Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The palace in the Seelie Court, where the Spring Queen ruled, was gold and shiny and full of things that Wade itched to take home with him.

Sage leaned across Jono in the row of flower-covered wooden chairs they sat in and tugged at Wade's arm, forcing him to look away from the intricate jeweled headpiece a duine sídhe wore one row up and two seats down. She raised an eyebrow at him. "You are not allowed to pickpocket anything."

Wade lifted both his hands, empty of shiny things, even if Sage didn't know his pockets weren't. "I wasn't!"

"You were thinking about it, and the answer is no."

Wade wisely said nothing to that, tapping his foot against the mossy ground. The wedding wasn't being held in the throne room he'd only seen once before but in a grand living hall whose walls were massive tree trunks, the roof made of high, leafy branches, and a waterfall of flowering vines at the spot up front, where Gerard waited for his bride. He was flanked by Patrick, Keith Pearson, two other former soldiers, and a handful of fae, all of whom were the equivalent of his groomsmen. There'd been a word for it that Wade had heard in the fae's chosen language and which his brain had roughly, if easily, translated into English, but he couldn't remember what it was now.

Everyone past the veil referred to Gerard as Cú Chulainn, but he answered to both names. Their arrival in Underhill that morning had occurred amid a massive celebration leading up to the wedding ceremony, and Gerard had made sure to be the one to greet them when they'd first set foot through the veil. He hadn't changed since the last time Wade had seen him four years ago—still tall, his light brown hair grown out from the military cut he'd once sported, slightly pointed ears peeking through the mass. His silver eyes had been full of laughter when he'd welcomed them, but now those same eyes were staring down the aisle as everyone started to rise.

Jono discreetly elbowed Wade in the side, and he hastily got to his feet, tugging his dark green suit jacket with its gold trim straight. The suit was an elaborate design created by a fae tailor in Manhattan, but he still felt a little underdressed compared to some of the other Tuatha Dé Danann surrounding them. He craned his head around, peering at the other end of the hall, where a line of banners swayed in the soft breeze, music rising into the air among the beautiful, crystalline voices of fae singers.

The music didn't follow familiar beats, some of the sound registering at high notes Wade knew mundane humans wouldn't be able to hear. He dialed down his hearing a bit as a literal parade of fae—winged, hooved, and not—danced their way down the center aisle, tossing flower petals, bits of moss, and sparks of magic into the air where pixies cavorted around. Wade batted away one of the bitey little things when they got too close, to which Jono shot him an aggrieved look.

What? Wade mouthed at him.

Jono didn't respond, and they went back to watching the spectacle that preceded órlaith's grand arrival. As the Summer Lady to the Spring Court and the granddaughter to the current ruler, órlaith was walked down the aisle by the goddess Brigid, the pair a sight to behold amidst the extravagant celebration.

órlaith's long orange-red hair fell down her back in loose curls and a few braids, with flowers woven through it. The elaborate golden crown she wore sparkled with colorful gems, the brilliant diamond in its center something Wade really, really wanted for his hoard. But he never stole from friends and so pined from afar, half wondering if he could find a good substitute in the palace after the ceremony, something no one would miss.

Maybe.

The music tapered off, those in the procession standing aside amidst the crowd as órlaith made it to the front. There was no giving her away, only Brigid having her stand before their people and beside Gerard as she took her spot in front of everyone to give a blessing as only a goddess could.

"May the memories you make and share never be forgotten," Brigid said in her opening speech, power in her words and voice that Wade could sense. It wasn't a spell, merely how the Tuatha Dé Danann prayed, he guessed.

The ceremony itself was an involved thing that took a few hours, tradition twining Gerard and órlaith together in their own sort of legend. Gerard only had eyes for his bride throughout the entire ceremony, and órlaith never looked away once. It was sickeningly sweet, and Wade was happy for them, but he was even happier when it was over and they were married, and the entire party left the living hall for the palace gardens and the endless mounds of food waiting for the guests there.

"Wade—" Jono said.

"Be right back," Wade said before swiftly cutting through the crowd with one goal in mind.

He'd leave the mingling to the rest of the pack. Wade was far more interested in the epic food options on display for the guests to eat. The long tables in the many gardens set aside for the food were piled high with roasted game, grilled vegetables, salads of all sorts, an entire table filled with bread from savory to sweet, another table dedicated to potato dishes of all kinds, and a completely separate garden reserved for all the many desserts on offer.

Wade took a moment to stand there in pure bliss before getting in line and grabbing a thin wooden plate off the stack at one end of the feast table. Apparently, the fae were all about getting your own food on your own time and partying it up in the gardens with all the guests who'd been invited. None of the typical sit down at a fancy table and be restricted by courses trend that always left Wade hungry.

The celebration was supposed to last for a week, but Wade and the pack were definitely not staying that long. So he was going to make the most of the food while he had the chance. That meant making a mini mountain on his plate from just the first table alone. Pleased with his efforts, Wade grabbed a fork and made his way back to the others, shoveling food into his mouth as he went.

Sage was the first one to spot him, a resigned expression crossing her face. "Why am I not surprised?"

"They said it was safe to eat," Wade protested around a mouthful of food.

"Chew with your mouth shut," Patrick said, gently knocking a fist against his shoulder.

Wade eyed Patrick's suit, noticing the shiny jewels sewn into the lapels and cuffs of his jacket and the edge of his vest. The dark green fabric almost matched his eyes, while the gold broach he wore looked more like a medal than an adornment for a wedding. The other three Hellions nearby seemed to have the same sort of jewels on them, while the fae who had stood with Gerard did not.

Patrick caught the direction of his gaze and tapped at the intricate gold brooch. "It's a gift from Gerard to us mundane human groomsmen. No, you can't have it."

Wade stabbed at a piece of meat on his plate that tasted like chicken and bacon roasted together and took a bite. "It's shiny."

Patrick reached out and snagged one of the long slices of bread smeared with something that maybe tasted like onion on it. He shoved it in his mouth before Wade could properly protest. "Oh, that's good."

"This is my plate," Wade grumbled. "Go get your own."

"I think that's a great idea."

Patrick grabbed Jono by the hand and dragged him off toward the nearest garden dishing out food. Keith did a double take from where he stood some yards away before hurrying over. "Where'd Razzle Dazzle go?"

"To get some food before Wade eats it all," Sage said, heading in the same direction.

Wade was left behind, but he didn't mind so much, content to plow his way through his first plate and watch everyone around him enjoy the wedding celebration. Everyone was discussing the nuptials and órlaith's gown and Gerard's formal return and a bunch of other details that had no bearing on him or his pack. Honestly, it sounded boring.

He finished his first plate and wandered into a different garden that was saturated in a floral scent from all the flowers blooming around the next food table he was going to try. Most of the dishes on this one seemed to be full of pots with stews and soups and baskets of thick bread in all kinds of shapes and flavors. Wade spent a good hour sampling every single pot on the table, one small bowl at a time.

He took a break after that, wandering off to watch some of the performers and drink some of the mead on offer at various refreshment stations. It was sweet and thick on his tongue, and he wondered if they'd let him take a bottle or two back home with him. It wasn't as good as Thor's in Chicago, but he'd take what he could get.

By the time he decided he wanted something sweet, the dessert table in a different garden filled with topiary was pretty packed, but there was a spot of space around a dark-haired fae that would give him a perfect opportunity to grab some cake. Wade snagged a plate, sidestepped around some chatting fae who clearly could've caught up somewhere else, and planted himself firmly in front of a platter that held one last slice of something that smelled like it was baked with honey and hazelnut.

Wade slid the last slice onto his plate with his fork and was contemplating something else to go with it when the dark-haired fae made a displeased sound from his left. "That slice was mine."

Wade glanced at the fae, eyes narrowing as he took in the dark purple clothing, silver adornments in the sunset-orange hair, and pale yellow eyes staring at him like he was a bug. He sniffed delicately, getting a whiff of the fae's scent, and wrinkled his nose. "Oh, you're from the Unseelie Court."

The fae looked absolutely affronted at that. "I am not ."

"Sure." Wade reached for the nearest serving spoon and dumped a scoop of what might have been a parfait onto his plate. "I didn't think Gerard had invited any of you."

The fae stepped close enough to be a threat, but Wade knew better than to give ground. He merely raised an eyebrow and reached for a different serving spoon, never breaking eye contact, and scooped another dessert on his plate.

A muscle in the fae's too-beautiful face twitched. "Mortals aren't welcome here."

"I have a fancy invitation that says I am."

He didn't bother telling the fae they were wrong about him being mortal. Technically , dragons weren't immortal, but their long lives made it seem that way to mundane humans who lived only a fraction of the time they did. It was something he was working through with his therapist, the knowledge that he'd outlive his pack and their future generations. But the fae didn't need to know that.

"I believe the mortal came as Lord Cú Chulainn's personal guest, Lord Diarmait," someone said with a surprising hint of a Boston accent to their voice.

Another fae slid around a group of people waiting for their turn at the dessert table but not willing to get in the middle of the argument. Wade couldn't help but take a second and maybe a third look at the newcomer. He smelled a lot like the sea, all salt and ocean when Wade took a breath, but also something else he couldn't really place. He just knew he'd bottle it if he could.

Oh no, he's hot.

Wade just managed not to blurt out that thought, unable to look away from the stupidly handsome fae who came to stand near him. He was dressed as elegantly as everyone else in an outfit of brown and deep blue. He wore a rich-looking fur cape that Wade really wanted to touch and half thought would make a great throw blanket in his apartment.

The fae would also look really good in his apartment.

He had a face that could probably let him walk a New York Fashion Week runway, with enough freckles that Wade wished he could count them. Wade knew it was impolite to stare, but he found he couldn't look away, lungs drowning in an ocean scent he didn't much mind despite being able to breathe fire.

"Riordan." Wade glanced at the first fae, watching his lips curl over teeth that looked a little too sharp to ever be found in a human's mouth. "You would speak up for mortals."

"Nothing wrong with most of them," Riordan replied coolly. Wade silently mouthed the name, liking how it felt on his tongue.

"One hopes he will not stay long."

"Only long enough to eat all your cake," Wade retorted, wrenching his attention away from Riordan.

Lord Diarmait—and wasn't that a stupidly pompous kind of name—who claimed he wasn't part of the Unseelie Court didn't make a scene when he left the line, but the sheer dismissal of Wade's presence was patently rude. If he cared at all, he maybe would feel embarrassed by the fae's actions, but he didn't.

Wade was pretty pleased with himself for snagging the fae's gold bracelet when he'd turned to leave though. He twirled it around his index finger while staring at the newcomer.

Riordan made a strangled sort of sound. "That's not yours."

"It is now," Wade said cheerfully as he pocketed the bracelet. It'd make a great gift for Lillian. "I didn't need the help, but thanks anyway for getting him away from the table. He was blocking the panna cotta."

Riordan glanced at the dish in question. "That isn't panna cotta."

"Oh? Then what is it?" Riordan said something in his language that Wade's brain squeezed out as "Yeah, no, that's panna cotta."

He'd never questioned how he could just understand people who hailed from the supernatural and preternatural communities. Mundane human languages he'd have to learn the old-fashioned way, but if it was spoken by people who originated from beyond the veil or outside human norms, he generally had no issue understanding them.

Sometimes it paid to be a dragon.

Riordan laughed. He had a really nice laugh that Wade kind of wanted to hear over and over again. "I suppose it's pretty similar. I won't stand in your way of it."

He stepped aside, and Wade had the ridiculous urge to reach out and yank him close again. He couldn't ever recall feeling this way outside his pack, and even then, this felt different. "Thanks. What are you having?"

"Not the panna cotta." His tone was teasing, as was the look in his warm brown eyes, making something weird and warm flutter in Wade's chest. "I'll let you go first."

Wade filled up his plate with some more dessert and picked up a goblet of a syrupy-looking drink. He waited for Riordan to fill up his plate before the two of them wandered away from the dessert table.

"Did you come here by yourself?" Wade asked, totally not trying to dig for information. Really.

"Just me," Riordan said. "My clan is back home. What about you?"

"I came with my pack. They're around here somewhere."

Riordan glanced at him. "Do you need to get back to them?"

"Probably," Wade said reluctantly. "You could eat with us if you want?"

His hopes were dashed when Riordan shook his head. "While I came alone, there are some people I need to speak with still."

Wade tried not to let his disappointment show. "Oh. Sucks that you have to work during a party."

"Hopefully, it's worth it." Riordan hesitated a moment before saying, "The celebration will last a while. If you're still around over the next few days, maybe we'll see each other again."

"Maybe." Wade forced a smile. "Nice meeting you anyway."

Wade left to go find his pack before he did anything stupid, like blurt out he thought Riordan was cute or offer the fae his number. He found his pack sitting at a table underneath a tree, some of Patrick's old team huddling with them. Those few were mundane humans, and Wade figured they felt safer with his pack than by themselves, even with Gerard's promise that no harm would come to any of them.

"Did you clean out the dessert table?" Patrick asked as Wade approached.

"No." Wade reached between Patrick and Keith and dropped his plate between theirs. "I'm sitting here."

"Pushy," Keith muttered around his fork, but everyone on the bench scooted one way or the other to make some room.

Wade sat down, pressed elbow to elbow between Patrick and Keith, and then dug into his plate of delicious sweets. He half listened to the conversation around him, content to eat his way through the options he'd picked. Everything was really tasty, and he silently bemoaned the fact he wouldn't be able to find any of it back home. He was scraping his fork over the now-empty plate sometime later when Patrick perked up, causing Wade to look around.

Gerard and órlaith extracted themselves from a knot of guests nearby and made their way to the table, smiles on their faces and looking incandescently happy. Patrick stood, needing to lean against Wade to free himself from the bench, leaving behind his half-eaten plate. Wade watched Patrick approach Gerard before sliding Patrick's plate closer.

"That's not yours, mate," Jono replied idly.

Wade sighed and slid the plate back to Patrick's spot. "Fine."

"I don't know how you're still hungry, considering the amount of food you've eaten," Keith said.

Wade shrugged. Being hungry was a background sensation that he dealt with by snacking. He was still a growing fledgling and would be for the next few centuries, according to Reed. Shifting mass took effort and energy, and Wade preferred his human form rather than his dragon form on a daily basis. His pack kept him fed—it had been one of the first things they'd done for him after he escaped the last fight ring Tezcatlipoca had thrown him into. Wade still remembered how Jono had emptied an entire vending machine at the PCB for him while he waited in that interrogation room, scared out of his mind and refusing to show it.

Wade hadn't believed he was safe at that time and didn't believe it for weeks, even after Tezcatlipoca had been dealt with back then. Eventually, he'd learned that Patrick and Jono had meant it when they'd said they would keep him safe, and Wade would be forever grateful for the kindness they'd shown him over the years. He could look on his fucked-up past before finding his pack with clearer eyes these days. His therapist called it progress. Wade called it growing up. It helped to do it with a family rather than in chains.

"Enjoying the food?" órlaith asked from behind him.

Wade hastily moved his fork away from Patrick's plate. "It's really good."

órlaith reached out to ruffle his hair, and Wade allowed it. He'd liked her ever since their first meeting when they'd rescued her on the Skellig Islands, and she'd been angry rather than scared of her predicament, taking the rescue in stride. "Eat as much as you want. There's plenty to go around."

"Are you sure about that?" Jono drawled. "He could eat you out of house and home. He's done it to us before."

"Hey," Wade protested. "You gave me a credit card for a reason!"

"Yes," Marek said wryly. "I'm thankful I can cover the monthly bill."

Wade picked up something that was a cross between a grape and kumquat and lobbed it at Marek's face. The seer moved to catch it with his mouth, hazel eyes crinkling as he chewed. Wade took the teasing in stride, well used to everyone complaining about how much he ate, even as they shoved food onto his plate and bought him snacks.

"I wish you could stay through to the end of the celebration, but I understand why you all must go," órlaith said.

"Before you leave later, we wanted to give you a token of our appreciation for coming," Gerard said.

Wade perked up at that. "Gifts? Where's mine?"

He leaned away to get out of swatting distance from Jono and ended up almost making Keith fall off the bench. The other man squawked, but Wade grabbed him by the arm and hauled him upright again.

órlaith laughed as she gestured gracefully at several fae who walked toward the table holding ornate wooden chests. "Yes, we have gifts."

Wade wasn't sure if it was normal for fae to hand out gifts at a wedding rather than accept them, but he wasn't going to complain. He itched to find his but politely waited until it had been handed to him. The carved box was small, fitting in the palm of his hand. When he flicked it open, he found a gold ring with a fire opal set in the band. An artisan had carved a delicate design into the opalescent sphere, the runes not anything Wade could read, but he could sense the magic in it all the same. Whatever spell had been laid upon the ring, it wouldn't affect him.

He still took it out of the box and promptly put it on his right middle finger.

"There's a protection spell in the fire opal. It will lend aid to whoever you tell it to, giving them whatever they need in that moment," Gerard said.

"Oh," Wade said, pleased with that, thinking about all the ways it would've come in handy in the fights leading up to the end of the world. If it would help keep his pack safe, then it was both shiny and useful. Which meant he was never taking it off. " Awesome . Will people know it's an artifact?"

"Some very strong magic users may be able to."

Wade narrowed his eyes thoughtfully before adjusting his aura so the intricate barrier that disguised his soul and kept him appearing human to the world at large expanded just enough to incorporate the ring and its magic in his shielding. It felt like shifting mass in a way, the edges of himself smoothing out with the adjustment.

Gerard blinked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Huh. I guess that's one way to hide it."

"It's mine now. I don't want people to try to take it."

Wade peered at the gifts the others got, noticing that jewelry seemed to be a theme, something that no one complained about. Sage got a new pendant, Marek a ring, Jono a bracelet that Gerard promised would adjust when he shifted so he wouldn't lose it, and Patrick received a necklace with a flat medallion stamped with what Wade had a sneaking suspicion was Gerard's family crest or its equivalent. Which probably meant something, though he didn't know what, even if Patrick seemed to.

"Oh, you asshole ," Patrick said, eyes wide as he stared at the medallion.

"I don't let my people go," Gerard said plainly, reaching out to scrub his fingers through Patrick's neatly styled hair to mess it up like any older brother would. "You and the other Hellions will always be part of my story, and that means you're family."

"I told you not to make him cry," Keith said with tears in his own eyes.

Wade knew this was probably some kind of goodbye for the old Mage Corps teammates. Gerard had promised the Cailleach Bheur he'd return home, and that meant leaving the shores of America behind. So Wade left them all to their goodbyes and their hugs in favor of finding some more food.

Eventually, the daylight faded into evening, and someone did a fancy spell that seemingly pulled the stars above down to the land to burn in the air above the garden. Wade wandered through the feast tables, picking at his food, feeling fully satiated for once by the time Sage found him when he was thinking about finding a place to nap.

"We're heading back," she said.

Wade downed the drink in his hand and left the cup in a shrub. "Okay."

As fun and entertaining as the wedding had been, he was looking forward to sleeping in his bed, whether the one at his condo or the rooms he'd long since claimed as his in the other pack apartments.

Sage rounded everyone up with a firmness that always came in handy as dire. They said their goodbyes to Gerard and órlaith, and a pair of fae attendants were tasked with escorting them to the crossroads and beyond. They all stuck close when they crossed the veil, the fog of the empty space disconcerting in a way that made Wade want to stretch his wings. The desire to do so faded once they made it back to Central Park, coming out on the hawthorn path in the center of that urban greenery.

It was noon when they finally returned to the mortal world. Wade pulled his cell phone out of his pocket as Patrick conjured up a mageglobe, the tickle of a look-away ward passing over his skin. Wade let it settle around him and ignored it as he waited for his phone to turn on and connect. When it did, he snorted at the date. "It's June. We lost a week."

"That's about what I expected," Patrick said as they traipsed out of the shrubbery and onto the asphalt path that would take them back to Fifth Avenue.

They were all tired and full of food. Keith and the other Hellraisers said their goodbyes on the sidewalk just beyond the edge of Central Park, insisting they could catch a taxi or rideshare back to their hotel. The rest of them trekked back to the Art Deco mansion that was home and were greeted by a harried Emma, who promptly deposited an irritable Lillian into Sage's arms.

"Oh good, you're back," Emma said. "The Boston god pack has asked for assistance for a problem their dire refuses to talk about over the phone."

Wade groaned, the sound mingling with the rest of the protesting noise his pack made.

There went his nap.