Page 45 of Charlotte's Story
Mayor Pembroke gave another gentle wave of her fingers, and the candles bobbed up and down, resembling magical fireflies as they filled the air with the scent of cranberry and sugar cookies. “This year, as you know, we’ll be doing something different with the ceremony.”
The town seemed to collectively hold its breath—even the bells playing Christmas carols stopped ringing.
“I’ve decided to invite one of our newlywed couples to put the star on together, because as a town, we encourage the union of the Marked and the Unmarked. We are one town and one people, and these two have done an admirable job of leading by example.”
My cheeks heated. “She isn’t talking about—”
“Can we please have Mr. and Mrs. Collins come forward to put the star on our tree?”
I stiffened and glanced toward Lady Catherine. She had her nose in the air, and behind her, Merrick and Maris glared at us, clearly offended on her behalf. In all the years I’d been in Austen Heights, I was pretty sure an Unmarked had never put the star on the tree. In fact, it had been Lady Catherine as long as I could remember.
“Come on, you two,” Mayor Pembroke said again. Her floor-length velvet coat was the same deep green as the tree behind her, and it billowed as she waved an arm toward us. The sleigh bells on her sleeves jingled with the movement.
“I couldn’t do that.” I shot William a look, trying to communicate with my eyes that this was a bad idea. If I wasright, this would be the same as putting a target on his back, or mine.
“Nonsense, of course you can.” She gestured us forward with a wide smile and adjusted her earrings, which were two sprigs of holly with bright red berries.
William pulled me along, and we stumbled to a stop in front of the tree. Well, I did. William, despite his being more awkward and shorter than other fae, still had their uncanny gracefulness. “It’ll be okay,” he murmured into my ear. “Based on current variables, the probability for disaster at this moment is fairly low.”
I nodded once, and he straightened and faced the crowd.
“It’s an honor to be asked to put the Star of Everlight on,” he said. “This ceremony exemplifies the excellence and cohesion of our town, and I’m deeply grateful to participate, especially with my extraordinary wife, Charlotte, who improves every situation she’s in.”
Thankfully, it was fully dark now, so the glow of the star and the candles hid my raging blush. No one usually said that about me, but somehow when William looked at me, I could believe he really felt that way.
I took the star in my hand, its warm glow sending tingles through my palm like I’d touched a live wire. No, like dipping my hand in a hot spring. William put his hand under mine, surrounding it with warmth on either side. At his touch, the star’s glow grew brighter.
The sparkle from the star reflected off his smile, and I couldn’t help but lean into him a little even as I glanced across the gathering at Lady Catherine and her attendants. Mayor Pembroke gave a signal, and a gust of wind wrapped around us, lifting us slowly into the air.
“No matter what might occur tonight, I’ll protect you,” William whispered in my ear as the countdown began. His arm tightened around my waist, and he pulled me into his side.
My heart skipped a beat, but it was hard to tell if it was because of William’s actions or the thought of what was coming. If something was going to happen, it would probably be in the next few seconds. Despite my fear, all I wanted was to protect him too. He was far from perfect, but he was real and he was mine. And that was better than perfect. Before getting married, the thought of losing William might not have affected me, but now it was hard to imagine a day without his excessive compliments, awkward kindness, or straightforward conversation.
“Three,” the crowd counted down.
The star’s glow grew brighter, and I leaned closer to the tree.
“Two.”
I squinted at the surrounding crowds as a prickle of foreboding went down my spine.
“One.”
A bolt of light shot toward us, and I tried to shove William out of the way. If he was the target before, then he was probably who they were aiming for now.
William tucked me against his chest, and his magic flared around us. The bolt collided with it, releasing a shower of sparks that resembled fireworks in the sky.
The crowd oohed and awwed as if they didn’t realize what had almost happened, but the sharp staccato of William’s heart, evident with the way my cheek pressed against his chest, spoke the truth with each beat.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
I shoved the star onto the top of the tree, and we dropped back to the ground, William softening the impact with his magic.William gave me a concerned look, and at my nod, we strode toward the direction the magic had come from—Lady Catherine. The killer had made a move, just like we’d hoped. Now we had to confront them and get them to admit the truth.
“Are you so desperate to keep anyone else from doing it that you’d attack us in plain sight like that?” I asked.
