“It’s not floating exactly,” he said, pulling her close to his chest, “as this land is anchored. But much of Faerie consists of lands that move around within their territories. There’s nothing below most of them, except the Capital, which is the source of our cords and anchors to the Origin.”
“The Origin that the Great Queen could access?” I confirmed.
He nodded. “Yep, that’s the one. Now, let’s head home. I don’t like how close those Metallic Meadow guards got to you and Tabitha.”
“You don’t have to protect us,” I reminded him. “We’re capable. I’ve been taking care of myself for my entire life.”
Yeah, sure, a very short, finite life compared to Len’s, but that in and of itself spoke of my capabilities. Shifters and humans died easily, and I was still alive. Still fighting.
Len shook his head, a chuckle escaping those perfect lips. “As long as there is life in my veins, I will defend what is mine. We have our strengths, and I do not diminish yours. Pick your battles, little Storm.” He paused, reaching out as if to touch my face before he refrained. “For there are some you’ll never win against me.”
The nickname fell so effortlessly from his lips that it almost distracted me from the fact that he’d usedmineagain. And I’d liked it just as much. So much for being a strong, independent shifter.
“Storm?” I questioned, forcing myself to ignore the rest.
A smile quirked his lips up. “It’s a rare occurrence in Faerie, but when the great storms happen, they sweep in and change everything. The power grid, the feel in the air, even the ancient plants of my garden. It’s rare and powerful, and filled with so much beauty.” The intensity of his gaze was almost my undoing. “They remind me of you.”
Storm.I repeated it in my mind, and it felt familiar somehow. “Did we use nicknames when we knew each other before?” I wondered suddenly, and he stilled as if that thought hadn’t occurred to him.
“That word hovers in my mind when I think of you,” he finally said. “So… maybe we did.”
A name also hovered in my mind when I thought of Len. It’d been there since he burst into Shadow’s library, and the urge to use it was growing stronger. Maybe there was some merit to us having used these names when we were together before.
Len began to walk, carrying Tabitha as he moved closer to the edge of the land. As he walked, he went into tour guide mode. “Sixty percent of Faerie is inhabited by the ten royal houses. We all claim territories, which is where we strengthen ourselves using the gems and crystals from those moving lands. Thirty percent are the demi-fae, who govern themselves separately, and the final ten percent makes up the stationary lands, like my garden here. It’s in what we call a no territory zone, even if this garden repels all but me and those I allow in. Many of my plants are prized and used for spells, which gives me an advantage in negotiations.”
“It’s an amazing garden,” I said, turning for one final glance. “Impressively so.”
He nodded. “Thank you. Now, we need to leave. Time is of the essence, so we should head to the Silver Lands to work on the glamour.” He paused. “And introduce Tabby to her grandmother.”
Grandmother.Shit.“As in, the queen of the Silver Lands?” I asked breathlessly.
His laugh was easy. “Yes, but she’s not as scary as the title implies.” He tilted his head briefly. “Well, I mean, that’s not totally accurate. She is scary and powerful, but not to her family. She will adore Tabitha. She’s the miracle that none of us ever expected.”
If that wasn’t the truth. Even for me, as a shifter who generally had young easily, she was still a miracle. “Okay, so how do we get there?”
He stared out into the abyss beyond this land, clouds hovering on the horizon. “The crystals above allow us to travel between lands, providing we’re powerful enough to wield them without getting fried.”
“Are you powerful enough, Winter?” I joked, theothername feeling okay to say after his nickname revelation. Winter was a word that encompassed Len for me, stemming from my fascination with the way his eyes turned icy when he filled the room with winter energy.
His lips moved, a brief twitch. “We’re about to find out.”
His hand wrapped around mine, touching me so casually, as sparks of power shot between us. A blast of bright purple light surrounded us, and as the energy raced across my skin, a whoosh filled my hearing, and we were sucked up into whatever lay above.
Holy shit. I was in a world of trouble, and this was the most excitement I’d had in years.
Bring it on.
20
SAMANTHA
“Winter!” I choked out as we arrived at our destination, clearly deciding to overuse the nickname now that I could.
“Winter is your nickname for me?” he asked, a flicker of emotion darkening in his as the skin across his forehead tightened.
“It’s been on my mind too,” I said in a rush, before adding, “Does it bother you?” I focused on the fae, ready and willing to stop using the name if it upset him.
I mean, nicknames were cute for me, but maybe it was an insult to a Faerie prince. Maybe I’d only everthoughtof him as Winter and never used it out loud.
