12. Aerolus

"Arim, stop!" I tried, but my uncle was oblivious to everything but destroying Alandra. Her face twisted in pain, and her eyes sought mine, not with a plea to make it stop, but with a strange regret.

"By the Light, Uncle, cease!"

Arim blinked, a sign he'd finally heard me but didn't stop his attack.

Making a snap decision, I stepped between him and Alandra, freezing as Arim's power sought a hold on me. Under the magical onslaught, I recognized the spell and tried to relax. My uncle used a counter-Shadow spell, one that shouldn't have caused me much pain. A bit of discomfort perhaps, but no more.

Yet my anguish grew as the Light hurt me. Instead of the heat I would have expected, a frosty fist of cold made my breath catch and my body stiffen. Pain froze everything but my mind.

"Aerolus. What the hell are you thinking?" I dimly heard Arim shout.

He pressed a hand to my heart, increasing the ache in my chest. Gradually, the pain stopped. The aggravating prickles of ice faded into a comforting warmth.

"That really hurt." I stumbled to my knees and turned to Alandra. "Purie," I said sharply, alarmed at her lack of color. I scrambled to her side and reached the spot below her heart to feel for her aura, swearing when I felt nothing.

"What are you doing with an Aellei?" Arim's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Don't tell me you slept with her?" He stared hard at Alandra, exhaling with an odd sound of relief. "At least she's female. Though I suppose we're overdue for a princely consort. Though technically, it doesn't matter either way. You could always adopt."

"I don't even want to know what you mean. Heal her, Uncle. Tell me what I can do, and I'll help."

"I —"

"Just do it!" A strong wind shook the cabinets left hanging in the kitchen as my stress hit the breaking point. Churning energy broke what dishes and glasses remained intact.

But the air around Alandra fluttered gently, stroking with warm laps of wind.

Arim muttered something under his breath and squatted down. Frowning, he placed a hand on Alandra's forehead and uttered a healing chant. I joined him, willing her to get well, praying for her to wake so I could shake some sense into her.

Moments passed.

"She's not moving," I said stupidly.

"I know that. I just spent the last few minutes trying to ensure she never would again, and I'm still not sure I should have stopped." Arim glanced at me, waiting for an explanation I wasn't ready to give.

Staring down at Alandra, seeing her lying so still and unresponsive, finally broke the silence I had promised her. She might not trust the Storm Lords, but I did. And it was high time I remembered just who and what I was.

I would use everything at my disposal, all my strengths and assets, to save my affai.

Guilt swarmed me. Had I confided in my family about her sooner, this would never have happened. Arim might have been the one who harmed her, but the blame lay squarely on me.

"She saved Marcus from the Nocumat during our last battle with Sin Garu," I explained. "Apparently, she's been watching out for us — for me — since we stepped into this plane."

Arim's eyes darkened, but he said nothing.

"She's mine. And if you can't save her, you can't save me." I did the only thing I could think of to help her.

I merged my magic with Alandra's to give her the strength to fight back. I hadn't counted on the great depth of her energy. It sucked me down, greedily drinking me in. But I gave her everything, holding nothing back.

Arim might have cursed, but I wasn't sure. My body and mind shut down as I toppled next to her.

Cold numbed me to all but the feminine ball of Shadow surrounding me. Energies merged, shifted, and I felt what she felt. She had gone beyond pain and readied for death.

But I forced her to relinquish the numbness, to feel again, jolting her back to awareness.

Aerolus?

Yes, love, I'm here. I'm waiting for you, Alandra. I've always been waiting for you.

I'm so cold. What happened?

It's over now, I forced out. By the Light, the pain was excruciating. Focused on getting better so she'd follow me to consciousness, I did my best to separate myself from the echoing hurt scouring my soul.

It's not as bad if you let go, she offered.

Don't do that. Reach for me. I've come to take you home.

I expected a fight, at least some resistance. But she surprised me. Her essence grew porous, and she opened up, sharing the small warmth she'd been protecting deep inside. Suddenly, as if a blowtorch had been lit, the ice surrounding me melted, to be replaced by pinpricks of sensation that blazed a trail of fire throughout my body.

I knew she felt the same, but she didn't complain or shudder from the extreme sensation. Instead, she embraced it, growing stronger with me as we rejoined the living.

Blinking up into Arim's glowering face, I could do little more than groan before my uncle hauled me to my feet. A glance at Alandra showed her peaceful in slumber, her breathing deep and even.

"And I used to think you were the smart one. Don't pass out," Arim growled before reaching for Alandra. Unlike his previous dealing with my affai, Arim took extreme care to be gentle, folding his arms under her slight frame and cradling her to his chest. He turned from the kitchen and strode with her to my bedroom, depositing her with care on the bed.

Arim kept his eyes on Alandra and asked, "What, by the four corners, is happening around here? I've just spent the past hour battling with warrior Aellei and an ogre, only to find another Aellein threat within what should have been a Storm Lord sanctum."

He sounded gruff, but I heard his apology amid the explanation. He ran a hand over his face. "I would never have harmed her had I known she was yours. I thought she was another of the enemy come to kill you." He nodded in the direction of Trudy Warner's house. "Trust me, dealing with those warriors was no picnic. But none of them gave me half the surprise she did."

I stared at my affai. She looked so small, so fragile. Yet her magic was stronger than mine. Joined with her, I'd felt her tremendous power. It intrigued me as much as it unnerved me.

"Can you tell me how an Aellein royal got her hands on elemental powers none of her kind should possess?"

"What?" I tucked a strand of her hair behind her pointed ear.

"She set your winds on me, Aerolus." Arim turned, eyeing me carefully. "And you pulse with Dark energy. First Cadmus, and now you."

"Cadmus?"

"Never mind." Arim sounded tired. "With a little persuasion, I learned a few things from the Aellei. Apparently, they're here in this plane on a mission. They've been sent to find Alandra le Aelle, heir to the Aellein throne."

"I knew she was royalty."

"Don't worry," my uncle said dryly. "She's only sixth in line. To the Aellein throne." He groaned and rubbed his eyes. "You boys really know how to pick them. Couldn't you have found a nice girl from Tanselm? Or even a woman from this plane, like Darius and Marcus? No, not our Wind Mage. He has to do everything the hard way."

I patted him on the shoulder, but he shrugged me off and let out a string of curses.

Smiling at him wouldn't have helped, so I kept my amusement to myself. Until he mentioned my brother was missing.

"Cadmus? Missing?"

"I was hoping you'd know something. But I can see you don't. No doubt he's being held by the Djinn that taints his power. Djinn, Aellei, xiantopes. What is the Royal Four coming to?"

"Xiantopes?" An insulting word for those without magic. Arim was indeed annoyed. He usually liked everyone, regardless of their power. "You can't mean Samantha and Tessa, considering the powerful magic both possess."

"I don't," he muttered.

"About the Djinn, though." Concern for Cadmus worried me. Recollections of our battle with Sin Garu, the Djinn's sacrifice, and what little information I'd gathered from a few sources in the Between started to make sense.

Arim interrupted my train of thought. "How long have you known she was yours?" He nodded to the bed.

I glanced at Alandra, her scent and the feel of her ingrained in my memory. "I'm not really sure. The moment I first saw her, something in me came alive. On one level, I'm sure of her place in my future. On another, I have so many unanswered questions. So many reasons not to trust…"

Arim studied me with the same look he'd given Darius and Marcus before they fell prey to mates. "What do you intend to do about her?"

"Keep an eye on her." I paced, my gaze resting on Alandra as much as I sought to look away. "I watched Darius and Marcus make so many mistakes concerning their affai. They refused to admit their brides into their hearts until it was almost too late."

"So you won't make that same mistake. You'll tell her the truth of who she is to you." Arim's eyes glinted. With humor?

"Are you laughing at me?"

"Of course not," he lied, amusement plain on his face. "You seem to have this all figured out. Who am I to interfere? So what, you'll simply tell her she's your affai, and then the two of you will return to Tanselm?"

I scowled. My uncle was a real pain in the ass, as Cadmus liked to put it. Trust Arim to make this more difficult than it had to be. "Yes, I'll tell her she's my bride. I haven't worked far enough through the situation to decide when we return to Tanselm."

Unlike my brothers, I could return to my homeworld at will. I'd never told them, knowing they would have demanded I return them the minute we were forced into this world. The long talks with Arim had convinced me that the four of us were better off here, finding mates to strengthen the Storm Lord line before returning home.

"Let me give you a spot of advice." Arim stepped in front of me to halt my pacing. "Before you bombard your woman with her responsibilities to you and Tanselm, find out what her heart holds. I'm not telling you not to trust her," Arim said quickly to forestall my objection. "But you have a future planned out for a woman you barely know. While your heart may recognize her, your mind does not. If you want any chance of happiness between you two, trust me. Don't force it upon her."

Something in my uncle's tone told me he spoke from experience. Curiosity bloomed, but I knew now was not the time.

Alandra moaned and shifted, and I hurried to her side to stroke her hair. I remembered everything, focusing on a large ball of pale-blue energy. Aellein royalty. Wings. My affai had wings. And she could increase and decrease her size at will. It seemed every time I turned around, I learned something new about her.

"I will think about what you've said," I told Arim, my voice low, thoughtful. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like some time with Alandra, alone."

Arim nodded. "I have to reconstruct the house's protection spell anyway, that and put out more feelers for your brother."

"The protection spell is fine. I shielded her through it, purposefully. And Cadmus…" I paused, not wanting to tell Arim what I suspected just yet. "I think Cadmus has a few issues to resolve before he returns." I met my uncle's gaze with a steady one of my own. "I don't believe the Djinn energy you sense in him is what it seems." At least, I hope it's not.

Arim paused, his gaze oddly piercing. Then he studied Alandra, a thoughtful look on his face. Expecting him to demand answers, I was surprised when my uncle turned and left the room.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I turned my gaze to Alandra. A slow, winding warmth lit in the vicinity of my chest.

So beautiful, so sweet, and all mine.

I lay down beside her on the bed. She stirred, and I kissed her, lulling her back to rest.

"Aerolus," she whispered, smiled, and curled towards me. Or she tried to. The large T-shirt she wore hampered her mobility.

With a wave of my hand, I made it disappear, and before she could tempt me beyond reason, I closed my eyes. I tucked her close, pleased when a touch of her magic wrapped around me.

I didn't feel the least threatened by her Shadow. My Light welcomed the darker magic.

Despite being used to my brothers' constant presence in my life, I rarely felt at peace with anyone outside my family. Yet within just a few days of being with Alandra, I felt comfortable, even safe with her.

To a point, my conscience demanded to be heard.

But I didn't want to dwell on our trust issues, not to mention the small matter of her being my affai. So I settled her closer to me.

If only love and trust automatically went together.

I drifted off to sleep, debating how soon, if at all, to tell her what was growing in my heart.