by Amy Patrick
As soon as the ritual was completed, Nox’s face broke into a beaming smile. “Good job, guys. You did it. Nobody fainted—not even me,” he said too low for anyone else to hear. Then he turned us to face the assembly below.
Lad raised our joined hands high. A swell of cheers and joyful laughter filled my ears. The music began again, and from above, a shower of white flower petals released, making it appear as though it was snowing huge fragrant flakes inside Altum.
The only thing sweeter than their scent was the expression on my husband’s face as he drew me to him for a kiss.
I love you, Ryann.
And I love you. I want to make you so happy, Lad. I want to give you everything.
He drew back and smiled, his eyes holding a playful spark. “I’ll take it.”
Chapter Thirty
Lad
I am the luckiest guy on earth—Elf, human, or whatever else may exist out there.
That’s what kept going through my mind. Finally, finally, I had everything I could ever want. Ryann belonged to me, and I could look toward my immortal future with excitement and anticipation instead of dread.
To the exuberant music and sustained roar of cheering voices, we proceeded from the wedding spire down the path to the palace. Showers of flower petals fluttered about us as we walked hand in hand. They covered the path ahead and got stuck in our hair. Glancing over to see Ryann, her face glowing, her head adorned with a crown of white petals, I was nearly overwhelmed with happiness. My smile was so big it literally hurt my face.
Just before we reached the palace, Ryann swayed a bit in her heels, clenching my hand harder for balance.
“You all right?”
She nodded and laughed. “What was in that drink?”
“Oh no. You didn’t take a big swallow did you?”
“No, I promise—just a sip—but I’m totally feeling it.”
We slipped inside the doors, followed by a stream of wedding guests heading for the great hall.
“Good.” I grinned at her. “Because any more than that would lay you out for the rest of the night—and I don’t want you to miss anything.” Shooting her a suggestive look, I added, “I have plans for you later. You did say you wanted to give me everything, right?”
For a moment we shared searing eye contact. Then the ballroom doors opened, and she turned her head, gasping audibly at what she saw inside.
Happiness swelled in my chest like a sunrise. There was nothing better than pleasing her. “Do you like it?”
Ryann’s fingers came up to cover her mouth lightly as she nodded. “It’s… incredible. It doesn’t even seem like the same place.” She stepped into the room, her head on a swivel as she took in the elaborate decorations.
I followed her through the room while she admired the miles of fine white fabric draping the long banquet tables, the candle-lit crystal chandeliers, the flowers and greenery and candle lights that adorned every flat surface.
“It’s like a fairy tale,” she breathed. “Thank you.”
I leaned down and kissed her cheek, feeling more than a little proud of myself for pulling it off. “You deserve it. You deserve everything I can give you and more. Would you like a drink?”
“Maybe just some saol water. I don’t think I could handle any wine until I’ve eaten. I really am feeling that—what was it called?”
“We just call it Saol. It’s made from the residue of the saol water making process, aged and fermented for a long time. It’s very intoxicating—and addictive. That’s why we use it only for ceremonial rituals and only in the smallest quantities.” I led her to a table where hundreds of glasses sparkled in the warm candle glow of the room. Lifting two glasses, I handed her one. “Here you are. To our future.”
She clinked her glass delicately against mine. “To forever.”
That was our last private moment for a while as a flood of well-wishers surrounded us, and we were obliged to speak a few words to each one. After a short time, the musicians who’d been staggered along the processional path finished setting up as a single group on one side of the room and began playing together as a full orchestra. The music was lively but not too loud. The wedding feast would begin soon. After that the tables would be cleared away for dancing.
The peal of a single bell signaled the beginning of the meal. Ryann and I took our seats at the center of one of the long tables, our families on either side with Nox and Vancia across from us. At my insistence, Ava had stayed for the festivities, but she looked uncomfortable, sitting quietly next to Nox and picking at her food.
Perhaps she was thinking about her next step. After the way she’d helped me and confessed her wrongdoing, it was doubtful she’d be welcome in the Dark Court any longer. I supposed that meant her betrothal to Culley was over as well, if it had even been real in the first place. She had defied his father, making an enemy of him. She’d given up a lot to do the right thing.
You’re welcome to remain here in Altum for as long as you like, I assured her.
She glanced up from her plate and gave me a grateful smile. Thank you, Your Highness, but I’ll probably leave in the morning. Congratulations on your marriage. I know you’ll be happy together.
“So Ryann,” Nox said, drawing my attention his way. “What did you think of your song?”
She gave him a quizzical look.
“The one they played while you were walking in. I call it ‘Ryann’s Theme.’”
“Very original honey,” Vancia teased, patting Nox’s hand.
Ryann’s eyes went wide as she realized what he had done for her, for us. “Oh, Nox, I loved it. Truly. It’s the perfect wedding gift.”
“Well, that wasn’t your actual gift.” He grinned over at Vancia.
She pulled a set of keys from her evening bag and set them on the table in front of Ryann’s plate. Ryann picked them up, her pretty face contracting in puzzlement.
“What is this? This is a Mercedes emblem.”
“Well, I know how attached you are to the old Caddy,” Nox said. “But stylish as it is, it’s not going to last forever. We thought you needed something a little more reliable.”
“And a little less hideous,” Vancia added with a laugh.
Ryann glanced over at me, open-mouthed and wide-eyed before standing up and leaning over the table to hug Vancia, then Nox.
“This is too much. It’s too much,” she said.
Nox waved a dismissive hand. “Nah. Actually, it was entirely self-serving. Now that you have a decent car, you can drive us to the airport.”
Watching the two of them laughing and talking together, I was happy to note a complete lack of jealousy on my part. Maybe spending the past few days eaten alive with a jealous rage had burned it all out of me. Maybe it was just knowing she was inextricably bound to me now by Elven and human tradition.
After dinner, the music turned spirited and celebratory, perfect for dancing. Servants whisked away the tables and chairs, and Ryann and I took the center of the dance floor directly under the great hall’s colorful, glowing mosaic.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” she muttered through a clenched smile.
“Don’t worry,” I whispered. “I do.”
I led her through the steps of one of our traditional dances, and in spite of her warning, she followed me easily. After that she danced a turn with her father and then with Nox while I danced with my mother then hers. Noticing Vancia standing alone, I looked around for Ava but didn’t spot her anywhere in the crowd.
I was grateful when the formalities were finished and I was able to dance with Ryann again. The orchestra must have read my mind because they slowed the tempo and played a romantic waltz-like tune. Other couples surrounded us, but I felt like we were encased in our own private bubble of happiness, moving slowly together, my arms around her, hands stroking the silken skin of her back.
“This is nice,” Ryann murmured, laying her head on my shoulder.
She smelled amazing and felt like heaven pre
ssed close to me. I glanced around, wondering how much longer we’d be obligated to stay at the party. I shaped her waist with my hands, loving her curves, anticipating exploring them at leisure and very, very thoroughly.
She must have been feeling a similar anticipation because she raised up on her tiptoes to kiss me—a delicious appetizer before our wedding night. It took everything in me not to groan loud enough for our neighbors on the dance floor to hear. She drew back and stared into my eyes. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Are you happy? Did you enjoy your wedding day?” I asked.
“It was perfect,” she said. “The best day of my entire life.”
I agreed—almost. “There’s only one more thing I need to make this day the best of my life.”
Her face flooded with pink color. Obviously she’d read my meaning or maybe my emotions, which had to be fully charged and obvious to her glamour right now.
“I know I’ll be relieved when it’s over,” she said, making me bark out a sudden loud laugh.
And the pink deepened to red. “No, I mean the reception—you know, I’ll be relieved when we’re finally alone. I didn’t mean…”
I dipped my head and laughed against her neck, pressing a kiss into it then murmuring against her ear. “Good. Because there’s no way I’m rushing through what comes after this.” I smiled as I felt chill bumps spring up on her arms and heard her breath quicken. “It may be the shortest reception in history, though.”
Her body surged against mine. She kissed me then pressed a feverish whisper into my ear, her fingertips digging into the muscles of my back. “I want you Lad.”
Aaand we’re leaving.
I grabbed Ryann’s hand and started across the dance floor toward the exit, nearly dragging her in my haste to get her alone. I’d been primed and ready for days, for months, but those four words had made it impossible to stay here another minute. Every muscle in my body was strung tight. My blood was raging, my desire for her at the boiling point.
“We can go now?” she asked, practically running to keep up with my pace and obviously confused by my abrupt actions.
I nodded. “We have to go. The bridal suite is ready. And so am I.”
“We’re not going to your room? Wait—where are we going Lad… what have you done?”
“You’ll see.” I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Come on—before anyone tries to stop us—though I doubt anyone’s that stupid.”
Nox was walking into the ballroom as we were sneaking out. He gripped my shoulder firmly, wearing a big smile.
“No one is that stupid,” I repeated.
“You sure when Ava put your brain back together, she didn’t forget a piece or two, brother? I know you’re not bailing on your own wedding reception and leaving me here to hold the bag.”
Out of my way, brother, if you value those straight white teeth—it might be kind of hard to sing without them.
Nox looked from me to Ryann to our clasped hands then laughed and slapped me on the back, sprouting a knowing grin.
“Good point. Okay then, you two enjoy your night—don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I didn’t care what he would or wouldn’t do. I only knew what I was going to do—as soon as possible. I wished him a good night and led my new bride to her room. I stopped at the door.
“Change as quickly as you can—we’re leaving Altum.”
“Okay. Do you want to come in and wait?”
Staring down at her wide eyes and beautiful mouth and the hint of cleavage at the neckline of her dress I considered it.
I released a tense breath. “No. I’d better wait out here. If I come in with you—we may never leave, and you’ll never see all the surprises I have planned.” I leaned in for a brief kiss—that was about all I could take at the moment. “Hurry.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Ava
I didn’t wait for morning to leave. I cut out of the wedding party not long after dinner ended. Not that I wasn’t happy for the happy couple. I was. I just didn’t belong there—not really.
And they certainly didn’t need my help to celebrate the occasion. They didn’t need me for anything. They were surrounded by family and friends. I’d played my role, righted the wrong I’d done to Lad and Ryann, and now it was time for me to go.
I wasn’t any more certain of my direction tonight than I’d been yesterday when I’d ended up at the top of an electrical tower. This time, though, I wouldn’t be seeking to end my life but begin a whole new one. I had no home, no family, no people, but at least I had finally been true to myself.
For the first time in a long time, I didn’t dread catching a glimpse of myself in the car mirror. And maybe Asher had been right after all—maybe it wasn’t too late for me.
After hurriedly packing my belongings, I left Altum and walked to my car. Nosing it out onto the rural route that ran nearest the hidden underground kingdom, I looked one way and then the other. Eenie meenie miney moe.
North. Sure, why not? Having made my choice, I drove past the Deep River city limit sign. Taking the northern route meant driving through the small town, but this time, I did not park at the grocery or cruise the Sonic, looking for a big red pickup truck.
I actually hoped I wouldn’t see him. Out of sight, out of mind was the best policy when you were tempted to want something you would never have. Seeking him out to say goodbye would be like putting a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on the kitchen island while trying to stick to a diet.
It was early evening anyway—he’d probably be at football practice or having dinner, or maybe on a date. That thought curdled in my brain and produced an unpleasant clench in my chest. It doesn’t matter, Ava. He’s not for you. There is no one for you.
I drove past the darkened storefronts on Main Street, the graceful, column-fronted library, the railroad museum. Waiting at one of the town’s three stoplights, I stared up at the steeple of a huge brick church, wondering what it must be like inside, sitting in the filtered light of those tall, multi-hued windows.
Something slammed into my car from the passenger side—the force snapped my head back and caused my seatbelt to compress my chest like a vise as the car rocked onto two wheels then fell back to the ground with a shivering thud. I looked around.
No—wait—there’s no car. What hit me? What’s happening?
The panicked thoughts raced through my mind even as another powerful impact flipped my car. As if tossed by a giant hand, it rolled over and over before coming to a stop on its roof in the middle of the intersection.
I hung upside down from my seatbelt, ears ringing, staring at the contents of my purse, which now decorated the interior of the car’s roof.
And then I saw the fire.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ryann
Lad and I walked hand in hand through the dark woods. Once we’d cleared the palace doors, his pace had slowed—thankfully. My heart rate, however, was even faster than before.
I wasn’t afraid of the woods, or what might be in them that my human eyes couldn’t detect. Lad was with me. He was the reason for my crazy-fast pulse.
The beginning of the forest path was lined with hanging lanterns, candles in glass jars suspended from the tree branches at regular intervals on either side, much like the ones that had adorned the aisle during our wedding. Stars lit the night sky in glimpses where the canopy of treetops broke here and there.
The light breeze was fresh with the fragrances of pine and wildflowers, and the crickets and frogs and cicadas sang their nocturnal ballad, accompanied by the occasional call of a whip-poor-will. The woods had never seemed so magical—or so romantic.
I glanced up at Lad’s candlelit face. He wore a serene smile, ripe with the promise of things to come.
“When were these lights put up?” I asked.
“I may have been a bit of a slave driver today.” Lad winced, but his sheepish grin told me he wasn’t sorry at all. “I’ll give the
servants a few extra days off to compensate when we go on our honeymoon.”
Honeymoon. We were married. It was like a dream.
“And when will that be?” Since our wedding had been unexpectedly moved up, I wasn’t sure quite what was happening with our planned trip.
“During your winter break, just as we planned. You have school, and we have to wait for Nox and Vancia to complete their world tour.”
“Right.”
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t start the honeymoon here at home,” he said. “I’d like for you to move in with me as soon as possible.”
“Yes. Yes, I will. I’ll pack my things tomorrow.” My heart thumped hard in my chest. As far as I was concerned, the honeymoon started tonight. I didn’t care where we were—all that mattered was we’d finally be together. We’d finally be bonded.
As we neared his special tree, deep in the forest, I saw the first of the surprises Lad had planned for me. Fireflies decorated its branches, dotting the leaves all around the treetop hideaway, making it look like the nest itself was glowing.
“No wonder you told me to change out of my wedding dress,” I said over my shoulder, beginning to climb with Lad close behind me.
“That’s not the only reason,” he murmured. “I was ready to tear it off of you all evening—I didn’t want to lose control and have our long-awaited bonding take place in the first closet we came to leaving the palace.”
My laugh sounded high and nervous. My hands were shaking, though I had no fear of falling—Lad would never let me fall. He had my back in every possible meaning of the phrase.
He was about to have all of me, and that thought made me more nervous than I would have believed. I had longed for this moment for ages, it seemed. Now that it was here, I was acutely conscious of the fact that I had no flipping idea what I was doing.
As I touched the edge of the nest, the fireflies lifted and moved higher up into the branches, so only their tiny intermittent lights were still visible, a luminous canopy over our heads, prettier and far more magical than electrical twinkle lights could ever be.