Page 27

–Broderick–

THE LAST THING I expected to see when my mother led us to the window in the war chamber was a large aspen at the edge of the forest. My mother suggested we might like to be married there, and I couldn’t agree more.

“Oh my goodness,”

Aspen said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek as she gazed at it.

“It’s here…it followed me…us.”

“And I suspect ‘twill follow you both forever.”

My mother looked from me to Aspen.

“So you always find your way back to each other.”

Even though it remained unspoken, I was sure we had Aspen’s father, Malcolm Sutherland, to thank for that, and I could only be curious about his role in all this going forward because I didn’t doubt for a moment that he was still alive. Somehow, some way, he had every intention of being there for his daughters.

“I agree,”

Aspen said softly, catching my thoughts as she gazed out at the glorious yellow leaves swaying in the wind.

“Yet I can’t help but wonder about my sister and niece, who are caught in this nightmare and all alone at Sutherland Castle with no protection.”

She looked at my mother.

“What happens to Lilias and her daughter?”

She shook her head.

“I know you think she can’t be trusted, but I think she can, and neither of them deserves this.”

“Then we will trust your judgment,”

my mother assured, meaning it.

“And do our best to look after her from a distance, at least for now.”

“Aye,”

I agreed along with my kin, including Kenneth, who was as devoted to us as his fellow MacLomains.

“Though ‘twas not me who swore to look after you when you traveled to Sutherland Castle, Aspen,”

Kenneth said.

“I would have done the same as my imposter. That said, whilst I might not be able to get too close, I can and do visit Sutherland Castle at will so I can keep an eye on Lilias and her daughter.”

“’Twould be truly appreciated, cousin,”

I acknowledged.

“I agree.”

Aspen offered Kenneth a small smile.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

He offered a small smile in return.

“But I would ask one wee favor of you both in return.”

“And what would that be?”

I asked, about to frown that he would ask anything of us when we were trying to protect a lass and her bairn, but I should have known better when Kenneth’s smile widened.

“That I get to witness you two marry this verra morn?”

He gestured out the window where MacLeods were already gathering, clearly aware of what was coming.

“Beneath your aspen with your Aspen, aye?”

“Deal.”

Aspen’s smile widened, too, and she slipped her hand into mine.

“And the sooner the better.”

“Now, who’s getting pushy?”

I said, meeting her smile before pulling her into my arms and kissing her soundly until my mother cleared her throat, and the two of us began what would surely be the biggest adventure of our lives.

As it happened, the entire MacLeod clan was present a short while later as our wrists were bound with our plaid, and we exchanged our vows beneath the aspen to many hoots and hollers before I, at last, pulled Aspen into my arms again and kissed her soundly.

Although more than tempted to scoop her up and bring her back to our chamber to spend the next few weeks uninterrupted, our people deserved to celebrate with their new mistress. So I took her hand, and we started back toward the castle, only for Flame to howl from behind us.

“What is it?”

Aspen asked, going still at the sight of Flame sitting beneath the aspen with his head back, howling as a single stream of fire curled off him, then drifted away in a tendril of smoke that caught on the wind and lifted upward.

“Wait a minute,”

Aspen said softly, drifting back that way as a flickering light danced in the leaves before the wind shifted in our direction, and something floated our way.

“It’s happening again, just like after my father’s funeral.”

“What?”

I asked as my kin joined us, and the light drifted closer and closer.

“I don’t know,”

she murmured.

It continued floating closer as if drawn to us. When she held out her hand, the light split into two seedlings twirling around each other until they settled in her palm.

“What are we looking at?”

she whispered, as enchanted as I was when the seedlings burst into tiny transparent dragons and faced off as if ready to battle. With narrowed eyes, they hopped from foot to foot and whipped their little tails but didn't end up charging each other in the end. Instead, seeming to sense there was a race to be had and somewhere important to be, one chased the other in a spiral pattern until it slid into the first at the center of her palm, creating a tiny lightning bolt, and both vanished in a poof of smoke.

Flame howled one more time, and I swore I heard Storm’s voice in the wind whispering.

“Congratulations, my friends,”

before the wind died down. All went silent except for the sound of the waves in the distance.

“What just happened?”

Aspen whispered, about to say more, but she broke off, and her hand drifted to her midsection.

“What is it?”

I asked, alarmed because I was just as confused, before I caught the sound of hummingbird wings, prompting my inner dragon to come to attention in a way it never had before.

“Och, it cannae be,”

my mother gasped, seeming to understand what was happening because she rested her hand over Aspen’s womb and closed her eyes before a smile curled her mouth, and she opened her eyes to Aspen.

“’Tis truly a miracle that against all odds, and mayhap with a jolt of electricity or two among the clouds where dragons thrive best, they survived.”

“Who survived?”

Aspen managed, her voice hoarse with emotion at what my mother implied.

“They made it to yer womb before Dugal’s tail harmed ye,”

my mother said, her eyes damp and her brogue thick at the news she delivered.

“Ye no longer have eggs or hope for future offspring, but ye’ve a womb to carry the two healthy wee witchy dragons that made it there before it was too late.”

She swallowed hard, clearly fighting overwhelming emotion, and looked from me to Aspen.

“Ye’ve twins on the way, and I can tell ye now that, as ye just saw, they’re fiercely competitive.”

“Seriously?”

Aspen said, tears slipping down her cheeks, her hand lingering on her womb after my mother pulled away.

“This isn’t just some illusion or—”

“Nay.”

My mother shook her head and kept smiling, a tear slipping down her cheek as well.

“I recommend ye take great care carrying them and mayhap consider having them as wee dragon eggs first, but ye’ve two strong bairns on the way.”

“Dragon eggs?”

Aspen mouthed, shaking her head and nodding all at once.

“Sure, whatever, I’ll do it.”

“We’ll do it,”

I corrected, resting my hand over hers.

“Together.”

I met her eyes, never so happy. “Always.”

My gaze went lovingly from her womb to her beautiful face, and I scooped her up into my arms just like I had in another life when she carried another child.

“Just the four of us.”

We had been given a second chance in more ways than one and intended to cherish every moment because it was bound to be an even greater adventure than we anticipated.

A curse was still settled over the land, and a wicked witch and her host of villains remained out there, determined to see through their curse. Still, new heroes were rising because the Viking sword mysteriously made it into Lucas’s possession, and now he was determined to head to the future to see how he could help Adlin. Perhaps, even how he could help one of Aspen’s sisters by not acting too impulsively and doing right by Clan MacLeod.

There was no way to know what tomorrow would bring, but it didn’t matter because every second going forward would be part of my and Aspen’s yesteryear and all the memories we intended to add to it.

So it was her Fairytale Gone Wrong ended up blissfully right, and we had the best sort of Happily Ever After either of us could have ever imagined.