Page 112 of A Bond in Flames

We rounded the bend, and the castle came into view. Lyle’s son, Ryker, stood on the steps waiting, a son I had no idea existed until we brought Mari home. Death’s castle hadn’t exactly been a very welcoming place, and neither had Death before Marigold and I moved in and changed things. Now, Lyle’s mate helped around the castle as well, and Ryker was there all the time. He and Mari had fast become best friends. As soon as Mari saw him, she called his name. Death put her down, and she took off to play, Hemlock bounding after her.

“Follow me,” my consort said and led us away from the castle. “Somnus and Pascal are watching Mari tonight.”

I looked at him. “Oh?”

He waved his hand, and a path appeared in front of us. “Did you think I’d forget our anniversary?”

The anniversary of the curse being broken, of us finally being together the way we were always meant to be. As we walked, Death’s cloak swirled around him, and my clothes evaporated, replaced by a black dress made of night that looked like fine cobwebs. It was no longer torn and old, like it had been in Nox’s temple. It had been restored to how it once was when the mother created it and me, like Death’s cloak had been for him. A clearing opened up ahead of us. It glowed with soft lighting from the stars, from the moon. A table was to one side, and when he waved his hand, food, candles, and wine appeared. Then he clicked his fingers, and the sound of his piano playing echoed around us.

I gazed up at him. “This is… it’s beautiful.”

He smiled, his cloak swirling, his eyes glowing blue and utterly gorgeous. “Anything for my perfect consort, my wife, my precious guiding star.”

Then we swayed to the music, dressed in nothing but the night sky and wrapped in each other’s arms.

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