33. Arim Guardian of Storm

I worked to escape the whip of Darkness lashed around my throat, my eyes watering at the effort.

I'd been fighting Lexa for what felt like forever, getting no closer to defeating her than she was to defeating me. Oddly enough, I sensed she meant to keep me at arm's length, as if she had more in store than this simple battle.

"What do you really want?" I asked for the fifth time.

Her eyes flashed, a sight that never failed to stir me. At that moment, I wasn't sure who angered me more, myself for still being attracted to the traitorous witch, or her for being so… Dark.

She smiled, toying with me again. Annoyed I'd let my irritation with her show, I deliberately grinned despite the pain in my neck. She blinked, and I knew I'd disconcerted her before she slipped her mask of hatred firmly back in place.

Where had the shy, sweet girl I'd once known gone? Had she never existed at all?

"Hmm, what do I want, you ask?" Her lips curled though her eyes remained flat. "I want you to die like a man instead of the sniveling Light Bringer I know you to be. What a poor excuse for a mage."

She sneered and shot blue flame from her fingertips, scoring marks across my cheek.

I retaliated with a burst of Light, almost hitting her full in the face. But she dodged at the last minute. A sudden and foreign sense of shame hit me as we fought, an unfamiliar feeling that I was fighting a losing battle against a woman not my enemy.

From where the thought had sprung, I didn't know. But a painful spear of Dark through my thigh cleared the notion in a heartbeat.

Ice burned at my legs, middle, and arm. While I struggled to undo the noose at my throat, I waited stiffly for another blast of blue flame to hit me.

Surprised she would hesitate to take advantage, I glanced at her face only to see her fierce expression now serene, her eyes closed.

Recognizing a vision when I saw it, I hurried out of her clutches and would have turned the tables on her when she vanished without a sound.

Shocked, I instinctively hunkered into a powerful shield and waited.

The Lexa I knew had never fled from a fight. Would she attack me from behind, draw me into the open, hoping for a vulnerability I didn't intend to give? She'd caught the one weakness in my shield earlier, but I'd fixed that problem and —

"You have to see this," Sava blurted from my right, ducking the ball of Light I instinctively threw. "Shadows, man. Get a grip. You've obviously finished playing with Lexa. You need to see this and tell me what it means."

Grabbing me by my uninjured arm, Sava teleported us behind a large verumtree.

"Watch," Sava whispered.

In a clearing littered with scarred tables and chairs, two Dark Lords battled. Stunned, I observed as Sin Garu and Balen tore into each other.

"This makes no sense," I whispered to Sava. "They know we're here. Why turn on each other when the smart thing would be to exterminate the Light Bringers?"

"I don't know. But they've been at this for some time. Lidra's dead," he said grimly. "Alandra and Aerolus are missing."

I turned to stare at him, sensing no trickery. Only worry for my niece. "You're sure they're not anywhere, their —" I forced out " — remains not in the trees or over the ground in any way?"

The thought of Aerolus dead turned me cold, but I had to know.

Sava's expression softened. "No, friend. I swear by my sight they are not dead, and they are not here. In fact, I can't sense Alandra or Aerolus in this plane at all."

Breathing a small sigh of relief, I turned my attention back to the Dark Lords, watching with fascination as they grappled and fought. Nothing was out of bounds as they clawed, fired blue flame, and brought pawns into their battle. Several decapitated and dismembered wraiths and Aellei lay scattered about the clearing, quickly joined by another two scorched Der warriors.

"Come, Brother, let's end this now," Sin Garu said, sounding rejuvenated and not at all tired.

Balen, on the other hand, looked to be exhausted. "Fuck you, meh fre ak nahl sur." He flashed his fangs and spat at his brother, the sting of acid landing on Sin Garu's cheek.

Sin Garu howled with rage and wiped at his face.

"That had to hurt," Sava muttered.

"Obviously. Look at his face."

"No, I meant the ‘nahl sur' comment. Balen basically called Sin Garu a creation of incest."

I shook my head. "This is all well and good, Sava. And I can't say I don't enjoy watching our enemy take themselves out, but I need to check on Aerolus."

"Lexa told me everything, you know," Sin Garu said casually, drawing my attention. The wily Dark Lord avoided Balen's next attack with ease. "Lidra would only have been convincing as Ravyn if you hadn't turned her into a blood drinker. Haven't you learned by now to think ahead, big brother?"

"Ingenious, really," Sava said, echoing what I was thinking. "If Lidra had succeeded, you would have had a Dark Lord embedded in Tanselm before you knew what you were dealing with. It's one thing to distrust the Djinn, but your overqueen? Hmm, why hadn't I ever thought of that?"

I shook my head, my immediate concern for my sister cooling at Sava's humor. Lidra was dead. But Ravyn would need to be told. Bad enough she'd lost her husband to the Next and her sons to a foreign land. She also needed to worry about internal threats to Tanselm. Wonderful.

Weary, I rubbed at the back of my neck. "I'm going back to Tanselm. Let me know what —"

I stopped as Sin Garu suddenly impaled his brother on a spear of blue flame.

Balen gurgled. Black liquid ran from his mouth, and his eyes turned white. It appeared the Dark Lord threat had just taken a turn for the better.

"What's that, Brother?" Sin Garu asked. He leaned closer to listen to what Balen said and narrowed his eyes. "She'll pay, dearly." Then, gathering several wraiths still alive and surrounding the fight, he drew in the air. A blazing inferno appeared above the dueling Dark Lords in a circle big enough to fit the small gathering of Netharat.

Sin Garu gathered Balen in his arms and vaulted into the maw, his wraiths in trail. The portal closed as quickly as it had opened, and the air settled into stillness.

"Hell of a day." Sava made a face. "We really need to clean this mess up. Already the stench of rot is clogging my sinuses."

"Not to mention so much death is unsightly," I said sarcastically. "Glad you have your priorities in order, Sava."

Sava glared. "I love Alandra, you sheel. But she's on her own path now, one that takes her from Aelle into a greater Shadow." He smiled, his eyes dark with threat. "Have no fear, old friend. I intend to visit her often in Tanselm, to make sure she's treated well, as she deserves."

"Save it, old friend." I sighed. "Alandra will be treated like a queen, as you well know. Aerolus would rather die than let anyone, including me, harm his affai. Not that I would," I said quickly to forestall more fighting. The anger in the depths of Sava's normally good-humored gaze faded. "Trust me. Alandra will be most welcome in Tanselm. And knowing my sister, Alandra will soon have a mother again, whether she wants one or not."

Sava visibly relaxed. "Well, then." He cleared his throat. "I'd ask you to stay, but you make my people nervous. They only know of the horrors you perpetrate and not of your giving nature to us of Shadow."

I snorted. "On that note, I'll leave. Let me know when you're coming to Tanselm," I warned softly. "I'd hate to kill you before greeting you properly."

Sava nodded, a light in his eyes. "But of course. Must follow society's dictates. And the next time you show up in my tower, you'd better have several gorgeous women on your arm. Or at least a treasure in gold. No offence, but Aerolus isn't exactly a valuable commodity here."

With a smile, I gripped him by the forearm before taking my leave. After teleporting back to Tanselm, I searched for Ravyn to see if Aerolus had returned.

I found her with Darius, Marcus, and their respective brides in her personal chambers. She glanced up, hope in her eyes and in her wary smile. But seeing me alone caused her face to fall.

"Aerolus is in trouble," she said, in tears. "You have to find him, Arim. Find him and save him. I can't lose my son. He's not ready to see his father again. Not yet. Not like this."

She cried harder, and Tessa and Samantha pulled her close. Darius and Marcus ushered me from their mother's chamber.

Marcus spoke stiffly, his worry clear. "We've searched the kingdoms with spells, a scrying tablet, and on foot. We can't find him or Alandra, but we can feel he's somewhere here."

"He's hurt bad," Darius growled. "I've never felt so much pain. If we don't find him soon —"

"There won't be an Aerolus left to find," Marcus finished for him.