Fierce Enchantment (7 page)

“Is there a way? I don’t have magic.”

He met her gaze. “There’s a way, and Faith, one day…” He cleared his throat, his ears pinking. Cute as hell. “You might just have magic.”

“Oh,” she breathed.

Right. If they had sex, she would change into her paranormal creature.

This wasn’t awkward at all.

“Well, either way, that’s something for later.” He took a step back. “For now, I can get us in easily, and I’ll show you the realm and my home. One step at a time.”

“Sounds like a plan. I do like learning about everything around us. I mean, it was only a few years ago that I had no idea any of this existed. I still feel lost every time someone brings up another realm or something I’ve never heard of before, but I’m learning.”

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Better yet, if you want, I can get you the materials you need to find out on your own.”

She smiled then. It seemed that Levi was getting to know her just fine. Yes, she wanted to know everything she could, but if she could find out on her own, it would make her feel as though she’d accomplished something.

“Hold my hand. I’m going to open a portal.”

“Uh, in my kitchen?”

He grinned at her, and her heart stuttered. Damn it. “Yep. It’s not going to disrupt anything in here. Of course, if you want to put up wards around your home, and want it done by someone else other than a wizard, then I might not be able to do this.”

“Why would I want to put up wards?”

He shrugged, but she saw the anger in his eyes. “You were almost killed by now dead Conclave members. The inn was warded when you were unable to fight for yourself, but we didn’t ward your home because that was an invasion of privacy since we couldn’t key it to you as you weren’t living here at the time. And we didn’t know what kind you’d want. Any one of us could have done it, but…”

“But you wanted to do it yourself because of the bond.” She held back a snide remark because, honestly, she didn’t know what else to say. This wasn’t easy on either of them and she had to remember that.

He nodded. “And as you’d never spoken to me, I thought I’d wait.”

She swallowed hard. “If I do turn into…something…”

His nostrils flared. “Then you will be able to do it yourself. Until then, I can put up some for you whenever we get back, if you’d like.”

“Do you really think I’ll be in danger?”

“I don’t know, but I do know it would make your friends, and me, feel better if we could ward your home.”

She nodded, knowing she was, yet again, about to trust someone she still needed to understand. “Okay then. For peace of mind, and because I’m not an idiot, I’ll take your wards. But if I change my mind and want Dante or someone else do it, you’ll have to let me.”

He gave a curt nod, and her anger warred with something much warmer, something she didn’t understand, in his eyes. “Once we return, I’ll do it. You can watch if you’d like.”

“I would.”

“Good. Now hold my hand and don’t let go.”

She did, his palm warm against hers.

He waved his hand in the air, and the hair on her arms rose. A swirling vortex of what could only be magic opened in her kitchen, and her mouth dropped open. Sure, she’d seen all types of truly inspiring magic since she’d found the truth about herself and her friends, but she’d never get used to it. At least she hoped she never would.

He looked over his shoulder, that devastating grin in place, and then tugged her with him. The vortex swallowed her, and the warmth and tingles of a magic she truly didn’t understand embraced her. She kept her eyes open, desperate to see everything she could. Sparkles of light and flashes of color sped by so fast she wasn’t sure what she’d seen, and as suddenly as they appeared, they burst into nothingness.

Faith found herself standing on a street corner, her hand in Levi’s and a whole new world surrounding her.

People nodded as they walked by, some even bowing their heads at Levi. Others gave her curious looks but didn’t stop to talk. While some wore robes and capes, most were in normal clothing like she’d see in her own world.

“Welcome to my realm,” Levi said, and she squeezed his hand.

“It looks…well, I guess it looks like London.” Or at least as much as she could remember of the city she’d never been to but had seen in photos. It actually reminded her a little of the Regency romances she secretly read. Brick buildings lined the road where people drove in normal looking cars or, to her delight, zipped overhead on broomsticks.

Broomsticks.

How fun was that?

Interspersed in the older brick buildings were new ones made of steel and glass that reminded her of cities in America. Up in the distance, she saw a road leading to a giant castle.

A freaking
castle
.

Yes, apparently she was a teenage girl who couldn’t stop saying the word ‘freaking’. As much as she’d wanted to, she’d hadn’t had the chance to visit many paranormal worlds, so being able to study
any
of them made her ecstatic.

The castle was made of dark stone and had turrets and battlements. She couldn’t tell, but she kind of hoped it had a moat. Because what castle was complete without a moat?

Okay, she needed to calm down or she’d freak herself out or Levi.

Levi grinned and pulled her along the sidewalk. She fell into step with him, taking in as much as she could. “London is actually fashioned after our realm, not the other way around. Many wizards tend to live there since the barriers between our realm and the human realm tend to be the thinnest there.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” she said and stared off in the distance. “Is that a really castle?”

Levi let out an annoyed breath. “Yes. That’s home.”

She stopped in her tracks. “Home? As in… Dear God, you are a prince. Should I be kneeling or something?” He’d said before that he was a prince, and she’d even reacted, but with so much going on, it hadn’t really hit her.

Levi ran a hand over his face, his other hand still clutching hers. “For the love of God, don’t kneel. Yes, I’m a prince here,” he whispered, bowing a bit so he was close to her. “That’s my family home. I actually live outside of it now, though I did grow up there. I’m still the same man I was before, Faith.”

“I didn’t know you before,” she replied, her mind reeling.

“Then get to know me without the title.”

“If you’re a prince, what does that make me?” she squeaked.

Hell, she squeaked. Like a freaking idiot.

Levi grimaced. “Right now, that makes you Faith,” he said. “But once you meet my parents and are presented at court—if that’s something you want to do—then, well, you’d be a princess. It’s not like the human realm with a marriage or mating ceremony that’s needed for you to be crowned. The bond between us made that step happen, and my parents are the ones who approve of the crown anyway. They won’t be able to refute it like they could have if we’d been merely married rather than mated.”

Marriage.

Princess Faith.

Well, wasn’t that just a bitch.

“I’m just not going to think about that right now. Okay?”

“Okay,” he said softly. “Want a tour?”

She smiled then, relieved that he was going to take this slow. “Of course.”

He showed her some of the shops and parks along the way to his place, talking to some of the townspeople and introducing her as his friend. It didn’t escape her notice that he never said the word mate, but as they
were
in his home and they hadn’t truly discussed what they were to each other, she didn’t blame him in the slightest. His words, though, didn’t stop the speculation in people’s eyes. She just raised her chin and let it roll off her. She was used to it.

By the time they reached his place—not the castle, but near it—she was exhausted and full of energy at the same time. She had no idea how she could be both, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to take in everything yet had already done so much.

Levi’s home was a large three-story mansion that put her small house to shame. However, it was nothing like the castle. Unlike the castle that had been made of dark stone, this one was lighter and had large windows everywhere that made the place look open and inviting. The place was set off from the main road with large trees all around to hide it from prying eyes. It didn’t look like a new building, but was in good repair and looked as if someone cared for it.  Though it should have felt too big for her, for some reason, it felt warm, if not yet lived in. She couldn’t help but notice some of the boxes in the corner and the fact that the walls were bare. “Uh, Levi? When did you move in?”

He grimaced and looked around at the place. “Two years ago. I moved in when I joined the Conclave even though I couldn’t really stay here often, if ever, and then with you…well, unpacking hasn’t been at the top of my priorities.”

She snorted then looked around the foyer, her neck straining as she looked up. “Uh, Levi. This place is huge. Why do you need it for just you?”

She looked at him and froze. His face had paled, and she wanted to take back her question. “Oh, God. You’re married. You’re married, and that’s why this is so weird between us. Why I’m all alone here and you didn’t introduce me to anyone other than as your friend.” She took a step back, her hands shaking. No. This couldn’t be happening. Not again. Not to her.

Levi’s body twitched, as if he’d physically snapped out of what he’d been thinking. “No, Faith. God no. I’m not married. Not anymore. Fuck. I’m doing this all wrong. I cannot believe I did this wrong.”

She licked her lips, her heart aching. She didn’t even know why she was feeling that way. It wasn’t as though she knew the man in front of her. He was just
Levi,
no one important to her. And if she kept that in mind, then it wouldn’t hurt.

“I’m not married, Faith.”

“But you were.”

He nodded. “I was. And the reason my house is so big? It’s for my daughters, Faith. I have two daughters.”

Her knees gave out, and she would have hit the ground if he hadn’t caught her by the elbows.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice shaky.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she exclaimed. “You’re a
dad,
and you didn’t think to mention it? What the fuck were you thinking? How could you keep that a secret?”

He helped her stand, and she quickly pulled away from him. He kept his hand held out then looked down at it, confusion on his face. “It’s a long story, Faith.”

“No. They are your children. They aren’t a long story.” Oh, God it hurt. She’d been the long story, the forgotten child, the one that no one loved. She’d be damned if she’d have a hand in making that happen to two little girls.

“You’re right. They’re my children. Juliana is ten, and Arya is six. I married their mother, Lynn, because it was the right fit with my family. She seemed like a nice woman, and I wanted children.”

“Sounds like a love match,” Faith mumbled. God, why was she acting like this? She wasn’t
with
Levi, despite the bond that had formed between them. She had no claim on his future or his past. She didn’t even want him. Yet look at her, acting like some jealous girlfriend. This was
not
her, and she needed to stop acting like this. Though in all honesty, she was feeling the pain for his children more than this other woman in his life.

“It wasn’t. Not by far. And when we were married and Lynn got the money and title she wanted? She changed. I hated her, Faith. I still do. But I love my daughters. By the time it became too much to deal with and I was ready to leave with my girls, the Conclave called.”

Faith winced, remembering what had happened when the Conclave called Dante. They hadn’t given him a chance to say no, hadn’t given him a chance to be with his mates. He’d fought for his freedom and the right to live as a dragon rather than another enslaved member of the Conclave.  She’d died because of it—not that she wanted to think about that just then. “And once the Conclave called, you didn’t have a choice,” she whispered.

Levi reached out to cup her face, and she didn’t pull back, surprising herself and him from the look in his eyes. “I didn’t have a choice. I had to leave my daughters with a woman I hated because, if I didn’t, those in charge would have killed them. I had no grounds to take the girls from Lynn, and despite the fact that she and I weren’t meant for each other, she is still their mother. I divorced Lynn so she couldn’t hurt my family, and I did everything in my power to keep my girls safe. Then I met you, and the Conclave went fucking crazier and attacked Dante and the rest.”

“That’s true but still doesn’t tell me why you didn’t mention the fact you have kids and an ex-wife.”

“Because I was so used to keeping them secret to keep them safe that I pushed the connection down so only my heart could touch them. And when I was ready to tell the others—your friends and the people I’ve grown closer to over the year—about them, I couldn’t. I wanted you to know first. And, Faith, today was the first day we’ve spoken for longer than two minutes. Only the second time ever. I didn’t know how to bring them up, and because of that, I feel like a fucking dick. They are my
children
, the most important part of me, but I didn’t know how to tell you because I’m so fucking lost around you. That’s on me. Not you.”

She let out a breath, leaning into his hand. “We’re doing this all wrong,” she whispered. Not that she knew what they were doing or whether it would all be worth it in the end. She should just walk away to protect them both. She’d been fine on her own all these years. She shouldn’t need a man to complete herself. Yet she couldn’t walk away. Not until she figured out what this feeling was.

Damn it.

He closed his eyes, his body shuddering. “I know. I just don’t know how to do it right. I’ve never had a mate before.”

“Me neither.” She wanted to curse herself for speaking. Levi couldn’t be her mate. She was
human
. She didn’t want a man in her life. And if she kept saying that, maybe she’d actually believe it.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the door opened right at that moment. Faith turned to see a tall, very thin woman stride through the door, her pinched face narrowing.