by J. D. Wright
Quickly, she reached her head up and kissed him. She intended for it to be a quick and playful kiss but found it hard to pull away. It became even more difficult once he started kissing her back. And when the magic in her blood started to heat and rush through her body, she knew that breaking the kiss would be near impossible to do.
He began to hold her tighter. She reached her hands up and grabbed his robes, squeezing the fabric between her fingers. Her heart was pounding, sending her blood and magic shooting through her veins. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. So this is what fusion feels like…
It was magnificent.
He slid his tongue inside her mouth and it surprised her, feeling it for the first time. It didn’t take long for her to become brave enough to try it, herself. He moaned and grabbed the back of her head. His fingers became tangled in her braided hair, but neither of them cared enough to notice.
The sound of laughter in the distance caused them to break away from each other. Someone was coming up the walkway. Rianne turned and tried to compose herself. She knew she was flushed because she could feel the heat in her cheeks.
Two knights walked by, nodding to them as they passed. Zander returned the nod and Rianne tried to hide her face. The moment the knights were out of sight, however, the both of them started laughing.
“Do you think they saw us?” she asked, turning back to face him.
Zander shook his head and pulled her close, again. “I don’t even care.”
~*~
It was close to sunset before Zander and Rianne returned to the castle. They had taken a long walk down the mountain and went through the village, stopping at a few shops to browse. Zander bought her a pair of gloves because he noticed her hands were cold. He could use magic to heat his own hands, but he hadn’t taught her how to do it, yet. So gloves were the best solution.
Leitis was sitting in his tower when they entered. He offered them a drink, but Zander refused for the both of them, stating they would get drinks during supper. He just didn’t trust that his father wouldn’t slip another potion into them, again.
“I’ve been thinking,” Leitis said. “Since you intend to continue traveling, perhaps you should create a portal. That way, you will always have a comfortable place to lay your heads. Not to mention, a safe place to hide, if the need arises.”
“That is a fantastic idea, actually,” Zander said.
“I thought you might agree. The only problem, however, is that I don’t have all of the ingredients you would need for that particular spell. But I know where you can get it, on your way to Junacave, even.”
“Where?”
“In Elmber. I will send a letter to Cassandra. She owns the apothecary there. I have known her mother and father for many years. I trust her to be discreet. She should have the rest of the necessary ingredients you will need to create a portal.”
“Why are we going to Junacave?” Rianne asked, only hearing half of the conversation. She was too busy marveling at the wizard’s tower to really pay attention.
“We can’t stay here for too long. If your father learns we’re here, he may try to bargain with my king to have you returned. My king would probably refuse, but Prince Cyrus is good friends with King Carneath. If Carneath finds out you’re here...”
Rianne shuddered when he mentioned the man she was supposed to marry. If Zander hadn’t arrived when he did, she would be married to Carneath right now.
“The Elder Mage will be the first person that women and girls will go to in order to get help with their magic. The fact that she is a woman makes this even more true. I imagine Sidonie will become overwhelmed, if she isn’t already,” Leitis said. “She may be able to use a bit of help. And if she doesn’t, there is no harm. You can just continue on from there.”
Rianne nodded. Her brothers had gone several times, but she had never been to Junacave, so this was exciting. In fact, since running away from Labara, she had visited many places that she had never been to before.
“However,” Leitis continued, “I do suggest waiting until after the wedding, which is happening soon. You should probably avoid places where your family may be in attendance.”
“I’ve had enough of royal weddings for a while,” Rianne mumbled.
“Me, too,” Zander said, nodding.
Leitis laughed. “It’ll be a shame to miss this one, though. It’s sure to be a spectacular one!”
Flip to the next page for a sneak peek of:
Aurora
By: J.D. Wright
Book Four of the Everealm Series
Aurora – Chapter One
Bree looked around the room when she entered. The decorations seemed to be finished and the benches were arranged, lining the aisle that she would soon walk down. There were large stands with vases of pink, white, blue, and gold flowers strategically placed around the outside of the room. Since it was the middle of the winter, Rhea had grown the flowers with her magic and could make them any color that Bree wanted. Dagan and Sidonie had placed tiny orbs of light in the air, which floated above their heads and would provide a beautiful soft glow when the sun set later on.
Strips of pink, blue, and gold fabric lined the walls and a long piece of dark blue fabric was placed down the aisle. Cicilly had done her best to blend the royal colors with her daughter’s wedding colors. Bree looked over at the doorway and imagined herself walking through it.
“Breestlin!” Cicilly shouted, stunned to see her daughter wandering around the hall on the morning of her wedding day. “You cannot be here. You are not supposed to see your fiancé until the moment you walk down the aisle!”
“I am not wearing my wedding gown, yet,” Bree replied, then turned to readjust the flowers that were hanging on the end of one of the long benches. Soon, these benches would be full of people, here to celebrate her special day. Their special day. They were both very lucky that this day had come. For many years, she thought it wouldn’t. Speaking of the love of her life…
Rowan walked in and stopped, eyeing her suspiciously before approaching. “You are supposed to be resting, my bride. In your bed… where I left you.”
“I got lonely without you.” She stepped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Perhaps, you should return to my bed as it will be our bed very soon.”
He looked down at her lips and thought about it. Then, he thought about it, again. “No, no.” He stepped back and took his hands off of her hips. “I cannot be held responsible for distracting you on your wedding day. Besides, I’d prefer to save my energy for tonight,” he said, grinning at her.
A trumpet sounded and Bree turned to face the door. Dagan wandered over and started talking to Rowan. The moment the guest entered, however, Rowan forgot about his conversation and began to stare.
Xavier came forward to greet the queen. He took her hand and kissed it, slowly, which made Bree blush. Rowan felt his jaw tighten and bit the inside of his lip to prevent himself from speaking.
“How incredibly charming you are, Xavier,” Bree said. “As always.”
“A little too charming,” Dagan mumbled just loud enough for Rowan to hear. “Do you want me to hit him with something? Water maybe? I can accidentally douse his pretty face.”
Rowan considered it then sighed and gently shook his head.
When her mother called out to her, Bree excused herself and walked across the hall to where Cicilly and Celeste were arguing over the placement of the royal crest. This left Xavier, Rowan, and Dagan alone.
“Prince Xavier,” Rowan said, nodding coolly. “What an unpleasant surprise.”
“Hello, Rowan,” Xavier said, returning the nod.
“It’s Sir Rowan now, actually.”
Dagan’s eyebrows came together in confusion as he glanced sideways at Rowan. He knew that Rowan hated to be called by his title and he never used it to introduce himself.
“Ah, well… I assumed someone would have pity and knight you, eventually.” Xavier smirked.
“What d
o you want?”
“I’m just here to attend the wedding, of course. To see our favorite lady become a wife.”
“Yes, my wife,” Rowan said, straightening up as he spoke.
“Breestlin is marrying you? You are betrothed to the queen? Why, am I not surprised? Actually, I am surprised. I thought Breestlin had better taste in men.”
“Perhaps, a fireball, instead,” Dagan said, crossing his arms.
“There is no need to maim me, mage,” Xavier replied, smiling. “I actually came for another reason. Or, should I say, for another woman…”
“And who might that poor woman be?” Rowan asked, smirking.
“Her name is Dahlia.”
Rowan looked over at Dagan and immediately they both began to laugh, hysterically.
“Dahlia?” Dagan asked. “You’re here for Dahlia? Our Dahlia?”
“Uh, she isn’t my Dahlia,” Rowan mumbled.
“No. She’s my Dahlia,” Xavier said, unamused. “I was told that she lives in this kingdom. And since you seem to know who she is, perhaps you could tell me where to find her.”
“What do you want with Dahlia? Are you here to detain her? What did she do now?” Rowan simply couldn’t believe that the Prince of Labara would travel all of this way in order to seek Dahlia’s company. There had to be another reason. “What laws did she break? And just so you know, the queen isn’t likely to hand her over. She is under the jurisdiction of Junacave when she’s here.”
“Laws? What? No… That isn’t why I want to see her,” Xavier said, shaking his head. Well, technically she did assist in the escape of a prisoner… “But she will be here, then? To sing, I assume?”
Rowan grinned. “Oh, she will probably sing a song or two after the ceremony.”
“I will see her then, I suppose.” Xavier nodded, slightly, then walked away.
Dagan narrowed his eyes at Rowan. “I gather the two of you know each other?”
“We do. When we were younger, King Nolan and King Leonard would come to the Winter Ball each year and on occasion, King Nolan would bring his sons. Xavier, especially. I think he just wanted to keep an eye on him. When King Nolan and King Leonard stopped speaking to one another, they both also stopped coming to the ball. I believe the last time I saw Xavier, I was thirteen, maybe? He’s always been sweet on Bree.”
“And I assume that is why the two of you despise each other?” Dagan asked. “However, it seems he may be sweet on a certain someone else, now. And you conveniently forgot to mention that he would be seeing that someone long before the celebration. She isn’t just here to sing. She’s going to be in the ceremony.”
“I know.”
Dagan shook his head and laughed. “I wonder who will be more surprised. The prince or Dahlia…”
~*~
The music began and everyone found their places, ready to begin the ceremony. Bree stood in the hallway, wearing her gown, gloves, crown, and a huge smile on her face.
“This is it,” Cicilly said. “The day you’ve been waiting for. Your father would be so proud of you.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Bree said, kissing her cheek.
Cicilly met Nick in the doorway and he escorted her to her seat. Bree looked at the row of lovely ladies lined up in front of her, each in a pink gown that was a few shades darker than her own. Their skirts were full and their bodices had tiny swirls of gold. Their short gloves had the same design. And Bree had given each of them a beautiful silver necklace with pink quartz stones. They looked perfect. Everything was perfect.
Sarita stood in the doorway and waited until Bree nodded to her before starting into the hall. She elegantly glided down the aisle, gingerly spreading flower petals around her as she went, in the same way an artist would paint a canvas. She was methodical, making sure to stop every few feet so that the guests could get a good look at her. She was the first to enter so, of course, she had to make a good impression.
Next, Gabby walked in. Bree had seen her practicing her walk, preparing for this moment and even though she was now out of sight, Bree was certain that Gabby looked just as graceful as Sarita. Alright, almost as graceful.
“Wait!” Bree said before Rhea could enter. “I feel that today is a new start. A new dawn. An aurora, of sorts. I want to start off on the right footing.”
“Your Majesty,” Rhea said, smiling, “Should you do this now?”
“Yes. I just want to say that I forgive you, Rhea, for kissing my groom.”
Rhea smiled and nodded.
“And I want to say that I forgive you, Dahlia, for also kissing my groom. Among other things.”
“Uh… thank you?” Dahlia said, laughing.
“And you, Sidonie… I want to thank you for never actually kissing my groom.”
All four of them laughed so hard that they were almost in tears before turning back to the matter at hand.
Dahlia stood behind Rhea and watched as the fairy started walking down the aisle. Bree was right in that they were nearly the same size. In fact, they had almost the same color hair, as well, and with their hair pinned up and matching gowns, they looked very much the same from behind.
When Rhea was almost to the throne, she walked past a face that looked familiar to Dahlia. Xavier? He was sitting on the end, closest to the aisle. He wasn’t looking at her because he, like everyone, was watching Rhea. But she knew it was about to be her turn. Panicked, she quickly ran back into the hallway and hid behind the door.
“Dahlia!” Bree exclaimed. “What are you doing? It’s your turn. Go!”
“I can’t. He’s here,” she said in a harsh whisper, which was unnecessary since the music was loud enough to cover their conversation from prying ears.
“Who is here?” Sidonie asked, peeking into the hall.
“No! Don’t look,” Dahlia said, pulling Sidonie’s arm. “I never should have told him I was from Junacave. I didn’t think he would actually come here!”
“If you don’t tell me who you’re talking about, Dahlia, I may lose my bridal glow and smother you!” Bree said.
“Xavier. Prince Xavier,” Dahlia said, looking through the tiny space between the hall doors and the wall. She could see him sitting there, looking more handsome than ever.
“Prince Xavier?” Sidonie said, smiling. “So that’s the handsome stranger?”
“That explains why he’s here,” Bree said, smiling.
“I can’t go in there. I will just wait until the ceremony begins and then sneak into the hall.” Dahlia was already trying to devise a plan.
“No,” Bree said. “Absolutely not. I didn’t ask you to be a part of my wedding to make amends, Dahlia. I wanted you here.”
“I know, but—”
“Stop being a coward and go! Don’t look at him if it’s easier,” Bree said. Then, as if on cue, Sidonie shoved Dahlia into the doorway.
Dahlia froze, seeing all eyes on her, including Xavier’s. She looked over at Bree and Sidonie. Their expressions were clear. If she didn’t begin walking, they were going to strangle her. She turned back and took a deep breath. Then, she held her head high and began walking. Why did he have to sit so close to the front?
It seemed to take forever for her to reach the other side of the hall. She walked straight ahead and tried to do as Bree said and look at anything other than Xavier. Unfortunately, the only thing in front of her was Rowan. So she looked at him.
When she got to the row that Xavier was sitting on, Rowan flashed his eyebrows at her and looked in the prince’s direction. Dammit. He knows, too? She took her place next to Rhea and tried to focus on anything to the left of her, hoping to avoid making eye contact with Xavier. She knew he was watching her.
Rowan’s evil glare was worse, however. Dahlia squinted her eyes at him, daring him say something. Instead, he grinned and turned to watch as Sidonie entered.
Sidonie didn’t mind the attention. She smiled and practically floated down the aisle.
“She looks beautiful,” Finn whispered to Dagan.
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“She does.” Dagan had no doubt that she would, but he started to feel a bit jealous that Sidonie was walking toward an altar that Rowan was standing at, instead of him. For the first time, he actually wondered what she would look like with a veil on her head. She looked over at him and smiled when she passed.
Once Sidonie was positioned, the flute began to play the bride’s tune. Everyone in the hall stood and turned to the large doorway. Bree waited a moment, to build the anticipation. Celeste had told her that it was the best way to enter. To wait until you’re sure every eye will be on you.
Finally, she took two steps and found herself in the middle of the doorway. She turned and faced her throne. Everyone was watching her. Celeste was right about that. But only one set of eyes caught her attention.
Rowan’s.
She studied him as she slowly started walking down the aisle. He looked positively regal in Junacave’s royal colors of blue and gold. His gaze was intense, but his expression was playful as he smirked at her, reminding her of the many times he had done so over the years.
When she was halfway down the aisle, he gave her a wink. She bit her lip and felt a bit naughty as she always did when he winked at her. Her heart began to pound when she stepped up to the opposite side of the throne.
Sidonie took Bree’s flower bouquet as the mysta came forward, opened his text, and began to read. Rowan tried to focus on the words being said, but it was impossible when he was so distracted by his bride.
Her long auburn hair fell in soft curls around her neck and bare shoulders. He took a long look at her gown, which suited her more than he had anticipated. He hadn’t seen her wearing pink very often and smiled because he knew she was only wearing it to please Sarita, their daughter, who was also standing in his line of sight. The both of them looked absolutely gorgeous.
He couldn’t believe his luck.
The mysta read their vows, which they repeated, trying not to laugh. Then, they exchanged rings. Rowan quickly kissed her hand before releasing it, making her giggle.
When the mysta told them to seal their vows with a kiss, Rowan reached out and pulled her toward him. As natural as breathing, their lips came together.
