Glamoured: Chapter 12

“What do you think I have that’s yours?” Shadow rumbled, a blast of fire cutting through the ice. Two elemental beings were about to go to war, and I really didn’t want to be this close to the explosion.

Len paused, the silence heavy. “I felt her pain. Who do you hide from me?”

Her pain…

I didn’t question if it was about me. I knew it was because he’d been in my mind, soothing the burn with his power.

“Brother…” Shadow’s voice was nothing more than a whisper of death. “You need to calm down—”

He didn’t even get a chance to finish before there was an explosion of pure, unfiltered energy. I’d never felt anything like it before, and as I threw myself forward over the top of the shield that covered the girls, I wondered if this was the last moment I’d have to hold Tabitha.

Even if Len didn’t smash through the shield, Shadow’s retaliation would be swift and unforgiving. The library would end up in tatters, and there was no way to know what collateral damage would result.

To my surprise, though, when the energy faded, the light and iced air did as well, and everything became crystal clear. Shadow had not moved, and it appeared that he was frozen to the spot. Standing behind him, a crystal in either hand, was a silvery being. He was concealed in shadows that hid most of his features from me.

I stood slowly, legs shaking. “What did you do to Shadow?” I asked in a breathless rush.

The silver form didn’t move. “It will not hold him for long,” Len said. “But he had to learn that nothing… not a brother… father… or my own mother will stand between me and what’s mine.”

Mine. Fuck, that word was destructive, and just a tiny bit enticing. The tugging sensation low in my gut became more consistent, dragging me toward this godlike creature.

“Who are you?” I knew it was Len, but that was a name. I needed something more.

“Len, prince of the Silver Lands,” he replied instantly.

Len, who was of course a prince, had enough power to freeze the Shadow Beast in place.

Finding strength, I moved more between the silver figure and the babies, noticing from the corner of my eye that Shadow was twitching.

“I took him by surprise,” Len said, following my line of sight.

We both knew that he hadn’t. Shadow had been standing there ready for him, so either the beast let him strike first, or this fae was some sort of superpower all on his own.

“Who are you truly?” I called, keeping a close eye on him, “Len, prince of the Silver Lands? How are you so powerful?”

He moved closer, and the icy shadows that had been surrounding him faded.

A gasp slipped from between my lips. Holy gods above.

The urge to rub my eyes was strong, since I had to be hallucinating.

Len was perfection.

Carved from those very gods, he stood a foot or more taller than me, his broad shoulders encased in a long silvery coat that moved about his body despite the lack of breeze in here. His face was sharp lines, hard curves, with full lips that were surprisingly masculine.

Piercing silver eyes locked on me, and even knowing that I had met Len before in the library, there was not one familiar feature on his breathtakingly beautiful face.

“Who are you?” he shot back. “A siren?”

I shook my head hard. “No—No. I’m Samantha of the Clarity shifters.”

“Shifter…” he echoed, blinking in clear confusion, and for the first time since his presence could be felt in the lair, he appeared to relax. Both in energy and appearance.

He ran a hand through his short silver hair, sending it up in attractive tousles atop his head. There was literally not one unappealing part to this male, and at the same time not one part that wasn’t otherworldly. He was filled with magic and energy, all of which was sliding over my skin and deep into my essence.

WHAT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING HERE?

I was grateful when Mera chose that moment to burst into the library and all but tumble into our midst. This was also the moment Shadow exploded free from the spell that’d been holding him, lunging for Len. Mera, who put the scene together in a heartbeat, let out a shout and dove between the two of them. “NO!” she bellowed, fire bursting to life across her hands and arms. “Shadow, no!” Her hand landed on her mate, somehow stopping a bulldozer from taking out everything in this room.

Len hadn’t moved a muscle, not even when Shadow raged toward him. All the while his gaze remained firmly locked on my face, sending my internal temperature from freezing to boiling in the same minute. I needed a breather from the intensity of his gaze, but there was nothing that could force me to look away.

Until… A cry split the air, and I jerked my head toward the couch.

Mera, who was at my side just as fast as she jumped between the raging males, let out a “what the fuck” as we stared at our girls.

They were sitting together on the couch.

Sitting. On. The. Couch.

The glow of Tabitha’s skin was near blinding, and it didn’t escape my notice that again she looked older.

“Did Aurora do that?” Mera asked, her hand grasping mine as if she needed support. As she turned to me, she must have noticed the tattered state of my dress, not to mention the liberal amount of vomit covering me. Before I could explain, the fire of her energy surrounded me, and when I looked down again I was clean and clothed in a simple white shirt and jeans.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

She just grinned. “I’ve been practicing some new tricks.”

She certainly had.

“Now, back to my question.” She turned toward the babies once more. “Did Aurora help Tabitha sit on her own?”

It was possible, but I had an inkling it was someone else.

“Aurora looks older too,” Shadow said huskily, his beast still riding him. “Since Len entered the room.”

Hence the reason for my inkling. This wasn’t about Aurora or Tabitha’s power.

It was about Len’s.

Len who was fae and part of the world I was terrified would steal my daughter from me. Shadow had promised that wouldn’t happen, but apparently no one controlled the powerful fae in the room.

Turning, I found him standing mere inches away. “What in the hell—?” My words choked off as he took another step closer, until we were almost touching.

“You all have a lot of explaining to do,” he said softly, with a feral undertone.

Mera turned then and made a move to touch Len, but Shadow snatched her up in his arms before she could make contact. In a beat, he’d hauled her away behind him, making sure he stood closest to Len.

Mera’s snarl was loud. “Holy fucking fuck. I know you didn’t just do that, mate.”

Shadow let out a smoky huff. “Len just froze me on the spot, Sunshine,” he growled. “He’s ancient, out of control, and gunning for blood. This is not the fae you know and love.”

“Yes it fucking is!” Mera insisted. “Besides, if I can handle your ancient ass, I can handle his.”

The look on Shadow’s face would have been comical if we weren’t in this situation—he was desperately searching for what to say to keep his mate safely behind him, all the while knowing he’d already lost the battle.

For a beat, I swore that Len’s lips twitched. “I would never harm Mera or your child,” the fae bit out, no other sign of humor. “You can handle my energy, so I wasn’t worried about using it against you.”

This logic appeared to calm Shadow, and I found myself relaxing as some of the tension faded. Reaching back for Tabitha, I pulled her up into my arms, noticing how much more solid she felt against me. She was still tiny but clearly growing. A flicker of hope surged in my chest.

Len tilted his head, eyeing the tiny child in my arms. “This is my daughter, Tabitha,” I said softly. “We believe she’s part fae.” There was no point in lying to him, especially when we needed his help.

His expression didn’t shift, but the chill in the air grew a little more prominent. “She’s definitely fae,” he bit out, pushing even closer.

Tilting my head back, I realized how badly I’d underestimated his height. He was a fucking giant, and as I stared at the soft, silvery glow of his skin, I was struck by a sense of familiarity. Not because I could remember him, but because…

Tabitha held her arms out then as if she’d just come to the same realization as I did.

“She looks like Len,” Mera whispered, no longer behind her mate. “What the hell is happening, Shadow? How is this possible?”

Len’s hand came up slowly, as if he didn’t want to spook me. He brushed a hand across the soft curls of Tabby’s head, so gently that it was almost an art. His grace was second to none.

“I feel her energy,” he said slowly. Only the second to be able to do that. “She’s mine.”

Those words echoed through my head as our gazes met.

One of my greatest fears had come to pass.

Tabitha’s father had found us.

And he was a fucking prince of Faerie.