“Until she disappeared,” Shadow added. “And then Faerie has weakened.”
Len nodded. “Correct.” He dropped his glass with a thud. “We cannot allow that power to fall into the hands of either Fredrick or Petre. Neither are worthy, nor would they be able to handle such strength. If the trials come to pass, I must compete so that my mother and the Silver Lands control the power.”
His mother.The queen of the Silver Lands, and… Tabitha’s grandmother.
Shadow was on his feet now, towering over us, darkness sliding briefly across his skin before it slipped away. “We’ll be there to ensure that you have every advantage to succeed here. And if you don’t, and there’s a war, you know we’ll have your back. We cannot allow this energy to fall into hands that would misuse it. Everything must remain in balance, or the Solaris System will implode and the rest of the worlds will be destroyed.”
Grim expressions surrounded me, and I wasn’t surprised. A cloying pressure pushed against my body, and I found my gaze lingering on my daughter, who was still munching on melon. Part of me wanted to shield her ears from such worry, but another knew that it was because of their presence here, these three tiny supernaturals, that we would fight until our last breaths to ensure that the power didn’t fall into hands it shouldn’t.
“Is it safe for Sam and Tabby to travel to Faerie if there might be some sort of fallout from the severing of the lines?” Mera asked, looking down at Len.
Simone jumped in as well. “Yes, we only just got them back in our lives. We need to protect them from all this supernatural bullshit for a while.”
Their love was overwhelming, especially when I’d been such a shitty friend lately. Seeing their loyalty was definitely a motivator to do better though. To be worthy of this pack.
“Samantha and Tabitha must return,” Len said simply. “Tabby needs to boost her power, and now that the stasis is broken, it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Even more importantly, Samantha and I need to unravel the aspects of our memory loss and how this entire series of events came to be, considering she’s a shifter.”
A dark thought that had been hovering deep down for a while burst from me before I could stop it: “Are you disappointed that Tabitha’s mom is a shifter?”
His silver gaze crashed into mine, the color darkening to resemble a stormy midnight grey. “You have given me the greatest gift a fae or male could ask for,” Len said seriously. “A gift that I will protect with my life. You’re both my family, and there’s not an ounce of disappointment. Only joy.”
My heart slammed in my chest so hard it was painful. I’d been utterly unprepared for that response, unprepared for the truth that despite my shifter genetics he wanted us in his life.Family.My daughter would have the family I’d never had.
“When do we leave?” I whispered, throat tight.
“Now,” Len said, standing, his silver cloak sweeping out from his body. A second before, he’d been warm and open, now he was back to the mysterious and devilish god-like creature. Truth be told, I liked both sides of him.
Standing as well, I reached down and freed my daughter from the chair, pulling her close against my chest. Only to be hit with another heart wrenching shock when she wrapped her arms around my neck, holding on with strength. As my breath caught, I closed my eyes to absorb a near perfect moment.
“She’s growing stronger already,” Len said, sounding closer.
Pulling away from Tabitha, I saw him beside us, and despite my agreement to allow him to touch us, he kept enough distance that we wouldn’t accidentally brush together. I wondered if he’d forgotten his decision to probe the spell until he said, “I’ve decided to wait until we reach Faerie to explore the memory loss. There we’ll be at our strongest, surrounded by my gems and the power of the Silver Lands.” His decision made perfect sense, and I was both disappointed and relieved to have our inevitable touch delayed.
Simone, Mera, and Angel got to their feet and moved closer. “As soon as you know what’s happening with the great line, we’ll join you in Faerie,” Simone said. She tilted her head back to find Lucien. “We can do that, right? Go into Faerie.”
He nodded, a slight smile lifting his lips. Simone’s face brightened as she spun back to me. “Yes! Just stay safe, friend, until we get there.” She hugged me hard.
Feeling overwhelmed once more, I tried not to cry. “I’m blessed to have friends like you all,” I said roughly. “Tabby is going to have a true family. A true pack. It’s a gift.”
“You’re both going to have a true family!” Mera said fiercely as she threw her arms around me. “We’re here for you now, and we’ll make sure that you get your happily ever after too. Just like in our favorite paranormal romance novels.”
Mera was a huge reader. Simone was as well, always sending me recommendations. I’d never replied, but I’d secretly read and loved every single one. It felt almost like a bond between the three of us, and I was ready for more.
“See you all in Faerie,” I said as we parted ways. “And thank you.”For everything.
They all murmured goodbyes, then I found myself walking side by side with Len, heading toward the unknown of Faerie.
There was no way for me to comprehend how many ways my life was about to change, but I was determined that no matter what, I’d never look back at my old life.
That was done. Time for a new path.
18
SAMANTHA
When we left the dining room, the main library was quieter than it had been before. I had no idea what time zone it was here, or maybe it was its own time zone, but the light had faded through the windows that lined the room.
“I meant what I said before,” Len’s tone was rough. “You and Tabitha have a family. I’m your family.”
