“It’s…quiet,” Cael said as he listened. His purple eyes looked from Rhi to Con. “Is everything all right?”
Con nodded and glanced at Rhi. “Everything is fine. The Kings and mates left to give us some time alone, time that neither Rhi nor I recognized we needed until we had it.”
“That’s true,” Rhi replied, smiling as she met Con’s gaze. She then slid her focus to Erith. “We called you here because we would like to invite both of you—as well as all the Reapers and their mates—here for a celebration.”
Erith blinked. “Really?”
“It was Rhi’s idea for the party, but I’m in agreement. The Kings have been through a lot, and so have the Reapers. You’re our allies, but more than that, you’ve been a friend to us. Even when I didna realize it.”
Cael bowed his head. “Thank you. That is very kind of you.”
“We would love to attend,” Erith said.
Rhi found the smile she gave was easy. “Good.”
“Has there been any progress with the twins?” Cael asked.
Con blew out a breath. “No’ yet, but that’s about to change.”
“How?” Death asked, her black brows drawn together.
Rhi exchanged a look with Con. “We’re going to figure that out together.”
“I could talk to them again,” Erith offered.
“Thank you, but nay,” Con said. “Rhi and I need to do this.”
Cael’s lips curved in a smile. “That sounds like a good decision.”
“Is there anything we can do to help with the celebration?” Erith asked.
Con looked to Rhi, who thought about it for moment before shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”
“When is it?” Cael asked.
“The twenty-ninth,” Con answered.
“We’ll be here,” Erith said.
She smiled as she and Cael clasped hands again. Then, they were gone.
“Well?” Con pressed.
Rhi swung her gaze to him. “I’m going to be fine with all of it.”
“Oh, I know that look,” Con said with a laugh.
She frowned at him. “What look?”
“The determined look. The one that says nothing will stand in your way.”
“Is that what it is?”
He nodded, grinning slyly. “Aye, love. It also means that we’re going to succeed.”
Rhi hoped he was right. It was infuriating that Con was usually right about most things. But she felt good about talking to Erith, and she knew it was right to invite Death and the Reapers to the celebration. Her world was righting itself again.
The smell of food drew her attention. Rhi blinked and found a cloth-covered table, complete with two place settings and a bouquet of red amaryllis flowers in the center. She swung her head to Con to find him watching her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
He got to his feet and took her hand to pull her up. “A romantic dinner.”
“What brought this on?”
“This could be our last night alone for a while. I know we said the manor has been quiet and that we want the others back, but these few weeks have been wonderful.”
She walked to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Yes, they have. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
“Things will probably get crazy again,” he warned.
Rhi smiled. “We both handle crazy pretty well.”
That made him chuckle. “Whatever comes, I know we can handle it.”
“We certainly can. Look what we’ve already accomplished. The Kings are powerful. There will always be those who envy that power and seek to destroy you.”
A blond brow rose. “You could rule the Light if you wanted. You say the Kings are powerful, but so are you. More than you realize. Look what you did to the Fae Realm. It was a desolate place, and you transformed it.”
“We’ve both come so far from when we first met and fell in love.”
“And we have so much more to do.”
“I can’t wait,” Rhi said with a bright smile.
Chapter Five
December 27th
Con couldn’t stop smiling when he heard Ulrik’s booming voice. Con rose from behind his desk and made his way downstairs, where Rhi and Eilish were already talking. Ulrik’s gold eyes lifted and met Con’s.
“You look a sight better,” Ulrik said.
They clasped forearms before briefly embracing. Con stepped back, nodding. “I am. We are,” he corrected.
Ulrik glanced at Rhi. “Aye. I see that.”
“How were things in Ireland with Donal?”
At the mention of her father, Eilish looked over at Con and said in her American accent laced with an Irish brogue, “They were delightful. It was great to spend some time with him as well as explore more of the country.”
“We should apologize for making all of you think you needed to leave,” Rhi said.
Ulrik wrapped his arm around his mate, grinning widely. “Truth be told, I think it was something everyone needed.”
“A break,” Con said.
Ulrik’s brows rose. “From everything.”
“We should make sure to do it more often,” Rhi added.
Eilish nodded in agreement. “I second that motion.”
“We are no’ the only one’s returning,” Ulrik said. “Kiril and Shara are right behind us. We also spotted Hal and Cassie coming in from visiting her brother.”
Rhi chuckled. “You drove instead of teleporting?”
Eilish lifted her hands and wiggled her fingers to show that she wasn’t wearing the silver finger rings that allowed her to jump anywhere she wanted. “They’re with me, however.”
“I loaned my bracelet to Roman and Sabina so they could take her brother, Camlo, back to Romania for a little while,” Ulrik explained.
Rhi smiled at this. “The animals around here have missed Camlo. We have, as well.”
“I bet,” Eilish replied.
Con laced his fingers with Rhi’s. “Am I to guess the mates from America made a return trek?”
“Aye,” Ulrik said with a nod. “Alexandra’s assistant, Meg, had some things that Alex needed to be there for. Alex and Dorian used her private jet and offered a ride to Guy and Elena, Banan and Jane, Kellan and Denae, Arian and Grace, Thorn and Lexi, Asher and Rachel, Dmitri and Faith, and Sebastian and Gianna. “
Rhi exchanged a look with Con, her silver eyes holding regret. “We missed a lot.”
“Don’t do that,” Eilish told her. “I can’t imagine what I would’ve done or said had I been in your shoes. The fact that both of you managed to keep going says a lot. Nothing was going on. There is peace now, and while that won’t last forever, we can enjoy it in this moment.”
Con held his mate’s gaze. “Eilish is right. We were allowed the time needed. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Sound reached them—others entering the manor from the side of the house where the garages were located. Con sighed, enjoying the noise filling the manor once more. He would never forget the weeks he and Rhi had at Dreagan alone. The memories would be treasured and revisited often, but this—the laughter, the conversation, the commotion—was what made Dreagan Manor come alive.