“So far.” I reached out, tickled Henry’s toes. “How’s this little one?”
“Growing like a weed. Sleeping like a”—Irina winced—“newborn.”
“I’m happy to come watch him for a few hours during the day so you can get a nap,” I said. “I had a lot of training in pediatrics back in New—back on the mainland.”
“That would be amazing,” Irina said. “But I’m sure you’re busy, so I can’t take time away from you right now to hold a fussy baby.”
“Ah, there’s nothing better than newborn snuggles. It’s the best medicine.”
“In that case, tomorrow at ten?” Irina gave me a teasing wink. “Enjoy the night, you two.”
“See?” Silas said as we continued on. “You know people. Everyone who gives you a chance loves you. You help people.”
“It is nice to be liked,” I admitted. “It’s much better than being hated.”
Silas gave a laugh. “It’s hard not to like you. The people who don’t just haven’t given you a chance. Come on, it’s almost time for the wish ceremony.”
Dusk was well and truly underway by this point. Stars were peeking out above us, and the moon cast a beautiful bright glowdown on the village. Throngs of people started to gather at the edge of the river. Side by side, the islanders took up a good length of the riverbank stretching between the Lower Bridge and the formerly-standing Upper Bridge.
The wish vials each began to glow. They gave off glimmering light that radiated outward, making the surface of the water sparkle like it was alive. Each person had a different-colored vial, like maybe the vial reflected the individual’s wish.
As the islanders stood side by side on the edge of the rocky bank, a tall, willowy woman who I recognized to be Elle—the closest thing to a Fae descendent on this island, until me—stepped to the edge of the water. Her hair caught the moonlight as she raised her hands.
“Tonight, we gather to release our darkness and welcome light,” Elle announced, her voice ringing clear across the water. “Tonight, we honor hope. You may now make your wish, and then release it.”
As my mind flicked through wish after wish, I glanced down the line of people standing beside me, and I watched their faces. I saw a mix of hope, uncertainty, and sorrow. An eclectic mix of individuals, all different species and backgrounds and beliefs, coming together to wish for a better future—individually and collectively. Anticipation trembled between us.
I still hadn’t decided on my wish. The weight of choosing something worthy felt enormous. What does a newly discovered Fae Queen wish for when her entire world has changed in the blink of an eye?
Silas leaned close, his breath warm against my ear. “You good?”
“Not yet,” I said. “But I’ll figure it out.”
As if on cue, a hush fell over the crowd. At some unseen signal, the islanders began kneeling before the water. As each person made their wish, they uncorked their vial and poured themagic inside the vial into the island’s central river. Magic snaked into the water, slithering through the darkness like enchanted creatures.
The entire river sparked as if it had been set alight with fireworks. As I made my own wish, I knelt, releasing mine, seeing a stream of pale, sunny yellow rushing from my vial. It sparkled as it burst into the water, joining the hundreds of other wishes being set free tonight.
I felt Silas’s hand on my lower back as I straightened. His wish was a royal blue. I didn’t ask what he wished for, and he didn’t ask my wish either. As the islanders stood and watched the glowing, flowing river, there was a lightness in my chest. As I glanced up and down the riverbank, I saw the same lightness reflected on other faces too.
“It’s a really beautiful ceremony.” I rested my head on Silas’s shoulder. “So much hope.”
“It is a fantastic sight.”
“Everyone coming together like this,” I said. “Not just the wishes themselves, which are definitely one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.” I looked up, staring into my mate’s eyes as fireworks and moonlight filled his gaze. “This island is something special.”
“Yeah,” Silas whispered. “Yeah, it really is.”
We stood there for a long moment. I wondered if I’d ever truly feel a part of this. Like I’d earned my place here, beside everyone else who made this unique culture what it was.
“You already belong,” Silas murmured. “The rest will come.”
The ceremony concluded with soft music filling the air. People began to disperse, some heading toward the food stalls giving off heavenly smells of fried dough, others heading for refills on the honeyed mead that was so fizzily intoxicating.
“Hungry?” Silas asked. “Or if you’ve had enough for the night, I can take you home.”
But I stood there, frozen against Silas’s side, feeling a prickling sensation down my back. It wasn’t anything downright terrifying, just an annoyance, like I’d put on an itchy sweater that just didn’t fit right.
I moved restlessly against Silas. “I just need a minute.”
