Page 143 of Hand-Fasting and Other Hazards
The night of Mabon was a mystery he had grown to accept. And yet, the idea of uncovering the truth, of knowing what had happened, both tempted and unsettled him.
Nia closed the distance between them, her touch warm and grounding as her hands ran down his chest. “We don’t have to do this.” Her gaze softened, her voice gentle. “I just thought… it was the last thing missing from our lives. I see glimpses every once in a while, but that’s all they are: glimpses.”
Lochlan’s throat tightened as his doubts bubbled to the surface. “What if we remember and…”
“And?”
“And whatever you learn makes you change your mind,” he said quietly.
It was Nia’s turn to roll her eyes. Her lips quirked in a knowing smile as she let out an exasperated sigh. “Nothing,” she said firmly, “can make me change my mind about you.”
Lochlan hesitated, glancing at the vials before meeting her gaze. “But… who’s going to hand out the candy tonight?”
Nia laughed, the sound easing some of the tension in his chest. “We’re not taking them now.” She shook her head. “Aurelia said to drink them before bed. When we go to sleep, we’ll dream of our missing memories.”
“All missing memories?” Lochlan asked, a thread of worry creeping into his voice. There were things he’d forgotten—memories he’d let go—that he didn’t want to revisit.
“No,” Nia said quickly, reassuring. “She did something with the fairy wine to narrow them down. Just that night.”
Their eyes met, a quiet understanding passing between them.
“Do we have to do it tonight?” Lochlan asked.
Nia smiled, her expression gentle as she leaned in and kissed him. “We can do it whenever you want,” she said softly.
Before Lochlan could respond, she turned and placed the vials carefully in the cabinet. The chime of the doorbell echoed through the house, and Nia darted toward the door, grabbing a headband with red horns glimmering with sequins and the candy bucket as she passed.
“Get Jade’s costume on and grab the lawn chairs!” she called over her shoulder, her excitement infectious.
Lochlan grinned, shaking his head as he moved to find Jade.
Trick-or-treating lasted a little over an hour, the sounds of laughter and footsteps filling the crisp autumn evening. Lochlan sat in the lawn chair beside Nia, sipping his wine while they handed out candy. Jade, in her witch costume, had stolen the show. Kids squealed with delight, some even bringing fruit for the ducks, who waddled curiously near the edge of the yard.
Lochlan couldn’t stop watching Nia—her laughter, her easy conversation with the neighbors, the way she leaned into him between groups of kids, her hand resting lightly on his leg.
It was incredible and even unreal, like he was dreaming, caught in some perfect illusion that might dissolve if he let himself believe in it too much.
But it wasn’t a dream.
This was his life, the one he hadn’t known he’d been missing. The one he never could have imagined for himself. A life built on love, on belonging—on her.
The stream of trick-or-treaters slowed, the earlier hum of excitement fading as porch lights glowed against the dark, their soft warmth casting long shadows on the cobblestone streets.
Then came the familiar sound of boots crunching on gravel.
Lochlan turned just as Becket strolled up, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, a crooked grin in place. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite witches—the queen and king of hand-fasting and other hazards.” He waggled his brows. “Ready to see what sort of chaos you can unleash at the Samhain celebration?”
Nia’s smile turned wicked. “Always.”
Lochlan glanced down both sides of the now-empty street. It felt… settled. A perfect kind of quiet. “Looks like our job here is done.”
He turned to Nia, catching the shimmer of her dress as she moved. The deep emerald fabric flowed around her like water, catching the soft glow of the porch lights.
She ran a hand down the fabric, her lips curving in a knowing smile. “I’ll put Jade inside and grab a coat for the walk.”
“Hopefully people will be naked by now,” Becket quipped.
Lochlan groaned. The only person he wanted to see naked tonight was Nia.
