by Leia Stone
He sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I’m so tired, Lily. I’ve been doing this for so long, and I’m tired.”
I couldn’t get the image of him with his mother out of my head.
“What’s wrong with her?” I whispered. “Your mom.”
His face pinched. “Cancer. Though we think it started because she sleeps too close to the crystal I have for my brothers.”
My heart wrenched at that. How to keep these two worlds one, so a family like this could live together?
“She stays in her room now, which I’ve lined with tourmaline and shugnite. They’re stones that absorb the fae crystal’s energy, giving her a safe space to be human.”
I’d had no idea any Earth crystals could do that. “But she still has cancer?”
He nodded, exhaling. “Yeah. Last year, we tried Western medicine. Chemo and surgery and all that. It didn’t do much.”
How awful to be in your early twenties and have to take care of five younger brothers while also watching your mother slowly die. At least my mom had gone quickly. As awful as that was, I was grateful that moment hadn’t been dragged out.
“Remember the healing stones Kira gave us?” he asked.
My heart sank into my stomach. “You didn’t…”
He nodded, clearing his throat and wiping his eyes. “I thought Mara might have been lying. I gave her one, and she got worse.”
“Liam.” I reached for him.
He stood, brushing off his pants. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
He was far from fine—it was written all over his face.
“And your dad, he won’t help her at all?” I felt stupid for asking, but surely, since they had had all these children together, he would care for her wellbeing.
Liam barked a laugh. “My father came to Earth twenty-two years ago and met my mother. Seduced her, swept her off her feet with his magic and power and promise of undying love.”
I stilled, not daring to say a word. I needed to hear this story, especially after Indra had told me some of it.
“Their first son died on Earth; they didn’t know about the crystals or any of that. My dad tried to bring my mom to Faerie when she was pregnant with me in order to keep me healthy, and she got sick for the first time.”
My heart pounded in my throat. I was suddenly so overcome with emotion.
Liam looked haunted by some memory. “He had no choice but to come to Earth and take one of the crystals to keep me alive.”
I kept quiet, not sharing my opinion on the matter. That wasn’t important right now.
He sighed. “They were really happy for a few years. My mom said he was a powerful fae, but also like any other doting husband and father. He cooked, cleaned, and cherished her.” A cloud must have passed over the moon, because shadows danced across his face now. “But then he changed. He got restless. Asked my mother if she would mind if he took other lovers, had more children. He started talking of plans to grow the ‘Halfling’ race.” He used air quotes over the word Halfling.
I frowned. I couldn’t imagine. You think you’re in a happy, monogamous relationship with someone, and they pull that shit on you. I’d freak out.
Liam started to pace the carpet, hands clenched at his sides. “He broke her. I saw my vibrant, loving, happy mother reduced to constant tears. She allowed him to do whatever he wanted in order to keep our family together, and it ate her up inside.”
A tear rolled down my cheek. I wasn’t a mother, but I could understand putting myself through pain for the happiness of someone I loved.
“He started to stay away longer, and we found out he had multiple families. So finally, on my fifteenth birthday, we all ran away.”
Whoa. That was a lot for a fifteen-year-old to take on.
He didn’t speak for a long moment.
“What happened?” I asked.
He swallowed hard. “He found us…and nine months later, my littlest brother was born.”
Shock ripped through me. What was he saying? His dad had…raped his mom?
Adrenaline was rushing through my body. “How did you get away?”
His eyes met mine and glowed a silvery blue. “I Seeked my first crystal. Brought it home for my brothers, made a few fae friends who were also in need of a crystal, and started my own little resistance.”
Wow. He’d built an entire life by himself from the age of fifteen, all while taking care of his sick mother. I didn’t know what to say.
“All fae should have access to the crystals,” I said aloud. It was true. Light, dark, horned, winged—we were all the same, and just as I wouldn’t deprive any human of air or water, we shouldn’t deny any fae from the life-giving source of energy that flowed through those crystals.
“You’re just now figuring that out?” He gave me a lopsided grin.
I chuckled. “Yeah. I guess.”
I stood, swaying a little, and he reached out and caught me. When his arms gripped my elbows, he tucked his face in my neck, inhaling my scent.
“I fucking missed the way you smelled.” His voice was gruff, and his breath tickled my skin.
Heat traveled down my neck to my navel, and my belly warmed. “What do I smell like?” I was entranced by him, always. My body ached for him to touch me, to kiss me.
“Flowers. Vanilla. Home.” His lips trailed my collarbone as he clasped my upper arms tightly.
Suddenly, something stirred in the room. “You fucker!” Elle shouted from behind us, and we broke apart quickly to see her holding her head, wincing in pain.
Liam shrugged. “You were armed to the teeth and peeking in my windows. What did you expect my guards to think?”
Elle grimaced. “Touché.” Then she looked at me. “Did you ask him for help finding the next crystal?”
That was Elle, always right down to business.
I looked at Liam, and he just seemed tired.
Taking a deep breath, I let the word vomit come. “So…there is a Seeker stone in Central Park that keeps saying to come here, but I knew you lived here, so I tried to avoid it, but there was an earthquake, and the queen is getting sicker—”
“The queen?”
Oops. Maybe it was for the best that more people knew about the queen. Especially since I suspected Indra of something fishy regarding her.
“Yeah…so, the Queen of Spring is still alive and in a deep sleep. Once I restore all twelve crystals, she will restore Faerie.”
Liam’s face relaxed for the first time since we’d gotten here. “So you do have a way to restore Faerie…”
I nodded. “And when I do, you and your brothers and whoever else can come live there.”
Elle sucked a breath in at the same time as Liam. It was basically treasonous, what I’d just said. I didn’t care.
“They’ll kill us. They hate us.” Liam shook his head in exasperation. “You can’t be that naïve.”
I straightened my back. “I have favor with the queen. She will grant me this one wish. I’m sure of it.”
Especially if I was waking her up and saving the world, right? I didn’t even know if she was nice, but I was hoping so.
Liam scowled. “And why would she listen to you?”
Okay, time for the big bomb drop. “I’m her niece. She and my mom were half-sisters. We didn’t end up with any royal magic, but we’re still family, and she’ll listen to me. I’m sure of it.”
Liam’s gaze sharpened, as if realizing something, but then he shook himself. “And my mother? Who will take care of her while my brothers and I live in Faerie?”
Fuck. The linchpin.
“I’ll figure it out. You just have to trust me.” Silence descended over the room. “Help me find the other crystals, and I’ll make sure your family and friends are safe. Forever.”
He sighed. Sunlight filtered into the room, and a little boy’s laughter could be heard just beyond the hallway. People were waking up. It was now or never.
“Liam. Trust me.”
It felt like th
e air had charged with electricity as Liam and I locked eyes.
Finally, he sighed again. “Okay. You want to meet everyone?”
My heart melted into a puddle before Elle stepped in front of me. “After I get an ice pack and some pain tonic,” she growled.
Liam chuckled. “Pain tonic on Earth is called Advil.”
Elle waved him off, opening the door. “Whatever. I’ll take five.”
We moved into an open living room, where five sleepy-faced boys, ranging from about five to fourteen and all carbon copies of Liam, sat on the couch. When they saw us, they stiffened.
“Hey, guys…” Liam seemed unsure of what to say. “These are my fae friends. From Faerie.”
The littlest one gasped. “Fae from Faerie are bad,” he said, snuggling into his older brother, who watched me with a suspicious gaze.
I shot Liam a look. Who was a stereotyping asshole now?
He laughed nervously. “Not all of them. Lily and Elle are good people.” He pointed to each of us as he spoke so that they could learn our names.
A boy who looked about seven stood. “Good people who can cook pancakes?”
Elle grinned. “You get me an ice pack and Advil, and I’ll make the best pancakes you ever tasted.”
The boy grinned. “Deal!”
He tore off into the house, and Liam watched Elle with an unreadable gaze, like he hadn’t been sure until now that she was a normal person who wasn’t hell-bent on murdering him.
The fourteen-year-old stood, wings snapped out as he stretched his hand forward to shake mine. “I’m Tye.”
I shook it and smiled.
“That’s Cain, Colton, Trever, and the one who went to get the ice is Brian.”
I waved to them all.
“And our mommy is Larissa,” the littlest one, Cain, said. “Is she awake? Can I lay with her?”
Liam nodded. “Sneak in and be quiet. See if she wants pancakes.”
I felt like I was living in an alternate reality. I followed Liam into the kitchen, where he wrangled four of his brothers into chairs and made the oldest help him get juice for them before showing Elle where the eggs and pancake mix were.
Domestic Liam was sexy.
Thirty minutes later, we were all finishing our fresh pancakes, after hearing a riveting story about the similarities between the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom and the Pokémon fandom. What the fuck were Pokémon? I had no clue, but I listened, nodded, and laughed when everyone else did so I didn’t look stupid.
Liam scrambled some eggs and poured cereal into four bowls, which caused me to frown. Everyone had just eaten a ton of pancakes—how could these boys possibly eat more?
“Will you help me?” he asked, juggling two cereal bowls in each hand. Elle and I swooped in and carried the eggs and cereal to the front door, which he opened. It led out onto a large front porch.
I froze, and a little bit of milk sloshed over the edge of the bowl from my abrupt stop. Elle did the same beside me. Five Sons of Darkness sat around a small coffee table, smoking and chatting.
Liam set the eggs down on the table. “How did the night go?” he asked them, indicating that we should also set the bowls down. “Any more surprises?”
A strikingly handsome fae with small black horns protruding from his head glared at us. “You mean besides them?” His gaze flicked to Elle.
She all but threw the bowl of cereal before him. “Are you the one who hit me?”
His eyes roved up her body slowly, causing a blush to creep onto her cheeks, but he didn’t answer her.
“That was a misunderstanding,” Liam told everyone. “My friends forgot to mention they were stopping by.”
Smooth. Although no one seemed to be buying it, and each use of the word friend punched a hole into my heart. We were soulmates. Hell, I would even take fuckbuddies or ex-girlfriend right now, but friends? Ouch.
“Do these friends have a purpose here?” the one who hadn’t answered Elle asked before picking his spoon up and shoving cereal into his mouth.
Liam ran a hand through his blond hair, and I wondered if he knew how sexy it was when he did that. Probably not. “My friends and I have an arrangement. We get to keep our crystal if we help them find the others.”
Friend. Again. Kill me.
Every single one of the Sons started to talk over each other at the same time, and a lot of words were flung, a few of which sounded like that’s bullshit, just kill them.
Elle’s hand went to her sword, and I felt my palms heat up.
“Enough!” Liam shouted, and everyone fell silent. “Haven’t I gotten us this far? You just need to trust me.”
Sounded familiar.
Five sets of dark eyes glared at my friend Liam.
“It’s them we don’t trust,” the horned guy said, glaring at Elle specifically.
“Likewise.” She crossed her arms and pinned him with a glare.
Liam sighed. “Cam, cut it out. I need you to come with me and scout. I need the rest of you to protect my family. Can you do that?”
They mumbled their consent, and Cam, the horned asshole who had it out for my bestie, drained his cereal and stood. “Where are we scouting?”
Liam sighed. “My dad’s island.”
The place where we both almost died? Oh, great. Good plan.
I was so glad I’d asked for Liam’s help. He was going to get us killed.
After renting a boat, the four of us headed out to Orcas Island, off the coast of Bellingham. Cam—whose name, I’d learned, was short for Cameron—and Elle glared and sniped at each other the entire time.
“So, this is who you were with for those few weeks?” Cam glowered out of his hoodie at Elle and me.
Liam just nodded, gripping the wheel of our rented speedboat.
Cam looked at Elle. “I’m his Seeking buddy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, I’m sorry I stole your friend for two weeks. Grow up.”
I cleared my throat loudly. “So, how did you and Liam meet?” I screamed over the passing wind, the chill biting into my skin.
He and Liam shared a look, and they both broke into a grin.
Cam relaxed back into the seat, putting his arms behind his head. He was like a darker, more emo version of Liam. Black hair whipped around his small horns, and his eyes were so brown, they almost looked black as well. When he smiled, I gulped at the slightly elongated canines that pressed onto his lip.
“Nine years ago…was it nine years?” Cam looked at Liam, who steered the boat across the river and closer to Orcas island.
“Eight,” Liam corrected him, and they both started to laugh.
Cam nodded, “Eight years ago, I was selling faerie crystals on the black market.”
My stomach tightened, and Elle growled. Faerie crystals. My faerie crystals? The ones my mom died looking for?
“Yeah, yeah, get over it. We do what we have to in order to survive,” Cam snapped. “So, I went to this site to make the drop-off with my client, and Liam ambushed us. Stole the crystal, and we almost killed each other.”
Elle and I both frowned. “What part of that story is funny?”
Cam couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. “The meetup site was some remote farm. When Liam stole the crystal, my client took off, and since I never got the money, it was up to me to retrieve the package again.”
Liam slowed the motor, and I could see the island off in the distance.
“He tried to run through the barn, but I tackled him,” Cam said. “And we both landed in a huge, steamy pile of cow shit.”
Elle relaxed next to me, and I felt my own lips turning up in a smirk. “Well, what happened?” I asked.
Cam shook his head. “I was thirteen. What do you think happened when I fell into a pile of cow crap?”
Liam laughed uncontrollably, and I felt myself relishing that sound. Seeing him with his friends and family had changed me. I wanted him like this all the time. He was light and bright and normal.
“You went f
rom black-market thief to barfing punk in two seconds,” Liam chided.
“You vommed, too!” Cam said, pointing at him.
Liam rolled his eyes. “I have a strong gag reflex.”
“Eww. You both were covered in shit and throwing up?” Elle shook herself in disgust.
Cam nodded. “So we stripped down, streaked out of there in our boxers, and became best friends.”
Liam bobbed his head. “And every year for his birthday, I take him out into the barn and make him scoop cow shit, just to keep him humble.”
Cam flipped him off, and they both laughed.
Wow. This version of Liam—Liam 2.0, who had friends and smiled—was my favorite.
“Get down!” Liam suddenly called out. “We’re here.”
Both Elle and Cam pulled swords and flattened themselves to the boat deck. I crouched onto the seat and peered over the top of the boat.
“I don’t sense any crystals…do you?” Liam asked.
Oh, right, I was a Seeker with abilities. Idiot.
I had been so engrossed in Cam’s story that I hadn’t used my power. Taking in a deep breath, I conjured the crystal in my mind’s eye—the way it felt, looked—then sent my feelers out and tried to see if anything pulled.
Nothing.
No pull, not even a knock in the gut to tell me there was one even remotely close. I shook my head.
“Looks like they’ve left,” Cam said, and pointed to an empty dock.
Liam sighed. “My father has hundreds of properties. He could set up his ‘new world’ in any of them. He only needs three crystals, and I’ll bet he has them.”
I frowned. “Hang on. I have eight, you have one. He had three, last we were here, and you took two. He should only have one.”
Liam shook his head. “Think of my father as a mafia boss. Nothing moves on Earth without him knowing. He has his finger on the pulse of the fae black market constantly. He’ll have snatched up the other two.”
I shivered. “What about those people he stole them from? Will they be okay?”
“Hah! You care?” Cam sneered from his place crouched on the deck.
“Maybe I do!” I shot back. “And maybe that’s in your best fucking interest, considering I’m going to get all twelve crystals eventually.”
