A Witch's Rite

by N. E. Conneely

  I cried when I finally got around to asking Elron if he'd go to Gudger's memorial service with me next week. Elron wiped away my tears and told me he was going with or without me. At first I smiled, and then I cried. I cried for a good man taken too soon, and I cried because I hadn't been able to save him. I was pretty sure Elron cried a little too.

  Hours later, when I kissed Elron good night, I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have him. My heart ached, reminding me that not everyone was feeling lucky right now. I said a quiet prayer and asked the earth to watch over Gudger's family. Going to bed, I wished I'd been a little less lucky and Gudger was still alive. Sadly, all the wishing in the world wouldn't bring him back.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Elron

  Studying the blooms in the greenhouse, I debated the correct placement of the table. I wanted this night to be special, a celebration of life and our time together. Everything had to be perfect. When I'd been thinking about locations, I'd had trouble selecting the appropriate venue. Several prominent restaurants tempted me, but Michelle had always loved the greenhouse, so this place won out.

  The menu was set. The groceries were at my apartment, waiting for me to turn them into a culinary delight, and I had an order in for dessert. I had to remember to pick that up on the way home.

  The only thing left to do was perfect this place. With a little coaxing, I'd gotten some of the greenhouse's residents to move and give us a delightful alcove. The small table was perfect for a cozy night together, something we both needed after the recent excitement. All that was missing was some mood lighting, but I had that covered too. I'd picked up a charm for limited-use witch lights. I'd read through the directions, and they should work as desired; I simply had to activate them when we arrived.

  Checking the time, I realized I needed to be going. I gave the greenhouse one last look on the way out and hoped Michelle appreciated all the work I had put into this night.

  On the way home, I swung by the bakery Brownies and Treats by a Brownie. Contrary to the pedestrian name, the place was filled with some of the most artistic and decadent creations in the entire city. Brownies were rather perfect for that type of work, and Maya was especially good.

  I took my place in the back of the line and watched as the three people in front of me picked up exquisitely crafted chocolate sculpted in the shape of a flying dragon, a ten-inch-tall cake that looked like a ballerina en pointe, and what appeared to be a delicate rose but was really an exceptionally lifelike sugar cookie.

  When the customer in front of me left, I found myself smiling at a young brownie standing on a stool in order to reach the register.

  She smiled up at me. "Name?"

  "Elron."

  "Oh," she said softly. "You're the very special order."

  Blushing, I nodded.

  "I'll be right back." She hopped off the stool and headed for the back of the bakery. She paused with one hand on the door. "She's going to love it."

  I nodded, not that she was there to see it. Hopefully the girl was right. I'd worked with Maya for rather a long time, trying to get the details just right. We had rather a difficult time finding a mutually satisfying design until I told her that I needed something magical for a woman of magic. Maya had smiled and assured me she knew just the thing. Now I was hoping she was right.

  Maya came bustling out of the back, carefully holding a stout box in both hands. Most of the box was a deep blue, but the blue lightened as it moved closer to the front of the box. The front vertical panel was covered in the purples, pinks, and reds of a rising sun.

  "It's exactly what she talked about." She set the box on the counter and looked up at me with brilliant green eyes that always seemed a little brighter because of her dark brown skin. Like other brownies, she was only four feet tall, but I was sure she was all the more magical because of her smaller size.

  "You were able to…"

  "Yes." Maya gave me an encouraging smile. "It should travel just fine and can go a short time without refrigeration. Don't take it out of the box to serve it. Simply set it on the table and touch this spot." She pointed to the rising sun on the front of the box.

  Swallowing hard, I nodded. "Thank you."

  She handed me the box, and I started toward the door.

  "You'll let me know how it goes, won't you?" Maya asked.

  Turning back, I nodded. "I will. If it goes well, we might have another special order for you."

  Maya nodded briskly. "I'm counting on it."

  Chapter Forty

  Michelle

  Four days after we got back from the mountain, I found an envelope from Elron under my door. I opened it to find a note and an oak leaf.

  Please join me tonight for a special dinner. I will pick you up at your door at seven o'clock in the evening. Please relay your answer to the oak leaf.

  I held the leaf up. "Yes, I'll go to dinner with you."

  It wiggled a little, and I took that to mean he'd gotten the message.

  The rest of morning and all afternoon I spent far too much time thinking about our dinner. Luckily, I was just disenchanting illegal items, so the only thing lost was a little time. While I half expected to get an emergency call, I'd been blessed with a lull. I didn't know if word had gotten around that I'd had a rough time or if things were simply quiet, but I appreciated the break.

  I gave up trying to work at four thirty. Not because of a lack of things to do, but because I was ready to get to the date. I put extra care into my appearance because it felt so good to do something normal. The additional effort didn't take as much time as I'd hoped, and I ended up sitting on the sofa, reading one of the books Ethel had assigned, feet tucked up under me, and high heels sitting on the floor.

  It was hard to compete with my current level of distraction, but the book managed. In part because recent events had given me an appreciation for older texts on spells. I was reading about various herbal concoctions that could increase magical ability when a knock startled me. I tucked a bookmark in the text before glancing at the clock. It was precisely seven.

  "Come on in," I yelled as I hurried to put on my shoes. I wasn't used to wearing heels, and I wobbled a little when I stood up.

  Hearing the door swing open, I turned around. This wasn't my usual Elron. Today he was in a black suit with his silver hair held back by three clips on each side, leaving most of it flowing down his back. Even when he gave me a dazzling smile, I could see his nerves. His posture was a little too stiff, his smile a little too wide.

  Elron offered me his hand. "You look enchanting."

  I picked up a gray shawl to go with my blue dress and grabbed my purse before taking his hand. "And you, sir, are gorgeously handsome tonight."

  He blushed lightly. "Are you ready to be on our way?"

  "Absolutely." I let him guide me out of the apartment and down the hall. "I've been curious about this date. You don't usually use walls and leaves to ask me out or dress so formally."

  "I want tonight to be special. We've been through so much lately." He smiled down at me. "Some time for the two of us seems to be overdue."

  "Agreed. A relaxing night is just what the doctor ordered." When we exited the lodge, we walked over to his car. He held the door open for me as I got in and closed it when I was safely inside before rounding the car to take the driver's seat.

  Taking advantage of the time alone, I tried to find any clue about our date. While I didn't see any papers with directions or addresses, I did spot a large picnic basket in the back. While I'd typically think that meant we were going to one of the greenhouses, I doubted Elron would take me there when he'd put so much effort into a formal outing.

  We didn't talk as he got settled in, turned the car around, and headed down the driveway. He still looked a little nervous. For a while I waited for him to say something, but eventually I had to ask one question. "So, where are we going?"

  His eyes darted over to me before focusing on the road. "To the university."
/>   "A greenhouse date?"

  "Yes."

  "Oh, this will be fun." I grinned. "I haven't seen it in the spring."

  He let out a breath and relaxed a little. "It is lovely. I hope you enjoy the area I set up. The plants were very cooperative when I asked them to rearrange."

  "I'm sure it will be beautiful."

  Elron nodded. "Good. I want you to enjoy the evening."

  I giggled. "I was about to say that I always enjoy evenings with you, but that hasn't always been the case. We hated each other when you first moved in."

  "No. You hated me." He turned the car into the parking lot next to the greenhouses. "I liked you but did not express myself well."

  "You liked me?" I pinned him with my eyes. "When did that start?"

  Elron held my gaze. "The very first time we met."

  My mouth worked, but it took a moment for sounds to come out. "I was so rude to you."

  He suppressed a smile. "And I was always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time."

  Before I knew what to say, he had gotten out of the car. While I sat there, working through the idea that he had always liked me, he retrieved the picnic basket and came around to open my door.

  I took his hand. "Thank you."

  "You are most welcome, my beautiful Michelle."

  Blushing, I returned to our previous conversation. "I'm still not sure what to think about all the time we spent not getting along while you liked me."

  He tucked my hand in the crook of his arm. "I look back with fondness and think of how much we have grown."

  His words made me think of how I'd hurt Burly and Ned when I was holding all that magic. "Do you ever worry that I'll turn into someone you don't love?"

  "No." His voice was so emphatic that I leaned back in surprise. His mouth pressed into an unhappy line. "You are frightened because of what you did with the power. Well, I have seen people driven by power, and they never stop. You did not absorb Ned's memories, you removed them in an attempt to prevent anyone else from learning his methods."

  I couldn't deny that truth, but that wasn't the only thing that worried me. "I hurt him. I hurt Burly. I destroyed the golem."

  His eyes softened, and he set the basket down so he could take my hands in his. "You saved me from the golem, and you did it in the most effective manner you knew. I spoke to Burly. He was unsure that anything else would have worked, and even before you healed him, the injury was one that would heal. Had you not forced your magic into Burly, he would have followed Ned's orders and killed you."

  I nodded, trying to figure out how that connected to my actions with Ned.

  "Ned, well, there are a great many people, myself included, who would have killed Ned without a shred of remorse. Yes, he is injured, both in mind and body, but that is not the worst that you could have done. Besides, I read your report, the one where you analyzed the powder, when we moved Earl into the larger aquarium. If even one of the herbs you listed was used, it is a small miracle that you did not simply kill everyone, myself included. Did you hear how much powder they recovered from under the building?"

  Biting the inside of my lip, I shook my head.

  "Two thousand pounds."

  My mouth swung open. "A-are you sure?"

  He nodded.

  "Oh." I'd known it was a lot of powder, but I hadn't thought it was that much. "I need to think about this."

  He pulled me in for a hug, and I relaxed against him, smiling when strands of his silver hair tickled my nose.

  Leaning back, he looked me over. "There, that is how I wish us to spend this evening."

  "I'll do my best."

  "I shall hold you to that. Now close your eyes."

  I did, remembering our first date, which had been in this very greenhouse.

  "Wait here, and do not open your eyes." He dropped a kiss on my forehead.

  I heard the door open and shut. On our first date, I hadn't known we were starting something painfully beautiful. As much as loving him had hurt, as many bad times as we'd conquered, they had only served to highlight how much joy he brought me.

  The door swung open again. "Give me your hand."

  Reaching out, I waited for his warm hand to grip mine. When it did, a tingle went up my arm. I did love my elf. Elron gently tugged me forward, and I carefully stepped into the greenhouse. He guided me a short distance across the stone path.

  "Now you can look."

  Opening my eyes, I forgot to breathe. I had thought it was beautiful before, but this was an entirely new experience. A small table set for two was nestled in an alcove that would've been right at home in a fairy tale. Witch lights hung in the air, giving me glimpses of magical plants and casting a romantic glow across the table.

  The alcove itself was a work of art. There was a cherry tree with blooms twice the size of any cherry I'd seen before, casting a pink glow around it. The petals were slowly falling off the tree, making it look like it was raining petals. The dogwood on the other side was an enchanting mix of pink and white flowers growing from very straight branches. The ground between the two trees was covered in hyacinths that were slowly changing colors. As I'd taken in the rest of the greenhouse, the flowers had transitioned from a deep purple to a light pink and were now turning white.

  I turned to look at Elron. "This is amazing. How did you manage it?"

  He shrugged. "The timing worked out. The weeping cherry tree and arrow dogwood bloomed at the same time, and I was able to relocate the hyacinths from their usual location."

  Gazing at the cherry, I smiled. "Weeping. It does rather look like she's crying. But I wonder, are they happy or sad tears?"

  Elron cocked his head, sending his silver hair to the side. "Tonight I believe she is happy."

  He rested a hand against the small of my back and guided me over to the table where he pulled out the chair and motioned for me to have a seat.

  I watched him start to unpack the picnic basket. "What's the dogwood's story?"

  He set two glasses in front of each of us and filled one with wine and one with water. "The wood grows in such a way that it is ideal for arrows. In elven communities there are trees that have been producing arrows for hundreds of years."

  "And the hyacinths?"

  Elron produce two plates covered with snug-fitting lids. "I cannot say if there is a reason for the color changes. Legend has it that one of the first dragons was gravely injured, and drops of her blood falling from the sky created the hyacinths. They change color to represent all the emotions she felt upon building a life here."

  "That's sad." Now when I looked at the hyacinths, I saw not only the beauty but the pain.

  "It is simply a story." Elron removed the lids from the dishes to present artfully arranged plates of food: spinach-and-cheese-stuffed manicotti, lemon-glazed carrots, and two slices of garlic bread.

  "Elron, you're spoiling me." I smiled up at him. "Is there some occasion I don't know about?"

  He sat down and took my hand in his. "Simply a celebration of being able to be here tonight."

  Tugging my hand away from his, I raised my wineglass. "To us."

  Chapter Forty-One

  Elron

  Michelle kept sneaking looks at the weeping cherry tree behind her. While I could not blame her—the cherry was lovely—I had a most selfish desire to have all her attention.

  "Are you still hungry?" I asked.

  She gave me a sheepish look. "Just a little. Everything was delightful, but I could use another bite or two."

  "I may have forgotten to mention dessert."

  "Get it out. I want some."

  Nodding, I cleared the plates and moved things around so there was a clear spot in the middle of the table.

  "Can I help?" Michelle asked.

  "No, I can do this." As I scooted around the last few things, I went over the words again. I had planned them so carefully and wanted to say them just right. There were a few points I had left out, but I could fill her in on those later.

&nb
sp; She leaned back in her chair, watching me with those beautiful eyes of hers.

  I carefully lifted the box out of the picnic basket, set it in the center of the table with the sunburst facing her. While she was distracted by that, I got down on one knee next to her chair.

  Michelle gave me a puzzled look and started to say something.

  I shook my head, and she held her tongue. Now she was watching me, but that was just fine. Reaching over, I touched the rising sun. There was a long, vibrating note as the cello music started.

  Michelle glanced at the dessert box but kept her gaze focused on me.

  Taking her hand in mine, I took a deep breath and hoped I had this timed properly. "Michelle, we have been through fights and terror most people cannot imagine and have only emerged stronger than before. You have helped me grow from a man stuck in the past to a man fully engaged in the present. You are the most important part of my world, and I cannot imagine spending a day without you. I know we did not have the smoothest of starts, but I believe that is one of our strengths, as we found something in one another that we did not know we were searching for and the partner we did not know we needed.

  "I love you more than I knew I could love a person. My love for you is tougher than dragon hide and as unrelenting as the ocean. I hope you will do me the honor of agreeing to become my wife and join me for a lifetime of adventure together."

  Her eyes widened, and at that moment, the cello music hit a crescendo and ceased. I could not take my eyes off her as I waited for her to say something, but I knew the dessert box had opened up and was displaying the ring.

  I kept hoping she would answer, but she simply looked at me with big eyes and kept a death grip on my hand.

  Swallowing hard, I offered her a way out. "You can say no. I understand."