He’d been an infant. It would have been far too soon to tell if he was incantu. But his father couldn’t have known that. “They didn’t want me to grow up on Endla. That’s all we can know for certain.”

Stepan nodded slowly. “I suppose you must be right. I’m so sorry. If I’d known, I never would have moved here.” He hung his head, looking so sad Jaren thought his own heart might break.

“It doesn’t change anything,” Jaren said finally. “I’m still your son. My sisters are still my sisters. And my birth parents were right: I didn’t belong on Endla.”

“But what about the girl, Leelo?”

“She didn’t belong there, either. I don’t think anyone truly does.”

A moment later, the girls emerged from the bedroom. Leelo was clad in a russet dress of Sofia’s, who was shorter than Leelo but nearly the same size. Her hair was loose with a few scattered braids throughout. Tadpole’s doing, no doubt.

Leelo’s beauty took his breath away, as it always did, and once again he had the feeling that she was not of this world. Even in the morning dimness of their house, she drew the light to her. It shined off her fair hair and translucent skin. She wasn’t meant for Endla, perhaps, but he wasn’t sure she was meant for Bricklebury, either. A fae kingdom, perhaps.

She blushed, and he realized he’d been staring. “You look beautiful,” he said, even though he knew his sisters were watching and judging.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “So do you.”

Jaren ignored Summer’s blush, Story’s wide eyes, and Tadpole’s snort of laughter. “Come on,” he said, taking Leelo’s hand. “Let’s go find your brother.”

Chapter Fifty-Six

Leelo’s heartbeat quickened when they came over a rise to find a lush green meadow spread before them. A blonde girl and a smaller, dark-haired figure were tending to a row of beehives. The girl waved and turned to help the smaller figure remove the netting covering his head.

Story had explained how Tate came to be with Lupin’s family on the walk over. “I was out searching for Jaren one day when three incantu children materialized from the forest,” she’d said. Tate, Violet, and Bizhan. She’d gone to Lupin for help, not knowing who else to ask, and together they had found temporary homes for the other two children. Meanwhile, Lupin and Tate had bonded, so her parents had agreed to take him in.

When Tate looked up and saw Leelo, he came running across the field at full speed, nearly knocking her over with the force of his embrace. She covered Tate’s head and face in kisses until he’d finally had enough and gently pushed her away.