by Ann Gimpel
She grinned. “It appears we have a wedding to plan, but I don’t recall you asking me to marry you.”
Aegir broke out laughing. When his mirth had subsided to chuckles, he said, “Och, for a moment there, ye had me worried. All my talk about loving you and wanting you for my mate doesna count?”
She shook her head. “A girl likes to be courted.”
“What are you waiting for?” Gerald asked Aegir.
“Aye, mate. Down on one knee,” Marko urged, followed by a squawk that gave him away as some type of raptor.
Aegir took Raene’s hand and sank to one knee before her. “Léannan. Darling. Love of my life. Will ye have me for your husband?”
She’d been teasing him about proposing. When he actually spoke the words—words she’d longed to hear—her throat thickened with emotion. Hot tears pricked the backs of her eyelids. She tried to say yes, but nothing came out, so she nodded.
He flowed to his feet and took her into his arms, the hand he still held sandwiched between. “Are ye all right, lassie?” he said low against her ear.
She nodded again and managed, “It’s time to go home.”
“Which home?”
Still feeling overcome with the enormity of everything—the battle, the wedding, suddenly having a family when she’d been alone forever—she had to think a moment to determine what he meant. She’d assumed they’d retreat to the Selkies’ cave on the unnamed island in the Orkney chain.
Gretta patted her on the shoulder. “We’ll be on our way, dear, while the two of you sort things out.”
“Us too,” Dee said.
“See you at Fire Mountain in a month,” Gerald added and winked broadly.
Raene extricated herself from Aegir’s arms and turned to bid everyone farewell. Once the Shifters, Witch, and White Fae had left, the Druids retreated inside their castle, leaving her and Aegir alone in the courtyard.
“We can go wherever ye wish,” he said. “The cave or your shop in Wick as humans. Or the Selkies’ castle as seals.”
“We could do all three,” she said. “Obviously, not all at once, but we could go back to the cave until we’ve recovered a bit from today. I’d love to show you my shop, even if it’s the last time I’m ever there.”
“Why would that be?”
She swallowed hard and looked away. “Well, it’s not much. Just a little bakery. You’re king of the Selkies. Surely, you’ve better things to do than hang around while I whip up scones and biscuits and pasties.”
He cradled one side of her face in a large hand. “Marriage is about us, lass. Not just about me. If ye want to spend a few months a year whipping up goodies, we’ll figure out how to make it work.”
She smiled shyly, but couldn’t look away since he held her in place. “I’m a lucky woman.”
“Funny, I feel the same way. If ye substitute man at the end of things.”
“Let’s never lose sight of where we are right now.” She wrapped an arm around his back, holding him close.
“We won’t, darling. I shall cherish you always. Let me take us home.”
His familiar magic, full of the scent of the sea, rose around them. She inhaled deeply and lost herself in his power. When it cleared, they stood at the crest of the small island midway up the Orkney chain.
Hand in hand, they walked the path leading to the cave. Her skin’s magic thrummed softly from where she’d concealed it. “I’m happy,” she murmured. “So happy it’s spilling out everywhere.”
“I am too, Raene. My Raene. Hurry, my love. I canna wait to bed you.”
“Is it only bedding me?” she teased, borrowing his brogue.
“Nay. I shall watch over you as ye sleep and catch us fish from the sea. I’ll talk with the Dream Guardian, and we’ll plan a tryst in his magical lands.”
“Now, that sounds intriguing.” The cave came to life around them, hearth kindling and lanterns casting a soft glow. Raene let go of his hand. “But the bedding idea came first, and here we are.” She began unfastening his jacket, heart beating faster in anticipation of what lay ahead.
“Aye, lassie. Here we are, but this way is faster.”
Magic flared around them, rich with the salty tang of the sea. When it cleared, both of them were naked. The clothing they’d worn was strewn across the floor. He swept her against him and crushed his mouth over hers.
She kissed him back with a fervor to match his. Aegir was her man. Her mate. Soon to be her husband, and she was the luckiest woman in the universe. She’d have told him, but her mouth was busy.
Sensation flared hot and urgent. Thoughts departed, and she immersed herself in the magic the two of them spun together.
Epilogue
One month later
Fire Mountain
Aegir lay on his side watching Raene slumber in a chamber the dragons had prepared for them deep underground. The month between the battle and now had flown by. He hadn’t expected to fall in love with Raene’s cozy bakeshop with its small apartment above, but he had. He’d spent long, lazy hours in the kitchen with her, handing her ingredients and putting trays in the ovens. The locals hadn’t expected her back for months, and they’d mobbed the place demanding she make their favorite treats.
Her customers had teased her mercilessly about holding out on them and not giving away that she had a secret beau. But news of their upcoming wedding also provided an excuse for them not to linger long.
After ten days at the shop, they’d snuck away one night. The closed sign didn’t specify a reopening date, but he was certain they’d return. Wick was a delightful hamlet, so Scottish, he expected bagpipes to burst into song at every corner, piping in time with the clop of horses’ hooves when farmers brought produce to the weekly outdoor market the old-fashioned way.
They’d spent a week in the sea. It had given Raene time to meet the other Selkies, and them an opportunity to get to know her. The rest of the time, what little there’d been, they’d returned to the cave where they chatted, cooked together, and made love in every imaginable position. Not that they hadn’t taken full advantage of the bed above her shop too.
They had.
The more time he spent with her, the more he appreciated her. She had a bright, inquisitive mind, absorbing Selkie lore as fast as he provided it. Beyond that, she possessed a soft, compassionate side. Losing her mum after a long period where the two were estranged had cut deep. He hoped the loving group of Selkies would provide a sense of family and belonging for his mate.
She stirred, her lovely blue-green eyes fluttering open. “How long have you been awake?”
He shrugged. “A while.”
“How much time do we have before the ceremony?”
“Enough. Ye doona have to rush.”
“Good.” She reached for him, her intent crystal clear, but he shook his head.
“Not that much time, lassie.”
Raene laughed, silvery and joyful. “We do get wrapped up in each other.”
“Do I hear a complaint?”
“Oh my goodness, no.” She pushed to a sit and grinned at him. “Lucky for us, the dragons don’t insist on that old custom of separating the bride and groom for days before the wedding.”
“I believe that custom was to ensure the couple dinna jump the proverbial gun.”
“Ha! For us, the barn door is open, and that cow long gone.”
Aegir laughed. “We’re quite a pair, ye and me.”
“How so?”
“We’ve lived so long, we mix metaphors, but it doesna matter. I always ken your meaning.”
Raene pushed the blanket aside and walked to a raised table holding an ewer and a basin. She bent and rinsed her hands and face, drying them with a towel.
“Ye’ve the most beautiful body.” He’d been focused on the perfect globes of her high, round ass and the way her long legs traveled to meet them.
She hung the towel back on its hook and turned to face him. “Why thank you.”
“’Tis the truth. An
y man would find you stunning.”
“None of them were falling all over themselves to claim me,” she pointed out.
“Because ye were saving yourself for me.” He laughed and got out of bed. “We should dress. I’d be surprised if our guests haven’t begun arriving.”
Raene crossed the room to a carved wooden chest and cracked the lid open. “I don’t understand.” She knelt before the chest and drew out a white leather skirt painted with gold runes. “This isn’t what I brought to wear. It’s lovely, but—”
He knelt next to her and sifted through the chest’s contents pulling out matching white leather breeks, a richly embroidered cream-colored tunic woven of silk, and a leather vest sized to fit him. For Raene, he laid out a sky-blue tunic decorated with what might be dragon flames woven in with ocean waves. Her vest was made of snow-white fur. At the bottom of the chest were two pairs of ankle-high boots made of buff leather with blue and red laces.
“A gift from the dragons, if I’m not mistaken,” he said and ran a finger over the wave-and-flame pattern on her tunic. “This might be Tarika’s way of branding you as a dragon-rider.”
Raene rocked back on her heels. “I never thought to ask, but is it unusual?”
“Aye. Verra. Dragons doona often suffer anyone on their backs. They’ve never seen themselves as horses or beasts of burden.” He cleared his throat. “How could they when they believe they stand at the verra top of every food chain.”
“Intriguing.” She stood and stepped into the skirt, tying its leather lacing so the fabric snugged against her hips. Next, she pulled the tunic over her head and snapped up a hairbrush.
He dressed as well, never taking his eyes from her loveliness.
“Are you certain I shouldn’t put my hair up?” she asked. Freshly brushed, her red locks spilled down her back in a cascade worthy of any dragon’s fire.
“It’s beautiful just as it is.” He slid the vest into place over his tunic and bent to slip into the boots. Soft and supple, they hugged his feet.
The door to their chamber swooshed open. Britta waltzed inside. “Tarika is too big to fit in this portion of the dragons’ cave system. Convenient we can trade bodies when we need to.” She was dressed in a simple emerald-green gown, and her red hair, more coppery than Raene’s, hung down her back in a riot of curls.
“Must be time to go,” Aegir said.
“Aye.” She pinned him with her golden eyes, eyes almost exactly like Tarika’s without their spinning aspect. “How do ye feel about riding Uroborus?”
His jaw fell open. Of all the questions he might have anticipated, this one hadn’t occurred to him. “I would be delighted. Honored.” He stammered a bit, but got the words out.
“Excellent.” Britta opened her mouth and puffed steam. “Tarika thought it would be perfect if each of you arrived on a dragon, this being Fire Mountain and all.”
Raene clapped her hands. “I get to ride Tarika again?”
Warm laughter burbled from Britta’s throat. “She’s as eager as you. I swear, if she and I ever figure out a way to still be bonded but hang onto our own bodies at the same time, one of my dreams is riding the dragon I’m bonded to.”
“I hope you’ll be able to,” Raene said. “It’s a thrill like no other.”
“Except mayhap bedding your mate,” Aegir tossed in soto voce.
Britta laughed. Raene did too. “Men.” She rolled her eyes.
“Aye, yet they’re truly incredible creatures.” Britta was still laughing when she led the way out of their chamber and along numerous branching corridors.
“Good thing ye’re here,” Aegir said. “I’d have had to resort to magic to find my way out.”
“Och aye. These tunnels are never the same twice running. For any of us. Tarika is directing me, else I’d be lost as well,” Britta replied.
The red, dry light of Fire Mountain fell across the passageway. It had grown much warmer as they traveled upward. Quite a contrast to Earth where things got hotter the closer you came to Hell’s gates.
Britta ran ahead, shedding clothing as she went. By the time they exited the cave system, she was Tarika again, steam puffing from her open jaws. Uroborus stood next to her rocking from one hindfoot to the next. Aegir glanced around. The knobby, cracked red dirt stretched in all directions with Fire Mountain belching smoke in the distance.
“Where is everyone?” he asked, wondering about their guests.
“They’re here, but we’ve hidden them,” Uroborus answered.
“Aye, how else can ye make a grand entrance?” Tarika chimed in. “This was my idea, and we shall create a spectacle the likes of which has never been seen on Fire Mountain.”
Aegir inclined his head. It wasn’t wise to point out that he and Raene had to be the first non-dragon couple to wed in the dragons’ special world. He strode to Uroborus and focused magic to settle himself on the dragon’s back. Raene walked to Tarika who bent to gather her carefully and set her into place.
“Probably not the time to tell you”—Uroborus huffed smoke—“but I’ve never had anyone atop me.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Heat from the dragon’s hide warmed the leather of his breeks, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
“Here we go!” The black-and-gold dragon took off running and leapt skyward, wings flapping hard. Wind buffeted Aegir as they climbed. It was cooler up here, probably because he’d escaped the heat radiating from the borderworld’s surface.
Uroborus banked first to one side, then to the other. “How are ye doing?”
“Never been better. This is amazing. Incredible. Thank you so verra much for volunteering. I’ve always loved riding, and I ken how much dragons hate having anyone on your backs.”
The dragon huffed smoke-tinged laugher. “True enough. But Tarika is a hard woman to say no to. She wouldn’t have stopped nagging until one of us gave in. ’Twas a small enough favor, and I gave my word to your bride that I would honor any request.”
“I remember, yet Raene dinna ask this boon.”
“Close enough, Selkie. Close enough. When ye live as long as I have, ye learn not to split hairs.” He carved a figure eight, seemingly waiting for something. Tarika bugled two high notes, and Uroborus said. “That’s our cue.”
When Aegir glanced toward the ground, craning his neck around the dragon’s to do so, he saw their guests ranged near the entrance to the dragons’ cave system. Everyone’s eyes were focused on the skies.
Tarika flew toward them, banking right at the last moment. Uroborus banked in the opposite direction. Flying half a circle, they repeated the maneuver three more times. Aegir suspected they were honoring the four directions, an element in traditional Celtic weddings.
“Hang on,” Uroborus instructed. “Almost there, but this will be tricky.”
The dragon flew straight up, his long neck extended. Tarika did as well. Both dragons spewed fire, which blended into red and golden ropes with a bluish cast to them, not unlike the decoration on Raene’s tunic. One of the ropes wound around him and his dragon; another around Raene and Tarika.
Dragon magic built around Aegir; the air heated from all the dragonfire. As he watched, the individual fiery ropes joined and formed a circle around all of them, dragons and riders alike. It burned merrily for a few moments before breaking apart and spinning off into the ether.
“That was unbelievable,” Aegir crowed.
“I thought ye’d like it.” The dragon sounded immensely pleased. “’Tis my symbol. The circle. I dinna think Tarika would agree, but she loved the concept.”
Aegir patted the dragon’s scaly hide. “I do too. I’m verra glad ye broke free from the dark lord’s hold.”
“Not a day goes by I doona bless Raene and Delia for what they did.” Uroborus’s words held a somber note as he skidded in for a landing.
Aegir hopped down and turned to face the dragon. He bowed low. “I am so honored to have ridden you.”
“’Tis an open offer, Selkie. Return as ye can t
o my lands.”
Cheers rose from their guests along with cries of “Bravo” and “I want to ride too.”
Tarika touched down amid the adulation. Raene jumped off and ran lightly to Aegir’s side. “We’re ready.”
“I ken as much, but what happens next?” Unlike the weddings he was familiar with, he hadn’t been offered a script.
“Come along with me.” Gretta had left the group of guests and stood by his side. “We shall make our way to the dragons’ meeting chamber within and await your bride.”
Aegir hooked a hand beneath his mother’s arm. “Lead out. Ye still doona trust I willna bolt?”
Gretta snorted. “I admit, ’twould be a wee bit difficult. Even if I wasna here, Tarika would hunt you down and ensure ye honored your vows.”
“Och, ye mean the ones I haven’t yet uttered?” He was baiting his mother, but he couldn’t resist.
“Just like your da. Always a joker,” she muttered and drew them forward. Apparently, she knew where they were going. Good thing because he didn’t.
“I love you, Mum.”
She twisted her head and cast a fond glance his way. “I ken it. ’Tis a happy day for me, but I bet ye’re euphoric. That dragon display was something. I couldna tear my gaze from the skies.”
“Wish I could have watched and ridden too, but given a choice, I’d pick dragon riding any day.”
“Means I raised you right.” Gretta beamed at him.
The oppressive heat lessened as they moved deeper into the cave system. Gretta guided them down a short side corridor and into an enormous cavern. A long raised area at the far end of the room held three lit tapers.
A tall man with amber eyes stood behind the candles. Long dark hair framed his sharp-boned face, hanging loose in front, but the back portion was braided close against his skull. Dozens of braids trailed down his back. Leather garments embellished with red-and-blue dye clung to his frame, and boots laced to just below his knees. A war axe swung from a sheath by his side, and a broadsword was attached to his back by a scabbard with thongs that wrapped around his body. Still more weapons draped from cunningly crafted bits of rawhide. His face held the same ageless quality that marked all magic wielders.