*
They barely made it back to Luc’s suite in the castle before they were ripping each other’s clothes off in their haste to experience the pleasure they found together. Lilly tackled him on the bed and climbed over him, freeing him from his clothing with an almost desperate urgency. She wanted him. She wanted him now.
Lilly brought herself down onto him with almost no preparation. Her body was ready, as was his, and it hurt to be apart. Sliding over him and taking him inside made her complete. Made them complete, as it was meant to be. There was something so quintessentially right about being with Luc. There always had been, even when she’d had her doubts about their future.
Luc turned the tables on her, rolling them over on the big bed and taking control. He held her wrists at either side of her head, stroking into her with deliberate slowness as their eyes held.
“You are my heart, you know,” he told her.
“I thought your dragon came first,” she teased him. She wasn’t petty. She didn’t really object to Shilayla’s place in his affections. She just wanted to tweak him a little.
Luc’s head tilted to the side as he considered. “She is my heartmate. You are my heart.”
Lilly wasn’t sure what the distinction was, but it sounded romantic and just…lovely. Her own heart fluttered in appreciation.
“I’ve never loved this deeply or this true,” she told him, bearing her soul. “And I never will again. You’re it, for me. So, I think, you’re my heart, too.”
Luc groaned and sped his pace, moving into her with decisive strokes that sent them both into orbit… together.
EPILOGUE
The future…
Luc, Lilly and Shilayla returned to his family home, under the Veil, to report to the Council of Elders in person about all that had occurred on their mission. The Council elevated Luc and Shilayla out of the Scouts and gave them full warrior status, giving them the special mission as envoy to King Alric’s court. Everyone but Det seemed all right with Lilly’s presence and the fact that Luc and she were a couple. In fact, a feast was held to celebrate both the successful completion of their mission and their engagement.
Lilly didn’t worry so much about her relationship with Luc anymore. Alric had taken her aside and told her how he had forseen a long and happy future for Lilly and Luc, as a couple. When she’d asked how it was possible, Alric reminded her that she had magic of her own now. Add that to Shilayla’s influence, and Lilly’s aging had probably already slowed. Alric admitted that he’d seen something similar for himself with Zallra as his mate and that the friendship that had started so many years ago between King and subject would go on long into the future. Longer than he had ever anticipated.
Lilly kept that news to herself for now. It would be something to share with Luc when the time was right. A gift, of sorts, to allay any worry he might harbor.
Lilly stayed with Luc, in his family home for the duration of their visit, getting to know everyone better as they came to know her. Young Petr, much to her concern, was still having good days and bad days. Lilly was working with the healers again, both to train her power and to help Petr. It had become clear that no matter what the healers and mages did, they couldn’t completely shut down the pathway that joined the twins.
The healers had been able to confirm for Lilly that what she had discovered about combat in the Grand High Alchemist’s tower was true. A healer could handle death around them. It was part of what allowed them to treat those who came to them for help. Death was part of the grand cycle of life, and something that healers could deal with when it came naturally. They could not, however, deal the blow that would end a life, with one big exception. They could act in defense of others, though it was definitely a gray area.
Lilly’s role as a warrior was probably at an end, she had decided. Her impulses wanted her to aid everyone—enemy and friend alike. If the battle had been any longer in that tower, she would have been compelled to act as a healer, regardless of whether the fight was over or not. She knew that with certainty. She had already tendered her resignation from the King’s Guard.
Alric had not wanted to accept it, but he’d sat down with her to discuss a new role he had in mind. She was now the official envoy to the Veil as Luc was the envoy to Alric’s court. They would share their roles as emmisarries as well as their lives, and Alric was already planning a lavish wedding for them. Alric had not taken no for an answer on that. He’d already sent the invitations.
Alric had also created another new role for Lilly. He’d put her in charge of creating a school, of sorts, under care of the crown, to identify and train those with healing gifts. He’d brought in healers from several established traditions to act as teachers and made Lilly their first student. He’d even invited visiting scholars in the healing arts from all over the lands to come and teach, including several from the Veil community. That he’d done it all for Lilly and her newfound need touched her deeply.
Of course, Alric was a clever man. Having world-class healing instruction in his own kingdom would mean world-class treatment for his subjects. Everybody would win with such an arrangement.
Lilly had already learned a great deal of control and had even helped one journeyman healer learn a bit of self-defense. She would never be a warrior the way she had been, but she was content with the future she saw for herself as a healer and advocate for healers to her King. She also relished the idea of traveling back and forth to the Veil as emissary, and so Luc could stay close to his family, even though he was spending half his time in Alric’s land. Likewise, Lilly could spend time with her father, who still trained young warriors for the King’s Guard from his home at Tivol Bay. Luc and Lilly would truly become citizens of both places, with deep ties to each, which would make them the perfect choices for ambassadors.
Lilly liked being under the Veil and spending time with Luc’s family. Especially young Petr, who seemed to call to her healing side so powerfully.
Petr was having one of his bad days when Lilly found herself alone in the family home with him. She enjoyed the boy’s company, though her heart went out to the weak child who should be running and playing with others his age, instead of sitting inside, conserving his limited energy.
“Lilly!” Petr was suddenly animated, lurching into the main room to tug on her sleeve.” I have to go.”
“Go?” Lilly asked, bewildered by the child’s sudden energy. “Where?”
“Beyond. He waits beyond the Veil. I have to go to him,” Petr insisted, tugging on her hand.
“Who’s waiting, sweetheart?”
“My heartmate. He’s waiting for me. I have to go now!” The boy tugged on her arm with more strength than he’d ever displayed in her presence.
She didn’t quite understand what he meant, but it seemed so important to him, she let him tug her outside and then jogged with him through the town to the edge of the Veil itself. When she would have stopped at the edge, he pulled her through, into the blowing snow.
Then, out in the blizzard, an even whiter presence emerged. It had wings, but it was smaller than most of the dragons she’d seen.
“It’s just a baby,” she whispered. The boy had moved ahead of her, directly into the path of the wild beast that was twice his size, even if it was a youngling.