Page 5 of Enchanting the Elf
Adelbert accepts my apology with a nod and matches my pace. “You do not seem to possess any magic of your own, so you would not have been able to undo the wards. I am certain there is an explanation for this. We are approaching another ward now. Please tell me if you experience any odd sensations.”
I ignore the joke about “sensations” that is on the tip of my tongue. Instead, I focus on the placement of my feet on the footpath.
Not being able to help my curiosity, I venture to ask, “Could you tell me how the wards work? How we would’ve been able to pass through them?”
A line forms between Adelbert’s brows and I almost reach up to smooth it away but catch myself in time.
“There is a repulsion charm around the entire island, meant to keep people fromwantingto step foot on it. Then, there is a sound ward that extends to where we met. The strongest wards are placed around the manor to keep it shielded from view. The combination of these wards make the island look uninhabited.”
I swallow and then offer Adelbert a small smile. “I seriously had no idea. Sadie and I only met the other women earlier tonight when we got on the boat. We sailed around before stopping for a picnic on the beach.”
“You are oddly calm for someone who is on an island full of monsters,” Adelbert says and gives me a strange look. I’d like to say I detect concern in his gaze but it might only be curiosity.
“Before I got on the boat tonight, I said it was time I step out of my comfort zone,” I explain. In a quieter voice, I add, “Also, I can’t explain why, I know it doesn’t make sense, but I feel safe around you.”
Adelbert tilts his head and looks at me with a sudden intensity, making a single butterfly take flight in my stomach. “Do you always trust this easily?”
I give that some thought, watching my feet as we weave deeper into the jungle, steadily climbing toward the center. Despite my meek nature, I am not a pushover nor am I naive.
I shake my head. “Nope. Guess you’re special,” I say brightly and shrug one shoulder.
Chapter four
Florence
It’s dark by the time we make it to the manor and Adelbert asks us to take a seat in the living room. He heads over to a group of men standing in the corner. One of them hands him a ring and, right before my eyes, I watch Adelbert’s pointy ears round to a more human shape.
I study the men a little closer and realize they were the ones from the clearing, but they all have a more human look now. No more fur, no horns, no tails. This must be how they blend into society and go unnoticed by us.
“Saved you a seat,” Natalie calls. Dede and I join her and Diana on their cream-colored couch just as Adelbert steps into the center of the room.
Conversations taper off and the tension ratchets up. Next to me, Sadie slips on her mask of unaffectedness and I lean in a little closer, brushing my shoulder against hers to lend her my silent support.
Clasping his hands in front of his body, Adelbert straightens his spine and addresses the room. “Welcome to the Alberad Caribbean Estate. I shall get straight to the point. Your presence on this island is highly disturbing to me. It defies all the laws of our magic. This residence has been in my family for many generations, and our wards have never been breached. The supernatural beings of the world prefer to keep our existence concealed.” His brows contract and something in my chest smarts when he adds in a low voice, “Humans are… unpredictable at best.”
I don’t know what happened in the past to make Adelbert say that, but I know it must be serious. You don’t go to these lengths to keep your whole existence a secret for no reason. I feel awful that we have unwittingly added to their burdens.
The room is charged with nerves, no one daring to say anything as his words hang in the thick air. There’s something pivotal in this moment, like what he’ll say next has the power to alter our lives.
I reach over for Dede’s hand, needing my sister’s touch to anchor me, and she laces her fingers with mine.
Adelbert attempts to arrange his expression to look more relaxed, but the tight set to his shoulders and the way the corners of his mouth pull down give away how much stress he carries. “Our secrecy is both for your benefit as well as ours. It is, therefore, imperative that we determine how you were ableto make landfall upon this island. Until this is concluded, I must insist you all remain here… as my guests, of course.”
Everett steps forward and takes over talking, but I can’t hear him over the rushing in my ears. I sit, completely frozen, as my mind flits through what this could mean.
How long would we have to stay here? What about Sadie’s job? What about everyone else’s jobs?
The men all look friendly enough, but is it wise to stay with strangers—monsters, as they call themselves?
I snap back into the moment as Adelbert runs a hand through his hair, making the silky strands messy with the action, and his other hand flexes next to his thigh.
Adelbert looks each woman directly in the eye and I see so much sincerity in his gaze. “We mean you no harm. I vow by the fates that you are safe in this house with us,” he says, imploring us to trust them.
A deep-seated need to help ease his stress skitters through the cells of my body. I gather all my courage and, to my own disbelief, my hand lifts into the air to catch Adelbert’s attention. “Maybe you can tell us a little about yourselves? I think that will help everyone feel more comfortable,” I suggest.
The look of sheer relief and gratitude on Adelbert’s face makes speaking up in front of everyone worth it. He gives me a small smile and nods vigorously.
“That is a splendid notion, Florence.”
