Page 35 of Guardian of Shadows

“Crazy. You can say it, and yes, she is. Sometimes more so. You’re one of her kids now, and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for any of us. Then again, that goes for all the mates. My aunt Sophia once ripped a man’s dick off when he cornered our cousin Amelia in a bus terminal bathroom.”

“She was taking up for her daughter, so I can see that.”

“Oh, Sophia’s not Amelia’s mom. She’s her aunt, but that didn’t matter. You don’t mess with any of the Clan’s kids or else you’ll feel the wrath of whoever is close enough to deal with it.”

“Remind me who Rafael and Kaya are?” He had a huge family, and as much as Elle tried to remember who everyone was, she couldn’t while dealing with the nauseating pain in her arm. The pills had lessened it some but not nearly enough.

“Rafael is one of my dad’s brothers, and Kaya is his mate. Rafe was our King, and he recently passed the crown to Sebastian, who moved from Atlanta to West Virginia. He wanted somewhere about halfway between Atlanta and New York. Bas met his mate there when he was looking for a new place to call home. Seven is Sebastian’s sister. She recently graduated from college, and Rafael wasn’t keen on her dating until she found her mate. Seven needed a little space, so she went to live with Sebastian. Rafael is feeling left out. At least that’s how Bas explained it. Just so you know, I am Bas’s second-in-command, so you’re high up the leadership ladder in our Clan.”

“Why would anyone listen to me?”

“Because you’re my mate, and that means everything. But don’t worry about that. You’ll meet everyone, and they’ll fall in love with you like they did Dakota. Our Clan is pretty self-sufficient. It’s rare Sebastian has to step in like our grandfather did hundreds of years ago.” Tony drove through Atlanta on their way to Solaralun. “That building there is where the Trio’s office is. And I work right up here.” He pointed to where Steele Securities was housed.

“And you like it in the city?”

“Not really. That’s why my house is in the middle of fifty-seven acres. But if you would prefer to live downtown in an apartment, we can make that happen.”

“I’m fae, Tony. I’m all about trees and nature. I think if I had to live in the midst of all these people, I’d lose my mind.” Elle couldn’t wait to see Tony’s house and all the trees surrounding it in person.

Tony drove the short distance to Little Five Points, where the twin’s occult shop was located. He parked in the small lot, shut off the engine, then angled out of the Corvette and rounded the hood to open Elle’s door. When he offered his hand, Elle took it, relishing the connection.

“I still can’t believe that’s your car,” she muttered. When she first saw it at the hotel, she stopped short and stared. Once they were on the road, he explained it wasn’t that expensive. Not like some of the cars his uncles drove. He told her he also had a Jeep, but when he took road trips, he preferred the sleeker vehicle.

When Anthony pushed open the door to Solaralun, a bell tinkled, making Elle smile.

“Hey, Cuz.” A gorgeous brunette stood in front of the counter wearing a floor-length, flowing skirt she’d paired with a long-sleeve tee and about a hundred necklaces. She approached Elle and stopped a few feet away, her head cocked to the side. “Hang on a second.” She walked past them, locked the door, and turned the open sign to closed. “We’re alone so you don’t need to hide your true appearance.” Elle dropped her glamour and the female grinned. “That’s amazing. I’m Luna.” She held out her hand, and Elle shook it.

“I thought Solara and Aunt Lilly were going to be here,” Tony said.

“Solara is still in NOLA, and mom’s in the workroom. I only meant there aren’t any customers. Come on back.” Luna walked to the colorful curtain that separated the showroom from the back, gesturing for them to go through.

As soon as they were inside the large room filled with tables and shelves, Lilly stood to join them. Staring at Elle, she whispered, “By the goddess.” She pressed her hands to her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears. Elle was taken aback by Lilly’s outburst until she said, “Your aura is pure white except the spot around the sigil.” The female wiped the tears from her face, then she held open her arms. Elle didn’t hesitate to step into the older female’s embrace. It had been too long since she’d felt a mother’s love. When Lilly released Elle, she held onto her wrist, right below the mark. “This is some dark magic. Tell me how he marked you.” Elle explained what happened on the beach and why Grevolus placed the sigil on her arm. “And your Queen couldn’t remove it?”

“No, and the elders refused to go against the goddess’s wishes by coming through the portal to even look at it.”

“Are the elders more powerful than the Queen?”

“I don’t know. Maybe if they added all their gifts together?”

“May I?” Lilly held out her hand. Elle nodded, and Lilly hovered her hand over the sigil. “I’m so sorry. Without a spell, I can’t remove the curse, but I might be able to make the pain go away.” Lilly closed her eyes, pressing her hand against the sigil. Luna joined her when Lilly’s brows dipped. Seeing the mother and daughter working together reminded Elle of when her own mother taught her magic when Elle was young. Warmth spread through her arm. It was pleasant, unlike the heat from Grevolus’s burning magic. The pain receded, and Elle gave Lilly a small smile. “That’s better, thank you.”

“Let’s hope it lasts.” Lilly brushed Elle’s hair off her shoulder. “What’s the plan in dealing with Grevolus?”

“Carleigh thinks we should pay him to remove the sigil,” Tony said. “But we haven’t really decided anything since we’re hopeful the Queen comes through for us. Grevolus is expecting Elle back tomorrow, so after we stop by my house to see my parents, we’ll probably drive south and pray the Queen or Yari come up with a solution before we arrive. If Grevolus hadn’t tied his life to Elle’s, none of this would be an issue.”

“Meaning if he dies, so does she?” Luna asked.

“Yes.”

“Is there no way to, I don’t know, subdue him somehow?” Luna tapped her chin with a pointy fingernail. “Does he only have to think about the sigil, or does he have to mutter an incantation?”

“I don’t know.” Elle stepped closer to Tony, pressing her back to his chest. She needed his strength. “When I want to produce fireballs, I just conjure them in my mind, and they appear.”

“Fireballs?” Luna took a step back.

Elle held out a hand, and purple fire danced along her palm. She tossed it a couple of times before allowing it to fizzle out.

“So fucking cool,” Luna muttered. She glanced at her mom. “Sorry.”

---