by A. M. Hodges
Curious, I cast out for her. Invisible tendrils probe through her emotions as I search for some kind of answer. I feel her nerves and her distress. I feel her conflicting emotions of happiness and dread. Then, there's something else. Something that isn't entirely Josie.
I focus all my senses on her. Just when I think that I'm wrong, I hear it. Oh shit.
"I'm pregnant," she whimpers, the shock reaching my face before the words are even out of her mouth. Lucah's face scrunches in confusion as he continues to stare at her. Wait for it.... wait for it… Ah. There it is.
The moment her words click, I watch Lucah's face rapidly switch from confused to dumbfounded, to elated. I don't think I have ever seen a smile as brilliant as the one that is now lighting up Lucah's face. He rushes to Josie and picks her up before spinning her around in circles, tears falling through her relieved sobs.
"Oh, for fucks sake," Josiah grumbles. Jeb relaxes and a smile replaces the murderous expression that was on his face only moments ago. He sighs and looks up at the sky in exasperation.
"Great, now there's going to be a miniature version. Gods I hope it's a girl."
Epilogue
"Mama! Come on! Daah and Daddy are waiting!" Briya jumps around by the door.
She's a little excited. The first week after we came home, she refused to let us out of her sight. There were no naps. If she had to go to the bathroom, we had to stand outside the open door with our back turned to talk to her. If we had to go to the bathroom, she made us sing a song the entire time to make sure we were still there. Our bed has been more than crowded with four of us in it, me and Briya tucked safely between my mates every night.
It took some convincing, but Josiah finally agreed to move in with us. Briya, with all her perceptiveness, caught on to what was happening immediately. She doesn't seem to mind at all, considering she is now twice as spoiled. Julianna and Bramble worked with her on her English while we were gone, and she decided to adapt the English term for Josiah.
Briya twirls around in the puffy dress we got her. The style is more traditional for a human flower girl than it is for a Fae, but she loves it and Jeb wanted me to have as close to a real wedding as we could get. I had it made specifically for her, the fabric stopping halfway up her back to accommodate her adorable little wings. The soft blue color compliments her cotton candy hair that's pulled back in a half up-do, showcasing her tiny, pointed ears.
My dress is a more royal shade of blue but equally as puffy, since she insisted that we had to match. The designs were the same, hers just being the miniature version. Emeralds decorate my neck, ears, and hair. Bramble styled my hair in a beautifully elaborate way that I will never be able to replicate and wove the emeralds into it. The way it's pulled back shows off my slim neck and the more delicate features of my face.
"Mama! The Sprigs left flowers on the porch again! Can I have it this time?" she pouts up at me with those big pink eyes. She makes it impossible to say no to her when she is this cute.
"Yes, you can have it. Let's go," she takes my hand, and we head out the door. She squeals when I bend down and grab the tiny crown of flowers and place it on her head, making her look exactly like the Princess that she is.
We walk through the garden and around to the back of the house where everyone is waiting. I only expected family, but it seems the entire village decided to attend. Even Yanna is here, her smile full of natural menace as she sits next to Josie in the front row with Julianna, Bramble, and Lucah. Rashana stands at the front of the crowd with my mates on either side of her.
Butterflies erupt in my stomach as Briya and I walk hand in hand down the aisle leading to them. When we reach the front, she wraps her arms around my legs as best she can before doing the same to Josiah and Jeb, both of which scoop her up and kiss her cheek before putting her back down. In a fit of giggles, she runs over and crawls into Julianna's lap.
"Are you ready for this, Krasivaya?"
"Yeah, there's no turning back now, mo runsearc."
The teasing smiles and eyes full of love and pure happiness staring down at me make me feel like I can take on the world. With them by my side, I can handle anything life throws at me. I wink at them and grin at Rashana.
"Let's do this."
Acknowledgement
First off, I would like to thank everyone who supported me through writing my very first novel.
What started as a funny thought in my sleep deprived mind during my first pregnancy two years ago, turned into something that I had always dreamed of. I remember the moment the idea came to me, so clearly.
I was sitting on the couch, zoned out as usual, when I giggled to myslef at a random thought. My husband, of course, looked at me like I was about to go on yet another hormonal rampage (I swear I was not that bad) and very cautiously asked me what was so funny.
I giggled again and said, "Wouldn't it be hilarious for there to be a race of Pixies that were all like, over six-feet tall warrior gods? And then, the Pixie could fall in love with a girl and have to tell her what he is, like an Edward Cullen situation. AND THEN, when he tells her, she calls him Tinkerbell?"
I thought I was so funny that I sat down and wrote a chapter. That one chapter turned into five and the next thing I knew, I was emailing it to Cymoral Lacour, my very first fan and pro-bono editor (because she is just that great).
This all became possible because she read it and said "Hell yeah! Do it!"
So thank you, Cym. I truly couldnt have done it without you.
