“I want to stay here with Emily,” he whined.
“Don’t you miss your mother and father?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, but I’ll miss you and Gregor, too.”
“We will think of you often, lad.” Gregor ruffled the boy’s hair the way Emily had a tendency to do.
“Okay,” Tevin said. “I’ll come back to visit Lach and hunt the orange dragon when I’m older. Tell Lach I said goodbye.”
The faerie and the little boy stepped through the gate and vanished.
Emily leaned into Gregor’s chest and kissed him hard on the mouth. His ardent response was a promise for their future together.
* * *
After the MacLachlan party buried the dead, mounted the horses, and rode homeward, Munn reappeared outside thecave. Marcail was where he suspected she’d be—inspecting the long-forgotten gateway to the nether Caitrina had exposed.
Munn’s hands fisted at his sides and he glared at the pixie. “The queen will be displeased to learn you have meddled in the love affair of one of her favored Highlanders.”
“Turned out for the best,” Marcail said. “Besides, helping fated lovers find their way to each other works well for Caitrina. She is betrothed to Dugaid. The handsomePrince of Darkness.”
The leader of the pixie clan exhaled a long, audible sigh.
Munn rolled his eyes. “You dinnae ken of what you speak.”
Marcail shrugged a delicate shoulder and flitted away as if without a care. As her flowery fae scent faded, a softtee teehee heewhispered on the breeze.
Munn shook his head. One should never anger the Queen of the Fae. The foolish pixie remained unaware or uncaring of Oonagh’s predilection for vengeance. ’Twas a hazardous place to be.
EPILOGUE
One year later
Castle Lachlan
Gregor hurried through the courtyard and into the keep, taking the stairs to the great hall two at a time. While hunting today, he’d made a decision he wanted to share with his wife. He crossed the hall and headed for the back circular stair to the upper floors, expecting Emily to be in the ladies’ solar.
Lady Isobell stopped him before he placed a foot on the first step. “I have a missive for you from Emily.”
Her unnerving smile set him on edge. “Where is she?”
“Have nae fear all will be explained.” The woman held out the note.
Why would he be presented with a missive if Emily was within the keep? After all this time had passed, had she decided to return to her future place? Without him? He accepted the note with an unsteady hand and quickly broke the seal.
The missive invited him to join Emily at the hunting lodge.
He raised a questioning gaze to Lady Isobell.
She shrugged a shoulder and strolled away to join herhusband and son near the hearth.
Gregor remained still for a moment, his mind whirring.Ah! The she-devil. A smile curved his lips, and he jumped into action, reversing his previous steps.
Anticipation chased him as he galloped across the large meadow, the stallion responsive to his eagerness. He reined the animal into the woodland trail and after making slower progress, arrived at the hunting lodge. Emily’s mare contentedly munched from a bag of oats in the wattle and daub hut.
Gregor unsaddled his horse, set him to feed, and rubbed him down, while attempting to calm the frantic racing of his own heart.
He called out before opening the cottage door, wanting to reassure Emily he approached and not an intruder. She’d become quite proficient with her knives, and he preferred she not use the blades on him.
