Page 30 of Guardian of Shadows

Because of the time difference, they had to leave Norway right after breakfast. Since Grevolus expected Elle back the following day, they had no choice but to fly back to the States. When it was time to leave, neither Yari nor Cassi had returned, and even though Elle smiled and laughed, her worries came through the bond. Cruz had the jet ready to go, and they would arrive in Nashville around eight a.m., giving them time to pretend Elle was hitting a bank before having to drive south.

When he and Elle were packing, Brent knocked on the door. “What do you want me to tell Yari when she and Cassi get back?”

“If they’ve found a way to remove the sigil, please ask Yari to come to us. We’re going back to Nashville before driving to Atlanta. I’m still not sure how we’ll handle Grevolus, but I’m going to have Carleigh reach out to Luna and Solara. Maybe they and Lilly will have some witchy spell to protect Elle until then.”

“Do we need to pick up Cruz and Celeste on the way to the airport?”

“He had Lawrence drive him and Celeste since he had to ready the jet.”

Brent tapped the doorframe twice, then walked away.

Elle was staring across the room, her arms wrapped around her middle. Anthony felt her despondence through the bond. He closed the distance and pulled her against his chest, resting his cheek against her hair. “We will figure this out.” Elle nodded against him but was otherwise silent. “Come on, Sweetheart. We need to get going.”

Tony stepped back to gather their bags, but Elle stopped him, grabbing his forearm. She then slid her hands behind his neck and kissed him. They didn’t have a lot of time, so Anthony did his best not to get lost in his mate’s mouth, but it was difficult. Her tongue danced with his, but before they took things too far, she pulled away. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“Putting up with my issues. You didn’t want a mate, yet you got one who’s more trouble than she’s worth.”

“You don’t have issues; Grevolus does. And you are no trouble. Do we have to navigate life from our back foot until we get this mess settled? Yes, but like I explained before, most of our kind has to go through some type of turmoil to get to their happy ending. As for not wanting a mate, I was an idiot. Now that I have you, I can’t imagine being apart from you.” Anthony tapped his chest. “I feel you in here. Your heart beats in sync with mine. You are a part of me, as I am a part of you, and I have no intention of losing you anytime soon.”

Brent appeared in the bedroom door, disrupting their tender moment. “Ready?”

“We are.” Anthony lifted both bags in one hand and placed his free one on Elle’s back.

Trinity met them downstairs, a scowl marring her face. “You have my phone number. I expect you to keep in touch.”

“I will. I promise.” Elle opened her arms, and Trinity hugged her quickly before rushing from the room.

Brent sighed, but he was smiling. “Trin is already attached to you, so expect visits once Grevolus is taken care of.”

“I’m good with visits,” Elle whispered, staring at the door Trinity had disappeared through. Anthony couldn’t wait for Elle to officially meet his cousins the next day. She needed friends in her life. Family who wouldn’t let her down.

Elle wasn’t as nervous flying the second time, but she wasn’t as excited either. She was worried, and nothing Anthony said made her feel better. She had expected her Queen to remove the sigil, giving Elle her life back. When Celeste offered them something to drink, Anthony expected Elle to ask for a soda, but his mate surprised him when she requested something stronger. Once the glass was in front of her, Elle downed the contents, hissing at the burn. Celeste didn’t bat an eye. Instead, she poured Elle a refill. Anthony had informed Cruz of their failure to remove the sigil, and he would have shared that with his mate.

“I’ll leave this with you.” Celeste placed the bottle on the table next to Anthony. “If you need anything, just call out.” Celeste brushed a hand across Elle’s cheek before joining Cruz in the cockpit.

Anthony lifted the bottle and wiggled it. “Is my pretty fae planning on getting sloshed?”

Elle slumped against the leather sofa. “No. I just...” She blew out a breath, staring into the amber liquid. “I don’t understand why Cassi is allowed to move between realms when that isn’t life or death, yet my situation is, and the goddess won’t allow someone through who can help me.”

“Do you think the goddess is aware? I mean, are the higher powers really all-knowing? Or is that what we’re told so we behave?” Anthony tipped the bottle back and took a swig of whiskey. “Your Queen might be with her now explaining how dire the situation is.”

Elle bobbed her head. “Then why is it taking so long? She’s had days to convince her. It’s not like Zarina can’t get in touch with her. D?nthú’s her mother.” Elle swapped the glass from her right hand to her left, then scratched at her sigil.

“Is your sigil bothering you?”

“Yeah, it’s itching for some reason.”

Anthony replaced the cap on the bottle and set it on the table. “Has that ever happened before?”

“Yes, but not like this. Before, it was more of a slight tingle.”

“Hang on.” Anthony rose and went to the bathroom where he looked through the cabinet. This was Connor’s jet, but Alyssa was human, so she could have medicine stored there. When he didn’t find what he was looking for, he wet a washcloth and wrung it out. He returned to the seating area and placed the cloth over Elle’s arm. “Sweetheart, can you remember when your arm tingled? Did it ever happen at home, or was it always when you were away from Grevolus?”

“It... crap. He’s doing this, isn’t he? It was always when I was on my trips.”

Anthony brushed Elle’s hair off her shoulder. “I’m afraid he’s tracking you.”

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