Aegis was sitting by my side, holding my good hand as if he’d never let go. “Can you give us a moment alone, Jordan?”
Jordan nodded, excusing himself.
Aegis turned to me. “I thought I was going to lose you.” All of his pain and fear went into those words.
I squeezed his fingers. “I thought I was going to lose you. I don’t know how Tom got free from the place I last saw him, but I never expected him to show up. I’d like to know what happened, but I doubt that I ever will. At least he’s at rest now.” Tears trickled down my cheeks. It felt like I’d cried more tonight than I had cried in my life. Than I had cried since Tom first was stolen away by the vamps.
“I’ll see what I can find out,” Aegis said. “Maddy, I don’t know how to ask this but… How are you? I can’t imagine what you’re feeling.”
“Numb. Just numb right now. I had put Tom behind me. I had let go and accepted that we’d never be together again. My heart had already said good-bye. When I saw him tonight, I realized that the Tom I had loved was truly gone forever. All I could think about was staying alive. And about saving you because he would have destroyed you. And he would have taken me into his world. It’s going to take me some time to process through this.”
Then it hit me—our wedding was in three weeks. “Oh crap. I wonder if I’ll be able to handle our wedding. Not all the preparations are finished. I thought I’d be healed up by then, but now…” I started to cry again. “This is going to ruin everything.”
“Steady, my love. Everything will be all right. I’ll talk to Sandy and Max, and we’ll figure out whatever we need to figure out. I don’t care if we have to get married here in the hospital. I just want you to be my wife.” He leaned down and gently pressed his lips against mine. “Maddy, you’re my soul mate. I know we were together before. I’ve known you since the day I set eyes on you, though I couldn’t figure out how or where we had met. I’m still not sure, but we’ve been together many times.”
He began to sing, soft and low, and the song helped me drift off to sleep. Thanks to Aegis and the drugs, my slumber was easy, because I knew my love was watching out for me.
Not quite three weeks later, at five minutes before the stroke of midnight, Aegis and I and Sandy and Max sat on white benches in the middle of the snow, under clear skies and a silver crescent moon. All our friends were in attendance. Bubba sat on the bench to my left, and Luna sat on the other side next to Aegis. I wasn’t able to stand yet without pain, but I could sit, and I was determined to get married on the day that we had planned for our wedding.
Delia was officiating, in a beautiful rose-gold gown with a black cloak around her shoulders. I had managed to fit into my dress even though it hurt going on, and Sandy was in hers, and we were stark and beautiful, shades of red against the backdrop of snow. Max’s parents weren’t there—Max had sent them packing after Sandy told him that she knew how they felt. They had left the same day they arrived.
I glanced at our maids of honor. To the left, next to Sandy and Max, Jenna stood, wearing a white chiffon gown and a rhinestone tiara. And to the right, next to Aegis and me, Fata Morgana was wearing a gown the color of the ocean depths, and her eyes sparkled like diamonds. Her hair was swept up in a chignon, the brilliant copper falling in coils to her back. She had come in off the ocean waves, more alien than before and yet—still, she was our beloved Fata, regal and every day growing into the goddess she was to become.
And once again, we were the Witches Wild. Perhaps for the last time, but for the moment, we were together, we three, united in a cause.
We had finished pledging our vows, we had promised to love as long as our love should last, and Delia was handing us the rings. As I slid Aegis’s ring onto his finger, I looked into his face. All regrets over Tom were gone, and while I would always have my memories, everything felt settled and done. However long Aegis and I would have together, we would make it as joyous a union as possible.
I glanced over at Sandy, who looked as radiant as I felt. And when Aegis leaned in to kiss me, and Max leaned in to kiss Sandy, all felt right with the world.
We held the reception in the Bewitching Bedlam, so I could easily rest if I needed to.
I was seated in the rocking chair, and everybody was waiting on me hand and foot. Sandy sat next to me and we held hands. Fata Morgana had left early, after the ceremony. She kissed us both on our cheeks, and whispered that she would see us again on the spring tide. And then, she had vanished in a whirl of snowflakes, swept off by the wind to return to the ocean. It was hard losing her so soon. But like Tom, she no longer belonged to us. She had her own world.
“What are you thinking about?” Sandy asked.
“The people who have left us. The people we’ve left behind. Everything is so transitory. Even those things that seem like they should be anchors, eventually they can shatter and break. Or drift away on the tide to a new place and a new life. Life is about as stable as the earth herself, which can be pretty frightening you think about it.” I gave her a smile and squeezed her fingers. My other wrist was strapped up, mostly healed by now, but it still ached.
“Long thoughts for our wedding day,” Sandy said. “We lose people all the time, but that just means we need to embrace our loved ones all the more. Nobody knows how much time we are granted. Nobody knows how much time we have stretching out in front of us. I don’t care how long-lived you are—whether you’re a shifter or a vampire or a witch or a human. Any day could be the last day, so embrace life, and make it worthwhile.”
I nodded, sipping champagne. “How’s Jenna? I’m glad she was with us at our wedding.”
“She’s fine. I don’t expect the rebellious phase to go away anytime soon, but we’ve come to an understanding for now. Oh, and Auntie Tautau wanted me to tell you that you did a good job on the Touchstone. Krampus made it home in time for Christmas, and the gnomes are back in the storybook, thank gods. They literally tore up my guest room with their rabble-rousing. I think I’d rather have real gnomes instead, even if they are more dangerous. And people are behaving themselves again.”
“Oh good. You know, Franny found out who that ghost was. Apparently a man named Danny Irons disappeared a few weeks before the ghost showed up in our yard. He fell off one of the retaining walls and drowned. They just recovered his body, but Franny was able to help him remember who he was and how he had died. Now his family has closure, and he can move on. Franny’s talking about setting up a service for ghosts who are stuck. I don’t know how that’s going to work, but we’ll see.”
“And you? How are you?” Sandy set her glass down. “Maddy, I know what a shock it had to have been when Tom showed up. By the way, I asked Auntie Tautau about that and she wouldn’t tell me how he got free from wherever he was. She just said that everything that had happened was meant to be and to leave it alone.”
I nodded. “I know. I asked her and she told me the same thing. As for me? I’m good. I’ll be better when I finally heal up, but…I feel that I’ve finally fully let go of the past. And I’m married to the love of my life. The Bewitching Bedlam is going great guns, and I’ve decided it’s time to really focus on my job as High Priestess. I intend to make the coven a real presence in the town. I’m not sure how yet, but I’ll figure that out later.”
A moment later, Sandy blushed. “I have something to tell you,” she said.
I laughed. “Does it perhaps have something to do with the fact that you’re drinking sparkling water instead of champagne?” I knew exactly what she was about to tell me. She wasn’t my BFF for nothing.
“You know?” She shook her head. “I never thought I’d be saying these words, but yeah, I’m pregnant.”
I finished off my drink and leaned back in the chair. “Wow. Look at us. Two old married women, and now you’re pregnant. I’m so happy for you and Max.” I grinned, catching her hand up to kiss her fingers. “I hope Aegis and I get to be the goddess-parents?”
“Of course!”
�
�Well, I’m just as happy it’s you and not me, but I have some news as well. I’m going to be a grandma.”
“What? A grandma?” Suddenly, she laughed as Bubba and Luna came bouncing up on my lap. “Oh no. But you had Luna spayed!”
“Apparently Bubba wanted to be a daddy, and Luna agreed, I guess. Somehow, she’s intact, and yes, we’re going to have a bunch of baby cjinns. Or maybe just kittens. Maybe both. I’m not sure how this works, but Luna is in good health and the vet said that she’ll be giving birth in about a month. I’m not going to bother having her spayed again, because if Bubba wants more babies, Bubba’s going to find a way. I just don’t know how many cats we can take care of.”
“Well, Mr. Peabody’s lonely so I’ll take a couple kittens—as long as they’re not cjinns. I don’t know if I could handle that. And Jenna would love it. You know how many people on this island would absolutely love to have one of Bubba’s babies.”
We settled back, then, into the party. Aegis and Max sat nearby, protective and watchful, the most loving partners we could ever hope to have.
I looked around at the people who filled the walls of our home. Henry and our guests, all our friends, Franny and Bubba and Luna… Everyone who made up the fabric of our lives was here. And life was good. I decided to quit worrying about the future, and to leave the past where it belonged, and focus on the present, which was filled with laughter, and love.
Bubba looked up at me, and in his eyes, I could see that he fully agreed with me.
“Hey, Bub…bet you never expected to end up here, did you?”
Bubba let out a loud purr, and the party continued long into the night.
If you enjoyed this novella and want to read the rest of the series, then come meet the wild and magical residents of Bedlam in my Bewitching Bedlam Series. (Lighter-hearted but still steamy paranormal romance.) Fun-loving witch Maddy Gallowglass, her smoking-hot vampire lover Aegis, and their crazed cjinn Bubba (part djinn, all cat) rock it out in Bedlam, a magical town on a magical island. BEWITCHING BEDLAM, MAUDLIN’S MAYHEM, SIREN’S SONG, WITCHES WILD, CASTING CURSES, BEDLAM CALLING: A BEWITCHING BEDLAM ANTHOLOGY, BLOOD MUSIC, BLOOD VENGEANCE, TIGER TAILS, and Bubba’s origin story—THE WISH FACTOR—are available.
Come run with The Wild Hunt. Darker urban fantasy/paranormal romance, the first ten books are out: THE SILVER STAG, OAK & THORNS, IRON BONES, A SHADOW OF CROWS, THE HALLOWED HUNT, THE SILVER MIST, WITCHING HOUR, WITCHING BONES, A SACRED MAGIC, and THE ETERNAL RETURN. Book 11—SUN BROKEN—and Book 12—WITCHING MOON—are available for preorder now. There will be more to come after that.
Return with me to Whisper Hollow, where spirits walk among the living, and the lake never gives up her dead. I’ve re-released AUTUMN THORNS and SHADOW SILENCE, as well as a new—the third—Whisper Hollow Book, THE PHANTOM QUEEN! Come join the darkly seductive world of Kerris Fellwater, a spirit shaman in the small lakeside community of Whisper Hollow.
I invite you to visit Fury’s world. Bound to Hecate, Fury is a minor goddess, taking care of the Abominations who come off the World Tree. Books 1-5 are available now in the Fury Unbound Series : FURY RISING, FURY’S MAGIC, FURY AWAKENED, FURY CALLING, and FURY’S MANTLE.
For a dark, gritty, steamy series, try my world of The Indigo Court, where the long winter has come, and the Vampiric Fae are on the rise. The series is complete with NIGHT MYST, NIGHT VEIL, NIGHT SEEKER, NIGHT VISION, NIGHT’S END, and NIGHT SHIVERS.
If you like cozies with teeth, try my Chintz ‘n China paranormal mysteries. The series is complete with: GHOST OF A CHANCE, LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON, MURDER UNDER A MYSTIC MOON, A HARVEST OF BONES, ONE HEX OF A WEDDING, and a wrap-up novella: HOLIDAY SPIRITS.
The last Otherworld book—BLOOD BONDS—is available now.
For all of my work, both published and upcoming releases, see the Biography at the end of this book, or check out my website at Galenorn.com and be sure and sign up for my newsletter to receive news about all my new releases.
Playlist
I often write to music, and here’s the playlist I used for this book.
A.J. Roach: Devil May Dance
Al Stewart: Life in Dark Water
The Alan Parsons Project: Breakdown; Can’t Take it With You
Alice in Chains: Man in the Box; Sunshine
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour: X; Sunshine Coolin’; Heart Attack; Out of Frequency; Major
AWOLNATION: Sail
Beck: Broken Train; Devil’s Haircut
The Black Angels: Don’t Play With Guns; Always Maybe; You’re Mine; Phosphene Dream; Never/Ever; Indigo Meadow
Black Mountain: Queens Will Play
Black Sabbath: Lady Evil
Boom! Bap! Pow!: Suit
Broken Bells: The Ghost Inside
Cake: Short Skirt/Long Jacket; The Distance
Clannad: I See Red; Newgrange
The Clash: Should I Stay or Should I Go
Cobra Verde: Play with Fire
Crazy Town: Butterfly
David & Steve Gordon: Shaman’s Drum Dance
Donovan: Sunshine Superman; Season of the Witch
Eastern Sun And John Kelley: Beautiful Being
Eels: Souljacker Part 1
FC Kahuna: Hayling
Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks
Gary Numan: Down in the Park; Cars; Soul Protection; My World Storm; Dream Killer; Outland; Petals; Remember I Was Vapour; Praying to the Aliens; My Breathing
Godsmack: Voodoo
Hedningarna: Ukkonen; Juopolle Joutunut; Gorrlaus
The Hollies: Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)
In Strict Confidence: Snow White; Tiefer
Jessica Bates: The Hanging Tree
Jethro Tull: Overhang; Kelpie; Rare and Precious Chain; Something’s on the Move; Old Ghosts; Dun Ringall
Julian Cope: Charlotte Anne
The Kills: Nail In My Coffin; You Don’t Own The Road; Sour Cherry; DNA
Leonard Cohen: The Future; You Want It Darker
Lorde: Yellow Flicker Beat; Royals
Low with Tom and Andy: Half Light
M.I.A.: Bad Girls
Marilyn Manson: Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Geddon; Personal Jesus; Tainted Love
Motherdrum: Big Stomp
People In Planes: Vampire
R.E.M.: Drive
Rob Zombie: Living Dead Girl; Never Gonna Stop
Saliva: Ladies and Gentlemen
Seether: Remedy
Shriekback: Underwaterboys; Over the Wire; Big Fun; Dust and a Shadow; This Big Hush; Nemesis; Now These Days Are Gone; The King in the Tree; The Shining Path; Shovelheads; And the Rain; Wriggle and Drone; Church of the Louder Light
Spiral Dance: Boys of Bedlam; Tarry Trousers
Steeleye Span: Blackleg Miner; Rogues in a Nation; Cam Ye O’er Frae France
Tamaryn: While You’re Sleeping, I’m Dreaming; Violet’s in a Pool
Tempest: Raggle Taggle Gypsy; Mad Tom of Bedlam; Queen of Argyll; Nottamun Town; Black Jack Davy
Tom Petty: Mary Jane’s Last Dance
Tuatha Dea: Kilts and Corsets; Morgan La Fey; Tuatha De Danaan; The Hum and the Shiver; Wisp of A Thing Part 1; Long Black Curl
Wendy Rule: Let the Wind Blow; The Circle Song; Elemental Chant
Woodland: Roots; First Melt; Witch’s Cross; The Dragon; Morgana Moon; Mermaid
Yoko Kanno: Lithium Flower
Zero 7: In the Waiting Line
Biography
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of more than sixty-five books, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, the Indigo Court Series, and the Otherworld Series, among others. She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine.
Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups an
d tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her website at Galenorn.com.
* * *
Indie Releases Currently Available:
* * *
The Wild Hunt Series:
The Silver Stag
Oak & Thorns
Iron Bones
A Shadow of Crows
The Hallowed Hunt
The Silver Mist
Witching Hour
Witching Bones
A Sacred Magic
The Eternal Return
Sun Broken
Witching Moon
* * *
Whisper Hollow Series:
Autumn Thorns
Shadow Silence
The Phantom Queen
* * *
Bewitching Bedlam Series:
Bewitching Bedlam
Maudlin’s Mayhem
Siren’s Song
Witches Wild
Casting Curses
Demon’s Delight
Bedlam Calling: A Bewitching Bedlam Anthology
The Wish Factor (a prequel short story)
Blood Music (a prequel novella)
Blood Vengeance (a Bewitching Bedlam novella)
Tiger Tails (a Bewitching Bedlam novella)
* * *
Fury Unbound Series:
Fury Rising
Fury’s Magic
Fury Awakened
Fury Calling
Fury’s Mantle
* * *
Indigo Court Series:
Night Myst
Night Veil
Night Seeker
Demon's Delight: A Bewitching Bedlam Novella Page 9