Page 6 of Enchanting the Elf
Adelbert lines all the males up—not men—and introduces each to us. He is an elf, Harvey is a minotaur, Edmond a gargoyle, Daehan a grim reaper, Jamie a leprechaun, Jasper a krampus, Erik a selkie, Sawyer a bear shifter, and Rollo is a wolf shifter.
After Everett introduces himself as a dhampir, I stare out the window, letting the sliver of the moon’s reflection shimmering on the dark ocean entrance me.
So much has happened in such a short span of time, and there’s way too much information to take in, so I quietly sit and run through the names again and match them to their species. There isn’t much I can control in the chaos of this situation, but I can attempt not to accidentally offend someone by calling them the wrong name later.
Jamie suddenly blinks into existence in the center of the room with blood streaming from his nose. I didn’t even notice he had left.
What could possibly have happened now?
I gasp at the sight and reach toward him, wanting to help him but not knowing how. My fingers curl back as I look around the room, searching for tissues or anything to stem the flow.
“So, that didn’t quite go according to plan. I swear, I don’t usually have performance issues,” Jamie says with an uncomfortable chuckle.
Adelbert steps in front of Jamie and helps him while someone starts giggling. I still don’t understand what happened, but the laughter spreads and soon even Jamie joins in with bright pink staining his cheeks.
Next to me, Natalie shifts the hem of her miniskirt and studies the tattoos on her thigh. With a deep frown and cherry-red pursed lips, she tilts her head from side to side, and runs her fingers along the pretty overlaid sun, moon, and star design.
“So, not to alarm anyone or anything, but this is new,” Natalie says, pointing to her tattoo.
I look to Adelbert for some kind of explanation, only to find all the color drained from his face and his eyes the size of saucers. My heart starts galloping in my chest at what this could possibly mean.
The women and males pick up on the strangeness of the situation and frantically search their bodies, marking their findings one by one.
Jasper prances over to Natalie with a giant smile lighting up his face.
“Well, will you look at that? Twinsies!”
Adelbert steps into the center of the room once again and raises his voice to be heard. “Could each of you be so kind as to please voice if you have discovered a new marking and said marking’s location? I would like to ascertain if a counterpart could be paired.”
Subconsciously, my hand goes to my ribs where I had the oddest itch earlier this evening, and I instinctively know I’ll find the same tattoo there. I glance up to find Adelbert’s gaze already fixed on me. His right arm is crossed over his chest, resting on his left side, right where mine is. I pull my bottom lip into my mouth, suddenly feeling very shy, and blood warms my cheeks up to the tips of my ears.
Adelbert nods at me and my lips quirk into a timid smile, silently acknowledging what it means.
Chapter five
Adelbert
I am unsure why it surprises me that Florence would be the one to have my matching mark. The moment I saw her, I knew there was something different about her. Some would go as far as saying “special.” However, that is not a thought I can entertain—neither now, nor ever. My future is set in a heavy stone that I carry on my shoulders at all times. It constantly reminds me of my father’s expectations for my life and my lack of choices.
I am an Alberad. It is my responsibility to solve whatever has occurred tonight—on my family’s property—and to sendeveryone back to their homes posthaste. It is my responsibility to not shame the Alberad name. It is my responsibility to keep everyone safe. It is my responsibility to ensure vows of secrecy are given, before we never see the women again.
I clear my throat and the room’s attention turns to me. “It seems that most of us have found a tattoo partner. I am unsure as to the meaning of this, but I shall head to the library to commence research pertaining to this unique predicament and find a means to dissolve the markings that have appeared. I apologize for the inconvenience. Please help yourselves to some refreshments while the males prepare your accommodations. We shall return shortly to take you to your wing. I apologize once again, but I will do my utmost to make sure you are as comfortable as possible while we figure this out.”
My eyes dart around the room, trying to reassure each person present, instead of settling on Florence, who they seem to gravitate toward.
The leader of the group, Iris, stands up and thrusts her hands on her hips. “Lovely speech, Adelbert. And not to knock the wind out of your sails, but before all the males leave, I would like to know what the captain said about us not returning. I hope he understood and is not sending out a search party or anything.”
Fuck.I had already forgotten that we sent Jamie to check on the boat and that he had not yet reported on his findings. I curse myself for getting so distracted. Even though I would like to blame someone, anyone, for my lapse, I cannot.
I chance a glance at Florence, wondering if I will find judgment in her eyes, but those big blue pools are only filled with compassion. She istoonice for this world. I would ruin her. Better to stay as far away from her as possible.
Averting my gaze, I tune into the last part of Jamie’s explanation. “When I went to teleport, I smashed into a barrier of some kind. It’s never happened before. Usually, if I try to gotoo far, I have a stretching sensation before reaching my limit. But this was just like running into a solid wall. Hence the bloody nose and sore arm.”
My brows furrow as I sift through options of what this “barrier” could be. Our wards are not tangible, so it must be something else. It could possibly be connected to the symbols on our bodies.
Before I have a chance to even ask, Everett—being the helpful friend that he is—stands up and walks backward toward the door. “Bertie, let me run down to the beach real quick and see if I can find the problem.”
“Thank you, Everett. That would be most kind,” I say, though he zooms out so fast that my words are lost to the wind. Turning back to the room, I try to come up with a plan that will appease them. “Everyone, let’s remain gathered here until the return of—”
