CHAPTER TWENTY
We reached the island later that evening without incident.
Soaring above for the very first time, I could appreciate it from an entirely different vantage point.
The rippling lake, the tall trees, the radiance of the violet flame sparkling in my now lit lampposts, the thatched roof of my cottage—home.
As we touched down, Corvin stumbled a bit—not because of the dark, but because he’d been awake for far too long.
He needed to rest. His hair was windswept again, which somehow made him look even more handsome, despite the exhaustion clouding his face.
Dancing our cares away for hours on end probably hadn’t been a wise choice, but now that it was dusk, I could still confidently say I didn’t regret a moment of the time we’d spent together at the dawn of the day, swaying in each other’s arms. Didn’t regret the extra coin it cost to purchase a private room at the local inn, just to get a few hours’ sleep before departing again.
Didn’t regret whatever was starting to develop between us.
I just hoped he felt the same. We walked side by side up to the cottage door, the now full moon shining brightly overhead.
The fuller the moon, the more brightly my moonstone necklace gleamed in the dark.
I reached for the door handle—
“Elvira, look! The Green Man’s vines!” Corvin exclaimed.
I withdrew my hand from the door, following the direction of his gaze.
As I watched, several milky-white trumpet-shaped flowers started to slowly unfurl along the dark-green vines which clung to the cottage walls.
Starting as a tight bud, the flowers gracefully blossomed, exposing their petals to the moonlight.
I peered closer, trying to identify the plant, now that it had revealed its final clue.
Hidden within the trumpet of the flower, I made a startling discovery—a moonstone attached to the flower’s long, inner pistil.
It shimmered with a beautiful pearly sheen, borne from the moon’s rays, deciding to take solid form.
“Do you recognize the bloom?” I asked since it wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen before in my garden.
“I think it’s some variation on a moonflower. They only bloom at night.”
I smiled to myself, thinking about how the Green Man had known exactly which seeds I needed most. I suspected I would be able to extract the moonstone growing inside—use them to start repopulating the realm’s supply.
Perhaps even take some clippings of the vine, transplant them across the five kingdoms in prominent locations, so they could be found once more.
I would have to visit the Spring Court again sometime, to find the kind Fae, and properly thank him for his generosity.
“They’re beautiful, don’t you think?” I said, sticking my nose close to one of the flowers, inhaling its strong perfume, a sweet scent, vaguely reminiscent of vanilla or…
honeysuckle, maybe? I took another pleasant whiff of the flower.
“They’re not the most beautiful thing out here tonight,” Corvin said reverently, and when I turned, I saw he was staring at me.
He took a step closer to me, and I struggled to draw air into my lungs.
Leisurely, he reached past my shoulder, plucking one of the flowers from the vine.
He twirled it in his hand as we stood now inches apart from one another.
He stared down at me with heart-stopping intensity.
“Moonflower. That should be one of your titles. It’s a name that suits you.
Strength and beauty appearing, even in dark times.
Providing a light for the people around you.
Stunningly beautiful—practically glowing under the moonlight.
” Taking the flower, Corvin gently tucked it behind my ear, lightly brushing back my hair as he did so.
A small touch that only served to amplify the warm feeling surging through me.
“I didn’t think when I started to fulfill my father’s debts that it would lead to this,” he continued.
“To sleepless nights and near-death experiences?” I asked, doing my best to level out my breathing.
Corvin stepped closer still. “To you,” he said, his gaze coming to rest upon my lips, lingering there.
I felt then, if I tilted my head back, he would kiss me.
My first kiss ever. My heart fluttered in nervous anticipation.
A small, cautious part of me whispered that it was ill-advised to kiss someone who refused to tell you who they were.
I looked at Corvin’s soft lips, unconsciously wetting mine, my body already in tune with my decision, even if my mind needed a moment to catch up.
Because didn’t we all have secrets? Private thoughts?
Solitary adventures? Hidden desires? Could you ever really know somebody, anyway?
Maybe what mattered, what really mattered, was who they showed themselves to be instead.
And Corvin had proven himself to be a friend.
And a partner. And a confidant. My heart ached painfully at the prospect that soon, we might even be more.
I tilted my head back, rising up on my toes, drawing our faces close.
Corvin’s hand found my cheek—mine, his chest. Softly, so softly, our lips brushed in a tender exchange.
Tender at first. Until a hungry desperation took hold, both of us pressing forward, eager for more, our bodies seeking one another.
Until I didn’t care who he was, only that he kept his mouth on mine.
That our kissing didn’t stop. Eager to taste him, like when we’d passed that feather, I slipped my tongue inside his mouth, hesitantly at first, then more forcefully as he opened his mouth, deepening our kiss, a groan forming low in his throat.
A loud crashing sound drew us apart.
“How are you, Little Moon?” Nix asked, emerging shortly afterward from the shadows.
I blinked dumbly, the power of speech temporarily evading me as I pulled my attention away from Corvin to focus on my new friend’s words.
“You should have come and found me as soon as you arrived home. I’ve been worrying over you.
No way of knowing whether you were alive or dead out there. ”
I crouched down to his level. “Sorry, Nix. I’m not exactly used to anyone waiting on my return.
Thanks for caring. I missed you while I was away.
How have you been? I’m very grateful to have made it back.
” I looked him over in a thorough inspection.
He looked healthy, which pleased me. Like he’d put on a few more pounds even, becoming a solidly medium-sized cat now.
His chastisement was mild, but even then, I found I didn’t mind so much.
I had an obligation to him now. Something about that was… comforting.
He had been waiting for me to return. And his first question, whether he’d admit it or not, had been about my well-being.
I was eager to tell him I fulfilled my first bargain.
“Eterna is free from her prison; I held up my end of the bargain. Well, we did.” I glanced sideways at Corvin.
“I couldn’t have done it without Corvin; he was a huge help.
So not a total success I guess, since I’m supposed to be able to take care of these things all on my own. ”
“That’s not completely—” Nix began to speak.
Corvin furrowed his brow. “Are you sure you’re meant to? Do it all by yourself?” he said at the same moment as my feline companion.
I nodded vehemently. “These bargains are my responsibility.”
He pursed his lips slightly but said, “I’m glad I was there to help out then. But I also believe, if I hadn’t been, you would have found a way to free Eterna all on your own. Don’t discount yourself, Elvira.” I thought I saw Nix shoot Corvin an approving look.
I looked gratefully at Corvin, the passionate kiss we’d just shared still fresh in my mind.
“Were there any visitors while I was away?” I asked Nix.
“No, the island was quiet. No midnight visitors while you were gone.”
“That’s good,” I said, a wide yawn cutting off the rest of my words. Corvin yawned too, which reminded me how tired he must be after going so long without sleep. “I’m sure there’ll be time to catch up more tomorrow. In the meantime, I think everyone is in desperate need of some quality sleep.”
Corvin looked uncertain. “Do you mind if I stay here tonight? I can shift, but I never sleep quite as well.”
Nix licked a paw. “I believe the garden shed is available.”
I snorted with an exasperated shake of my head. “He’ll be sleeping inside, Nix.”
“In whose room?” he asked.
“Mine,” I said, a rosy hue spreading across my cheeks.
“I’ll sleep on the floor.” Why was I explaining myself to an overprotective cat?
I could sleep in Kaylin’s old room, but I wasn’t ready yet to claim the space for myself.
I wanted to preserve some part of her presence in the cottage.
Some reminder that she had been an important part of my life.
I walked into the cottage, guiding Corvin to my room.
Would he try and kiss me again before bed?
The thought sent butterflies soaring through my stomach.
To my annoyance, Nix followed us into the room, jumping up onto the bed, while I prepared myself a place to sleep on the floor.
He didn’t leave until Corvin was fully tucked into my small bed.