The flight seemed to last minutes instead of hours, and they arrived at the Summer Winds Temple before Mei Li properly realized it.
The Summer Winds Mountains were vast, with primeval forests that stretched far past what the eye could see, even from the air. The temple was easy to spot among all of the green trees, the red fencing and gates eye-catching. The main building soared four stories up, and she could see little dots of people as they moved about in the open courtyard. Shunlei banked right, and she had to close the flap to keep herself properly in the box and not accidentally thrown free.
Even inside the harness, she could hear an alarm sound, the gong of a bell being struck repeatedly as people spotted an incoming dragon. Then they stopped and milled about in confusion as they saw something strapped to his chest. Mei Li wanted to call out assurances to them but didn’t dare open the flap until Shunlei had all feet on the ground.
“Hello,” Shunlei called out in greeting, sounding cheerful. “I’m with Hawes’ party.”
“Shunlei the Red, correct?” an ancient voice greeted. “I am Iram, head priest here.”
Mei Li got the flap undone and flipped herself out of the box, not entirely gracefully. She never would get used to dismounting from that thing. Brushing her hair back from her face, she turned and got her bearings.
A dozen or so young priests-in-training stood in a wide circle, spears in hand, although only a few were pointing them. The rest seemed to have caught on that this was not an intruder, but guest. Directly ahead of Shunlei was an elderly man stooped with age and a white beard trailing down his chest. He eyed them both with thick white brows pulled down over his eyes.
“Greetings.” Mei Li walked to him and gave a bow. “I am Mei, a mage, and Shunlei’s betrothed. We’ve brought a cursed sword for your keeping.”
Iram’s brows shot up at hearing ‘betrothed.’ “Yes, your leader spoke of the sword. We are prepared to receive it, although I would like to sit and counsel with you on the best way to guard it. Hawes said you would know best how to handle the matter. But a human betrothed to a dragon?”
Iram didn’t seem to know how to react to such a pairing. Mei Li chose not to take it personally, as it probably did look odd from his stance. As far as most of humanity knew, the dragons were beasts. Unreasonable beasts, at that. They had no idea dragons also possessed a human form. Her choice in spouse probably looked strange from his shoes.
“It hopefully won’t be the last such pairing.” Mei Li shot Shunlei a smile. “He’s determined to make dragons and humans allies.”
“Are you, now.” Iram was at least trying to be diplomatic about it.
“I think my odds are good. At least, my efforts have succeeded for the most part.” Shunlei gave a shake from head to tail and then shifted smoothly to human form. That startled their onlookers even further. Iram actually skittered back a step. Shunlei took hold of the strap of the carrier, keeping it from toppling over. “At any rate, Priest Iram, after the sword is dealt with, we have a personal matter to confer with you about.”
“We’d like to get married and hoped you would do the honors,” Mei Li said with a hopeful smile. Her amusement at their reactions she tried to keep to herself.
Iram looked between the two of them, torn between surprise and some other emotion threatening to topple him over. “I—well, yes, we should definitely talk about that. Um.”
Bailing him out, Mei Li added with a jerk of her thumb toward the carrier, “But let’s deal with the troublemaker first.”
Recovering, Iram acknowledged it with a nod. “Yes. Quite.”
Mei Li was able to borrow several of the mages and mages-in-training at the temple to help her seal the sword and build a barrier over it. It was better that way, really, because now they all had hands-on experience with it and knew precisely what to do if either the barrier or seal failed. The seal would eventually fail—no human magic was infallible. She knew from very personal experience she’d have to deal with this thing in the future. She wrote a very concise report of how everything was done and then sent it ahead to the Prince of Horvath.
Writing the report felt both nostalgic and strange to her. She knew very well that in this time period, this shouldn’t be her responsibility. The first Tomes would take over this duty once they found him. Or met up with him, however one should phrase it. According to Mei Li’s count, that was still almost two years into the future, though. It did no harm for her to write the records now.
She knew good and well they’d get lost before the first Tomes managed to get things organized.
Mei Li was now of two minds about the shoddy record keeping of this era. And the lack of back-up copies in general. The organized part of her that wanted things neatly lined up in a row still bristled that no one had planned ahead. Or thought of what-if’s. She’d been forced to time travel, for mercy’s sakes, because of people’s poor planning. It made her want to time travel to each generation so she could smack them for such a grievous goof.
And yet.
The part of her that wasn’t task-oriented was so relieved she’d needed to travel back in time. If she had not done so, would she have ever realized what she and Shunlei were to each other?
Mei Li traveled through the room she’d been given to stay in. Her room and Shunlei’s both opened up to some of the open-air baths. This was the largest of the lot, and Shunlei was even now testing whether or not it could hold him in dragon form. The answer: yes. But barely.
He was stretched out, the tip of his tail hanging out on the far end and twitching with idle happiness, his large head on the other side, pillowed on two towels. He reminded her so strongly of a cat in a sunny spot that she had to bite back a laugh. Stopping in the doorway, she stood and watched him for a while.
The Shunlei of the future was so much more contained, his emotions not easily displayed. But she now wondered how much of that was him trying not to give everything away. How hard must it have been for him to see his wife in front of him and know she had no memory yet of their life together? To be forced to wait until the timing was right? If their positions had been reversed, Mei Li had no faith she would have exercised the necessary patience.
Five thousand years alone…the thought rent her heart to pieces. It seemed entirely unfair that only he would suffer from that. And it would be so much worse because the spell dictated that she would suddenly disappear from his side without warning. He’d have no way of knowing what happened to her.
No. Wait. Shunlei the Black was very aware she time traveled. How had he known that? Mei Li had been very careful to not let anything slip or give the impression she was not from this time. Granted, her soon-to-be husband was beyond clever, so perhaps he’d figured it out on his own.
Or was there some way for her to tell him? At least give him an explanation of what would happen to her so he wouldn’t be left wondering? Disappearing without warning from his side was too cruel. If there was a way to work around the loopholes in the spell…
She had time to figure this out. Ten years, in fact. Mei Li silently swore to herself to do so. There must be a way.
“Are you going to join me or not?”
Snapped out of her ruminations, she blinked at him for a moment before the sentence sunk in. “I was going to preen you, but you look entirely too comfortable just now.”
“Hmm,” he hummed, not disagreeing. “Come join me.”
She’d put on the dark grey bathing robe before coming out, so it was an easy matter of slipping off the straw sandals and sliding into the narrow area not taken up by his body. The water was deliciously hot, and she sighed with pleasure as she slid in. Shunlei’s shoulder proved a good place to lounge against, and she promptly did so without a by-your-leave.
“Let’s stay here for the rest of the year,” Shunlei murmured. He lightly thrummed with contentment.
“I’m perfectly alright with that. You think everyone will let us?”
“We can at least steal a few days. We’re owed a honeymo
on.”
“That we are.” Oh dear. Now that she was warm and relaxed, she felt sleepy. It was hard to focus enough to speak. “In two days, you’ll be an old married man.”
“With the most beautiful, intelligent woman at my side.”
“Oh, you are smooth.” She laughed and lightly smacked him on the shoulder. “I think Priest Iram suspected we were jesting with him at first. He kept watching us like a man waiting for the other leg to be pulled.”
“He did, didn’t he? But now I think he’s just as excited as we are.”
“Darling, I think everyone would prefer dragons marrying humans over fighting with them.”
“I’d certainly prefer it. I suspect we’ll get quite the feast with our wedding, even though we told him twice we only need a modest celebration.”
“I suspect you’re right.” Mei Li smiled. She didn’t mind either way. “I have no doubt we’ll achieve your goal in time. I think mine we’ll achieve in a few years.”
He canted his head to look at her out of one eye. “Your goal of having a dedicated record keeper? That goal?”
“Yes, that goal.”
Shunlei blinked at her, the motion a little lazy. The heat was making him sleepy too, apparently. “You really think we can find someone to do that?”
“It might take a few years,” she allowed. “But I do. Just wait. In the future, you’ll see how vital this really is.”
He gave a soft sigh, head settling again. “I don’t doubt you’re right.”
“You’re not allowed to fall asleep in the bath. I’m not hauling you out.”
“Five more minutes.”
Mei Li allowed this, as she didn’t want to move yet either.
“You’re not allowed to fall asleep either.”
“But you can carry me out,” she objected, mouth curling up in a grin.
“Nope. Fair’s fair.”
“Awww.”
Mei Li might have been a bit nervous.
She was dressed fully in the red wedding outfit except for the gauzy, thin veil. Kiyo was behind her, carefully arranging her hair even as Mei Li slipped elaborate golden earrings into her ears.
“Stop fidgeting.” Kiyo gave her a light whack with the hairbrush.
“I’m not fidgeting, I’m putting in earrings. You think the men are doing alright?” Mei Li knew Hawes, Nord, and Melchior were doing their best to support Shunlei in his own preparations. And she appreciated it beyond words. Still, a part of her heart felt that this was entirely unfair to the friends and family they had in the future, who’d never see this day. Abe, for one. Rone, especially, would have loved to have been here. As irrational as it was, she did wish she could have them here today, too.
“You are fidgeting, and they’re fine. I’m almost done. Hawes will be here any moment to get you.”
They’d spent most of yesterday afternoon discussing how to do the wedding and making decisions. The temple had been very generous with matters. This room, for instance. It was an airy courtyard right off the garden, normally reserved for the most elite guests, but now turned into a bridal chamber just for her. They’d blocked off all sight lines with several screens and even had both wine and a tray of snacks on hand just in case she needed something to settle her stomach. Or her nerves.
The wine, admittedly, looked tempting. “I’m not nervous.”
Kiyo gave an inelegant snort. She clearly didn’t agree.
“I’m marrying a man I’m madly in love with, why should I be nervous?”
“Because you’re entering into a different chapter of your life,” Kiyo informed her promptly. “One that you didn’t properly prepare for, no less. And you’re trail blazing by doing the first interspecies marriage to ever be recorded in history.”
“Oh. Said like that, I have plenty of reasons to be nervous.”
“Nervous or not, stop fidgeting.”
Mei Li tried to sit still, but it proved hard. She was antsy and wanted to move. Part of her brain was convinced that as soon as the ceremony was done, she’d settle right down again. It was the anticipation that was undoing her control right now.
Someone cleared their throat right outside of the screen. “Ready to go?”
“No, because she keeps squirming.” Kiyo jammed one more pin in her hair, then sighed. “Finally. Alright, give me the veil.”
Mei Li was just as relieved to be done and promptly handed it over. She didn’t move her head as Kiyo draped it over her hair, resting just so, allowing it to drape elegantly over her face and down her back.
“Perfect.” Kiyo straightened and gave her a pleased nod. “I’ll leave you to Hawes and go take my place.”
“Thank you, Kiyo. I’ll return the favor if ever it comes about.”
Kiyo shook her head even as she headed for the screen. “Let’s worry about today first. Hawes, she’s all yours. She can’t see well through that veil, remember, so watch out for her feet.”
“I will.” Hawes stepped through and then stopped dead. He looked a little wistful as he took her in from head to toe. “Well. Aren’t you a vision.”
Mei Li smiled up at him. “Thank you, Hawes. How is Shunlei?”
“Beside himself, he’s so excited. I almost had to sit on him.” Striding to her, he extended a hand. “Let’s get you to him.”
Mei Li accepted the hand and squeezed it. “I’m glad you’re with us today.”
“I strangely feel like I’m giving two children away today. Which, considering my own unmarried state, is rather odd.” Hawes gave a soft chuckle. “Nice, though.”
She wanted to kiss his cheek so badly but the veil blocked her from doing so. “You’re the best father figure I could ask for.”
“Stop that. I’m perilously close to tears as it is.”
Snickering, she just squeezed his hand again and let him lead her into the gardens.
Mei Li kept her hand on Hawes’ as he led her forward at a stately pace. The formal gardens in the temple were in full bloom in this summer season, and someone had taken the care necessary to clean all the sidewalks and paths so not even a single flower petal touched the grey paving stones. In the center, directly in front of a koi pond, a red carpet stretched out in front of a low altar where incense burned, along with a bowl of earth and a bowl of water.
There had been some confusion yesterday about how to do the full ceremony, as part of it required bowing to ancestors and/or parents, but neither Mei Li nor Shunlei had any portraits of relatives living. In the end, they’d created a wooden memorial to those people and let that suffice.
Her eyes skipped over the arrangements, her mind automatically cataloging all of it, double-checking that everything was there and correct. It was hard to see through the red veil covering her face, but she trusted Hawes to guide her footsteps. She passed friends and curious onlookers, all with smiles on their faces. It was a silent well-wishing, and she smiled back, not sure if they could see her expression through the veil.
From the opposite side, Shunlei approached. With his thick red hair, red skin, and the red wedding clothes, he was bright and very attention-grabbing. The beads of his headpiece masked some of his face—all but those penetrating blue eyes that were locked on her. There was an irrepressible smile on his face as well, matching her own.
Until this moment, Mei Li had been so focused on the logistics of this day that she’d not properly felt it. But now, as she walked to him, and he walked to her, her heart threatened to bloom right out of her chest.
In the time she’d known this remarkable man, she’d worried over him, fought beside him, protected and been protected by him, supported, laughed with, and depended on him. She’d come to love him as a friend first.
And now, as a husband.
The full magnitude hadn’t hit her until this moment. It seemed to fill her from head to toe, the promises she was about to make. Her mind ran in circles for a moment, desperately rooting around looking for guilt or panic. It bowled over the intense relief she felt, elbowed happiness o
ut of the way, upset hope to no end, took a worried peek at her libido (which was starting to stir and ask some interesting questions), and rooted through all the reasons this was going to end in disaster, looking for something to hit her with.
It found only firm resolve. Perhaps this would bring about heartbreak for both of them. Perhaps she was making a mistake. All Mei Li could do was love him to the fullest and hope those memories would be enough to carry him through until she could reunite with him in the future.
They met in the center of the red carpet and with a smile at each other, turned to face Priest Iram. He was arrayed in pure white, and gave them a sort of puzzled smile, as if he still wasn’t sure how this had happened.
“Mei of Demarest. Shunlei the Red. You have come before us today to exchange vows of marriage. Shunlei, you are willing to marry Mei as your wife, in sacred marriage together for life? Whether she has sickness or health, poverty or wealth, has beauty or is plain, in good times and in bad, you are willing to love her, comfort her, to respect her, and protect her?”
“I am,” Shunlei answered firmly.
“Mei, you are willing to marry Shunlei as your husband, in sacred marriage together for life? Whether he has sickness or health, poverty or wealth, has beauty or is plain, in good times and in bad, you are willing to love him, comfort him, to respect him, and protect him?”
“I am,” Mei Li echoed.
“Bow once to heaven and earth,” Iram instructed.
They bowed toward the bowl of dirt and water on the low table.
“Bow twice to your ancestors.”
Mei Li and Shunlei altered their stance a few inches and bowed to the wooden memorial tablet standing in the center of the table.
“Bow three times to each other.”
Mei Li did so, hands clasped in front of her stomach. This was it. After she did this, she’d be married to Shunlei. Her stomach clenched and jittered with emotion, some tangle of excitement and nerves that she couldn’t begin to unravel. Then she lifted her head, caught his eyes, and saw everything she felt reflected back to her.
First of Tomes (The Tomes of Kaleria Book 2) Page 25