Chapter 59
AURORA
The night stretches wide and endless above us, a sea of stars glittering against black velvet.
From the rooftop terrace, the world feels still, like even the heavens are holding their breath.
Below, the castle glows faintly with the warm gold of lanterns, their light spilling across the courtyards and gardens.
The cool breeze brushes my skin, carrying the scent of stone and night-blooming flowers. Thalric steps behind me, and slips his arms around my waist, drawing me back against the solid warmth of his chest. My heart flutters as he curls his wings around me, holding me close.
“Tomorrow.” I smile. “We’ll be husband and wife.”
His breath stirs my hair. “Tomorrow,” he echoes quietly, though something in his tone carries a shadow of unease.
“What is it?” I tilt my head back to look up at him. “Is something wrong?”
He hesitates, his hands tightening slightly at my waist. “There’s something you should know before you vow yourself to me,” he says in a low voice.
“There are no records of any Gargoyle and human pairings that Fiora and the others could find. So, there is no record of what might come from such a bond. And I don’t know if we can… have children.”
He swallows hard. “And I want to give you everything, Auri.” Sadness reflects in his eyes. “But that may be beyond what fate allows us.”
For a heartbeat, I just look at him. This fierce, loyal, beautiful man who’s carried me through every danger and shadow, who’s fought monsters for me—and now looks almost afraid of losing me to something beyond his control.
“Thalric,” I turn in his arms to face him. “You’ve already given me everything that matters. Your heart. Your life. Your love. That’s all I’ll ever need.”
He closes his eyes briefly, his jaw flexing as if holding back emotion.
“Fiora says there’s a Dragon in the kingdom of Eryadon,” he says quietly.
“He’s mated to a human and they have a son.
And Ryllen claims to know of a Merman who took a human bride, and she is carrying his child. So perhaps it’s possible.”
“Then if the gods will it, we’ll be blessed. And if not…” I touch his face as I gaze into his eyes. “Then I’ll still count myself the luckiest woman alive. I wouldn’t trade a single moment with you. Not for anything.”
He hugs me close. “I love you, my savryl.”
“I love you too.” I murmur, brushing a kiss to his jaw. “Now, no more brooding, alright?”
A quiet laugh rumbles through him. “You should rest. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
“Are you saying you’re tired of me already?” I joke.
“Never.” His mouth curves in that soft, devastating way that makes my heart stutter. “But you’ll need your strength. There will be the ceremony and the reception... guests. And I will need all my patience not to steal you away before the vows are done.”
I laugh. “Then perhaps you should carry me back before temptation wins.”
He chuckles, scooping me effortlessly into his arms. His wings spread wide, the movement stirring the air around us as he leaps from the terrace.
The wind rushes past, cool and sharp, the world dropping away beneath us. I laugh, clutching at his shoulders, and he glances down with a grin that steals my breath.
“Thalric,” I whisper, lips brushing his ear. “Will our mating flight feel like this?”
For a heartbeat, his wings falter. The air jolts around us before he catches himself, muscles flexing as he regains his rhythm. “Goddess above,” he rasps. “You shouldn’t say things like that while I’m flying.”
I bite back a laugh, tracing a fingertip along his back next to his wing joint. “You’ll have to learn to fly through distractions,” I tease. “Tomorrow will bring plenty of them.”
His jaw tightens, but the smile tugging at his mouth gives him away. “You’re dangerous,” he says, voice rough.
“And you like it.”
He huffs out a quiet laugh, the sound vibrating through his chest as he banks toward my balcony. “That, I do.”
When we land, he doesn’t set me down right away. He holds me close, his forehead resting against mine. “Sleep well, my cherished one,” he murmurs. “Tomorrow, you’ll be my wife.”
I smile, my chest tight with love so fierce it almost hurts. “And you’ll be my home.”