"What?" she squawked. "Why would I say no?"
I kept my face calm. I did not want her to see how much this hurt. "The age difference, the difference in our life spans, our inability to have children. There are plenty of reasons. You do not have to explain it to me."
She smiled sweetly as she shook her head. "You have it all wrong, Elron. I was trying to remember everything. The words, the way you said them. I wanted to etch this moment in my mind so I would never forget." Her smile turned into a grin, and she flung herself into my arms. "Yes, of course I'll marry you, you silly elf."
Holding her tight, I rested my head on her shoulder and breathed her in. I was never exactly sure what it was, but she always smelled so good. Now I would have a lifetime to figure out why.
Pulling back, I cupped her cheek and gently set my lips against hers. I hoped she remembered this moment too, with the magical plants, the twinkling witch lights, and the feel of each of us in the other's arms. The kiss was over all too soon, but there would be time for more.
"Would you like to see your ring and your dessert?"
"There's really dessert?"
I was smiling too much to pretend to be offended. "Of course, milady. I would never lie about such things."
"The box," she breathed. Turning, she saw Maya's creation.
The entire confection was so magical that I suspected there was a witch working at the bakery. The silver ring holding a single ruby hovered three inches above the cake, backlit and glowing like heart's blood. Below that was a small red-velvet cake iced with vanilla because I knew she didn't like the cream cheese icings. The magic did not end there. The cake was the shape of an oak leaf, with the icing the same green as it would be in nature, dusted with gold, and looking too perfect to eat. Small chocolate truffles shaped like acorns rested around the base of the cake.
"Oh, Elron. It's perfect." She reached out, then pulled her hand back and looked at me. "Can I try it on?"
"Allow me." I gently removed the ring from whatever magic was holding it in place. Grinning, Michelle offered me her left hand. Landa had promised me she knew Michelle's ring size, but I had not been able to determine a way to verify the information. Holding my breath, I slid the ring onto her finger. I had to twist it a bit, but in the end it fit her perfectly.
She carefully inspected it, turning her hand this way and that. "It's perfect. I love it. I love you." She pulled me in for another hug.
When we finally released each other, I motioned to the table. "Now, about the dessert?"
This time she did not hesitate. "Yes."
I scooted her chair forward before pulling my own around the table so I could be next to her. "A fork for you."
She beamed at me. "Why thank you, my fiancé."
I blushed.
Michelle giggled. "I'll have to get used to calling you that. I was just getting the hang of calling you my boyfriend."
"I too will have to adjust."
Michelle nodded and wiggled her fingers. "I'll have to get a necklace to put this ring on while I'm working. I don't want to risk it getting snagged on something."
"Hmm, what if we discuss the type of necklace you would like while we eat this decadent cake?" I gave her a charming smile and hoped she agreed.
What she did not know was that I had thought of that very issue. In the center of the cake, tucked safely in a small plastic container, was a necklace forged by dwarves. It was guaranteed against clasp failure or accidental dropping of whatever it was holding. I had spoken to the very dwarf who had forged the necklace, and it had a special addition. It would come open if yanked with enough force to harm Michelle. Her health was far more important than the ring or necklace. Both of those were merely symbols of our love and could be replaced.
Her eyebrows drew together, but her puzzled look quickly passed. "All right."
With that she dug into the cake. The first bite was hardly in her mouth when she let out an approving moan. I quickly got a piece of my own. The cake was every bit as good as promised, the delightful chocolate of the red velvet, a hint of raspberry, the light vanilla of the icing, and something extra I could only think of as pure brownie magic.
Michelle's fork hit the plastic box, and she shot me a puzzled look.
"Dig it out," I encouraged.
She carefully pried the container out of the cake and used a napkin to clean it off. When she finally opened it, a soft silver chain flowed into her hand. Happiness shone from her eyes. "You already got a necklace for me?"
I took it out of her hand and carefully clasped it around her neck. "I did, because I want you to be safe."
She smiled softly. "Thank you. This is exactly what I would've chosen."
"Good." I pulled her close and set a gentle kiss on her temple. "Now, I believe we have cake."
"Yes, really amazingly delicious cake." She closed her eyes and savored a bite. "Amazing."
I grinned at her, so happy to be with her, to be able to plan a life together.
We made short work of the cake before divvying up the truffles. They were a surprise, each one holding a slightly different filling. One of mine was orange chocolate, and one of hers was minty.
When we'd finished eating, she let out a satisfied sigh and laid her head against my shoulder.
"Elron?"
"Yes, my fiancée?"
She giggled. "Already?"
"I need to practice," I said innocently.
"Me too." Michelle paused, and her voice became solemn. "While I am beyond delighted with your proposal, I'm really surprised. I thought we would be together for years, having a very slow and purposeful courtship before you even considered asking me to be your wife."
I gave her the most honest answer I had, the very one I had told her father when I asked for his permission. Of course, he'd chuckled and informed me that Michelle was very capable of selecting her own husband.
"It was this last case." I hunted for the right words, wanting the explanation to be more concise than what I told her father. "Through the fight against Gremory, and the clans, I kept thinking that after those battles were won, life would calm down. We would have all this time to slowly figure out who we were and what we wanted together. I already knew I wanted you, but I wanted to give you time to be sure you wanted me. This case with Ned changed my view. I realize our lives will not calm down. There will simply be different battles, and any one of those could be the last one for either of us. I hope that we can grow old together and have a beautifully happy life. However, if one of the fights is to be either of our ends, I want you at my side until that very moment."
"I'll be there. Right next to you, come witches, sorcerers, or demons." Michelle leaned over and kissed my cheek. "After all, we're in this together, you and I."
Hugging her close, I prayed we would make it through the trials yet to come and the demon I knew to be hunting us so we could live to that ripe old age.
Michelle gave a contented sigh and nestled deeper in my arms.
Most of all, I prayed we would be happy, for I wanted nothing more than her happiness.
Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to read A Witch's Rite. If you enjoyed Michelle's adventures, please post a review. Reviews are a valuable way for authors to connect with readers. If you're interested, the following pages contain information on upcoming books as well as my contact information.
Also by N. E. Conneely
A Witch's Path Series:
Witch for Hire (Book 1)
A Witch's Path (Book 2)
A Witch's Trial (Book 3)
A Witch's Concern (Book 4)
A Witch's Rite (Book 5)
Fey Hearted:
Fey Hearted (Book 1)
About the Author
N.E. Conneely lives in northern Georgia with her husband, her dog, and a mountain of books. They sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter, and life as they know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky.
For fun, N.E. plays with her dog, reads, knits, crochets, paints, and does tie-dyeing and origami. She makes a great pizza and is currently negotiating with her husband about sea monkeys and growing a vegetable garden.
She is currently working on the Witch's Path Series Book 6.
Connect with N. E. Conneely
Website: www.neconneely.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/neconneely
Twitter: twitter.com/NEConneely
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/neconneely
E-mail: [email protected]
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