Alliance of Shadows, Book 5: LEIF

When Silence Ends

Suddenly, the room filled with an energy that tugged at my Sorcerer side—calming, steady, almost like a lull in a storm. The air turned crisp, and Conner shivered hard, small shoulders jerking as he huddled closer to his father.

Out of a thick swirl of mist, a group emerged. At the front stood a woman wrapped in multi-coloured robes that shimmered faintly when the light hit them. Regal as hell, she scanned the room, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"There are a few faces here I know from Covens I rule. What concerns me is the charges brought against them," she said, her voice cutting clean through the tension without needing to rise.

Rowan got to his feet, posture relaxed but respectful. "I bid thee welcome, Danielle, Queen of Witches and Sorcerers. It's a pleasure to see you in good health. Thank you for joining us on this day of reckoning."

"Likewise, King Rowan," she answered, nodding once. "Have you finally stopped fighting destiny?"

He laughed, a muffled sound that shook his shoulders. "You could say that."

"Michelle," Queen Danielle said. The young woman from earlier stepped away from the rest of the group, her steps steady, cloak shifting around her ankles like smoke trailing from a wick.

"My Queen," she replied, dropping to one knee. A dagger rested horizontally between her clasped hands, the blade catching the light with a silver glint. Her head was bowed, but there was no fear in her—only reverence, and a kind of grim readiness.

Danielle turned toward her. "Are all accused parties guilty?"

"Yes, Mistress," Michelle answered without missing a beat. "I was present when the Veritas spell was used by Prince Kaden."

Danielle’s smile was slow, like ice melting into something sharper. "Michelle and Laine, ready your assassins. You’ve my permission to kill all guilty Sorcerers and Witches in this room."

They didn’t hesitate.

The air shifted. I felt it in my chest—pressure, then release. A pulse of ancient magic snapped through the space like a heartbeat out of time. In the blink of an eye, over half the people caught earlier were gone. No screams, no blood. Just… gone. Their bodies disappeared mid-fall, magic yanking them out of existence like they’d never been there in the first place.

Including my birth father.

One second he was there, sitting slouched in the shadows, acting like none of this touched him. The next, nothing but frigid air where he'd been. No ashes. No sound. Just a hollow space that didn’t feel quite real.

And the kids didn’t see a thing. Michelle and Laine moved so fast—so precisely—they had it handled before Conner or Heather even lifted their heads. It was over before it started.

Clean. Final. Unforgiving.

Those that remained fell directly under Rowan's authority. He looked over at me and gave a slight nod. I already knew what he was going to do now that the political barrier had been taken care of.

Celestia glanced down at my aunt with a smirk. "Rayna, you can come see me later for that annulment, honey."

Danielle let out a soft laugh. "Forgive me for interjecting like this, Druid High King Rowan. When my Lead Assassin reported that a survivor had spoken out, I sent her to confirm the rumors we'd been hearing. Once she advised me of the facts, I knew I had to act. That, together, we would work as one to set things right for both the Supernatural and Human populace."

I looked across the room at the girl from earlier—the one who’d just cleaned house like it was routine. She was casually wiping her blade with the edge of her cloak, gaze distant, like she was already two steps ahead of everyone else. She looked lethal. Not just skilled—honed. Like someone who’d been trained for war and never stopped sharpening.

Rowan shook his head and gave a half-laugh. "No worries, Danielle. I’m grateful for the assist."

"Well, we’ll be off and out of your hair, then. Cece, darling, we absolutely must meet for tea again soon," Danielle said with a little grin. Her tone had relaxed, like the battle was over and something lighter could stretch its legs again.

A mischievous light sparked in my mother-in-law’s eyes. "It’s your turn to buy this time, Danni."

Danielle nodded, then raised one hand. Her people gathered quickly at her side, no words needed. A soft hum filled the air as the transportation circle lit beneath them—warm, pale blue light spinning outward before they vanished all at once. A breath later, the glow faded like it had never been there.

I turned to face the Sages, catching the sight of my aunt quietly brushing tears from her cheeks. My uncle, Harper, sat close by, his shoulders tight, shifting his weight like he couldn’t figure out what to say or whether he should say anything at all.

Standing, I handed Conner to Dreson and walked to the middle of the room. Sitting with my back straight and my legs crossed, I smirked at my brother-in-law.

"I willingly submit meself for questionin’."

Kaden didn’t move right away. His expression tightened a little, voice low.

"It's not going to be easy, Leif. I don't want you hating me for this."

I met his eyes, "No one’s gonna hate ya for doin’ the job ya were born t’ do, Kaden. Not Dre, an’ not me. I’m done hidin’. Done lettin’ ’em back me into keepin’ quiet." My hand pressed down against my knee, grounding myself. "They came after me kids—that’s where I draw the line. Just ask me straight-up questions, I’ll answer ’em."

He gave a small nod, eyes steady now. "If you're sure, brother."

And there it was. My heart clenched so tight I nearly lost my breath. Brother. Not bro. Not casual. Not distant. It wasn’t loud, but it landed like thunder in my chest.

For the first time, he said it like he meant it.

Watching as Celestia’s eyes misted over, I calmly placed my hands on my lap, squared my shoulders, and nodded.

Rowan already knew Seamus’s answers had sealed the fate of all the guilty Druids, but he understood why I had to do this. "Are you strong enough for this, Leif?"

"To put an end t’ this farce, aye, I am," I replied. "This’s somethin’ I need t’ do—somethin’ that’s gotta be done. Me child’s life were threatened, so this ain't just about me anymore. This’s about all the wee ones that didn’t make it out—all the little souls who never got the chance at a better life."

Not realizing his power still pulsed through the room, that his spell remained in effect, Kaden gently asked a direct question. "Do you feel guilty for not speaking up sooner?"

The spell surged through me, its heat blooming in my chest as he waited for an answer. Ah, I thought, so this is what bein’ on the receivin’ end of Kaden's power feels like.

"Aye, I certainly do," I said. I wasn’t just here for me—I was here to protect what still could be saved.

"Fine, let’s get this over with," he grumbled, clearly not wanting me to relive it all again. "What’s your name?"

"Leif Sloan Robertsson," I said.

Kaden's eyes flicked to his brother, who gave a small nod. We'd kept my middle name secret from him—always felt too... feminine. Not that being like a girl was bad or anything. I just didn’t want to give anyone more fuel for the fire.

Seeing his hesitation, I gave a crooked smirk and leaned in a bit. "Remember the time I accidentally dumped that pot of cold water on you? Well, it weren’t no accident."

He turned to me, the haunted look he'd been wearing already buried beneath that familiar hardness in his eyes. The kind of determined strength that said I had triggered his defensive streak, but I wanted to prove I could. That I was strong enough to handle speaking my truth.

Kaden growled, muttering under his breath about hoping I delayed answering just to see me squirm. "You asked for this, Leif."

Yes, I thought. Yes, I did.

"You recently started writing about your past, about all the hell that was forced on you," he started. "Was the main reason behind your treatment the fact that you were gay or was there something more to it?"

"Not initially. See, me da hated that I came out a Sorcerer instead o’ the Druid he’d been hopin’ for," I answered.

Sliding his gaze to my mother, he asked, "Did your mother ever try to protect you from the beatings?"

Shaking my head, I said, "She just told ’im not t’ mark me in spots that’d bring the police or Child Services knockin’. And she’d remind ’im—repeatedly—that they’d lose the child benefit if I ended up dead. In fact, they’d oft leave me locked up in the basement a-while."

“How long?” His eyes blazed with the kind of fury that would have made anyone else squirm. I heard the squeak of the wicker chair my mother was sitting in, resisting the urge to look back at her.

Just for a moment, I allowed myself to hesitate. The heat of his powers surrounded me in a steady, pleasant warmth. It sank in beneath my skin, loosening a knot I hadn’t realized I was holding. Soothed, I relaxed a little more. “I didn’t rightly know, to be honest. Could ‘ave been hours, might ‘ave been days. I just know there was no food or water while in that Gods awful place.”

More questions came—straightforward, pointed. I answered each one without pause, without needing to think. I could feel the tendrils of his power brushing through my aura, careful but unrelenting, searching for any sign of a lie, no matter how small. But the temperature of the Veritas Scorcha he’d used didn’t change.