again. Have a care with what you do here, Sava. Don't overstep." Faustus seemed to brighten before he drew Ravyn aside and spoke to her in a low voice.

I studied Sava, curious at the flare of irritation in my friend's face. "Something you want to tell me?"

Sava shook his head. "I need your help. What I don't need is a dead Storm Lord telling me what to do."

"Still upset Faustus snared Ravyn out from under you, hmm?"

He frowned. "Ancient history. What can I say? Love blinds us all at one time or another." He shot me a look I didn't understand. And didn't like.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If I have to explain it to you, you're obviously not ready to hear the answer. Look, Arim, I've got problems that need immediate fixing. I'd do it myself, but I have a feeling your Storm Lords would take issue."

Uh-oh. I knew that tone. Sava, in a serious mood, was no laughing matter. "Let's go to my chamber." I turned to my sister, still not sure how to feel about Faustus's surprising presence. "Ravyn, I have matters to attend to. Faustus, good luck on your journey, my friend."

"And on yours." An unreadable expression passed over his pale face. "Don't forget what I said. Bring Lexa back, or the future will be dire indeed."

Curious that Faustus included Sava in that confidential bit of information, I teleported to my chambers. Sava appeared a moment later, trailing the energy I had purposefully left behind. We entered a scrupulously clean if cluttered room. Surrounded by stone, the room had surprising space when not crowded by wall-to-wall tables covered in spell castings.

Clay pots, earthen jars, and many herbs, roots, and books littered my workspace. An unused bed sat in the corner of the dimly lit area, clear of the dust that normally lingered in the musky chamber thanks to a spell I'd cast months ago.

"Looks the same as the last time I visited."

I frowned. "You were here at least two hundred years ago."

"Like I said, looks the same." Sava glanced dubiously at the raw magic on the tables. "You need a wife. Or at the least, a hobby."

I couldn't help laughing. "A wife would just yell at me to clean up after myself. And who has time for hobbies? I have a kingdom to protect, enemies to demolish, and Dark Lords to find." My laughter faded at thoughts of Lexa. I wondered just what she was up to right now, if she thought about me at all, and why it bothered me she might not.

"You were going to help me, were you not?" Sava asked, his voice light and full of innocence.

I wasn't fooled. "What do you really want?"

Sava crossed his arms over his chest. "Really, Arim. I come to you, hoping for a peaceful way out of a hostile situation, and you insinuate I'm up to something? You Light Bringers have no sense of fair manner or —"

"Sava…"

"Oh, all right. Alandra's been telling me what the Church of Illumination has been up to lately. Those bastards are trying to formulate spells to rid the land of Darkness and Shadow. All of it. To include Morn Mountain and other such fields in Tanselm that shy from the Light. That's a major problem, wouldn't you agree?"

"I just heard about this from Ravyn today. I've been busy trying to save Tanselm from destruction, so the petty politicking of the Church hasn't been as much a priority."

"That's all well and good. I agree Sin Garu needs to be found and beheaded. But what about my people? The Aellei in the eastern territory deserve protection." Sava's eyes gleamed with menace. "I'm telling you now. They're going to get it, one way or the other."

I felt my headache returning. "Why isn't Aerolus hearing this?" Aerolus, ruler of the eastern territory and husband to Sava's troublesome niece, Alandra.

"Because the princes are too busy shoring their reserves for the next Netharat attack. Sin Garu is positively brilliant. He plagues the land, and the lot of you rush to its defense, leaving the day-to-day open to invasion. Wouldn't surprise me if the Church is infected with a Dark Lord presence."

"Who the hell knows at this point?" A sudden wave of weakness forced me to lock my knees so I wouldn't fall over. Damn. I didn't need this now, not in front of Sava.

"Arim?" Sava looked as shocked as I felt, but his brown eyes soon filled with concern I neither wanted nor needed.

Ignoring his worry, I acted as if I felt perfectly fine and forced myself to stand taller. "What do you want me to do? My hands are tied at the moment. I'll talk to Alandra and Aerolus. Let us handle the Church. I have to find Sin Garu and destroy him to end this nonsense before he has time to regroup. If he is more demon than man, then it's definitely time he met the Next. Demons loose in our world will mean the end for all of us."

To my surprise, Sava didn't question the notion of Sin Garu being demonic.

"Why aren't you asking me about demons?"

"Because I have my own sources of information. I know that Sin Garu is in bed with those Malinta vermin." Sava tapped his fingernails against his chest, the action slow and hypnotic.

Distracted, I blinked in confusion. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What? Oh, this?" He stopped tapping. "Something my pixies showed me some time ago. The tapping calms me. Helps me to focus." Sava tapped again, and I felt myself drawn to the motion, the weakness within me making it difficult to gather myself and look away.

"Cut it out," I whispered, unblinking as I stared at those long, graceful fingers.

"Your problem is that you're tired. You're wearing yourself out, Arim. Delegate, my friend." Sava tsked and produced two goblets out of thin air. "Might I recommend this fine cinarum I've borrowed from your sister's larder?"

The weakness suddenly left me. As I subtly steadied myself, I wondered what had happened in Tanselm to translate to my unexpected lack of strength. The sweet smell of aged rum made my mouth water, and I realized it had been days since I'd last consumed anything.

Still, a lifetime of wariness made me pause before taking the cup in hand.

"Of, for Dark's sake, here." Save scowled as he took a sip from both goblets. "No poison, just fine rum. Do you want some or not?"

I accepted the drink. "Sorry. With rumors of traitors everywhere, it's hard to know who to trust."

"That's your problem." Sava took a long swallow from his goblet. "You should never trust anyone . In my kingdom, we play games, and we excel at it."

"No one's shiftier than you Aellein bastards," I agreed.

Sava preened. "Thank you. We're good because we practice. I can't tell you how many poisons I've become immune to in my vast lifetime. Or how good I've become at reading people. Take, for instance, Jonas Chase, your Djinn friend."

I waved a hand, and a chair appeared. I sank into it, grateful to finally unwind, and imbibed more of the heated drink, filling my empty belly. By the Light, it felt good to get off my feet and relax with a friend.

"What of Jonas? Don't tell me I have to worry about him, too?" Jonas had saved not only Marcus and his affai from harm, but he'd also helped Cadmus and was distantly related to Ellie, Cadmus's bride. His position in the northern kingdom had helped many of the newly arrived Djinn adapt without causing an uprising among the northern Light Bringers.

"You don't have to worry that Jonas will hurt Tanselm. Your worry with the Darkling concerns someone dearer." Sava's eyes twinkled. "Lexa and Jonas are great friends, you know."

I should have bristled at the innuendo that I cared what Lexa did with the Djinn. But I felt too comfortable to argue. The cinarum warmed me where I hadn't realized I'd been cold. I had to commend Ravyn for her precious stores. The cinarum I'd last brought her hadn't tasted this fine.

To Sava, I replied, "Your point?"

"Just that Jonas feels the same ties to this land that you do. Tanselm calls him hers. Though he visits the Djinn homeworld of Foreia now and again, Tanselm will always claim him." Sava paused, his canny gaze on my face. "Just as his heart belongs to your pretty Dark Lord."

I froze. "What?"

"Lexa, your precious Dark Lord. Jonas loves her. Even now, he's with her in the mundane plane, watching over her in bed."

Rage frothed and boiled over, igniting my desire to kill a potential rival. I rose with lightning speed and stumbled to regain my balance. "I knew Jonas knew where she was. That bastard. I'm going to kill him!"

Sava nodded and drained the rest of his cup. "Right. I'll take you to him. But don't let that go to waste."

I swallowed the rest of my drink, because he was right. Cinarum should never be wasted. Then I clumsily followed Sava into the Between. I felt off, furious that another sought to supplant me in Lexa's affections, obliterating everything else. Nothing mattered now but eliminating Jonas and taking Lexa back.

I had to show her she'd made mistakes. Had to finally learn why she'd taken my heart and shredded it into nothing. Why no other woman could ever compare to the heartless Dark Lord who'd promised herself so sweetly while killing my affections as cruelly as she'd snuffed out the lives of her family.

Seconds later, I fell into the mundane plane. My knees hit the plush carpeting in someone's living room. The tendrils of energy in the place felt Dark, like Lexa. My soul buoyed.

"Easy, friend." Sava helped me to stand upright, his voice echoing around me.

I blinked but could only see shadows blurring. So not right. The magic within me screeched a warning, and, as if a cloud had been lifted, I realized I'd been under an enchantment.

" Sava ." Even as I growled the name, I called on the Light for protection.

"Hell. Jonas, now. "

I struggled to see but could only make out vague outlines and dark blurs. Two powerfully strong bodies shuffled me across the floor and through what looked like a doorway. Before I knew it, I found myself tied up and in a chair facing a large bed.

The hated feeling of bonds around my wrists stung, and I struggled against memories of helplessness as well as the Dark-hide rope that sucked at my energy. But what bothered me most of all, I'd again lost someone I trusted and cared for.

"I'm going to kill you for this." Bitter anger rose, mingled rage that my friend had deceived me. Once again, I'd fallen for lies from someone I'd considered family.

"Do what you must." Sava sighed. "If you two weren't so stubborn, we wouldn't have had to do this. Jonas, their clothes. I'll take care of the rest."

Jonas murmured something I couldn't make out before he wrenched my clothes away with a spell. At least, I think it was Jonas. My sight no longer functioned, everything one large, black blur.

"Just so you know, the toxin I gave you won't hurt you." Sava. "Just confuses your mental patterns enough to be led rather easily. It deadens the senses. Your sight will revert by tomorrow, your hearing as well. And so you know, the room is sealed with both Shadow and demon magic, effectively shielding you from anyone and everyone while keeping your own magic inaccessible. So don't try using it against your partner in here."

Partner? Demon magic? Where the hell had Sava gotten a hold of that? And what did he have to gain from all of this? Had he made a deal with Sin Garu?

"Sorry. I'm sure you want to kick my ass." More laughter, Jonas's or Sava's, I could no longer tell. Whoever spoke seemed to whisper as my hearing left me. "This is for your own good. You two have things to work out. I'll be back to get you in a week, give or take a few days. I can never keep track of the time differences between planes. Everything you need is in this room. And I do mean everything."

They faded from my senses as darkness overwhelmed me.

I stubbornly fought, but eventually my Light could no longer protect me against the invasion of numbness overtaking my reality.

My last thought was Sava's mention of some unknown partner before I faded completely.