Elowin pulled back, and I opened my eyes to see an entire kaleidoscope of brilliant butterflies bursting into life around us.
“Hello again,” said Prince Aldian that evening as he joined us at the dining table inside The Three Cats. “Birdoswyn, was it?”
“Sparrow,” I said, flushing faintly.
Aldian took a seat across from Elowin and me and smiled as he saw our joined hands resting on the table. “Looks like everything worked out, then.”
“It did,” Elowin said. He smiled too and squeezed my hand. “How was your day?”
Instead of answering with words, Aldian unbuttoned his tunic and peeled the fabric open. My jaw dropped as I sawthe gold and silver tattoo that shimmered on his chest. It was a dragon, and whatever charm made it shimmer also made it move. It saw me looking and turned its head and winked.
“That’s amazing!” I exclaimed.
Aldian grinned. “Isn’t it?” He closed his tunic again, tucking the dragon away. “I can probably get you a good deal from the artist if you’re interested.”
“Oh, no,” I said automatically, and then thought for a moment. “That is… can they do birds as well?”
“You’ll end up covered in them,” Elowin said, but there was no note of disapproval in his tone. “You couldn’t possibly pick a favorite bird.”
I leaned against him. “Could you?”
“Sparrows,” he said without hesitation and warmth bloomed in my chest. “But I might not get a bird. I might get a butterfly.”
Prince Aldian raised his eyebrows. “Why a butterfly?”
“Because of this.” Elowin leaned over and kissed me, and there was a soft breeze as several butterflies danced around us before dissolving.
“Oh, that’s marvelous! Is this the magic you were trying to show me earlier?” Aldian tilted his head. “Of course it only works with Elowin. It must be sympathetic.”
“Do you mean it feels sorry for me?” I asked.
Aldian laughed. “No, sympathetic in the magical sense. It means that the magic is created where a bond exists, like between two objects, or in your case, I suppose, two elves.”
I chewed my lip while I pondered his words. “So it’s not my magic after all?”
“I think it’s probably a shared magic,” Aldian said. “Which explains why nothing happened when you kissed me.”
I gazed at Elowin in wonder, contemplating the idea that what we had—what weshared—was so special it made magic come to life. Elowin gazed back at me, his mouth curved intoa gentle smile I thought I would never tire of seeing. Then I realized the prince was still watching us.
I flushed. “I should have known my magic wasn’t very impressive on its own.”
“Oh, the slight warming thing?” Aldian asked and sucked a breath through his teeth. “I suppose it must have its uses?”
“Don’t say that about your magic.” Elowin nudged me with his shoulder and then said to his cousin, “It does have its uses. It saved us from getting a chill when we bathed in the stream, didn’t it?”
“And it’s very handy when the strawberries in the garden are slow to ripen,” I added.
“Do you enjoy gardening?” Elowin asked me, his face lighting up.
“You’ve tasted my mother’s cheese. I’m committed to growing decent food,” I said with a rueful smile. “And yes, I like it a lot. I like growing things, and I like seeing what birds and animals come to see what’s happening.”
“No wonder your magic is sympathetic,” Prince Aldian said. “You really are a matched pair, aren’t you?”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness?”
The prince waved a hand. “Well, that’s what Elowin does. He wants to be… I can’t think of the word, but he’s far too interested in breeding high-yield potatoes and talking about different types of beans, aren’t you, Elowin?”
“It’s an agriculturist, Aldian,” Elowin said, rolling his eyes. He said to me, “I’m a student at the university in Emberleigh.”
