Chapter 26

Chapter

Twenty-Six

SORSCHA

S quealing, Sorscha ran out of Whitehall, one hand in the air waving a letter. " Gaius !"

Still rubbing sleep from his eyes, Gaius turned from saddling his horse to face her. "What in all the myriad realms are you screeching about this early?"

"Asa is meeting us at Aggie's cottage!" She shrieked and jumped, smacking Gaius on the shoulder with the letter. "He sent the others ahead half a day's ride, and he is headed to the Forest of Tombs."

"That's excellent," Arielle said with a chuckle as she walked up next to them. "Just in time for a wedding."

Sorscha baulked. "Goddess above, I almost forgot!"

She ran off screaming again, this time shouting for Agatha. There was way too much to do, and only a two days' ride to plan it all.

AGATHA

Grimm and Sorscha hadn't spoken of anything but the wedding for two days.

Grimm, she suspected, was only trying to distract her mind. Sorscha, however, was fully immersed for joy's sake alone. She envied her Sister Spring's buoyancy.

At least she was riding Guinevere. Her sweet steed had been sequestered in the castle stables for too long. Nuit, Grimm's horse, had made a bit of a fuss over that. He'd grown to love her and stamped his hooves with gusto when Grimm climbed on his back instead of Agatha.

Gaius urged his horse up next to hers. "What's eating at you?"

She swung her head toward him and he laughed outright at her withering expression. "It would be more beneficial to ask what is not bothering me."

"Fair enough." Gaius patted his horse. "What is not bothering you?"

Agatha didn't feel like answering that, either. "What will you do, when this is all over?"

"Your avoidance is on point today."

"I'm serious, Gaius. Answer me, or you can run along little pony."

Tongue in cheek, Gaius exhaled. "I'll return to Araignée, hopefully with Arielle."

Agatha snorted. "You're an idiot if you think she'd choose to be anywhere else but with you. "

His brown cheeks turned splotchy and he scratched at the back of his neck. "You think so?"

"Do I think you're an idiot? Yes." She smiled at him and he returned it. "Will you explore the possibility that you might be a mage?"

The smile slid off his face. She'd seen him snap at anyone who suggested such a thing, but with her, he only sighed. "Do you think I should?"

Guinevere blew whickered as Agatha shifted in her saddle to better look at Gaius. "I do. A man like you could do a lot of good with magic."

"My mother didn't have much, I likely don't either."

Agatha tucked a strand of hair back into her braid, thinking idly about what a nightmare it would be to untangle it. "You never know. In truth, a small amount of magic—nothing showy, nothing extravagant—but peaceful, small magic… That suits you. Suits the life you wish to lead."

Gaius looked away, up into the treetops. Agatha had to look away, too, blinking against the burn in her eyes.

"Gaius," she finally said tentatively. He turned to face her again, his face open. Safe. "Thank you for being my first friend in all this."

His eyes went glossy, and he pinched at the bridge of his nose. "Dammit, Aggie. You can't make men cry all the time, all right? If it's not with sass or sword it's with sentiment now? Gods, woman."

They both laughed, riding on in companionable silence until Grimm's voice in the bond broke through her thoughts.

Little witch.

Her eyes refocused on the path ahead. Where the trees had been dancing on the edge of Autumn's death kiss, they were now giving way fully to crimson, russet, and ginger. She could feel the spirits of the witches deemed Hollow by the Church's Hallowed. Feel as they swarmed around them, their hanging trees rustling. Their hope building.

Your Forest of Tombs , Grimm whispered.

Agatha exhaled, drawn out and slow, as they pulled their horses to a stop in front of her woodland cottage. The old sable house sat nestled in maple, oak, and sweet gum trees dripping with her Autumnal hues. Her lips curved as she lifted her face to the sky, inhaling the scent of cinnamon and spice. A chill breeze brushed her cheek, celebrating her abyss of vibrant gloom. Mabon flew at her next, chittering and pulling at her hair with his little teeth.

Agatha giggled, snuggling the bat close. "I missed you," she murmured before he flew off, no doubt to find Grimm.

She dropped down from Guinevere's back and immediately knelt before her pumpkins. Not a one had rotted. Peculiar.

Seleste came up behind her as she stood. "I've stopped by a few times," she divulged as if it were a secret. "You always hated rotted pumpkins." Sister Summer knelt to pick up a small one, holding it aloft and Agatha laughed.

"It has bits of gold sparkling in it."

Seleste shrugged. "I don't have Autumnal magic, so a bit of me snuck in there, I think."

Agatha flung her arms around her Sister Summer's neck, inhaling her scent of coconuts and sunflowers. "They're perfect."

" Blech !" Sorscha gagged, stomping over toward them. "There are so many godsdamned pumpkins." She pointed a finger in Agatha's face. "So help me, if you bake something pumpkin and make me eat it?—"

"Oh, hush," Winnie censured, striding over. "Aren't you helping to plan this wedding? Tell me you're not making it what you want."

Grimm approached, running a hand through his hair dishevelled by the wind, a bat nestled on his shoulder. "I've had to rein her in a few times." He kissed Agatha on the cheek. "What's the rule, Sorscha?"

Sister Spring stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes before saying, "No roses," with as much disrespect as she could throw into the words.

"Good. And why?" Grimm prodded, sounding every bit a father, and Seleste grinned.

Throwing her head back, Sorscha put both hands on her hips like a petulant adolescent and heaved a sputtering sigh. " Aggie hates roses ," she recited.

"There. That's not so hard, now is it?" Sorscha glared daggers at Grimm until he held up his hands in mock surrender. "Don't kill me before you see what's in the barn."

Sorscha's face moved from exasperation to confusion to excitement in a dizzying span. With a screech so loud it sent all the birds into flight, she took off at a run for the barn.

"Asa, I presume?" Winnie asked, toying with one of Seleste's braids.

"Indeed," Grimm confirmed, scratching Mabon between the ears. "Laurent sent everyone on ahead, he'll be back shortly. It's just us tonight."

"Agatha Louise Joubert!" Tindle shouted a few moments later, Dulci and Anne trailing behind him as he lugged his bag and kicked leaves out of his way. "If this is not the most stunning venue for a macabre bride such as yourself!"

Augustus trudged up, breathless, with several bags in tow. "Where should I put all these?"

"Dear Augustus," Winnie tutted. "We have magic for these inconveniences." She flicked her wrist and all the bags formed a neat line in the air and floated toward the cottage.

"Ah, well, thank you," he murmured, amazed. "Where are Gaius and Arielle?"

"Here!" Arielle said with a little hop. She and Gaius were headed toward them from the direction of the barn.

Grimm started chuckling, most likely thinking the same thing Agatha was. Their thoughts were confirmed by Gaius' wan face.

"Erm," Arielle said, half-laughing. "Gaius wanted to check on an owl he met while staying here in the Spring."

"Cossette," he muttered, face still blanched.

Arielle tugged at his sleeve and giggled. "I'm afraid he got more than he bargained for."

" Gods , did you see Asa and Sorscha's reunion ?" Winnie said, rolling her eyes and heading for the cottage. "Steer clear of the barn until the animals are done mating."