So I say, “How about calla lilies?”
Rainey grins, eyes alight with joy. “Perfect.”
“Cake?” I query.
“The answer to cake should always be yes, but, in this instance, let’s do cupcakes for ease,” she suggests.
“I still think we should taste test,” I say as I write down taste test as many flavors as possible.
“For sure.” She giggles, but then her expression turns a bit serious. “But the dress… that has to be perfect. I know we’re going to have to buy off-the-rack, but I’d love to be able to go shopping together for it. Do you think Carrick will let you out?”
“Of course he will,” I say assuredly, but truthfully, I don’t know how he feels about it. The danger is increasing, but I’ve also tapped my powers. I’m not defenseless.
Regardless, there is absolutely no way I’m going to miss a girls’ day shopping for a wedding dress with my one bestie to marry my other bestie. Carrick will have to deal with it, but I expect he’ll come with us. That’s fine by me, but he’ll have to wait outside each store. This is a sans man event.
“Does Myles know you’re planning this?” I think to ask.
“No, but he will when he comes by later to pick me up,” she says with a sly wink. “But he’d love just to elope, to be honest.”
“Seriously, your parents are going to be pissed,” I tell her.
“If we make it through this apocalypse—”
“Prophecy,” I correct.
“Sorry, but to me, this is apocalyptic,” she counters. “So, if we make it through, I’m sure we’ll have a big wedding and invite everyone else. No one will know we already did the deed with just the savior of the world, two demi-gods, maybe three, an annihilator, a daemon, and a Dark Fae. Of course, if they knew, they’d never believe it, so I guess that’s moot. The point is, I just want to make it official. We can do the big shebang after you save the day.”
I laugh but part of it’s forced, because I just realized… even if I make it through the prophecy, there’s no telling how long it will be before Rune decides I need to die to torment Carrick. If Rainey and Myles wait until after this is all over, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t be around to see them wed because of the curse.
It overwhelms me a bit with gratitude, so I push out of my chair and walk around the table to Rainey. Bending at the waist, I wrap her in a big hug that sort of bends her neck at an odd angle. I squeeze a little too tightly as she gasps, “What’s this all about?”
I pull away, my eyes a little wet as I look down at her. “It’s just… this makes me happy. You and Myles getting married. We need some happy around here.”
CHAPTER 19
Finley
“No holding back,” Carrick says in warning.
I nod. “No holding back.”
“You hit me as hard as if I were Kymaris standing right in front of you,” he instructs with a serious look on his face.
“Got it.” I bounce on the balls of my feet, taking his words for the pep talk they are.
His hands come to my shoulders, and he bends slightly to peer into my eyes. “You are strong and in control of your magic.”
I roll my neck and repeat, “I am strong and in control of my magic.”
“That’s my girl,” he says as he presses a hard kiss to me before taking several paces back.
“Or,” I drawl in slight hesitation. “I could incinerate your condo?”
Carrick laughs and shakes his head. “I’m sure you’ll control yourself fine. But in the off chance you’re right, I put sort of a protection spell around the gym so any fires you might start can’t spread.”
I stop bouncing, and my jaw drops. “Did you really?”
His grin is playful. “Maybe,” is all he’ll commit to.
We woke up this morning, had a bit of a leisurely morning in bed, which translates into Carrick wanting to make love slowly rather than the sort of frenzy we often find ourselves falling into, especially with the October new moon getting closer. There were no regrets on spending lazy time together in bed. After, we enjoyed an immense breakfast prepared by Zaid.
I’m eating more than I ever have, but my body is actually changing for the better. I’d always been on the thin side, but with as much as I’m working out and training nearly every day, Zaid has been packing me full of good proteins and vegetables so I’ve become incredibly toned in all the right muscles.
I have never felt stronger physically.
Magically… well… that’s another story as I’m like a baby foal taking her first uneasy steps into a new life.
Today, Carrick announced we’d be training with magic only. Hence the little pep talk before we start.
“You ready?” he asks. He’s now a good ten paces from me in the middle of the gym’s open area.
“Ready.”
“Okay,” he says, studying me carefully while he thinks. I get a little distracted watching him watch me because he’s so incredibly gorgeous in track pants and a t-shirt, hair actually a bit messy after his shower as he did nothing more than run his fingers through it after a rough towel dry. I don’t think he’s had a haircut in the last few months and the longer, semi-shaggy look is a pretty damn big change from the suave, perfectly styled hair.
It fits his prophecy-fighting personality better, for sure.
“Here’s the scenario,” Carrick says, and I have to blink away my dreamy thoughts of him. “You’re walking down a dark alley at night by yourself, and you have no weapon on you.”
“Why in the hell would I ever do that?” I ask teasingly.
Carrick merely cocks his eyebrow. “Do we really need to discuss the fact you went into a dark alley without a weapon and almost got killed by a succubus?”
My face heats, and I look off to the side in slight embarrassment.
“So… dark alley, no weapons,” Carrick repeats.
“Got it.”
“Boral decides to go all evil, has ratted you out to Kymaris, and she has ordered him to kill you. He jumps out from behind a dumpster, ready to attack.”
I purse my lips, putting a hand on my hip. “Really? You’re going to use Boral as part of our scenario?”
“Can’t stand the fucker,” Carrick mutters. “So why not?”
“You know he’s actually very grateful to you for saving Zaid,” I say, feeling that Boral would probably hate me sharing that, but oh well.
Carrick scoffs deep in his throat.
“You should cut him some slack,” I suggest primly.
“Never,” Carrick growls back, and I don’t respond. We’ll always be at an impasse where Boral is concerned. “Let’s imagine a Dark Fae has jumped out at you. I’m the Dark Fae. What do you throw at me?”
This isn’t a trick question because there are probably a dozen different things I could come up with off the top of my head. I may not have tried all the things I’d use to attack with my magic, but I have often imagined scenarios in my head.
It takes me no time at all to pull out the thing that makes the most sense.