Pierce suspected something was up.
“Erm. Joaquin, what have you done?”
“I sent letters to the family, asking them to travel our way until we reached one another. Apparently, they choose to wait for us here.”
“Why?” Pierce inquired.
Joaquin turned his mount and faced them both.
“I may have mentioned your engagement.”
“So, they scurried on up to Stonehenge?” Pierce asked, confused.
Joaquin shrugged. “You two love each other, aye?”
Pierce stared at Joaquin queerly and then looked over to Taisia. When he did, he found himself admiring how beautiful she looked.
“Aye,” he answered with deep sincerity.
She turned her attention on him with the same fondness and reached out. Pierce gladly took her hand and held it tight.
“You both want to spend the rest of your lives together, eh?” Joaquin went on.
“We do,” Taisia smiled, gazing affectionately at Pierce.
“Then why wait to take your vows?”
They both snapped their heads around to him.
“Today?” Taisia gasped.
“Now?” Pierce choked.
“Aye. Why not?”
Pierce opened his mouth to argue, then drew a blank.
That’s a good question.
“I have no wedding gown,” Taisia answered. “I do not wish to marry wearing this.”
The blouse that Fan had given her was charming, indeed, yet she had a point. She had worn it through the Netherlands and during their latest adventure. The rips and tears showed its jagged history. It was the outfit she had worn while possessed by demon blood, when she had tried to stab her lover. She had fought and killed while wearing it. Not the type of garment a woman wishes to vow her everlasting love and devotion in. Not to mention, Pierce wasn’t exactly dressed accordingly, either.
“I have something for you,” Joaquin said to Taisia.
He slung his rucksack off his shoulders. The bag seemed to have gotten fatter after their last visit to Birmingham. He brought out a thin, white, rectangular box.
“What is this?” she asked, accepting it.
“Open it,” he insisted.
Her expression brightened when she saw what was inside.
“Joaquin,” she cooed, lifting out a folded gown. “It’s beautiful.”
Pierce also thought it was very appealing.
“And here,” Joaquin said, tossing Pierce a similar box. “This is for you.”
Pierce—not expecting the throw—nearly failed to catch the blasted thing. Inside the box was a black vest embroidered in grey paisley patterns, a silk shirt, a black velvet tailcoat matching the vest’s designs, a silk cravat, and new pinstripe britches.
Pierce gawked at the duds. “Where did you get these?”
“Tilly. I asked her for them on our initial visit, when I suspected a wedding could be in the near future.”
Pierce was shocked beyond belief. Despite everything that had been happening to Joaquin, the sickness he was going through and the threat of death looming over him, he’d been thinking about his brother and the woman he loved.
Joaquin steered his horse the other way.
“I’ll leave you two alone to discuss.”
He trotted toward the circle. As he drew near, Nona and Jasper called to him and raced over. Soon, Grandmother Fay came out of a tent to greet him, as well.
Pierce watched Taisia admiring the gown.
“I can’t believe he did this.” When she noticed Pierce looking at it, she snapped, “Don’t look! I want it to be a surprise.”
Pierce whipped his head around and flicked his sights toward the sky. “So, erm, what do you think?”
“About getting married today? It is very sudden, da?”
“Is it?” he challenged.
He looked back at her.
“Taisia Kuzentsov, I love you. So much that it bloody kills me sometimes. I cannot—and have no intention—of being without you by my side. You say it’s sudden, but I’ve wanted to marry you from the moment we met.”
Taisia burst into tears. “Oh, Pierce.”
He chewed his bottom lip and swallowed nervously. “Taisia, will you become my wife today?”
She clutched her chest, curling the fabric of her blouse in her tight fist. She nodded with eyes swimming in tears. “Da, Pierce.”
They rode toward Stonehenge and were immediately greeted by family and friends. Indigo Peachtree and Archie Norwich were also there, along with Eilidh and Clover. Apparently, Archie’s family was sent an invitation shortly after the messenger arrived with Joaquin’s letters.
The couple gave everyone their answer. Nona, Clover, and Eilidh then whisked Taisia away to the tall stones of Stonehenge. Pierce dressed beside the horses with his dad and Joaquin. Indigo had lent Jasper an old suit. Joaquin dressed in a red velvet jacket he had also gotten from Tilly. Archie had brought his own suit.
Once dressed, Pierce crouched in the field and plucked a small bouquet of wild flowers and tucked it into the band of his top hat, adding the flowers to the tuft of bird feathers.
“Proud of you, son,” praised his father.
Pierce rose while putting on his hat. “Cheers, Dad.”
Jasper patted him on the back and then embraced him. Archie approached. “You truly are full of surprises, Landcross. I can’t believe you’re about to be wed.”
“Aye,” he chuckled. “Strange where you and I stand now, considering the wrong foot we started off on, eh?” He shook Archie’s hand. “Glad you’re here, mate.”
“I must concur,” the Toymaker chimed in. “You Landcrosses are an unpredictable lot.”
Pierce turned to his sibling and clasped him on the shoulder. “Cheers for this. This couldn’t have worked out better.”
Joaquin gripped Pierce’s forearm. “No worries, little brother.”
Pierce’s grin stretched across his face. “Wanna be my best man?”
A smile touched the corner of Joaquin’s lips. “I’d be honored.”
Clover suddenly appeared. “Mr. Pierce’s dad?”
Jasper turned his attention on her. “Aye, lass?”
“Taisia wants you to give her away.”
That threw him. “She wants me? I . . . I’d be happy to.”
Clover nodded and shifted her eyes to Pierce. “Eilidh is going to be the Maid of Honor. She needs the ring.”
“Oh, aye,” Pierce said, rifling through the rucksack hanging from his horse’s saddle. He found the box and plucked out his wedding band. “Here you are.”
He dropped the ring in her palm and Clover stared blankly at it a moment before closing her tiny hand. “All right,” she said mournfully. “Thanks.”
Clover was about to dart off when Pierce gently caught her by the arm. “Hey, can I have a word with you?”
She looked up at him with those large, dark eyes of hers. “Sure.”
He glanced at everyone else. “Give us a tick?”
When the men left, Pierce kneeled down. She was tall for her age, so he needed to tilt his chin up a tad. “What’s up, lass?”
“Nothing, Mr. Pierce. I’m very happy for you.”
Pierce was aware that ever since their brief adventure together, she had developed a fondness toward him. As adorable as it was, he knew he had to confront her with the truth of their relationship.
“You’re a fine young woman, Clover Norwich, and one day, you’ll meet a fine young man who will become the luckiest gent on earth to have you.”
“I wanted you,” she said abruptly.
She slapped her hands over her mouth. He didn’t think her eyes could get any larger.
“Our time on Earth is far too short to desire what we cannot obtain, darling. Let whatever comes to you come. Take your gift for storytelling and see where it leads you.”
She bowed her head. “All right, Mr. Pierce.”
He realized his words made things no easier for the chil
d.
“Hey,” he whispered, gently clasping her by the chin and lifting her head. “I am the luckiest gent on earth because I have your love.”
She stared at him before smiling greatly. He opened his arms and she fell into his embrace.
“Thanks for being here,” he said softly to her as she squeezed him tightly.
“Pierce,” came Grandmother Fey’s voice. She wore a teal and black cloak with many flowers in her long, silvery hair. “We’re ready.”
Not only did he have butterflies in his stomach, but he also seemed to have tiny stones grinding his insides to dust. Pierce stood on the very spot of his birth in front of the arch, shaking uncontrollably. He clutched his mid-section and focused on not getting sick.
“Here they come,” Archie announced.
Pierce fixed his sights on the four figures approaching. Clover was walking ahead of Eilidh, tossing flower petals from the basket she carried. She, like Eilidh, wore a white gown and a hair vine with long ribbons, matching the ones on the poles, tied to it.
And then, there was Tai.
Nona—standing by Archie and Indigo—clutched her chest with a joyful expression. Taisia walked beside Jasper like a goddess of light. Her gown fit her perfectly. It was silvery, with an elegant, raven-black pattern forming a triangle on the front of the collar. Another design wrapped around her waist and extended down to similar designs lining the hem. The sleeves hugged her biceps, but flared widely over the rest of the arms.
The gown appeared as though it had been fashioned exclusively for her.
Seeing Taisia in such a dress, her face radiant from both her natural beauty and the makeup Nona and Eilidh had applied, made Pierce’s legs weak.
“Whoa, steady now,” Joaquin said, catching him as he started falling backward.
Pierce worked on staying solidly on his feet. Taisia stopped with Jasper, and they kissed each other on the cheek. Pierce sucked in a deep breath as she approached and stood before him. He wondered if he’d even be able to speak his vows, for it seemed she had stolen his voice.
Grandmother Fey touched them both on the arm. She was ready to conduct the ceremony the same way she had for Nona and Jasper years ago.
“We are gathered here today to witness the union between Pierce Landcross and Taisia Kuzentsov.”
Pierce and Taisia held each other’s hands. They gazed at one another as Grandmother Fey spoke of love and lifelong partnership. When it came time to exchange vows, Joaquin handed the Celtic knot ring to Pierce and he held it up for Taisia to see for the first time. Her wide smile and the glimmer in her bright eyes thrilled him to no end.
“I have never really wanted much of anything,” he started to say, still holding her wedding band, “only the air in my lungs, my health, and a few coins to buy me a little food. Meeting you has changed that entirely, for I envision a much grander life laid out before me, gifted to me by you. Taisia, from now until death, I will be yours and yours alone. I give myself to you. I’ll protect you, love you boundlessly, care for you in your hour of need, and never let you believe you have no partner.” He slipped the ring on. “This I swear.”
Taisia admired the new, shiny ring hugging her finger and whispered, “It’s so beautiful.”
He laughed and sniffed, tears of joy pooling in the corners of his eyes. Eilidh gave Taisia the other ring.
“Pierce Landcross,” Taisia said, trying to hold back her own tears, “the greatest days of my life began on the night we met.”
“Wait,” he cut in, confused. “You mean when you hit me across the head and locked me in your cell at Newgate?”
“Da,” she answered. “Because it was our first encounter. Even if it had happened the other way around, I would cherish the experience greatly. With every passing moment with you, good or bad, I am forever thankful. Pierce, from now until death, I will be yours and yours alone. I give myself to you completely. I shall protect you, love you boundlessly, care for you in your hour of need, and never let you believe you have no partner.” She slipped the ring over his finger. “This I swear.”
Once both of them wore wedding bands, they pressed their left-hand palms against one another and laced their fingers together.
Grandmother Fey tilted her chin upward with arms raised.
“Under the sky and under the endless universe, and in front of everyone here, you, Pierce Landcross, and you, Taisia Kuzentsov, have taken your vows to become forever united. I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
And Pierce gladly did so. He pulled her close, and they shared their first kiss as a wedded couple. Everyone applauded around them.
After their magnificent kiss, Pierce opened his eyes. In the distance, a tall woodsman stood, watching the ceremony.
Grandfather?
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Life, Loss, and Starting Anew
After the ceremony, Nona and Indigo prepared the food. There wasn’t much, but that mattered little to Pierce and Taisia Landcross.
While his bride chatted with everyone, Pierce led Joaquin far into the wide, grassy field.
“I’m bloody well tellin’ you, I saw ’im,” Pierce said while walking. “He was right here.”
They stopped and Pierce searched the field, finding nobody.
“Has married life already made you as mad as a hatter?” Joaquin mocked.
Pierce turned and gave him a cross look. He soon switched his stern expression to a baffled one when Joaquin gawked in pure shock.
“What?” Pierce demanded.
“Congratulations on your wedding day, Grandson,” greeted a deep voice from behind him.
“Christ!” Pierce exclaimed, leaping away and bumping into his brother.
He put a hand over his pounding chest when he saw it was Durothil.
“You just appeared out of thin air,” Joaquin said, utterly gobsmacked.
“Aye, he does that,” Pierce explained. To his grandfather, he said, “Glad you’re here. Now you can meet your other grandson.”
The elf stepped forward with a hand out to Joaquin. At such a close range, Pierce could feel the wisdom and strength within him.
Pierce shared some resemblance with his grandfather, such as the color of their eyes, the shape of their nose, and their high cheekbones—even some of the shades in their hair.
Joaquin and his grandfather greeted each other. Durothil’s small grin faltered upon shaking hands, as if touching Joaquin had told him something. They only looked at each other, seemingly speaking without words. Joaquin nodded with a frown.
“What is it?” Pierce asked.
They let go of each other, but neither of them answered.
“Would you care to join us?” Joaquin invited his grand-father.
“I could,” the elf mused, “but I am not accustomed to spending time with humans.”
Pierce smirked slyly. “Is that so? Well, I’m sure Grandma would love to have you there.”
That made the ancient man smile broadly.
“I suppose a few hours would not hurt. Perhaps I could summon some of my kind to join us?”
Pierce nodded, liking the sound of that.
“That would be grand.”
* * *
And by some, Durothil meant over forty or so elf men, women, and children. They brought with them food, musical instruments, wine, and good cheer. Stonehenge became a place of magic and liveliness as though the pagans had returned. And things only got better when the sun went down. Pierce didn’t know how they did it, and he asked no questions, but they manifested orbs of soft lights that floated in the air, turning the area into an earthbound starry night sky. The food was exquisite, the music brimmed with emotion, and the wine simply made everything even more enjoyable. Joaquin danced with a lovely golden-haired elf woman. Taisia claimed the lass had healed her after Sewanee attacked her near the Singsong Orchid. After a while, Joaquin and the elf woman disappeared together.
After hours of dancing, Pierce thought he should be e
xhausted, yet it seemed carrying on with elves only enflamed his energy. When Grandmother Fey danced with Durothil, it literally took years off her, restoring her to her prime. Even Nona and Jasper had never seen her looking so young. Eventually, Taisia whispered to Pierce of her readiness to consummate their marriage. Without a word, they snuck away to do just that inside the wedding tent setup for them. It was a perfect ending to the most perfect day of his life.
Pierce couldn’t sleep after their lovemaking. The wine in his head still had a hold on him. Restless, he dressed only in his pinstriped britches and went outside.
The atmosphere had changed dramatically. All was quiet and a lot less populated. The elves had gone, and everyone else was asleep—except his family. They stood in the distance among a cluster of floating lights. His parents, Grandmother Fey, Joaquin, and Grandfather Durothil appeared to be having a conversation. Pierce was too far off to hear. They soon embraced each other. Pierce decided to go over and find out what was up. When he took his first step, though, he suddenly felt tired. His entire body weighed heavily, making it difficult to remain standing. His mind became cloudy with exhaustion. Forgetting about joining the family, he retreated into the tent and fell fast asleep next to his wife.
* * *
The tent walls brightened. Pierce opened his eyes and with a groan, sat up and rubbed his face. He yawned while scratching at the edge of the linen wrapped around his torso over his knife wound. He went outside, taking only his vest with him. He stretched and slipped on the vest. As he did, he wondered if what he saw was real or some strange dream. The morning was thick with fog as it had been during their last visit.
Pierce, called a soft voice.
“Fuckin’ hell,” he cried.
He scanned the fog, only to find himself alone.
Come to Stonehenge.
It sounded like Joaquin, though Pierce didn’t understand how he could have called to him in a whisper from such a distance. Instead of calling back, Pierce went to the tall standing stones and found Joaquin in the center of the circle.
The Underground Page 28