Part 114 (1/2)

”It is not fun being dead,” Lavinia replied, then she smiled a small smile. ”But as I am no longer thus and all is well in my Lunwyn again, I am fine.”

”Are we done?” Valentine asked into this exchange. ”I'm sorely in need of a beverage.”

”I am as well,” Queen Aurora murmured, straightening from her chair. ”Perhaps two of them. I'll call for a servant.”

She moved and thus endeth the debrief.

Cora, followed by Tor, moved Noc's way.

Finnie went to Lavinia.

I got off the arm of the chair, grabbed Apollo's hand, pulled him out of the chair, and I headed us Derrik's way.

He looked only at me as we moved to him. I didn't know what this meant, but things needed to be said now so I decided to ask Apollo later.

For then, I just smiled at Derrik and when I reached him, I let Apollo go, got close and moved in to give Derrik a hug.

His arms closed around me and I felt his jaw at the side of my head.

”That had to suck, hanging with them for so long,” I noted and I heard his chuckle as he gave me a squeeze and leaned a bit away without letting me go.

I tipped my head back to look up at him.

”It was not fun, but I am no longer hanging with them, so I am fine,” he said.

”I'm glad,” I whispered then finished with feeling, ”And thank you.”

”I would do anything for you, Maddie,” he whispered back and I felt my throat close because he'd proved that true.

His arms loosened and I s.h.i.+fted to his side as he looked to Apollo.

”And I would do anything for you,” he declared.

The second he did, Apollo shot a hand out, curled it around the side of Derrik's neck and yanked him forward so they were nose-to-nose, eye-to-eye.

”My grat.i.tude, my brother,” Apollo stated and I swallowed as my nose started to tingle.

They both looked into each other's eyes for some time and I waited, watching and deep breathing.

Apollo finally let his friend go and I moved in quickly.

”Okay, I hate to interrupt the reunion,” I started, giving Derrik an I-hope-you-understand grin then looking up to Apollo. ”But I really want to see the kids.”

”Then I will take you to them,” Apollo replied immediately.

”And Meeta and Loretta,” I added.

”I will find them for you as well.”

”And then I have seriously got to eat,” I finished.

He grinned down at me.

Then he bent to me and touched his mouth to mine.

After that, as was his way, Apollo did not delay in getting me everything I wanted.

A week later, I stood in an antechamber of the Dwelling of the G.o.ds, staring at the glittering bundle of delicate branches Finnie just shoved into my hands.

”Before you go in there and partic.i.p.ate in the longest, the most boring wedding ceremony of all time...something borrowed,” she said. ”I carried that when I married Frey.” She grinned. ”Of course I had no clue who he was at the time, but it ended okay.”

Yes. One could certainly say it ended okay.

I grinned back at her.

She moved away as Circe moved in.

”Something old,” she said, grabbing my hand, lifting it palm up and pressing a golden feather there.

It looked like it came from the kicka.s.s headband of feathers she had wrapped around her forehead and mingling in her hair.

”It's from my first crown,” she told me and my eyes went back to her. ”I ripped it up when I got angry at Lahn and took myself back to my world.” She closed my hand around the feather. ”He kept the pieces. Some of them are in the one I'm wearing now. Some of them are in a pouch he carries with him every day. He kept them even when the odds were against him in getting me back and winning me back.” She tipped her head to the side. ”So I figure, they represent hope. And, seriously, there isn't a day filled with more hope than a wedding day.”

I could totally believe Lahn carried Circe's feathers with him every day but not in hopes of anything. That man wanted her back, he was going to find a way.

And he did.

Still, it was a total honor having one.

”Thank you,” I whispered, lifting my other hand to curl it around hers.

She gave me a smile, squeezed my hands and moved away.

I tucked the feather into the sleeve of my glove as Cora moved in.

”Something new,” she said, lifting my hand and leaving it suspended as she fastened on my wrist a bracelet made of delicate platinum links on which dangled tiny platinum charms she showed me by twisting it around my wrist.

As they came into view, the skin at my wrist began to tingle because I knew what each one meant.

The fang of a wolf. Apollo. A bow and arrow. Christophe. A tiny doll. elan. And a miniature rattle. Our yet to arrive girl.

Cora curled her fingers around mine and I looked from the bracelet to her.

”You can add to that as life brings you bounty,” she said.

”Thank you,” I replied yet again, my voice husky.

She grinned at me.