A Witch's Rite (Witch's Path Series: Book 5)

by N. E. Conneely

  My mouth worked, but it took a moment for sounds to come out. “I was so rude to you.”

  He suppressed a smile. “And I was always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.”

  Before I knew what to say, he had gotten out of the car. While I sat there, working through the idea that he had always liked me, he retrieved the picnic basket and came around to open my door.

  I took his hand. “Thank you.”

  “You are most welcome, my beautiful Michelle.”

  Blushing, I returned to our previous conversation. “I’m still not sure what to think about all the time we spent not getting along while you liked me.”

  He tucked my hand in the crook of his arm. “I look back with fondness and think of how much we have grown.”

  His words made me think of how I’d hurt Burly and Ned when I was holding all that magic. “Do you ever worry that I’ll turn into someone you don’t love?”

  “No.” His voice was so emphatic that I leaned back in surprise. His mouth pressed into an unhappy line. “You are frightened because of what you did with the power. Well, I have seen people driven by power, and they never stop. You did not absorb Ned’s memories, you removed them in an attempt to prevent anyone else from learning his methods.”

  I couldn’t deny that truth, but that wasn’t the only thing that worried me. “I hurt him. I hurt Burly. I destroyed the golem.”

  His eyes softened, and he set the basket down so he could take my hands in his. “You saved me from the golem, and you did it in the most effective manner you knew. I spoke to Burly. He was unsure that anything else would have worked, and even before you healed him, the injury was one that would heal. Had you not forced your magic into Burly, he would have followed Ned’s orders and killed you.”

  I nodded, trying to figure out how that connected to my actions with Ned.

  “Ned, well, there are a great many people, myself included, who would have killed Ned without a shred of remorse. Yes, he is injured, both in mind and body, but that is not the worst that you could have done. Besides, I read your report, the one where you analyzed the powder, when we moved Earl into the larger aquarium. If even one of the herbs you listed was used, it is a small miracle that you did not simply kill everyone, myself included. Did you hear how much powder they recovered from under the building?”

  Biting the inside of my lip, I shook my head.

  “Two thousand pounds.”

  My mouth swung open. “A-are you sure?”

  He nodded.

  “Oh.” I’d known it was a lot of powder, but I hadn’t thought it was that much. “I need to think about this.”

  He pulled me in for a hug, and I relaxed against him, smiling when strands of his silver hair tickled my nose.

  Leaning back, he looked me over. “There, that is how I wish us to spend this evening.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “I shall hold you to that. Now close your eyes.”

  I did, remembering our first date, which had been in this very greenhouse.

  “Wait here, and do not open your eyes.” He dropped a kiss on my forehead.

  I heard the door open and shut. On our first date, I hadn’t known we were starting something painfully beautiful. As much as loving him had hurt, as many bad times as we’d conquered, they had only served to highlight how much joy he brought me.

  The door swung open again. “Give me your hand.”

  Reaching out, I waited for his warm hand to grip mine. When it did, a tingle went up my arm. I did love my elf. Elron gently tugged me forward, and I carefully stepped into the greenhouse. He guided me a short distance across the stone path.

  “Now you can look.”

  Opening my eyes, I forgot to breathe. I had thought it was beautiful before, but this was an entirely new experience. A small table set for two was nestled in an alcove that would’ve been right at home in a fairy tale. Witch lights hung in the air, giving me glimpses of magical plants and casting a romantic glow across the table.

  The alcove itself was a work of art. There was a cherry tree with blooms twice the size of any cherry I’d seen before, casting a pink glow around it. The petals were slowly falling off the tree, making it look like it was raining petals. The dogwood on the other side was an enchanting mix of pink and white flowers growing from very straight branches. The ground between the two trees was covered in hyacinths that were slowly changing colors. As I’d taken in the rest of the greenhouse, the flowers had transitioned from a deep purple to a light pink and were now turning white.

  I turned to look at Elron. “This is amazing. How did you manage it?”

  He shrugged. “The timing worked out. The weeping cherry tree and arrow dogwood bloomed at the same time, and I was able to relocate the hyacinths from their usual location.”

  Gazing at the cherry, I smiled. “Weeping. It does rather look like she’s crying. But I wonder, are they happy or sad tears?”

  Elron cocked his head, sending his silver hair to the side. “Tonight I believe she is happy.”

  He rested a hand against the small of my back and guided me over to the table where he pulled out the chair and motioned for me to have a seat.

  I watched him start to unpack the picnic basket. “What’s the dogwood’s story?”

  He set two glasses in front of each of us and filled one with wine and one with water. “The wood grows in such a way that it is ideal for arrows. In elven communities there are trees that have been producing arrows for hundreds of years.”

  “And the hyacinths?”

  Elron produce two plates covered with snug-fitting lids. “I cannot say if there is a reason for the color changes. Legend has it that one of the first dragons was gravely injured, and drops of her blood falling from the sky created the hyacinths. They change color to represent all the emotions she felt upon building a life here.”

  “That’s sad.” Now when I looked at the hyacinths, I saw not only the beauty but the pain.

  “It is simply a story.” Elron removed the lids from the dishes to present artfully arranged plates of food: spinach-and-cheese-stuffed manicotti, lemon-glazed carrots, and two slices of garlic bread.

  “Elron, you’re spoiling me.” I smiled up at him. “Is there some occasion I don’t know about?”

  He sat down and took my hand in his. “Simply a celebration of being able to be here tonight.”

  Tugging my hand away from his, I raised my wineglass. “To us.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  Elron

  Michelle kept sneaking looks at the weeping cherry tree behind her. While I could not blame her—the cherry was lovely—I had a most selfish desire to have all her attention.

  “Are you still hungry?” I asked.

  She gave me a sheepish look. “Just a little. Everything was delightful, but I could use another bite or two.”

  “I may have forgotten to mention dessert.”

  “Get it out. I want some.”

  Nodding, I cleared the plates and moved things around so there was a clear spot in the middle of the table.

  “Can I help?” Michelle asked.

  “No, I can do this.” As I scooted around the last few things, I went over the words again. I had planned them so carefully and wanted to say them just right. There were a few points I had left out, but I could fill her in on those later.

  She leaned back in her chair, watching me with those beautiful eyes of hers.

  I carefully lifted the box out of the picnic basket, set it in the center of the table with the sunburst facing her. While she was distracted by that, I got down on one knee next to her chair.

  Michelle gave me a puzzled look and started to say something.

  I shook my head, and she held her tongue. Now she was watching me, but that was just fine. Reaching over, I touched the rising sun. There was a long, vibrating note as the cello music started.

  Michelle glanced at the dessert box but kept her gaze focused on me.

  Taking her hand in min
e, I took a deep breath and hoped I had this timed properly. “Michelle, we have been through fights and terror most people cannot imagine and have only emerged stronger than before. You have helped me grow from a man stuck in the past to a man fully engaged in the present. You are the most important part of my world, and I cannot imagine spending a day without you. I know we did not have the smoothest of starts, but I believe that is one of our strengths, as we found something in one another that we did not know we were searching for and the partner we did not know we needed.

  “I love you more than I knew I could love a person. My love for you is tougher than dragon hide and as unrelenting as the ocean. I hope you will do me the honor of agreeing to become my wife and join me for a lifetime of adventure together.”

  Her eyes widened, and at that moment, the cello music hit a crescendo and ceased. I could not take my eyes off her as I waited for her to say something, but I knew the dessert box had opened up and was displaying the ring.

  I kept hoping she would answer, but she simply looked at me with big eyes and kept a death grip on my hand.

  Swallowing hard, I offered her a way out. “You can say no. I understand.”

  “What?” she squawked. “Why would I say no?”

  I kept my face calm. I did not want her to see how much this hurt. “The age difference, the difference in our life spans, our inability to have children. There are plenty of reasons. You do not have to explain it to me.”

  She smiled sweetly as she shook her head. “You have it all wrong, Elron. I was trying to remember everything. The words, the way you said them. I wanted to etch this moment in my mind so I would never forget.” Her smile turned into a grin, and she flung herself into my arms. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you, you silly elf.”

  Holding her tight, I rested my head on her shoulder and breathed her in. I was never exactly sure what it was, but she always smelled so good. Now I would have a lifetime to figure out why.

  Pulling back, I cupped her cheek and gently set my lips against hers. I hoped she remembered this moment too, with the magical plants, the twinkling witch lights, and the feel of each of us in the other’s arms. The kiss was over all too soon, but there would be time for more.

  “Would you like to see your ring and your dessert?”

  “There’s really dessert?”

  I was smiling too much to pretend to be offended. “Of course, milady. I would never lie about such things.”

  “The box,” she breathed. Turning, she saw Maya’s creation.

  The entire confection was so magical that I suspected there was a witch working at the bakery. The silver ring holding a single ruby hovered three inches above the cake, backlit and glowing like heart’s blood. Below that was a small red-velvet cake iced with vanilla because I knew she didn’t like the cream cheese icings. The magic did not end there. The cake was the shape of an oak leaf, with the icing the same green as it would be in nature, dusted with gold, and looking too perfect to eat. Small chocolate truffles shaped like acorns rested around the base of the cake.

  “Oh, Elron. It’s perfect.” She reached out, then pulled her hand back and looked at me. “Can I try it on?”

  “Allow me.” I gently removed the ring from whatever magic was holding it in place. Grinning, Michelle offered me her left hand. Landa had promised me she knew Michelle’s ring size, but I had not been able to determine a way to verify the information. Holding my breath, I slid the ring onto her finger. I had to twist it a bit, but in the end it fit her perfectly.

  She carefully inspected it, turning her hand this way and that. “It’s perfect. I love it. I love you.” She pulled me in for another hug.

  When we finally released each other, I motioned to the table. “Now, about the dessert?”

  This time she did not hesitate. “Yes.”

  I scooted her chair forward before pulling my own around the table so I could be next to her. “A fork for you.”

  She beamed at me. “Why thank you, my fiancé.”

  I blushed.

  Michelle giggled. “I’ll have to get used to calling you that. I was just getting the hang of calling you my boyfriend.”

  “I too will have to adjust.”

  Michelle nodded and wiggled her fingers. “I’ll have to get a necklace to put this ring on while I’m working. I don’t want to risk it getting snagged on something.”

  “Hmm, what if we discuss the type of necklace you would like while we eat this decadent cake?” I gave her a charming smile and hoped she agreed.

  What she did not know was that I had thought of that very issue. In the center of the cake, tucked safely in a small plastic container, was a necklace forged by dwarves. It was guaranteed against clasp failure or accidental dropping of whatever it was holding. I had spoken to the very dwarf who had forged the necklace, and it had a special addition. It would come open if yanked with enough force to harm Michelle. Her health was far more important than the ring or necklace. Both of those were merely symbols of our love and could be replaced.

  Her eyebrows drew together, but her puzzled look quickly passed. “All right.”

  With that she dug into the cake. The first bite was hardly in her mouth when she let out an approving moan. I quickly got a piece of my own. The cake was every bit as good as promised, the delightful chocolate of the red velvet, a hint of raspberry, the light vanilla of the icing, and something extra I could only think of as pure brownie magic.

  Michelle’s fork hit the plastic box, and she shot me a puzzled look.

  “Dig it out,” I encouraged.

  She carefully pried the container out of the cake and used a napkin to clean it off. When she finally opened it, a soft silver chain flowed into her hand. Happiness shone from her eyes. “You already got a necklace for me?”

  I took it out of her hand and carefully clasped it around her neck. “I did, because I want you to be safe.”

  She smiled softly. “Thank you. This is exactly what I would’ve chosen.”

  “Good.” I pulled her close and set a gentle kiss on her temple. “Now, I believe we have cake.”

  “Yes, really amazingly delicious cake.” She closed her eyes and savored a bite. “Amazing.”

  I grinned at her, so happy to be with her, to be able to plan a life together.

  We made short work of the cake before divvying up the truffles. They were a surprise, each one holding a slightly different filling. One of mine was orange chocolate, and one of hers was minty.

  When we’d finished eating, she let out a satisfied sigh and laid her head against my shoulder.

  “Elron?”

  “Yes, my fiancée?”

  She giggled. “Already?”

  “I need to practice,” I said innocently.

  “Me too.” Michelle paused, and her voice became solemn. “While I am beyond delighted with your proposal, I’m really surprised. I thought we would be together for years, having a very slow and purposeful courtship before you even considered asking me to be your wife.”

  I gave her the most honest answer I had, the very one I had told her father when I asked for his permission. Of course, he’d chuckled and informed me that Michelle was very capable of selecting her own husband.

  “It was this last case.” I hunted for the right words, wanting the explanation to be more concise than what I told her father. “Through the fight against Gremory, and the clans, I kept thinking that after those battles were won, life would calm down. We would have all this time to slowly figure out who we were and what we wanted together. I already knew I wanted you, but I wanted to give you time to be sure you wanted me. This case with Ned changed my view. I realize our lives will not calm down. There will simply be different battles, and any one of those could be the last one for either of us. I hope that we can grow old together and have a beautifully happy life. However, if one of the fights is to be either of our ends, I want you at my side until that very moment.”

  “I’ll be there. Right next to you, come witches, sorc
erers, or demons.” Michelle leaned over and kissed my cheek. “After all, we’re in this together, you and I.”

  Hugging her close, I prayed we would make it through the trials yet to come and the demon I knew to be hunting us so we could live to that ripe old age.

  Michelle gave a contented sigh and nestled deeper in my arms.

  Most of all, I prayed we would be happy, for I wanted nothing more than her happiness.

  Thank You

  Thank you for taking the time to read A Witch’s Rite. If you enjoyed Michelle’s adventures, please post a review. Reviews are a valuable way for authors to connect with readers. If you’re interested, the following pages contain information on upcoming books as well as my contact information.

  Also by N. E. Conneely

  A Witch’s Path Series:

  Witch for Hire (Book 1)

  A Witch’s Path (Book 2)

  A Witch’s Trial (Book 3)

  A Witch’s Concern (Book 4)

  A Witch’s Rite (Book 5)

  Michelle’s Case Files:

  Michelle’s Case Files: A Collection of Short Stories (Vol. 1)

  Fey Hearted:

  Fey Hearted (Book 1)

  About the Author

  N.E. Conneely lives in northern Georgia with her husband, her dog, and a mountain of books. They sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter, and life as they know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky.

  For fun, N.E. plays with her dog, reads, knits, crochets, paints, and does tie-dyeing and origami. She makes a great pizza and is currently negotiating with her husband about sea monkeys and growing a vegetable garden.

  Please visit neconneely.com to find information on her current projects.

  @neconneely

  neconneely

  www.neconneely.com

  author@neconneely.com