by Lisa Shearin
“I have. By the way, they’re not talking—at least not the two who are still alive.”
None of the Khrynsani shapeshifters had been killed by any of our guests—including my family, which was a major accomplishment. As soon as they knew there was no escape, eight of the shapeshifters had swallowed poison. Two had been knocked unconscious before they had the chance. The fake Edythe had been one of those taken alive.
Phaelan came in and closed the door. Quietly. “By the way, congratulations on bonding with your new mother-in-law last night.”
To hell with the pain. I smiled. We had bonded, and those memories made me unspeakably happy.
He held up a bottle.
I held up my hands. “No, no, no.”
“It’s not hair of the dog. You drank from Justinius’s cellar. I couldn’t steal anything that good. It was good, wasn’t it?”
“Very.”
“Damn. I hate that I missed it.”
“What’s in there?”
“For me? A noxious and vile brew. For you, the thing that’s gonna get you down the aisle.”
“Do I want to know what’s in it?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You sure that won’t poison me? I’ve had it with poisons. Besides, Mychael would kill you.”
“Mychael would be at the front of a long line. And most of the people in that line could turn me into something with eight legs. If it makes you feel any better, it’s Tarsilia’s recipe.”
I took the bottle. “It does.”
“I thought it would. I’m here to be the man who keeps the bride from throwing up on her silk shoes. As to being here early, I knew you’ll soon be overrun with women intent on getting you fed, bathed, dressed, and ready. You like these ladies and wouldn’t want to bite their heads off, so I got here early with what you need to keep your friends.”
I took the bottle. “How much of this swill do I need to drink?”
“A couple of shot glasses’ worth. And definitely do them like shots.” He flashed an entirely too bright smile. “Toss ’em back so you don’t throw ’em up.”
“Lovely.” I uncorked the bottle, took a sniff, and willed my stomach not to flip. “You were with Markus and Brina when all hell broke loose last night. What happened?”
Phaelan’s smile broadened into a grin. “I helped.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask. What did you help do?”
“Protect and defend the director of elven intelligence.”
“A shapeshifter went after him?”
“Oh, hell, no. One thought about it, but changed their mind.”
“I take it the ring of rapiers surrounding Markus changed it for them?”
Phaelan nodded proudly. “Brina and I make a good team.”
I shuffled over to my bedside table in search of a glass. “So it’s ‘Brina’ now, is it?”
“I think she likes me.”
“How do you know that?”
“She hasn’t tried to kill me yet.”
“For you, that’s a promising start.”
Phaelan shrugged. “I’ll take it.”
I tossed back the first dose of Phaelan’s—excuse me, Tarsilia’s—hangover cure and my entire body promptly spasmed to get rid of that nasty concoction.
“Yeah, the first dose is always the worst,” my cousin said. “Go ahead and toss the next two back and I promise you’ll start feeling better.”
“Tarsilia made this.”
“Yes, Tarsilia made this. Trust me, it works.”
The only alternative to trusting Phaelan was killing him for making me feel even worse, which until now I hadn’t thought was possible. I wasn’t up to killing, so that left trust. I didn’t think my taste buds survived the next two doses, but the rest of me did. And true to Phaelan’s word, I started feeling better. Immediately.
“Wow.”
My cousin was nodding and smiling. “Wow is right. Today of all days, I would not steer you wrong.”
I stood up straight and actually felt like it. Within another minute, the pounding in my head stopped, and I didn’t have to squint against the little bit of light that I’d been barely able to stand. I might never taste again, but considering that less than five minutes ago, I’d felt like I was weakly scratching on Death’s door, it was a small price to pay.
There was a knock at the door and I didn’t clutch my head and drop to my knees. It was a definite improvement.
“I may live,” I said. “Thank you.”
Phaelan came over and actually gave me a peck on the cheek on his way out. “Just remember to do the same for me on my wedding day.” He didn’t give me a chance to ask what he meant by that before he opened the door. “She’s all yours,” he told Tarsilia and Alix as he left.
My friends took one look at me with identical expressions of horror and disbelief. They looked amazing. I did not.
Alix was wearing a stunning gown of pale blue that set off her blond hair and blue eyes to perfection. Tarsilia was wearing robes that befitted her new station.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Alix noted.
Tarsilia stuck her head back out in the hall and told one of the Guardians on duty outside my room to get Dalis down here now. I heard boots running down the hall. Even if Justinius hadn’t already announced the new members of the Seat of Twelve, I think that Guardian would have run just as fast to carry out Tarsilia’s order. I didn’t even try to stop her. While I knew Mychael loved me unconditionally, I didn’t want to put it to the test in front of all our friends, family, and guests. I didn’t want to see anything except love in his eyes when he lifted my veil.
Dalis came, did her usual exceptional work, and left. The area around my right eye was still tender and slightly blue with bruising—which would turn lovely shades of green and yellow over the coming days—but at least it was no longer black.
Between Tarsilia’s hangover cure, Dalis’s healing work on my eye, and a hot bath—I emerged looking and feeling almost lifelike. The silk confection of a gown that Alix had made for me completed the illusion.
I may not have felt my best, but I certainly looked it. Cuinn Aviniel’s gift was a completely deactivated, detached, full-length mirror allowing the bride to admire herself to her heart’s content. And admire I did.
Vegard was waiting outside my room to escort me to the chapel. He was attired in his formal Guardian uniform. My eyes went a little wide at the dozen identically uniformed—and armed—Guardians with him.
“An honor guard, ma’am,” Vegard assured me.
I scooped up my bouquet of blades and blooms. Tarsilia and Alix were right behind me. “To make sure the three of us don’t get into any trouble on the way to the chapel?”
He took one look at the bouquet and snorted. “We can try, but some things simply aren’t possible.”
The trip from my room to the citadel’s chapel was thankfully uneventful.
My father and godfather were waiting for me outside the chapel’s doors.
I simply stopped and stared at the two of them. They were the newest members of the Seat of Twelve, and they looked it.
Garadin glanced down at his fancy, new robes in resignation. “I know. Alix said if I made you look bad, she’d kill me. And as a newly minted member of the Seat of Twelve, I had a standard to live up to.”
“You look amazing.”
Garadin grinned and shrugged. “I clean up well.”
Eamaliel looked perfectly at ease and perfectly elegant in his formal robes.
“Mom would have approved,” I said softly. I looked to Garadin and then back at Eamaliel. “And I think seeing the two of you here together would have made her so happy.”
Eamaliel’s gray eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I wish she could have been here. She would have been so very proud of you.”
I smiled. “Who’s to say she’s not?” I passed my bouquet to Alix and linked my arms through theirs. As she handed it back to me, Garadin saw my customized floral arrangement and
rolled his eyes. I grinned at them both. “Shall we?”
The citadel’s chapel was glowing with the late morning sunlight. Thanks to Tarsilia’s magical elixir and Dalis’s healing, no squinting or sun spectacles were needed.
Then I saw Mychael waiting at the end of the aisle; it was a sight I wouldn’t have missed seeing crystal clear for the world.
As I made my way down the aisle, my father and godfather on either side, I couldn’t help but think how perfect my life was, how right. Yes, there would probably be an invasion; and yes, if there was, war would come as a result. But we had something we’d never had before in the entire history of the Seven Kingdoms—a peace treaty signed by six out of the seven, and the promise of an alliance in which we would fight together against any and all invaders.
Tam and Imala would be returning to Regor to organize a joint Caesolian and goblin expedition to the continent that lay to the west of Rheskilia. If the Khrynsani and their allies were staging there, Tam had vowed to find them. Uncle Ryn had ships in the Sea of Kenyon, and had pledged them as escort for the goblin and Caesolian vessels.
What would happen tomorrow, next week, or next month was unknown. How my new magical power would help me face it was also largely unknown. It didn’t matter. I had family and friends both old and new who I knew would stand with me and fight beside me. Whatever came, we would face it together.
It was all I could have asked for and then some.
It was the same with my life. I now had all I had ever hoped for and more.
And as I reached the end of the aisle, I was met by a man who adored me and who was nothing short of my dreams come true.
When Justinius asked us to repeat the vows we had written to each other, Mychael and I spoke the words in unison, our joined voices giving them strength, power, and permanence.
“I promise to be your lover, your companion in life, your ally in conflict, and your partner in adventure. I will strive every day to be worthy of your love. I will be honest with you, kind, patient, and forgiving. I will love you, hold you, honor and respect you, in sickness and in health, through loss and victory, for all the days of my life. I promise to help shoulder our challenges, for there is nothing we cannot face—and nothing we cannot do—if we stand together. These are my sacred vows to you as I join my life to yours.”
Justinius declared us husband and wife.
As we kissed, our magic flared, met, and melded with a power I knew would see us through whatever tomorrow brought—and would last for a lifetime.
The End
About this Series
Thanks for reading Wedding Bells, Magic Spells. I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews help other readers find books and I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Please take a moment and write a review for Wedding Bells, Magic Spells.
You’ve just read the eighth title in the Raine Benares Series. Suggested reading order:
Magic Lost, Trouble Found
Armed and Magical
The Trouble with Demons
Bewitched and Betrayed
Con and Conjure
All Spell Breaks Loose
Wild Card (a Raine Benares novella)
Wedding Bells, Magic Spells
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lisashearin, or like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LisaShearinAuthor?skip_nax_wizard=true.
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Sign up for my newsletter at http://lisashearin.us11.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=681363f47430f46d0d895d1b9&id=8e94bd9428.
You may also enjoy my SPI Files Series.
The Grendel Affair
The Dragon Conspiracy
The Brimstone Deception
The Ghoul Vendetta
Also by Lisa Shearin
The Raine Benares Series
Magic Lost, Trouble Found
Armed and Magical
The Trouble with Demons
Bewitched and Betrayed
Con and Conjure
All Spell Breaks Loose
Wild Card (a Raine Benares novella)
Wedding Bells, Magic Spells
The SPI Files Series
The Grendel Affair
The Dragon Conspiracy
The Brimstone Deception
The Ghoul Vendetta
About the Author
Lisa Shearin is the New York Times bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels, a comedic fantasy adventure series, as well as the SPI Files novels, an urban fantasy series best described as Men in Black with supernaturals instead of aliens. Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots, and teacups, both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, three spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.
For more information about Lisa and her books, visit her Website at:
http://lisashearin.com.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lisashearin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaShearinAuthor?skip_nax_wizard=true
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Acknowledgments
For my family—especially my husband, Derek—for all of their love, support, and understanding of an author’s crazy schedule (and a crazy author).
For Kristin Nelson, or as I think of her, my Guardian Agent. A guardian angel protects and defends their charge from error and danger. Kristin does all that and more, only without the wings. There is, quite simply, no one better. Thank you for making my journey into indie publishing so easy. All I have to do is write the books. You and your awesome team (Lori Bennett and Angie Hodapp) do all the heavy lifting. Words cannot express my gratitude. You ladies rock!
To Betsy Mitchell, my beyond amazing editor. I’ve seen the words “legendary” and “superstar” used in industry publications next to your name. They both fit. I was beyond thrilled (squeeing, actually) when Kristin suggested you to edit my indie books. You have truly been a partner in each and every project with your uncanny sense of what is needed to make a book the best that it can be. You’ve helped me out of many a dark plot hole, and I’m honored to call you my editor.
To Martha Trachtenberg, my incredible copy editor. Just when I thought every typo, grammar goof, or inconsistency had been caught, you were there to prove me wrong. Your sharp eyes and attention to detail are truly awe-inspiring. (If there’s a mistake in this book, it’s totally my fault.)
To Aleta Rafton, my astounding cover artist. It’s been so much fun to work with you to find the perfect look for each cover. Thank you for bringing Raine Benares to vibrant life. Our next project together will be the most fun yet—Tamnais Nathrach.
Praise for Lisa Shearin
All Spell Breaks Loose
“Exceptional…Shearin has proven herself to be an expert storyteller with the enviable ability to provide both humor and jaw-dropping action.”
—RT Book Reviews
“All Spell Breaks Loose not only lived up to my expectations but was even BETTER!”
—Dangerous Romance
Con & Conjure
“Tons of action and adventure but it also has a bit of romance and humor…All of the characters are excellent…The complexities of the world that Ms. Shearin has developed are fabulous.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“Action packed and fast paced, this was a fabulous read.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Con & Conjure is a great addition to a wonderful series, and I’m looking forward to All Spell Breaks Loose and whatever else [Shearin writes] with high anticipation.”
—Dear Author
Bewitched & Betrayed
“Once again, Ms. Shearin has given her readers a book that you don’t want to put down. With Raine, the adventures never end.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“Bewitched & Betrayed might just be the best in the series so far!…an amazingly exciting fourth installment that really tugs at the heart strings.”
—Ink and Paper
“If you’re new to Shearin’s work, and you enjoy fantasy interspersed with an enticing romance, a little bit of humor, and a whole lot of grade-A action, this is the series for you.”
—Lurv a la Mode
The Trouble with Demons
“The book reads more like an urban fantasy with pirates and sharp wit and humor. I found the mix quite refreshing. Lisa Shearin’s fun, action- packed writing style gives this world life and vibrancy.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Lisa Shearin represents that much needed voice in fantasy that combines practiced craft and a wicked sense of humor.”
—Bitten by Books
“The brisk pace and increasingly complex character development propel the story on a rollercoaster ride through demons, goblins, elves, and mages while maintaining a satisfying level of romantic attention…that will leave readers chomping at the bit for more.”
—Monsters and Critics
“This book has the action starting as soon as you start the story and it keeps going right to the end…All of the characters are interesting, from the naked demon queen to the Guardians guarding Raine. All have a purpose and it comes across with clarity and detail.”
—Night Owl Reviews
Armed & Magical
“Fresh, original, and fall- out-of- your-chair funny, Lisa Shearin’s Armed & Magical combines deft characterization, snarky dialogue, and nonstop action—plus a yummy hint of romance—to create one of the best reads of the year. This book is a bona fide winner, the series a keeper, and Shearin a definite star on the rise.”