29. Epilogue - Theo

Epilogue - Theo

Six Months Later

Once, many moons ago—but not too many—a boy was born. A fae boy who was gifted with the remarkable burden of knowledge. Others considered it a gift, but they did not know, did not consider the strain such power would place on a small child. How it would isolate him. Other him .

This boy, alone in the world, neglected by his parents, navigated theories, ideas, and situations beyond his years. No matter how dark or harrowing or vast, he delved in wherever his gift pushed him. His gifts, as they were, separated him from those his own age and the adults with whom he studied and later worked.

Desperate to prove himself worthy, he persevered; despite the continual rejection of his unloving parents, judgemental social peers, and jealous colleagues, he worked diligently. Alone.

Until, one day, another boy took notice of him. But that boy was not good of heart and hurt him. Used him for his love. He took and took until there was almost nothing left.

And then, our boy genius received an opportunity. A moment to prove that he had grown, to delve further into life's mysteries. He seized the offer, but, again, all was not what it had seemed. Danger lurked behind the golden chance, and the boy's life was nearly lost.

Indeed, he did lose much—he lost his powers, his gifts, leaving him but a shell, unknowing of who he was without the responsibility he had been saddled with.

But he was rescued.

His brother, who had loved him throughout, gathered his friends and searched the deep dark woods to find the boy. After a daring rescue, they were freed. But the boy was lost.

Until another boy saw him. A man. A man whose steadfast spirit cared for the boy, even while he was broken. A man who loved him and laughed with him and gave him a new opportunity to grow. To become the man the boy was destined to be without the weight of his gift. The man saw the truth of the boy, the good and the bad, and loved him wholly.

And that man, that glorious man, with his dark eyes and horns and wicked smile, is the man I am mating today.

That is, if my friends ever get themselves together to get this show on the road.

"Seldon, you do remember that I am the one getting mated today, right? Not you? Could you move ?" I shove at my friend who is standing in front of the singular full-length mirror in the house, primping. He does look amazing in his soft green satin suit embroidered with a riot of pastel flowers, but I still need to get ready.

Roan is back in his old place, getting ready with the help of Mauvy and Caelan. Who are, you know, actual help. I have Seldon and Tor competing for mirror space. Edith is at least floating back and forth between us, dabbing at her eyes with a lace hanky under her black veil every so often.

Seff is out in the Woods near the Falls, doing all the heavy lifting necessary to get things set up for the ceremony. And assisting in whatever secret plans are being enacted on the front lawns of the Black Stump. The ones that had seen Roan and I barred from passing the front door for the past two days. We hadn't even been able to leave the doors open yesterday, even though it had been a beautiful spring day.

"What are you talking about? You're all ready to go." Seldon waves me off, leaving the mirror at last to recline on my bed and inspect his nails. He's right, though, I've been ready for the past two hours—I was too excited, and we all got ready early.

Now we have to wait. It's torture.

It's only been six months since Roan and I moved in together, but it feels like we've been waiting an eternity. First, we wanted to wait till I'd recovered from everything with Darius, and then everything had happened in autumn with Seff. Before we knew it, winter was rolling around and we decided to hold off until the spring full moon.

The wait has been excruciating.

We could have done it like Caelan and Tor, alone in the Woods, but there is part of me that wants the traditional mating ceremony. And Roan wants whatever makes me happiest.

"You nervous?" Tor asks as he slides up next to me, as perfectly gorgeous as ever, his iridescent skin shining just a little brighter with his happiness. Before I can respond, he wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me in for a quick selfie.

"Uh, no. Why would I be nervous? That's not going on your page, is it?"

Tor laughs brightly and moves away to get a solo shot of his beautiful pearlescent suit, complete with a cape for added drama. I think he'd been a little envious of the mages and their cloaks on their last visit.

Giving up on his mini photo shoot, he comes to stand behind me in the mirror. We look absolutely nothing alike—I more closely resemble Seldon than I do Tor. I always felt like an awkward child compared to his six-foot frame and perfect face. But not anymore.

"Because you're being mated , you dork." He shakes my shoulders playfully, with a little laugh, and I can't stop my embarrassing giggle. I'm just too happy today to rein it in.

"Pfft." I blow a raspberry at my brother and turn so I'm facing him and Seldon. "I'm excited, sure, but nervous? There's nothing to be nervous about. So long as, at the end of the day, Roan is my mate, I don't really care about the rest."

"So, that's why we're having the big old circus for the event, right?" Seldon gestures broadly, eyeing our outfits specifically. Because I wasn't left out of the drama. Oh, no.

My cream suit has been tailored to perfection. And the best part? The cutout back with intricately embroidered lace to show my bare skin underneath. I'm grateful to have my gifts back because there is no way I'm hiking all the way to the Whisper Falls in this get up without a little glamour and protection.

Rolling my eyes at Seldon, I pass out the glasses of champagne on the dresser and take the remaining one for myself. "We're having the ‘big old circus' because, after everything that's happened in the past year, we figured we deserve something special."

"Cheers to that." Tor raises his glass, and Seldon follows, murmuring his agreement. Not that he was ever opposed to the ‘big circus.' He helped me plan most of it. Tor cocks his head to the side and looks at me, a cheeky glint in his eye. "So, just mates, is it? Not bonded mates ?" He winks then, buffing his nails on his suit.

"Oh fuck off. You and Caelan got lucky." I shove my brother, making Seldon chuckle. And even though he stumbles, not a drop of his champagne spills. Fucking luck. "The Woods just knew that if it didn't give you two a power boost, you wouldn't have been able to defeat Marieth and save me. The Protector of the Woods ." I add a little flair to my words, but I actually spill my drink.

Tor's indignant huff only makes Seldon laugh harder on the bed. There is a knock on the front door—hopefully, the knock we've all been waiting for: Seff telling us it's showtime.

"I'll get it." Seldon slides from the bed with his usual dancer-like grace. He pauses at the door, thinking for a moment. "You know, it's not a done deal yet. You guys could still end up bonded mates. Rafe was telling me about it… apparently, it's not as uncommon as we thought it was."

And then he disappears, thundering down the stairs in his boots.

"Do you think.…" Tor asks, trailing off, bumping his elbow into my shoulder.

"Honestly, trying not to think about it. Now that I know it's a real possibility, it feels like I'll be disappointed if I think too hard and it doesn't happen." It's the only thing that has really niggled at me the whole time we were planning the mating ceremony.

We won't know until tonight, anyway. Bonded mate rituals are a little more… natural than traditional mating ceremonies. To be fair, though, everything I'd learned about it, I'd really learnt against my will, because it basically meant acknowledging my brother and Caelan getting freaky in the Woods.

There are more footsteps up the stairs, and Seldon bursts back into the room. "Look who came to say hello!" Since it obviously hadn't been Seff, I'd half expected it to be Edith, but no, it's Roan's parents.

I've grown close to Dirk and Lydia over the past few months. At first, I'd just gone with Roan when he visited them on his trips to Twin Heads, but recently, I've been going on my own, too, when I've been in town to see Dr Brordieu. I even drive there on my own now, since Roan taught me how.

"My Gods, look at you boys! Theo, you look beautiful!" Lydia cries as she hustles into the room, just as solidly built as her son, though her horns are a little less pronounced than his, just little nubs. She pulls me into a tight hug, dancing us both side to side. "Oh, I know I should have waited, but I needed to see you and see how you are. Seff is just getting cleaned up over at Roan's. The guests are being sent out to the Falls now. Because I was coming over anyway, I've been told to tell you to wait thirty minutes and head on over. Except Roan's leaving in twenty, so I recommend waiting forty just to make sure the path's all clear."

I blink a few times, processing the influx of information. There is a crinkle in Lydia's eye from her smile that is so much like her son's. Over her shoulder, I spy Dirk waiting in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his hands in his pockets. As lovely as Lydia is, and I do genuinely love her, Roan definitely gets his calm demeanour from his father.

"Right. I think I have it." I eventually nod, hoping someone else caught at least part of those instructions.

"That means I'm going to have to leave now, too." Tor says, drawing my attention. He looks conflicted, wringing his hands.

I know he wants to walk with me, but considering he's conducting the mating ceremony, he needs to be there before me to get everything all set up. Lydia releases me from her embrace so I can go give him a squeeze. "Go, I'll be fine. Promise. I can't wait to see you up there."

He squeezes me back, and there are a thousand unsaid words in the hug. I love you. Thank you. I'm grateful to have you. I'm sorry .

I know that sorry is in there, and I squeeze back twice as hard for it, fighting back the tears threatening my eye makeup. We haven't really acknowledged that our parents aren't here. Even though we were never close to them in any sense of the word, the hole left by who they should have been is still there.

Since everything that happened with Darius, I've spoken to our father twice. Once for him to tell us that he has put Tor and I back in the will, and a second time when we called him to tell him to take us back out.

Mother, on the other hand, has called a few times. It's extremely delicate, whatever is beginning with the three of us, but it's something. She even sent a gift for the mating ceremony. An extravagantly large bouquet of flowers and two items from our family's heirloom treasury. A diamond choker I'd let Tor have and a rather delicate, matching diamond coronet I still need to get Seldon to arrange neatly in my hair.

"Well, darling, why don't you walk with us and you can tell me all about your picture-thing on the internet." Lydia effortlessly scoops up Tor, and Dirk silently hands him a tissue to dab at his watering eyes, and they are off.

"You ready for this? Really?" Seldon tops off my champagne from where I left it and I take it gratefully. The giddy blend of emotions is almost too much. I'm liable to cause a thunderstorm the way I'm going.

"Absolutely." I drain my glass and grab the velvet box holding the coronet from inside the wardrobe.

"Now crown me, and let's do this thing."

***

I stumble when I reach the clearing at the end of the paths to the Falls. Not because the walk was especially arduous; the Woods has been rather accommodating, making the walk short and relatively painless.

No, I stumble because I cannot believe this is my Falls. Our Falls.

The creatures of the Woods line the edges of the Woods, my nabras herd keeping careful watch over the proceedings. Leading the way to the gathering of our friends—our family—is a path of white flower petals.

And at the end? I'd expected Seff to construct something simple—a wooden arbour, perhaps with flowers and a podium for the ritual. But no, the man had pulled out all the stops.

An archway, made of the most incredible stained glass, frames the view of the falls. In front of the arch is my brother, tears leaking from his eyes behind the stone altar.

And Roan. My lungs lock when I finally allow myself to look at him, the entire world falling away except for us. Gods, he looks incredible. Everyone dressed in their most flamboyant outfits and Roan wasn't about to be left out of the fun.

His black shirt is unbuttoned low, and his matching suit is tailored to mould to his thick muscles, with gorgeous golden embroidery on the shoulders just for the drama.

I can feel his gaze on me, but I cannot bring myself to look him in the face just yet. I am going to sob like a baby the moment that I do, and I just want a moment to soak it all in before I drown in it entirely.

My arms begin to tingle, the emotion and the power fizzing together dangerously, and so I tip my head up to the sky, inhaling deeply. Breathe in. Hold. Release.

And again.

I commit this absolutely perfect moment to my mind. Then I meet Roan's eyes from across the clearing, and let myself fall.

I'm not even aware of my steps as I make my way up the petal path to Roan, completely transfixed by him. I come to a stop in front of him, and the closeness instantly rights my off-kilter world.

"Hi." He chokes out the greeting through a tear—filled smile. I don't know what to do with my hands, and for half a second, I regret not having a bouquet like Edith suggested, but then I notice his hands squeezing tightly in front of him. For some reason, the small display of anxiety makes me laugh.

"Hey, Boss Daddy."

He chuckles to himself, shaking his head at my ridiculousness. "You ready to do this thing?" There is still a rough edge of emotion to his voice as he tips his head towards Tor. Thankfully my brother is fussing with the ceremonial items on the altar to give us the illusion of privacy.

"Absolutely," I agree, and we turn as one, shoulder to shoulder, to face Tor. He sees us standing at attention and straightens, clearing his throat.

"It's time to begin," he announces, raising his hands high, the glowing green of his magic shining in the dappled light of the glass.

The candles flicker on the altar, the incense pungent in the air as he begins the rights. I can feel it as he guides us through the ritual that will bind me to Roan forever and him to me. Tor speaks the words of magic as we raise our hands and, with the silver boline, Tor slices a small cut into our palms. We place them together, palm to palm, while he wraps our hands in white ribbon, and I can feel our spirits knitting together with each pass of the fabric.

"It's time to declare your vows." Tor intones, and I have to try very hard to not giggle at how serious he is. Our hands are still tied, as they will be for the remainder of the night until we can sneak away to consummate the union , and we turn to each other. We agreed for Roan to go first because I'm always happy to follow wherever he leads, and so I take a steadying breath to brace myself for his vow.

His slate eyes dance over my face, a soft smile crinkling the corner of his eyes while he composes himself. "Theo," he begins, his voice so tender my knees almost collapse from underneath me. I don't think I can get through this without embarrassing myself entirely. "Before I met you, I thought my life was full. Complete. The road I was on was set in stone. And then you came along, and I knew that every step on that path led me to you." He takes a shuddering breath, squeezing my hands in his.

"You are my sun. Without you, my world has no light, no warmth. You are the spark that lights the joy in my life. I promise to show you every day how much I love you. There is nothing that we cannot face so long as you are by my side. My days begin and end with you. Theo Hivercouer, I am yours. In body and in spirit, I give myself to you."

A thread winds its way between us. I can feel it in my solar plexus, just below my chest. Roan's mouth drops open on a sharp intake of breath when he feels it, too. The first thread of our bond.

Through the tears streaming down my face, I beam up at him, my golden glow lighting him up.

"Roan." A little sob escapes with the word, sending a ripple of laughter through the crowd, making me laugh, too. It takes a moment to compose myself, my tears too close to the surface. I take a few breaths, my heart skipping giddily. "Phew, okay. I can do this." I shake myself off, our hands still joined between us.

" Roan ." I start again. "If I am the sun, you are the moon, lighting my way in the darkest moments. I never knew anything could feel like this. My greatest achievement will be the life we build here together; my legacy is our love. I could live a thousand lifetimes, go on a thousand adventures, make a thousand new discoveries, and not a single thing would compare to even the simplest moments I get to share with you. It is everything I ever wanted and never dared to dream of. Roan Henrikson, I am yours. In body and in spirit, I give myself to you."

My last words are a muddled warble, but the magic still takes, that connection in my chest pulsating and growing, joining us together for life.

Tor is speaking again. Well, trying to. He's sobbing like a baby. But I can't focus on what he's saying, too enchanted by Roan's face as he smiles down at me like I'm his entire world. Mine . The word rolls around my head as we stare at each other, completely consumed by our love.

"For the love of the Gods, kiss already!" Edith's shriek breaks through the spell. Laughter once again rings through the Falls, along with the shrieks, squawks, and caws of the creatures watching like sentinels as Roan snatches me up, bending me back over his unrestrained arm, and captures my lips in his.

While our friends hoot and holler, Roan's mouth meets mine in a teasingly chaste way that only makes me need more. My free hand raises to thread through his hair, tugging on his horn to encourage him to deepen the kiss. But my plans are thwarted when our friends swarm us, Roan only having just enough time to pull me up straight and brace before the impact of everyone—Edith, Caelan, Mauvy, Seff, Rafe, Tor, and his parents—slams into us.

From under the crush, I look up at Roan, my face aching from my smile, and he winks. And I know that everything is going to be okay.

The End

***