Page 143 of Night Meets the Elf Queen

“If you want one, why don’t you ask Leif?”

“Um no.” Tif rolled her eyes as if that were absurd. “But I do have someone in mind. I’ll see you all soon!” She dropped to the floor and scampered out of the room.

“She’s a strange little thing. Maker only knows who she’ll ask to be her ‘date’.” Piper propped herself up on the headboard. “But come on, are you not going to tell us how Hel is?”

“That’s not usually something I talk about openly. And you never asked about… well you know.”

“Because he’s my good friend, that would be weird. Hel is a mystery to me.”

“It’s just us,” Katana added, and started combing her hair with a boar bristle brush she’d found in Aunt Evalyn’s room. “It’s not something to be ashamed of. Sex is completely natural, especially between mates. I can only imagine it’s almost magical.”

Letting out a sigh, Valeen nibbled on her lower lip. “Fine, yes, Hel is good. Remarkably good. And thereissomething magical about it. My skin starts to shimmer.”

“Shimmer? Like your skin truly glitters?” Piper asked. “Is it his magic?”

Valeen’s cheeks warmed. “I think it’s my magic not his, but it’s like tiny stars glowing on my skin. It fades quickly. It’s never happened with anyone else.”

“I wonder if it is a thing between mates. The glowing,” Katana muttered and started a small braid above Valeen’s ear. “Do we have a few pearl pins or a headdress? A veil? Anything?”

“I’ll go ask Evalyn,” Piper said.

“I think it probably is because we’re mates,” Valeen answered, analyzing her sister’s expression in the mirror. She was hiding something.

Deep breaths,deep breaths.Valeen closed her eyes for a moment. Katana and Piper had already gone through the door to the yard, leaving her alone. It wasn’t that she was nervous to marry Hel again, it was more of a worry that Aunt Evalyn would say something regrettable and Hel would retort with something scathing, and this special moment would be ruined. Maybe they should have just married alone in the woods with Presco and Katana there as witnesses.Too late now.

She pushed through the door and froze. She might have paid more attention to the floral arches with ribbons dancing in the breeze, creating a tunnel of rich purple and white, or the fragrance of the flowers swirling around her. Even the luminor crickets and a few torches lit up the twilight evening. But past the white rose petals scattered over the grass, waited Hel.

He was magnificent.

Her breath caught a little as the corner of his mouth turned up and his dimple appeared. With his hair pushed back out of his face, it accentuated his beautiful bone structure and bright maroon eyes, more purple than red today. Tiny luminor crickets fluttered around him making his alabaster skin glow more golden.

She barely heard the muttering of Leif about her radiant beauty or the sniffle of her sister as she slowly walked towardhim.

You are absolutely stunning, my love. If Serenity were a person, it would be you.

I was thinking the same thing about you.

She quickened her pace to the beat of the soft string music coming from somewhere unknown, either in the city or by Hel’s doing. Placing one foot in front of the other, she padded over the grass and rose petals. She smiled at Thane next to Fennan and Leif. He nodded once and smiled at her graciously, as if he were truly happy. It was that moment she realized he’d fully let her go.

She pulled her gaze back to Hel, he waited with an outstretched hand. His fingers curled around hers, and they faced one another. With a gentle smile, and soft eyes, he rubbed his thumbs across the top of her knuckles.

“You’re even more beautiful than last time.” And this time around their vows meant more. It was hard won, after what felt like an eternity of a fight.

“Thank you,” she whispered back.

No Presco stood beside them holding open a book in his large hands. “I have known you both for longer than I have kept track and it brings me joy to see you come together once again. There is something enchanting about your love, and how you have fought your way back to each other after two thousand years andthrough all the things that would see you torn apart. It’s a love for songs and stories that will live on through the ages.”

With a white handkerchief, Aunt Evalyn dabbed at the corner of her eye. One day she would tell her the whole story.

Presco tapped his finger on the page. “The ceremony Hel has requested is not in your native tongue, apologies to those who don’t understand the celestial language of Runevale, but I believe you’ll feel the words, nonetheless.” The words about being blessed to see the other as they truly were, to cherish and love, were a blur. Her focus was narrowed on him—on his touch, his magic that seemed to be swirling around her, wisps that caressed her skin creating chill bumps along her arms.

Presco pressed the ring she’d made in her father’s forge days before into her palm. “I’m aware Valeen already has hers, but did you have another piece to add, Hel?”

“I do.” Hel rubbed his forefinger and thumb together and then it appeared. A silver band with star and moon etchings around the outside. He took her hand and slid it on to sit against her original black diamond. “Let this ring be a reminder of my promises and devotion to only you.”

Then she took Hel’s hand and pushed on a simple black band made of onyx, repeating the same words. She leaned forward and whispered, “Our namesZaurahel x Valeenwill appear across the band only under moonlight.”

He smiled. “I like that very much.”

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