The Witch With No Name

“Can you get me tickets to the premiere of Mesozoic: In Time, No One Can Hear You Scream?” I asked, and when he winced, I shook my head. “Wear it, big man, or I’ll change something other than your ears to snakes.”

He leered, making Red’s ears pin back. “How do you know someone hasn’t beaten you to it?”

“Al!” I shouted. “Wear. It.”

Sighing, he tugged it back into place. Jenks was laughing, his dust looking gray in the lamplight, and I hustled forward to adjust the pelt before Al could take it back off. “He looks like a Neanderthal in Armani,” Jenks said, laughing merrily.

“It’s not that bad!” I soothed, pulling Al down to kiss his cheek and make his ruddy complexion shift even redder. “You look like the big bad wolf. Now go. I have to meet Trent and Quen on the hill.”

“Quen is with the hunting party, and if it wasn’t for Ray, I’d never do it.”

“Then I have to meet Trent. And she loves you. Go!”

Grumbling, Al backed up, but he hesitated before he winked out, a familiar, crafty glint to his expression as he took a breath and his eyes opened wide.

“Tink loves a duck,” Jenks said loudly. “I think Brimstone breath just got an idea.”

“Yes!” Al exclaimed, and Red bobbed her head, agitated when the demon was suddenly coated in shimmery silver ever-after. “I have an idea!” he cried again, his voice distorted as the energy field fell away to show that Al’s silver-threaded overdone finery was gone, replaced by thick boots trimmed in fur and an elegant coat with shadings of tree and field. The wolf pelt worked with it, especially in the graying light and the smell of horse, and I smiled. “If I’m to be a huntsman, I will be a huntsman! They will tremble in fear, and that whiny Keric will think twice about stealing my beloved Ray!”

“Go get ’em, Al,” I said, weary as he jumped and his shiny afterimage fading to nothing.

Jenks snickered as he took to the air. “I think you might have just birthed the idea for his next film.”

“Just as long as he leaves me out of the credits. I got hate mail for three whole years the last time.”

The dogs’ song shifted, and I looked at the graying walls of the tent. I had to go. “Come on, Red,” I coaxed, and she obediently took the bit, noisily moving it around until it felt right.

“You’re late,” Jenks said, helping enormously, and I led the horse over to the mounting box. I normally didn’t need one, but I normally didn’t ride wearing twenty pounds of lace. Red didn’t like it, and she shied.

“Hold still,” I muttered as I swung my leg over. Red squealed, and I pulled her in tight, bashing my chest against her as I lurched on. We spun in a tight circle, and breathless, we came to a halt.

There in the flickering light of the gas lamps was Trent. He was sitting atop Tulpa, a bemused expression on his face as he took in my hair, the mane of it going everywhere. “I thought you were going to wear it up?” he said, and I flushed.

“Jumoke’s kids hid Ray’s cap, and I gave her mine,” I said, thinking he looked fantastic in his father-of-the-bride finery. My God, Ellasbeth would be kicking herself tonight.

“Quen decided to stick with Al to keep him from going out of bounds,” Trent said, gesturing for me to hurry up. “It’s just us on the hill, and you’re making us late.”

“So I heard,” I muttered, meaning about three different things. My pulse quickened as the horns sounded again, closer even as the dogs’ singing became faint. Tradition said the bride and groom were to come in with the groom’s parents and the bride’s protector. It was only after the vows were spoken that the bride’s parents joined them. I thought the ceremony uncannily like the pixy’s tradition of stealing the bride when there wasn’t enough dowry.

“I don’t think we can make the hill, but we can hide at the edges of the glen,” he said, and I nodded, bringing Red around and heading for the back door. My heart was pounding, and I thought it silly that he could still do this to me. He was a little wider across the shoulders with maturity, and the first hints of silver were in his hair, but you had to look close. The stress of maintaining his species-friendly industries was taking its toll, but he’d made his way back from almost nothing even with me beside him. It felt good.

“Rache, if you’ve got this, I gotta go,” Jenks said, and he darted off before I could raise my hand in acknowledgment.

Tulpa bobbed his head as we came alongside, and Red gave him a look to behave. The stallion was ancient by horse standards, the father of five of her offspring.

“Ah, you haven’t seen my cap, have you?” Trent said, and I realized my being late wasn’t why he’d come back down.

Leaning across the horses, I gave him a kiss, pulling his cap out of his back pocket at the same time. “Want me to pin it to you?” I said saucily as I put it into his hand.

Trent blinked at it, then leaned forward to hold the fluttering drapery out of our way. “I had it all the time?” he muttered, then dropped it on his head, looking heartstoppingly charming.

I took a clean breath of the sunset-gloomed air, bringing Red back under my tight control when she tensed, wanting to run and leave the noisy throng. It was sunset, and I stifled another shiver when the approaching party called and the assembled guests answered them with their own horns, guiding the wedding party in. The faultless sky had shaded to black in the east, pink and blue in the west. Birds took flight at the noise, and I settled more firmly on Red. Maybe the elves had something here.

“I’m glad you’re with me,” Trent said as he pointed out a sheltered spot where we could watch from under the trees and still be unobtrusive. “I don’t know if I’m coming or going today.”

Beaming, I shifted a strand of hair from his eyes as the horses walked to the edge of the glen. We’d been noticed, but everyone was focused on the empty space between the chairs and the river where the ceremony would take place. “I’m happy for you. I know this means a lot. That Ray have a traditional elf wedding, I mean.”

The rims of his ears reddened, and he gave me a sidelong look. “It’s that obvious, is it?”

I angled Red closer and let my head drop against his shoulder. It was awkward, but I made Red stay there for at least a few paces. He was happy, and that made me happy. If not for that dumb tradition about ruling elves needing to marry someone fertile, he might have had a wedding himself, chased his bride down among the trees, defended her against her parents, and triumphantly brought her home to his family. But it didn’t matter. I had everything I could ever want.

“Look, they’re coming,” he whispered, and I followed his gaze to the far end of the glen where Keric and Ray rode in on Ray’s black stallion, the shaggy monster high-stepping and excitable. They looked beautiful, waving at the assembled people when they stood and cheered. Behind them came Quen, Al as the huntsman, and Keric’s parents, the two looking proud and tearful. I knew how they felt.

We spun Tulpa and Red to a halt, holding back as tradition dictated until their vows were said. It might be a while as they were swamped by well-wishers. Trent was beaming, his eyes never leaving the couple as they dismounted and graciously touched hands and cheeks to everyone.

“I can see why you’d want this instead of Ellasbeth’s church wedding,” I said, and he jerked, eyes flicking to mine. “It’s beautiful.”

“What I wanted didn’t matter,” he said, pausing to bring Tulpa’s head up from the grass. “It still doesn’t,” he said, leather creaking as he leaned across the space between us and kissed me. His lips were warm and his touch sent a wave of tingles down to my core, but guilt kept me from enjoying it.

Seeing my downcast eyes, Trent took my chin in his hand to make me look at him. “Rachel, it’s not too late. The demons won’t stand in our way. The elves either. Why don’t you ever say yes to me?”

To marry him? Sighing, I dropped my gaze. “I don’t know,” I whispered, and then frustrated, I pulled my head up. “Trent, we’ve been over this. You can’t marry a barren woman and maintain your hold on the dewar and the enclave.”

Trent slumped, making me angry.

“What is wrong with what we have!” I exclaimed, careful to keep my voice from carrying. “I thought you were happy!”

“I am happy.” Trent’s eyes held a mix of heartache and anticipation that I didn’t understand. “Rachel—”

“I’m happy you’re happy,” I interrupted, a growing feeling of frustration joining our old argument. “The girls have grown up beautifully. I don’t know how they keep it straight, but I guess as long as they’re loved, it makes sense to them.”

Our eyes lifted to the river as the head of the dewar and Dali waited with Ray and Keric. The chairs were empty now as everyone stood around the couple in a protective circle—everyone who cared for them, loved them, wanted to see them happy. My frustration sort of left.

“It makes sense to me, too,” Trent said softly, but I felt a hesitation in him, something he hadn’t yet said. From the river, Al shouted and gnashed his teeth, falling down as if dead amid cheers as he formally gave up his protection of Ray, the huntsman defeated by a token blow from Keric and his mother, their hands joined on a ceremonial sword. It would go to Trent as the symbolic spoils of war.

“You’re happy?” I asked again, and he reached out and set his hand atop mine as I held Red’s reins.

“More than I’ve ever been in my life,” he said, but still I heard a doubt, a lingering niggle of worry.

“Then nothing could make this more perfect,” I prompted. He said nothing, and I shifted Red’s reins to my free hand so I could take his hand more firmly. “Trent . . .”

Dropping his head, he whispered, “A new little boy or girl would make this more perfect.”

My breath caught, and I forced myself to not shift my grip, making it neither less tight nor more so. He wanted another child, and I couldn’t give it to him. “You know I’d never stand in your way.”

He pulled my hand to his chest, drawing my eyes to his. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”

He was smiling, bursting almost. My heart seemed to break, and I pulled away. Behind him, clouds of blue butterflies rose up as the couple became one. Sunset. “That’s our cue,” I said, a lump in my throat. He wanted another child, and I couldn’t give it to him. Hell, what did I expect? It was my own fault, really. It wasn’t supposed to matter. I told myself it didn’t matter, but after twenty-seven years, it did.

“Rachel, no!” Trent exclaimed, leaning in a jingle of tack to grab Red’s bridle and bring me to a halt. “Not with another woman, I mean you and me! Us!”

From the crowd, a soft sound rolled out as the butterflies rose, symbols of love and war all wrapped up in one, for as butterflies seek out flowers, they also seek carrion.

“What do you mean, us?” I asked, and Trent took my hand, nudging Tulpa into motion and drawing Red into his wake. My head hurt, and my shoulders were stiff. Why was he bringing this up now? In front of everyone?

He was totally self-satisfied, sitting with that damned smugness that irritated me, eyes forward and smile fixed. His eyes, though, were dancing. “It’s our present to Ray and Keric,” he said. “Al’s and mine. We’ve been working on it for over three years. We both thought a child, one that was part of each of them, would be a fitting expression of their love. But if you don’t want to . . .”

“Present?” I breathed, and Red began to prance as my seat shifted. My thoughts went to Ivy’s cryptic mood and Al’s odd question. Hell, even Jenks had been acting weird. They knew? “You found a way? When?”

Trent turned to me. Everyone was watching us now as we slowly approached. “It wasn’t so much the nuts and bolts as it was—”

“Viable children?” I interrupted, my pulse fast. “Between elves and demons. Trent. You found a way?”

We were almost there, the crowd parting to show a clear path to where Ray and Keric waited with knowing eyes, the curve of Ray’s smile saying she had been in on it, too, but Trent stopped us, turning to me and taking both my hands. “Rachel, I appreciate that you respected my duty enough that you refused to marry me to prevent the dewar from turning from my counsel, but you have some thinking to do, Ms. Morgan. With the possibility of an heir between us, you can’t hide from me behind duty or a technicality of convenience anymore.”

I couldn’t say anything, stunned. I’d been saying no for so long that I didn’t know how to say yes.

“We’d better go,” Trent said, the rims of his ears becoming red as he realized everyone was looking at us with delight. Pixies had joined the butterflies, and the entire glen began to glow in the rising moon. A great shadow of leather and angles cut across it as Bis back-winged, shifting his flight erratically until I heard Jenks swear when the gargoyle caught him. His red eyes blinked at me across the distance, and he gestured for me to say yes even as he kept Jenks from butting in. Damn it, did everyone know about this but me?

“Trent.” Breathless, I pulled him back to me. I knew I was flushed, and Red bobbed her head, a clear barometer of what I was feeling. “I don’t need to be married to be happy. I don’t need to have a child . . .”

He leaned in and kissed my forehead, and from before us, I heard my mom sigh. “I know that,” he said, looking deep into my eyes. “We’ve tried it your way now for over twenty-five years. Can we spend the next twenty-five my way? And if you don’t like it, you can always . . .”