Epilogue
The Northern borders of England
One month later
Jacob had traveled to a number of beautiful places in the last month. His and River’s lives had become a whirlwind. They were married on a beach in Tahiti then flew—by plane—to New York to sign River with an A&R rep. After that, Jacob whisked her off to L.A. to meet with Everbound while they were touring.
But nothing compared in beauty to the magnificent castle belonging to Marcus and Samantha Aquara up ahead. It looked like something straight out of medieval days. Jacob knew Marcus had put a small chunk of his fortune into the castle. If this was paid for with a small chunk, how much did he have?
Perched on the windswept moors, alone under the charcoal sky, it boasted two round, crenellated keeps between the main building and high, stone battlements. They drove over a sturdy twenty-first century drawbridge and entered the outer bailey, surrounded by a low stone wall. There were gardens throughout the bailey where every kind of summer flower bloomed.
“This is it,” he said, shutting off the ignition to the Mercedes in front of double massive wooded doors with wrought iron fixtures.
“Wait,” Hagan Wray said from the backseat where he sat with Ivy. “What if he remembers me? What if he doesn’t want any witnesses?”
Jacob didn’t know Marcus all that well. Could Mr. Wray’s fears be correct? Maybe Marcus wouldn’t like to be reminded of his days as Drakkon. “Nah. It’s his birthday. He’s like a thousand or something. I’m sure the last thing on his mind is picking fights.”
Garion greeted them at the doors and showed them inside. The interior of the castle was even grander than the outside. Painted walls, wide, paneled windows, and electricity gave it a more modern feel, while paintings of landscapes and skyscapes lined the softly lit halls. Ornately carved banisters led to a second and third floor. Soft music wafted outward from the grand solar, where Garion led them next.
“I love this place,” River echoed his thoughts as they stepped inside.
Tapestries sewn in warm hues hung from walls bathed in the soft ambience of a wood and wrought iron chandelier and a large hearth fire. Large, overstuffed sofas and chairs upholstered in brown leather and teal and gold throws beckoned Jacob to sit.
A woman stood off by the doorway of an adjacent room. Jacob recognized her from the island. Samantha Montgomery, bestselling romance author and life mate of Marrkiya the Aqua. She was a petite woman with beautiful dark eyes and short, pixyish hair. She took a step in his direction, but Helena, coming in from the adjacent room, saw him and hurried past her.
“They have a ballroom!” she uttered, giving her husband a nervous look. “They’re not going to want us to dance, are they?”
“No, it’s for them,” Garion soothed. “They dance.”
Helena cocked her brow. “Alone? In a ballroom?”
“My father likes to do things big.”
“Did you tell them?” Helena asked her husband next, forgetting the ballroom.
“Tell us what?” Jacob asked looking at them both.
No one had time to answer when a man’s voice nearly brought the walls down around them.
“You can’t make it? I haven’t seen you since winter!”
“Ehm…” Hagan Wray swallowed as Marcus stormed into the solar. 6’4” of pure, brawny muscle. “He doesn’t look a thousand years old.” He started to turn around the same way he’d come in, but River and Ivy stopped him.
“You’re not afraid of him, are you?” Garion asked him. “He knows about you. He wants to meet you. Come.”
Hagan didn’t move. Neither did River or her sister. Marcus was a formidable man, especially when he was shouting.
“Ellie?” he spoke into the phone then looked up with such a dark scowl, everyone looking at him took a step back. “She’s not coming. She has to work.”
His wife hurried to his side and his anger dissolved into a sigh.
“Dad,” Garion said, pulling them forward. “Your guests are here.”
Marcus set down his phone and went to them with Samantha under his arm. He greeted Jacob with a warm, tight embrace, a pat on the back, and a soft slap to the cheek. “You should have had your wedding here.”
“I didn’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense, you’re family now, Jake.”
Jacob smiled, feeling like a fool for feeling choked up.
Marcus moved on to River and Ivy next. He stared at River’s eyes and Ivy’s soft blue bob. “I would have known you were both Aqua the instant I saw you.” He shifted his eyes, a deeper shade of cerulean than theirs, to Garion and Jacob and shook his head. “Pitiful that you didn’t know.”
He slipped his cool gaze to River’s father and looked him over until Hagan began to squirm. “I’m told you saw me flying.”
Hagan Wray was pale and Jacob was almost sure he could hear his heart beating as he nodded. “Yes. I did. You were…incredible.”
“Yes,” Marcus agreed. “I was. Come,” he tossed his arm around Hagan’s shoulder. “Tell me about it.”
“So,” Jacob turned to his sister. “What haven’t you told us?”
“I’m pregnant,” she announced, beaming. Her husband looked a bit more worried, but happy.
“But how?” Jacob asked him. “We were both cut.”
Garion shrugged his broad shoulders. “I don’t know, but Helena’s pregnant. River might be, too.”
Jacob was glad. There was nothing more he wanted in the world than his own family. He slipped his gaze to his beautiful wife and smiled with her.
“She’s here,” Garion’s voice broke his thoughts of possibly being a father.
“Dad,” he called out to Marcus. “Come with me outside for a minute.”
The skies were quiet as everyone followed them out. Marcus waited, instinctively looking up. He narrowed his deep aqua eyes on something in the distant clouds. He realized after a moment what it was. A Drakkon. An Aqua.
“Is that…” he asked with pulled breath.
“Ellie,” Garion told him as she flew closer.
There were tears in Marcus’ eyes while he watched his daughter in the sky. “She’s beautiful.”
Jacob agreed, staring into his wife’s eyes. He loved her. He loved being a part of this big family of theirs.
Priceless treasures.