“It’s beautiful.” I watched as a dragonfly hovered nearby, its wings catching the golden sunlight filtering through the trees. “But what are we doing here?”
Ryker nodded past the pool, and for the first time, I noticed the arch, overflowing with flowers, tucked against the rocks onthe other side. A man I vaguely recognized stood beneath it, his white and gold vestment blending in with the scenery. To the side, Callum, Riordan, Malesh, and Melania waited, their bright smiles and eager waves making me both elated and suspicious at once.
“What’s going on?” I asked, as I turned to face Ryker.
He was down on one knee, a ring clutched between his fingers. A twisted band of black metal hugged an iridescent sapphire, shot through with vines of silver.
It was brutal but beautiful, just like him.
“Temptress, I chose you the moment I saw you. And while I don’t deserve you, I’m too selfish to let you go. Now, I’m asking you to choose me too.”
“But we’re already married,” I blurted, and I heard the others chuckle from across the pool.
“I want to do it the right way this time.” His gaze shifted behind me. “With the right people.”
I glanced over my shoulder, and my heart stopped beating. Callum and Riordan had stepped to the side, and between them stood my aunt and uncle.
A sob worked its way up my throat. “Mama,” I cried. “Papa.”
Tears filled their eyes as they smiled back at me, and I resisted the urge to fling myself across the pool to get to them.
Instead, I peered down at Ryker. “Yes. Today, and every day that follows, yes.”
Ryker stood from the ground, lifting me into his arms as he kissed me hard.
“That’s a relief, because the High Priest wasn’t happy about having to marry us again.”
Laughter spilled from me, and Ryker grinned. “Let’s get married,” he said.
“Let’s.”
Epilogue
Ryker
Four months later…
My heart hammered against my chest as I raced up the stairs towards my chambers. Nausea roiled in my gut, and I screeched to a halt as I doubled over.
A second later, I heard Riordan’s footsteps falter, and I peered over my shoulder to see he had fared no better. Clutching his stomach, he leaned over the banister and retched violently.
Shocked gasps and cries of disgust rose from below, and I thanked the gods that it hadn’t been me.
“Sorry,” he mumbled as he straightened, wiping his mouth with the his hand.
I didn’t wait for him to recover as I sprinted up the last few steps and rounded the corner to my chambers. As I crossed the threshold, Cadence lifted her head to glare at me. She was on her hands and knees, hovering over a bowl filled with something I wasn’t volunteering to examine.
“You,” she snarled, and I retreated a step. “You did this to me.”
Riordan slammed into my back, propelling me farther into the room, and I raised my palms in submission.
“I hate you, Ryker. Do you know that? I fucking hate you!”
Another wave of agony racked her slight frame, and she groaned, breathing through the worst of it. I took her moment of distraction to slip in behind her, rubbing soothing circles over her lower back as my own screamed in pain.
“Holy fuck! Gods. What is this?” Riordan said through gritted teeth as he leaned over his knees. His breath came in ragged, gasping pants as Callum chastised him for making too much noise. “You don’t know what it’s like, Killer. Why isn’t she using her power? Where the hell are the healers?”
“She doesn’t want anyone else present for the birth, and her magic is unreliable right now. She wants the baby to be born in a calm environment, so do whatever you have to do to pull yourself together, but do it quietly.”
