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“What a waste,” he whispered with a chuckle and not an ounce of regret. He’d have no problem wasting a million dresses to get to his sweet, beautiful Rihanna.

As he pulled on a pair of pants, the knocking started up again. Bryce fastened the buttons, found another belt in the armoire, and wove it through the beltloops as he crossed the room to answer the relentless visitor.

Aspen stood on the other side of the door, practically shaking in her skin. The woman bounced on her toes, her eyes shiny, bright, and wide.

“Where’s Rihanna? She’s with you, aye? You both must come. It can’t wait,” Aspen urged, her voice quivering. Bryce’s brows furrowed. He stepped out of the small cabin and pulled the door shut behind him, disregarding his lack of shirt and half-woven belt. “Bryce, you must get Rihanna.”

“What’s going on? Tell me what’s so urgent. She’s sleeping. I don’t want to wake her—”

Aspen grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a single shake. That was when he realized he’d mistaken excitement for fright. The woman’s eyes practically beamed with joy.

“Wake her. Shaye and Moira await your arrival in the courtyard.” She reached past him, threw open the door—he swore she made sure it smacked against the wall—and shoved him back. “Ri! Wake up. Shaye needs you!”

Bryce scrambled to silence Aspen, but the woman giggled and disappeared in a blink. He dropped his head into a hand and groaned inwardly.

“Bryce? Why was Aspen here? Is all well?” Rihanna asked from the bed.

Lifting his head, he closed the door and turned to a worried Rihanna. “She said Shaye and Moira are waiting for us in the courtyard and that we need to hurry. Cryptic messages are definitely a thing here, huh?”

Rihanna was at the armoire before he’d finished speaking, pulling out the first thing her hands grabbed—a violet silk gown—and with a few flicks and twirls of her hands, thething was on and cinched to perfection. She gathered the shirt he’d retrieved from the armoire door and in an instant, he was completely dressed, belt in place.

“Hey!” he gasped when she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the cabin barefoot. Soft grass met his feet, but within a few steps, his little bird finished their outfits with footwear.

Thankfully before they arrived in the courtyard.

Rihanna released his hand and rushed to Shaye. “Is all well, brother? Why is Aspen in a panic? Has something happened?”

Shaye shook his head, his arm slung around Moira’s shoulders. She rocked her sleeping baby in one arm while holding Chase’s hand.

“Panic? Sweet sister, ’twasn’t panic, but it certainly has left us curious,” Shaye said, his gaze shifting to Bryce as he stepped up behind Rihanna. “Good morn.”

Well, if anything, at least he knew it was still morning.

“Must we wait—”

“Nay,” Aspen said, appearing beside Shaye. She grabbed her cousin’s wrist and tugged. “Something’s happened in the Talaenian world. Something…something…” She shivered and squealed, her excitement palpable. “Come!”

“Aspen, why don’t you calm down and—”

Shaye’s words were severed when the Seelie courtyard suddenly vanished. A breath later, solid ground returned beneath their feet. Bryce rocked, unbalanced. Rihanna—he’d not even realized she’d grabbed his hand again—steadied him as Aspen spun and pointed.

“Look!” she shouted.

Rihanna blinked up at Bryce before, together, they turned in the direction of Aspen’s jabbing finger.

“Oh. My. God,” Moira gasped, stumbling back. Shaye caught her before she tripped and fell.

Rihanna’s hands flew up to her mouth, muffling a shocked cry.

Bryce gaped at the looming sight.

A magnificent sight that, less than a day before, lay in ruins across the now emerald grass beneath their feet.

“’Tis the talk of the village. The restoration of our home, Shaye! The spirits…” Aspen sobbed, tears of joy finally falling. She folded her hands and pressed her knuckles to her mouth as she cried. “The spirits. Only they could do this.”

Sure enough, the castle towered over them in its unmarred and glorious stature. Sunlight reflected off bits and pieces of gold from beyond the open-aired walkways. The soothing sound of the waterfall reached them on the flourishing hillside.

Rihanna grappled for his arm and clung to him, breaking the trance he’d fallen into. He wrapped her in a tight embrace, absorbing the fierce waves of her gratitude as they all stared at the unbelievable sight.