by R. E. Butler
She reached the end of the path and handed the bouquet and Mimo to Hadlee. Brody grinned at her, his eyes shining with happiness as he took her hands and faced her.
Her heart was pounding, but she’d never been happier. The journey they were on now had taken too long to get started, but oh how sweet it was to be standing with him on the beach at night, with the waves lapping at the shore and the full moon overhead.
“Welcome everyone, please be seated,” Mother Gibson said. “When two such as Brody and Delaney find each other, it’s something to be celebrated. They were destined to find each other. The events of their lives—good and bad—have brought them to this place tonight, under the moon and the stars, to join together as husband and wife. This is the start of a new chapter of their lives together, and a journey that will be full of love and laughter. And magic.”
She winked at Delaney who smiled in return.
“Brody Desmond Carmichael, do you come today of your own free will to join in marriage to Delaney? Do you promise to protect her with your life, to love her with every ounce of your being, and build a life with her full of passion and heart?”
“I do.”
“Delaney Evelyn St. Charles, do you come today of your own free will to join in marriage to Brody? Do you promise to protect him with your life, to love him with every ounce of your being, and build a life with him full of passion and heart?”
“I do.”
Brody smiled sweetly at her, his hands tightening on hers.
Mother Gibson called for the rings. Venice gave Brody her ring, and Kinsley gave Delaney his ring. Delaney and Brody had bought matching bands—a smooth platinum circle with their names and the date inscribed on the inside.
Delaney repeated after Mother Gibson, “With this ring, I thee wed.” She pushed the ring onto his finger, her eyes stinging with happy tears.
He repeated the phrase and put the ring on her finger. He was smiling so sweetly at her, his eyes filled with love and devotion.
She’d truly never been happier.
“Brody, you may kiss your bride.”
He let out a soft growl and pulled her into his arms, lowering his head to give her a kiss that left her senses reeling.
“Mine,” he whispered against her lips.
“Yours,” she promised.
“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Brody Carmichael.”
Their friends stood, clapping and cheering. The newlyweds walked down the path and into the lighthouse for a few minutes of private time while dinner on the beach was set up.
“You look so beautiful,” he said, hugging her tightly and burying his face in her neck. “I fucking hated being away from you all day. I don’t think I slept ten minutes.”
She chuckled and leaned back, pressing her palm to his face. “I didn’t sleep well either. I missed you so much.”
“Well, we don’t have to be away from each other like that again.”
“Good.”
He smiled down at her, his hands tightening briefly on her waist. “I love you, Mrs. Carmichael.”
She beamed at him. “I love you, too, Mr. Carmichael.”
They spent a little while longer kissing and talking about their upcoming honeymoon, and then they joined their friends at small tables set up on the beach. They feasted on hers and Brody’s favorites, ending the fabulous meal with a two-tiered red velvet cake decorated with pink flowers.
Venice had loaned them his classic convertible for their trip up to Rhode Island for their honeymoon. He and her friends had adorned it with ribbons, bows, and bells, and a huge sign attached to the back that read, “Just Married.”
As they drove away, Delaney turned and waved, smiling at Kinsley who was holding the bouquet and getting teased by Hadlee about being the next to be married.
“I can’t believe we’re married,” Delaney said as she turned in the seat and adjusted the belt over her shoulder. She leaned over and rested against him with a happy sigh.
“Me either. It was fast and slow at the same time, you know? Like, I felt we waited way too long to get together, and then here we are less than two months after we mated, and we’re married.”
“The universe has an interesting sense of humor,” she replied.
“Indeed. Are you happy, sweetheart?”
“One thousand percent. You?”
“Over the moon, I promise.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the top. “Ready for the next chapter of our lives to begin?”
“Absolutely.”
* * *
Their final night in Rhode Island, Brody took her to dinner and dancing at a winery on the water. They were served a five-course meal with small glasses of wine paired perfectly with each course. After they’d eaten their fill and toasted their marriage with a glass of raspberry champagne, they danced to a live band. They took requests, and Brody asked them to play the song they’d danced to at their wedding. She’d loved that part of the wedding the best, when they both took their shoes off and danced at the water’s edge, and the chance to recreate it on the last night of their honeymoon was so special.
After their amazing meal and turns around the dance floor, they went to visit the local coven, led by Frida. Their coven had seven members, all in their thirties and forties, except for one young witch who was nineteen. Delaney had heard from the owner of the bed-and-breakfast that the coven had a greenhouse and cultivated special plants for their spells, so she’d called and made an appointment to visit at night, and they’d been happy to accommodate her unique situation.
“Welcome, I’m Frida,” a middle-aged woman with short blonde hair said when they walked into the Rhode Island Magical Goods store. The quaint storefront had a wooden sign hanging over the door and smelled sweetly of herbs and minerals.
Delaney introduced herself and Brody as she shook Frida’s hand. “Thank you so much for allowing us to come visit after hours.”
“It’s my pleasure. Come and meet the coven, and then enjoy the shop.”
She met the other six members of the coven, and then took her time walking around the store. The coven was locally famous for their greenhouse, which she got a guided tour of from the head gardener, Josie. She purchased several potted plants that she knew Kinsley and Hadlee would love, as well as several plants to spruce up Mimo’s tank.
“These are so beautiful,” she said, stopping in front of a display with candles of every color, shape, and size. She filled a canvas shopping bag with candles for use during their ceremonies, from pillars to votives. She paused in front of a selection of non-magical scented candles and picked up one that was a beautiful ombre of dark to light blues. She gave a sniff and smiled.
“Oh, it smells like the ocean!”
“That’s my favorite,” the coven’s head candlemaker, Almirah, said with a smile. “It’s very popular.”
“I bet.”
Brody leaned over and sniffed it. “Smells great.”
She put it in the bag, and he carried it to the counter. “I love your shop. I wish my coven was here.”
“Bring them along next time,” Frida said.
The candles were all wrapped individually and packed into a decorative box, except for the ocean one that was put into a box by itself. Once they’d made their purchases, Frida invited them to have tea in the greenhouse, in a special corner designated as the tea garden. Delaney loved the tea made with elderberries. Brody had confessed to never having cared much for hot tea, but he’d enjoyed the elderberry tea immensely. They’d both raved about it so much that Frida gave them a container of dried fruit so they could make their own.
After saying goodbye to her new friends who promised to visit when they next came down the coast, they headed back to the bed-and-breakfast to enjoy the evening on the back porch overlooking the water. They headed to bed before dawn and were up and packing before the sun set.
Their time in Rhode Island was over far too soon. The bed-and-breakfast that catered to vampires was charming in every sense of the word
, from the quaintly named rooms inspired by classic romance novels, to the traditional breakfasts served after sunset. She and Brody did all the activities at night they could find—biking and hiking trails, boating, swimming, and spending time on the beach. Everything she normally would’ve done during the day, they were able to do at night thanks to the local community who made sure there was plenty to do after the sun went down.
While they’d had a fantastic time away—even Mimo had enjoyed being in a different city and exploring when they were out and about—she was looking forward to being home.
She opened her messages to send a note to Kinsley and Hadlee that they were on their way home.
Safe travels, Hadlee replied.
Be safe! Are you coming in tomorrow at all? Kinsley asked.
No, I’ll be too tired from traveling. I’ll stop in after the sun sets tomorrow night. Do you need me to do anything?
Not at all, but the familiars are missing you.
I can’t wait to see you guys, and the animals, too.
See you tomorrow night!
“Everything okay at the rescue?” Brody asked.
“Yep. Kinsley said the animals miss me.”
“That’s sweet. Do you have appointments for any of them next week?”
“Someone’s coming in on Tuesday from New York, and then on Friday I have a small group coming from a witch school in Virginia to check out the familiars.”
“A witch school?”
“There are a few witch schools around. Usually they’re run by a coven. I never went to a traditional witch school, but I did go to some week-long camps when I was younger and got a taste for what they were like.”
“You don’t have to go to one to be a witch, right?”
“No, there’s no witch license or anything, but it’s a way to learn all the basics, and usually they offer specialty classes like growing herbs or candle making. There’s probably not a vampire school, right?”
He laughed. “Not really. The coven ran a school so that vampires didn’t have to contend with human schools, and along with the regular activities we learned about being a vampire, like how to feed from a human without killing them and how to fight. But there’s no actual vampire school.”
She yawned, and he planted a quick kiss on the top of her head. “Mrs. Carmichael, I can’t wait to get you home.”
“Me, too, Mr. Carmichael. It’s been a wonderful honeymoon.”
“Perfect.”
“Just like you,” she said, leaning up to peck his cheek.
“I’m in excellent company.”
Chapter Nineteen
The fall equinox came upon them quickly. Brody had never paid much attention to the changing seasons or the celebrations associated with them, but since Delaney and her friends cast spells four times a year—on the two solstice and two equinox dates, as well as other times—he found himself paying closer attention. He wasn’t a warlock, so he couldn’t actually participate in the spell casting, but he was excited and curious to watch and see what his sweetheart did.
He found her power over animals fascinating. It was easy to see how closely she was connected to the familiars, who followed her around like she was the pied piper.
“So tell me how tonight is going to go,” he said as he leaned against the counter in the bathroom and watched her braid her hair.
“Mother Gibson is joining us, and we’ll all meet at the overlook where you took me when you proposed.”
His brows rose. “Is that a particularly magical spot?”
“No, it’s just my turn to pick where we cast our spells, and I thought it was a great place. The view is spectacular, it’s private, and it has special meaning for me.”
He grinned. “I love that.”
She beamed at him. “I thought you might. You’re the first non-magical person to be part of our celebration. I’m so glad you want to be part of it.”
She turned to face him, and he pulled her a little closer, inhaling her sweet scent. “Of course I do. It’s part of who you are. There isn’t any place I’d rather be than with you tonight.”
Rising onto her toes, she linked her fingers at the back of his neck and kissed him. “Mother Gibson is joining us so that we can call the Corners, which are the four elements of nature—water, fire, air, and earth. While my power is over animals and related specifically to familiars, I’m linked to the water element, which makes me the West Corner. We’ll form a circle, each of us will call on the guardian of the Corner, and then we’ll cast our individual spells. I’m casting a spell to bring more familiars to us. After we’ve cast our individual spells, we’ll cast a blessing for our rescue and one over our coven for health and protection. Hadlee has herbs and plants for us to bless so they’ll perform better for spells. And then we’ll close the circle and be done.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
She looked at her watch and said, “We should probably get on the way. I promised to pick up firewood for the bonfire, and we have to go to Chelsie to get it.”
Chelsie was thirty minutes away. “Why do you have to go to Chelsie?”
“Because we use nine different types of wood in the bonfire, and Mother Gibson has all of them but hazel.”
“Hazel tree? Like hazelnuts?”
“Yep. There’s a park in Chelsie that has hazel trees. We’re going to collect some branches to put into a bundle for the fire.”
“Why are there nine different kinds of trees in the bonfire?”
They walked out of the bathroom, and she sat on the bed and put on a pair of black shoes. She was wearing black leggings and a long black top that reached the middle of her thighs. She had minimal makeup and had a few inches of silver bangles on both wrists and several rings on her fingers.
“Each tree has different magical properties. Like oak symbolizes abundance and hazel symbolizes wisdom.”
He hummed. “Every day I learn something new from you. It’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you’re such an eager student.” She wiggled her brows as she rose to her feet, and he let out a gruff growl.
“Sexy female,” he whispered, drawing her close. “Do we have to leave right now?”
“Yes, you horn dog,” she said with a laugh as she pushed from his arms. “But hold that thought for later.”
“You got it.”
In the family room, she handed him Mimo’s travel habitat and a satchel for the wood. She carried a small box with candles that she’d picked up from their honeymoon and matches out to his SUV and set them in the back with the satchel. He placed Mimo’s carrier on the center console and then shut the door once Delaney had sat down. He started the SUV and waited while she put in the directions for the park, so they could collect the hazel tree branches, and then headed out.
“It feels like we’re going on a quest,” he said.
“Oh?” she asked with a laugh. “I’d say that’s a pretty accurate description of our task.”
“Would your spells not work right without all the different kinds of woods?”
“They’d work, but the wood helps the spells to be stronger, and it’s energizing for us to be around them, too. Like it revitalizes us.”
“That’s cool. Vampires don’t have traditions like witches do, so I’m glad you’re letting me have a peek at what you do.”
“I wouldn’t feel right if you weren’t there with me. I wish you could be part of the circle, but just having you on the outlook will be wonderful.”
“I’m excited to see what it’s all about.”
They reached the park, and he stopped the SUV. She used a flashlight to guide them into the woods, picking out the hazel tree among the others. “My mom liked hazelnuts,” she said as she bent and picked up sticks from the ground underneath the tree. “She especially liked chocolate hazelnut spread on toast in the morning.”
“Do you like them?” he asked, following her lead and gathering sticks.
“Yes and no. When she was alive, I didn’t like them at
all. But it’s nostalgic for me, so every now and then I like to have some hazelnuts or a smear of the spread on toast or crackers.”
He thought that was really sweet. And he could relate. “That’s how I feel about raspberries. My mom loved them, but I always turned my nose up at them. Now I like the smell of them because they remind me of her.”
Delaney smiled at him and then shook the bag, peering inside with the flashlight. “I think we’ve got enough. We’ll tie them in a bunch when we get to the outlook.”
They were on their way back to Sable Cove a few minutes later.
“We’ve never really talked about starting a family,” she said.
“I guess not. Do you want to?”
“Yes. But we’ve only been married a few weeks. I keep wanting to broach the subject with you but then I think it’s too soon, maybe? I don’t know.” She let out a little laugh.
“I don’t think it’s too soon. Everyone has their own schedule on what’s right for them and their family. I’d love to have a baby with you whenever you’re ready. If that time is now, that’s great. If you want to wait a bit, that’s okay, too.”
She turned in the seat and put her hand on his forearm. “I’d like to have a baby with you. More than one at some point. I always wanted a big family since I’m an only child.”
“Me, too. We can have as many as we’d like. We’ll just add on some more rooms if we need them.” Their house plans included the master suite and three bedrooms.
“Sounds good to me.”
“What made you think of babies?” He glanced at her and found her smiling.
“I can cast a spell for myself or us as a couple. It’s like a blessing. We’ll all do one. My original thought was to do a general happiness spell for us, but since we got married I’ve been thinking about having a baby, so I think I’d like to do a spell for a child. It won’t get me pregnant right away or anything, more like asking the universe to allow us to be blessed with one.”
“I think it’s a great idea.”