by R. E. Butler
His heart clenched as love filled him even more fully.
“You’ve made me the happiest male on the planet,” he said, cupping her face. He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.
Her hand slid down his chest and stopped over his heart. She dropped her adoring gaze to the ring. “I’ve never seen such a perfect pearl. And the diamonds—they’re blue?”
“They’re blue diamonds,” he said. “They have boron in them which turns them naturally blue.” He told her how her father had taken him to the water the night before, and then to the city’s jeweler, who worked for hours to create the perfect ring.
“I love the ring. And I love you.” She smiled at him. “I wanted to tell you this morning while we were putting the herbs and fruit in the dehydrator, but I thought it wasn’t romantic enough.”
He kissed her again and then rested his hands on her hips. “I wouldn’t mind where you told me you loved me. It’s the words that matter, not the location.”
She chuckled. “Says the male who picked a very romantic place.”
“Well, I heard that females like to have memorable proposal stories to share with others.”
“You did fantastically.”
He leaned in and kissed her gently. “I’d love to take you back to the cottage for the night, but we have a dinner to get to.”
“We can skip it,” she said, her brows wiggling suggestively.
He groaned, very much wanting to haul her over his shoulder and race home. “We can’t. It’s our engagement party.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Are you serious?”
“Very. When I asked your father last night for your hand, he said that your mom would love to throw us a party, and since we’re planning to head home in a couple days it seemed like tonight was the best time for it. Plus, your mom told me this morning that the king and queen were so excited to hear about our pending engagement that they insisted on opening the royal garden for tonight.”
Zia hummed in surprise. “Wow. That’s...they never do that. How cool! Okay, so obviously my parents know about this, and the king and queen. What about Joy?”
“She knows as well. But she’s waiting for a call from you to confirm.”
“Let’s go talk to my parents first. I know my mom is going to want to see the ring.”
He kissed her again and smiled. They walked the short distance to her parents’ home where they were waiting for them. And then it was a flood of happy tears, hugs, and words of congratulations. Cassian had never felt so welcomed in his life. Zia’s parents were so happy for them, and they didn’t care that he was a clan-less male or not of their kind, they were simply happy their daughter had found love.
Zia called Joy and shared the news, and Cassian had to chuckle at the happy squeal from his mate’s best friend.
“The carriage is here,” Athene said.
“What?” Zia asked after ending the call.
“The palace sent a carriage for us. It’s a special night,” her father said.
“Oh, wow,” Zia said.
“I take it this doesn’t happen often,” Cassian said.
“Not at all,” Olive said. “The palace carriages are reserved for the royal family. If I had to guess, Joy suggested it to her parents and they agreed. They consider us family, although we’re not technically royal.”
As their quartet walked out of the house, Cassian had to do a double-take at the grand carriage before him. He’d never actually seen one like it. The white carriage had large spoked wheels and was embossed with gold filigree along the sides. A footman stood next to a set of steps and held open the door. The interior of the carriage was plush red velvet, with two benches that faced each other. It was led by four stunning white horses with champagne-colored manes and tails.
A male sat on a seat behind the horses wearing a frock coat and top hat. The whole scene looked like something out of a fairy tale.
“Ladies first,” Cassian said.
He took Zia’s hand and helped her up the small steps. She took a seat facing forward. Then he offered his hand to her mother, and she took a seat on the bench across from Zia.
“It’s a good thing she said yes,” Athene murmured with a smile.
“Absolutely,” Cassian agreed.
The two males joined their females. The footman put the step away under the carriage and shut the door, then climbed onto the back. The driver clucked his tongue at the horses and they neighed and began to move, the carriage swaying slightly as they headed down the road toward the palace.
“I used to play with Joy on the carriages when I was little,” Zia said. She smiled at Cassian, her cheeks pink and her eyes dancing with excitement. “The stable hands would let us pretend to sit in them and concoct stories. I never actually rode in one, though.”
“The horses are from the king’s private stables,” Athene said. “That’s why they have the pink-tinted manes. That color is reserved for the royal horse lineage.”
Cassian felt supremely honored to be riding in the royal carriage. He’d never experienced anything like it.
When they reached the palace, the carriage took them on a cobblestone path to the back of the grand building where a gathering of several dozen people waited for them. The garden was lit with torches and candles, and wait staff wove around between people with trays of drinks and food.
The footman hopped off the carriage, grabbed the step, and opened the door. Athene and Olive climbed out first, and then Cassian, who turned to take Zia’s hand. She smiled so sweetly at him when she stepped onto the ground. “This is amazing,” she whispered. “I’m so glad I said yes.”
He grinned so big his cheeks hurt. “Trust me, sweetheart, I’m very glad too.”
She went onto her toes and gave him a quick kiss.
Her parents were announced by a male with a loud, booming voice, and then Cassian and Zia, who were announced as the newly engaged couple. Her parents led them directly to the king and queen. He followed their example, bowing before he shook the king’s extended hand and nodding his head to the queen.
“A merman, eh?” the king asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cassian said.
“Well, well. We’re very happy you rescued our Zia.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the queen, Hazel, said.
“Let’s go make the rounds of people,” Athene said, “then we’ll sit at the head table for the meal.”
Cassian and Zia followed her parents, first greeting Joy, and then the other males and females, who were family friends.
They stopped in front of an older woman with straight, gray hair. She was seated at a small table, her hand on a cane.
“Mother,” Athene said, “this is Cassian, Zia’s fiancé. Cassian, this is my mother, Iris.”
Cassian smiled at her. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Iris stood slowly, leaning heavily on the cane. She threw out a hand and gestured to Zia, who stepped into her embrace. “Hi, Nonni,” Zia said. “It’s so good to see you.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t home to see you when you got in, I was visiting my friend Rose.”
“It’s okay, maybe we can come see you tomorrow.”
Iris looked at Cassian. “I’ve heard from my son that you’re a good male. I trust you’ll take very good care of my beautiful granddaughter.”
“On my life,” Cassian swore.
Iris nodded. “Good. Then you have my blessing, although you don’t need it. I’m just so happy to see Zia happy.”
A bell tinkled and Zia said, “That’s the cue to be seated. We’ll see you in a bit, Nonni.”
Zia kissed her cheek and Cassian nodded at her as they walked away. They sat at a long table on one side of the king and queen with Zia’s parents on the other. The king toasted their engagement and wished them a happy and fruitful life. Waitstaff brought plates of roast fowl, mashed yams, green beans with pomegranate seeds, and set woven baskets of still-warm rolls in front of them. While they ate, Zia told him about the peop
le in the crowd, and how excited she was to get to eat in the garden. The yams, she’d explained, came from the palace kitchen’s garden, and so did the green beans and pomegranates. Cassian thought the food was spectacular, but what he appreciated even more was seeing the ring on Zia’s finger and knowing she was his.
Chapter Eighteen
Cassian pushed from the dock, and Zia engaged the engine, backing out smoothly and turning toward home. She turned to wave at her parents on the dock and they waved back.
She was sad to leave Trieve and her parents but excited to get back to Sable Cove. She knew without a doubt that Sable Cove was where they belonged. Her parents hadn’t tried to convince them otherwise. They said they’d be happy for them wherever they lived, and they were looking forward to coming for a visit.
“Do you want to take over?” she asked Cassian as he sat next to her.
He kissed her temple and gave her a one-armed hug. “Nope. I’m perfectly content to be chauffeured back to the lighthouse by a gorgeous captain.”
She grinned, the sadness at leaving slowly dissipating. “Did I tell you I love you today?” she asked.
“You might have mentioned it when I was between your thighs this morning,” he said, his voice going all husky. He placed a hand on her thigh, and she could feel the heat through her jeans.
“Well, I do. Even when you’re not using your talented mouth.”
“I love you too, my sweet and sexy fairy.”
“When we get home, there’s a couple things I want to do.”
“Oh?” He glanced to the side of the boat where he’d attached a few boxes of her things, using foam blocks to buoy them. The other side of the boat had boxes as well. She’d packed a lot of plants along with clothes and toiletries. Her parents were planning to bring more of her belongings with them when they came to visit in November for the human Thanksgiving holiday, before the weather got too cold for them to travel by boat.
“Well, I want to unpack and get settled in the lighthouse, but I also want to look at the area for the greenhouse.”
She noticed his smile deflated a little and she chuckled. Giving him a gentle elbow in the side she said, “After we make love, of course.”
His eyes darkened, and he gave her another kiss. “Of course. Whatever my sweetheart wants.”
“Just you.”
* * *
Zia found herself in unfamiliar woods. It was night, but the moon was high in the sky and the blue light that filtered through the trees allowed her to see. She turned in a slow circle and caught something orange in the distance. She walked toward the orange glow. There was nothing but the sounds of the woods—birds and rustling leaves.
She stopped at the edge of a clearing and saw a group of men standing around a bonfire. The flames leaped and danced into the night sky as the men held hands and chanted. Zia’s skin prickled. Although she didn’t recognize the words, she somehow knew they were casting a spell.
A soft meow sounded at Zia’s feet, and she looked down and saw a snow-white cat. The cat stopped and looked at Zia, letting out another meow before continuing to walk toward the fire. The spell ended and one of the men bent and scooped up the cat.
“There you are,” the man said. “You shouldn’t chase mice on the full moon when we’re casting spells.”
One of the men pushed back the hood of his cloak and smiled. “She’ll grow out of that in time. My Casper used to bark at every noise when he was a puppy and he’d mess up my concentration constantly.” He dropped to his knees and scratched behind the ears of a hound dog.
Zia hadn’t noticed the animals with the men. If they were casting spells and had familiars, then they must be warlocks.
But why was she here? And where was here?
“Zayde,” one of the men said, “don’t you have someplace to be?”
The warlock holding the kitten shook his head. “She made her choice.”
“But you said you felt connected to her.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Zayde said. “I asked her to stay with me, but she refused. She said it was a one-time thing and she was going through with her arranged mating. It’s not an easy thing to break a fairy mating, but I was willing to do whatever it took to explore what we had together.”
“Fairies are so steeped in tradition they have trouble seeing truth when it rears its head,” one of the other men said.
Zayde nodded. “I only knew her the one night, and while I feel like there’s something there worth exploring, she’s not willing to risk losing her family for a what-if scenario. So she’s getting mated right now, and that’s that.”
One of the men patted him on the shoulder. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Zayde said, kissing the kitten’s head. “If I hadn’t met her, I wouldn’t have found Amehline, so I’m happy with the outcome even if my heart hurts.”
“Time will heal it, and we’re there for you.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s what a coven is for,” one of the men said. He clapped his hands together. “Since the night is still young, how about we go out for a drink and see what mischief we can get into?”
There were choruses of agreement from the males. Each one stooped to pick up a familiar and one of them waved a hand over the fire and it disappeared, plunging the clearing into darkness.
Zia felt like she was being pulled backward, and while she tried to stop herself, to stay with the warlocks and see if she could maybe reach out to them, she couldn’t stop the momentum. The woods raced by and the moonlight faded, and she found herself in the dark.
And then nothing....as she drifted back to sleep.
* * *
When Cassian woke in the morning, Zia wasn’t in bed and the spot where she’d slept at his side was cold. He sat up and stretched, scratching his chest and listening for her. He didn’t hear her in the bathroom or kitchen.
Rolling to a seated position, he grabbed his jeans from the floor and tugged them on. When he reached the kitchen, he smelled fruit and something herby, and found the tea kettle set on one of the stove burners.
Turning around, he caught sight of her on the balcony. She was wrapped up in a blanket from the couch and sipping on a steaming mug.
He made himself a cup of coffee and joined her, taking a seat at the small table.
“Morning, sweetheart.”
“Hey.”
He took a drink of coffee and set down the mug. “Did you sleep well?”
“Not really.”
He frowned, noticing there were dark circles under her eyes. “I’m sorry. Do you know why?”
“Bad dream. Or,” she said, putting the mug on the table and pulling the blanket around herself more tightly, “more like a strange dream.”
“You could have woken me up. I would’ve sat with you.” He didn’t like thinking she’d been upset and alone.
She gave him a gentle smile. “Thanks, but I just wanted some time to think. I’ve been up for a while. I watched the sunrise, it’s really pretty.”
“Tell me about the dream.”
She cupped her hands around the mug and breathed in the steam. And then she told him what she’d dreamed.
He hummed when she’d finished the story. “Have you ever heard the name Zayde?”
“No. And I’ve never met a warlock, let alone a whole coven of them.”
He mused on the dream for a few moments and then said, “Do you feel like it was real?”
Her brow rose. “It was a dream.”
“I know, but if you actually had a vision instead of a dream, then maybe it’s something to explore.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute. “It felt real. But it felt...old? Like it was in the past.”
“Maybe we could do a search for the name, see if it pops up anywhere. We could check online and then ask Brody to run the name through the police database if we don’t have any luck.”
“I was actually thinking of something else.”
“Oh?”
&nbs
p; “The witches. I’m not saying I expect them to know who Zayde is or why I had the dream, but maybe they can do something to help me figure out this mystery.”
“What mystery?”
“Why I called to them when I was drowning.”
He knew he looked puzzled when she smiled at him. “I think they’re related. The dream, or whatever it was, and why I was able to call the witches for help. I think it’s worth exploring.”
“Of course.” He picked up his phone and opened the browser, typing in the name Zayde. There was nothing related to a person of that name, but it didn’t mean anything. A lot of people didn’t have social media, and it was possible that he wasn’t spelling the name right or that it wasn’t a first or last name but a nickname of some kind. He quickly sent a text to Venice, who was on duty because it was daylight, and asked if he’d do a search when he had a moment.
“You bet,” Venice texted back a few minutes later. “It’s dead here, so I’m free. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
Cassian finished his coffee. “The rescue opens at nine. I’ll drive you there. I can’t stay, though. I have some work to do around here.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“Then you can take a nap.”
He wiggled his brows, and she chuckled. “The kind of nap where we don’t sleep right away?”
“You know it.”
“I’d love that.”
He rose to his feet and looked down at her, seeing the dark circles and tiredness that seemed to seep out of her. “Next time, wake me up. I don’t like knowing you were miserable while I was sleeping peacefully.”
“Promise.”
He made breakfast while she showered and dressed, and a half-hour later they were on their way to the rescue. The Sable Cove Familiar Rescue was unique in that it wasn’t a traditional animal rescue agency. They catered to familiars and only allowed witches and warlocks to adopt. The previous month, someone abandoned a kitten on the doorstep of the agency, and a dangerous warlock had come looking for it. After a battle involving demons, the warlock was with the national wiccan council and never going to hurt anyone again.
