by Melissa Marr
“Shall we go out on the town to celebrate parenthood?” Irial draped an arm around both of his beloveds. The issue of Leslie’s mortality still lingered as a fear, but that was a trouble for tomorrow.
“Stepdad. Stepmom. We have so many years to make up for with Elena,” Irial said.
“I’m not her stepmom. She’s Ash’s grandmother,” Leslie objected.
“I think I should start with a house,” Irial mused. “This house. And a pony. Kids like ponies.” He frowned. “Kelpie or steed?”
Niall and Leslie exchanged a look of horror that Irial pretended not to see.
“Think of it as preparation for our little ones,” Niall said.
Irial stopped. Leslie froze, but Niall could taste her hope, her joy at such thoughts.
“Come now,” Niall said mildly. “Leslie said she wants children. Once she’s finished with school and moves in—”
“She’s moving in?” Irial said with raw hope. He stared at Leslie as if he’d just been granted a gift. “There will be children.”
“Eventually,” Leslie murmured.
“Oh, when Ani and Tish were tiny, I bought them this little toy shoppe in Philadelphia.”
“No,” Leslie said firmly. Her flood of amusement surged toward Niall, and undoubtedly to Irial, too, through their ink connection. Leslie folded her arms and announced, “Our children will not get their own stores.”
“So just one store,” Irial said. “We could do that.”
“Not what—"
“We really ought to think about buying more property,” Irial announced. “For Ash. For Elena. For Elena’s half sisters and brothers.”
In a faux whisper Leslie asked, “He does realize that Ash may not be as excited by this as he is, right?”
“Pish!” Irial gave them both big smacking kisses. “What about water parks? How old do the children need to be before we buy that?”
“I’m not pregnant,” Leslie reminded him.
Irial waved his hand, as if to brush the objection away. “When you’re ready, love.” He motioned toward the stairs. “For now, I shall dote on Elena and Ash. My girls.”
They followed him down the steps, all but tumbling when he came to an abrupt halt. “They should have guards. Give me a moment to talk to Chela before--”
“They have guards,” Niall reminded him. “Summer Queen. Her grandmother.”
“More guards!” Irial went to see Chela.
Niall and Leslie stood in the house. He glanced at her. “Have you told him yet that you’re moving in after graduation?”
“Not yet. He hasn’t been visiting, and . . .” Her words faded, and she shrugged. “He’ll figure it out when I stop leaving.”
Not a single month without drama, but Niall loved them both. Petulant. Mercurial. All around maddening. Riddled with complications he couldn’t image. They were everything he could want in life.
“Perhaps we should ask Seth to use that future-seeing of his about your mortality or semi-fey nature before Irial tells them he’s Ash’s great-grandfather,” Niall suggested.
“Agreed,” Leslie said with a laugh.
Then they went to join the new father to enjoy a rare, beautiful event in anyone’s life: celebrating life and parenthood.
The End
Coming Soon . . .
Summer Bound
22 September 2020
After centuries of frolicking as a Summer Girl, Siobhan isn't sure she's ready for her new life. Promoted to Summer Court advisor alongside Tavish, Siobhan suddenly has responsibilities and a chance at romance--until she and Tavish are at odds as they help guide their queen through a life-changing revelation.
Aislinn, former mortal and current Summer Queen, thought she'd already faced the most difficult obstacles fate could throw her way. Losing her humanity, becoming a queen, loving someone who spends fifty percent of his time in another world, facing the embodiment of war in a battle, Aislinn is ready to make sense of her new "normal."
No one is prepared when the former Dark King, Irial, arrives with a secret that could challenge the delicate balance between the Faery Courts.
Also by Melissa Marr
Recent Work:
Cold Iron Heart (2020)
Pretty Broken Things (2020)
Tales of Folk & Fey (2019)
Dark Court Faery Tales (2019)
The Faery Queen’s Daughter (2019)
Backlist
Young Adult Novels with HarperTeen
Wicked Lovely (2007)
Ink Exchange (2008)
Fragile Eternity (2009)
Radiant Shadows (2010)
Darkest Mercy (2011)
Wicked Lovely: Desert Tales (2012)
Carnival of Secrets (2012)
Made For You (2013)
Seven Black Diamonds (2015)
One Blood Ruby (2016)
Faery Tales & Nightmares (short story collection)
Adult Fantasy for HarperCollins/Wm Morrow
Graveminder (2011)
The Arrivals (2012)
Picturebooks for Penguin
Bunny Roo, I Love You (2015)
Baby Dragon, Baby Dragon! (2019)
Bunny Roo and Duckling Too (2021)
Coauthored with K. L. Armstrong(with Little, Brown)
Loki’s Wolves (2012)
Odin’s Ravens (2013)
Thor’s Serpents (2014)
Co-Edited with K. L. Armstrong (with HarperTeen)
Enthralled
Shards & Ashes
Co-Edited with Tim Pratt (with Little, Brown)
Rags & Bones
About the Author
Melissa Marr is a former university literature instructor who writes fiction for adults, teens, and children. Her books have been translated into twenty-eight languages and have been bestsellers internationally (Germany, France, Sweden, Australia, et. al.) as well as domestically. She is best known for the Wicked Lovely series for teens, Graveminder for adults, and her debut picture book Bunny Roo, I Love You.
In her free time, she practices medieval swordfighting, kayaks, hikes, and raises kids in the Arizona desert.
