Page 36 of Guardian of Shadows

“You think I don’t know you and your sister cuss?” Lilly grinned at her daughter. If Elle didn’t know Lilly was a Gargoyle and had stopped aging, she would have thought the female was Luna’s sister. The only difference was their hair color. Where Lilly’s was dirty blonde, Luna’s was dark brown. “And if Elle’s going to meet Tessa...”

“Yeah, my mom can get creative when she gets going with foul language.” Tony’s arms tightened minutely. “Speaking of, we’re going to head home. Thank you for your help today.”

Lilly clasped her hands in front of her. “I wish we could have done more.”

Elle left the comfort of Tony’s arms and approached Lilly. “You did exactly enough. Thank you.”

Lilly hugged her again. “I’m going to go study Gram’s grimoire. She never mentioned fae, but there might be a spell we could tweak. Tell Dom I’ll be later than expected.” Elle didn’t know what a grimoire was, but she assumed it was a witch’s book of spells. The fae didn’t have anything like that. At least, Lorhana hadn’t. Everything they knew was in their minds.

“Wait.” Luna approached Elle, holding out a bracelet. “At least let me give you this. Do you know how to use a dagger?”

“I do.”

Luna slid the bangle onto Elle’s arm. “Grevolus knows about your fireballs, but he won’t see this coming.” She stepped back, held up her arm, showing Elle her own bracelet, then in the next instant, a sharp knife was in her hand. The bracelet was gone. She gave Elle the short spell to turn the jewelry into a weapon. Elle tried it, and it worked. “To revert the dagger back to a bangle, just reverse the words in the spell. It’s all about intention. If you want a sword, imagine one instead of a knife. I showed you the dagger since they’re more practical for surprise attacks.”

Elle practiced calling forth the weapon and sending it back to her arm. Once she had the hang of it, she thanked Luna, then she and Tony said their goodbyes and got back into his sleek sports car.

It took almost forty minutes to drive to where Tony called home. When he turned into a driveway, he stopped in front of an iron gate and rolled down his window, where he spoke into a black box. “Wonder twin powers, activate.” The gate swung open, and Tony rolled the window up as he eased down the driveway.

“I’ll add your voice to the security system later so you can open the gate if you’re ever alone.”

Elle nodded as she took in the scenery. Tall trees lined both sides of the long driveway, and when it opened up, a large wood and stone house appeared. The photos hadn’t done it justice.

“Welcome home, Sweetheart.” Tony parked next to an SUV and cut the motor.

Yes, this was his home, but now, it was also hers. “Tony, it’s... I don’t have words.”

The front door opened, and a stunning redhead stepped out onto the wide porch, followed by a handsome, dark-haired male. She knew from the pictures on his phone that these were his parents.

“Get ready for the whirlwind known as Tessa,” he warned.

Tessa, dressed in tight jeans, black boots, and a long-sleeved tee, jogged down the steps and didn’t stop until she was opening Elle’s door. Tessa held out a hand, and Elle took it, allowing the female to help her from the low seat. Tessa looked Elle up and down, grinning. “Well, aren’t you something?” She wrapped her arm through Elle’s and led her to where Gregor was waiting. “Elle, this is Tony’s father, Gregor.”

Gregor placed a fist over his heart, bowed his head, and said, “On my honor.” He raised his eyes, and his face held a smile that was so much like Tony’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elle. I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Me too. But it is also my pleasure to meet you both in person. Tony’s told me so much about you.”

“Lies. All of it,” Tessa joked. “Come on in. Gregor made snacks to tide us over until dinner is ready.”

“It’s like I don’t exist,” Tony muttered as he joined his father.

Gregor clapped him on the shoulder and squeezed. “It’s good to see you again, Son.”

Anthony returned the gesture. “You act like it’s been years and not a month.”

“A month and two weeks,” Tessa called over her shoulder as she and Elle reached the door. Tessa pushed it open, allowing Elle to go first. She stepped inside, getting the first glimpse of her new home. The pictures on Tony’s phone had downplayed how large it was. The room was cavernous with the living area, kitchen, and dining all in one open space. A set of double doors bisected the back wall, where Elle could see a large deck. The stone fireplace to her right was almost large enough to stand in. The furniture was cozy-looking with quilts and throw pillows adorning each seat.

Tony placed his chin on her shoulder. “If there’s anything you want to change, we will. I want you to feel like this is your home, too, because it is.”

“It’s gorgeous. Much nicer than anywhere I’ve lived before.”

A stranger appeared from a hidden hallway, and Elle couldn’t help but stare even though Tony had described Dominic and the way he dressed. His tight pants were tucked into tall boots, and his white shirt could only be described as billowy. His black hair was tied back at his nape with a leather cord.

He placed his fist against his chest the same way Gregor had, vowing his honor before saying, “Hello, Lass. I’m Dominic Dubois. I believe you met my mate and daughter?”

This was Luna’s dad? Holy goddess. “Yes. They’re both lovely.”

“And was my Lilly able to help with your situation?”

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