CHAPTER FORTY-NINE Wranth

“It will be well.” I wrap my hands around Naomi’s shoulders. “Do not forget we have a goddess on our side, who has blessed us with many sky gifts. With this new alliance we’ve formed, we’re stronger than ever.”

Then I turn to Aldronn. “I know you need guards, but my place is here with Naomi in Moon Blade Village.”

“We’ll make do,” my cousin says. “There are several youths about to finish guard training.” All orcs learn warrior skills, with most finishing their training at sixteen to pursue other careers as determined by their magic. Those who want to join the king’s guard must complete an extra two years of warrior training and be accepted by a unicorn mount.

“The unicorns will send all of our available youths to meet with them,” Zephyr says. “All who can be matched will be.”

“I will send word to Elmswood Keep for the sergeant to go ahead and take them to the Umbriall Plains,” Aldronn says, then turns to Dravarr. “For now, I will camp here, outside Moon Blade Village, while we figure out what we do next.”

The warlord nods.

I’m glad for it. I only just got Aldronn as a cousin—I’m not ready to part with him yet.

The meeting breaks up, Sheevora launching into the air with a snap of magic as everyone else starts to scatter.

I catch Aldronn by the shoulder as he turns away to start setting up camp. “The Avalon door. I need it for a moment.”

Naomi’s expression brightens. “Tumbletoad!”

“Tumbletoad.” I nod. “You need not go with me. We’ve been lucky so far, but there might be dangers this time.”

“Yeah, that just makes me want to go more.” She grabs hold of my hand. “I can teleport us away from danger, remember?”

My cousin looks amused when I agree. He’s spent years escaping the marital plans of any woman who set their sights on him. Just wait until he finds the one he wants to keep in his furs—we’ll see who laughs then.

The trip to Avalon is effortless. One disorienting step, and we stand in its twilight darkness right beside the ruins of the hunting lodge. Naomi’s grip on my hand tightens, and I know she’s having trouble seeing in the low light.

My tracking magic spools out of me, finding nothing but the brownie. I don’t waste any time, using the old trick of saying his name three times to summon him. “Tumbletoad. Tumbletoad. Tumbletoad.”

“Your majesty!” The small fae appears in the doorway. “You’ve returned and so quickly.”

“My bride is truly a wonder,” I say, pride filling my voice. “She did in only hours what no one has done in three-hundred years.”

“Oh, you.” She swings our hands.

“Do you want me to stop?” Am I embarrassing her?

“Nope!” She pops the p and grins up at me. “I’m pretty awesome. Feel free to tell everyone.”

By the goddess, I want nothing more than to kiss that sunny smile! But we’re here for a reason. Once Tumbletoad gathers his things—the small pack somehow stuffed with every cooking utensil in the kitchen—we take him through the door back to Alarria.

He drops the pack and falls to the ground, his fingers digging into the bright-green moss. Tears streak his face. “I never thought to feel magic like this. And the forest is so alive! It’s like all the old stories.”

“Wait until you see the heart tree cottages,” I say. “Avalon had nothing like them, even before the Dark God.”

As soon as he stands, Naomi reaches out and grips his shoulder. With her other hand in mine, she teleports us straight into the main room of our cottage.

“Oh!” Tumbletoad drops his pack again and races over to the kitchen, running his hands along the counters and cupboards, touching the live wood that’s part of the tree. “Hello, house! I will be your brownie.”

“Think we can leave him to it?” Naomi whispers, leaning into my side.

I meet her eyes. “I think he’ll be busy for a while.”

“We’ve got one more stop.” She takes us back to the cleaning stone clearing, where we left the door crystal to Earth.

I brace my abdominals as if going into battle as we step through the door.

I’m about to meet the parents.

The forest of Earth tingles with a little more magic than the day before. It’s still not enough to be completely comfortable, but it makes me wonder what this realm will feel like once the doors have been open for a while.

“Here we go,” my bride says.

In a blink, we stand in a small room, the smell of parchment heavy in the air. There’s a table topped by a flat rectangle of glass. Instead of being clear, it’s black, and a picture of Naomi holding a book slides across the surface.

“I thought you said Earth doesn’t have magic.” I point to the bespelled device.

“We don’t. That’s a computer.”

I mouth the unfamiliar word.

She picks up some other type of contraption and punches several buttons, then holds it to the side of her head. “Hannah, I just got to the bookstore. Can you come over?”

Her friend’s voice says yes, and I shake my head. Perhaps humans really do have a magic all their own.

“Let me make sure the coast is clear. We probably don’t have any customers, but I want to be sure.” My bride cracks open the closed door and sticks her head out. “Yep. We’re good. Come on.”

Her voice is excited, her eyes dancing with joy as she leads me into the same room I visited on my first trip to Earth, the one filled with books.

A middle-aged couple leaps to their feet as we enter, and I know immediately they’re her parents. The woman looks a great deal like Naomi, her skin a few shades darker, her hair more tightly curled. The man is taller, with pale skin and straight, sandy hair touched with gray.

Naomi runs forward, and they fall into a group hug, her caught on either side by their love.

A pang pierces my heart. I’m so very happy for her. Clearly, her family loves her very much. My moon bound must have had a lovely childhood, full of all the things I never had. And I’m glad, so very, very glad for her sake that she has this.

When they pull apart, Naomi gestures me forward.

“Mom, Dad, I know this is going to be a shock, and I’ll explain, but there’s someone very important I want you to meet.” She places a hand on my arm. “This is Wranth. He’s an orc from Faerie, and all the old stories Nana used to tell are true. Wranth, this is my mother, Rose, and my father, David.”

I tip my head as they murmur uncertain greetings, blinking up at my height in disbelief.

“There’s more,” Naomi says. “Wranth has saved my life multiple times. I love him very much. And… he’s my husband.”

Her father stares, while her mother marches straight up to me, her head tipping back to meet my eyes. She pokes me in the chest. “My daughter says she loves you, but how do you feel about her, Mr. Orc?”

“Naomi is the most brilliant and beautiful woman in all the realms.” I look at my moon bound, meeting her beautiful brown eyes. “I’m the luckiest man alive to have her love. I would give anything for her. She holds all of my heart.”

Her mother purses her lips for a few moments, studying me closely. Then she gives a sharp nod. “You’ll do. Welcome to the family.”

Rose throws her arms around me, and David steps forward, his hand outstretched for a shake. “Welcome.”

Happiness wells in my chest, rising to fill my throat with emotion. My bride has not only gifted me with her love, she’s also brought even more family into my life.

Rose steps back and taps my hand. “Now, son. It’s high time you explained the green.”

Naomi’s happy laugh pulls an answering smile from me.