Page 3 of Enchanting the Elf
I sweep my gaze around the clearing and tilt my head to the side to get a better look at the foreign flowers. They grow in a trail from the edge of the ward down toward the beach.
A loud gasp comes from behind Everett’s back and the woman in pink whispers, “Are you like a faerie or something?”
My eyes instantly flick from her to the woman in front of me, expecting some kind of negative reaction. I am surprised to find her demeanor still calm, if not curious as she studies my pointed ears. Her smile is like sunshine that pierces through a stormy cloud and I suck in a breath before schooling my features again.
The one behind Everett keeps babbling, and I arch my brows at her.
Raising her hands, the talkative one says, “But I promise you, we won’t say anything. Seriously. We’ll just be on our way and—”
“Enough!” My voice comes out harsher than I intended, though I appreciate the efficiency with which it halts her speech. “I can sense that there are other humans on this island. I have no idea how that is possible, but we cannot allow you to leave until we have the answers as to how you were able to sneak this far onto the island. Especially without me detecting it.” Realizing I might be scaring them more, I gentle my voice. “We mean you no harm. But since we are unsure of what forces are at play here, it is for your own safety that I request you and your companions come with us up to the manor, and then I’ll answer someof your questions.”
The talkative one steps out from behind Everett and, with more attitude than I care to deal with, asks, “How can you ‘sense’ the others? If only my sister and I saw you, don’t you have to be concerned about only us? The others don’t even know anything.”
Everett points toward the beach. “The ‘others’ are actually headed this way as we speak.”
The woman in pink turns in the direction he pointed and tries to see what he means, as if her human senses could pick up anything from this distance.
“I can’t see anything,” she says.
“I can hear them approaching. They’re quite… rowdy. Sounds like a fun party.” Only Everett would see that as a positive and crack jokes at a time like this when the secrecy of monsters could be at stake.
We go to great lengths to ensure our safety from humans. I have studied warding and magic for years in order to keep the mere existence of monsters hidden.
“More like an assault to the senses,” I mutter and glance back at the pretty sister who has been standing quietly watching the scene unfold.
“There you are! We were wondering where you ran off to,” a woman calls. I presume she must be the leader of the group as seven others trail behind her.
“Who are these guys?” another woman asks. Distrust rolls off her in waves and hits me square in the chest. I am glad to see there is someone with a sense of danger in the group.
Needing to reassure all ten of the women that we mean no harm, I step forward and place my hand on my chest. “Ladies, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Adelbert Alberad. My family owns this island and, by proxy, I am therefore responsible for your safety. It has come to our attention that you have inadvertently breached our security measures, and I would like to ascertain how that may have come about. If you would be so kind as to follow me up to the manor, then we can discuss this matter further, and possibly alleviate any concerns you might have.”
No one says anything for a couple of seconds and then laughter bursts forth as they talk over each other, making it clear they do not intend to follow us anywhere.
My eyes bounce between the women, trying to figure out a way to make them see sense. I swallow hard and run a hand through my hair as nerves claw up my throat.
How did they even get onto the island? How am I going to fix this?
Just when I think it cannot get any worse, I turn, only to see Harvey’s curved horns parting the curtain of leaves behind me and bursting into the clearing, soon followed by the rest of the group.
Chapter three
Florence
I gasp as beings I thought were only fictional come through the foliage behind us. My hand flies to my mouth and my eyes round, not wanting to look away from the different species entering the clearing.
My eyes register horns, wings, tails, and fur, but my mind can’t make sense of any of it.
“Oh, fuck. Shit just got interesting, don’t you think, sparkles?” the man called Everett says to Dede. He smirks, and a hint of a fang pokes out.
I step closer to the man with the pointy ears and platinum-blond hair. I think he said his name is Adelbert. The stress radiating from him is almost palpable and my hands ache to comfort him. He doesn’t look like the type to easily accept hugs from strangers though, so I’ll just lend him some silent support.
The men—magical creatures?—don’t scare me. They have a boisterous kindness to them that is evident in how quickly they stop when they notice all of us.
The two groups pause and watch each other—human women on one side, magical creatures on the other—no one daring to make a move.
Just when I think the tension might snap someone in half, Everett says loudly, “Now it looks like a party.”
Taking the lead, Adelbert steps into the middle with his hands raised in a nonthreatening gesture. I can’t help but notice his long, elegant fingers and an unbidden lustful thought enters my brain when I think about how they would feel on my body.
