Page 7 of Mountains of Mist and Magic (A World of Sun and Shadow #4)

R enya's head rested comfortably on the pillow, and she half-dozed while Grayden's large hand moved over her belly.

“You won't feel anything for months yet,” she yawned, then ran her fingers through Grayden's hair. He looked up at her, his smile wide.

“I just can't believe it.”

“I couldn't at first, either. You guys don't have pregnancy tests here, and things have been a bit wonky for me cycle-wise, but with the amount of nausea I've had, I don't think there's any denying it.”

“Pregnancy test? Does a healer perform magic to tell you?”

Renya laughed, sometimes forgetting that they had grown up in two separate worlds. She had adjusted to life quite easily here and wondered if it was partially because of her heritage. Sometimes it seemed as if a part of her had always been in this world, some shadow of her floating around the lands unseen.

“Not exactly. But I'd wager that I'm around three months along. Typically the time we can start telling people.”

Another grin from Grayden. “Do you know what it is?”

“I'm guessing fae,” she teased. He slunk back down to the pillows and pulled her mouth against his for a kiss before pulling away and looking up at the ceiling.

“I mean, is it a boy or a girl?”

“I don't know of any way to tell, at least here. In the human world, they could tell you. But I think it's a girl.”

Grayden spread his fingers back across her stomach. “A girl. My daughter.” The pride in his voice was so fierce that Renya almost started bawling. Pregnancy hormones had definitely hit her hard. Especially the last few days, knowing that their honeymoon was coming to a close and they'd have to leave the beautiful island and return home. Home to a world of problems and broken magic. And to her mother. Renya tried hard not to think of Cressida, locked in the sublevels of the lodge. Part of her wished she'd killed her, but the other part, the cautious part, worried that would have been a mistake. Especially if she had the knowledge she claimed to possess.

A gentle kiss along her forehead pulled her from her thoughts.

We'll take each day as it comes.

She smiled, rolling on her side to face Grayden. “I'm just going to miss spending all day with you, uninterrupted.”

He nuzzled her neck, kissing a soft trail down her throat. “And I'm going to miss you being naked all the time.”

Renya pushed him softly, and he laughed. His joy was practically palpable the last few weeks, and she'd never seen him so unencumbered before.

“I do miss Beauty. To be honest, I'm surprised she hasn't shown up here.”

“The magic your father put in place is strong, Little Fawn. Plus, she does seem to like Phillippe, for whatever reason.”

It had surprised Renya as well. Out of all the visitors and residents of the lodge, Beauty had become especially taken with Phillippe. Despite their initial rocky start, Phillippe seemed to know what the dragon was thinking or what she needed.

“Either way, I'm excited to see her. And my aunt. And Selenia. Well, I guess I miss everyone.”

Renya's heart was full. She now had a complete family, especially with their little one on the way. It was everything she never knew she needed.

And now she was going to be a mother. She wasn't sure she was ready, but it didn't matter. Within the next six months, she'd have an infant. The physical manifestation of her and Grayden's love. She pictured his green eyes and dark hair on a beautiful baby girl, and her heart soared at the thought. But she was also incredibly scared. Away from all the modern medicine the human world provided, she didn't know how dangerous pregnancy would be here. Sure, there were traces of magic left, but the thought of Almory or Dimitri delivering her baby left her slightly panicked. As soon as they returned, she would need to interrogate Selenia on what she knew about maternal practices in the fae world.

She turned to ask Grayden about their journey home, but he had already drifted off. He looked so carefree in his sleep, and the more they were together, his possessive and feral attitude towards her lessened. It also helped that they were on an island in the middle of nowhere.

Since Triston had planned to bring his soldiers to help with the continuing rebuilding efforts of the Twilight Kingdom, and Esmeralda stayed behind at the lodge to spend time getting to know Selenia (or rather, Phillippe, as Renya guessed), they offered Grayden and Renya the use of their summer island retreat. Several hours away from the Tidal Kingdom and only reachable by boat, the newlyweds had spent a few weeks relaxing, honing Renya's magic, and, of course...making love. If she wasn't already pregnant, Renya knew she would have been by the end of their honeymoon. Grayden simply had to look at her and she'd melt like an icicle in his hands.

Sighing, she pulled the covers over both of them, not ready to leave the solitude of the island, and to say goodbye to these precious moments they shared. As she drifted off to sleep, she felt Grayden reach out for her. She scooted closer to him, and he pulled her into his embrace, nuzzling the back of her neck like nothing else in the world would ever matter as much to him as she did.

“That's the last of it,” Renya said, pointing to a trunk on the opposite side of the room. Although 'room' was hardly an accurate description. Triston's summer house was more of an oasis hidden inside the treetops, with glass walls encasing the buildings, and some of the walkways high in the treetops. It was unlike anything Renya had ever experienced before. The entire 'bungalow,' as Esmeralda had described it, sprawled among a dozen huge jungle trees. The palms on the trees were nearly as large as Renya and towered over several stories. They reminded Renya of the redwood forests in Oregon and California, only tropical. The floors were hewn together with wood and tied with strong fibrous ropes. Each room was only accessible through bridges that crossed among the canopies, and the paths made an elaborate labyrinth in the sky. They'd spent many a night stargazing, and Grayden had told Renya all the names and legends for the stars in their world. By day, they’d birdwatched, and Renya had been fascinated by all the bright plumage of the fowl. Their complex, yet sweet songs would stay with her for the rest of her life, reminding her of the tender moments she spent with Grayden among the billowing trees in the middle of the ocean.

But now, there was sorrow in Renya's heart as she watched Grayden carry the final trunk down to where the boat was docked. She tried to help him, but he made a fuss about her carrying anything now that she told him she was pregnant. She had waited until she was pretty certain, which coincidentally coincided with their arrival at the island. She thought back to his reaction. At first, he had been in total shock and didn't seem to grasp the concept, and then he had been elated, and finally, panic and concern had overtaken him. Children were so rare in their world that he was instantly worried over both the lives of Renya and his unborn child. It took the first three days of their honeymoon to calm him down, and Renya was glad she didn't mention it until after the wedding and wedding night. He treated her like a fragile porcelain doll, and it took six hours of her refusing to talk to him before he came around and started acting normal again.

He meant well, though. She followed him across the last bridge and down the ramp (which could be pulled up so that no animals or unwanted intruders—such as the giant bugs wandering the island—could venture into the treetop paradise) and then watched as he loaded the last of their cargo onto the small boat. Renya enjoyed watching his muscles strain and bulge, fully appreciating the Tidal Kingdom wardrobe he donned in the tropical weather.

Grayden adjusted a few lines on the sails, and then held his hand out to Renya. She adjusted her silk skirts and joined him upon the small vessel.

Created strictly for crossing the tiny bay and then venturing to the island, the boat was small but efficient. Below deck, there was a simple bed and a bathroom, along with some storage. Above were all the steering mechanisms and a few carved wooden benches for sitting. It wasn't quite a sailboat, but it wasn't a yacht either. Renya made herself comfortable on the bench nearest the ship's wheel, and Grayden adjusted the sails again. He dove off the deck, pushing the boat out into the relatively calm waters of the tiny island bay. As soon as the vessel left the shallows and tide pools behind, he hoisted himself back on the boat, leaving puddles behind him.

They were silent for a while, enjoying the gentle breeze and the calm sea. Renya looked out of the boat, taking in the beautiful turquoise water and then watching as a bird flew high above. From what Renya could make out, it looked like some kind of cross between a seagull and a pelican, only its feathers were a burnt orange.

She licked the sea salt from her lips, and then broached the question they both had been trying so hard to ignore over the last couple of weeks.

“So...what next?”

Renya watched as Grayden tied the wheel steady to the side of the boat railing, and then he crossed a few feet to come and sit beside her.

“I'm looking for more than 'and they lived happily ever after,'“ she continued.

He sighed, and Renya wished she would have delayed the subject until they got back on land. Or perhaps to the lodge. But no, there was no use putting it off any longer.

“We'll need to question your mother in more detail—”

“Please don't call her that,” Renya begged, scrunching up her nose and wrinkling her brow.

“—and perhaps bring her to the Sun Realm, or summon your father to the lodge.”

Renya nodded, knowing that her father's presence would not only give her a feeling of safety, but that they might get further with Cressida if they had his assistance. He seemed to know her better than anyone, and she had been quite close-lipped with information. Renya had been down to the sublevels a few times to try and coax information out of her, but she was as slippery as an oil spill and always seemed to have a request. Time for exercise, freedom to roam around the lodge, access to the Sun Realm's library—all of which were answered with a firm 'no' from Renya.

“Without her providing any more clues, I'm at a loss of what to do.” Renya put her head in her hands, the stress of the situation overwhelming her the farther and farther away they sailed from their island oasis. It had been like shelter in a storm, and it was too easy to pretend that there wasn't a horrible dark cloud overhead when they were covered and protected in the trees.

“Don't worry, Little Fawn. We have your father poring over the Sun Realm libraries, and Almory and Tumwalt are still working on cracking the bit of the prophecy pages that we have. Plus, Selenia and Sion promised they'd work their way through our library at the lodge.”

Renya almost snorted but stopped herself. She had a feeling that Selenia and Sion had been doing much more than research. She'd caught them a few times in the middle of some pretty intense kissing sessions, and she knew the kind of lust that came with a mating bond. She didn't know how the pair could resist, other than perhaps it was easier since Sion wasn't affected by their bond yet. But she didn't want Grayden to question her about the couple's relationship. It was their business, and while Grayden meant well, he could be overbearing at times where his little sister was concerned.

“I think we need to meet with Kalora again, too. She knew so much about the origins of fae, and I do think that there might be something to be learned from the legends.”

Grayden stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That's a good idea. Perhaps we can call some kind of summit meeting and pool our common knowledge about the fading and when exactly it started.”

“I think that's a great way forward. As soon as we get back, we should start the planning.”

Grayden winked, and then pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “Almost as soon as we get back.”