Three Months Later

Aisha ran her hands down her hips, smoothing the ivory silk one more time. She was afraid to sit in case her dress wrinkled. Today had dawned bright, clear, and cold. According to her tarot spreads, it was the most auspicious day for her wedding to Liam. Anticipation made her heart beat faster. The mate bond was one thing, but she’d always dreamed of being married. Never mind it was a silly human custom.

She longed for Liam’s presence, but he was nowhere to be seen. Victoria and Charlotte had chased him away the previous night with firm instructions he couldn’t return until right before the ceremony. Dragon possessiveness had shaded his green eyes to a smoldering amber she recognized from their lovemaking, but he’d nodded pleasantly and driven away.

Probably back to the miner’s cabin—and his hoard. When he’d shown it to her, she’d been fascinated by the piles of gold, antique silver, and gemstones tucked deep in an old mineshaft. They were keeping both her ranch and his cabin—at least for now. Someday, they might move away from Stillwater, but not anytime soon.

She had her horses. He had his guide business. But most importantly, they had each other.

The ranch house was decked out with candles. Flowers were too hard to come by this time of year, so she’d substituted fragrant herbs, pine boughs, and holly berries. Making peace with Victoria had taken weeks. If her grannie hadn’t been immersed in dealing with the Heart’s Desire spell fallout, it might have taken far longer.

Hector’s freedom had diverted her too. While Charlotte had whooped, cheered, and muttered, “Good riddance,” at hearing Hector was free, Victoria was horrified.

It had taken both her and Liam to convince Victoria you couldn’t hold someone against their will with magic, unless you wanted them to resent you forever. Victoria’s only argument had been they’d always done it this way, but even she understood history wasn’t sufficient reason to maintain a practice that had lost its effectiveness.

Spreading her arms, Aisha spun in a circle, inhaling the rich scents of pine, sage, and rosemary. She’d sent the other Colewrights to town ostensibly for last minute items, but more to get away from her mother’s and grannie’s constant bitching and bickering. One of the sideline consequences of the Heart’s Desire spell was it blew the lid off the secrecy shrouding magic from humans—and magic wielders from one another.

She chuckled. Witches, shifters, mages, Fae, and everyone else with magic had finally crawled out from under their “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Because humans knew about magic, both her mother and grandmother had been able to pop back up.

No one said much of anything about them being dead. As might be expected, some humans fared better knowing about the supernatural world than others. A few remained in deep denial, but no one challenged them. It was a big revelation to wrap your mind around.

Change would take time. Maybe as much as a generation but kicking the closet door open was a critical step. All the skeletons had fallen out. It wasn’t surprising some were still rattling louder than others.

Whinnies blasted her from the barn. The horses knew today was special, and they wanted to share her joy. Aisha glanced at her pristine gown. It wouldn’t look nearly as lovely covered in horse slobber, so she grabbed a full-length cloak from the hall tree and draped it around her shoulders, fastening it down the front. She traded her shoes for boots.

Strands of hair tickled her face, and she tucked them behind her ears, careful not to disturb the elaborate braids her mother had worked on for over an hour earlier in the day. After a final inspection to reassure herself everything was perfect, and her work was done, she walked out into the yard. All the puddles had a thin sheet of ice over them. The temperature hadn’t cracked freezing for weeks.

Her herd sensed she was moving toward them; the horsey sounds escalated. Aisha let herself into the barn and grabbed the treat bag from the ancient refrigerator. She chatted with her charges as she handed out apples and pears. Butch head butted her, and she scratched between his ears. He leaned into her touch.

Liam had taken to riding the stallion, and Butch adored him. “That’s what you needed.” Aisha kept on scratching. “A man to bond with.”

The horse snorted his agreement and filched another chunk of pear with his squared-off teeth.

“How about it?” She tossed the question out to everybody. “Want to go outside?”

Excited neighs almost deafened her. The horses all had their winter coats and were thick and shaggy. They loved rolling in snow almost as much as dogs did. She slid the barn’s back door open, allowing access to a large corral. The horses charged through, milling around the yard. She broke open a hay bale and scattered it in the feed tough. Their drinking tub had a small heating element to keep the water from freezing, and she checked to make certain it was working.

Satisfied she’d done all she could for her charges, she backtracked. Before she made it to the house, a blast of familiar magic closed from above her. Aisha stared, certain she’d been mistaken, but the strawberry-haired changeling flew toward her, wings beating so fast they were a blur.

“Hector?” The name stuck in her craw, and she cleared her throat.

The sprite pushed hair away from its face with both chubby hands. “That’s who I was,” it announced, “but my real name is Mariana.”

“You’re female?”

“State the obvious, why don’t you?” The changeling was only a few feet away.

“Sorry. It was a stupid comment, but you surprised me. I didn’t expect I’d ever see you again.”

The changeling landed on her shoulder. “What’s broken can’t be put back together. I’m safe enough.”

“Well, um, it’s nice to see you.” Aisha tried for polite. Today was her wedding day, and she refused to hold grudges or wish anyone ill. After all, none of Mariana’s imprisonment had been her fault.

“Ha! Now there’s a prime piece of bullshit. No love lost between the two of us, missy, but I always liked you.”

“Good to know.” Aisha ducked into the house after a particularly vicious blast of wind rustled through the tight weave of her cloak.

Mariana jumped down, softening her landing with extended wings, and turned in a circle, inspecting the ranch house. “Didn’t change much, I see. Where is that wonderful man?” Her voice took on reverential tones.

“He’ll arrive soon. We’re getting married.”

Mariana clasped her hands together. “I know. It’s why I’m here. I heard about it in town. You know,” she hurried on, “that love spell that went tits up was such a blessing. Not that people don’t look twice at me, but some of them chalk me off as someone who didn’t grow quite right. Others, they kind of look the other way, but I’m free.

“Free to do what I want. Free of you Colewrights. I—”

Aisha started to laugh as she divested herself of her cloak and hung it back on its hook. “I liked you better as a cat. You weren’t nearly as chatty.” She levered off her outdoor boots.

The changeling bristled, drawing herself up to her full two-foot height. “Never say that.” She stamped her foot. “Never. You have no idea how I suffered. I hated being a cat. Hated it. And it went on forever.” Pain and desolation laced through her words.

Aisha crouched low and opened her arms. Mariana barreled into them, and Aisha held her close, no longer worried about her dress in the face of the changeling’s palpable anguish. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I had no idea. If I’d known, I’d have searched for a spell to free you myself.”

“Wouldn’t have worked,” Mariana snuffled. “Your magic was bound up with mine. It would have hurt you to free me.”

The door swung open, and Liam strode through, pushing it shut behind him. Resplendent in pure-white hunting leathers blazoned with runes symbolic of his dragon shifter power, he was stunning. Knee-high buff-colored boots laced up his calves.

Mariana let go of Aisha and raced to him, winding her arms around his legs. “I wondered if we’d see you again,” he said as he lifted her until she rode on his shoulders.

“You freed me.” The same reverence and wonder she’d displayed earlier wove through her words. “How could I not offer wedding blessings?”

“Thank you, little one.” Liam’s tone was serious.

She bobbed her head. “Welcome. I don’t miss being a cat, but I miss living here. It was cozy.”

“You can visit anytime you want,” Aisha told her. “And if you wanted to move back in, we’d find a spot for you.”

“Really?” The changeling brightened.

“Truly,” Liam reassured her and strode to Aisha’s side. “How’s my bride?”

She let her gaze rove over him, drinking him in. His tawny hair had been drawn into a queue that rode low on the base of his neck, and his green eyes sparkled with merriment. With his hair drawn back from his face, the clean, spare lines of forehead, cheeks, and chin made him Greek-god gorgeous.

“I’m fine,” she informed him. “And about this close”—she held her thumb and index finger about an inch apart—“to dragging you upstairs and making our guests wait.”

“A woman after my own heart.” He wrapped his arms around her. Mariana bent forward, hugging her too, and Aisha remembered the cat’s decidedly voyeuristic side.

“My grandmother will be back soon—” Aisha began about the time the door Liam had just shut flew open.

Mariana skinned her lips back from her teeth and hissed.

“None of that.” Aisha leveled her gaze at the changeling. “Not on my wedding day.”

Charlotte dragged several bags inside. “Everything under control, dear?” she inquired brightly, but her smile slid into a frown when she saw Liam. “What are you doing here? It’s bad luck to see your bride before the ceremony.”

“I just got here.” Soothing magic underscored Liam’s words. “I thought Aisha might need some help. Besides, everyone will begin arriving soon, and they’re my guests too.”

Seemingly mollified, her mother began unpacking bags and setting food items out on serving plates.

Victoria trudged inside, similarly burdened, and kicked the door shut. A good thing since the temperature inside was dropping fast. She dropped the bags and straightened, staring right at Mariana. “You have a lot of nerve.” She shook a finger at the sprite.

“Ha. Pot. Kettle,” Mariana shot back. “Who imprisoned whom, huh? Witch.”

“Now, look here. Both of you.” Aisha stepped between them. “This is my wedding day. I will not have any heated words beneath my roof. Got it?”

“She started it,” Mariana said sullenly.

“I don’t care who started it. Any animosity ends now.” Aisha dropped a hand on Victoria’s shoulder.

The older woman shrugged her hand off and bent to the sacks she’d dragged inside, removing items and arranging them in logical order on the laden tables lining the room. It was as close to acquiescence as Aisha was likely to get, but at least Victoria wasn’t baiting the changeling anymore.

Liam set Mariana down. “What can I do?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Aisha told him. “Wait for our guests. And the local preacher who was skittish as a colt when he agreed to marry us.”

Liam shrugged. “To him, I suppose we’re still manifestations of evil.”

“What do we do if he doesn’t show up?” Worry beat a path through her. If she was going to spin a coercion spell, she should have had it in place long before now. Those types of enchantments needed time to simmer.

“I’ll marry you,” Victoria said.

Aisha waited for her grandmother to add it was against her better judgement, that Aisha shouldn’t be marrying at all, but if she had to tread that path, it should be handfasting with another witch. But Victoria didn’t launch into the litany she’d delivered so many times, Aisha knew it by heart.

Liam’s head snapped up. “Son of a bitch.”

“What?” Aisha, her mother, and grandmother all asked in unison.

“Dragon shifters are on their way, lots of them if the feel of their magic is any indication.” He broke into a broad smile. “I invited my kinsmen, never dreaming any of them would leave Xara.”

Aisha wove an arm around his waist. “I’m happy for you.”

“Be happy for us. They’ll bless our mating bond—and our union.” He took a measured breath. “I can’t recall when any of my kin left Xara, willingly, that is.”

Aisha sent magic spiraling outward. Now that she knew what to look for, the faint thrum of power she associated with Liam pricked her. She also heard the distant roar of automobiles.

Everyone would be here soon.

Her mother folded the paper grocery bags, stashed them under the sink, and shrugged out of her coat. Victoria removed hers too.

Aisha moved to where her kinswomen stood and wrapped her arms around them both. “I do love you. You’ve always wanted the best for me, and I appreciate everything you’ve done, even if I didn’t agree at the time.”

“Really?” Charlotte’s hazel eyes developed a suspicious sheen. “Even though I never told you about Hector and the land-spell?”

“Really,” Aisha reassured her. “If you’d been able to find a way, you’d have told me.”

“Pfft.” Victoria waved a dismissive hand but stopped before her other lecture about their strain weakening emerged.

Liam trotted to the door and pulled it open. Buck-naked men and women strode inside, chattering excitedly in Gaelic. They hugged Liam, kissing both his cheeks. He beckoned to her, and Aisha hurried to his side, greeting his kin. Mariana fluttered from one dragon shifter to the next. All of them embraced her and made much of her, clearly delighted by her faery presence.

“I love it that you’re here for Liam,” she told the dragons. “Our other guests will be here very soon. Is there, um, any way you might cast a glamor, and uh…?”

“Och, aye,” a tall, silver-haired dragon shifter said. “Humans will be here, and you want us clothed.” He snapped two fingers, and magnificent garb from straight out of the eighteenth century materialized, draping him in velvet and brocade.

Aisha guessed that was when he’d left Earth for Xara.

The other dragon shifters picked up on his cue, amid the rustle of fabric, about the time a staunch knock battered the door.

Victoria crossed the room, opening it to a stream of guests who just kept on coming until the ranch house was packed with humans and every shade of magic-wielder imaginable. Liquor flowed as people offered toasts.

The only one missing was the preacher.

Victoria sidled close. “Want me to take over?” she asked.

“Maybe so,” Aisha replied. “Hang on. Let me talk with Liam and see what he wants to do.”

He was in the center of a circle of dragon shifters, obviously catching up on the last ninety years. “Aye, love?” He drew her into an embrace.

“Preacher got cold feet,” she told him. “Are you good with Grannie marrying us? It will be a witch ceremony.”

“I have an idea”—the silver-haired dragon shifter smiled—“if you approve, of course. In our society, the mate bond is sufficient, but we have not forgotten human customs. Since you’re a witch, and your intended is one of us, I would join with your grandmother in performing the ceremony. It will be the beginnings of good will between our people.”

Aisha swallowed hard. Would Victoria go along with what was a very reasonable suggestion? “I’ll ask her.”

“No need.” Victoria’s contralto rang from behind her. “Give the dragon shifter and me a few minutes, and we’ll be ready to begin.” She crooked a long-nailed index finger, and the dragon followed her to a corner of the room where they stood, heads bent together.

Aisha took Liam’s hand. “Let’s stand over by the altar, so we’ll be ready when they are.” They threaded their way through the overcrowded room amid toasts and wishes for a long and happy life together. She stopped in front of the spot where she’d cast her spells.

“This is where it all began,” she murmured to Liam.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Silly.” She leaned into him. “It’s where I ginned up the love charm that started everything.”

He kissed her forehead. “We need to turn it into a shrine, sweetheart. You’ve made me the happiest man alive.”

Before she could reply, Victoria and the dragon shifter walked toward them, wine goblets in hand. The next few minutes passed in a blur as Aisha listened to her grandmother call to the four seasons and four directions while she walked them through a traditional handfasting ceremony.

While their hands were still bound with red rope, the dragon shifter picked up a small knife from a table behind him. “Hold out your hands,” he instructed and made a small, deep incision in both their thumbs. Once their blood flowed together, he barked a word in Gaelic, and the wounds closed as if they’d never been there.

“We pronounce you husband and wife,” Victoria raised her voice to be heard throughout the room.

“Aye,” the dragon shifter chimed in, “through this life and all others to come.” He nudged Liam. “What are you waiting for, mate? Kiss your bride.”

Liam laughed and swept her into a hug, slashing his mouth atop hers.

Aisha clung to him, kissing him back. Happiness boiled through her, so sharp and fierce, she’d have taken on the world if it had the temerity to step between her and her mate.

And now her husband too.

Music began to play. People must have brought instruments. Aisha could have kissed Liam forever, but for now she let go and turned to face the crowd. Together, they greeted their guests.

When the reception line finally thinned, Liam bent toward her. “I have good news. My kinsmen have decided to end their self-imposed separation.”

“They’re leaving Xara?” Aisha asked, incredulous.

“Not exactly, but they’ll come and go from now on.”

“What changed their minds?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I guess it was me. They expected me to fail miserably living among humans. When I didn’t show up begging them to take me back, it proved one of us could survive in a human world.”

“And if one of you could do it…” she began.

“Exactly, my brilliant witch. How soon do you think we could get out of here? I booked us the honeymoon suite in town.”

“Aw, sweetie, you didn’t.”

“’Fraid I did. Can your mom or grannie look out for the horses for a couple of days?”

“We can, and we will.” Charlotte closed from one side and made shooing motions. “Get moving. Victoria and I will take care of everything here.” She hugged Aisha, and Aisha returned her embrace.

“I love you, Mom.”

“I know you do, honey. Love you back, just as much.” She melted into the crowd.

“How do you want to do this?” Liam asked.

“What do you mean? We’ll get the truck keys and drive into town. After I’ve packed a few things.”

“We could teleport? It’s faster. Cleaner. From here right into our room.” He smiled engagingly. “You might already have a few things there. I got busy after your mother and grannie chased me out of here yesterday.”

She linked an arm through his. “Perfect. Let’s do it. Do you need to say goodbyes, first?”

“Eh, if I do that, we’ll be here all night. Dragon shifters are a bunch of raconteurs at heart.”

Aisha tightened her grip on him, feeling his magic boil around them. The walls of her home fell away, replaced by the antique furnishings of Empire House, the oldest, fanciest hotel in town.

“Wow. You weren’t kidding about the honeymoon suite.” She twirled in place taking in a bed with an intricately carved headboard that rose six feet in the air.

“Nothing but the best for you, sweetheart. Now and always.” Love spilled from him, surrounding them both.

Her throat thickened. “I love you.”

“I know, but I never get tired of hearing it.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Can I start on all those hundreds of little buttons holding this dress in place?”

She giggled. “Not hundreds, but there are plenty of them. It’s a time-honored tradition to keep the groom’s lust at bay.”

“What about the bride’s?” he teased.

“Oh, we’re not that way at all,” she teased back.

A playful gleam illuminated his eyes, giving them a mossy sheen. “Oh, really? We’ll see about that.” Taking a few steps back, he unlaced his leather shirt, tugging it over his head. The low light of the room danced over the planes of his body, illuminating it until he became so profanely beautiful she couldn’t look away.

When he started on the laces of his trousers, she made a dive for him and toppled them across the bed, intent on finishing undoing his pants.

“You’ll muss your dress,” he told her.

She hiked up the skirts. “I don’t care. Make love with me. We’ll figure out the dress later.”

“Whatever milady desires.” His rich laughter inflamed her as he bent to do her bidding.