Chapter 40 #2
“It is. And I can tell you that although Wolfe can be a controlling asshole at times, he's different with you around.”
My pulse quickened with curiosity. “Is he?”
“Yes. He's very different. All Fae male have that stubborn, demanding, abrasive personality, but they're different with the women they like.” She gave me an endearing smile. “Wolfe may never tell you this, but I strongly believe he would have liked to meet you under different circumstances.”
A thrill raced through me that I couldn't suppress. “That would have been nice.”
Thunder rumbled overhead, silencing our conversation. We looked up in unison as fireworks bloomed across the sky. Waves of molten gold chased spirals of deep purple with colors so vivid the air shimmered with residual magic after each explosion.
“Gods, that's beautiful,” I marveled, my eyes firmly locked on each pulsing ripple that crackled ahead of us.
“It's the last Phantom Moon festival. We call it the Luminar.
It's the last night when you can fully see the moon's eclipse. Everyone goes to the Silvermere Hills to make wishes and bid for good fortune. After tonight, the moon will start to fade as it passes through the celestial belt. By next week, it will be gone, and so will all celebration.”
I smiled. “There's so much to celebrate here.”
“I'd take you, but I have an errand to run with Bastian in the outlands.”
I focused on her with a wide grin, deciding it was her turn to be grilled. “Is this a real errand or a date?”
She snapped her gaze back to me and blushed. “No. Not an errand per se. Or a date.” She feigned innocence. “It might be me pretending I need help with something and him acting like he doesn't know I'm lying so I can spend time with him.”
“Oh, I see.” I stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate.
“It's complicated,” she eventually said.
“Why is that?”
“I think he finds it difficult to be with me because he's three hundred years old and has known me since I was five. Meanwhile, my little five-year-old heart loved him from the moment I first saw him.”
My heart warmed with her declaration. “That sounds like you should be with him.”
“I'd love nothing more. But Bastian is... Bastian. Remember what I said about Fae males? Stubborn. He'll watch me from afar and protect me with his life, but he'll never admit to having any feelings for me.”
“Is age really that big a deal for him? Or... any of them?” Wolfe was three hundred years old, too. What would he want with me? At twenty years old, I must have seemed like a baby to him.
Her smile grew as she realized what I was thinking. “No. They don't generally tend to have problems with age. Especially when it comes to being with mages—or half mages—who are blessed with long life anyway.”
“I suppose that makes a lot of sense for mages.” I bit the inside of my lip, grateful for the assurance.
“It does. And look at them. The Fae get to look like they're in their twenties for close to a thousand years.”
We shared a secret smile, one that didn't need words to explain how much we'd thought about the age thing.
“What are you going to do?” I asked, eager to hear her plans.
“Um...” She pretended to think and even tapped the side of her head. “Wear a dress he can't take his eyes off to the celebration next week, then kiss him in front of everyone.”
I gasped and giggled. “No way. You'd be that brave?”
“I'm done waiting, Elariya. At this rate, I'll be an old maid before he does anything. I have a bucket list, and kissing him before the summer equinox is number one on the list.”
“Then go for it.” Listen to me speak. I sounded as if I had so much experience with men. I didn't, but I knew what felt right.
“I can't wait to see the look on his face.”
We giggled as if neither of us had a care in the world. The laughter danced between us until it faded slowly, leaving the quiet again and a sacred stillness that invited things unspoken to rise to the surface.
“Thank you for today, Arielle,” I said softly. “I had such a great time. I'm so glad we got to spend the day together.”
Arielle's expression turned gentle. “So am I.”
“I think I needed today,” I murmured. “More than I realized.”
“I know,” Arielle said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “And it's just the beginning. I know we have a lot to deal with and the next new moon is upon us, but just know that you have people here who care about you, too.”
I nodded, believing her. “Thank you. That means so much to me.”
She grinned and picked up a radiant blue candle. “We should each burn this tonight. It's for patience and forbearance. We'll need it for our Fae men.”
We laughed again and continued admiring our candle collection.
The rest of the journey passed in a blur of soft conversation and shared wonder. In no time at all, the elk were skipping across the sea and we were back at Vyrenth Hollow.
Night had fallen on our way, turning the sky into an endless canvas of deep indigo with clusters of silver stars splashed across it.
When the carriage pulled to a stop, Garrick appeared and opened the door for us.
“You two look happy.” He observed us with a gentle smirk. “I'm guessing you had a great day.”
“The best ever,” Arielle replied as we stepped out.
“With no excessive drinking,” I added, alluding to yesterday.
Garrick chuckled. “That's good to hear. I felt guilty for setting you on that path to destruction.”
“It wasn't your fault. Mine entirely.”
“At least it was funny for the most part.”
As the three of us walked up the path to the wide stone steps, Arielle started telling Garrick about the exciting things we did with our day.
More fireworks glittered in the distance, illuminating the sky in a shower of diamonds, then each sparkle transformed into a constellation of brightly colored flowers.
I stopped to look at it, and the others slowed, too.
“It's so beautiful,” I said to them. “I've never seen fireworks like these.”
“The night is just beginning.” Garrick grinned. “I could take you to the festival if you're not too tired.”
“I will take her,” a deep voice answered across from us, and Wolfe stepped out of the darkness as if he'd been carved from it. His dark hair caught the faint starlight, and his eyes held that familiar intensity that made my breath catch.
His piercing eyes found mine immediately, and the world felt like it was spinning away from me.
He walked toward us, and I glimpsed Arielle smiling and nodding at me, silently telling me to go with him.
“Of course, that's if you're not tired.” Wolfe studied my face, his bright blue gaze trapping mine.
“I'm not tired.” I couldn't get the words out fast enough.
When the corners of his mouth curved into that dangerous smile, I felt myself drowning in him all over again.