Fierce Enchantment

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Now that the Conclave was in its own sense of disarray, thanks to the backstabbing and betrayal that culminated in Faith almost dying, he was now free to spend time in the wizard and human realms again.

  Only it wasn’t so easy to step back into a life that he’d given up for the full year since he’d met Faith.

  He’d left his responsibilities as a royal blood member, a wizard prince, behind.

  He’d also left his daughters behind.

  He sucked in a breath, rubbing his hand over his heart. Juliana had been eight and Arya four when he was forced to join to better his family and people or risk losing them anyway.

  The Conclave did not take no for an answer when they demanded you to be part of their ranks.

  Levi had left his daughters and the woman he’d married to save their lives and the lives of his people. When he was forced into the Conclave, they’d taken him from his home and his family. They wouldn’t let him see his girls or watch them grow. He’d been forced to step away from everything he loved because if he hadn’t, the Conclave members at the time would have taken out their wrath on Juliana and Arya.

  Now he was back, and they wanted nothing to do with him.

  Not that he blamed them.

  Between them and Faith, he was fighting an uphill battle, but Levi never gave up—even if the odds seemed insurmountable.

  Instead of finding a broom or car to get to the girls’ home, he made his way on foot. Cars streamed around him, and flying brooms zoomed overhead. The wizard realm reminded him of a mix of present day and futuristic London. Many buildings were far older than his parents, yet newer developments popped up daily. People were free to use their magic here with varying degrees of power. The only humans in the realm were the ones mated to wizards—though that was rare as a human’s lifespan was finite. A mating bond did not prolong lives but merely tied two individuals together in a melodic blend of harmony and connection.

  Faith would be different because of the lightning strike the Conclave had produced a few years ago. He had been too late to change the fates of those women, but now that he knew Faith was his mate, he was relieved he wouldn’t have to watch her fade away of old age.

  Of course, she’d have to fully mate with him for that to be the case, but that was a whole other matter they’d deal with later.

  The Hughes’ castle glowed in the distance, and he did his best to ignore it. His parents and siblings lived there, ruling the wizard realm, not with an iron fist but close enough to it that he was never sure if he’d be able to take over when he was older.

  When the Conclave had come calling, the choice was taken from him.

  Now that the rules were changing with the fall of the benevolent ones, he wasn’t sure what he’d do next.

  Lynn, his ex-wife, had a large home outside the castle where she raised their two children. She’d wanted to live in the castle and have servants wait on her hand and foot, but his parents were smarter than he’d given them credit for. They understood Lynn’s true nature, though they hadn’t taken Levi’s girls from her grasp.

  The woman Levi had married had been sweet and part of a family that should have been a complement to his own. He’d done his duty and formed the contracts that would allow peace and a future. He hadn’t realized he’d married a shrew who wanted only power and fame.

  His parents wanted the woman close to keep an eye on her and watch over Levi’s children, their grandchildren, but they weren’t warm enough to take and raise the girls.

  Levi had no choice in leaving them, but now that he was back, he didn’t want to stay away too long.

  Tonight, he was allowed to visit and take his girls to his home. He hoped that things turned out better than the last time.

  It seemed he was forever wishing along those lines lately.

  He knocked at the front door, steeling himself for the accusations and barbs. As soon as he could, he’d get his girls out of there. Lynn might have custody at the moment because of his duties with the Conclave; however, now that things were changing, he’d do his best to keep those he loved safe. Even if it took everything it his power—and as a prince of the realm, he had a lot of power.

  The door opened, and Lynn stood there, her pointed nose up in the air. She glared at him, folded her skinny arms under her small breasts, and sniffed.

  “You’re late,” she snarled.

  Funny, he didn’t mind when Faith snapped at him, it just showed him that Faith could handle herself, but when Lynn did it? Hell, no. Lynn only did it to try and belittle him or get what she wanted.

  “I’m not late,” he said calmly. Yelling never got him anywhere with Lynn, and she relished it.

  “The girls have been waiting. If you’re going to take responsibility now that you’ve suddenly found yourself back in the realm, then don’t fuck it up.”

  He fisted his hands at his sides, trying to calm himself. “Let me in, and we’ll be out of your hair.”

  She narrowed her eyes then took a step to the side, just enough that he’d have to brush against her when he walked in. His body revolted, wanting the one person he couldn’t have, the one who didn’t want him because she didn’t know him.

  “I’ll need more money, FYI. The girls have trips coming up.”

  He nodded, ignoring her, his gaze riveted to the two girls in front of him. They were mini versions of him, something Lynn hated. She’d wanted little blonde dolls, not children.

  Instead, she got little girls with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes—his miniatures.

  Juliana sniffed at him. At ten, she was starting to look more like the young woman she’d one day become. She’d been old enough to remember when he left, something he knew would haunt him until the end of his days.

  Arya, his six-year-old baby, gave him a shy smile then shuffled toward him.

  “Hey, girls,” he whispered, lowering to one knee, his arms outstretched.

  Arya sank into him but didn’t speak. She hadn’t spoken a word to anyone since he left Lynn two years ago. He’d done it to save them, but now he wondered if he’d made a mistake. He’d risked everything to protect those he’d loved, and now he had to pick up the pieces. He wasn’t sure why Arya didn’t speak, and no one who had looked into the problem discovered why, but the divorce and his subsequent departure made as good a sense as any. He’d help her. He’d hear her sweet little voice again. He had to.

  Juliana didn’t come to him and didn’t look at him. Arya held on to him as though she was afraid he’d walk away and never come back.

  He could only hold back the emotions warring within him and make a vow that he’d fix this. He’d fix everything he’d broken when he was forced to make decisions that he hadn’t wanted to make but didn’t regret.

  Levi was a royal wizard, and he was also a man. A man who made mistakes and now had to face the tattered remnants of what he’d left behind.

  His daughters were only a small part of it. Faith, and how she’d fit in his life, were the next parts.

  If only he could find a way to fix it all.

  That was his purpose, so he had to achieve it.

  Fix it all.

  Chapter Three

  “I can’t get over how long your hair is!” Becca said then gripped Faith in a bone-crushing hug. She pulled back, her smile bright and tears in her eyes. Her long red curls bounced around her face, and she cupped Faith’s cheek. “I’ve always loved you with that black bob of yours, but this new length is fantastic, too. You look great.”

  Faith tried to smile, but she was pretty sure it came out as a snarl. Yes, her hair was longer. That’s what happened when she didn’t cut it for a year because her body had been useless.

  Becca’s smile dimmed, and she took a step back into Hunter’s waiting arms. The wolf glared over his mate’s head, but Faith just raised her brow. Her mate might be a wolf that had been trapped in hell fighting for his life, but she wasn’t in the mood to deal with any dominance games right then.

  Today was Faith’
s first day she was officially back. And in celebration, Dante, her friend, dragon shifter, and bar owner, had closed his bar, Dante’s Circle, to the public. All six of her lightning-struck friends were there for the lunch celebration. Those with mates and children had brought them as well.

  It was turning into a regular Mommy & Me meeting.

  She closed her eyes and took a few steps back until she could lean against the wall. She shouldn’t be thinking things like that. She actually liked children. She loved her friends, even if she didn’t always show it.

  Except, right then, she wanted to be any place other than where she was, and she hated herself for that.

  She’d been asleep for a year.

  She’d lost so freaking much, and she didn’t think the others understood that.

  Yes, she was alive, and she had the people in front of her to thank for that—as well as a man she would not think about just then. However, she wasn’t sure they understood the ramifications of their decisions.

  It shouldn’t anger her that she’d missed so much. She should be grateful that she was even alive, but she wasn’t. Instead, all she felt was resentment that the others had moved on.

  And what a bitch that made her.

  It wasn’t their fault that she’d been stuck in a coma, unable to live her life and follow the ins and outs of the group. At least no one had mated while she was asleep. She wasn’t sure she could have dealt with all of that new change.

  As it was, Jamie and Becca had given birth to their daughters.

  And Faith had missed it.

  “Faith? You want a drink?” Amara asked, sliding up to her. The others had moved on in their conversation, giving Faith the space she apparently needed, but Faith wasn’t sure what she should do next. What was going on in her life didn’t make any sense, and her head ached like a motherfucker.

  “I think I want many drinks,” Faith said, her voice low.

  It hadn’t mattered that her voice had dropped though, considering the company she kept. Except for her, Amara, and Eliana, the others were now paranormal creatures with excellent hearing. The others turned to her with varying expressions of pity.

  Great. Just what she needed.

  Eliana, a fiery redhead with a temper almost as bad as Faith’s, stood up and strolled over to Faith’s side. “You want to head back home?” she asked, not bothering to lower her voice.

  Nadie let out a breath, looking for all the world as though Faith had kicked her puppy. Nadie’s mates, Dante and Jace, frowned, and Faith wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

  Only she could ruin her welcome back party by being a bitch.

  She just needed to suck it up and pretend to be happy.

  The thing was, she was happy. She loved the fact that her friends were getting mated and growing into their powers. Lily, Jamie, Becca, and Nadie were not only in love and happy, but they were also strong women in their own right, despite the fact that they were mated. They didn’t bow down to the men in their lives.

  So yeah, Faith was happy for them.

  She was also having a pity party for herself, and she hated it.

  Faith let out a breath and shook her head. “I’m fine. Really. It’s just a little overwhelming, but I’m staying.”

  Eliana searched her face then nodded. “Good.”

  “I’ll get you a drink,” Dante put in and got up from the table, kissing Nadie’s and Jace’s temples on the way up.

  She followed the dragon to the bar so she could have a little space before she had to jump into the fray again.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Dante asked as he made her drink. He flicked his tongue ring over his teeth, his focus on the drink in front of him.

  Faith studied the dragon and held back a smile. Nadie had sure lucked out in the mate department. Between Dante’s blue-and-black hair, usually long enough to touch his very firm butt, and Jace’s golden locks that put people in most shampoo commercials to shame, Nadie had two very sexy men. Dante was built, tattooed and pierced, and a fierce dragon. Jace was even bigger and a bear shifter with a smile and love of honey. Seriously, if Faith hadn’t loved her Nadie as much as she did, she might have been jealous. Of course, her tiny blonde friend had ended up turning into a succubus once she’d unlocked her powers, so maybe the men were the lucky ones considering Nadie’s sex drive. The two powerful male paranormals were…virile enough to satisfy any of Nadie’s needs.

  And that was enough thinking about the triad in bed.

  “I’m fine, Dante,” she finally answered. “Really. Just a little out of it. But I promise I want to be here. If I didn’t…well, you know, I wouldn’t be here.” That much was the truth. At least that’s what she told herself. She tried not to do things she didn’t want to do because she wanted to be her own person. But if her friends needed her, she’d be there in a second. She hoped they got that.

  Dante handed her the drink and studied her face. “If that’s what you think, then yes, I get it.” He swallowed hard, paused for a moment, and Faith blinked. She’d never seen the man look so lost for words before. He was old, older than many civilizations, and usually had a good head on his shoulders.

  “What is it?” she asked, not liking the look on his face.

  “I’m sorry for what my mother did to you,” he said, his voice low, pained. “I…I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough to save you, but from the bottom of my heart, I wanted to thank you for saving my Nadie’s life. And I wanted you to know that you will always have me by your side if you need me. I am in your debt, Faith.”

  “As am I.”

  She stiffened and turned at Jace’s voice. She hadn’t heard him sneak up on her.

  “We’re good, guys. I did what any one of you would have done.” She didn’t want to talk about this anymore. She’d lived through the memories over and over again until she could literally go through each movement without thinking about it. She didn’t want to relive the fire and death again.

  Didn’t want to see Jace’s brother die in her mind again.

  “You’re stronger than you think you are,” Dante said softly, and she took a deep gulp of her drink.

  She swallowed as fast as she could, but the burning in her throat and behind her eyes made her head hurt. “I…thanks. And I don’t really want to talk about what happened, okay?”

  The two men nodded, and she scurried away, hating herself for needing space. She’d died. But she wasn’t ready to face that yet.

  Wasn’t ready to face a lot of things lately.

  “Want to hold Kelly?” Lily asked, her eyes bright. She’d cut her hair in the last year so the normally long, brown strands now reached just to her shoulders. It was a good look on her, and from the way her angel mate, Shade, stared at her when she wasn’t looking, he loved it too.

  Faith looked down at the toddler in Lily’s arms and smiled. She couldn’t help it. It didn’t matter that the last time she’d seen Kelly was when she was seven months old. Now the full-on toddler looked like a real little person, rather than a baby. Faith had missed so much, but she wasn’t about to miss any more of these babies’ lives.

  She could feel the smoldering resentment over her situation, but she wouldn’t take it out on the innocent.

  “Hello, Kelly,” Faith said, her voice soft. She held out her hands, and Kelly leaned over without a second thought.

  Faith’s heart felt as if it was about to burst. The child leaned into Faith, sticking her nose between her shoulder and neck and inhaling. Faith giggled.

  Straight up giggled.

  Lily’s eyes widened, and she laughed. “I think Kelly is trying to scent what you are,” her friend said with a smile.

  Faith ran a hand down Kelly’s back and paused. “No wings?” Kelly was an angel like her daddy, rather than a brownie like Lily.

  Every single person in any realm was at least some part supernatural. Humans were a product of interspecies breeding and dilution of DNA. Usually when two supernatural species mated, the dominant gene would win o
ut in their child, and that would be what the child would turn into. With two dominant genes, it meant that children of the same parents could be of two different species. In Kelly’s case—as well as the rest of the children of the lightning-struck—their mate or mates would be what their child turned into. Faith and her friends were special cases so it wasn’t as if their DNA was strong to begin with, in the supernatural aspect.

  If there wasn’t a dominant enough gene after centuries of cross-breeding, the cells would lie dormant. That was how humans popped into existence all those years ago. When the Conclave—the secret governing body of the paranormals—wanted to try an experiment, they’d struck Faith and her friends with lightning to see what would happen.

  Life and death were the result, and now, each of them had been thrust into a world Faith didn’t truly understand, even if she tried every single day. She didn’t like feeling as though she was the weak one of the group, even if that was exactly what she was.

  Their new lives each held its own ups and downs. They developed their new powers until they not only found their mate but also slept with them. Now wasn’t that just a kick in fate’s pants. If they found their mate but didn’t sleep with them, their bodies would revolt. Some cases weren’t so bad, and they would feel only a slight weakness. Sometimes, like had occurred with Nadie, their bodies would start to shut down.

  Faith wasn’t sure what would happen to her since her bond had been formed in an entirely different way and she hadn’t slept with Levi.

  Her body warmed at that thought, and she pushed the feeling away.

  She would not think about Levi today, damn it.

  “Kelly’s wings are hidden right now,” Lily answered, and Faith blinked rapidly to clear her thoughts. “Like with Shade and Ambrose, her wings can go into her back and be hidden from the human realm. Shade is helping her shield in case she forgets since she’s so young.”