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Kerainne

Present

Lucian’s vow that he wouldn’t let my grandmother take me made me feel a reassurance that made no sense.

She was ancient and far more powerful than him.

If she wanted to, she could manipulate every being in this room to kill themselves, getting around the biological law that luminites can’t kill.

Then I’d ascend to Luminista where I’d be arrested and locked up all over again.

And yet, the fact that Lucian was willing to fight Queen Silvara for me made my belly flutter like it did in the early centuries of our courtship. I took a deep breath and did my best to force those old romantic feelings aside. Now was the time for war, not love.

While my family by blood, marriage, or friendship, joined Lucian in declarations that they’d kill my grandmother for me, I used my magic to extinguish the lights just as I did back when I was teaching preschool and needed to hush the children.

When the room fell silent, I willed the lights to return.

“While I’m flattered that all of you will defend me, I doubt it’s needed.

It’s been two years since Gabriel helped me escape.

If Silvara wanted to force me back to Luminista, she could have done so easily.

” I didn’t mention what she could do to everyone.

“What is needed is for us to come up with diplomatic strategy. However, we also need to rest. If I’m exhausted by all you’ve told me, I can’t imagine how the rest of you feel. ”

“We rested,” Razvan said, gesturing at the other vampires.

I summoned the Mom Voice. “I doubt it was restful. Lucian and I spent the whole day worrying even though Xochitl and Silas texted us that we won.”

“It wasn’t,” Delgarias admitted. “We were crammed onto a tour bus and in hotel rooms. And the smell of that pulp mill…”

“And you,” I leveled a glare at my daughter. “You’re not a vampire, much as you acted like one in your teen years. You could have called me.”

“I know.” Xochitl gave me apologetic puppy-dog eyes.

“It’s just that by the time Sylvis and Gabriel had explained everything about what happened in Qua’ al-fán and then Luminista, the sun was up and I was so tired that I didn’t want everything to come out in a big jumble.

Especially since I knew you’d want to go into that portal. ”

My face heated and I sighed in defeat. While part of me still writhed with the need to go after my parents and people, I understood that we weren’t ready.

“Anyway, back to my original point. I’m going to walk Lucian home and then I’m going to bed.

The rest of you should make a list of what we could use from Luminista.

Tomorrow, I can help put together a strategy of how to negotiate for those things.

Sylvis’s and Gabriel’s betrothal gives us a lot of bargaining weight.

Our matriarchs have been after such a union for over two millennia. ”

I said my good nights and Lucian and I transported ourselves out of the tower.

“You don’t have to walk me home,” he said. “I know you hate the cold.”

“I was exaggerating about walking.” I dug a transport crystal from my bottomless pouch and handed it to him before pressing myself to his warmth. “Would you do the honors?”

When we arrived at his house, he ignited the logs in the fireplace that were already set up, then cast a warming spell since the house was nearly as frigid as it was outside.

Just like last time I was here, he made tea like it was a reflex.

I didn’t mind. I liked tea. But it was another new thing about him.

I wondered at the change, then realized that this was probably the first home of his own he’d ever had.

All the years before, he’d lived in that palace with his mother and aunt.

Servants made and served the tea. And though he’d lived without servants the few times he accompanied me on rescue missions, we’d been staying with mostly male-dominated societies, where women were expected to take care of food and drink.

And even when we weren’t, his charm could convince anyone to provide for him.

I settled myself on the couch and bundled myself in the blanket that had been hung over it. The room would have to warm up more before I’d be ready to share it with him.

When he brought in the tea tray, along with a loaf of pumpkin bread, I spoke before he could ask why I’d invited myself over.

“I’m ready to tell you about that awful time.”

“You don’t have to.” Lucian’s voice warmed the room another few degrees. “You said you were exhausted.”

“I exaggerated that too.” I smiled as I buttered a slice of pumpkin bread. “I’ve put it off long enough. Besides, I’m hoping that by the time I’m finished, I’ll be too tired to have nightmares.”

He poured the tea—some herb and floral mixture that was perfect for a cold winter night—and mixed in a little honey. “All right. But if it gets too hard, stop. I know I said I needed to hear everything, but I don’t. Not if it hurts you to revisit it.”

“I’ll be okay,” I replied more to convince myself. “I’m not so sure you will be.”

Kerainne

Past

The moment I’d dreamed of for centuries had finally arrived.

My mother said, “All right” and I opened my eyes and gasped.

My wedding gown was more beautiful than I ever could have fathomed, even though I designed it, had tried parts of it on in the fitting process, and had spent countless hours staring at it as I’d carefully embroidered and sewn in the gems.

But this time was different. My hair was arranged as I’d planned for the next day, half piled high on my head in a golden crown of curls threaded through with strings of amethysts and violet pearls from Piscanos.

The palace beauticians had also done my makeup, purple eyeshadow of complementary hues, amethyst gems carefully applied on the edges, blush highlighting my cheekbones, and lipstick with a layer of lilac tinted gloss.

The dress was made from Luminastan silk, woven by one of the best in the Delcine clan.

I’d then embroidered green leaves around the outside edges of the bodice, that curling around the waist and came down in delicate vines across the skirt and around the train with Shellandrian lei thread, and surrounded each with peridot beads.

“You look like a perfect princess. Lucian won’t be able to take his eyes off you.” Natalya wiped her eyes in a rare display of emotion. She composed herself and gave me a teasing smile. “I know I advised you to have a long courtship, but I never meant this long.”

Tomorrow, Lucian would be married. After fifteen centuries, we’d finally set a date.

Now I wondered why I’d delayed so long. The betrothal contract was negotiated exactly in my terms, just as he’d promised.

The ceremony would be in Medicia and Lucian would live with me here for the next fifty years.

Father had even built a manor for us so we could have more privacy.

Then we’d spend the following fifty in Luminista, and alternate from there.

I scolded my younger self for previously thinking that a half century was too long to be away from home, especially since the last bastions of magic had died from Earth a few hundred years after he’d banished the vampires.

The lack of magic ended up having dangerous effects on visitors from Aisthanesthai.

Mages who spent too long in that world ended up dying.

I’d cried when the Conclave put out the emergency warning after investigating the deaths and coming to that tragic conclusion.

Therefore, the last few rescue missions I’d done were very short.

They no longer needed to take as many years as they used to, since only small groups of magic users remained.

As the Evil One had washed his hands of the now barren world, I’d been saving them from other Earthfolk.

These last few decades, the only reasons to visit Earth was to watch movies, a new invention there that I adored, go to concerts, and shop.

Though, if I happened to sense someone who needed my help, I would do so.

The last time I’d done so had been back in Earth’s 1980s, a fun decade for parts of that world.

Now, another mission was beginning to take hold in my mind.

I was pretty sure I was ready to let Lucian ease my next Yearning—whenever that came.

Aside from that odd one that came only a century after my first, they’d been blessedly distant and sporadic.

I’d spent those alone in agony because I couldn’t bear the thought of conceiving again, only to suffer another miscarriage.

My fear of going through that again had been so great that I’d even used the mage strategy of willing my body not to be fertile just in case.

I’d stopped doing that five years ago and now, fates be good, I was considering even trying to will myself to conceive after the wedding.

I forced my focus away from that subject before doubts could creep in and ruin this special day. I met my mother’s gaze in the mirror and returned her smile before voicing another worry.

“Do you think Nik will come?” I’d sent messages all around Aisthanesthai and attempted to dream summon her, though it was hard to pierce the drugged haze of her dreams.

“I’m not sure,” Natalya answered honestly. “She’s been avoiding us for so long. I thought that once she’d gotten over her infatuation with Delgarias, she’d forgive me and come home.”

“She’s in a lot of pain.”

I wanted to point out that nearly every bit of that pain was her fault, since if she’d permitted them to marry, Del never would have abandoned her to seek out the immortality that ended up disgracing him in both Shellandria’s and Nik’s eyes, but I didn’t want to spoil this happy moment, by reminding her of what she already knew.

Especially when I was unable to tell her the things she didn’t know.