They walked down the path, through the last remaining attendants, until finally they were alone, followed at a distance by four priests who would discretely witness their completion. They didn’t speak as they walked the flower-strewn path to the immense bed, suspended between four towering trees. Faint blue lights danced in the clearing. It was everything Eilidh could have wanted, if only she could have been there with Munro. A tear slid down her cheek, and Griogair saw it. He frowned and looked sad as well. With a tender swipe of the back of his finger, he wiped the tear away, leaned close and whispered, “Don’t cry.”
She pulled away from him. “I can’t do this,” she said softly. “Please. Tell them I was too afraid. Tell them anything. Tell them I’m like ice with no passion in me, but I can’t do this.”
A smile quirked across Griogair’s face unexpectedly.
“What?” she hissed. “Is this funny to you?”
“Eilidh, it’s me. Open the bond. It’s me.”
Eilidh stared. “Quinton?” She stepped closer, glancing around to make sure the witnessing priests were too far to hear. Fearful she would find it to be a lie when she opened the bond, she did it anyway. As soon as she did, she felt Munro’s presence right in front of her, ringing with amusement. “Griogair agreed to this?” she asked, stunned.
“It was his idea. His gift to you.”
“The ceremony…”
“That was him,” Munro said. “He explained that an illusion would have disguised my appearance, but not fooled the laws of magic. I’m not sure what that means, but he said you would understand.”
Eilidh nodded. “The mating rite is a magical ceremony, not just a formality or for appearances. Illusion can deceive the mind of human and fae but not the Source. For our union to be legitimate, it had to be Griogair saying the words with his own lips.”
“But this part, Griogair said, was more tradition than law, and he wouldn’t force you.” Munro lowered his head. “Not after everything you’ve done and been through. I have to say, it was decent of him.”
“When did you switch?”
“Oron cast the illusion in the tent. He took both me and Griogair aside, much to the consternation of those attendant guys. A little confusion, a little illusion, and we exchanged faces. Unfortunately for him, he gets to spend the evening with Oron. They can’t go too far away or the illusions drop,” Munro explained. “Oron is the only one who knows, but Griogair trusts him to keep our secret. So do I.”
Eilidh nodded and smiled, wrapping her arms around Munro’s neck. When he leaned forward and kissed her, she melted into his arms, only two thin layers of sheer material separating them. “It is peculiar, hearing your voice from his mouth, seeing you in his body.”
“Yeah, it feels strange. I can’t even bring myself to look down.”
Eilidh laughed. “Will you think me unfaithful if I do?”
With a tender stroke of her cheek, Munro said, “I wouldn’t have thought that even if this really was Griogair standing here. Your body is yours. I have your heart, and I remember the sacred words you said to me. I would never think you unfaithful.” He paused and peered into the forest. “Are they really going to watch?” he asked.
With a mischievous grin Eilidh replied, “Only the first time. After that they leave us until daybreak.”
Munro reached down and swept her into his arms, laying her gently on the bed. “Griogair warned me I’d better live up to his reputation. I think we can give them something to talk about.”
Eilidh let her worries float away as she and Munro had one night of happiness. They didn’t think about the conflicts, the burdens, the sacrifices to come, or the difficult road ahead. Despite her coronation and the magnificent ceremony where she took Prince Griogair as her mate, her people were divided, with a young queen who didn’t yet know how to rule. The Halls of Mist would never be the same, now that Caledonia had an azuri queen.
More by India Drummond
Book 1: Blood Faerie
Unjustly sentenced to death, Eilidh ran—away from faerie lands, to the streets of Perth, Scotland. Just as she has grown accustomed to exile, local police discover a mutilated body outside the abandoned church where she lives. Recognising the murder as the work of one of her own kind, Eilidh must choose: flee, or learn to tap into the forbidden magic that cost her everything.
Read the first chapter at http://www.indiadrummond.com
Book 2: Azuri Fae
A faerie prince disappears in the borderlands, and his father enlists the help of outcast Eilidh and her bonded druid, Quinton Munro. Tantalised with hints of a lost and ancient magic, they learn that time is working against them every step of the way. Is the prince’s disappearance related to the vanishing of an entire Scottish village?
Faced with deception, assassination attempts, and a mad queen who would sacrifice her own child to keep a dreaded secret, Eilidh struggles with an impossible situation. Her people demand she commit treason and betray the man she loves. Will she do what duty requires, or throw away the chance to reunite the kingdom in exchange for the life she hadn’t dared hope for?
Book 3: Enemy of the Fae
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Azuri Fae - Urban Fantasy (Caledonia Fae) Page 23
