Epilogue

EPILOGUE

WREN

I t takes two weeks for the dwarves and Caelan to locate the dragon sapphire vein. It turns out to be in one of the Ever Forest caves, and Caelan returns home to me covered in bramble scratches and dirt, a smug smile on his face and a cart loaded with raw sapphire, ready to be cut.

"Are you going to release me from my binding?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I laugh. "And risk you leaving my bed?"

His expression turns stricken, and I immediately regret the flippant joke.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I love you, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

He freezes, his fangs the only thing moving in his moment of preternatural stillness, elongating.

Slowly, he beams at me, taking my hands in his. "Say it again."

"I'm sorry," I blurt, on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you?—"

"Not that part, my love."

Realization dawns. "Oh," I breathe.

"Oh," he agrees.

A slow smile spreads across my face and I take a few running steps towards him, leaping into his arms.

"I love you," I repeat, marveling at it.

He beams at me, peppering my mouth with gentle kisses. "I know."

I scoff in disbelief. "That's not what you're supposed to say."

"I know you love me because you're mine, and I love you with every fiber of my being," he says, raising his brows. "Is that more like it?"

"Better, but I have some feedback for you."

"Oh?" he manages, laughing.

"Yeah, I think it would be more meaningful if you said it from between my legs."

"You little minx." He throws back his head, shaking with laughter. "You have work to do, golden Wren. Far be it from me to get in the way."

I pout as he sets me back down and grabs one of the wood crates out of the cart.

"I didn't break a sweat locating this and putting up with the surliest, rudest, most profane group of dwarves that ever burdened the earth just so you could skive off."

"Skive off?!"

"You heard me. You wanted the sapphires so badly you were willing to bind me to you, so now you get to show me what you can do with them. If you're a good little witch, maybe I'll reward you."

I sniff, trying to pretend like I'm not melting into a puddle from his lascivious promises.

"By the way," he says, carrying the heavy crate into the back door of my shop like it weighs nothing at all. "The Duchess is staying at the inn when she's here next week."

"Oh, I'm so proud of you!" I screech, clapping my hands together.

Of course, that sets Fenn off, and he starts his demonic scream as Caelan grunts, setting the crate down next to my work bench.

"Where else would she stay?" Caelan wipes his hands against each other. "The inn is the nicest place in town."

I nudge him with my shoulder, excited to work on the dragon sapphires despite my raging libido. You'd think getting knotted near nightly would dampen it a bit, but you'd be wrong.

Very wrong.

Three nights later, I have the first of the dragon sapphire gems cut, the last wax molded ring I made for it currently cooling, filled with rose gold and ready to be set.

The dragon sapphire's a deep teal, a bicolor beauty, and it took all my skill to cut a starburst design into the back of it.

It catches the light as it moves, sparkling, and I take a deep breath, ready to start chanting the incantation that will cause the wearer's speech to be twice as charming, or, if I'm lucky, four times as charming.

The starburst design on the back isn't just pretty. The additional cuts increase the surface area of the stone, giving the enchantment more room to permeate.

That is, in theory. It's the first time I've done such a thing, and a frisson of anxiety passes through me.

Four hours later, the stone is enchanted and my voice is completely hoarse, the sun rising through the front windows of the store.

A sound like a bell tinkling pulls me out of my magic-fueled stupor and I swivel around, expecting to see Caelan at the door.

Preferably holding a highly caffeinated beverage.

"Oh," I say, surprised. "It's you."

The brownie that's been keeping things under control at my house and store the last few weeks sits on top of a shelf, watching me with interested eyes.

"Not just my friend." The most beautiful voice I've ever heard sings through the air and I bolt upright, the sapphire forgotten in my hand.

A stunning fae woman stands in the middle of my store, graceful iridescent dragonfly wings at her back. Dark skin fades to a lovely pink at her wrists and ankles, and bells around both tinkle as she moves. Her hair falls in waves around her hips, her face so otherworldly perfect, splashed with silvery freckles, that I can hardly breathe, so overwhelmed that it brings tears to my eyes.

"Introducing Her Majesty, Queen of the Seelie fae," the brownie trills.

"You can call me Luna," the Queen says, waving a hand, a pink eyebrow quirked. "I'm not as formal as my sister under the hill."

I bow, then curtsy, getting caught somewhere in between as she laughs at me.

My nose scrunches up. "I've never met a queen before."

"Child, I don't stand on ceremony, no matter what our friend here thinks I should do." She tilts her head at the brownie, who's washing their head like a cat might.

"I've heard so much about you." She smiles, and it's like standing in the sunlight after a storm. "And I see I have not been misled." She glances down at the stone in my hand.

"Oh." Great. I've lost my ability to speak clearly. Maybe three all-nighters in a row wasn't the best idea.

"I would like to purchase that ring from you. In fact, I would like to offer you a job as a member of my court… at Wild Oak Woods, of course. We need you here, now more than ever."

I blink, unsure what she means by that.

"I would also like to commission a tiara. The thing about being queen is that I do get to have some fun, after all."

"A tiara," I repeat.

"Yes. Woven gold, dragon sapphires, protection spells."

"I can do that," I force out. "Protection against what?"

She gives me a cool look. "Against what's coming."

Right. Communication skills and the fae, apparently, are not acquainted.

"There," she points at my jeweler's bench.

Confused, I follow her gaze, and then my eyes widen.

A scroll, declaring me the chosen jeweler of the Seelie fae, along with an open box, gilded and gorgeous all on its own, full of coins. Enough to see me through the next two years.

"I trust that will be enough for a down-payment to start work?"

"Ah." I swallow hard. "Yes. Yes, it will."

"When can you finish the tiara by?"

I consider it, thinking of all the orders I don't have to get done because I don't have very many, thanks to the guild's rejection…

I have the blessing of the Seelie Queen.

My jaw drops as that sinks in.

I don't need the guild, not with this.

Tears begin to fill my eyes, gratitude nearly overwhelming.

"Don't cry, child. This is your destiny, and it might not be as easy as you imagine. I need the tiara by the winter solstice. Will that work for you?"

"Yes," I say immediately. "Thank you."

She smiles brightly at me, so lovely it hurts. In the blink of an eye she's gone, and my brownie too, leaving me alone with more money than I've ever seen in my life and a seal of approval that will, in fact, completely change my fate.

I only have one thought as I stare at it.

I can't wait to tell Caelan.