Page 82 of The Mirror and the Curse

Sunlight slipped between pastel-hued mountain peaks, finally touching the tiny lea where Eddi and Kai stood waiting for its appearance. Flurry and White grazed peacefully side by side in the meadow below, their wings folded neatly.

Squinting a little in the sudden brilliance, Kai turned to Eddi. “I dreamed for years of this moment, of bringing you here to watch the sunrise with me.”

Eddi’s heart seemed to swell until it filled her chest. “Did you really?”

He looked away, appearing shy. “I did. And every magic apple I’ve eaten has reminded me to be patient and to wait for my joy. To wait for you.”

“For me?” The words emerged on a breath.

“You’re worth waiting for, Eddi. These next three years will be difficult, I’m sure, but I know we can do it.”

Eddi nodded and lowered her gaze, suddenly feeling awkward. “That first apple you gave me, it made me realize how incredibly happy I was to be with you.” She sneaked a glance but couldn’t quite meet his gaze. “The second one . . . as soon as I bit into it, I knew that I loved you. Not just as my best friend, but like . . . like you’re the best part of me . . .” Her voice quivered and quit.

Kai simply lifted her hand and pressed it over his heart.

Gaining courage, she spread her fingers beneath his and said, “The third apple got me a kiss from you, so they just keep getting better.”

He huffed a soft laugh. “Maybe the apple’s magic changed the evil curse into something good for us,” he mused, his hand warm on top of hers. “I still can hardly believe this is real.” His hand pressed harder until she felt his heart thud against her palm right through his flight suit. “I keep thinking I’ll wake up to find it was all a dream. Me, Princess Eddi’s one true love?” He laughed softly. “Unbelievable!”

Eddi leaned into him. “You can wake me with a kiss any time.”

“Any time you’re asleep, that is.”

She pushed slightly away. “Well, duh!”

His teasing smile softened. “Are you . . . happy?” he asked, his voice huskier than usual. “No regrets yet?”

“None whatsoever.” Then she smiled. “But I could be happier.” Emboldened by his uncertainty, she placed her other hand on his chest and leaned close enough that their breath mingled.

One of his brows twitched. “Of course, I should have realized that you’re hungry. I suppose we should unpack those bags and eat our breakfast . . .” But his gaze focused on her lips, and he couldn’t help smiling.

“Uh-huh.” She scrunched her nose. “Nope. You know what I want.” Her hands slid up his chest, and he pulled her close.

“The same thing I want,” he whispered. She lost awareness of their surroundings, focused entirely on this wonderful young man who made her feel alive and excited, yet treasured and safe. He still smelled better than anything, even magic apples. And his eyes seemed to gaze into her soul and love what he saw there. She loved how his fingers trembled when he cupped her face between his hands, and his breath quivered as he leaned in for a kiss—

“Eddi! Kai!” A voice carried up to them from the meadow below.

That kiss ended abruptly. Kai’s heavy-lidded eyes went wide, staring into Eddi’s. “No,” he whispered. “No way. They didn’t!”

Hearing cheerful whinnies, Eddi turned out of his grasp to see winged horses circling to land below near White and Flurry, several of them bearing riders. And in the meadow, centaurs and other strange creatures mingled with what looked like dozens of . . . dwarfs.

Kai heaved a resigned sigh. “They did.”

“It looks as if every dwarf in the mountains decided to drop in for a visit,” Eddi observed, torn between regret and amusement. “But that shout sounded like Xiretta. Yep, there she is.”

Eddi waved, and the ogre girl waved back with enthusiasm, shouting, “Come on down to the party!”

Eddi chuckled, cupped her mouth, and called back, “We’ll be right down.” To Kai, she added, “There’s Olis! And more centaurs. All those other gray people have got to be Xiretta’s family.”

“The riders are my uncle, aunt, and cousins,” Kai added. “But everyone else must have used magic to get here.”

Eddi gave him a sharp look. “What about Toressa Warmane?”

He blinked. “Have you met her?”

“No, but Xiretta said—”

“I can imagine what she said.” Kai rolled his eyes and turned back to study the crowd. “Without my mom here, the Warmanes probably won’t come, glory be. They drive Dad and me nuts.”

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