27. Aerolus

Arim took Cadmus' face in his hands. With a burst of light, he healed him.

I watched, pleased as my brother's watery gaze returned to normal.

Arim stared with concern. "Are you sure you feel up to this?"

Cadmus nodded.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me where you've been for the past forty-eight hours."

"Ah, actually, someone at work got sick, and I —"

Arim held up a hand. "Forget it. I'll drag it out of you when you're asleep."

I chuckled at the look of horror on my brother's face.

Cadmus turned to me. "He can't do that if I maintain my safeguards, can he?"

"Why ask your brother?" Arim drew a circle on the floor using a bowl of ash that suddenly appeared at his fingertips. "Where do you think Aerolus got his ability to read dreams? Not from your father."

"From Mom's side of the family?" Cadmus croaked, staring from me to Arim with bug eyes. "From you?"

"Ignore him." I shot my uncle a look. "We have more important things to do than worry about what floats and sinks in your shallow mind." Cadmus looked affronted, but I didn't have time to soothe him. "Alandra is sitting in Aelle somewhere. Pray the Light she's well. Because if she's not, I'll end them all."

I could feel the storms building inside me, winds and thunder begging to be let loose. Lightning burned in my belly, the need for justice like a hunger that gnawed, unappeased.

A darker, deeper void than the one leading to Tanselm appeared on the floor.

"Step through it," Arim ordered, waiting for Cadmus.

Cadmus took a step forward and stopped. He swore and shook his head. "I can't."

"Yes, you can," Arim bit out, his patience seeming at an end.

"No, I honestly can't. Something won't let me leave." Cadmus tried but seemed to have come up against an invisible wall. One that didn't exist, because Arim waved a hand around freely.

My brother swore again. "Damn him!"

"I thought it was damn her, as in Ellie Markham," Arim said dryly.

Cadmus blinked. "Ah, you know who she is?"

"Yes. I'm surprised she's not here with you now."

Cadmus looked ill.

I ached to find my affai, but concern for my brother reared. "What is it that you're not telling us? Quickly, Cadmus. My future hangs in the balance here."

I stared at the floor.

"As does mine. I can't leave Seattle without, ah, protection."

"Protection? What exactly am I?" Arim's voice rose.

"Djinn protection," Cadmus muttered and let out a loud sigh. "I pledged my oath I wouldn't leave this plane without them." At Arim's expression, he quickly added, "It was the only way I could get away to let Darius and Marcus know about the attacks."

"And when we leave, the Djinn will come for you?" Arim asked.

"I assume."

"Then let them show themselves now. I'm not leaving until I know you're not alone."

"You can't do that! I'm not a child. I don't need a keeper. Fuck! I want to go with you, but I'm bound by my oath. I can at least create a diversion here to distract Sin Garu. I'll?—"

"Be right here, with me," a voice whispered from behind my brother.

We all erected shields, on edge, as we watched Cadmus' shadow lengthen, stand, and turn from shade into a man.

Jonas Chase blinked at us as he shielded his eyes. "Nice to see you all again."

My brother and I dropped our shields, but Arim remained poised to attack.

"Not you." Cadmus groaned. "I thought I'd left you with the others."

"Glad to see you too, Earth Lord." Jonas glared at Cadmus then reached out to Arim. "Go ahead, sorcerer, verify for yourself your nephew will come to no harm in my care."

Arim took Jonas' hand. Time seemed to stand still as my uncle stared into Jonas' gleaming amber eyes. Surprised and pleased to see Jonas, the Djinn who'd aided us weeks ago by thrusting Sin Garu into the Between, I knew my brother would be safe while we battled to free Alandra.

"Come on. We have to hurry." I stared at the floor, ready to leave with or without Arim. My senses were telling me Alandra was in danger, more than at any other time since she'd been abducted. "Cadmus, remain strong. And try not to irritate the Djinn as much as you do the rest of us."

Cadmus scowled. "Sure thing, windboy. A word of advice." He stopped me before I could step past him to the gateway the floor. "Keep clear of Queen Lidra. The battle for Aelle must be waged between her and Alandra alone. Don't interfere."

I paused, studying him, then nodded. My brother cautioned me for a reason. A sense of impending disaster or a vision? Either way, I trusted him.

Cadmus squeezed my arm tight, then released me and stepped back from the shrinking gateway.

"Good luck, Aerolus." To our uncle, he said, "Sava's waiting for you in his tower. You need to find him fast."

"I understand." Arim glanced at Jonas.

The Djinn bowed with respect. "May your battle be filled with dark measure and even darker victory." Jonas straightened with a nod and jerked Cadmus back from the void in the floor when he would have stepped into it.

"Damn it. Get your hands off me, you piece of —"

"Good luck to you as well," Arim said with a last glance at Cadmus.

I waved to him. Then my uncle and I stepped together into the void, ready to fight for what might be the last time.