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Female, he wanted to correct, but Talon held his tongue. He wouldn’t disrespect the woman who’d helped raise them. “I had hoped to wed her sister one day.” He’d never said it out loud.

Myrna’s fingers stopped moving. She felt the sting of Arianna’s disappearance as much as the rest of them and she’d cried with them too, often holding Ellie’s weeping form in those first few months.

Myrna simply gave his shoulder a light squeeze. “I’m sure you still might.”

TALON WALKED the streets with Ellie’s arm in his and his heart swelled at the sight of Ellie’s smile as she watched the Fairy Folk. There’d been too much sadness in her eyes the past year.

The mystical creatures danced and spun with the water, bending it to their will as they perched on fountains, houses, and river canoes.

Levea’s citizens crowded the cobblestone streets. Stall shops were lined along the buildings and the owners called out to those in passing to sell their festivity wares. Some had even built shelves into their boats and tied them off at the river’s edge.

His breath clouded in the frigid air and Talon flexed his fingers, glad Ellie had thought to bring gloves.

A small trio of Fairy Folk glided past, riding the wind on a makeshift carriage built of leaves and pulled by another of their kind with near translucent wings. Their high-pitched squeals of delight brought a smile to everyone they passed.

Another group had formed a canoe from the water, though it still held a liquid appearance and were propelling themselves down the canal, giggling like small children.

Ancient creatures indeed. If age brought that kind of joy, he welcomed it. Or perhaps it was their lack of worry for the order of the world. Maybe the Fae should take a lesson or two from their smaller friends.

Hundreds of Fairy Folk like the two groups surrounded the area, laughing, singing, playing, and they only appeared like this during the summer and winter solstices.

Though the tiny, ethereal beings emerged in numbers, they never physically interacted with the Fae and the Fae knew better than to interact with them. They were sacred beings, believed to serve the land itself and protect all life. Some even claimed they’d grant wishes, though he knew better than to believe in such childish fantasies.

Arianna had been the only Fae he’d ever known to touch one. And not just once. They came to her regularly, as if they craved being in her presence and though he wanted to know more, he’d made a promise to keep it to himself. He wasn’t even sure Ellie knew.

Ellie clutched his sleeve and glared at females who cast long glances their way. He wanted to tell her they were probably more interested in their future High Lady than himself, but Talon knew she wouldn’t listen.

Talon didn’t plan to gift a rose to anyone, but that didn’t stop male suitors from approaching Ellie. They inclined their head toward him for permission and he always stepped back, much to Ellie’s dismay.

She growled and shoved him playfully, but Talon saw the way her cheeks heated. He watched as the normally dominant female turned shy and awkward, especially when a certain half-breed male presented his rose with a swift bow and sideways grin. Ellie had turned to Talon then, seeking permission to leave and he’d happily granted it.

The male, Kieran, bowed to Talon, something he’d told the copper-haired half-breed he didn’t have to do a thousand times, before taking Ellie’s hand in his own and kissing the back of it.

Talon smiled. Her father would never allow it of course, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying this one night. Not even the High Lord could interfere during the solstice.

The Fairy Folk were keenly aware of emotions and negative ones would cause them to flock to the individual and correct the situation with flowers and dancing. Talon knew Avalon would never want to be the center of such a display.

Talon watched Ellie playfully shove Kieran, misjudging her strength in her nervous state. The male fell into a freezing pool of water and Ellie yelped in response, rushing to his aid before the pair burst into a fit of laughter.

Talon’s heart tugged as he stood there alone, keenly aware of the empty space in his heart. Someone else should have been there to smile and laugh and comment on her sister’s happy future.

He glanced across the canal and bright, brown eyes locked with his. Her hair flowed down to her waist in beautiful, long braids and she wore a crown of flowers on her head, likely gifted from the Fairy Folk. Her dress clung to the curves of her body in a way that should have been alluring, but when the female took a step toward him, Talon turned away.

He walked fast, passing stall after stall, the echo of laugher reminding him of the person he’d lost. He remembered the last festival they’d spent together and how her soft lips had hesitantly met his. And he remembered the way both their hearts had been pounding.

He passed another booth where a male and female held hands and leaned into one another, and Talon tried not to imagine what that would have been like. How warm would her shoulder have been? Could he have clasped her hand like that? Would she have allowed him to steal a few more kisses beneath the moonlight?

Talon kept going until he entered the housing district, separating himself from the festivities entirely. The music faded along with the crowds, leaving him in the dark stillness of night. He listened to the trickling water nearby, and took in a deep breath to clear his senses.

Everything in him froze.

A scent like freshly blooming lilies and misting waterfalls hit him so hard Talon’s knees threatened to buckle. Hesitantly, as if afraid to hope, he took in the scent again. Then he was running.

He sprinted up the estate steps as fast as his Fae body allowed. The guards moved out of his way and though he scented their curiosity and concern, he couldn’t stop. His body wouldn’t let him. Talon bounded over gardens and skidded in the dirt as he rounded another corner.

It couldn’t be. On the solstice?

But the scent was growing stronger. A scent like Ellie’s but sweeter. A scent that told him there might be hope after all.