Alliance of Shadows, Book 5: LEIF

Rayna’s Arrival

I turned as Kaden stuck his head into the doorway, his eyes hard, a dangerous glint flickering in them. Without a word, he reached out, handing me a folded note before leaving to guard the kids again.

Something in his gaze told me he knew something I didn’t.

Glaring down at the paper, I unfolded it, my pulse quickening as I scanned the scribbled words inside. My entire body froze as realization struck like ice—Seamus had been inside the house.

Dreson walked over and took the note from me. He shook as he read it, his grip tightening, his eyes darkening with rage as the meaning behind the jagged handwriting sank in.

"Where was this found?"

"Yer brother just handed it te me," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "Mam, I really ‘ave te do this now. Seamus really was tryin’ te kidnap Conner. He just wasn’t countin’ on Heather bein’ keen enough te stop ‘im. Our little girl saved her brother, Dre."

Angry, and rightly so, Dreson motioned for Cece to cover her ears before he bellowed his brother’s name.

Kaden stuck his head back in the door after a few minutes, his expression tight with frustration. "Don't yell. It hurts my ears, and the kids might hear you. Conner brought it over to me in the playroom, saying that the bad man dropped it when he was showing him a magic trick. Dude, I feel like freaking crap. I used a magic trick to win over Logan."

"Oh, baby, the difference is you weren't trying to kidnap him," Cece replied, her voice steady as she scanned the note. She took a breath before reading it aloud. "I've got your boy. Turn yourself over to us, and we will set him free. If not, he suffers as you did. S. M."

A heavy silence settled over the room. The weight of those words pressed down like a suffocating force, dredging up wounds that hadn’t fully healed. Dreson's jaw clenched, his fists tightening as he took in the meaning behind Seamus’s message.

He almost had our boy, but his sister saw through the deception and acted quickly, stopping Seamus before he could lay hands on either of our children.

I watched Kaden’s face harden even more as he shot a glare at me, but his brother clouted him in the head. "Hey!"

"Hey yourself, brat," Dreson growled. "He’s not to blame for this. None of us knew those bastards were gonna pull this s**t. Don’t you dare take it out on Leif, got me?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kaden muttered. "Still, how the hell didn’t we notice him in the house? I was running laps when I heard Conner yelling at him."

"That wasn’t Con, Kaden," I said quietly. "Conner was knocked out when Heather pushed ‘im into th’ playhouse. He wasn’t arguin’ with Seamus, ‘cause he doesn’t like te go in that area o’ th’ yard. There’s somethin’ there that scares the heck out of ‘im, so he won’t set foot in th’ far-left quadrant."

Wide-eyed, Cece turned her gaze to me. "Are you saying this Seamus character can do things others can't? How is that possible?"

"He's Tainted," Dreson supplied, his voice steadier than my nerves. "Mom, this just went from bad to worse."

Kaden frowned at me, wincing. I already knew the reference he was about to make was going to get him slapped again, so I stepped closer before he spoke.

"So, if I’m following the family genius right, this Seamus dude is something like Pennywise from IT?"

Dreson's eyes flickered with a flash of fear before he quickly reined in his emotions. "Gods, I hate horror movies. Yes, Kaden. Tainted cheat the magic system using sacrifices to obtain abilities. Abilities like masking themselves entirely, making themselves look and sound like someone close to their target, and they…" He trailed off, his expression shifting. "Oh Gods. Why didn't I see it before? They usually take years to watch their target and learn their routine. That’s how he knew when and where the kids would be. He’s been tailing us for years, and no one noticed."

"Probably since we met with me parents," I said.

Shaking, I ran out of the room and down the hall to the playroom. Throwing open the door, I watched as two little heads whipped around to stare at me.

"Papa, are you okay?" Heather asked. She was sitting at her little tea table, a doll and a bear occupied two of the other three chairs. Her brother sat in the third, coloring in his new book with a focus that belied his four years.

"I'm fine, Princess," I murmured as I sat on the floor between them. "Before today, did either o’ ye talk te that man before?"

Conner shook his head. "P-Papa, h-he looked just like our daddy at f-first. He s-s-said I had to go with him to s-s-see Mommy."

"I told you that we can't go see them anymore, Con." Heather scolded. "Daddy and Papa will take us to their place of rest soon. Right, Papa?"

“Aye, me sweet lass.” I pulled her close as Conner climbed into me laps. "When th’ time comes, there’s gonna be some people askin’ ye two some questions ‘bout what happened. I want ye te tell th’ truth. Don’t leave anythin’ out, okay? Doesn’t matter what they ask, ye ‘ave te tell th’ truth. By th’ way, who fed ye lunch today?"

"Grandpa brought us McDonald's," Heather said dutifully. She slipped from me and moved over to the bin, pulling out two crumpled Happy Meal boxes.

So, that was why we never heard from them for something to eat. Rowan had fed them for us. I blinked, wanting to be angry about the treat neither Dreson nor I had agreed to, but Rowan loved being the fun grandparent, so I let it slide.

"That’s okay, honey," I whispered. "I’m just glad ye two are safe ‘n’ sound."

Biting back my tears, I held them close and watched them color the same picture together.

Feeling someone watching me, I turned my head toward the door and saw Sage Rayna standing there. Her eyes scanned every detail, and I knew from experience and the deeply saddened look on her face that she had arrived as the bearer of unwelcome news.

"Rayna," I said.

Both kids twisted their heads to stare at the young woman. Heather sucked in a breath, seeming to understand what the woman’s arrival meant.

Conner gasped. "Pretty lady."

Snapping her gaze to me, Rayna smiled. "Leif, luv, I really ‘ate te do this te ye, but I ‘ave te question th’ children. I ‘eard what ye said te ‘em, and I’m pleased te know ye’re teachin’ ‘em th’ benefit o’ bein’ honest."

Good. At least she would be diplomatic about it. I’d dealt with her before, so I knew how she handled kids, and I was certain she wouldn’t try putting words in their mouths.

"Thank ye, Rayna," I whispered. "But what ‘bout facin’ th’ Council?"

Shaking her head, she said, "Thankfully, Rowan an’ I talked ‘em into lettin’ me question ‘em first. This way, I get th’ true version. Straight from th’ mouths o’ babes, as they say."

"I understand," I said, hugging them once more before getting to my feet.

"Would ye like te see th’ questions?" Rayna asked, holding out the rolled parchment she conjured. I took the paper to look them over.

They were simple and straight to the point.

"Thank ye," I whispered, handing them back.

The woman grinned at me. "Despite Harper’s lack o’ tact, I’ve seen enough te know that ye’d never bring harm te those ye love an’ who love ye in return. I never did doubt yer ability te heal, Leif. Ye just needed th’ right person te be there te help it along."

I returned her grin with my own. "Aye, an’ Dre is me perfect match. Did ye know I’m gettin’ married?"

"Are ye? Well, when this is over, come find me so we can make that happen," she giggled. "I’m registered te officiate weddings, so ye don’t ‘ave te worry ‘bout that."

Did I just step into an alternate universe? Was someone hiding somewhere with a camcorder, waiting to pop out and say, Gotcha!?

Not knowing how to deal with this added information, I looked at her and tried to think of something to say.

"Leif, there’s somethin’ else ye should know goin’ forward, an’ I don’t want ye te shut me out o’ yer life or anythin’. I ‘ad nothin’ te do with it directly, but there was a raid ordered by th’ High King this evenin’. I only just found out meself, but I can’t bear te ‘ide th’ truth from ye, cariad," Rayna said as she followed me out to the hall.

Her heeled boots beat out an unsteady rhythm, each tap echoing in the narrow corridor. She was nervous—more than nervous. I'd spent enough time learning how to control my powers with her, so I knew her ticks. The way she avoided my gaze, how she kept smoothing the front of her black dress pants. A heavy sigh left her lips, and I caught the shine of tears glossing over her eyes.

"My ‘usband was found doin’ things considered heinously abusive. They’ve been captured an’ are in th’ holdin’ cells o’ th’ Sage Tower. I wanted te apologize for what’s been done te ye. I just don’t know where te start," she sobbed.

Swallowing, I stared at her for a minute longer. "I don’t know what te say, Rayna. How did ye not notice?"

"I was always so busy with me Sage work an’ th’ local hospice I ran that I never bothered te question it when ‘e went te th’ country te visit ‘is friends. I’m sorry, Leif. If I’d known somethin’ was amiss, I would ‘ave fought te protect ye. Te protect all th’ children those bastards ‘urt," she replied.

Even high-ranking members of our society were involved? Simply wonderful.