Magic Triumphed

by Andi Van

  Easy, K’yerin grumbled at him. She threatened to start crying. I look like an idiot.

  “At least she didn’t make you wear a dress,” Kelwin murmured quietly. “Zaree couldn’t have looked less comfortable if Firea had sat her on a horse.”

  Indeed, Zaree, more often seen in practical clothes involving trousers and flat shoes, looked as though she was trying to figure out how anyone could walk normally wearing a gown and heeled shoes as she proceeded down the aisle with Aldris at her side, leaning heavily on his arm as she tried to keep her balance. Despite her slightly uncoordinated steps, she was still as regal as a queen. And somehow there were vines of morning glories winding around her horns. Kelwin had a feeling that was Malik’s doing, but it suited her.

  When Zaree had reached her place at the end of the dock, Rin looked up at her and snorted. At least I’m not the only one suffering.

  Kelwin started to chastise the cat, but the thought died half-formed when Brolt struck a slightly different chord and suddenly it was Tasis who was standing at the entrance, arm in arm with his mother. Tasis stayed where he was for a moment, allowing the crowd to look their fill before he headed toward them, his pace unhurried. Evina was smiling so broadly that Kelwin suspected her face was going to be sore by the time the day was over.

  And Tasis…. Tasis was like the rising sun, resplendent in what Kelwin had been told was the attire Corrin had worn when he married Triv. He was still the most dazzling being Kelwin had ever seen. Stunning, strong, and courageous. He was, indeed, Kelwin’s dream brought to life.

  When Tasis reached the end of the dock and had taken Kelwin’s hands in his, Vashk smiled down at them. His long, sharp teeth probably would have made it unnerving if they hadn’t known him as well as they did.

  “We have come together in celebration of the union of these two people, who in their union have begun to change the course of the future,” the dragon god intoned to the assembled crowd. “Magic has wound its way through their hearts, tying them together for eternity with binds stronger than the thickest chains. May we all experience a love as strong and enduring.”

  Vashk paused, and there was a murmur of agreement before he continued. “Marriage, as with every part of life, is never a simple thing. There is always pain with joy, just as there is always day with night. There is a wisdom to this. Without struggle, we would never fully appreciate success. May the trials you face together make your appreciation of each other’s strengths that much more.

  “Above you shines the afternoon sun. Behind you crash the waves of the endless sea. Between the two, may you always find the magic of the heart known as love. Like the sun and the stars, guide each other through life, and always bring the other home. Just as with the sky and the ocean meeting on the horizon, may you never be apart.”

  Vashk went silent and focused on Kelwin with those great, shining eyes of his. That was Kelwin’s cue to speak his piece, and he swallowed hard as he squeezed Tasis’s hands. “When I left my home, I was terrified of the thought of being alone among strangers. Before our paths crossed, when I dreamed of you, I knew I had to keep going until I found you. When I did finally find you, I knew I would never have the desire to stray from your side. You have helped me to be a stronger, better person than I thought I could be. You have shown me that sometimes you need to take risks. You have taught me that a person needs to look further than what lies directly in front of them for what they truly want in life. I will never have the right words to describe how I feel about you. Just know that my heart belongs to you and only you for the rest of our lives and beyond.”

  Kelwin heard a small sniffle and bit back a grin when he saw Zaree using one of her sleeves to wipe her eyes. Tasis let go of Kelwin’s hand long enough to pass his sister a handkerchief, his expression mirroring Kelwin’s.

  When they’d rejoined hands, Vashk started speaking again. “Life is full of risks. It is a wise man who acknowledges and embraces that truth, even when it’s frightening.”

  Vashk’s gaze settled on Tasis, and the redhead worried at his bottom lip with his teeth a moment as he took a deep breath. “This entire journey began in grief a thousand years ago and continued in grief when fate took my mother, who I assumed I’d never see again. I started my part in this journey because I feared what I was, and somewhere along the way that grief and fear began to disappear. Without even knowing it, you gave me back a family and began to fill the hole in my heart, teaching me to embrace who I truly am. Whenever you smiled, you made me want to smile too. When things got rough, you stood beside me as steadfast as time. You’ve given me joy, and I can never thank you enough. If you would have me, I would lace my heart to yours forever.”

  There was another sniffle, and it took Kelwin a moment to realize it was coming from him. Tasis simply gave him a fond look and squeezed his hands.

  “No person may belong to another person,” Vashk told the assembled. “They may only, by will of free choice, belong with another person. Kelwin, is it your wish to belong with Tasis for the rest of your days?”

  “And beyond. It is my wish.” Kelwin was certain he’d made that plain to everyone involved in this whole grand adventure long before that day.

  “Tasis, is it your wish to belong with Kelwin for the rest of your days?”

  “It is my wish,” Tasis responded softly. He ducked his face down as though he was looking at their joined hands, but Kelwin could see him peering up through his lashes, a shy smile on his lips.

  “By making this choice, you have promised to love each other, respect each other, and treat each other as equals. You have promised to stand together as one no matter what the future holds. Where there were once two, you are now united as one. You may now kiss. I suggest hurrying, as Firea is probably dying to feed everyone.”

  The crowd chuckled warmly at this, but Kelwin ignored them. He was too busy kissing his husband.

  IT WAS the deepest part of night when Tasis, wrapped in a warm dressing gown, walked into the grotto to see Daro fast asleep on the wooden dock as Rin chatted with Triv, Josephina, and Corrin.

  “There you are,” he said to his familiar, smiling as he picked up the cat and hugged him close. “I was wondering where you two had wandered off to.”

  K’yerin’s purr was automatic, and he gave Tasis a frank look. You didn’t really expect us to stay in the same room with a couple of newlyweds on their wedding night, did you?

  Tasis turned a rather becoming shade of red as he let out a laugh. “I guess I didn’t, at that.”

  “What are you doing out here so late, anyway?” Triv asked him, smiling.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” Tasis admitted. “I suppose it’s foolishly optimistic of me to assume this is the end of trouble for our world, isn’t it?”

  “I wish I could say no to that question,” Triv replied gently. “What one person possesses, naturally or not, another person desires. Some people think they’re entitled to take anything they want from another person, especially when they have far too much power.”

  “You’ve laid a wonderful foundation,” Corrin assured Tasis. “You have a habit of bringing out the best in most of the people you meet, and this will help you more than anything. You aren’t second-guessing your decision to bring back the guild, are you?”

  “Oh, no,” Tasis said quickly as he shook his head in denial. “I did the right thing. I just wish we could live in peace for a while.”

  “Don’t worry about that right now,” Triv told him. “There will be no mad kings trying to destroy us tonight, no raving dragons bringing chaos. And you have plenty of champions who’d come running if you called. Including your bleary-eyed husband, who looks as if he’s wondering what you’re doing standing outside in the middle of the night, talking to some merfolk and an astral cat.”

  Tasis spun around to see Kelwin leaning against the doorframe, his sleepy smile showing his adoration for the world to see. Tasis’s answering grin lit the night as he walked back into the castle, winking at the group as
he shut the door behind him.

  Triv smiled at K’yerin. “So, old cat, how did we do?”

  We did very well, K’yerin replied, purring as he groomed his face. We did very well indeed.

  More from Andi Van

  The Mages’ Guild Trilogy: Book One

  Past and present are about to collide, and the world will never be the same.

  Magic has been missing from the world for a millennium, and it’s needed now more than ever. It falls to young Tasis Kadara to revive the fabled Mages’ Guild of the Dragon’s Claw. But in a culture where arcane power is forbidden and practitioners are executed, Tasis will have to keep his own aptitude for magic secret. With nothing to direct them besides bizarre dreams and a mysterious cat, Tasis and his sister Zaree undertake a quest to discover the hidden island that was once home to the guild.

  Kelwin Tiovolk departs his village following his mentor’s suggestion. As an elf wandering into human civilization, he’s in danger simply for being who he is. A brawl at an inn leads him straight into the path of the young man he’s been dreaming about, and he’s compelled to help Tasis and his sister any way he can. Together, the trio might have a chance of accomplishing their mission—or the attempt might kill them.

  The Mages’ Guild Trilogy: Book Two

  Jorget has no surname, no blood kin, and no hope of using his magical ability while he remains at Archai Castle, where the mad king reigns. With magic still outlawed, every experiment he performs could cost him his life. So when his mentor, the royal priest Denekk, is ordered to send Jorget on a journey to find a magical weapon, the young man jumps at the chance to prove himself. What he doesn’t realize is that things are never as simple as they seem.

  Kelwin Tiovolk has settled into life in the Mages’ Guild of the Dragon’s Claw with his beloved, guild leader Tasis Kadara. But when word arrives that the king is searching for something to destroy the guild, he knows he has to leave behind the comfort of his new home to save what Tasis worked so hard to rebuild.

  With enemies around every corner, Jorget and Kelwin need to pull off a miracle in order to save the guild. Luckily, they’re more than ready to stand strong together and keep what’s precious to them safe.

  Readers love The Mages’ Guild Trilogy by Andi Van

  Magic Fell

  “I quite enjoyed this fantasy story and I’m already looking forward to the next book in this series.”

  —Trans Books

  “…it was a fairly quick, light, adventure-y start to a high fantasy series with a positive LGBT message.”

  —Metaphors and Moonlight

  Magic Wept

  “In a continuation of the danger-filled adventure and quest for the truth set in a world struggling with the reawakening of magic, this second part of the Mages’ Guild Trilogy is just as exciting as the first.”

  —Rainbow Book Reviews

  “I can’t wait for the next book in the Trilogy! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a high fantasy in the Young Adult market.”

  —Love Bytes

  ANDI VAN is a foul-mouthed troublemaker who lives near San Diego with a baseball bat that’s forever being used for things other than baseball and a fondness for rum and caffeine (though not necessarily together).

  Andi is fluent in three languages (English, sarcasm, and profanity), and takes pride in a highly developed—if somewhat bizarre—sense of humor.

  Email: andi@andivan.com

  Website: www.andivan.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/defiantandi

  Twitter: @DefiantAndi

  By Andi Van

  THE MAGES’ GUILD TRILOGY

  Magic Fell

  Magic Wept

  Magic Triumphed

  Published by HARMONY INK PRESS

  www.harmonyinkpress.com

  Published by

  HARMONY INK PRESS

  5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA

  publisher@harmonyinkpress.com • harmonyinkpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Magic Triumphed

  © 2019 Andi Van.

  Cover Art

  © 2019 Tiferet Design.

  http://www.tiferetdesign.com/

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Harmony Ink Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or publisher@harmonyinkpress.com.

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-64080-989-5

  Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64080-990-1

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2018909018

  Digital published March 2019

  v. 1.0

  Printed in the United States of America