Irving bumps his shoulder into mine. “Well, if he doesn’t, the two of us can be miserable together. Deal?”
I smile despite myself. “Deal.”
He smiles. “He’ll want you.”
“She would want you, too.”
He laughs once, a deep, disbelieving sound. “Well, we’ll never find out if you’re right.”
I’m about to argue when the cry of trumpets sound through the air, announcing the arrival of someone of importance.
“He’s back!” I jump to my feet and race through the gardens and to the front.
As I round the corner, I stop suddenly, my heart in my throat. I’m scared. Scared he won’t want me.
A stable boy leads away an unfamiliar horse. He sees me and the questioning look on my face, and the boy takes pity on me. “It’s only a messenger who has returned, Your Ladyship.” He dips his head respectfully and turns toward the stables.
I let out a breath. Discouraged, every muscle in my body goes slack.
The king, queen, and Teagan stand gathered with the messenger in their private quarters. Though the door is open, I knock on the frame.
“Anwen.” The queen smiles wide. “We’ve good news. Galinor will return home soon.”
“Have you seen him?” I ask the messenger. “Is he well?”
“He is well, yes, but I have not seen him. I met his man in Estlebrook. The fellow’s horse went lame, and he asked me to deliver Galinor’s message. Since I was headed this way anyway, I was happy to oblige.”
I smile, biting my lip so I don’t cry.
If Galinor is well, why is he not here? Obviously, he’s not as eager to see me as I am him. What does that mean? Could one winter have changed his heart?
The man continues with his news, but much of it revolves around weather and kingdom gossip, and I’m not interested. I excuse myself.
“Please tell the king and queen I won’t be at dinner tonight,” I say to my lady’s maid once I reach my chambers. “I’m not feeling well.”
She nods and disappears through the door. My heart hollow, I lie down and stare at the bed’s canopy. How could I have sent Galinor away? What a fool I am.
Somehow I drift to sleep. I wake, unsure what time it is. The only light comes from the candle burning low on a table by the door.
“I should have waited for morning.”
Immediately awake, I sit up. Galinor sits at the end of my bed, studying me.
“You’re back,” I breathe.
He nods, his eyes on mine.
“And you’re alive,” I say needlessly.
A small smile plays at his lips. “I’ve come across much worse than a gypsy’s poor excuse for assassins.”
I don’t know what to say, so I turn my attention to my hands.
“Why are you here, Anwen?” Galinor asks, his voice not warm nor cold, only curious.
My heart twists in my chest.
“Dimitri said you were dead.” I search his eyes. “I didn’t believe him. I had to know you were well.”
The bed shifts as he moves closer. “I am not well.”
“You were hurt?” My eyes snap to his as I look him over for signs of injury.
He nods and then takes my hand and places it on his chest. “I am broken.” His lips tip in a teasing, lopsided smile. “And it’s a wound that will never heal.”
My own heart picks up its pace and I swallow. “Never?”
“There is one way to fix it.” He leans closer. His eyes are bright in the dim light. “Should we see if it works?”
I bite my lip, trying not to laugh like a lovesick milkmaid.
His lips barely brush against mine. “Do you love me, Anwen?”
“I do love you.”
My eyes close as we meet in a soft, questioning kiss. I sigh against him. He wraps his hands around my waist, pulling me closer.
“Elope with me,” he murmurs against my lips. “Tonight.”
I pull back, surprised by his words. “Why must we elope?”
“We must,” he murmurs, “because I’m not spending another day apart from you.”
I laugh, unable to contain my happiness. That laughter fades when he produces a wooden box from behind his back. There’s a secret in his eyes, and I lean forward.
“I’ve already asked your father for permission. In case you’re curious, he said yes.”
He opens the box and offers it to me. I gasp and reach for the ring only to pull my hand back.
The setting takes my breath away. “How is this possible?”
Galinor smiles. “I went back to Triblue after we parted and scoured the streets near the festival grounds for a stray remaining piece. Finally, I found one.”
I gingerly stroke the stone. “You had the changeling stone made into a ring?”
Galinor nods. “A piece of it, at least.”
I stare at him, my heart so full I don’t know how to contain my joy. “You did this for me?”
“I would do anything for you.” He wraps his fingers through mine. “I understand love now. There is no feat I would not perform to be with you—no task too large, no item too obscure to find. Marry me, Anwen.”
I grin, biting my lip because I’m about to cry. “Yes.”
His expression shifts to cryptic. “There’s one more thing.”
Galinor rises and disappears out the door. I gasp when he comes back with a curious, bright-eyed bundle of fur in his arms.
He’s carrying Danver.
I pull the fox to me and rub my face against him. “How?”
Danver sniffs my face in greeting and then pulls away from my tight grasp to explore the bed.
“He wasn’t quite lost.” Galinor sits next to me and squeezes my hand. “Ergmin saved him.”
***
Galinor waits for me at the crossroads just outside the village, and he lowers his hood when I approach.
This time I know I’ve made no mistake.
Mara tosses her head, excited by the promise of a night ride. Behind us, a silent Pika follows, and there is the flash of Danver’s white tail in the woods.
“We will reach Evershorne by early morning,” Galinor says when I join him. “We will marry there and then travel south through Murin into Triblue.”
“Why Triblue?” I ask.
Galinor grins in the moonlight. “We must find your whales. And when I found your stone, I promised Dristan and Bran I would bring my bride back to charm the new wild foals.”
I laugh. “At that time, you didn’t know I would be your bride.”
His eyes meet mine, and he raises an eyebrow. “I knew. It was only a matter of convincing you.”
We ride for almost an hour. Just ahead, firelight shines through the trees. Uneasy, I send Galinor a questioning glance. As we draw near, I see a gypsy cart.
“It’s all right,” Galinor says. “They’re most likely drunk by this time of night. We will slip by, and they will never know.”
“Do you think they were with Dimitri?”
Galinor shakes his head, but I can tell he’s not sure.
The camp is indeed quiet, but a few figures stand, silhouetted by the campfire’s glow.
We’ve almost passed when a voice calls out, “Thought you would leave without us, did you?”
Galinor whips his horse around, his hand seeking a weapon. The party comes forward, laughing. I blink when the group draws near enough I recognize them in the night.
“Irving?” I ask, incredulous. “Marigold? Teagan?”
Irving grins and leans against a tree. “Not going to invite us to the wedding?” He shakes his head as if disgusted.
“Is it true?” Marigold ignores Irving and steps forward. “Galinor told Teagan you are eloping!”
I laugh and nod, still surprised to see them.
“We’re coming with you.” Marigold links her arm through Teagan’s and beams at him. “Aren’t we?”
Teagan smiles down at her. “I believe we are.”
Galinor stares down
at them all, still bewildered by their presence. “If you’re coming, get your cart and hurry up. We won’t wait all night for you.”
The trio scrambles to break camp. I half expect to see Rosie, though I know she is far away in Triblue. My mind wanders to yesterday’s conversation with Irving. I hope we may see her again.
I ride to Galinor’s side and laugh. He gives me an exasperated look but the expression shifts to a wry smile.
The sun just peeks over the horizon when the five of us reach the southern village where Galinor and I will wed.
Galinor takes my hand. “Are you ready?”
“More than ready.”
In the sleepy village, just after dawn, Galinor slides the changeling stone over my finger. The stone is still; the magic is gone, lost when the stone was broken. But it shimmers in the morning light with the memory of something exquisite.
More, it shimmers with the promise of something exquisite yet to come.
Turn the page to read the first chapter of Seirsha of Errinton, the third book in The Eldentimber Series.
Available January 7, 2016
CHAPTER ONE
Smoke sits heavy in the cave, and I cover my mouth with my sleeve as I choke on it. I peer around the corner, through the inky darkness, hoping I will find one dark shape. There are two. I pull back quickly and press my back against the hard stone.
“Don’t lurk, Seirsha,” a deep, lyrical voice calls from the cavern I just peered in.
I take a deep breath to slow my racing heart. Instead of drawing in slightly musty air, I suck up another lungful of smoke. I try to hold it in, but my cough echoes through the tunnels. If there were a chance of slinking away into the darkness, it’s gone now.
Not that I can bear to go back. Not after tonight.
Still choking, I cautiously step around the bend. The floor is uneven, but I expect it, so I don’t stumble.
“A pet, Adrinel? I didn’t know you kept vermin.” The figure cloaked in black shadows laughs at his cruel taunt, smoke wheezing out of his mouth as he chortles.
I cringe away, quickly making my way to Adrinel’s side where I’m safe.
At least I hope I’m safe.
Even in the dim light of the cave, Adrinel’s green eyes glow. She opens her mouth to respond to her companion, but her gaze slides over my face, and she pauses. Those disconcerting eyes narrow to glowing slits as she cranes her neck to examine me closer. “What has happened to you?”
Terror rises in my chest, and I look away, unable to put into words the horror of the evening.
“Leave us,” Adrinel says to her friend.
He flicks his tail. Indignant, he looks as if he’s going to argue but thinks better of it when Adrinel raises her head in challenge. He nods, acknowledging her superiority. As he stands, his leathery hide shifts along old, weathered bones. His joints crack as he moves, and I take another step closer to Adrinel when he growls in pain.
He gives Adrinel a last, sharp look. “Farewell, daughter.”
I turn away as he blows another plume of smoke in my direction, but I try not to cough until he has rounded the bend. The only sound besides my near-silent choking is the click of his claws against the unyielding stone. Once that fades, I turn to Adrinel.
“Can you fix it?” I whisper, angling my cheek toward her so she may take a better look.
She growls and tosses her head back. Fire streams from her jaws. The magic-infused flame twists and ribbons around itself before it breaks apart and forms floating orbs that hover above us. The cavern comes to life in the light, and the coins gleam under my feet.
Adrinel lowers her sapphire head and flicks her wings in annoyance. “Answer my question. What has happened?”
“Calden,” I murmur, my cousin’s name barely audible as it passes my lips.
She hisses. “And your friend?”
Tears prick my eyes when I think of Bea, my lady’s maid, and I turn from her. Adrinel stretches out a wing. Like a mama owl tucking an owlet close, she pulls me toward her. I turn into her scaled side. Though she shimmers like jewels, her hide is soft velvet.
“Look at me,” she instructs.
Bracing myself, I turn my face toward her. She breathes out a white fire that makes me cringe even before it hits my face. An onslaught of sensations overwhelm me, and I struggle to stay conscious. The unique flame sears, yet it’s cold; it itches even as it soothes.
I rub my cheek, trying to work feeling back into it. It pricks like a limb deprived of blood, but it’s no longer tender.
“Thank you,” I say.
“It would be a pleasure to end him.” She pulls her wing back, releasing me from her side, and stretches out on her hoard of treasure. Gold, jewels, armor, weapons—she lounges on them like they are pillows.
I lower myself to the floor and push aside a nasty looking dagger. As I sit, I give the dragon a sharp look. “You know you mustn’t.”
“I didn’t say I was going to.” Her tail flicks in annoyance. Back and forth it goes, coins shifting underneath it. “I simply said it would be a pleasure.”
Unable to keep her gaze, I look away first. She loves me as much as a beast could love her own young, but she’s still a dragon. She’s still deadly.
“When are you leaving?” I ask, speaking to the floor.
“Don’t do that,” she says, irritated. “We go through this every season. I will be back.”
I chance a peek at her again. “What if it happens and you’re gone?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “End him.”
Huffing out a frustrated breath, I say, “You know I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
I rub my cheek. Though the pain is gone, I still remember the strike. “Both, I suppose.”
“Has your father found you a husband to take you away yet?”
Idly, I run my thumb against the pendant at my neck. “No one wants me.”
No one that can have me, that is.
“Not you—Errinton,” Adrinel snaps. “And do you blame them?”
Even I don’t want Errinton, and I’m its princess.
“When do you leave?” I ask again as I play with a coin, dreading her answer.
She stretches her neck. The pleasure on her face shows she’s already dreaming of the hot springs that she and others of her kind frequent several times a year. “I think tomorrow. I am stiff, and my scales are dull.”
Those dull scales sparkle radiantly in the glowing firelight. I raise an eyebrow at her.
The dragon preens, knowing she is lovely. “You could come with me, mouse.”
I snort. “As what? A snack?”
Adrinel narrows her eyes, and a wisp of smoke escapes one nostril. “None would dare.”
I do believe she’s right. She was formidable as a youth all those years ago when she rescued me from her kind. Now as a young, mature female she is as terrifying as she is stunning. Even for a dragon, she’s magnificent.
“I can’t leave,” I say.
“You mean you can’t leave him.”
Flustered, I study the floating firelights. “And what exactly do you claim to know of love?”
“You’re right,” she answers. “I don’t understand a love that would leave you to compete in a tournament for another woman’s hand.”
My stomach knots. “Rigel was doing his duty, just as I will do mine when the time comes.”
Her disagreement is silent, but it’s there.
“And there’s more here than just him,” I argue. “There’s Bea and her family as well.”
“Has that peasant woman birthed her young yet?” she says, speaking of Bea’s sister-by-marriage.
I laugh at the dragon’s indifferent tone. “No. Marielle hasn’t had her baby, but she should any day now.”
“You want one of those mewling creatures.” Adrinel grimaces. “I can see it your eyes.”
Dragons aren’t like us. They don’t understand.
“Yes. Eventually,” I answer, glancing back at
her.
She yawns, bored with the turn the conversation has taken. She settles lower, readying herself for sleep. “Will you stay tonight? Or will you return?” Her eyes are already closed. “Be quiet now if you’re staying.”
I run my hand along the cold coins. My bed is more comfortable, but it’s far safer here now that Calden has managed to obtain a key to my chambers. I curl on my side, tucking my hands under my cheek. The firelight slowly dims, Adrinel’s magic fading as she drifts to sleep. Soon it’s dark and very cold.
Still, it’s better than home.
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Eldentimber Series
Pippa of Lauramore
Anwen of Primewood
Seirsha of Errinton
Audette of Brookraven
Grace of Vernow: An Eldentimber Novelette
Contemporary Fiction
Just the Essentials
Glitter and Sparkle
Acknowledgments
I want to thank the Lord for the life he’s blessed me with. I never imagined I would be able to live this dream, and I am so grateful.
Jake, you are such a hard worker, and I appreciate everything you do for our family. There is no way I’d be able to write if it wasn’t for you.
A big thanks to my mother. You truly make it all happen. Thank you for all the time you’ve invested into this story.
Jocey, the cover is awesome. You’re fabulous (as always).
To Marlo and Michelle, I appreciate you both so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And a special thanks to my father for the use of his fictional “iktar beast”. I like to think I get my crazy imagination from you.
Anwen of Primewood Page 25