Page 46

Hannah

“It’s so beautiful!” Skye peeps out the Town Hall’s front door, then turns to me, her eyes dreamy with romance.

“I want to see.” I crane my neck.

“Nope.” Autumn pulls the door shut. “No sneak peeks for you. Severin gave strict orders. And can I just say your future hubs can be very… intense.”

“Insistent is the word you’re looking for,” Skye says.

Autumn snorts in amusement. “Well, he insisted that Hannah doesn’t see the town green early.”

“Besides, you don’t want to spoil the surprise,” Skye adds.

“You’re right.” I step back into the meeting room, which has been turned into bridal-prep central, the refreshment table holding every type of makeup and hair-styling device known to humanity, all courtesy of Mom. She’s even brought a standing three-way mirror .

She looks up from arranging four different types of curling wands to smile at me. Her soft-fuchsia dress perfectly compliments her light skin, and she’s shaped her long brown hair into an enviable up-do, her look a perfect blend of mother-of-the-bride and politician’s wife.

“Darling!” She throws her arms wide. “Are you ready?”

I take a seat and let her fuss over me. I could have had Valena from Haute and Bothered give me another magical makeover, but Mom hasn’t gotten to do any of the regular mother-of-the-bride things, so letting her get me ready is the least I can do.

We all chatter as Skye and Autumn put on makeup and do their hair, while Mom’s doing the same thing for me. Mom keeps the conversation fairly normal with them in the room, but the moment they leave to put on their bridesmaids’ dresses, her eyes meet mine in the mirror.

“So this young man of yours… you’ve made sure you’re sexually compatible, right?”

“Mom!”

“It’s important that he knows how to give you orgasms. Why your father—”

“Nope! Gonna stop you right there.” I throw up a hand, palm out. Then I soften my tone. “It’s okay, Mom. Really. Severin’s… ahhh… accomplished in that area.” My cheeks burn with mortification.

“Oh, I have just the blush to match that color!” Mom spins toward the table, hands hovering over the various options. When she turns back, holding the chosen blush and a fluffy brush, she says, “Well, that’s good. Women deserve orgasms, too. ”

I picture last night, when Severin’s shadows coiled around my legs, spreading them wide, while more shadows held my wrists bound over my head.

He buried his fingers inside me, stroking that special spot that makes me scream, while his tongue danced over my clit.

Then he ordered, “Come for me, my good girl.”

I came so freaking hard I almost passed out.

“It’s not a problem,” I blurt, trying not to squirm. Totally, utterly not a problem.

Autumn steps into the room, wearing a gorgeous pale-peach dress made of Faerie silk that looks stunning on her. She’s gathered her long red hair into a side ponytail that falls in soft waves over the front of one shoulder.

Skye follows her, her dress a blush-pink that clings to her enviable curves perfectly. Her platinum blonde hair is in one of her fancier 1950s-styles, her lips painted a softer pink than her usual to better match the dress.

“You both look amazing!”

“Those dresses are breathtaking,” Mom says. “I don’t think I know the designer.”

“She owns our local boutique,” I say, pride filling me. “You should stop by Haute and Bothered before you leave town.”

“I will.” Mom pins one last piece of my hair into place and says, “Let’s get you into your wedding dress.”

All three of them help me, Mom oohing and ahhing every time she touches the amazingly soft Faerie silk. “This dress is stunning. It’s as good as anything I’ve seen at Fashion Week. It’s a lot for a small-town mayor’s budget. Are you sure you don’t want me and your father to—”

“No, it’s okay,” I say. “Severin got it for me.” I haven’t been able to tell her he’s a king. She’d want to know what country, and there’s no way I can explain about Faerie and Avalon.

Once they finish getting me into my dress, I pull on the matching white Faerie slippers.

No stilettos for me—narrow heels plus walking on grass equals a fall waiting to happen—and I can’t imagine getting married anywhere else but the town green.

As Severin reminded me, it’s where we met and first agreed to our marriage.

I stand, and Mom hands me my bouquet, made of local ferns and beautiful white peonies with one pink one tucked into the center that looks exactly like the one Severin gave me that first day.

My heart skips, knowing he told the wood nymphs from Oopsy Daisy to add it.

He’s so good at romantic gestures that it makes me melt.

Autumn and Skye unfold the sides of the standing three-way mirror for me.

“Oh!” My face is perfect, the makeup emphasizing my features while still appearing completely natural. Mom piled my hair up in a fanciful and romantic up-do, decorated with lots of little seed-pearls and trailing coiled curls to soften the look.

The dress is a dream, with a sleeveless sweetheart neckline that drops to a cinched waist before flaring out into a floor-length skirt made of multiple layers of Faerie silk that float weightless around my legs.

“You look like a princess,” Mom says.

No, I look like a queen.

After one last hug, Mom goes to take her seat beside Dad, leaving me with my besties in the Town Hall lobby.

I wrap an arm around each of their shoulders, careful not to mess up our dresses or bouquets.

“I’m so happy for you,” Skye whispers.

“Yeah,” Autumn says. “If anyone deserves a fairytale wedding, it’s you.”

My heart pinches, and I hug them tighter. “Thank you both. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

We break apart, and Autumn asks, “Ready?”

“So ready.”

Skye sticks her arm out a crack in the door and waves.

Beautiful harp music starts to play outside, and my butterflies take flight as excitement zips through me. This is it!

Skye throws open the door, letting in a cool breeze of evening air.

The town green has been transformed into a magical fairyland.

Glowing lanterns bob through the air, held up by magic, and the trees are decorated with more tiny lights.

The flowers glow in a rainbow of colors as if lit from within, perfuming the air with their sweet floral scent.

Harp music swells, the notes rising and falling in an achingly beautiful melody.

Jared stands poised to one side, a video camera raised to capture everything. I can’t wait to see how it comes out. Severin says the protection spell will let me see all the magic while making the wedding look completely normal for regular humans.

Guests sit on either side of the central aisle.

Mom and Dad wait near the front, my father’s face wearing a proud smile.

Naomi and May sit with their orc husbands, which is amazing in and of itself, since orc royalty has something of a history with the shadow fae.

Maybe this wedding can be the first step toward healing some of that.

The rest of the Witch Bitch Spicy Book Club gals are spread throughout the crowd, along with other people from town.

Several of the fae attend, and I spot Rune, Luke, Shadow, Pepperpot, Diamond, Thorvinn, and Valena.

A spurt of disappointment goes through me that I can’t find any of the pixies.

Maybe they’re too busy making the wedding dinner?

I spot Ruby and Elowen and am happy to see them sitting together and holding hands.

It’s nice to think that something good came from the bride trials.

Something besides me and Severin, that is.

I finally let my eyes follow the aisle to its end, to find him waiting for me, Varyn and Daigan by his side.

They all wear formal clothes, and Severin looks devastatingly handsome in his human tuxedo.

The silver-embroidered waistcoat is the same emerald green as his eyes and adds one tiny touch of color to all the black, even though black suits him perfectly.

He doesn’t wear his crown, saying he wants to marry me as the man, not the king, and I love that so, so much.

His heart is what’s important to me, not his throne.

Even across this distance, his eyes latch onto me with such intensity I can feel it like a touch. Then an actual touch slides up my calf with the familiar feel of one of his shadows.

Oh, this man! I love him so much.

Skye goes first, crossing the sidewalk and pavement to step onto the town green. Once she’s a few feet along, Autumn goes next.

I pause for a moment, then follow, trying to walk at a stately pace, but my butterflies take flight, trying to hurry me forward.

The moment my foot touches the green, several things happen at once. The walking tulips race in from the sides and precede me down the aisle like literal flower girls. Pixies swoop out of the nearby trees, flying right behind the tulips and tossing showers of white flower petals as they go.

And Finn, my dearest Finn, trots out from under a rhododendron, a jaunty green bow tied around his neck, two rings strung on loops of the ribbon.

I blink rapidly as he shoots me a proud look and walks down the aisle in front of me, his floofy tail held high, the best ring bearer any girl could have.

Somehow, I make it down the aisle. I mean, I probably walk, but I’m so full of giddy happiness it feels like floating.

When the tulips and pixies reach the end of the aisle, they split into two groups and continue around until they form a semi-circle behind the wedding party.

Finn stops in front of Varyn, who retrieves the rings and ribbon.

Then my familiar goes over to sit beside Skye and Autumn, his fluffy tail curled around his front feet.

Mom stands and takes my bouquet right before I reach Severin. It’s an idea I thought of to give her a part in the wedding and hopefully softens the sting that I didn’t have Dad give me away.

I want to give myself to Severin.

Then I’m there, standing in front of him, his green eyes burning into mine.