The Darkness of Shadoewynne: Book 3 of the Shadoewynne series

by Penelope Kein

  Together they said, “Will you do us the honor of being our wife?”

  David popped open his box to reveal a bracelet whose diamonds matched the ring, and Kait’s box contained a matching necklace.

  Happy tears formed in my eyes as I nodded my head. I couldn’t seem to form words. They climbed to their feet and descended on me in a flurry of kisses. Kait picked up Gill and moved him to a pillow in the corner and pulled me to my feet.

  Kait kissed me long and hard before running a hand through my hair. “There’s a white dress waiting for you and a master of ceremonies downstairs. Janelle, Sarah and Sibhre are waiting for us downstairs as well. We can do the ceremony now, or we can wait. It’s up to you.”

  I barely hesitated a second. “Everyone I care about and who cares about me is here. I would love to marry you guys today!”

  “Okay. The dress is in the sitting room. I will send the ladies up to help you with your hair.” He kissed me one more time, then left the room. David swooped in behind him, kissing me until I could barely remember my name. He let me go and Travis quickly replaced him. By the time Travis left the room, I couldn’t breathe, and I desperately wanted to call them all back in to finish what they started. A few moments later there was a soft knock on the door. A glance through the peephole revealed Janelle, Sarah and Sibhre waiting. I opened the door and let them in.

  They all gathered around me, Janelle and Sarah talking at the same time, until I had enough. “Thanks, guys. Let’s get me ready for this, huh? The guys are waiting for me.”

  Now that it was quiet, Sibhre took my hands in hers as she regally reclined her head. “Evalia, I am so proud to have been a part of your training and to have helped you break your block. In the few weeks that I have known you, you have grown in your powers and as a woman. I am honored to be here.”

  I pulled her in and hugged her. She froze for a second before relaxing against me. “Sibhre, I don’t know where I would be without you, and I hope you know, I consider you a close friend.” She blushed as she turned away, moving over to the couch where a white dress was laying. She picked it up and brought it over to me.

  It was two layers. The bottom layer was very much like satin, while the top layer was lace. The lace had tiny, pink roses with small, shiny diamonds at their centers embroidered on it. The satin ended at the bust-line, while the lace continued up over the shoulders. The lace design faded into the full skirt. I rubbed the satin and lace between my fingers as I fought happy tears. At no time in my life did I ever think I would be this overwhelmingly happy.

  Janelle put her hands on my shoulders. “Come on, let’s get your hair done, then we can get you into the dress and downstairs. The guys said the gazebo would be ready in an hour, so we don’t have very long.” I nodded and let her lead me to the office chair, where she made me sit. “How do you want me to do your hair?”

  “I don’t know. Do whatever you want, as long as it’s pretty.” She pouted at me for a moment before she brightened.

  “Okay, how about a French twist updo?”

  I wasn’t sure what that was, so I just shrugged. Sarah said, “Oh! I have the perfect accessory for that!” Then she ran from the room. Janelle laughed and brushed out my hair. I let her and Sibhre’s chatter flow over me as I answered in the fewest words possible. As joyful as I was, it also felt unreal, like I would wake up any minute, back in my college apartment, and all of this had been a dream. Sarah was back quickly with an intricate comb with many sparkles that matched the roses on the dress perfectly. I loved it instantly.

  A French twist looks like a simple hairstyle, but it still took her close to forty-five minutes to get it perfect. She twisted most of my hair into an intricate knot at the base of my neck, but left several strands down around my face, which she curled. While she worked on that, Sarah and Sibhre worked on my makeup, but they kept it simple at my request. Sarah wanted to do dark smokey eyes, which probably would have been beautiful, but just wasn’t my style. We settled for a light purple eyeshadow that brought out the green in my eyes, with a dark plum liner and brown mascara. We did my lips in a pretty pink lip gloss. I wanted to look as close to normal as possible, only using the makeup to highlight my eyes.

  When they finished the makeup and hair, they helped me into the dress. The back of the dress plunged low, so we had an awkward few minutes while we tried to decide how to support my chest without a bra, since that seemed to be the one thing the guys didn’t think of when setting this up.

  Sibhre had been watching us quietly while we debated how bad it looked without a bra. Eventually, she came over to me and stared at my chest before looking into my eyes. “May I try something?” She asked quietly. I waved my hand. What Janelle and Sarah didn’t seem to understand is that I was not leaving the room without some support. But we were running out of time. If it only took them an hour to get the gazebo ready, it had been waiting on us for at least ten minutes at this point. Sibhre startled me by putting her hands directly under my boobs, supporting them where they would be if I had been wearing a bra. She closed her eyes for a moment, then moved her hands. They stayed where she had put them. As she opened her eyes, she said, “Try moving around now to see if it holds.”

  I gave her a disbelieving look, then took several steps. It was like I was wearing a supportive sports bra. No sway and no bounce. “This is awesome, Sibhre! You’ll have to show me how you did that so I can do it in the future! Support without wires!”

  “Okay, we need to get you down there! I’m sure the guys are getting antsy!” Janelle was practically jumping as she handed me the pale pink kitten-heeled shoes to go with the dress. I took a moment to examine the bond and felt the slightest bit of apprehension in the bond. At least one of the guys, it felt like David, worried I had changed my mind. The other two felt sure and calm. I took a deep breath to calm the flutters in my stomach and headed out the door, shoes in hand. After we reached the bottom of the stairs, I put the shoes on, then Janelle guided me outside to the decorated gazebo. Scattered pale pink rose petals led to the door of the white wooden structure, and a multitude of flowers in every color imaginable covered the inside. Because my guys were awesome, Pearl and Gill were off to the side, witnessing the ceremony. What girl doesn’t want dragons at her wedding?

  I giggled as I walked up to the guys, watching their love shine from their eyes. There was no doubt in my mind that I was doing exactly what I should do, and that this was the start of my happily ever-after. The one I never thought I would get. My eyes misted as I thought about how lucky I was, so I shut down that line of thought quickly. I don’t want to ruin the makeup. Not yet, at least. Kait smirked at me as he caught that thought. I winked at him. His sexy smile grew even bigger as he turned to the butler who Kait had called Bartholomew earlier.

  Bartholomew appeared to be the master of ceremonies. He cleared his throat, and Janelle, Sarah and Sibhre sat down. Orn and a beautiful woman who I presumed was Travis’s mom strode up to the gazebo and took seats as well. The butler looked around before he cleared his throat once more.

  “Weddings are not a Shadoewynne tradition but a joining of the magic is. We will create a ceremony today that is a mixture of the two, to reflect the mixture of cultures within this bonding. They created this ceremony as a joint effort between three of the bonded, Travis, David and Kait, as a surprise to the fourth, Evalia.” He looked to me, and said with a straight face, “Do you agree to this? You will not have another chance to escape these ruffians.”

  I hid a grin as I glanced around at the guys, who appeared to be holding their breath. “I do. I think I can handle them.” Some of my laughter escaped as they all let out the breath they were holding. Like I would get all dressed up to turn them down. Kait leaned over and pecked me on the cheek.

  “We didn’t tell him to say that. It took us by surprise; it’s not like we expected you to say no.”

  I grinned as Bartholomew started talking again. “On Earth, the promise to remain together through thick and thin i
s made in front of the God the couple believes in, but is not bound by more than a piece of paper. On Shadoewynne, the bonded’s magic is bound together, creating a connection that will last their entire lifetime, no matter their future feelings. In most ways, it is a more serious promise than that of Earth’s marriage, but one thing the males wanted to keep from the Earth ceremony was the vows. Kaitsja, please say your vows.”

  “When I first saw you, I knew that you were what was missing from my life. It’s cheesy, but you complete me. You balance out my weaknesses with your strengths and you make me a better man. I, Kaitsja, do promise to forever protect you, forever love you, and forever be yours.”

  Travis spoke up next, his voice breaking as he did. “I didn’t know what that feeling meant when I first saw you but I knew that you were precious and that I had to do everything in my power to protect you. It was obvious that you would be a significant part of my life and that I should treasure you always. I, Travis, do promise to forever love you, and forever be yours. What’s mine is yours.”

  David was last, with tears in his eyes. “It killed me every time you said no when I asked you out. I didn’t know what was driving it but I knew that I would never be happy without you. I, David, do promise to forever love you and forever be yours. I owe my life to you in more ways than one, and I can never explain what you mean to me, because it is simply beyond words.”

  Bartholomew turned to me. “I know you have had little time, but do you have a vow to your bonded?”

  I looked around at my gorgeous guys. “As much as I fought the idea, I am so happy you are my bonded. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, and I wouldn’t want to live without you either. That paintball game was the best thing that ever happened to me, despite everything that followed. Without it, and what it led to, I would have never met Travis or Kait. I, Evalia, do promise to forever love you all, forever be yours, and do my best to protect you as well. What’s mine is yours, not that I have much. You have given me a life I never expected and it is honestly beyond my wildest dreams. I love you all so much.” I started choking up, so I had to stop.

  The butler smiled gently and continued the ceremony. “Please place your right hands together.” We stood in a circle with our hands piled on top of each other. “This ritual will bind you all to each other. It will connect your magic and your minds in a way you have not experienced yet. Are you ready?” We all took a deep breath and nodded. The butler intoned some words in that lyrical language and a glowing golden rope appeared. It wrapped around our hands, forming an intricate knot above the pile of hands, before shooting into our chests. Another convoluted knot formed in front of our chests as well before slowly fading. I could feel them even stronger than ever before.

  “I now pronounce you married and fully bonded. You may now kiss the bride.” Travis jumped in, pulling me to him and kissing me senseless. He let me go and David snagged me next. He pulled me to him but dipped me back as he explored my mouth. Someone in the crowd hooted and David let me up. I glimpsed his blushing face before Kait spun me to him. He gripped the back of my neck lightly as he tenderly kissed me. More hooting came from the crowd before he pulled away slightly to put his forehead on mine.

  “I hope you liked the ceremony.” He whispered softly.

  “It was beautiful. I was never one of those girls who daydreamed about their future wedding but it was everything I could have ever hoped for.”

  Sarah, Janelle and Sibhre ran up to us, with Angel confidently striding up behind them. Janelle was dabbing at her eyes, and Sarah wore a huge grin while she gushed at me. “I am so happy for you guys! Travis has never been happier than he has been with you!”

  “Yes, you better not hurt him.” Angel's voice was cool. I turned to her and curtsied before squaring my shoulders and looking her solidly in the eyes.

  “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. I wish it had been before the wedding day. I don’t plan on hurting him. It’s my plan to never let him go. I am well aware of how lucky I am.”

  Orn grinned at me, then placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “I told you she has a good head on her shoulders. She’s not gonna hurt Travis.”

  Angel smiled. “I’m glad you have a backbone. From some of the things David and Travis said when you first started hanging around with him, I was afraid you were a pushover.”

  I grinned at her. “Truthfully, ma’am, I was then. I’m not now. I’ve learned my power and know my own worth.”

  Orn smiled even broader. “Told you, babe. You didn’t need to worry.”

  Angel held out her arms for a hug. “Please, call me Angel or Mom. You are family now. Don’t be formal.”

  I embraced her. “Okay, Angel. Thank you.”

  Travis came back over to us. “Come on, we set up a party in the hotel's ballroom.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.

  Chapter 17

  We went into the hotel and back through the opulent halls. I saw none of it. The three hot guys that had set up the most romantic event ever for me entranced me. When we got to the ballroom, David threw open the door to the biggest room I had ever seen. Someone had spent a good amount of time decorating it. There were glittery streamers hanging from the ceiling while rainbow bubbles floated through the air. Hundreds of small dragons like Gill lined the walls, wailing a beautiful song, their little faces to the ceiling as the sound warbled out. A unicorn stood in the corner, like a photo prop, calmly munching on the hay left near it. Brownies sat on the tables, toasting us as we walked by. It felt like I had walked into a fairy tale.

  David swept me into his arms, waltzing us across the dance floor toward a table set at the back of the room. Before he let go, he kissed me, his tongue seeking access as his hand grabbed the back of my head while being careful of the hairdo. We slow danced while being serenaded by the dragons. When we reached the table, I had to wipe away a tear. It was all so romantic. He passed me off to Travis, who tucked my arm under his and led me around the table. Kait pulled out my chair and helped me settle the massive skirt around my legs. They brought out a sumptuous dinner of spit-roasted meat and exotic fruits, which we gladly ate, paired with excellent wines that even I enjoyed. We cut the cake and threw the bouquet. In all, it was the best party ever.

  At the end of the night, we staggered up to our room, pleasantly buzzed and enjoying each other's company. Before we went into the room, Travis swept me up into his arms while Kait threw open the doors. The sitting area was strewn with flower petals and a bottle of champagne, as well as some chocolate dipped fruit, waited for us. I giggled as David opened the doors to the bedroom, which had flower petals strewn across the floor and bedspread. Travis set me on my feet, then kissed me tenderly until I didn’t know my own name.

  I pulled away to stare into his brilliant blue eyes, then glanced at David and Kait. “Today was amazing. I am so happy to be Ms. General-Stonemiller-Johnson Although, that name is a mouthful. I may need to find something more condensed.”

  David spoke from the corner of the room as he pulled off his tux shirt. “Did you like everything? We were worried about setting it all up without your input.” He held up his glass of sparkling champagne in a small toast before taking a sip.

  “It was more than perfect. I couldn’t have done it better myself.” Kait handed me a glass while Travis’s held out one of the chocolate-covered strawberries for me to bite. I held his gaze as I slowly bit into the giant fruit. He shivered and gulped down his glass of champagne.

  “Hmm, there is something you can do better.” David’s voice had gone low and he ran a finger around the top of his pants.

  “Oh? And what’s that?” I leaned slightly forward, pushing my boobs together a bit with my arms as I raised an eyebrow, and bit the strawberry that Kait now held out for me. David swallowed hard before drinking down the rest of his champagne.

  “It’s something only you can do for us.” This from Travis, who was pulling at his belt.

  I gave them my best confused look before turn
ing my back to them and bending at the waist to take my shoes off. “I can’t think of a single thing.” Three throats cleared behind me.

  “I think you can.” Kait stepped in front of me, naked, and palmed his erect member as he stared into my eyes. Now it was my turn to clear my throat as my eyes went to his hand, and what it was doing. I felt fingers brush my back as someone slowly unzipped the dress, which puddled at my feet after he pushed the lace off my shoulders. Sibhre’s magic was still active, holding my breasts up with no visible support. Kait sucked in a breath before going to his knees before me. He reverently kissed from my neck to my nipple, while arms wrapped around me.

  Travis turned on some music from his phone, and danced, giving me the best strip tease ever, while David’s hand worked its way to the junction between my thighs. When Travis was naked, he moved behind me, switching places with David, who did an abbreviated dance, since he only had to remove his pants.

  Travis’s arm wrapped around my chest, pulling me back against his chest. I gasped as Travis rolled a nipple between his fingers. David disappeared, then Kait stood up, taking me with him. Travis pushed me against Kait, who walked us into the bedroom where he laid me down on the bed. Travis and David stood in the corners, slowly working their hands over themselves.

  Kait looked into my eyes. “Princess, our vows were only the beginning. The ceremony we preformed earlier was part Earth tradition, and part Shadoewynne, but this completes the Shadoewynne portion of the ceremony. Our magic will cement the bond, entwining us all together.” He paused as he sucked at a nipple, biting it lightly before saying, “I will love you forever and always.” He gently, and ever so slowly, pushed himself into me, moving at an agonizingly slow pace until I dug my fingers into his back. He moaned as he picked up the pace. As we moved together, a warm feeling began in the middle of my chest, flowing outward to my fingertips. It seemed to move into Kait, then back into me, until it filled my body. It settled into me with almost an audible click as we fell off the cliff together. Kait was breathing hard and staring at me with wide eyes for a moment, then he slowly pulled out and moved away.