Epilogue #2
Her green eyes grew distant, worried. “I don’t know. But he’s more than fae.”
I took her hand. “Let’s not worry about that now. I want to enjoy this fine spring weather with my new wife.” I tugged her closer, our hands still laced.
She went up on her tiptoes, tilting her head back as I bent for a sweet kiss. When I went to coax her mouth open for more, she broke the kiss and pulled me out of the shade of trees, but not toward Vanglosa.
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.” She smiled over her shoulder. I couldn’t fight her when she looked at me like that. So I followed helplessly.
She prattled about the red and purple wildflowers beginning to bloom, and how she wanted to start an herb garden to introduce some of her own recipes alongside Shearah. I smiled and listened, content simply to be in her company, knowing she was mine now.
I tugged her to a stop when we rounded the top of a small hill, Lake Moreen spreading out like a vivid sheet of blue glass, glistening in the sunlight. It was beautiful, and yet, my gut clenched at the sight of it.
Jessamine wrapped both of her arms around one of mine, hugging me close. “I want you to go swimming with me,” she whispered soberly.
Gazing down at her, I shook my head. “I can’t. You know I can’t.”
Her face was serene, her gem-green eyes empathetic. “Yes, my love. You can. You must face this fear and this guilt you carry. Your mother would not want you to bear it. Her pain and grief was her own. It wasn’t yours.”
I swallowed hard and stared out at the lake. It looked tranquil and inviting. Still, my entire soul shrank at the thought of stepping inside it.
“You have given me a home and a new life,” she added in a soft tone, like the wind whirling off the lake. “And you have given me protection. Not just from my past, but from my father.”
I met her gaze.
Her mouth quirked on one side. “Yes. I know that you sent my father a message, to keep me safe.”
I wondered who had told her that I’d sent Bezaliel to deliver Gael’s head in a sack to the noble King of Morodon. My message was simple: Jessamine is no longer your daughter. She is under the protection of Lord Redvyr of the beast fae. If you decide to come looking for her, you will meet your end.
“You don’t think me beastly for it?” I asked her.
“I think you’re wonderful. You are the male I’ve always wanted and needed. Someone who truly loves me.” She tightened her grip on my shoulder. “You gave me a gift I never dreamed to have. Now I want to give something back.”
She looked out at the lake. So did I, not understanding what kind of a gift it would be to swim in the lake that only reminded me of my past misery and tragic childhood.
“Come.” She pressed a kiss to my bare bicep. “Swim with your new wife.”
I let her guide me down the hill to the embankment, unsure and hesitant. But then she backed away, facing me as she unlaced the bodice of her dress, loosening it enough to slide it off her body. She shuffled off her slippers, her pale skin bright under the noonday sun.
Then her magick rippled in the air, her skin glowing white, her syrenskyn markings illuminating in their intricate and beautiful pattern.
“Come in with me, Red,” she teased, backing up slowly toward the lake.
“That’s not fair, witch.”
She laughed, the sound capturing my very soul as she entered the lake, the water rising past her ankles then to her knees.
“You know, there is a tradition in skald fae culture,” she said in that alluring voice she used when we were under the furs of our bed. She stopped when the water reached her thighs, gliding her fingertips back and forth along the surface, creating sinuous ripples.
“What is this tradition?” I asked, my cock hardening and pressing against the leather of my skirt.
“Newly married skald fae couples find a peaceful body of water and make love there. To be honest, skald fae believe they are not officially bonded in marriage until they’ve coupled in water. That is the only way to receive a blessing from our goddess Nemia for a fruitful and prosperous couple.”
“Fruitful?” I asked, arching a brow while unbuckling the belt of my skirt and tossing it aside.
Her gaze wandered southward and my cock hardened more.
I was already barefoot and bare-chested, so I walked to the edge of the lake, staring down at the lapping ripples against the bank.
For a moment, my thoughts flicked back to the day I found my mother’s body in the water, a shiver creeping over me.
“Yes, Redvyr. Fruitful. I want to have lots of little horned babies with you.”
My attention shot up to her. She grinned and held out her hand.
“Come to me, my love. Let’s start a new life together.”
So I waded into the waters of Lake Moreen and made love to my wife. The sensation went beyond the simple pleasure of sex. The ecstasy was a new entity all its own—burning passion, deep love, and a new beginning. It was indeed a gift.
Yes, Jessamine, Lady of Vanglosa, was my mate, my beloved—my heart and my soul. And I couldn’t imagine my world without her.