Page 142 of Hand-Fasting and Other Hazards
Thane took a slow sip. “Mom and Drusilla have taken leave—which is a delicate way of saying they packed their things and fled to one of the country estates before anyone could ask them to do any actual work to manage the transition of power.”
“And you?”
Thane exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I still need to negotiate my position in the military. There’s talk of making me a general in some kind of consulting role, which is just a fancy way of saying, ‘We don’t trust you to command armed soldiers, but we’d like to keep you around to look cooperative, and in case we can use your expertise.’”
Nia leaned into Lochlan, swirling her wine. “Come to Stella Rune. I’m sure Lochlan can find you something worthwhile in the Videt. And we all know my father loves a prince.”
Thane groaned.
Lochlan smiled wryly, lifting his glass. “So, in summary: we’re still important, theoretically, but no one actually wants us to do anything?”
“Pretty much.” Thane raised his own glass. “To being very expensive decorations.”
Nia grinned, clinking hers against Lochlan’s. “Two very pretty decorations.”
Lochlan grimaced, but they all drank.
“I’ll send you the details on the latest transition offer,” Thane said, setting his glass down. “We have a week to decide whether to accept or try to negotiate further.”
Lochlan hated how defeated his brother looked. But a part of him thought maybe this was exactly what needed to happen.
They said their goodbyes, and Lochlan turned to Nia.
He leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. “Hi,” he murmured. “How was your day?”
“Amazing.” Her smile was tired but genuine. “Long. And…” A hint of mischief lit her eyes. “I have a surprise.”
Lochlan’s brows lifted. “What kind of surprise?”
Instead of answering, she knelt to greet Jade, wrapping her arms around the dog and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Jade wagged her tail, nudging Nia’s chin with her nose before trotting toward the back door and slipping outside.
Lochlan crossed his arms, watching Nia with growing curiosity. “You’re not going to make me guess, are you?”
She just smiled and pulled one of her mother’s diaries from her bag. Moving to the bookshelf, she carefully placed it alongside the others, then selected a new one. He’d seen her do this often over the past two weeks, each time with the same quiet reverence. She carried the diary with her for days, reading it over and over again, and then, when she was ready, she would replace it with another. Both the routine and the deepening connection to her mother seemed to bring Nia peace.
But this time, after tucking the new diary into her purse, she reached into her bag again and pulled out two small vials of glowing orange liquid.
“What are those?” Lochlan asked.
Nia held up the vials, the luminescent liquid shimmering faintly.
“I had my final interview with Aurelia today,” she said. “She’s finished her investigation. All the regulars have had their minds wiped, and we are officially done.”
Lochlan leaned against the doorframe. “And what about the charming trio?”
She smirked. “Gregor will do time for kidnapping. Jackson has a hefty fine to pay and has stepped down as CEO. And Raymond…” Nia shook her head. “His mind has been blissfully wiped, and he’s in the early stages of being sued and divorced by his wife.”
The relief Lochlan felt was impossible to put into words.
“And these?” He nodded toward the vials, his brow arching.
Nia’s smile widened as she twirled one between her fingers. “These are a gift from Aurelia.” Her tone was light, but Lochlan could sense a hint of gravity. “Usually, she erases memories. But she can also give them back. I told her about our situation with the fairy wine and my father. How that night is a fragmented, horny haunting, and how I wished I could remember our hand-fasting ceremony.”
Lochlan groaned softly, tipping his head back for a moment. “Of course you do.”
“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Nia teased, her smile playful but her gaze serious. “She says if we take these little guys, we’ll remember everything that happened that night.”
Lochlan’s gaze flicked to the violently colored vials in her hand, unease curling in his chest. He’d never heard of such a memory recovery spell, let alone one that could reverse the effects of fairy wine. His mind churned with questions. How did it work? What would it feel like? And, most pressing of all—did he want to know?
